The author documents the inception and extraordinary success of a small company that challenged the Cold War and sprung into becoming an accomplished enterprise. The author also managed to take a snoozing subject destined for insomniacs and transformed it into a charming book for history buffs and students of economic development and international business management. Readers for generations to come will continue to benefit from this company history and this authors wisdom.

Contrary to information above this book is not out of print and is published by The Mercat Press, 53 South Bridge, EDINBURGH, EH1 1YS, e-mail mercat@thin.co.uk

Ross combines thorough research into both Chinese and American materials with a useful theoretical perspective to yield the definitive guide to the ups and downs of China-US ties. He correctly views each side's waxing and waning influence as a function of situational strategic advantage--first in the US-Chinese-Soviet "strategic triangle" and, later, bilaterally--and shows how changes in global politics affect mutual perceptions of interest and thus drive changes in policy. Lucid, well-researched (although Ross's frequent use of Chinese "scholarly" sources--which are often little more than official documents under the imprimatur of the Beijing bishopric--has its periodic down-side), and convincingly argued, this is the essential title on the topic.

As an educator, I think this book is one of the best I have read on this subject. It is factual and covers both social and medical aspects of HIV infection and AIDS. Its focus is scientific but it explains a wide range of technical concepts (eg current drug therapies, methods of detection) in suprisingly easy and straightforward terms. It has a very humane feel to it as its authors are both AIDS physicians and scientists involved in the searching for better therapies. I think this book can truly help people learn about AIDS.

Splendidly enhanced with 173 illustrations of classic bookplates, Rockwell Kent: The Art Of The Bookplate compiled and written by Don Roberts authoritatively examines the commissioned bookplates of Rockwell Kent and meticulously details the stories behind their creation. A most remarkable and absorbing artbook reflecting the dual love of the written word and the crafted picture, Rockwell Kent is commended to the attention of bibliophiles and art historians.

How much did American Protestants know about the Nazi persecution of Jews during WWII? Up until this book was published in 1980, the usual answer was "very little." Then Dr. Robert Ross, Ph.D., asked his own Protestant denomination what they had done to help the Jews. He was told, "We didn't know about it." Ross wanted to find out if that was really true. From that personal question about the role of his own church, came this groundbreaking study that broke the silence about a moral failure of titanic proprotions. Yes, they certainly did know, but most did nothing about it.

To conduct his study, Dr. Ross chose 50 national Protestant publications, ranging from the "Christian Century" (mainstream) to the "Arkansas Baptist" (fundamentalist). [A complete list of the publications used, with their denominational affiliations, is included in the book.] Then he and his graduate assistants went page-by-page through all the issues from 1933-1945. When I heard Dr. Ross speak in 1982, he told how, in some cases, the pages in the bound volumes were still uncut and stuck together. In all those years, NOBODY had gone through those library copies even once. Talk about denial!

So, what did Ross's team find? Detailed articles, editorials, paid ads, missionary reports, appeals for money and help, letters to the editors -- all focused on the persecution of the Jews. Dr. Ross quotes extensively from all this material, making this work a valuable source book in Holocaust studies for both Jews and Christians.

In the fall of 1933, Frederick Lynch, of "The Reformed Church Messenger," reviewed Adolf Hitler's book, "Mein Kampf", and noted that he "gives vent to his hatred of the Jews in many vitriolic passages" and duly notes his intention to rid Germany of them. Unfortunately, Lynch dismissed Hitler's hatred of Jews as a political ploy against communism, and felt that his antisemitism was "simply a part of his scheme to make a nation of only one blood, one race, one religion." The genocidal implications of such a Jew-free state seems to have escaped Mr. Lynch completely. In Dr. Ross's opinion, "Lynch had quite clearly succumbed to the Nazi propaganda that Hitler had saved Germany from communism and to the antisemitic slur that 'communist' meant 'Jew.'" (Ross, p. 19) Unfortunately, Lynch's review set the pattern for how many American Christians would view Hitler's persecution of the Jews throughout the coming war: as politicially justified anti-communist tactics. (Even into the in the 1960's in the USA, "Commie-Jew" was regarded as one word.)

Others Protestant writers in the 1930s believed the stories of persecution, but saw in them a fulfillment of Bible prophecies and therefore concluded that it was "God's Will" for the Jews to suffer. Ross attributes much of the Christian complancency to a tendency to see Jews as pawns of prophecy instead of flesh-and-blood human beings. In the rural areas especially, many of the readers had never met a living Jew, and knew of them only through Bible references. "The Jews", to many American Christians of that era, were a mythological symbol and not real people. This, according to Ross, led to moral inaction and failure to try to rescue them from Hitler.

After The USA entered WWII in 1942, censorship on both sides made it more difficult to get info about what was happening to the Jews under Hitler. Nevertheless, reports about the deportations, slave labor camps, gas chambers and and death marches DID get through and was published in many of the Protestant publications. One group that consistently published paid ads about the atrocities was the International Hebrew Chrstian Alliance, which did missionary work to convert Jews to Christanity. Their U.S. fundraiser ads tried to appeal to universal Christian brotherhood by saying, in effect, that these converted Jews were now fellow Christians now and deserved to be helped the same as any other Christians. While these ads might strike some readers (including myself) as rather self-serving, nevertheless, they *did* include detailed descriptions and photos of the atrocities against Jews.

All in all, Dr. Ross's study proved beyond a doubt that plenty of information about the Holocaust was readily available to American Protestants throughout the entire Hitler era, provided they bothered to read the publications of their churches. In the final chapter, "Too long have we Christians been silent," Ross addresses the moral failure of his own religion to come to the aid of Jews under Hitler. He comes to the conclusion that, although the prtess reported far more about the Holocaust than was previously believed, the reality of it all had not sunk in. "In the end," writes Ross on the last page, " editors and writers seemed unable to cope with something as unreal, even unimaginable, as the mass slaughter of millions of people... They could report this madness, this unreality, but, beyond the reporting and even beyond the expressed shock and horror over the discvery of the death camps, there remains the waful pall that hangs over this entire episode in modern history."

This book had the shock effect that its author intended, and became a minor bestseller in Holocaust studies circles. It shattered forever the illusion that American Christians didn't know about the Holocaust, and laid bare the moral question, still debated to this day: If they did know so much, why did they do nothing?

Many great names in SF are collected here in one great volume.

All the Time in the World - Arthur C. Clarke
Puppet Show - Fredric Brown
Birds of a Feather - Robert Silverberg
Clutch of Morpheus - Larry Sternig
The Last Command - Keith Laumer
Fog - William Campbell Gault
The Martian Crown Jewels - Poul Anderson
Of Missing Persons - Jack Finney

All are wonderful stories, especially the ones by Clarke, Brown, Silverberg, Laumer and Finney. This one is out of print, unfortunately. A big shame because they don't write them like this anymore.

Perhaps many of those who had previously read The Fifth Discipline were not aware (until now) that Peter Senge later co-authored this book with Art Kleiner, Charlotte Roberts, Richard Ross, George Roth, and Bryan Smith. Why read The Dance of Change? Its in Learning Organizations." Yes, there are challenges. Lots of them...and many are indeed formidable. And yes, obviously, without momentum, efforts to energize or re-energize any organization will fail.

My own experience suggests that there will then be at least three whatever was undertaken was doomed to fail; also, therefore, that such efforts should never be undertaken again; finally, defenders of the status quo (whatever it may be) will become even more aggressive in their opposition to change in almost any form.

Of course, Senge understood full well when he wrote The Fifth Discipline that those who attempted to implement an appropriate (emphasis on "appropriate") combination of his ideas and suggestions would encounter all manner of resistance. In my opinion, that is why he then co-authored the Fieldbook. (I strongly suggest that it be read only after reading The Fifth Discipline.) Here is how The Dance of Change Change)

The Challenges of Initiating (Not Enough Time, No Help [Coaching and Support], Not Relevant, Walk the Talk)

The Challenges of Sustaining Transformation (Fear and Anxiety, Assessment and Measurement, True Believers and Nonbelievers)

The Challenges of Redesigning and Rethinking (Governance, Diffusion, Strategies Purpose)

As you can see, Senge and his co-authors provide a cohesive and comprehensive system with which to achieve and then sustain (emphasis on "sustain") "profound change." Once again, I want to stress the importance of carefully selecting what is most appropriate from this wealth of material. The selection process should be unhurried but expeditious. It should include only those who are wholeheartedly committed to achieving "profound change." Moreover, their number should not threaten effective communication and collaboration. My final suggestion (not necessarily Senge's) is to proceed with a "Big Picture" clearly in mind but to focus on the sequential completion of specific tasks according to plan. Like buildings, learning "blueprint," sufficient resources, materials of the highest quietly, inspiring leaders and effective managers, talented associates, and (most important) a shared commitment. Obviously, your organization will need its own "blueprint." Success or failure when implementing it will depend upon its own people. It cannot be otherwise. View The Dance of Change created by Senge and his co-authors, therefore, as an invaluable resource...and proceed accordingly.

You may also wish to consult Isaacs' Dialogue in which he addresses many of the same issues but from somewhat different perspectives. I also recommend Bennis and Biederman's Organizing Genius as well as O'Toole's Leading Change. Their own experiences, insights, and suggestions may also prove helpful to your efforts. I wish you great success!

The core premise of the book is that the key to achieving and sustaining significant change lies in changing people's basic ways of thinking. Those of us who have worked with organizations to achieve meaningful change, quickly come to realize that the central challenge is the engrained patterns of thought in the minds of people. That is the ultimate challenge that this work sets out to tackle.

The question one is left with, as with many books of this type, is not the value of the book (it is excellent), but How many leaders of change will read this volume, take its insights to heart, and ACT upon them?

The book is divided into three sections around the challenges of initiating, sustaining, and redesigning and rethinking. Within these sections are the ten key challenges to profound change. The notes from the field provide a record of organizational change initiatives and specific approaches taken by GE, Hewlett-Packard, British Petroleum, Ford, Dupont, and others. The book includes case histories, round-table discussions, team exercises, checklists, and solid guidance.

This work is densely packed with valuable insights, guidance, and developmental techniques. It offers enormous potential to receptive and motivated readers who are able to move from thought to action. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, founder, Stern & Associates, author of Stern's Sourcefinder: The Master Directory to HR and Business Management Information & Resources, Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder, and Stern's Compensation and Benefits SourceFinder.

Of the FIFTH DISCIPLINE SERIES books, THE DANCE OF CHANGE is by far the most important for you to understand. THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE and THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE FIELDBOOK are wonderful, valuable books, but they largely avoid the tough question of how to sustain a Learning Organization initiative. Based on lots of experiences in different companies, THE DANCE OF CHANGE is the most realistic, thorough, thoughtful work on achieving large-scale organizational change that has ever been my pleasure to read. I immediately found it helpful in overcoming some of my bad habits (including falling in love with my own jargon rather than using common English). Since I first read the book about 9 months ago, I have found it affecting my consulting practice by causing me to focus more on lasting change, than immediate change. That's an important lesson for everyone. Like THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE FIELDBOOK, THE DANCE OF CHANGE allows you to focus on the areas where you need help the most. The beginning is a wonderful systems-dynamic analysis of how successful change occurs, and how it can be derailed. Like THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE FIELDBOOK, you do not need to read THE DANCE OF CHANGE from front to back. I found myself skipping around, and enjoyed the experience. Even if you do not want to have a Learning Organization, you will find THE DANCE OF CHANGE very valuable for giving you direction on how to achieve permanent, valuable changes. On the subject of achieving the strategy you wish to implement, I strongly urge you to also read THE BALANCED SCORECARD. These books are good complements to each other. For picking up on your most important issues, you will find Peter Drucker's MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY to be invaluable.

This book has been around for years and new editions are lapped up by fresh generations of bond geeks. You will find a copy on pretty much every fixed income desk in the industry (including mine). Why all the hoopla? Because there is simply no other book like it. Because it is simply the most comprehensive survey of the various fixed income markets in print. For a basic understanding of the structure and institutional aspects fixed income securities, Fabozzi is the inevitable first stop. All this being said, it is important to understand the book's weaknesses. There is relatively little depth in terms of analytics and if you want formulae you will have to look elsewhere. But for basic overviews, structural details and the orientation that is a precondition for deeper study, the Handbook is in a class by itelf.

The term bible of fixed income has been used in conjunction with this book numerous times. It is not an understatement. Less like a textbook, more like a guide, Fabozzi's work takes the reader step by step through the fixed income universe. The book can be found on many a practitioner's desk and has even reached cult status with a mention in Paul Stiles' Merrill Lynch recap. Just a few topics on fixed income escape discussion, but then again, Fabozzi wrote more than one book.

This book contains everything a beginner could care to know and everything a professional needs to know. This book is a study in fixed income securities from the basic to the complex and should be a source of information and reference for anyone studying or practicing.

Robert Fitzgerald's poetic translation of Homer's ODYSSEY simply picked me up and carried me away when I first read it in the tenth grade. I did not expect something written thousands of years ago to have such colorful language and vivid images. Nor did I expect it to surpass anything I had read before as the greatest story ever told. Very few works have even matched it in my last 15 years of reading.

THE ODYSSEY is the prototypical journey tale of world literature. After ten years fighting and helping the Greeks win the Trojan War, Odysseus, King of Ithaka, offends the sea god Poseidon and is doomed to another ten years of wandering before being able to return to his wife, son, and homeland. He meets all manner of deadly obstacles and pleasant diversions along the way, but always in his mind is the desire for home. Virtually everything is in THE ODYSSEY: a son's coming-of-age without his father, a hero's escape from giant whirlpools, sexy sorceresses and the angry wine-dark sea, the most faithful wife in the history of literature, and that's just for starters.

Fitzgerald imposes no stylistic or rhythmic roadblocks, on the contrary, his poetry is smooth and his gift for bring us all the color and music of Homer is rich and deft. In my book, only Shakespeare and Tolstoy are in the same class as Homer, but the ancient one should be experienced first. Read THE ODYSSEY before or after THE ILIAD, but read it and enjoy.

First and foremost, the Odyssey is a great tale. It is at heart an adventure story of Odysseus's return to his home after the 10 year Trojan War. Because Odysseus has upset the wrong god, he has to spend another 10 years journeying home. Meanwhile, suitors for his wife, Penelope's, hand have gathered at his home trying to win her heart, and, in the meantime, eating Odysseus out of house and home.

Homer picks up the tale in medias res (in the middle of things). Much of Odysseus's journey is told as a flashback, and it is wonderful to read of the adventures fighting a Cyclops, being lured by sirens, escaping witches, even having a brush with the underworld. Through it all, the book is still a tale of a family reuniting (although Odysseus is not the most faithful husband). There is even a heartbreaking scene when Odysseus sees his old dog again after being gone for 20 years.

Robert Fitzgerald's translation is just what one wants for the Odyssey. Fitzgerald stresses the poetry of Homer's epic poem. He also strives to make the book readable. I do not know ancient Greek, but it does not appear that Fitzgerald sacrifices much to achieve this. The book is still deep and rich, yet bubbling with life at the top.

If you are looking for more of a transliteration, Richard Lattimore's translation is probably closer to what you want.

This epic poem of Homer is nearly 3,000 years old -- if it weren't worth reading, then it would have died in oblivion ages ago. This enduring work has been the inspiration for James Joyce because it touches upon greats truths about humanity. The wandering of Odysseus home after the war with Troy is full of those personal battles that still must be fought on the battlefield of everyday existence. In this epic poem Homer takes on the great themes of fidelity, homecoming, overcoming hardship through persistance and ingenuity, life's fickle nature, the treachery and dignity of men. This poem is about the enduring power of a man's love for his wife and family despite the hardships of distance and isolation. It's about doing battle with powerful demons and omnipotent gods with very human aspects, often with inhuman faces, living invisibly in one's very midst. It's about a man re-inventing himself until he finds the right road that delivers him from defeat and death. It's about what counts in life -- friendship, honor, love, loyalty, family, home and intelligent action. The lyrical nature of Homer's writing and Fitzgerald's translation is enthralling and lovely and memorable. This epic goes well beyond the test of time -- it's more than just a benchmark -- it serves to continue to inspire those who read it. Read Homer's Odyssey -- it can help you immensely to better understand your own.