George Gamow tends to get forgotten these days. He died some time ago, and his books are now over forty years old. Some, like his history of 20th century physics, may seem a bit dated in light of the discoveries since then.

Yet there's still magic in these pages. Gamow was one of the greatest of 20th century physicists, and at the same time, a great teacher whose passion for the sheer fun of math and science was communicated in his books, whether explaining the wonders of infinite series, or how to locate a hidden pirate's treasure chest using imaginary numbers. Unlike a lot of modern poipular science writers, Gamow didn't shy away from showing you the math- but he could explain in a way that even an elementary school child could understand.

A wonderful book for the child or adult who isn't afraid to think.

This book was written, thank god, before physics got so esoteric that it started sounding like metaphysics+philosophy, and the only thing that kept it physics was that math was still involved a bit. It clearly explains a lot of concepts clearly, but its not a baby book either. The book is fun to read, never boring and wide-ranging. Gamow has written other good books eplaining elementary relativity and quantum mechanics to the mostly layman, such as his 'Mr. Thompkins' series, which I loved. I hope that other athors can try to explain concepts so clearly and lucidly, in a friendly manner without sounding overbearing.

I read this book long long ago (30 years) in a place far far away (in Chenappady, India where I was born and raised). I was in high school and Prof. Gamow introduced me to the wonders of science - everything from Fermat's last theorem to the theory of relativity to the stars and galaxies and atoms and electrons. This book influenced my career choices; it taught me to look up and wonder, to sit down and think, and to appreciate the wonders of science and the greatness of the minds of the scientists who explored and invented and dreamed up science and math. I read the book from cover to cover again recently, and I still loved it! Thank you Prof. Gamow.

When the Star Wars Radio Drama made its debut in 1981, on the NPR network, it was an instant success. Saga creator George Lucas sold the rights of the story to his alma mater for a dollar After that, a highly creative team took on the task of adapting the very visual film, for the radio medium. The end result is an enjoyable and very worthwhile, experience that makes the film come alive all over again, despite the lack of any of the film's landmark visuals

Using sound effects, the original score by composer John Williams, and with 2 key actors reprising their roles from the film, the radio drama boasts lavish production values. This is not some cheesy adaptation that they slapped together, quickly and put the name Star Wars on it, hoping for the best. Author Brian Daley's radioplay expands on the film verison by including additional "scenes" and backstory. Directed by John Madden (Shakespeare In Love), the radio drama has a top notch cast. Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels add some additional class by recreating their film roles as Luke Skywalker and C-3PO respectively. Brock Peters as Darth Vader, makes the part his own, while Ann Sachs gives Leia the right amount of spunk. Perry King, as smuggler Han Solo, may not be Harrison Ford, but he could be Solo, and that's what counts. Bernard Beherns as Ben Kenobi and the late great character actor, Keane Curtis, as Grand Moff Tarkin, round out the main cast, with style. While I was listening to this, I got the impression that, even though it must have been a lot of work to put this production together, it seems like everyone had a good time too. Sure some of it may sound a bit off at times, because most of us know the film so well. But one must remember that no one working on the project set out to just copy the film. The Star Wars Radio Drama captures the sprit of its of source material perfectlly...and that's all it needs to do.

I highly recommend this presenation. The Star Wars Radio Drama on CD contains all 13 episodes as originally presented, spread over 7 discs, with a running time of about six and a half hours. The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi radio drama adaptations are also available as well.

All the sound effects and music added much as well as having two members of the original cast from the movies(Mark Hamil and Anthony Daniels)was wonderful!! Anne Sachs was brillient as Leia and Perry King was magnifesent as Solo although getting used to King's voice instead of Ford's was a bit difficult.I enjoyed getting more background on Luke and Leia. Brian Daily wrote a wonderful script!! All in all this series should be re-brodcast.

At first, the idea seems bizarre, even ridiculous. Star Wars, a movie best known for its vistas of alien worlds and epic battles, as a 13 part radio drama? No way would it work, right?

Well, unless you have the cold heart of a Sith, Star Wars did indeed translate well from the silver screen to radio, thank you very much. Yes, Star Wars' visual effects are a big part of the magic of the saga, but the heart and soul of George Lucas' galaxy far, far away are the characters and the storyline. And while the movie is satisfying on its own, the radio dramatization written by the late Brian Daley takes us beyond the movie....beyond the screenplay...and even beyond the novelization.

By expanding the movie's story beyond its two hour running time, the Radio Drama allows us to catch glimpses of Luke Skywalker's life BEFORE the movie. It tells us how Princess Leia acquired the Death Star plans....and what, exactly, happened to her during her interrogation aboard the Empire's battle station...(it is an interesting scene, but not for the squeamish, by the way). In short, by expanding the story to nearly seven hours, characters we loved on screen acquire depth only equaled by novelizations.

The Radio Drama makes extensive use of material written (and in some cases filmed) for A New Hope's silver screen version but cut for editorial or technical reasons. Also, Ben Burtt's sound effects, John Williams' score, and the acting of Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Anthony Daniels (See Threepio) give the whole project its "true" Star Wars cachet.

This is a great book for facilitating what African-Americans had to go through in oreder to go to a white, segregated school. This will help children to understand the present as well. It helps them to understand why there is still such a problem with racism. Ruby, the first black child to attend a segregated school, sets a great example for children to follow. The text is easy to read throughout, offering the viewpoint of Ruby's mom and teacher. Also, the watercolor illustrations would hold a child's attention. They are very lifelike and a lot of different colors are used. Ruby is always wearing something pink or red, which helps her stick out as a main character. Moreover, the illustrations depict the characters' emotions very well and this will help with the child's understanding of the book and the struggle that Ruby had to go through. Ruby is shown to have both strengths and weaknesses. However, her strengths outweigh her weaknesses. She is only frusterated when the crowd of angry people are shouting over her prayer for them. However, this still makes her believable. She is an extremely brave six-year-old, for facing the infuriated mob everyday to attend school. This is an excellent book for younger children.

The Story of Ruby Bridges By Robert Cole Ruby Bridges opens the doors to education for all black children. This original true story by Robert Cole tugs at the reader's emotions. Children of ages six and up learn the importance of equal rights. During early 1960, in New Orleans, the courageous Ruby Bridges fights her way through angry white mobs to learn in an empty classroom. In facing this unfairness, she finds help with someone special in her life... her teacher. In this descriptive book, the reader learns quite a few lessons. One is that a person should never give up. Another of the lessons is that a person should never hate someone for any reason. The Story of Ruby Bridges also teaches readers about American history. In this emotional book, the reader finds out if this brave hearted girl can pull through hard times of overt racism.

The Story of Ruby Bridges Written by Robert Cole

Robert Coleengages readers in a surprisingly emotional book. Though short,"The Story of Ruby Bridges" is amazingly eye opening and introduces readers to the perils of a major event in history. In this case, the event is an account of a small girl's battle against overt racism in New Orleans. Young and old readers alike can benefit from the lessons learned in this story, though hints of violence, and strong religious ties may not be appropriate in certain situations. In spite of this, the author relates true facts only, and does not directly preach controversially in this book. Down to earth reality helps to rule out ideas that may upset people and keeps the story interesting and educational. Thus, the book can be used as a prime tool for learning about segregation in classrooms and even homes. The strong lesson that is carried throughout this book is that believing in yourself can get you anywhere. Ruby may have been a tiny six year old, but she changed the course of history for all generations to follow hers. The use of real quotes like this one from her teacher, "Sometimes I'd look at her and wonder how she did it," helped to add mood and interest to the story line, while giving the reader an insight into actual happenings. Robert Cole definitely knows how to weave creative writing and history together in a way that can teach kids while entertaining them at the same time. In closing, "The Story of Ruby Bridges" can teach readers more through the main character's true emotions than any textbook ever could.

As an Organizational Development consultant I had heard of Six Sigma. I knew that it had to do with quality-but that was about the extent of my knowledge. Then, I came across this book by George Eckes, The Six Sigma Revolution. I must confess I am on my third reading of this book. No, it's not that I'm slow-quit the contrary. It is simple that George supplies the reader with so much information-it's not something that a beginner will be able to absorb all at once. Let's remember Mr. Eckes is a Six Sigma expert. My first read was for general understanding and pleasure. Pleasure? Yes, this book was a pleasure to read. I must admit I was expecting and ready to delve into a highly techno-speak, two cups of coffee to stay alert book. George you surprised me! You give the reader real business and personal examples of Six Sigma concepts so that even the beginner can grasp what Six Sigma strategies and tactical components are all about. For example, what better way to learn about DOE then through Eckes mother-in-laws'lasagna recipe. George shows the readers what is needed to be in place before an organization even considers implementing Six Sigma, through holding the gains that Six Sigma achieved. I have read two other books on Six Sigma since picking up George Eckes, The Six Sigma Revolution. One, was a cute fable about implementing Six Sigma, this added nothing to my knowledge. And the other, let's just say that I don't have enough coffee in the pot to make it through the book. George your books takes center stage in my learning and understanding the power of Six Sigma. When done right you show us all it will be nothing less than a revolution.

The Six Sigma Revolution by Mr. George Eckes is an excellent road map to corporate tactical excellence.

The book leads us to a clear understanding of exactly how to implement the mission of Six Sigma: a scientific method of strategic business management by fact and data to promulgate Excellence in corporate performance and corporate culture through continuous planned quality improvements in business process management.

The Six Sigma Revolution is the best book that offers a complete process to achieve the key tactical component of Six Sigma: process management excellence!

Making Six Sigma Last, another book by the author, successfully teaches us the way to achieve the cultural component of Six Sigma: corporate cultural excellence.

The Six Sigma Revolution is an outstanding work that is enjoyable and very enlightening. It is an important contribution to Six Sigma practice that's very easy to read, comprehend, and implement.

The Six Sigma Revolution is perfect for corporate executives, managers, employees, consultants, quality practitioners, teachers and students of best business practice.

Thank you George, for the outstanding inspiration of The Six Sigma Revolution.

Regards,
Marc St.James
November 24, 2001

I read the Six Sigma Revolution because of my facination with exploring ways to improve the quality of life, both as it relates to business as well as to relationships and life generally. Every now and then an author comes along who not only has technical expertise but also has both feet on the ground. George Eckes has painted a picture that illustrates not only mastery of Six Sigma content, he also exemplifies giftedness by communicating profoundly detailed concepts and principles with clarity and simplicity. And he paints his picture with splashes of fun and humor.

I believe that anyone who is committed to improving effectiveness and efficiency in their world, whether in their business or in their personal lives, can benefit significantly by reading the Six Sigma Revolution. I'm looking forward to getting a copy of his next book, Making Six Sigma Last.

The concept of WOM (word of mouth) marketing has always been in the arsenal of any experienced marketer. Silverman gives an abundance of tips and examples to put the concepts to work, and how WOM can be deployed in both the offline and online world. For example: word of mouth is accelerated if you give customers "experiences" to talk about. Silverman believes that WOM can significantly shorten the buying cycle.
This book may be especially good for small business owners doing their own marketing--there are lots of ideas they may have not thought of. For more experienced marketers, this book is certainly worth a skim, but maybe not an end-to-end read.

I'm a graduate from Wharton and a professional marketing consultant. When I first began doing marketing professionally, I longed for an integrated theory to guide me in whatever marketing challenge I would encounter. I started by turning to some very general marketing books ("The Portable MBA in Marketing" was one), but was quickly turned off by the stodgy tone of these books and the excess of information that beared almost no relevancy to everday marketing challenges! It seems the only thing classical marketing was albe to suggest was to find out as much as you can about the customer and then profile him, segment him, test out concepts on him, and keep doing this until you've found something that works.

That approach seemed too brute force to me, so I continued looking around for my grand unified theory. Not at all thinking I'd found my golden chalice, I noticed George Silverman's "Word-of-Mouth Advertising" in the bookstore and was intrigued by the prospect of sysmetically generating word of mouth.

After reading it, I realized I'd finally found my theory. In fact, what I considered my ultimate marketing theory was only the foundation for this book! Silverman then went on to use these ideas to discuss how to create systematic word-of-mouth campaigns! The grand theory, by the way, is simply modeling the customer buying process--not a huge innovation at first glance, but when presented by Silverman it becomes clear just how overlooked an idea it is. I've seen the customer buying process in marketing textbooks before, but it was never presented as the foundation for all marketing everything as, in my opinion now, it should have been.

The remainder of the book discusses how word of mouth works, the different levels of word of mouth, and plenty of other ideas. It tells you why people spread word-of-mouth (basically being so over-satisfied with a product/service that they feel compelled to talk about it) and how to help them do it (give them tools to quickly contact their friends).

In the end, this book makes me feel like a better professional because now I have an intellectual basis for approaching all my projects, rather than just "instints", "intuition" or other pools of ideas whose reliability and accuracy is somewhat flimsy.

I hate to say it since I'm basically talking to competitors here, but if you're in marketing, you pretty much need to buy this book.

WOW! I never knew that Word of Mouth Marketing could be turned into a powerful system for success. George Silverman gives you the real honest scoop. No double talk or theory here. There are concepts in this book that are truly revolutionary, like the decision acceleration strategy for increasing your sales. Absolutely brilliant!
I've read and re-read Word of Mouth Marketing and given it as a gift to many of my friends. In fact, my copy is full of highlighting, paper clips and post-it notes. It has become our company's business bible, and George Silverman is my guru. Word of Mouth Marketing has become my secret weapon in business.

This is a wonderful production. I came too late to really appreciate radio dramas when broadcast, but when I first heard this I fell in love with it. You can really imagine what's going on visually, and the drama gets into much deeper parts of each character than Lucas's script ever went into. This simply is a must for all Star Wars fans. I copied it onto MiniDisc and listened to it on the way to work each morning.

I listened to these on NPR Playhouse when I was young, and tried to record all of the episodes onto cassette tape. I finally got to throw the old recordings away when I got this excellent box set. As a long time fan, I could not be happier with this collection.

The Star Wars trilogy translates well to the radio play format. It helps that a few of the original cast members reprised their roles. Anthony Daniels is the mainstay, and voices 3-CPO through all three productions. The other cast members are all talented radio actors, and suited to their parts. The actors keep their roles for all three productions, so there is nice continuity of character.

The stories are considerable longer than the films, and fill in the gaps of the storyline. Star Wars contains all of the famous deleted footage between Luke and Biggs, as well as a window into Luke's life on Tatooine. (As a side note, some of this was included in the Star Wars special edition re-release, as well as The Phantom Menace. Look for the pod racers to "thread the stone needle" as described in the radio play.) The other two series are not as expansive, but still deliver more story than the film. The excitement and gradure of the series is well translated to audio.

This collector's set includes many extras not available in the standard releases. These include commercials, making-of features, and the touching get well card to Brian. The box is very nice, and the entire set has very high production values. It is worth the price.

This CD set is great. You think you know Star Wars because you've seen the movie? Wait till you hear it! I'm so glad I decided to go for the Collector's Edition. There were only 7500 of these made, so it is quite expensive, but I think it is worth it.

Important about the COLLECTOR'S EDITION: it contains the following special tracks: comments from four of the principals, the speederbike scene without sound or music added, then with all the effects, for comparision, two public radio membership spots by Tony Daniels (C3PO), and the touching "Message for Brian." For me, "Message for Brian" was worth the extra all by itself. (Brian Daley, the writer, was ill with pancreatic cancer when this was recorded, and the cast recorded this "get-well card" for him, only to find that he died within 24 hours of the completion of the recording sessions.)

Unfortunately, Brian never got to hear this message. But the radio dramas he created, which are now dedicated to him, are a great monument to his efforts. I would recommend this set to anyone who is a real fan of the Star Wars universe.

What a truly great reader this book turned out to be. Easy to pick up, difficult to put down, and filled with inspiration. While a small percentage of war techniques do not transfer to the business world; Axelrod pulls concise information and quidance from a library of the General's quotes. Wars are won by making the enemy die for his country. Always move forward. When in doubt, attack. The soldier is the army. Gather accurate information and make decisions quickly. And take the high ground.

My only complaint is with the author's desire to open the book with political-correctness and apologies for Patton's frank language.

This book will spark you up and fill you with pride, boldness, and audacity! I have found my Covey books and Minute Mangers have collected dust where "Patton on Leadership" is starting to look like a well worn Bible.

Having worked in a number of corporate environments, this book struck a nerve. There are so many self-help-styled "How to be a great manager" titles out there that when you finally read something with some substance to it, based strictly on the tried-and-true principles of this country's greatest advocate of leadership skills, that you can't help but be reminded that it is the basics that are worth all.

It may seem trite to some that this book merely takes quotes and extracts from Patton's life and writings and develops them to highlight various aspects of leadership, yet the study of leadership is deceptively simple in this regard; leadership is taking people where they must go, focusing on what is truly important and worthwhile. And the great leader is always one of the troops, not some invulnerable sage from On High. It should be noted that prior to reading this book, the reader is strongly advised to read Carlo D'Este's superb biography, "Patton: A Genius for War" in order to appreciate who Patton was as a man before he was, well, George C. Scott. Suffering from severe dyslexia, he struggled to get through West Point and VMI. His tortured efforts to memorize the works of great historical military leaders apparently left an indelible mark on his thinking, yet what remained throughout his life was the underlying principle that it is leadership that wins wars and not abstractions like courage or heroism.

Military units are like spaghetti, he said, which must be pulled rather than pushed. And this man lead from the front. So when you read in these pages that a leader must endure what his/her minions endure in order to earn (earn!) their respect, he knows what he is talking about.

I once worked at a computer software company that specialized in healthcare programs, and our V.P. of Sales gave a long-winded speech about how we must all "tighten our belts and stay focused on lean expenditures!" The very next day the S.O.B. drove into work in a brand new BMW 700 series car (company car, of course). Just what kind of leadership is that?! Leadership by example, or by arrogant authoritarianism?

Want to hold the reins and lead with certainty and conviction? Here's the manual!

Frederick the Great may have said it, but George "Blood 'n Guts" Patton lived it. What a remarkable man, and what a remarkable presentation about that man, his life and his leadership skills. One should read this book just for the hell-of-it if not for any other reason. What a great first read for anyone wishing to know more about the General.

First of all, this book reads well and fast, and it's hard to put down. Mr. Axelrod tells a great story, conveys the essence of Patton's Generalship and Management styles, and along the way adds some very good history. Axelrod clears up the legends and myth surrounding the famous slapping incident, and details the campaigns into Bastogne and to Berlin in short, clear and entertaining fashion. It was truly enjoyable to read this book.

To keep the record straight, the format of the book allows for a 3 - 4 hour total read time due to the fact that many of the pages have only 18 - 25 lines of print on them, where as others are in standard layout. The stories will excite, entertain, and cause "out-loud" laughter. The language is harsh sometimes, but perfectly appropriate to the original situation.

I say get the SOB book and read it "...every God damn night", and smile.

I first read this highly informative, often hilarious book for Intro to Political Science back in college. In this short tome are pearls of wisdom about politics and human nature still relevant 100 years later. Plunkitt, high atop his regular boot-black stand in NYC, declaims to his biographer, Riordan, a life spent in the political machine known as Tammany Hall, with such disarming honesty that is nearly non-existent today. Plunkitt's diatribes on "honest graft vs. dishonest graft," "Brooklynites Natural-Born Hayseeds," and the evils of civil service exams are outright hilarious. I highly recommend this book to anyone with even a passing interest in politics.

Plunkitt was a king in a world that needed benevolent despots. In a place like turn of the century of New York before Keynesian economics and the Welfare State, Tammany was the only relief the poor knew. Plunkitt reveals with refreshing honesty the seemingly rough and coarse manner with which one needed to play the game of politics in his town. However, one must look at it in context. This was a different time from our own, and the reader must imagine whether a person of Plunkitt's demeanor can last in the information age political world. Then again, the book also illustrates how many of the problems Tammany had still exist today.

I originally read this book in undergraduate school as Political Science major, and had to go back and find a copy because of the profound affect it had on my psyche. George Washington Plunkitt was a "stereotypical" politician. You know, the one who says what he needs to say to get elected; but once there does what's necessary for his party.

Comparing his comments to the actions of present day politicians, I don't think there are many differences. Everyone does a little grafting and civil servants are still "civil servants." Understood?

As with any politician, Plunkitt "seen (his) opportunities and (he) took 'em." This is a must for anyone interested in any realm of politics.

Roux is the rarest of scholars and academes, he is one who can write. Ancient Iraq is extremely erudite and written clearly and lucidly. Reading it and getting involved in the text is not difficult. Ancient Iraq covers the full spectrum of Iraqi ancient history and prehistory, from the Paleolithic through the Neolithic, the Sumerian civilization, and on to the Assyrian and Persian empires. Despite the wide scope of this book, Roux manages to keep the narrative tightly contained and compact, avoiding digressions and wandering. Highly readable, this book deserves to be owned by anyone with an interest in the region. It is poorly illustrated, but this is a relatively minor flaw. This is a true classic of archaeological literature.

No one was more surprised than Georges Roux himself when people worldwide began demanding reprints from his articles in the now-defunct "Iraq Petroleum" magazine. But he shouldn't have been - the literature surrounding ancient Mesopotamia tends either to scholastic obscurity (and textbook expense) or to such a broad scope that oversimplification is necessary just to keep the story within two covers.

Not so Roux's wonderful overview. After his retirement from a leading British pharmaceutical company he found the necessary leisure, and access to Parisian university libraries, to compile this volume of history. The first edition was written in the 60's, the second in the 80's after some remarkable finds greatly expanded the continuity of the original, and the third, this volume, in the early 90's. In this, he states that the English version has actually leapfrogged the original version in his native French.

The book traces the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia from the Paleolithic period through Sumer and Akkad, the Assyrian empire, Babylon, the glory of the Old Testament period, and to the final takeover by the Hellenistic Greeks. This sweep of history comprising some six-plus millennia cannot, of course, be dealt with comprehensively within the bounds of a single volume; nevertheless, Roux has managed to spotlight the extant periods without losing the story's overall continuity, a considerable achievement.

This is, in this reviewer's opinion, the best single-volume introduction to ancient Mesopotamian history on the market today.

I am a lay reader, with very little if any knowledge of ancient history. I stumbled upon this book quite by chance, and am proud to say that I am astounding my friends and acquaintances with all I know about it now.

After years of study, Roux is still clearly in love with his favorite subject, and it makes Ancient Iraq a fascinating and compelling read. I was absolutely stunned by what all the Sumerians, Assyrians, and Babylonians are responsible for when laying the foundations of our present civilization. The chapters on government and law are especially enlightening, when compared to present day domestic and foreign policy.

I learned so much from this book: it is an excellent summarization from what is years and years of study and research. Highly recommended.

Along with being a poet, cummings was a visual artist-chiefly a painter and sometimes an engraver. With his poetry, he made the attempt to arrange the words of his poems in something of an image. He also achieved this end with the words themselves: if he was to say a leaf falls, he might say: a l e (fa l l s) a f His poetry is not straight forward-if you want something easy to read, look elsewhere. But if you want to be exposed to a new and innovative style, and some exquisite writing and subject matter cummings is for you.

e.e. cummings is a master of the English language. The way he uses words to paint a picture will leave you breathless and touch your heart. These are not poems to be read lightly...you will need to think about what has been written and how, but I think that each poem in its own way will reflect a part of your own life once you figure out exactly what is being said. His combinations of words are unique and beautiful and create a melody of poetry that you will fall in love with. "rain fell(as it will in spring) ropes of silver gliding from sunny thunder into freshness as if god's flowers were pulling upon bells of gold" How could you not want to read this?

ee cummings is a magnificent poet - almost as much of a visual artist as writer. His poems fall and flow and jump and dance, their patterns and punctuation adding so much more to the words and essence of meaning. I have tried reading cummings' work aloud: it never quite works. He has an exceptional turn of phrase, and with one line (give or take a pattern or two) can bring about powerful emotive responses.
This book is fantastic - I had quite a lot of difficulty finding collections of his poetry, and although I'd found a couple of small volumes, this one was exhaustive. I reread it - or at least parts thereof - more often than any other poetry book I own, and always seem to discover another nuance or aspect or pattern that I hadn't seen before. cummings wraps you in words, and the best way I can think of to describe how I feel after reading his works is to steal a quote from one of his poems - "such strangeness as was mine a little while."
Worldwords. And he is the creator of my favourite quotation of all time...
"listen:
there's a hell of a good universe next door:
let's go."
And there is.