Reviews (4)

The Bon Jovi s' life
I read this book because I like Bon Jovi and his band. I "follow" the band since 1983, when I meet them into a local radio station around New-York. I read a lot of books concerning Bon Jovi, but this one is very clear. You can follow the life of the Bon Jovi 's band whithout difficulties. There are a lot of chapters, very clear. It's simple and very easy, very clear to read. One negative point it's maybye there are not much pictures into the book. I think that the band could have more than 4 pages of pictures but for the rest, it's a great book. If you are a real Bon Jovi s'fan, read it.

BORING
Boring meaning, I knew it all already -didnt have to spend the $$$ on it-

Jon Bon Jovi
This book is a completely unauthorized biography, and Bon Jovi has absolutely no connection with this book. They even denounced the book as rubbish on their website! If you are a true Bon Jovi fan you know that books like these are not the real story behind the band. If you really want actual information about Bon Jovi then go to www.bonjovi.com or www.backstagewithjbj.com to learn more. Bon Jovi is a great band with a wonderful story to tell but don't believe everything you read unless it is endorsed by the band.

bon jovi rocks
I think Bon Jovi is an excellent band and It was interesting to find out more about the band! This book was so well written that it was the best biography I have ever read and I read many!This book was informative and it made me feel like I knew Bon Jovi personally! ... Read more

Book Description

In the Preface to the first volume Jensen writes, "On the rolls of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are found the names of a host of men and women of worth—heroes and heroines of a higher type—who have been and are willing to sacrifice fortune and life for the sake of their religion.It is for the purpose of perpetuating the memory of these, and to place on record deeds worthy of imitation, that [this set] makes its appearance."

With over 5000 biographical entries of "heroes and heroines" complete with over 2000 photographs the L.D.S. Biographical Encyclopedia is an essential reference for study of early church history.Nearly anyone with pioneer heritage will find exciting and interesting history about ancestors in these volumes.

4 vols. Each 832 pages ... Read more

Book Description

Among the noted figures of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuriesfeatured in this volume are Guy Fawkes, the Yorkshire Protestant who joined theSpanish Army and converted to Catholicism, later to return to become the prime moverin the Gunpowder Plot. Also making an appearance is Nell Gwynne, the former orangeseller who became a favored mistress of Charles II; and Oliver Cromwell, the LordProtector of England and nemesis of the monarchy. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Useful for students and history buffs
This book is a chronologically-arranged series of biographies of important figures active in English history from 1485 to 1603. It's highly useful for students and for people with an interest in the period trying to find out quick but accurate information on someone they see mentioned elsewhere. It's not a great browsing book, but is an excellent reference resource. It's one of a series of books covering most of English and, later, British history. The only drawback is that its confinement to England means that some important players in Tudor history, such as the rebel Irish leaders of Elizabeth's reign, are omitted. However, it does include key Scots like Mary Stuart and Darnley. ... Read more

Book Description

Acclaim for In The Black

"A compelling account of the pioneers who broke the color barrier on Wall Street and began a story that is still being written." —E. Stanley ONeal, President and COO, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.

"In the Black is an inspiring yet fair account of how African Americans overcame the challenges of our society on Wall Street. It wonderfully depicts how these pioneers hurdled the obstacles of yesterday and positioned themselves for tomorrows challenges." —Bill Donaldson, cofounder, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette

"In the Black is highly valuable reading for anyone who wants to learn how African Americans overcame the obstacles of racism in the financial world. The book vividly illustrates all the pioneers who paved the way for future generations in the capital markets, and Gregory Bell does an outstanding job of chronicling their efforts." —David N. Dinkins, 106th Mayor, City of New York

"As the CEO of the first black-owned company to be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, I appreciate the difficulties and challenges that African Americans must face. In the Black does a remarkable job of chronicling the work of so many pioneers who have fought for change in the Wall Street arena." —Robert L. Johnson, CEO, BET Holdings

"Gregory Bells In the Black is a mix of biography and business coupled together to illustrate a story of progress by African Americans in the world of high finance. Out of my own history of involvement in law, business, and politics, I find Mr. Bells book a fascinating account of how political, financial, and social power within the African-American community helped push forward our role on the largest stage in all of finance: Wall Street." —Percy E. Sutton, Chairman Emeritus, Inner City Broadcasting Corporation

"In the Black is an enlightening story about profits, losses, and the triumph of the human spirit. Gregory Bell does a superb job of narrating the important history of African Americans who fought for their fair share of opportunity and prosperity on Wall Street." —Alexis M. Herman, U.S. Secretary of Labor, 1997—2001

"Gregory Bells book provides a great reference for everyone concerned with diversity on Wall Street today. In the Black effectively chronicles the progress weve made so far in our quest for a securities industry where the only color that matters is green." —Marc E. Lackritz, President, Securities Industry Association ... Read more

Reviews (9)

An Important Chapter In Wall Street History
I found the information in this book very informative and surprising that black participation in finance went back as far as it did. Stories of black stockbrokers and mutual fund salesmen in the 1950's to the investment bankers of today, records the slow but meaningful progress made on the Street in the last few decades. Hopefully, the progress will continue....

A Very Interesting Book
This book was an impulse buy for me, I have always had little interest in Wall Street but my son works in the securities industry so I thought I would read this for some background. I am very glad I did because I did not realize how deep African American history in the financial world is. I enjoyed the stories of people like Philip Jenkins and John Patterson, early pioneers who deserve greater recognition for their contributions. I think that this book is an important contribution of both African American and Wall Street history and does a good job of illuminating aspects about the history of finance that went unrecognized for far too long.

The first and best of its kind
This book fills in the missing pages of Wall Street's History. It documents how African-Americans overcame racism and other barriers to become successful in the financial securities industry. This should be part of every business school's curriculum.

a great pleasure to read...
"I picked this book up after being attracted to its wonderful
book jacket and its words certainly lived up to my
expectations. As a young person, I had never heard of most
of the names in the book, and I am now filled with great
appreciation of the work they did to break barriers on Wall
Street. As a person of color, I felt it necessary to lear
about the pioneers of the past, and all they accomplished
despite the obstacles that hindered them. A necessary
book!!!"

An important brief history
On Wall Street, you are remembered only for your last price, trade, or quarterly report. History is not dwelled on; today's young leaders probably wouldn't know JP Morgan, Muriel Siebert, or EF Hutton if they tripped over them. Nor would many even know the names Hornblower, First Harlem, Bache, Hutton, or Shearson. But, as of this writing, with African Americans leading both Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse First Boston, it is nice (and necessary) to read a concise history of African Americans on Wall Street. Did you know that in the 1960's, Merrill Lynch, with 2500 fixed commission brokers, hired only 3 African American brokers? If not for this book, how many would know of Thorvald McGregor (MercerHicks) and Lawrence Lewis (Abraham & Co) , the first two African American Registered Reps in 1949? Or Abraham Cowing (FL Salomon); Howard Law grad Norman McGhee (McGhee and Company, the first black NASD securities firm); Philip Jenkins and Earle Fisher (Baruch Brothers) who started Special Markets; Lilla St John (Oppenheimer), the first black female broker in 1953; June Middleton (Cohen Simonson); Attorney Wylie H. Whisonant (Bache); Clarence B. Jones (Carter, Berlind, Sanford Weill, & Arthur Levitt); or Joseph L Searles (the first black full member of the NYSE in 1970)? The author, Gregory Bell, is the son of the Travers Bell, who founded the first black-owned member firm of the New York Stock Exchange, so he had deep access to the inside story of the black history of Wall Street. Although there were a couple of paragraphs that I might not have agreed with (the speculation that African Americans did not invest in equities in the 1950's because they were more concerned with basic civil rights than investing), the book remains an excellent, informative read. It is especially interesting when discussing the strategies of the early firms (selling mutual funds that required less financial sophistication); the trials of how companies were founded (For example, Daniels and Bell hatched their business plan after seeing The Wiz on Broadway, spent a year trying to get financing, and finally scored some needed fund after Myron Kandell wrote a story on their efforts and Nixon's SEC Chief William Casey pushed through an exemption to some rules for them and influenced his friends to invest in the firm), as well as when discussing the effect of Municipal policies to require that a percentage of their Public Finance business be done with minority owned vendors. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Indefatigable Dreams of Ordinary Men
THE ARCHITECT'S BROTHER is one of the most beautiful monographs of photography to be released in years. These 'constructions' created by the husband/wife team under the name of Robert ParkeHarrison meld painting, sculpture, stage props, photo-manipulation, collages of natural debris, and megatons of inspired genius to create staged photomontages that are at times amusing, melancholic, wistful, and spiritualy uplifting. Speaking to the earth through a huge megaphone made of bark, anchoring clouds, flying suspended by lassoed birds - let your imagination take you there. The quality of the book is up to the luxurious standard of format of Twin Palms Press. There is an added three brief pages of comment in the form a quotaton by W.S. Merwin entitled 'Unchopping a Tree' which is what this entire collection is about - man's attempt to mimic nature....and the sweet sadness of the knowledge that he can't.

Who Is My Brother¿s Keeper?
Robert ParkeHarrison is an outstanding photographer, who creates disturbing images from photographs using sculpture, painting and aspects of theater to produce a surreal image. He appears in every photograph, acting as explorer, victim and conjurer performing actions that evoke a sense of ritual and metaphor, and frequently leave the viewer dazzled.

His is a magical world, lightning strikes, huge flowers explode and clouds and dark holes spin across the horizon. This is a mystical world that recalls to me the world of the major arcana of the Tarot. The figure vacillates between Mage, Fool and Hierophant. Who is the Architect, I wonder. Is his brother an assistant or an opponent? Many of the images are ambivalent, touching on both darkness and light, making a clear decision impossible. The figure seems melancholy, engaged in strange almost hopeless acts. But he persists, carrying on a quest intended to heal or repair a desolate world.

Despite a great difference in subject matter, these images remind me a great deal of Joel Peter Witkin, who is another Twin Palms photographer. Witkin's images also evoke a sense of myth and legend and have many readings. Both photographers manipulate their images extensively (with their wives as co-conspirators as well). And both have wonderful imaginations that seem to flourish against the somewhat humdrum backdrop of today's world.

A slipcased, signed edition exists, but is becoming quite rare. This edition and the trade edition are beautifully produced by Twin Palms, who manage to capture the real spirit of this work. By all means buy the "The Architect's Brother" if you are interested in non-traditional photography. You won't be disappointed.

Buy This Book
Buy this book for your local library. Parke Harrison, a husband and wife team create spellbinding photographs that take days to prepare. Inspired by an individual spiritual drive the photographs depict characters portrayed by Robert that interact with the earth, usually through some fantastic contraption like a cloud machine.

The effect is other worldly and haunting. The effects created photographically are enhanced by handpainting over the photos. Originally working with beeswax and pigments, travelling and the wear induced led to exploration of acrylic mediums. This is a dream for mixed media minded people. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jim Powell believes that worthwhile abstract ideas are best promoted by the study of the lives of those who embodied them. In The Triumph of Liberty, Powell, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, uses capsule biographies of 65 heroes and heroines as the building blocks for a grand narrative history of liberty, stretching from ancient times to the present. Their stories make clear that liberty begins with an idea: that people are born with a natural right to liberty, the opportunity to pursue one's dream and live in peace.

Powell's list of freedom fighters includes the predictable standard bearers (Thomas Jefferson, Adam Smith, John Locke, Martin Luther King), as well as a few refreshing surprises. Rose Wilder Lane, for example, known to many readers primarily because of her famous pioneer mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder, was one of the most successful freelance writers of the early 20th century. In her writings, she proclaimed the evils of collectivism and advocated natural rights. Friedrich Schiller, the German poet and dramatist, thematically prioritized the importance of freedom in many of his literary works, while Maria Montessori radically declared assisting the individual fulfill their destiny as the purpose of education.

Although Powell exhibits an interdisciplinary perception of freedom (in the forms of literature, music, political science, visual arts, etc.), his perspective remains exclusively Western. Consequently, readers hoping for a broader global examination, including, for example, Ghandi or Cesar Chavez, will find his interpretations limited. Powell's table of contents may also frustrate. Organized conceptually (Natural Rights, Toleration, Peace, Self-Help), rather than chronologically or alphabetically, it fails to assist the reader hoping quickly to locate a particular individual; only his bibliography, located at the back of the book, provides a listing of the individuals portrayed. Nevertheless, Powell's biographies, each six to seven pages, effectively convey to the reader what liberty means and how it is advanced. --Bertina Loeffler Sedlack ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A Triumph of Libertarian Scholarship
With this book, Jim Powell advances the notion that modern history can best be viewed as a quest for freedom, and even the most cynical among us must agree that "wresting liberty from tyranny's iron fist" is indeed worth fighting for. In a series of short biographical vignettes, Powell looks at the lives of sixty-five historical figures that he deems heroes in this struggle, making for a fascinating and inspiring read. However, any such grouping of people is bound to spark debate, as very few of these individuals would call themselves "libertarian", nor would all libertarians be quick to claim them all as ancestors or heirs.

Historian Paul Johnson may sum up this book best with these words from its foreword: "I do not agree with all of it". That luminaries like Cicero and Thomas Paine belong in this canon is almost without question, but the case for Beethoven, Goya, and Robert Heinlein (among others) requires one to adopt the modern "big L" libertarian perspective in its entirety. I, for one, would prefer to see Margaret Thatcher's place in the book removed, and replaced by a section on Nelson Mandela; economic issues aside, surely most people would place the latter above the former as a champion of liberty and justice in our time.

Thus, the greatest weakness of this book is also its strength: it forces the reader to think, to consider what "liberty" really means. Given the state of the world today, that fact alone merits my recommendation.

A Series of Somewhat Dry, Short Profiles
"The Triumph of Liberty" is best purchased with the notion that you will chew on one or two short nuggets at a time to capture the essence of each "freedom fighter" profiled. Like Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation", it's a compilation of vignettes that illuminate and sometimes inspire, and which can be read in short bursts.

"Liberty" is short on historical analysis and long on basic biographical formula, which made my own read feel somewhat monotonous. Still, it's a worthwhile contribution to the bookshelf of anyone who cares about the rights of the individual, and who knows how precarious those rights have been throughout man's history.

An inspiring collection of inspiring life histories
Powell deserves great credit for surveying the last two millenia of Western history to find liberty's "greatest champions". I found myself at the end begging for more analytic input from the author to "put it all together". But I am grateful for his compiling this list of the good guys in the struggle to attain the freedom which we all say we want, and are too often willing to sacrifice by pieces to other ends. The book would benefit greatly from better editorial attention to correct obvious syntactical errors and repetitions. Overall, an admirable addition to the literature of classical liberalism.

A Gifted Writer with a mighty theme
In this book Jim Powell attempts to tell us the story of liberty by illuminating the lives of it's greatest champions.Mr. Powell is a great storyteller and for the most part he succeeds in his mission of telling us the story of freedom's champions from Cicero to Ronald Reagan.The book might have been better if Powell had started out by giving us a definition of liberty. In the biblical sense liberty implies the ability to be morally self-governed.This was certainly how Locke, Jefferson and Franklin among other libertarians understood the term.If the concept of self-government is understood as it relates to liberty the author would have to eliminate the chapters on H.L. Mencken,and Albert Jay Nock among others.I agree with a previous reviewer that the book's inclusion of Martin Luther King Jr. is highly questionable.Dr. King was certainly a great man who achieved great things.But He was not a libertarian, He was a socialist.But beyond these criticisms this is an excellent book.My favorite chapter is the one about William E. Gladstone. Mr. Gladstone's life was the personification of liberty.Like John Locke and Hugo Grotius Gladstone was a devout christian who practiced moral self-government in his personal life and attempted to impose that same sense of self-discipline upon government. Once again this is a great book, which ought to be required reading in all of our schools. God bless you Jim Powell.

Disappointing
After shelling out thirty dollars for the hardcover edition of this book, I expected a connected book devoted to fully explaining the story of liberty as it has developed over the last 2000 years. What I received instead was a book devoted to providing short biographies of many disparate individuals whom the author, Jim Powell, thought all advanced the cause of liberty. Powell's analysis is formed in the context of his political ideological which he does not attempt to hide. He is a libertarian who believes in our inanieable right to life, liberty, and private property. I myself am a libertarian and this is why I bought the book. Yet the book seemed to assume that most people's conception of liberty is identical to the libertarian notion of liberty. Unfortunately, I suspect most non-libertarians do not define liberty in the way that Powell or I do. In assuming that true liberty is negative liberty or "freedom-from" and not explicitly defending that position and rebutting competing theories, Powell has limited the appeal of this book to those that are sympathetic to his views. Those that are sympathetic to Powell's ideology (like myself)are not likely to find anything that helps to explicate "the story of liberty" in this lengthy book. If one wants to know little tidbits about the disparate individuals in this book then this is the book for you. For those of you looking for serious historical scholarship told from a libertarian viewpoint; look elsewhere. Furthermore, some of the individuals included in the book devoted to praising "heroes of liberty" are dubious choices indeed. I will mention just one example because it is a glaring mistake on Powell's part to include him in a book devoted to liberty. Martin Luther King the legend has, in the years following his death, become the ultimate symbol of nondiscrimination and racial equality. Martin Luther King the man was surely a good man who had some good ideas but he also had a lot of bad ideas. King was a socialist - he fundamentally believed that government should redistribute wealth on a large scale. He did not believe liberty was intimately connected to a strong conception of property rights and limited government. King's most often listed "accomplishment" was the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This act, however, is fundamentally inconsistent with libertarian rights theory. Article 7, the part that limits liberty, states that private establishments and employers may not discriminate in hiring practices. In a free society private citizens start and own businesses. They put up the capital and accept the risk associated with operating a business. If their business fails they (and only they) accept the losses. If they want to engage in discriminatory practices in hiring they should not be prevented from doing so by the government which does not face the losses of a failed business decision. Thus King the man is not to be celebrated as a champion of true liberty. All in all this book is lengthy and uninspiring. ... Read more

Book Description

Political and historical, Vice Presidents collects the life stories of every man that has held this office. Each expertly written biography addresses the state of the country at the time these men were in office and features:
An analysis of prevailing political conditions
The opposition
The relationships between the vice president and presidents
The political machinations of these men, some of whom gained the ultimate prize, presidency
A full chronology of the political history of the United States from 1789 to 2000. ... Read more

Book Description

“We were sure that we would win, that we should score the first great triumph in a mighty world-movement.”—Theodore Roosevelt, 1904

Americans like to think they have no imperial past. In fact, the United States became an imperial nation within five short years a century ago (1898-1903), exploding onto the international scene with the conquest of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, and (indirectly) Panama. How did the nation become a player in world politics so suddenly—and what inspired the move toward imperialism in the first place?

The renowned diplomat and writer Warren Zimmermann seeks answers in the lives and relationships of five remarkable figures: the hyper-energetic Theodore Roosevelt, the ascetic naval strategist Alfred T. Mahan, the bigoted and wily Henry Cabot Lodge, the self-doubting moderate Secretary of State John Hay, and the hard-edged corporate lawyer turned colonial administrator Elihu Root. Faced with difficult choices, these extraordinary men, all close friends, instituted new political and diplomatic policies with intermittent audacity, arrogance, generosity, paternalism, and vision.

Zimmermann's discerning account of these five men also examines the ways they exploited the readiness of the American people to support a surge of expansion overseas. He makes it clear why no discussion of America's international responsibilities today can be complete without understanding how the United States claimed its global powers a century ago.
... Read more

Reviews (10)

All Americans Should Read This!1
"Americans like to pretend that they have no imperial past. Yet they have shown expansionist tendencies since colonial days." (Zimmermann, 17) So begins chapter 1 of First Great Triumph, Warren Zimmermann's book chronicling the rise of America to world power status and the five men that he credits with that accomplishment. Zimmermann's book states emphatically that contrary to popular belief, America has been an imperialist state since the beginning. Zimmermann seeks to show that not only did the United States seek to create an overseas empire; we did so enthusiastically, rather than reluctantly.
In his book, Zimmermann acknowledges that in many ways the tide of history was pulling America toward the role of imperial power. The American frontier had closed, the Indian wars were over and now the American expansionist impulse needed a new direction the once powerful Spanish empire entered the final period of its inevitable decline. Many influential Americans argued that the expansionist impulse was by definition, a violation of the basic American principles of freedom, and self-determination. Such was not the case with the five heroes men detailed in Zimmermann's book.
Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Elihu Root and John Hay, were all imperialists. In part one of his book, Zimmermann provides biographical sketches that, while brief, give full accounting of each of these men and how each became a driving force in the growth of American foreign policy at that most critical point in history.
Zimmermann draws from over 190 sources, many the works of prominent American historians. He also draws heavily from the words, both written and spoken, of his five central figures. Zimmermann's own experience as a diplomat give him a keen understanding of the relevant geopolitical questions and his qualities as a writer provide the reader with a very engaging account of these men and their times.
Zimmerman's narrative provides a clear path for the reader to follow to understanding his central theme. The biographies contained in the first part of the book, use the words and actions of the central characters to prove his point. From their early lives, each of the five seems destined to play some role in the growth of the American nation. The way that Zimmerman weaves their stories together, illustrates the fact that in reality, very little of the American rise to global power was accidental.

History at Its Best!
This is history at its best -- well written, thoroughly researched, and interesting to read. The principle characters come alive. It's an ambitious undertaking, too, to describe this chapter in our history. Zimmermann not only discusses the emergence of the United States onto the world scene as a major player, but also interweaves five amazing men: John Hay, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Elihu Root, Henry Cabot Lodge, and Theodore Roosevelt. I was familiar with them, but he makes them real. You get into their point of view, their successes and foibles, and their backgrounds and their struggles.

I had wanted to read about World War I and the formation of the Arab states as we know them today. Paris 1919 would be a good start. I decided to read this first, though, as a run-in to Paris 1919. What I discovered is that not only did this period posture the US as a world player, but also the striking similarity between the Spanish-American War and the War in Iraq. More about that later.

Zimmermann begins by describing the lives, philosophies, and contributions of these five men whose contributions were pivotal. These are not definitive biographies, to be sure, but rather a series of monographs that are delightful in their brevity and depth. The rest of the book provides an excellent history of the war with Spain -- going into detail about Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines -- along with our seizure of Guam and Hawaii. Along the way he touches on a wide variety of other persons, US and foreign.

The only downside is the lack of maps. They would help substantially, but their absence does not unduly detract from the strengths of the book. For example, there is fascinating detail regarding treaty negotiations with Spain and the debate within the US Senate for ratification. Zimmermann even gives insight into personalities in the Spanish ruling circles and how they affected Spanish actions.

There were a variety of reasons for the US to expand its thinking past its ocean boundaries. Quoting Mahan, "[our] growing production, public sentiment, a geographic position between two old worlds and two oceans, the growth of European colonies in the Pacific, the rise of Japan, and the peopling of the American West with men favoring a strong foreign policy" (115).

I always thought imperialism was driven more by economic motives (markets) and diplomatic and military motives (national power). Imperialism is not necessarily aimed just at less developed societies, but also between Western and regional powers. Still, I can see Zimmermann's point when he says, "Such a cultural atmosphere was extremely conducive to imperialist initiatives, because imperialism -- like Anglo-Saxonism, social Darwinism, and manifest destiny -- was also based on the principle of racial inequality" (37). Maybe "also" is the key word. Having said that, he also makes the point, "Three of America's earlier wars had been fought for specific principles: political liberty in 1776, freedom of the seas in 1812, and preservation of the Union in 1861. The Spanish-American War was the first in which Americans were activated in large part by the way a foreign government treated its subjects" (251).

This is where Zimmermann's analysis gets quite interesting for today's environment. Much has been made recently comparing the War in Iraq and where it may lead us to Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War. In reading this book you come to find out that the true comparison is the Spanish-American War. The parallels are numerous. Here are a few examples:

"...left unresolved [was] the crucial issue of who would inherit Cuba from Spain. Would it be the United States or the Cuban people? That fatal ambiguity has scarred American relations with Cuba ever since" (264).

"The Spanish had courage, but not the kind of courage that leads to victory" (283).

"If we turn this war, which was heralded to the world as a war of humanity, in any sense into a war of conquest, we shall forever forfeit the confidence of mankind" (337).

"The first years of American occupation of the Philippines were marked by full-scale war...'The people whom we liberated down there have turned against us.' From the outbreak of violence...it took the US more than three years to subdue what was to the Americans an insurrection and to the Filipinos a war for independence. At its height the American troop presence constituted three-quarters of the entire US Army. Casualties on both sides far exceeded the killed and wounded in the three weeks of fighting in Cuba." (386)

"'To leave the islands at this time would mean that they would fall into a welter of murderous anarchy. Such dereliction of duty on our part would be a crime against humanity.'" (404)

Zimmermann's insights go on and on. There is much that is different between then and now, but it's clear that the Spanish-American War has much for us to learn in our current foreign paths.

Zimmermann sums up his message of his book the best. "In retrospect, the twentieth century, for all the brilliance of its intellectual and technological accomplishments, was a time of violence and horror unprecedented in world history...The threat posed by Hitler's Germany became the major international preoccupation from 1933 until the German defeat in 1945. The threat of Stalin's Russia succeeded it as the main concern. Neither challenge could have been dealt with successfully without the full engagement of the US. The imperial initiation at the end of the nineteenth century had prepared Americans for the great power role that, in the twentieth century, only they could play." (482)

This is one of the best accounts of US history that I've read. I'd give it six stars if I could.

America's First Empire
This book by a former U.S. Ambassador is an elegantly-written history of the Spanish-American War of 1898, when the United States acquired colonies in the Caribbean and the Pacific and emerged as a major world power. The nuanced, balanced narrative deals with "big picture" geopolitics and historical trends but never loses sight of the human factor or the role that ego and personal ambition played in America's rise to power. Zimmerman doesn't flinch from concluding that American troops committed atrocities in the Philippines or that our acquisition of Hawaii and the Panama canal zone was little more than theft. At the same time, he avoids ahistorical condemnations of turn-of-the-century imperialism. His book will leave leftwing revisionists and flag-waving rightists equally disappointed -- surely a sign of scholarly achievement.

"First Great Tiumph" brims with insights into diplomacy and politics, based on Zimmerman's many years in the U.S. foreign service. Indeed, many parts of the book are eerily topical, such as the discussion of how war-lover Theodore Roosevelt seized on the sinking of the battleship Maine as a pretext for a war in Cuba. The book was published prior to the non-discovery of the much-hyped WMDs in Iraq but the parallels to current events are there for any intelligent reader to see. I gave the book four stars instead of five only because the "multi-biographical" approach is a bit contrived and results in the inclusion of much unnecessary biographical material in the first section of the book.

Timely reminder of our imperial past ... and present
A century after the events Warren Zimmerman describes, questions of "American empire" are once again being debated. That makes this book a particularly timely and instructive one.

The book's structure has been described in many of these reviews: five biographies, about 40 pages each, and then a longer section weaving together the issues and events of these men's lives into the large drama of the growth of American imperialism. Though the book's length is certainly not unmanageable -- in fact, it would be hard to do this topic justice in a much smaller book -- one drawback of frontloading the biographies is that some of the details of the men's lives tend to be forgotten by the time they reappear later on in the narrative. Mahan, in particular, appears only sporadically in the second half of the book, although his influence on the other men can still be felt.

Zimmerman focuses his narrative, obviously, on these five men and their influence on their nation and the world. The author perhaps agrees with Henry Cabot Lodge, whom he quotes on page 184 as writing, "The personal qualities and individual abilities of public men ... make the history and determine the fate of nations" (ellipses in original). This "methodological individualist" tack is a refreshing approach in a discipline that these days is so mired in "social movements" and "impersonal forces" that the critical -- even indispensable -- roles of individual men and women is often forgotten. While America may yet have become an imperial power without these five men, Zimmerman makes a strong case that Roosevelt, Mahan, Lodge, Root, and Hay, by their own will, channeled America's might and power in the direction of their choosing. It's a direction we're still, by and large, moving today.

While the five biographies in the first half of the book are all useful, insightful, and well written, they're really mostly prologue. It's the second half where most of the action, drama, and even excitement can be found. Zimmerman does a fine job of charting the drive for empire, the various obstacles that our five subjects had to overcome, and the long-term consequences of it all.

Zimmerman doesn't play favorites. Although his approach to the rise of empire is generally positive, it is balanced and nonjudgmental: his discussion of the annexation of Hawai`i, for example, makes it clear that the coup against the native monarchy was little more than theft. At the same time, though, he does not idealize the pre-colonial era or downplay that monarchy's undeniable corruption. He is clear-eyed about the costs of empire-building, doesn't shy from naming certain American actions in Cuba and the Philippines the "atrocities" they were, charts successes and failures honestly, and makes painfully clear the disconnect between America's high-minded rhetoric and our often base conduct. In what may be the nearest our author comes to outright denunciation, he is very hard on Theodore Roosevelt's "spurious euphoria" about the glories of war and TR's general bloodthirstiness (pp. 416-7).

I would have liked to see a little more discussion of the opposition to war mounted by the "goo-goos," though Zimmerman's discussion, as far as it goes, is sound. This ground has also been covered well by Robert Beisner's "Twelve Against Empire" (1968), a work I recommend and which is listed in Zimmerman's bibliography.

Even today, there seems to be reluctance in some quarters to see the United States as an imperial power. But we became one a century ago, and remain one today. While our intentions, and certainly our rhetoric, may have been (and be) more idealistic than those of other empires, the real-world consequences have been largely the same. As an introduction to how and why the American empire was born, a primer to how we got to where we are today, and a reminder of the power individuals have to shape the world, Zimmerman's "First Great Triumph" is not to be missed.

Expedient, Inspired, or Both?
Zimmermann has written six separate but related books and then combined them in a single volume. The first five comprise Part One and are brief but exceptionally informative biographies of John Hay, Alfred T. Mahan, Elihu Root. Henry Cabot Lodge, and Theodore Roosevelt; the sixth is a brilliant analysis of how these five men, together, achieved achieved for the United States "the first great triumph" of its global expansion or as Zimmermann describes it, "the birth of American imperialism." As he explains in the Introduction, "These five men were remarkable by any measure. Two of them, Roosevelt and Root, won the Nobel Peace Prize. All were intellectuals and thought of themselves as such. All except Root were notable authors. Roosevelt wrote thirty-eight books, and Lodge twenty-seven, mostly on themes of American history....Mahan produced an analysis of the influence of seas power that profoundly affected American policy and became required reading in the British, German, and Japanese navies. Root, who had been one of the most talented corporate lawyers of his time, became after his government service a forceful advocate of the rule of law in international relations." Remarkable indeed by any measure.

In Part Two, Zimmermann shifts his reader's attention to a period extending from 1898 until 1909 when, through the collective and coordinated efforts of the five men and their associates, the United States acquired Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, and Panama. When explaining the legacies of this brief but productive period, Zimmermann observes; "First, they created an authentic American imperialism that was confident in its objectives but modest in its application....The second legacy of the founders of American imperialism was their preparation of the United States to be a great power. Pragmatic as they were, Roosevelt and his friends understood that they were embarked on a grand adventure. The 'first great triumph' that Roosevelt fore-saw on the troopship to Cuba did indeed become a 'world movement.'...Third, these five imperialists produced the first comprehensive assertion of U.S. security interests abroad....The fourth legacy of the founders was the creation of two foreign policy priorities, human rights and stability, that have remained in tension with each other ever since....The fifth consequence of the work done by the men who launched America as a great power was to strengthen the American presidency. All five were followers of Alexander Hamilton and believers in activist government."

I was fascinated to learn how all this was accomplished, especially during such a brief period of time. Of course, as Zimmermann explains, "the five imperialists" encountered staunch and formidable opposition. However, they wholly agreed with an opinion expressed by journalist John O'Sullivan that during the "era of American greatness" their nation was "destined to manifest to mankind the excellence of divine principles." (1839) Hence the origin of what has since been known as the concept of Manifest Destiny. Those seeking to understand the current state of our nation's relations with other countries throughout the world will find Zimmermann's book especially informative. ... Read more

Book Description

Jason Epstein has led arguably the most creative career in book publishing during the past half-century. He founded Anchor Books and launched the quality paperback revolution, cofounded the New York Review of Books, and created of the Library of America, the prestigious publisher of American classics, and The Reader's Catalog, the precursor of online bookselling. In this short book he discusses the severe crisis facing the book business today—a crisis that affects writers and readers as well as publishers—and looks ahead to the radically transformed industry that will revolutionize the idea of the book as profoundly as the introduction of movable type did five centuries ago. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Not a Thorough Enough Analysis
After reading the New York Times Book Review write-up and a review in Newsday about Book Business: Publishing Past, Present, and Future, I was excited that someone had finally written a book about the business in which I work. However, readers need to heed the warning: "Don't judge a book by its cover" (or, in this case, its title). I have worked in the book publishing industry for 15 years, and have seen firsthand a great deal of what the author describes in this book. It seemed that the beginning of each chapter captured me, as I personally related to what was being discussed. But after a few paragraphs in each chapter, the author digresses into biographical issues that lend no value or substantial insight into aspects of the general history of the book publishing business, which might affect or interest someone in the industry. With all due respect to the author (and I truly appreciate his attempt at such a work), the book is much too brief to live up to the hype I read in reviews touting it as some type of benchmark work. The author's analyses of the various aspects of the industry are simply not profound enough. He begins a discussion of a particular aspect of the business, and then maunders into a personal story, which is far from relative to general interest.

The book is a very quick-and-easy read considering the author's style, which was obviously maintained throughout (leading me to believe that he was probably his own editor; some sentences are nearly a paragraph long). His use of a William F. Buckley-like vocabulary was probably not necessary for the typical reader. As an editor, I was, however, impressed that I could find but one typographical error in the entire book.

I would not recommend this book for someone interested in starting a career in the publishing industry. It does, however, serve as an amusing little folk tale for those of us already in the business.

Glimpsing the Future of Books
In book publishing since 1950, Jason Epstein knows firsthand the problems the industry has faced over the years and how recent technological advances are about to bring a much-needed change. And though this may seem boring on the surface, read on, for according to Epstein, the future of book publishing is about to change dramatically.

No stranger to innovation, Epstein launched The New York Review of Books, and the Library of America, in addition to creating Doubleday's Anchor Books, the imprint that started the quality trade paperback revolution. Now he envisions another revolution, but he's not talking about electronic books (e-books).

In the preface to Book Business, Epstein says, "Technologies change the world but human nature remains the same," which seems to sum up how most readers feel about e-books. You can't replicate the experience of curling up with a good book if you're glued to a computer screen or fumbling with a stack of loose-leaf printed pages. What he is talking about is print-on-demand (POD) publishing - technology that is capable of transferring book text electronically to book kiosks which will be able to print and bind a finished book, either in a central location or, eventually, in your own home.

Joining Random House in 1958, when the company was housed in New York's Villard mansion, Epstein witnessed an exciting part of book publishing history. He recounts tales of W. H. Auden showing up unannounced "in torn overcoat and carpet slippers delivering the manuscript of The Dyer's Hand"; Theodore Geisel (Dr. Suess) "arriving with his storyboards to recite Green Eggs and Ham"; and Andy Warhol "bowing slightly and addressing me in a deferential whisper as Mr. Epstein, as if I were not someone in a torn sweater and corduroy trousers hardly older than he was...."

Epstein elucidates a time in New York after the Second World War when the sounds of Johnny Mercer and Ella Fitzgerald could be heard at the Vanguard or Café Society and, if you had a few pennies, you could enjoy a beer while you were listening.

But irregardless of the social opportunities it affords, Epstein asserts that publishing, by its nature, is not suited to becoming a commercially viable enterprise, and that attempts at making it so have oft led to disappointment, since the publishing paradigm includes allowing booksellers to return unsold stock for full credit. When he was at Doubleday, Epstein later learned, the company's treasurer was advising its owner to sell the business and invest the proceeds in government bonds, arguing that this would yield a greater profit. "The book business as I have known it," Epstein confesses, "is already obsolete."

Meanwhile, the marketplace has come to be monopolized by superstores, whose accompanying high overhead costs require high turnover. The trouble started with the migration from cities to suburbs, since the only place booksellers could set up shop in the suburbs was in the malls, where high rent precludes the profitable operation of a retail business that requires a great deal of inventory with very little turnover. "When this phenomenon first became apparent some 30 years ago," Epstein quips, "the industry joke was that the shelf life of a book had fallen somewhere between milk and yogurt. Since then the situation has worsened...."

Internet booksellers have attempted to bring these inconsistencies within line, but even their dismal profit performance shows continuing difficulty. The problem is that even in a warehouse, overhead rises with increased sales and profits never improve.

Enter the "ATM for books," POD machines proficient at printing and binding any paperback book for the cost of a few dollars. They are already in use at book wholesaler Ingram, and other publishers and retailers. Smaller, less-costly versions of these machines are now in development, coming soon to a store (or library, or post office?) near you. One day you might have one attached to your computer as your conventional printer is now.

In the meantime, many publishers are scurrying to digitize their backlists, although there is still controversy over whether they, or their authors, own electronic rights; while another hurdle to be overcome involves developing reliable encryption to prevent against copyright infringement.

But imagine the possibilities: any book ever written available instantly, or the ability to create custom books with combinations of text from one or more authors, all from the comfort and convenience of your own home.

Book Business is not only premonitory when it comes to the coming revolution in publishing - which makes it a compelling read - but well-written and conversational; the kind of book you don't want to end. If Epstein's predictions ring true, our world will almost assuredly be a different place for publishers, booksellers, authors, and readers alike.

When it comes to considering the possibilities this technology brings, the mind boggles and I feel the urge to visit my local bookstore, this time spending a little more time, so I'll be able to tell my grandchildren what one looked like.

Gone With The Card Catalog
The preface of BOOK BUSINESS mentions the very origins of written language: cutting or "scoring" a mark onto a board. He notes that "scorekeepers still keep score on boards". He might also have added that the early scoring was the first expression of binary code, the language understood by the tiny chips that run the giant scoreboards at the Super Bowl, as well as every other scoreboard or "computer" on Earth.

Epstein gives here a curious insider/outsider account of the book business over the last half century. He was decidedly inside when he began in the fifties, working with Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer to "publish" such legends as Nabokov and Faulkner. His anecdote of Nabokov is a gem. He runs into the author in the bar of the Paris Ritz in the early seventies. Nabokov, in a loud Hawaiian shirt and a loud Midwestern accent, raises a toast to Richard Nixon. Why Nixon? Because he believed Nixon would eventually triumph over the Viet Cong and that would lead, dominolike, to the fall of the Soviet Union, enabling him to return to his beloved homeland.

By the eighties Epstein and his ilk are being overwhelmed by mass market forces. Chain bookstores seem to be taking over the industry and reducing drastically the numbers of titles available for sale (and by extension able to be published). The pressure of real estate costs at the malls steadily reduced the selection at bookstores to a handful of bestsellers, "whose faithful readers are addicted to their formulaic melodramas". Publishers who in Epstein's early years were like intellectual families had by the eighties been reduced to mere distributors and advertisers. Between 1986 and 1996, he relates, "63 of the 100 bestselling titles were written by a mere 6 writers".

By way of hinting at what was to come, Epstein tells of meeting a man who in the 1950s described to Epstein in some detail...the Internet. Epstein liked and respected the man, Norbert Wiener, an engineering prof at MIT, but "dismissed this prophecy as science fiction". Courageously, Epstein admits his failure to take the prophecy seriously reflected "the limitations of my own worldview at the time and that of my intellectual friends who were increasingly absorbed in Cold War issues and felt that the fate of Western civilization depended upon the positions they took in their articles for Partisan Review or in their dinner party conversation". One sees the limitations of his worldview pop up again when he meets a man named Bezos, who is committed to changing the book business. After a fairly short time, Epstein pronounces Bezos to be "committed to an incorrect business model".

But in spite of revealing himself to be a bit of a mossback, Epstein also gives what I found to be one of the most exhilerating glimpses anywhere of what technology can do for the book business: A kiosk, containing an "ATM machine for books". In it, an integrated set of computer, internet connection, laser printer, and binder. You put your money in, type onto a keyboard what text you want--anything from a transcript of the Nixon tapes to a copy of LOLITA to a handbook of Siberian butterflies--and the computer downloads it, the laser prints it, and the binder binds it. It doesn't matter if it's "out of print". That phrase is obsolescent. It doesn't matter if the book is banned. The newly printed and bound book will fall into a slot like a can of Coke. Your wait will be perhaps 5 minutes in 2005, falling to 5 seconds in 2010.

Neat book, if you're interested in books and bookmen.
____________________________________________
Just a quick note recommending this short book. Epstein, who spent most of his career at Random House, remarks on how publishing has changed over the years, with plenty of juicy anecdotes. Forex, the Dickens:

As you may know, the US was a book-pirate haven in the 19th century, and Harper Bros. grew to be the nation's largest publisher by pirating Dickens, Thackeray, the Brontes, Macauley -- really, the entire roster of bestselling British authors. Macauley's (pirated) History of England sold a remarkable 400,000 copies here.

Charles Dickens, who kept a close eye on revenues, made a trip to the US in the 1840's, to protest the theft of his work. His plea was ignored, and he didn't much like the country, either. He wrote a short, glum account of his visit, _American Notes_, which Harpers promptly pirated.
Dickens recounts a train trip from Washington to Philadelphia through what he thought was a storm of feathers, but which proved to be spittle from passengers in the forward coached. He also reported that US Senators spit so wide of the cuspidors that the carpets were "like swamps".

WH Auden, Epstein reports, had the disconcerting habit of showing up an hour or so early for parties and dinner invitations, so he could be home in bed by 9 PM.

Epstein was the first to publish a line of quality paperbacks (Doubleday Anchor) in 1952, and was a founder of the NY Review of Books. From his memoir, I'd say he had an interesting and fun career in publishing .

Happy reading!
Pete Tillman

An intresting journey into the history of book publishing
The world of book publishing and all of its adjunct business like book superstores, are an interesting yet hidden mystery. (Or at least I feel that way)

The author takes through the journey of publishing and his life, which are tightly intertwined. He starts with the early and maybe exciting years of publishing in the 50's -60's to the movement of paperbacks to quality and outside the drug store.

Along the way he also shares with us his prospective on the current book publishing/selling/writing situation around us. While I don't want to say much about this part, he doesn't paint a good picture of the overall situation.

But then after describing the current situation he takes to his idea, vision, and hope for the future of publishing were authors would sell directly to readers.

This is a fun and educational book to read for any book lover. I high recommend it to everyone. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent reference
This biographical encyclopedia will interest college-level libraries, providing a strong set of profiles of over four hundred scientists who've won the Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, or medicine. Entries provide basic bibliographic information along with details on the scientist's career and other achievements. An excellent reference. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Best Intro. Text I've Used
This text is excellent as the basis for an introduction to CV, it treats a wide variety of topics in a clear and accessible manner. I particularly appreciated the books coverage of topics which aren't traditionally considered to be CV topics (like classification and some material on probabilistic inference). Highly recommended.

Excellent introduction guide
The book presents a nice complement to Image Processing, Analysis and Machine Vision (Image Processing, Analysis, and Machine Vision, 2nd ed., M. Sonka, V. Hlavac, and R. Boyle, 1998, IPAMV). As the difference in names implies, Computer Vision is not appropriate as an image processing textbook. It contains sufficient information on image processing to implement computer vision algorithms, but the focus of the book is on image analysis and high-level vision. The result is that the combination of IPAMV and Computer Vision cover the spectrum from intensive image processing and manipulation to high level analysis, object recognition and content-based image retrieval.

Computer Vision contains sixteen chapters that fall into roughly four categories: overview, 2-D CV topics, 3D CV topics, and special CV topics. Since it was written with the intent of reaching a broader audience than IPAMV, this book is appropriate as a primary text or reference for a wider variety of courses. For example, it would be appropriate for courses ranging from an introduction to imaging for non-scientists to a sophomore-junior elective to a first-year graduate seminar.

The overview chapters (chapters 1-4) include a summary of problems in CV, imaging and image representations, simple binary image analysis and a survey of pattern recognition concepts. The 2-D processing topics (chapters 3, 5-7, and 11) include thresholding and binary image analysis, filtering and enhancement, edge detection, Fourier Transforms, color, texture, segmentation, and 2-D matching and pose calculation. The 3-D computer vision topics (chapters 9-10, and 12-14) include motion detection and analysis, range image analysis, stereo, calibration, intrinsic image analysis and line labeling, shape from X, and camera models. The special topics (chapters 6-8, 15-16) include color and shading, texture, content-based retrieval, virtual reality, and a set of case studies of CV systems. Different combinations of these are appropriate for different types of courses.

In comparison with other texts, the coverage of color and shading in Computer Vision is the best available without consulting a color reference such as Fairchild's Color Appearance Models (described below). However, it still does not contain adequate coverage of physical models of reflection or color appearance. The texture chapter is comparable to Sonka et. al., and the CBIR and VR chapters are unique. It is these latter two areas that give Computer Vision a nice high-level flavor and provides a reference for these growing areas of CV.

Like IPAMV, Computer Vision contains a large number of example images, diagrams, and algorithms. The writing is clear and the mathematics--when it is necessary to present it--is complete and accessible. Since the book is designed with multiple audiences in mind, the heavy mathematical sections are flagged and the book can be used effectively with or without them.

Of particular interest to CV practitioners and students dealing with issues of calibration, chapter 13 contains a nice description of Roger Tsai's camera calibration algorithm, complete with an example. Note that Trucco and Verri (see below) also cover Tsai's calibration algorithm.

Overall, the choice between Computer Vision and IPAMV should be based on personal preference, the focus of your course, and the background of your students. IPAMV will be more accessible to engineers and contains more in-depth coverage of image processing techniques. Computer Vision is more accessible to computer scientists and covers a number of higher-level aspects of CV that are either not covered or briefly covered in IPAMV. In a number of areas--texture, stereo, motion, calibration, and segmentation--the two books are quite similar and the differences are mainly in style and emphasis.

Horrible !!!
This is the most horrible book on Comp. Graphics (nothing to do with Comp. Vision). The author talks in an ineffective casual manner and you never get to learn anything. Every small topic is skimmed over and there is no detailed study about anything. The book is full of typos and mistakes. Avoid this book at all costs. ... Read more

Book Description

This supplemental text explains the ancient classical Roman world by focusing on individual personalities--what is known about them and their world view. Each individual becomes a lens through which the student can view the values and characteristics of ancient Rome. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Reference Work
After reading Kebric's "Greek People," I thought I'd give "Roman People" a try as well. Both are well-written social histories of ancient Greece and Rome that look at the daily lives of the people through the eyes of those who were there. Kebric makes liberal use of primary-source material to support his narrative, and he keeps the reader engaged with small vignets about the significant contributions of individual Roman people.

I thoroughly recommend this book.

Gem of a Book!
I was dissappointed somewhat when I first got this book, as I was expecting it to cover the social conditions of one particular period of the Roman Empire instead of being a general history. When I finally sat down to read it, though, I was pleasantly surprised by what a gem of a book this is.

Not exactly social history, not exactly general history, this book instead considers the lives of various people throughout the history of the Roman state which are either important in their own right (those of important political figures) or else important as indicators of significant trends (e.g. the rise of Christianity).

Perhaps why I like this book most, though, is the author's crips style and lucid reasoning. Conclusions are always supported with reference to original sources, and when these are either lacking or ambigious then clear-headed deduction is used to try to reconstruct what most likely might have happened. A fine example of this is when Kebric argues that Roman incompetence was probably more responsible for the protracted siege of Syracuse than any fantastic siege inventions on the part of Archimedes.

Given how much ink has been spilled on Roman history, I can perhaps give no greater praise to this book than by saying it showed me things I had never seen or thought of before. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this hefty single-volume reference, one of the world's mosttrusted public libraries dispenses business information on subjectsranging from sexual harassment in the workplace to methods oforganizing files. Ever wonder if your sales letters are in the correctformat, or where to find the small-business loan you need to expandoperations? The New York Public Library Business Desk Referenceanswers these and thousands of other questions in its far-rangingpages. Subjects covered include business writing and speaking,personnel administration, emerging technologies, accounting andbudgeting, office design, record keeping, marketing research, and muchmore. Extensive cross-referencing and a thorough index help keep trackof interrelated topics, and directories of consultants, recruiters, andgovernment resources give you the contact information you need to learnmore. If you're in business, this indispensable reference belongs onyour shelves next to the dictionary and thesaurus. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Outdated !
Being an Accountant/Controller for smaller corporations (75-200 employees) ... I can state that this book would be Out-of-Date as of 05 March 2003 .... since it was published in 1999!!(and who knows when it was actually 'written'??).
Personnel issues & laws are changing too rapidly (so is the business world in general) to buy a book on business that is FOUR YRS. old !

An Essential Reference in our small office.
I own a small geoscience company in the petroleum sector; Rocks make senseto us, not files, office procedures or office equipment. There are three ofus in the company but nobody wanted to do the filing, bill-paying orbook-keeping because none of us had experience with these things.Initially, we created our own system(s)of getting things done by giving it2 or 3 seconds of thought. It worked fine until something changed, which italways does in this world.To straighten things up, I bought this book.It looked as useful as the much larger Desk Reference, which is aconvenient source of information that would take hours or days to locateany other way.The Business Desk Reference has kept us out of troublewith its brevity and accuracy. We discovered that our office was a plainvanilla setup and all we needed were a few 'tried & true' procedures tokeep us out areas where we don't know what we're doing and, instead, makingmoney, which we do know how to do.

A must have reference!
I have been using this book in the reference section of the library.I am sure that all of my family members will want a copy for work after they browse through my purchase. After thirty years in education, I have foundit to be my best source for career change information.The businessetiquette, and employment law information has been most helpful. It is arefernce book that one can read for pleasure.It is hard to put down. ... Read more

Book Description

"How do you manage to keep on going after all of these years?"
"Bottom line . . . We love what we do."

Follow the incredible long-lasting career of the Oak Ridge Boys, the singing legend that started as the Georgia Clodhoppers, the only outside group ever allowed to entertain within the WWII secret government installation at Oak Ridge, Tenn. Their history is varied and amusing, from the lean years of the early 70s (including a stint at the Nugget Hotel in Vegas, with the opening act of two elephants named "Bertha" and "Teena") to the glory days of the early 80s (including the five-million-record-selling "Elvira," Grammy awards, and appearances on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson) and on to special private concerts for the president and his family.

The versatile Oak Ridge Boys has been called "a Gospel quartet singing country music with a rock and roll attitude" and is as American as baseball or apple pie. The group still sings and tours, pleasing their longtime fans, and making many new fans every day.

• Read the inside story of a legendary quartet, told by 30+ year member, Joe Bonsall
• Go behind the scenes and learn about life backstage
• Get the scoop on the ups and downs, the disappointments and the successes of one of the greatest gospel and country acts of all time
• Meet the men behind the voices
• Includes many, many photos ... Read more

Book Description

Pioneer Alaskan aviator Jack Jefford tells of rescues, crackups, and wild adventures that come in a lifetime of flying in Alaska. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A mildly entertaining read about a fascinating life.
The book is just a collection of very short stories written by Jack Jefford describing many of his adventures in Alaska. He lived a life very few of us could imagine, and it is mildly entertaining, but it comes across a bit too quaint. Only a die hard pilot and reader can enjoy this book, even though it is a very quick and easy read. ... Read more