I read this book eleven years ago in Brisbane. The girl I fell in love with had a friend who'd lived in Canada and been given it. I was blown away by the concentric plot, the language and the flawed dignity and the weary beauty of the narrator's tale. I'd love to read this book again 'cause I was nineteen back then. I don't have a credit card so I'll just keep grazing in old bookshops with the faith in them funny ordinary little miracles. This book is one of the, say, two dozen novels that have truly added magic to my sweet short life and have given me that extatic gratitude [that sweet, sweet feel] for art and life. I reckon you should read it...

The obscure, tortured and lovely Heroine was given to me by a good friend who, while going to Concordia University in Montreal, was fortunate to get to know one the few small circles of readers who worship this book. It is a stunning novel. Our narrator, the Heroine, lays in her bathtub, trying to focus on the "small spot" beneath the trickle of water, waiting for release. As she lays there, memories of love and politics in 1970's Montreal surface and submerge in complex, dreamlike layers of narrative. The novel seems timeless as Scott masterfully captures the reader in the moment of a psyche - with all its memories, conflicts and scars. Against the backround of politically volotile Quebec, the heroine cannot find a balance between her leftist ideology and her need for romantic love. Never sentimental or indulgent, Heroine is a tense, powerful read.

For the health care professional and staff, this valuable book is easily accessible in its length, writing style and content.We have used it as an enhancing adjunct to training programs in health care leadership,teamwork and customer service. The list of questions in each chapter provides an excellent discussion format for the individuals in medical practices and hospital departments to work together, before, during or after training to continuously improve the quality of their work - as partners in caring. Peter F. McGuire, MD President, Healthcare Dynamics Inc.

This is clearly a well researched volume based on accepted current business practices and their trappings. As a reference source on viable methods of addressing specific areas of non clinical service delivery, it is thorough and quite useful. However the me(physician/administrator) vs them feeling, that is an ongoing problem in practices, and which comes through repeatedly with the word "behavior" as one example, is bothersome. (The book might be more aptly titled: "Staff Selection and Motivation in Non Clinical Service") Still for Customer Service to be truly effective and continuing, it has to come from within and cannot be imposed from without. Training and service objectives need to resonate with each individual to be smoothly integrated and become more than a mechanical reaction to job performance requirements. Further Customer Service needs to be differentiated from clinical services such as explaining an IV. The prospect of a physician sitting down, reading this book and saying he/she is going to implement this, in all its complexity, is remote. He needs custom-tailored guidance and systems that run themselves as much as possible. The conclusion of the final chapter says, in essence, "you've got to do SOMETHING!" But what, which?

I'm C.O.O at a rehab hospital. I've been reading Wendy's books on service improvement in healthcare for years. This newest one is really terrific, because the strategies she describes are ones I can use as an administrator and also get my managers to use...without the need for training. This book is a manual really...a real "how-to" book. It's worth buying one for every manager.

"On her eighth birthday, Betsy took the Shepherds' Oath. She was going to be the best shepherd in Bray Valley history. And any wolf who tried to eat her sheep had better watch out!" Well Zimmo, the last wolf on the mountain, had other ideas. He was very hungry and he had a plan to outwit this new shepherd. The next day, just as Betsy was getting started, Zimmo appeared. Quickly, she blew her whistle and cried wolf, and the townspeople came running. But when they arrived, all they saw was Betsy and the sheep. Zimmo had cleverly disappeared. Betsy got a lecture. Later in the day, the whole episode repeated itself, and this time, Betsy was sent back to Shepherd School for a little refresher course. The next morning, the town decided to give her one last chance. She took the sheep up to the pasture and there was the wolf again. But this time, Betsy takes matters into her own hands..... Gail Carson Levine's comical twist on the old, Boy Who Cried Wolf folktale, stars a feisty and endearing heroine, but the story is a bit too pat and predictable, lacks the drama of the original, and concludes with a silly ending that just doesn't ring true. The real star of this book is illustrator, Scott Nash. His bold, bright, and hilarious, cartoon-like illustrations, complete with witty, sheep asides and thought balloons are engaging, expressive, and filled with eye-catching detail. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Betsy Who Cried Wolf is not the best of the fractured folktale/fairy tale genre, but it's worth a read, if only for a peek at Nash's wonderful artwork.

Hands down, this is my daughter's FAVORITE bedtime book. She loves it and demands it every single night. The pace is great, and it's a really fun book to read aloud. Despite having read this book about 36 gazillion times, I still enjoy reading it. The illustrations are wonderful and really make the book.

This book is definetly a beginning actor's guide. It focused primarily on the acting business for someone who is new to Hollywood. It was helpful in understanding some other roles in the movie business which are not as pretty,but overall I found it informative but lacking what it really takes to land a first job in TV or film. If you know nothing about the business...this book is for you.

I wentto a model convention and he was ur monologue teacher. Well he gave me a callback andi talkedto h for about an hour. He is a very sar andawsome man and writer. I definately would recommend this book. Im actually an actor becaue of his help and others. Thanx Scott.

This is a phenomenal guide to the different positions in the film industry. From the small to the big screen, to the credits that roll by unnoticed and unregarded, this book covers every position with a description of each. There is a chapter on contracts. Another on directing. Another on acting. Another on producing. Virtually a plethora of information, and a must-must-read for anyone going into, or interested in television or movies.

This story features characters from the movie MONSTERS, INC. Sulley is the top Scarer at the Scare Factor in the monster world. However, he finds his job in jeopardy when he finds a little human girl, Boo on the Scare Floor. Sulley doesn't know what to do and hurries home to consult his good friend Mike. Mike comes up with a plan to get rid of the girl and what follows is lots of laughter and chaos.

Many children are familiar with the movie and if they are they will enjoy reading this book. However, even if they are not, the book is a self-contained unit and with characters like Sulley, Mike, and Boo, they will probably enjoy reading it anyway. Since the story contains monsters, it's a nice tale to read at Halloween.

While this book does occasionally give an interesting glimpse at a diplomat's life, it is basically journalistic fluff. The profiles are superficial and often fawning, and broader political issues are largely ignored. It reads like a "Visit to Washington" column in a mediocre community newspaper. One gets the impression that the author wrote each section with the goal of being asked back to an embassy cocktail party. It was a disappointment given what I was expecting.

This is a missed opportunity. If the book had a competitor, there would be another view of Embassy Row available. Unfortunately, there's not. This journalist has difficulty distinguishing between the trivial (e.g. what videos ambassadors watch) and the important. It reads like a term paper in which the student had to write 15 pages with 5 pages of material. I suspect the journalist stretched the thin material she assembled from the limited access she received. At times, she invokes cultural stereotypes that are disturbing. At best, it's a "People Magazine" view of Embassy Row, focused on the glamour rather than the substance of diplomatic life.

If you are loooking for a treatise about diplomacy, this book is not for you. If yu are looking for a book that gives you a good overview about the people and the embassies in Washington, give this one a read. It deals with the inner workings of every day embassy life and provides a little hisoty into the enbassies interviewed. In my mind a worthwhile read.