This book helps tie together all the parts of developing a business plan. Before I read this book, I was struggling with writing a business plan for a new business. The hardest thing for me was putting all the pieces together in a coherant structure. This book provides the missing piece that every business needs to have in order to produce results that are lasting and memoriable. GREAT FOCUSING TOOL!

A must read for all Customer Service Managers and any one involved with "Customers"
I found this book to be full of useful ideas and look forward to using them on a daily basis. The authors have managed to put ideas down in a clear and concise manner which make it easy to read and understand.
Highly Recommended.

I've started to see lots of commentators, conference speakers and consultants talking about the Customer Experience. But none of them come anywhere near these guys for a holistic and in-depth treatment of the subject. Their book provides the intellectual rigour, as well as advice which is clearly based on practical experience, that is missing from so many Customer Service and Customer Experience books.

This book makes some often difficult language, and topics, approachable for those willing to learn it.

Makes some often very unapproachable topics and language approachable for those who want to learn it.

This is a simple (though not simpleminded) introduction to the philosophy of mind (includes such topics as "consciousness", "self", "mental phenomena", etc). McGinn writes eloquently and uses interesting metaphors (eg, refers to the brain as "that greyish dumpling"). It is highly recommended to the interested person who wants a comprehensive overview of this lively area of contemporary philosophy.

The reviewer below gives a pretty good summary of the book's contents, so I'll just add my two bits about its quality. C&WT is well-done, balanced, and readable. The author relates the ideas of leading Christian and non-Christian thinkers in a clear style, interjecting his own thoughtful viewpoint with about the right frequency. He treats readers with respect, but has mercy on those of us who find a lot of philosophical discourse a bit esoteric by explaining terms and concepts. None of the book is boring, (to me) because Brown engages his subjects with respect and interest -- this is not an archeological dig in quaint DWM thought. Nor is the book a long editorial. When the author gives his opinion, he sets it clearly apart, and it is cogent and reasonable. Brown not only shows the awesome breadth of knowledge that such an undertaking requires -- charting the ideas of great and famous thinkers from 500 B. C. to 1800 in a single complex story -- he also demonstrates good taste and judgement in dealing with thinkers of such widely differing views and personalities. I appreciated, for example, his rehabilitation of Descartes, the brackets he puts around Hume, his discussion of Pascal, and so on. It seems to me he deals with them all pretty fairly, though of course this book is no substitute for the originals. I hope volume II is as good.

It would be unfair to complain that the book is too narrow in scope. But it may encourage an attitude among Western Christians that I think is. Brown seems to envision "the West" almost hermetically sealed fomm the rest of the world. (As do so many Christians.) For instance, Brown seems to go along with the convention that the Greeks started philosophy too readily. But weren't the Pythagoreans roughly a school of Advetic thought beamed over from India? And don't the Vedas, the Hundred Schools of Zhou-era China, and so on, also have claims to originating philosophy? Or more pertinently -- how about the Wisdomm literature of the Old Testament? What is needed now that Christianity is no longer primarily a Western religion is to connect Christian thought to its roots in world rather than Western (Greek) tradition alone. Can we hope for a volume three in the series?

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man

Colin Brown covers, in this text, philosophy, philosophical movements, ideas, people, etc. from the Ancient world to the Age of Enlightenment. Brown begins by discussing the pre-Socratics then he moves into the Milesians, Pythagoreans, Heraclitus, Parmenides, and Socrates as well as the Sophists. He then directs his attention toward a more detailed account of Plato and Aristotle. All the usual basic philosophies are covered. For instance, Plato's "Cave" analogy for the theory of forms, Plato's theory on the soul and Immortality, etc. Regarding Aristotle, logic, physics, metaphysics, and the unmoved mover are all delineated. In this first part, the one thing I liked most about this text was the fact that Brown covered Greek philosophy and the Gospel (NT period). Brown discusses Philo, John's Gospel, Hebrews, and Paul in relation to Greek philosophy. He draws a nice sharp distinction between the NT and Greek philosophy. From here Brown covers the Church Fathers of the first three or so centuries, the influences of neo-platonism, and gnosticism, and then describes trends which are occurring in philosophy during this period and on into the Medieval period. All the important philosophers of the Medieval period and on into the Reformation are discussed (at least to some degree). From here, Brown discusses the philosophical trends that lead into the age of enlightenment; Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Pascal, Hobbes, Deism, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, Edwards, Voltaire, Rousseau, and even the quest for the historical Jesus are covered. I must also mention that in the later Reformation period, Brown discusses the philosophies of the Jesus Society (Molina, Suarez) and those who responded to them (Banez, etc.). So, as you can see from this quick description, Brown covers alot in nearly 450 pages. The book is very easy to read, and works as a nice intro text to the history of philosophy during this time frame. In fact, the second volume, is already available (IVP) here at Amazon; it carries the same title but is Volume 2 and is written by Steve Wilkens and Alan Padget. If you are looking for a nice and broad intro to philosophy text written by a Christian philosopher, then this is a good one to add to your collection.

The 19th century is profiled in a sequel to the first volume on the topic: this following the story of interactions between Christianity and philosophy through the changing world of the 1800s. Chapters consider Hegel and Marx, Darwin's influence, and the social and political changes which influenced Christianity's progress. An excellent survey.

This book is a great reference book to get the basic idea of an important person, place, or philosophy. It really is a book of global culture. It has many important western references as well as non-western or non eurocentric references. I like to just open the book for a few minutes whenever I am sitting near the bookshelf and learn something new. Each entry is about a half a page on average. Some are less some are more. There is really so much to learn about the world that our western education dosn't teach us. For example you can get a consice description of the French Revolution, or learn about Kuukai (774-835), a Japanese religious leader, or read about Macumba, an Afro-Brazilian religion. It's all here.

This is my first time recommending a book and I couldn't have chose a better reference tool! As an American living in Europe, having never been intrigued by history, I often refer to this book during or after discussions as a fact checker. Highly recommended!

I read this book this summer and the insight I gained cannot be paralleled. This book gives detailed accounts of people, places, and events of major influence in our time and in history. No one should be allowed to call himself/herself "educated" until she/he has read this book. What a wonderful resource!

Finally, a common sense, down-to-earth, reality-based approach to life, leadership, and relationships which can be practically applied in our personal and professional lives. Jewitt's logic is impeccable and compelling. Covey, Maxwell and other prominent inspirational, self-help, and business genre authors can't be happy after this! Clear out your bookshelves because Proclivity changes everything!

Jewitt draws upon his own experiences in the Marine Corp and labor relations to identify common problems in organizational execution. What's better, he proposes realistic solutions and a philosophy for achieving goals. Jewitt makes no bones about his own beliefs and ideals, which is not only refreshingly honest but critical to understaning the basis for his precepts. E=LT2 is a quick read that will end up on the oft-used end of your shelf as a terrific reference tool and source of inspiration. I can only guess that a speaking tour must follow.

Jewitt's work is groundbreaking! There is nothing else like this and it is sure to be highly controversial. His work is challenging, thought-provoking, and insightful concerning human behavior and relationships - leadership relationships in particular. This is a must read as it pertains to everyone both personally and professionally. A person could study this work for years.

Europe's Inner Demons is a fascinating account of how some generally harmless traditions and superstitions combined to make the massive witch hunts of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries possible. There are no conclusive figures, but it is generally agreed that several thousands of men, women and children were executed during this period across Western Europe. With the only exception of England, where this phenomenon never really caught on, this was a widespread practice in countries as different as Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Sweden, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands and particularly in France and Germany. But how did it all begin? Why was Eastern Europe and the rest of the world virtually untouched by this phenomenon? And how did the educated classes came to believe the ancient peasant superstitions that allowed the Great Witch Hunt to take place?

You'll find all the answers in Norman Cohn's stunning piece of historical detective work; an exhaustively researched and brilliantly written book that doesn't deal with the Great Witch Hunt itself but with the societies and traditions were it originated, in some cases stretching as far back as classical Greece and Rome. Also prominent are the persecutions of members of several heretical sects throughout Middle Ages and even religious orders like the Templars. Norman Cohn also analyses the works of modern "specialist" like Margaret Murray and Montague Summers and concludes that the reality was more complex and definitely less glamorous than they thought.

Norman Cohn's Europe's Inner Demons (The Demonization of Christians in Medieval Christendom) originally came out in 1975 and is a nice companion piece to his Pursuit of the Millennium book. It has remained in print because it is a sober analysis of the fantasies behind the persecutions of such dissenting Christians as the Waldensians which led horribly to the great witch-hunts of the early modern period. The author helps remove much of the scholary nonsense that had accumulated onto the historical concept of witches in the past two centuries and puts them into their proper historical context. The book begins with a wonderfully enlightening glimpse of antiquity that is both illuminating and horrifying as the later fantasies against witches are first seen being used by Romans against early Christians. This is a well-argued and presented book that deserves to remain in circulation as long as people continue to believe there was truth behind the accusations direct at these persecuted and demonized Christians of the Middle Ages. A superb book.

Witch-hunts have erupted again and again throughout the history of Western civilization. The accusations are remarkably similar and stable over time. A group of "witches" or "devil worshippers" are accused of sacrificing and eating children, engaging in incestuous orgies, and worshipping a "god" in animal form who presides over the obscene rituals. The first such accusations were leveled against the early Christians, culminating in a bloody persecution in the (then) Roman city of Lyons. The most recent example occurred in the United States in the 1980s and early 1990s, when similar accusations were made against teachers and child-care workers across the United States in the "daycare ritual abuse panic" that included the McMartin, Country Walk, and Kelly Michaels cases. In "Europe's Inner Demons", Norman Cohn shows how the "fantasy" of witch-cults grew and took shape during the early Christian era, leading to persecutions of heretics such as the Waldensians, orthodox Catholic Crusaders such as the Order of the Knights Templar, and finally the Great European Witch Hunt, which eventually spilled over into North America in the famous Salem Witch Trials. This is one of the most informative books on witchcraft available, elegantly written, and relatively short. It will appeal to anyone who is seriously interested in witch-craft, organized persecutions, or the history of religious thought. More importantly, it will provide a deeper understanding of the "fantasy" of witch sects and bloody satanic cults that still lives in our own country and our own time.

I've had Photoshop for over a year. I've spent most of that time being frustrated with the program. I bought Foundation Photoshop 6 a little over a month ago and am now learning in leaps and bounds. Foundation Photoshop 6 is truly excellent for beginners, providing easily understood instructions, explanations and exercises. With this book, anyone can learn to create amazing graphics. I highly recommend it.

This is an extremely comprehensive volume that covers all the ground that designers, budding designers and photoshop enthusiasts need to know...The case study even tells you how to create a postcard ready for the printers and how to create your own site using ImageReady. There's stuff on printing, workflow, image correction, filters, as well as the obvious like layers and selection... This book is another winner from friendsofED!

For me as a beginner it was really helpful and covered a big range of topics

Both the pictures and text of this book are authentic and tell the story of typical New Zealand adventurers that became famous and died in the mountains. The pictures are by Hall, Ball, and friends. You see what you have only read about in books on Everest climbs, from the dawns to the garbage. The text puts the Himalayan climbing tragedies in context of the lives of the heros and their friends. Details come from journals, letters, interviews, and memories. The author knew Hall & Ball well. This is a great tribute, compelling read, and looks good on a coffee table too (big book).

Rob Hall and Gary Ball, two New Zealanders who lived the dream of conquering 7 of the world's highest summits in 7 months. This book is full of breathtaking photography, a touch of humour, the heartaches and joys of conquering the summits and the tragedies which cut their lives short. This book is a must for those who have similar aspirations and dreams.

As a fan of mountaineering writings and photography I was pleased to 'discover' this fine new book. Most people will know of Rob Hall in light of the tragic storm that took his life and several others in May of 1994. But as you will find there is very much more to the Hall story and his amiably unorthodox business partner and friend Gary Ball. This book is very well-written and lavishly adorned with inspiring climbing photography. It tracks the early days of Hall and Ball on their home peaks on the South Island of New Zealand to the world's Greater Ranges. Although, there is plenty of lively dialogue concerning Everest and the issues of commercial expeditions between the covers, this book as a whole is a pleasant santctuary from the "controversies" of the Everest disaster. It serves to joyfully remind its audience of the enduring appeal of high mountains and the vibrant life that can be found there. I highly recommend this book. It is a thoughtful illumination of two legendary mountaineers and the great adventure that was their lives.

I first came across this book in my high school library, about 1990. I fell in love with it.... Anyway, this is a beautiful book that features lots of Simon Marsden's infrared photos of castles, manor houses, spooky natural places, etc., from all over the British Isles and Ireland. A page or two decribing the ghostly phenomena associated with each locale is included as well. I spent nearly three weeks in Scotland seeking out some of the places in this book (and the book that followed, "Phantoms of the Isles"), but sadly, they didn't seem half as creepy in real life as they did in the book. I highly recommend anything by Simon Marsden...Happy hauntings!

i first picked this book up when i was 10 years old. I'm 16 now and i still can't put it down. This is, without a doubt, the most chilling collection of stories i have ever come across. The contents of this book are psycologically affecting as well imagination provoking. I truly cannot say enough great things about this book. If you havn't read it-PLEASE do yourself a favor, and get ahold of The Haunted Realm.

I've read this book probably 10 or 15 times, and I still haven't tired of it. The writing, the pictures, everthing is great! This is a must-read for anyone, even if they're not interested in ghosts or the occult. They don't come much better than this. That's just about all there is to say. Great book, must buy.

This is a great book that will leave young kids laughing uncontrollably! A humouously entertaining book that keeps you laughing until the end. Hold on to your intergalactic seatbelts, the aliens are here to take over your planet! Join aliens of all different sizes as they travel millions of miles to seize hold of the earth!

This is a great book that will leave young kids laughing uncontrollably!... A humorously entertaining book that keeps you laughing until the end. Hold on to your intergalactic seatbelts, the aliens are here to take over your planet! Join aliens of all different sizes as they travel millions of miles to seize hold of the earth!!

We checked this book out at our local libary and it has become a regular at our home. Our six-year -old has memorized the first half of the book and quotes it for us! It is written in a fun rhyming style. The illustrations are colorful and imaginative, depicting various forms of aliens, all bent on conquering Earth! Watch out though. It turns out Earth has a secret weapon that sends the aliens running back home as fast as their various body forms can take them! We hope we can buy our own copy of this book ASAP!