This YA novel is a well-written and engrossing look into the Chicago jazz scene of the late 1920s. 12-year-old Paulie (who today would probably be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder) finds his calling in learning to play jazz cornet. But his father wants him to enter the plumbing business, and even with his mother's support, Paulie can't keep his grades up enough to get permission to pursue his music. Paulie eventually has to choose -- lose his music, or lose his family? Published in 1996, this YA novel is now, sadly, out of print.

This excellent, well written ,thoroughly researched book is an interesting and compelling read. My husband bought it for me following one of his regular sojourns to Hay-on-Wye where he searches for fishing books and the likes. I had started to collect books on the Blues to compliment my small collection of Albums,C.Ds even a few 78s. and so considered this biography an aside to the mainstream of my type of music. How wrong some of your assumptions can be! Collier dissects the man his music and the age in which he lived -dispelling many of the myths and giving factual credence to certain claims made by Armstrong and others alike. So,having picked up the book,out of politeness and consideration to my dear husband (!) I starting to flick through reading an odd passage here and there and then found that I had gone back to the very begining and was hooked 'line and sinker 'on the narrative. I am in awe of the depth of research /detective work the author has made on a man whom he obviously enjoyed researching with out any hint of hero worship or sycophancy, but! when it came to the technical abilities of his subject on his cornet playing well- there the author did leave me in ignorance (and boredom)- as not being in the least musically talented I found the discriptive passages on such matters way over my head and, I imgine, that of other readers with similar omissions in their musical education!! The author surmises that some Jazz enthusiasts may denigrate Armstrongs' later performances to that of genial buffoon, all round entertainer and despise this career change for what they take to be a sell out to white entertainment. But Collier can ,having made a thorough study of the man, make assumptions based on fact and not on personal fancy or nebulous notions as some do,that Armstrong fullfilled his ambition of becoming an entertainer which he set out to become but on route became one of the most innovative and influential and skilled exponents of Jazz that the world has ever seen. As Armstrongs' popularity and adulation grew among the general public so it waned on the Jazz circuit as purists disliked the way Armstrong courted popularity. Elitists often think the artist should suffer for his art form and saw Armstrong as a traitor to this. But, when, as you do here, see the history of the man his music, his suffering , etc., all put into the context of the social backdrop that Collier does so expertly you are leftin no doubt of the sincerity of both biographer and subject matter. A great piece of literature!

This book was really amazing. It kept you on your toes and really put you in the character's place. I often found myself getting anxious,angry or sad in many parts of the book. My mom picked it up thinking of just reading a couple of pages to check what I was reading and ended up staying up until 3 in the morning reading it. Before you start this book make sure you don't have anything big happening for hours because you won't put it down. If you enjoy thinking about what it would be like to live on the other side of the law this is definitely the book for you. -Q

This is another of those silly books written, no doubt, by some middle manager who wouldn't know how to even begin to handle problems. Where do all these breauacrats come from?

This book is presents the "change" don't "improve" school of change management, and presents it well. The author starts with the management sage of our time: "Problem Solving Gets You No Where"... Peter Drucker. Then he moves on to explain why dramatic transformational change is so important.

What I really liked about the book was:

+ the author's tips on using metaphores in creativity,
+ the discussion how most management fads are just focusing on problem solving and not transformational change.
+ the use of humor in business (this was VERY GOOD).
+ how to analyze conversations.

On the negative side, the book appeared a little on the breezy side. Lots of cute remarks instead of substance, but overall I got so many good ideas from the book, that I have to give it a 5 ranking.

The author comes across as someone very knowledgeable and interested in your application of this information. There's a lot in this book that you won't find in others.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX

This is a self-published book, and the production quality is not so good, if you are used to glossy hardcover books. However, it is jam-packed with excellent material and good examples to help - and guide - managers to explore their own - and their company's future.

The author has been a collaborator of Joel Barker, widely recognised as the Paradigm Man who wrote Future Edge (and an earlier book, Discovering the Future: the Business of Paradigms).

Just like Wayne Burkan who wrote Wide Angle Vision, the author further expands the paradigm phenomenon with more new business examples, insightful real-world observations and also thought-provoking ideas drawn from his own professional experience.

The author's writing is crisp, succinct and clear, and he includes several thoughtful questions at the end of each chapter for reader's reflective responses. I enjoy reading books that poses questions to readers. They make you think about what you have just re!ad, and also reflect on possible actions you may consider to take in your personal or professional context.

Together with Future Edge and Wide Angle Vison, I strongly recommend this book to be included in your personal library if you want to be a paradigm buster - to be precise, to be a strategic explorer.

The author's other book, 'Get Out of Your Thinking Box' is also worth exploring.