In this book, Dr. Weinzimmer points out many of the errors in normal business thinking by providing common sense alternative that will provide value to any company's customers. For example, he says to throw out SWOT analysis, but he provides an alternative that focuses on the customer instead of focusing on the firm. I had this professor for my undergrad capstone project and know that he truly believes in his ideas because he forces us to apply them in our senior consulting project (which uses actual companies as clients). This book allowed us to produce original ideas that will help our client grow their business. This book was even entertaining to read and, depending on the amount of analysis you want to put into it, can be a quick read.

Dr. Weinzimmer provides an excellent alternative to the common views on strategic management. I was a student in his strategic management course during my undergraduate study, and we used this book. Comparing it to other strategy classes, I can honestly say his view comes out on top. I would recommend this to any college student looking for an alternative to what is commonly included in books.

I'll admit, when I saw the 'PhD' after the author's name, I was afraid this would be a bone-dry and obscure piece of academic writing. But it is written with great clarity and is highly readable as well as informative. It's worth reading.

Not an avid reader of detective or Christian books, I yet thoroughly enjoyed this one. A powerful mix of God and grit, with a terse wit and suspenseful plot that keeps you turning the pages to see how the believable and likeable Joe Box triumphs over evil.

Oh, wow! I loved this page-turning story! Mr. Robinson had me glued to the edge of my seat throughout the entire reading of his VERY IMPRESSIVE, "Sock Monkey Blues" ...A Book You Definately Do Not Want To Miss! Be sure and watch for the sequel... (A Highly Recommended Novel!)

I gotta tell ya, I'm not a Mike Hammer fan. Opening a book with a prologue often annoys me, even if shrieking bullets and first person narrative ARE outstanding hooks...when well done.

Be warned: this tale is done well. Fast paced, well balanced, and completely absorbing, this hard-boiled detective's confrontation with questions of faith, while racing to save the girl, (what else?), challenges every reader without detracting from the entertainment. And when Boneless Chuck grins, you really can feel the ice pierce your heart.

The good news is that this is the first book in a series. Don't be surprised if Joe Box becomes the new icon in Christian fiction.

Much as I love all types of books, fantasy has been my favorite for as long as I can remember. So, considering that I have read extensively in this field, I have read all the cleshaes to the point where I can almost guess the ending two chapters into most books. This series I'm happy to say, is in a league all it's own. It's completely unlike any series I've ever read before, and I have to say I'm releaved that there actually is a fantasy series where male and female characters treat each other equaly, and female characters can be just as strong as male characters. Anyway, in this book (which is third in this incredible series) Monkey tells the tale as the book picks up basically where the previous one (told by Shimmer) left off, as they continue their quest to try to restore the inland sea. At first I was a little irritated at having Monkey tell this segment of the adventure; I wanted more Shimmer! but I quickly warmed up to him, and to the hillarious irony with which he tells the story. This book was also largely character based, focusing a lot of the interrelations of the characters, as Monkey begins to build a bond with Thorn, a saintly young human boy, who is very jealous of Shimmer's favoritism to newcommer Indigo. (a human girl) This book also has plenty of exciting action and adventure scenes though, and tons of suspense, so fans of action will not be dissapointed either. I would recommend reading the first two prior to this one, since it will make a lot more sense that way. Also, I would recommend these books to anyone from ten years old one up since in my opinion they are quite timeless.

The 3rd book out of a great series thata started with "Dragon of the Lost Sea", and "Dragon Steel". It uses a famous chinese character called monkey,(from "Journey to the West" {an 100-chapter book written during the chinese dynasty. *rare!*)Wise-cracking, witty, and unpredictable monkey tells the story from his point of view. Great fun, a good storybook to cuddle up with. I recommend reading the first book first to understand what is going on.

This was an extremely good book. it was a fantasy, but it had a little human touch to it. For example, two of the main characters, a monkey and a dragon, constantly tease each other. The author is very skilled, making even a monkey seem wise and dignified. The storyline is a bit overwrought, relying wholly on constant action rather than suspense. However, many people enjoy that more. All in all, I would say that it was better than a similiar book, Dragon of the Lost Sea, which happens to be by the same author. The books even have the same characters. Dragon Cauldron, however, used the mystery of magic to the better advantage of the story. This adds more fantasy to the sroryline, but it also makes parts of the book extremely confusing. In all, it was one of the best fantasies I have ever read.

I saw this book at a local bookstore, was really attracted by the cover, and opened it up and read the inside sleeve. I really liked the fact that Helene Brenner was a psychologist who ran a clinic and worked with a lot of women. I figured she might know what she was talking about. I was really looking for something. My life's pretty good, but you know how it is -- two kids in school, a job, a marriage that's as good as any I've seen but not exactly exciting anymore, and I've been thinking a lot lately, is this all there is? What am I going to DO with the rest of my life?
I REALLY like this book, and I've already recommended it to about four friends. The best thing I like about it is that it DOESN'T promise sixty days to a totally new you or anything like that. It never says that you think too negatively, or you're being a victim, or you're co-dependent, or you're not "spiritual" enough or loving enough or you have the wrong belief systems. The book is very -- the only word I can describe it is GENTLE. It says, hey, you're human, you're a woman, isn't that great, be compassionate to yourself. I've never seen that in a book before.
But what's so neat is that now I have the book in my head. It's funny, I've never heard the author, Helene Brenner speak, but during the day I hear her "talking" to me. I get into a situation, and I find myself asking myself, "Now what do I know to be true here?" Or "What am I FEELING right now? Listen. Pay attention to it." Of course, I went straight for the chapter on relationships. I tried the "innercize" called "the power of positive wanting" on my husband, which is you say what you're not happy about, then you say what you want, then you tell him the GOOD things that will result if he listens to you this time (you'll feel good about him, you'll feel closer, etc..), and darned if it didn't work! (I haven't told him I got it from a book.)
I feel a lot, lot better since buying this book. Who knows, maybe I'll still have to get therapy to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life, but this book is a whole lot cheaper. And if I DO get therapy, the therapist is going to have to talk like Dr. Brenner.

Ground breaking, YES. Simple, in many ways. Simplistic, not in the least. I hesitate to tell readers that Dr. Brenner has been my lifeline for many years (after trying my share of 'traditional' Doctors). Yet, I also think it is important that you know why I endorse this book with all my heart. I have worked these innersizes, I have walked the talk, and it works. Easy? Not always, however, well worth the time and effort. We (women) are not broken, we do not need to be fixed. We do need to be authentic. For our sakes and for the sake of the people in our lives. Dr. Brenner has a deep understanding of who women are, and how we can gain our voices back. This understanding has been presented in a manner that is clear, practical and humorous. I have tried to share her concepts, never giving them justice, now I can share the book. This is 'must' reading for any woman, of any age, who have wondered what to do with all those voices. How to understand them and learn to work with them. Dr. Brenner is not telling you how to be fixed, as there is no need for that, she is opening your mind and body to how to connect and understand.

If you were hesitating at the idea of buying 'one more self help book'...it is not a self help book, and give it a read.

Thank you.

This book is a balm for every woman who has felt oppressed by the constant directive: "Improve thyself!" Dr. Brenner encourages women to tune in to their own inner voices for healing and strength. I for one feel exhausted by the constant message that we should strive for perfection. I am happiest when I follow Dr. Brenner's advice and listen to my inner voice. Her book should soothe and inspire every woman seeking inner growth. She also models a gentle approach for psychotherapists. I highly recommend this book!

I have read several other books with the same theme, however this book surpasses them all. Our copy is well loved and our guests tend to migrate toward it at our home. The book contains the stories of several people and how dogs have touched their lives. It is a glimpse into personal collections of avid dog lovers and collectors.

I am an avid collector of dog memorabilia and motif items and this book was an inspiration! My husband just thought I was obsessive about dog objects! Your book gave me new ideas for old dog items that I never would have thought of. The photography is beautiful and the subjects are warm and true. I know that I am not alone in my endeavor to collect and display what I love!

I've always had an affinity for dogs and the people who love them, which is probably why this book now occupies the premier spot on my coffee table. After reading the introduction by Larry Sheehan, in which he shares hilarious and endearing tales about his dog, Buster, I knew I'd found someone who truly understood what it means to live with and love dogs. Even bad ones. The book is a celebration of hardcore dog enthusiasm. It's fun to learn about other people's passion for various breeds. What's more, the pages are filled with pictures of beautiful dogs, beautiful homes, and beautiful places. I got tons of inspiration for decorating my home and incorporating my love of dogs into my life. This book would make a wonderful gift.

I just finished this book after adding it to my collection of prep books for promotion (someday). Dr.Blum's prose is detailed and informative, without crossing the line into technical jumbly. Make no mistake: This book should be mandatory reading for all officers at every level. Don't wait until your first traumatic incident to buy this book; get it now and use the preparation techniques described. I only wish this book had been handed out the first day after leaving the protective walls of the academy...

This was easily one of the most informative and helpful book I have read since entering Law Enforcement 14 years ago. I highly recommend this book to all officers!!

Took me two days to read it. Took me another two days to re-read it as I was so intrigued with the insights that this psychologist has in our profession. Once I was done, I ordered a copy for every instructor (DT, Firearms, FTO) in our Department. Mandatory reading...

"The Hunting of the Snark" is a brilliant nonsense-poem. Yet Gardner has seen fit to put pretentious, geeky, ...pedantic annotations all over it. Now I like nonsense, but the vulgarly rational "sense" of some of these annotations irritates me. Do we really need to know that the word "BOMB" begins and ends with B (thereby relating it to the Boojum) and that OM is the Hindu name of God??? Do we really need to know of a political cartoon in which Kruschev says "BOO", and does Gardner have to tell us that he was trying to say Boojum??

Annotations should be done in the manner of Gardner's own annotations of Alice in Wonderland. Now those were annotations that made *sense*. Annotations that simply explained out of date concepts, gave relevant details from Carroll's own life, or obscure humour. That's all! That is what annotations should be like.

The pedantic geekery of these annotations remind me of the...games of Star Trek fanatics (or Sherlock Holmes fanatics).

The poem is brilliant, though; and the illustrations were funny, before the annotations over-analysed them.

Lewis Carroll is brilliant in this piece. First of all the poetical music is perfect, absolutely perfect, and yet the words don't mean much. Many of these words are not even to be found in any dictionary. Be it only for the music, this piece is astonishingly good. But the piece has a meaning. I will not enter the numerical value of the numbers used in the poem : 3, 42, 6, 7, 20, 10, 992, 8, and I am inclined to say etc because some are more or less hidden here and there in the lines. Hunting for these numbers is like hunting for the snark, an illusion. But the general meaning of the poem is a great allegory to social and political life. A society, any society gives itself an aim, a target, a purpose and everyone is running after it without even knowing what it is. What is important in society is not what you are running after or striving for, but only the running and the striving. Lewis Carroll is thus extremely modern in this total lack of illusions about society, social life and politics : just wave a flag of any kind, or anything that can be used as a flag and can be waved, in front of the noses of people and they will run after it or run in the direction it indicates. They love roadsigns and social life is a set of roadsigns telling you where to go. Everyone goes there, except of course the roadsigns themselves who never go in the direction they indicate. Lewis Carroll is thus the first post-modern poet of the twenty-first century. He just lived a little bit too early.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

I am a fan of Lewis Carroll, but somehow was unaware of the existence of an edition of "The Hunting of the Snark" with annotations. As someone who tremendously enjoys Martin Gardner's "Annotated Alice," I heartily recommend this book to like-minded readers. Gardner's annotations and introduction set the stage for the reader, putting the composition of the poem in its proper context in Victorian England, and in Lewis Carroll's life. And as with "Annotated Alice" the annotations are fascinating and amusing in their own right. "The Hunting of the Snark" is one of Carroll's lesser-appreciated (or at least lesser-known) works, and this paperback is an excellent introduction.

I noticed some confusion in the Amazon listings for this book, so let me clarify that the edition with Gardner's annotations is the paperback, and for illustrations it contains reproductions of Henry Holiday's original woodcuts from the 1800's. There are only eight pictures, and these are in old-fashioned style which may turn off some modern readers. This edition does not contain the illustrations - listed in the review of the hardcover editions - by Jonathan Dixon, nor the illustrations by Mervyn Peake also listed as available in hardcover from Amazon.

To Snark fans, though, I would unhesitatingly recommend both those editions as well. Dixon's is little-known, but excellent, the most profusely illustrated Snark, with pictures on every page in lush, gorgeously detailed and humorous pen and ink. It may still be available through the website of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America, who published it in a small edition. Peake's drawings are also in beautiful black and white, and capture his own rather dark, quirky "Gormenghast" take on the poem. (A good companion, too, to the recently released editions of "Alice" with Peake's drawings.)

This is a comprehensive guide to leadership coaching. It's a review of many authors' previous work or ideas so it has appeal
for the seasoned coach although I did not find much new material. It is probably better for 'new to the field' coaches who want to know a lot of information in one source. The chapters are short and easy to read. For seasoned coaches it is helpful to pick and choose. I especially liked Nancy Adler's chapter on Coaching Global Executives: Women Succeeding in a World Beyond Here. She ended with a good reason for executives to chose coaching.

While attending Linkage's Knowledge Management Conference,I heard Marshall Goldsmith speak about some of the executives he has coached, and was intrigued by his money-back guarantee: if the coworkers of the executive being coached aren't satisfied with results, then Marshall doesn't get paid!

How many consultants can make that offer?

At any rate, Goldsmith has edited (and contributed chapters) to "Coaching for Leadership" along with Laurence Lyons and Alyssa Freas. Coaching high-impact, ambitious, hard-driving executives is not quite the same process as coaching under-performing employees, so this book probably has a smaller audience than say, "Coaching for Dummies". However, executive coaching is all about moving individuals into behaviors that sustain business, and there is lots of useful information for the coaches of non-leaders. There is also a very interesting (and very short) chapter on, "Coaching from Below" by Deepak (Dick) Sethi. Most of us could probably use that information!

I became curious about "Executive Coaching" after reading an article in Forbes Magazine last year. The article showed astounding salaries (some of these coaches make as much money in a day as many of us make in a year) and major companies (General Electric, Sony, Johnson & Johnson, Ernst & Hewlett-Packard) using "executive coaches".

Well this book tells you what these "executive coaches" do and I found it fascinating!

What if reality is an illusion? How can you know if *you* aren't part of that illusion? If the world is a construct whose sole purpose is to fool your senses, what kind of conclusions can you draw about the nature of reality? Can you prove you exist? Can you even trust your thoughts? These very large questions if not dismissed consist hyprebolic doubt (aka Cartesian Doubt).

By asking and analyzing these very big questions, Descartes proved that you exist, and while not trustworthy, the mere fact you _have_ thoughts, proves it (Cogito Ergo Sum). Unfortunately, due to the high level of rigor and extreme doubt, it has proven impossible to build upon that very sound foundation, and his arguments trying to take it further do not express nearly the same level of rigor, and pale to his powerful first conclusions.

With the style of analysis and fearlessly examining this, he created the basis and foundation for most modern philosophy, since many schools of thought is based upon getting off his rigorous and rather lonely dead end island of "Cartesian Doubt" with a non-rigorous assumption or supposition.

The book is a fast, and intense read, appearing to have been written over a few days. The reader is taken along for the ride and in my case, my mind was blown at the level of rigor. To me his argument leading to "Cogito Ergo Sum" is as close to a bulletproof, rigorous, perfect argument that you can experience. Its only weakness, though, if you stick to that level of rigor, you really cannot prove anything else besides your own existence!

Definitely worth the price of admission. Especially to non-philosophers like myself!

Dig in!

"A Discourse on Method: Meditations and Principles" is more than a book, it is a challenging and rewarding mental experience. It is a tough read but well worth it just to read "I think, therefore I am" in its proper context (the simple statement that Descartes considers his first principle of philosophy).

The book is divided into three parts. In "A Discourse on Method," Descartes lays out his first principle of philosophy, and his plan for rejecting false assertions and deriving true principles. The "Meditations on the First Principle" is the wide ranging essay where "I think, therefore I am" is expanded to include all of its implications. These implications are wide ranging, from the existence of God, to the existence of our bodies, other physical objects, various scientific principles, and finally, whatever we are able to know as truth. Here is where the book poses its greatest challenge. At this point I was only reading 2-4 pages at a time. Then when I finished this part, I went back and reread a bulk of it to fully grasp the key points of the "Meditations." The third part, "The Principles of Philosophy," wouldn't have been so difficult if my brain hadn't been taxed as it was by the "Meditations." But the Principles are well organized and clearer, making the book more satisfying to read again.

Overall, this book is a treasure as an intense mental revelation. It brings together Descartes' best writing for the general reader, if the reader is up to the challenge.

Can anything be known to be certain? This is a more difficult question than most people might recognize. Rene Descartes says yes and presents us with one of the most elegant thought experiments in the history of philosophy. We begin by calling into doubt all claims of "knowledge"; believing nothing that cannot be affirmed with absolute certainty:
Imagine now that an all-powerful, all-knowing being might exist external to that which we can experience with our senses, i.e., external to the material world (recall that we can neither know this nor know otherwise). Imagine further that this extra-material entity may be a devious trickster, messing with my mind, perhaps to amuse a twisted sense of humor. Because the possible trickster would exist external to the access of scientific scrutiny, I could, in my state of absolute skepticism, never know whether this sadistic consciousness is at work, not only in the material world, not only in my conscious perception of the material world, but in fact in the perceptions of all other conscious beings as well. Thus all scientific proofs might be mere illusion and there could be no means of determining this. In other words, if all material objects and all subjects of thought are inherently uncertain, and this is indeed a logical conclusion at this point in our consideration, what then could be known with certainty? Is then the only absolute certainty this universal and impenetrable uncertainty? Could it ever be truly known that anything exists apart from the possibility of the trickster? Only one thing: that [without regard to whether or not it is being deceived] the mind of the thinker must exist, for otherwise there is not even the illusion that our consideration is happening. Thus the only thing that I may know beyond any doubt is that my mind does exist. Cogito ergo sum, i.e., "I think, therefore I am." This singular certainty is not without further implications. For while we have established that consciousness (i.e., mind) is more certain to exist than is matter, we don't know why this should be true. Or do we? Descartes says that there is a reason we must reach this conclusion and presents his ontological argument for the existence of a perfect and beneficent Mind beyond material constraints and uncertainty (that mind being God).
Whether or not Descartes believed he had "proved" the existence of God is not a very interesting point (apparently he thought so). As Pascal pointed out, such proof -- or disproof -- is not possible within the inherent limits of human investigations (Pascal found nature and reason to powerfully infer God's existence in a probabilistic sense, while "scientific" proofs must be uncertain, uncertainty being the nature of corporeal existence). What Descartes did "prove" is that the idea of an extra-cosmic mind is a rational conclusion (and is rational to a greater extent than any phenomenological observation that we might assume to be "true"). Some claim to rebut Descartes' ontology citing his geometric analogy, which was based in the Cartesian paradigm of his day. This is no great difficulty however, another mathematical illustration might have been developed had Descartes knowledge of 21st century mathematics. In fact, Descartes asserts that his conclusion does not rest on his understanding of geometry (which was about to be overtaken by Newton's mathematics). He believes that he could provide "an infinity" of allegories to illustrate his ontology. Here we find an expression of how Descartes' struggle with vanity leads to some hasty proffers (finite beings cannot wholly examine an infinity, even if we accept the existence of such). Many other thinkers, who agreed with some of Descartes arguments, quickly took umbrage with his more disputable statements. Descartes then rebutted these rebuttals. In fact some of these arguments continue today. Such is Descartes' importance to [some say "modern"] philosophy.
There are still other interesting aspects to these essays: Descartes' method (which is sound), his interest in medicine, physiology, neurology, his anticipation and analysis of "artificial intelligence" (three centuries before science fiction writers 'invented' the idea). Also interesting is the author's plea to the public (the work is clearly addressed to a general readership and not to his nemesis, the Jesuits, as some reviewers mistakenly suggest). Noticeably struggling to maintain his humility, the brilliant Descartes asks to be left to his work in physics. Rather than taking precious time to explain and defend his theories, he wishes to be left alone to focus on his work, asking to be judged and explained by it after his death.

This second part of the Gormenghast trilogy focuses on Titus Groan, 77th Earl of Gormenghast's youth, from schooling to his ascention to manhood. This book took me almost a year to read (one long break) - the first half of the book progresses incredibly slowly, even for Peake's normally languid pace - I just couldn't cope. I can appreciate his qualities as a wordsmith - his vocabulary is second to none but I couldn't help but think he could have shortened things somewhat- the schoolmasters' preparation to court Irma drags on and on, but her eventual marriage has virtually no importance to the main plot, and ends up seeming like a waste of time and space - 'I waded through molasses for what!'

In stark contrast, the latter half of the book contains Peake's best (I think) work of the entire trilogy, culminating in the hunt for Steerpike - which is superb. Definately a book of two halves, (bad cliche) but the reader is rewarded for their effort in the end.

It's not really possible to review Gormenghast out of context with the other two books that sandwich it: Titus Groan leads you into the world of Gormenghast and Titus Alone makes you wonder how Gormenghast, the place, exists.
This second volume continues to follow the adventures of the murderously ambitious Steerpike, the maturity and self-awareness of Titus Groan, with some colorful side-trips into a courtship, the revelation of a creature completely antithetical to all that Gormanghast stands for, and a natural disaster that heightens the intensity of the conclusion.
I would heartily recommend starting with Titus Groan (it seems the only available edition has all three volumes in one), and working through them in sequence. But make sure you avoid all the scholarly apparatus that follows Titus Alone until you've finished all three: there are a few spoilers there.
As for the comparisons to Tolkein, I'm afraid I don't see it: they as different as can be. This is not a hero's quest and where it does come down to good versus evil, it's more to do with survival: the world of Gormenghast is a world of murk and shadows, with no clear delineations or values. Titus Groan's self-awareness and the choices he makes are what drive the story. In The Lord of the Rings, there's a sense of destiny to the decisions and actions: Gormenghast is much more personal, with Steerpike's ambition, Sepulchrave's sense of duty, Flay's vigilance, Titus's maturity all helping to propel the action.
Now go read this monster.

These books rank with the greatest books of world literature, and only one of them is still in print? Every library in the world should have a copy of the trilogy. Anyway, here we find the story of the adolescence of Titus Groan. We are also given more depth into the other characters. I'd like to note that my veiw of Steerpike and Flay changed. When I read Titus Groan, I found Steerpike more a sympathetic character than Flay, here it is otherwise. I'd also like to mention on how the events in the previous book effect the life of Titus Groan in such a way that it seems as if it happened in real life. We see the conflict inside of him between the pride of his linege and the desire for freedom, that eventually has Titus flee the great castle. The conflict between freedom and desire for the home is carried into Titus Alone.