Summary: This 5th edition of The World Atlas of Golf belongs in the library of every golfer who wants to appreciate more of the game's rich history . . . and have a Walter Mittyish look at courses that will probably never be seen in person. Over 70 courses get the deluxe treatment of looking at the course layout, the score card, and an in-depth evaluation of the most famous holes. Thorough essays recount the history of the course, including the most memorable golf moments there. Beautiful color photographs capture the holes, and famous historic shots share the winning and losing. Afficionados will appreciate the pin-point descriptions of how to play the world's most demanding holes. The book also boasts a brief gazetteer of over 100 courses providing a one-third page thumbnail sketch of their layout and history. The book also boasts excellent, brief essays on the development of golf course design.

Review: This book will appeal to those who have played these wonderful courses and want to relive the experience, those who wish to know more about the rich history of the world's most challenging holes, and those who are curious about why golfers everywhere rave about certain holes and courses. The material is so rich and detailed that any golf fan could happily spend days with this book and just scratch its surface. A fan could easily extend enjoyment of the book by getting videos of famous championships to see the live action that is captured here in photographs and essays.

The courses are selected from around the world, but are primarily from Europe and the United States. Reflecting the game's heritage, the courses examined start with those in Scotland and proceed from there throughout the British Isles and Eire. From there, you transfer to the European mainland. Next, you go the North America. Asia, Africa, and South America are your final stops.

Naturally, the courses include such standards as St. Andrews's Old Course, Royal Troon, Carnoustie, Royal Dornoch, Muirfield, Turnberry, Loch Lomond, Royal Liverpool, Royal Birkdale, Ballybunion, Valderrama, Shinnecock Hills, Augusta National, Cypress Point, Pebble Beach, Oakmont, Baltusrol, The Country Club, Olympic, Winged Foot, Pinehurst No. 2, Seminole, Merion, Pine Valley, Medinah, Oakland Hills, Dorado Beach and the Mid Ocean in Bermuda. But you will also get exposed to courses that you may not know as well like Sotogrande in Spain and Banff in Canada.

As an example of the hole-by-hole analysis, the book early on looks at the famous 17th on the Old Course at St. Andrews. A hotel cuts off the right side of the hole of this tough par four, also referred to as the Road Hole. In 1995, John Daly won the British Open there in part by hitting a tremendous drive around the hotel and into the fairway. He was able to hit onto the green from there with a 7 iron. The book shows the outline of the hotel, where Daly's ball went, and where most players shoot. Naturally, this looks easy on paper. When I tried the same thing with my drive, my ball went just a bit too far right and disappeared into an area near the foundation of the hotel, out of bounds. I came away much more impressed with Daly's feat.

With the knowledge this atlas can give you, you will find yourself able to take on challenges that great golfers have lived up to before you. You may not match them (and probably won't), but you will enjoy the feeling of trying on the challenging swings of the greats. It'll be a great thrill when you do!

After you finish enjoying this book a few times, think about where else in life you would enjoy reliving great moments of those who have gone before. How can you use those experiences to inspire you to try more, accomplish more, and have more fulfillment in everything you do?

"Take dead aim."

If you can buy only one book on writing then this is it. It's filled with informative articles from Writer's Digest magazine written by the best of the best--from Ginsburg to King.

You will learn everything from theme to plotting to building believable characters.

I highly recommend The Writer's Digest Guide to Good Writing.

Harry Cohn willed Columbia Pictures to become a major Hollywood studio, arising Phoenix like out of the muck of "Poverty Row" mediocrity in the Thirties by producing some of the Silver Screen's great triumphs. Columbia films won 52 Academy Awards during King Cohn's reign including Best Picture Oscars for IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, ALL THE KING'S MEN, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, ON THE WATERFRONT and BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI.

Cohn, a transplanted New Yorker born to immigrant parents, was the quinessential Runyonesque character--crude, commanding, ruthless but possessing a "heart of gold" beneath the tough veneer. He was the inspiration for Willie Stark in ALL THE KING'S MEN and Harry Brock in BORN YESTERDAY. Cohn played the role of mogul as tough guy to the hilt.

Veteran entertainment journalist, biographer and Hollywood observor Bob Thomas recreates the man and his times with a lively anecdotal prose style and an insider's eye that discerns between the real and the hype.

Cohn has long endured a bad rap hung on him by the "creative community" that passed through Columbia's portals and over which he often rode roughshod. Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, Leo McCarey, George Stevens, Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Glen Ford and many, many others bemoaned Cohn's crassness, tyrannical interference and bullying ways but did their best work under his "oppressive," "untutored" and "uncouth" dominion.

Columbia, under Cohn's supervision and control, invented the screwball comedy, perhaps the American cinema's most significant contribution during The Great Depression, and remained the pre-eminent producer of this genre until the outbreak of World War II.

Cohn understood and felt a kindredness with his plebian audience that many of his patrician "creative" employees did not. Thomas' excellent biography goes a long way toward rehabilitating the "Ogre of Gower Gulch" with those who believed Cohn to be the undeserving and unappreciative beneficiary of Frank Capra's genius.

This updated version of Bob Thomas's biography of Columbia studio chief Harry Cohn is very enjoyable reading. Since its original publication, anonymous sources have come forward and new facts and anecdotes have been incorporated. The brusque, outspoken Cohn appears to have been only concerned with Columbia's most important productions, and Thomas's text reflects this bias. If you're looking for details about Columbia's bread-and-butter product, including its popular "B" pictures, westerns, short subjects, serials, and cartoons, you won't find anything here, and even some of the studio's "A" pictures receive only passing mention. Thomas keeps the spotlight on the colorful Cohn, with some incredible stories and quotes. A great read for movie buffs.

"I am the king here. Whoever eats my bread sings my song". (Harry Cohn).

"I don't have ulcers - I give them". (Harry Cohn).

"I kiss the feet of talent". (Harry Cohn).

This is a marvellous and outstanding book that everyone with an interest in Hollywood should read. Once started it is hard to put down! Harry Cohn was the notorious head of Columbia Pictures from 1924 until his death in 1958. It is a remarkable story of the former song plugger who became the feared chief executive of Columbia Pictures during the "Golden Years of Hollywood". Harry Cohn was a very reclusive man who seldom gave interviews so Bob Thomas has done an exceptional job in putting together this account of Cohn's life. He put in hours of efficient research for this book and spoke with many people who knew Cohn and the stars and directors who worked for him.

Harry Cohn's brother Jack was the first to go into the film business but Harry soon joined him. Jack was based in New York dealing with the business and financial side and Harry was in charge of film production in Hollywood. There was no love lost between the two brothers and they were constantly arguing with each other. Columbia could not compete on an equal footing with the other major studios such as MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox and initially made cheap westerns and second features to begin with but Cohn was ambitious and wanted to produce more prestigious films. His luck changed when he had the enormous good fortune to persuade director Frank Capra to join Columbia who made a series of first rate quality films for the studio. The Capra films were box office successes (and Oscar winners) and brought in the much needed dollars to expand the studio and purchase important screenplays, and hire other talented writers and directors etc. The name of Columbia then became recognised and its films obtained a wider audience.

Columbia did not have a large roster of stars under contract like the major studios so they had to discover new talent and develop their own stars. One of Harry Cohn's discoveries was a dancer named Margarita Cansino - he cast her in a few Columbia features and loaned her out to other studios and then the big build up started. Cohn decided her name should be changed so she became Rita Hayworth and went on to become one of Columbia's top stars.

Columbia's biggest box office success in the 40's was the biographical musical "The Jolson Story". This was not an easy film to get off the ground as the New York office were convinced that Jolson was a "has been" whose career was finished and that the American public would not be interested to see a film about his life. Another problem was the casting - James Cagney and Danny Thomas both turned down the leading role and other actors were considered including Jose Ferrer and Richard Conte. Jolson desperately wanted to play himself in the film but in his 60's was obviously too old. The eventual casting of Larry Parks in the role of Jolson was a masterstroke - he was absolutely brilliant - in fact we can't now imagine anyone else doing it as he is so identified with the two Jolson films.

In 1949 Marilyn Monroe was signed to a contract at Columbia for $175 a week. She appeared in a B picture called "Ladies of the Chorus" but when her six months contract was up Harry Cohn ordered her to be dropped - "She can't act", he said. Some of his associates at Columbia never allowed Cohn to forget he had dismissed Marilyn Monroe who as we all know went on to become a major Hollywood star!!

Harry Cohn was responsible for creating another star at Columbia when he signed Kim Novak to a contract. He tried her out in small budget pictures such as "Pushover", "Phffft", and "Five Against the House". Cohn was not initially impressed by her acting but she did well enough in these films for him to agree to cast her in a major production with top stars - "Picnic" - featuring William Holden, Rosalind Russell and Cliff Robertson. "Picnic" established Kim Novak as a star and she went on to make several other successful films.

The 50's brought even more success to Columbia with films such as "Born Yesterday" (1950) which won the Best Actress Oscar for Judy Holliday. Even more popular was "From Here to Eternity" (1953) which won the Best Picture Oscar and seven other awards. ("Eternity" became the biggest money maker in Columbia's history and Harry Cohn was very proud of the film). "Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) was another Columbia success winning the Best Picture award and six other Oscars.

To sum up "King Cohn" is a marvellous book, full of interesting anecdotes about the stars and "behind the scenes" information what it was like to be in charge of a busy Hollywood studio and with such a fantastic character as Harry Cohn running things there are many wonderful stories to tell. Harry Cohn had the reputation of being something of a monster and tyrant at the studio but this book reveals that he did many kind acts often helping out his employees and stars when they were in financial trouble (sometimes giving them substantial amounts of money) and visiting friends who were in hospital. He enjoyed his image as a tough boss and did not want these stories to be publicised. "King Cohn" is a fascinating read. Buy it - you will enjoy every chapter!

This books shows, in an easy to understand format-in my opinion-a person how to identify wild edible plants that they can harvest (some even in their own backyard). It shows photos of the plants, tells you if there is a poisonous look alike plant, how to identify them, common locations of the plants, and how to prepare them for a meal. If someone wants to learn more about eating plants that grow in the wild, this book is the one I think should be in their library.

This book is a well-organized listing of edible wild plants in North America. Listings are by season, so you know when to look for a specific plant. Habitat is described including a quick reference range map of North America, as are how to harvest, prepare, and store foods for future use. A symbol key at the left of each plant will tell you at a glance what uses you can put a plant to; trail nibble, potherb, etc. Related edible and poisonous look alikes are also listed. This book utilizes pictures, something none of the other books I looked at did. I think this makes identification of plants much easier than relying on someone's black and white sketch or colored pencil rendering of something wild that I'm plan to eat. The one down side to this is that some of the pictures could be much better; about a dozen pictures are black and white, while others show the plant only at a distance which might make identification problematical. However, scientific names are provided, and if you have the luxury of time, you can do a search online for a more precise picture.

I bought this book to use to gather wild plants for making homemade wines, but now it's a companion whenever I go hiking, fishing, camping, or merely sightseeing. It's that valuable!

The book is divided into an introductory section, guides to harvesting plants in each of the four seasons, the plants themselves (also presented seasonally), poisonous plants, a nutritional guide, and two great indices. The introduction includes great tips on how to prepare wild foods as drinks, snacks, entres, and condiments, along with recipes for 25 jellies, 20 jams and 17 fruit and berry pies. But the good part is yet to come.

Each plant is presented with a good-to-excellent photograph, a distribution map (so a person in the Pacific Northwest doesn't have to wonder whether he or she is looking at a squashberry or a hobblebush berry), a complete description, identification of the edible parts, harvest and preparation notes, related species, and poisonous look-alikes (if any). The presentations are just excellent. My only complaint is that the book isn't twice as thick.

Whether you just want to be prepared for emergencies or you want to collect wild edibles for making jams, jellies, pies, and wine, this book is one of the only two you'll probably need. The other is a good regional guide, because with over 20,000 species of plants to choose from north of the Rio Grande alone, a guide to regional edibles is a must.

As a lawyer and Catholic convert, Thomas More is my patron saint and one of my heroes. As anyone who has read or seen "A Man for All Seasons" knows, More was martyred by Henry VIII for refusing to support the English Reformation. More's critics delight in the supposed irony that More was executed for his beliefs in the same way as certain Protestants were executed on More's orders when he was Chancellor of England. In the modern age, when toleration is regarded as the chief virtue, More's stance is easy to dismiss as illiberal and medieval. Yet, to his credit, Ackroyd does not fall into the modernist trap. Historical figures must be judged by reference to the standards of their day and the "permanent things," but not by modern sensibilities. Ackroyd therefore presents More as a man of his times. It was a complex time amd More was a complex man.

I honestly wish I liked this biography better. I find Ackroyd's prose to be dense and heavy going. Especially annoying is his frequent use of quotations that he fails to render in modern English. Fifteenth century English is almost a different language than 21st century English and many of the quotations arealmost unintelligible. Granted, a scholarly work of history should not take liberties with translation. But this is a narrative history for a generalist audience, which appropriately has laxer standards.

Having said that, I still recommend Ackroyd's biography and am very glad I finally finished it. One comes away impressed with More's humanity, and inspired by his example. More had flaws beyond his supposed intolerance...as Ackroyd demonstrates, for example, More loved bawdy humor. Yet, when push came to shove, More demonstrated great moral courage. It is an inspiring story. I just wish it were told better.

The world that Thomas More lived in, the ideas that motivated him, and the reasons he did the things that he did, are so different from the world we live in today that it may be hard for people living today to really understand them. Peter Ackroyd, however, does a superb job of placing us in that world, and inside More's head, thus giving us a portrait of a great man living on the cusp of a world-changing transformation, as the Renaissance gave way to the Enlightenment.

After reading Ackroyd's portrait, however, I find myself of two minds about Thomas More. I admire his devotion to the truth, and his refusal to bow to the demands of Henry VIII. As a Catholic, I admire his devotion to the Church and honor him as the martyr and saint that he is. At the same time, and as Ackroyd shows in this unvarnished biography, this is the same man who sent "heretics" to the stake, or to be beheaded, thus seeming to give sanction to the very methods that, in the hands of others, led to his own death. Read the book for yourself, though, and make up your own mind.

Peter Ackroyd has written a superb biography of this great figure Renaissance England, and Catholic history. His depiction of the sheer geogprahy of More's London world is so real that it served as guide for this reviewer on a visit to London who could trace More's steps, copy in hand. Ackroyd puts the humanist scholar, statesman, and saint in his own context and avoids the all too common trap of trying to "read" More against our own post-Christian secular world, where heresy is a "virtue", rather than a threat to the stability of an entire social and spiritual order. The only complaint this reviewer has is that Ackroyd has chosen to quote More's English works in their original spelling and grammar. This at times approximates reading a foreign language. It is this reviewer's opinion that he would have done better to use a more modern English, as his translations of More's Latin works are clear and eminently readable. All in all, however, a superb book !

Although not exactly riveting, this book does provide an interesting and readable history of IBM from the view of Thomas Watson Jr. who took over control of IBM after his father, Thomas Watson Sr.. Although much has happened to IBM since then (the job cuts, the internet boom, etc.), this is a fascinating glimpse at the evolution of big blue and the culture it once had.

The Watsons did not start IBM but they did oversee its growth into "Big Blue". Some of the anecdotes are quite memorable, the strict sales "uniform" (including sock suspenders), the refining and gentrifiying of the sales staff & executives, Thomas Sr. teaching his son to clean-up the bathroom on the train, the high-flyer told to forgo his tenant problems by Watson Sr.. It seems all tycoons and corporations have some skeletons in their cupboards and IBM is no exception. According to the book, Thomas Sr. and other senior executives at IBM started a business buying up old IBM equipment so prevent a second-hand market developing that would eat into IBM's market. It almost landed the Thomas Sr. and his colleagues in prison. Watson Sr. spent a great deal of time developing himself and his people to become refined, gentlemen with values and priorities. In these sad days of scum CEOs & executives, duplicitous companies, corrupt accountants & lawyers and valueless company "books" (Enron, WorldComm, Tyco, Merrill-Lynch, Arthur-Anderson, Martha Stewart,...) the incident may seem like grist to the mill but at that time it must have been a huge blow to the man and the company. A decent book if you have an interest in IBM or the history of the computer business.

It's always interesting to read what sons have to write about their fathers. Thomas J. Watson Jr.'s book is no exception to this rule. Although in many ways the book is a business biography, the relationship between the two men creeps in between the lines (almost more than you could imagine that the author had intended it to). Watson Jr. was clearly influenced by his iconic father, both for better and for worse. The book is a lot about how that influence (and the escape from that influence) shaped the company that is IBM today.

Obviously the company has gone through many changes since this book has written-- Gerstner, downsizing, eBusiness, Business Consulting Services, etc. But still, it's remarkable how much of the culture is recognizable back to the very earliest days.

I have a special interest in the subject matter, so it's hard for me to say how fascinating someone without an IBM attachment would find the book. But as far as I was concerned it was an interesting book executed well.

This book tells one of the most fascinating, indeed rivetting, stories that I have ever read. It is about the building of one of the great American businesses of the 20C, but also much much more: it is about the conflict of an extraordinarily hard-driving father and his talented though psychologically burdened and rebellious son. From the beginning, they were at eachothers' throats and never relented in their conflict, even when it became evident that the son's genius surpassed that of his father to build an empire that can only be compared to the accomplishments of the first two Caesars, Julius and Augustus. The book also covers a good deal of American business history from the great depression to the beginning of the stagnation of the 1970s and early 1980s. Thus, it can be read on numerous levels.

There are so many insights in it that it will bear re-reading for a long time to come. Watson Jr. was acutely aware of the cost of success and was brutally honest about his own failings as a manager and family man. I find myself remembering scenes in that book, running them in my mind as examples from which to learn.

Warmly recommended.

Ever since he first blew my mind with "in Search of Excellence", Tom Peters has been on my "must read" list. He combines the utterly brilliant with the utterly obvious, fusing the two into the most powerful, most compelling vision of the possibilities of business I have ever encountered. I want to live in Tom's world, a world where work has meaning, purpose, passion and joy. "The brand you 50", is the latest chapter in this ongoing quest. If you have read his previous books, you will find no surprises, if you haven't, then read this book drunk, because he is going to scare the hell out of you. (and -maybe- set you free). In the book, Mr. Peters gives a list of things that an individual can do to thrive in the new economy. This is the Tom Peters vision of the world boiled down to its most pragmatic form. The author's views on what it takes to succeed has changed radically since "In Search of Excellence", but his absolute love for the topic burns hotter than ever. The only thing he could have done better would have been to combine "The Brand You 50", "The Project 50", and the "Professional Service Firm 50" into one book, instead of making me make three (expensive) trips to the bookstore.

MY review of  BRAND YOU 50, Professional Service Firm 50 and Projects 50:

First of all: This is again a new transition of Toms' work. I miss the pictures as in Circle of Innovation, which makes this somehow less-crunchy, but unquestionably pure-Tom Peters.

The format is new (aka small size to love n hate!, 3 in a set,etc) using 2 colors (red n black) and (as always) jam-packed with emotions.

The books are typed with chock-full of MOTIVATED wordsmithing and FULL OF AFFIRMATION !!!!!! mark, hightly adrenaline-written, and offcourse purely TOM PETERS.

Toms traditional scholastic work of In Search of Exellence has changed into many phases of writting style (Liberation, the Wow-Seminar, and the TOME - Circles of Innovation -which is the best ever business-book to me). He is growing from one good scholar into **Managemet Geek uber-Guru**. More entrepreneurial than ever, and ALWAYS in the CUTTING EDGE!

One at the SIZE of Tom Peters would definitely have admirers (i m one, so i might be pretty biased!)  and haters. What we all can not deny is his Clear! influence in the business world.

Materials are put in numbering (50+ of the most important topics to Tom), often overlapping, tons of very2 personally opinionated shoutings ( i love loud voice! ) , and very often difficult to digest in one sitting (so reread and reread). It took me 2 weeks to finish the 3 books.

These books are ABSOLUTELY worth reading, learning, absorbing and enjoying. Go buy it, at amazon p-l-e-a-s-e!

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Since I first read Tom's business bestseller "In search of excellence " about 9 years ago. I have become Tom's great fan. I have read " the pursuit of WOW", "Liberation management" "Tom peters seminar", "project 50", "circle of innovation", Professional firm 50". Tom's book is WOW to me. Always making my adrenaline flowing, and changing my perspective, and challege to go for higher standard!!

I must thank Tom's by encouraging me to join Toastmaster as stated in this book! I have joined Toastmaster for 9 months and have found my most wonderful club in the World! For those of you eager to improve your communication, leadership and public speaking skills, Toastmaster is the best playground to start with! And it has many chapters in many parts of the world!

In this book brand you 50, it challeges you to become a brand you of your self, coupled with lots of Tom's useful advice! It is one of the best self-help and business books i have ever read. You won't feel boring. He also challenged you to read others experts' book, which I had bought then, and had benefitted form them tremendously.

But, it's a pity that Tom's never fulfill his promises in his books by rolling out other 50-series book, for e.g "identity and design 50" , "women 50-". But I had heard from his website that he is going to publish his new book in 2003! I would absolutely buy his upcoming book!

So, my advice is, buy this book, it is GEM!

...

I highly recommend this definitive work on architects Delano & Aldrich. The book is amazingly well-researched and well-written as well as beautifully illustrated with both historic and contemporary photographs. It's a must for the library of anyone interested in architecture!

I have been interested in the work of Delano and Aldrich for a number of years, and this book provides the best information I have been able to get so far.

The descriptions are deep and serious. I also liked the great pictures. The impact of their work is historic to say the least.

This is a must read.

What a fabulous insight into the Architecture firm of Delano & Adrich. This book with its beautiful photographs and engaging essay provide an invaluable tool for all architectural enthusiasts: from the average architecture buff to those involved in scholarly research.

I'm most impressed that the authors not only sought to perform research on the buildings themselves, but moreover, examined the partners and the social influences of the times. I feel we gain so much from the writers thru their experience of having read Delano's letters in archive at Yale!

This book should stand as a model for future chronologist of architectural history. It is truly a wonderful presentation - the best that I've seen published to date.

Congratulations.

Few people can lay claim to having created an industry. TomPeters can.

Tom Peters is widely credited with having created themanagement guru industry. Before him it is said that "management thinkers wrote articles in academic journals, gave the occasional seminar, and worked as consultants for a few large corporations". The biggest blockbusters sold under five hundred thousand books.

'In Search of Excellence', co-authored with Bob Waterman, is Tom Peters first book and sold over 6 million copies. Its success surprised their colleagues at McKinsey, who had laughed at the idea that Peters and Waterman would keep the royalties, "should the book sell 50 000 copies".

Two decades later, 'In Search of Excellence' is still one of the most readable management books. The eight characteristics of excellent companies, a bias for action, close to the customer, autonomy and entrepreneurship, productivity through people, hands-on values driven, stick to the knitting, simple form and lean staff, simultaneous loose-tight properties are all still relevant and still ignored today. It is written clearly, painting vivid pictures with anecdotes and examples from real companies.

Peters went on to become a megastar in the field of management entertaining, able to charge up to $80 000 for a one day show. The management guru industry is estimated to exceed a billion dollars and management books, including several by Peters himself, now regularly find their way into the best seller list. Peters'later writings have sometimes inspired and sometimes puzzled a new generation of managers.

This book is a classic. Great companies struggle to remain on top over an extended period. But the lessons learned endure. END

This is the book that launched the management guru business, as well as the popular management genre. Previous management authors such as Peter Drucker wrote academic oriented tomes for buisness executives. Tom Peters wrote for the masses.

The book starts with an introduction explaining the problems in the economy (this was the early 80s, when fear of Japan Inc was rising) and why this abstract concept of "Excellence" was needed. In many senses, the book's emphasis of "What's Right in the US" is really it's strongest selling point. In the context of a world where America seemed to be losing it's way, the book provides a rallying cry for places that America is doing things right.

The book the passionately covers general management caveats, such as "Stick to your knitting" with examples of companies providing extensive focus on their core competencies. It is important to note that Tom Peters does not claim to be a great management theorist here - his claim is to capture examples of companies who have figured out "how to be excellent". This is consistent with his academic training - an engineering background with a Phd in Organizational Behavior. He's not developing new business models here, only capturing what others already know to be true.

So how does it hold up over time?
Well, if you believe the naysayers, many of the supposedly excellent companies have gone belly up. Peoples Express airline? If you believe the Tom Peters website, his companies have still managed to beat the S&P 500 over the past 20 years.

Bottom line - The book is still valid. Closeness to customers is still as important as ever. Companies are learning they do need to stick to their knitting. This is a very entertaining and influential book. It's worth reading for the insights, as well as the chance that your customer has read it too. :-)

This is an excellent and useful book for anyone wanting to understand how to manage a company or organization well. Built to Last is similar and more rigorously researched.

This book is good if you are new to studying Aquinas, but considering in the inreoduction Kreft suggest not skipping the objections and reading the "on the contrary" and the "I answer that" first, he certainly edits many of the articles this way. It is my opinion that Kreeft cut out too much text.

Summa of the Summa (hereafter SS) is a simply wonderful abridgment of Aquinas' Summa Theologica (hereafter ST). Professor Kreeft has done a superlative job of assembling those parts of ST that will be of most interest to readers new to Aquinas' thought. The text is drawn from the Dominican Benzinger Brothers translation of ST, still the most faithful to Aquinas original language and still the most widely available complete edition of ST in English. Kreeft includes a fine glossary of technical terms in ST likely to be unfamiliar to most readers, and a short, readable introductory essay that gives an interesting discussion of the structure of ST. Rather than include a lengthy introductory commentary on the classic text as do many editors, Kreeft includes his comments in footnotes, which appear frequently and are quite extensive. To give one example, to accompany Aquinas' famous "five ways" to prove the existence of God on pp. 57-70, Kreeft provides approximately eight pages worth of footnotes. The footnotes that discuss Aquinas only are nearly always illuminating, and will prove invaluable to readers as they study the primary text. I believe readers of SS will be able to progress more smoothly to the complete ST if they so choose than they could with any other abridgment of ST or other anthology of Aquinas' writings now in print. At the same time, SS is a fine, self-contained introduction to Aquinas' thought.

The only disappointing aspect of SS is its discussion of philosophical positions that are at variance with Aquinas. Like many philosophers working in Roman Catholic institutions, Kreeft has a tendency to present false straw-man interpretations of philosophers whose conclusions he disagrees with, and then to "refute" these philosophers by kicking down the straw men. (For the record, I am Roman Catholic.) For instance, on a footnote on p. 522, Kreeft erroneously attributes to Hobbes the view that people are naturally vicious and to Hume the view that knowledge is nothing other than the passive reception and ordering of sense impressions. Kreeft strongly hints to the reader here that Aquinas' own positions are more cogent than those of Hume and Hobbes, but this is misleading since the footnote presents a "straw-man Hobbes" and a "straw man Hume". Kreeft's tendency to misinterpret and then unfairly dismiss certain important philosophical doctrines even leads him to occasionally misrepresent Aquinas. For instance, in a footnote on pp. 430-431 Kreeft claims that Aquinas' example on these pages refutes utilitarianism. In fact, the classical doctrine of utilitarianism as John Stuart Mill and Henry Sidgwick formulated it is designed to show that the very example Aquinas gives is a CONSEQUENCE of utilitarianism.

In summation, readers can profit immensely from a careful study of the classic text and supplementary materials in SS, but they should take care not to trust anything said here about philosophers who disagree with Aquinas at face value.

Dr. Kreeft provides an excellent introduction here in this anthology of of Aquinas' work. The way it is laid out works very well - Aquinas' writings appear first - then Dr. Kreeft's helpful remarks on the text are footnoted at the bottom of the page. No page flipping is necessary to get his comments - and they dont get in the way with reading the primary text either.

The book begins with a glossary of terms needed to comprehend Aquinas' thought. Unless you are familiar with these terms, you should really take the time to learn them before embarking on the rest of the book.

This book is a very good introduction and reference for Aqunias' thought. For absolute beginners with no background at all in Aristotelian philosophy however, you will probably want to first read Mortimer J. Adler's "Aristotle for Everybody" before tackling this book.