Whistler, Women, and Fashion

Book Description

Costume and fashion were a lifelong obsession for James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903). His exquisite depictions of women and the details of their clothing contributed to his career as one of the most accomplished and successful—if controversial—artists of the nineteenth century. This lavishly illustrated book focuses on fashion in Whistler's art as a key to understanding his life and work and as a new means of exploring his relationship with women and his portraits of them. The book offers new insights into some of Whistler's most beloved masterpieces in the context of art and fashion in the Victorian period.

Illustrated with paintings, pastels, prints, and drawings by Whistler, the book also presents photographs of his sitters, contemporary costumes, works by other artists of the period, and artifacts from Whistler's studio. These illustrations, with new material drawn from the Centre for Whistler Studies, illuminate the interaction between the artist and the women he portrayed during his fifty years in Paris and London—mistresses, family members, artists, actresses, aristocrats, and many others.

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Whistler, Women, and Fashion
Margaret F. MacDonald; Susan Grace Galassi; Aileen Ribeiro; Patricia de Montfort
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSHCIG

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Whistler, Women, and Fashion
Susan Grace Galassi
Manufacturer: FRICK COLLECTION
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000R0EUMM

Book Description

The cute, outgoing Yuki Kojima and the mature misfit Atsushi Nakahara, are two boys as different as can be - and yet, somehow they are attracted to each other. Kojima seeks to befriend the class outcast and soon learns of Nakahara's troubled family life - the uncaring, abusive father and mentally unstable mother. As Kojima yearns to somehow comfort Nakahara, he gradually becomes aware that his feelings for the other boy arise from more than mere sympathy. When Nakahara declares his own romantic feelings for Kojima, their relationship becomes one of sexual exploration as they face their first steps into adulthood together.

Customer Reviews:

I love yaoi but I love quality too.......2007-09-01

This is why you should not buy a whole series on a whim...but it's too late to complain.

I started reading this...manga with very high expectations since everyone was saying how cute it was *rolls eyes* and the fact that the mangaka is the same one who did Bukiyou na Silent(one of her best works) made me want to buy it even more BUT I felt so disappointed after reading the first volume that I couldn't keep on reading the rest of it (I skipped the pages through the second one and I haven't even touched the last one).

I don't know what was that made me hate it so much since the beginning, the lame characters or the lack of good plot perhaps? I didn't feel anything for the uke or the seme or anyone whatsoever, they weren't interesting enough to make me want to know more about them. Maybe it's just me because everyone seems to love it. Well, this seems like a great book for a beginner...maybe.

Not just a bit of fluff (review of whole series).......2007-05-31

Both the title and the cover art with flowers, butterflies and so on made me skeptical that I would enjoy Little Butterfly (I was afraid it would be too cutesy-poo), but I decided to take a chance and I'm glad I did.

To the criticism that the some of the characters are stereotypes, or caricatures, or whatever, I would say this is true but unfair. This is genre fiction after all, and a sweet airheaded boy with huge eyes is a convention of the yaoi/bl genre. To complain about a yaoi story having such a character would be like complaining about a mystery novel with a hard-boiled wisecracking detective. A work of genre fiction can either try to escape the conventions (or clichés) of its genre or else to work creatively within them. If the author merely introduces stock characters and fails to do anything interesting with them, the reader has legitimate grounds for complaint, but this is not the case here. Kojima-kun is a "type", but he isn't *just* a type. He is a complex character: loving, brave (he initiates the relationship with Nakahara, and keeps it going despite some pretty scary encounters with Nakahara's family) and, yes, maybe a little bit airheaded too, but as I said he's more than just that.

The art work in LB is quite good. When I read I focus on the story and notice the art mostly when it "gets in the way", which in this case it did not. I never had any trouble telling who was who, even among minor characters. I've run into titles where even major characters are easily confused with each other. Here that isn't a problem at all, and I'm grateful. Also the characters are drawn more or less realistically, so I wasn't distracted by strangely-shaped faces, odd-looking ears or what have you. Kojima-kun is the only character who looks caricatured to me (especially his oversized eyes), but that's a convention I can live with. On a couple of occasions Kojima-kun's already somewhat caricatured features are further exaggerated for comic effect, especially in one very funny scene in volume two when he is introduced to Nakahara-kun's uncle.

I won't say much about the plot for fear of giving too much away. Kojima goes out of his way to befriend Nakahara, a classmate who comes from a seriously dysfunctional family, and their friendship evolves into romance. Their increasing attachment to each other develops as Nakahara's family situation deteriorates, and is to some extent driven by this deterioration: Nakahara desperately wants to be loved ("desperate people clutch at straws," he says) and the kind-hearted Kojima is sympathetically inclined towards him from the beginning, and becomes more so as he gradually discovers just how bad things are at the Nakahara home.

First volume hesitation........2006-12-05

First volumes are often a hit-or-miss. The plot seems pretty stock, as do the characters--one is almost wincingly stereotypical, with the gushing enthusiasm, earnest eyes and clasped hands.

There are some stand-out elements with hints at character backgrounds, social status/accomplishment, and religious issues, which I rarely see addressed in yaoi manga. The story in this volume is a bit short, and the ending a bit abrupt. The art is pleasant.

All in all, it's a light, romantic read, mostly formula. I'd recommend borrowing a friend's copy or picking up a used one if available to see if the story is compelling enough.

If you prefer more drama and a little more balance between the 'broody' and 'sensitive' characters, try "Esperanza."

Surpasses my expectation!.......2006-05-29

I was expecting the usual light hearted cliché and am pleasantly surprised by a much deeper plot and well flushed out characters with the potential of much more in future volumes. This mangaka's artwork is gorgeous and her boys are pretty, the brooding and handsome Nakahara pairing with a sunny and wide eyed Kojima. Vol 1 is a delightful shounen-ai on the the boys' budding relationship with the mangaka doing a great job contrasting Nakahara's painful background with Kojima's loving family. Get this series and you will also appreciate the fitting title "Little Butterfly" .

Tender, moving shonen-ai.......2006-05-25

Liitle Butterfly is a gorgeous shonen-ai (then first volume is not yaoi) three volume story. Kojima, a friendly boy with a sunny disposition, goes out of his way to make friends with the loner, Nakahara, from his class. Wanting to know Nakahara more and have him accepted by his peers, Kojima includes the goodlooking but aloof Nakahara in his group during a field trip. However during the field trip Kojima learns the reasons why Nakahara is how he is and about his unloving and violent home life. The story charts the tender friendship that occurs between the two. Sweet and sensitive, the story boasts gorgeous drawings Hinako Takanaga and a moving and addictive storyline. If you are looking for a shonen-ai with a interesting storyline that makes you care for the characters, you really cannot get better than this. Simply love it.

Book Description

The Mammoth Book of Dirty, Sick, X-Rated and Politically Incorrect Jokes is the ultimate collection of X-rated and decidedly politically incorrect jokes—an indispensable guide to the funny, the fearless and the filthy. Be warned, the contents of this spanking new bumper book are not for the faint-hearted or easily offended.

This unique and up-to-the-minute compendium features thousands of politically incorrect jokes covering every topic from Alzheimer's to Zoos. Among the themes are Accidents, Adultery, Australians, Breasts, Cannibals, Cowboys, Drunks, Farting, Flight Attendants, Foreplay, Honeymoons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Marriage, Masturbation, Nuns, Old age, Orgasms, Parrots, Priests, Sodomy, Surgery, Therapy, and, of course, Viagra.

Customer Reviews:

Title pretty much says it all.......2007-07-10

Great book for those of us with a sick, twisted sense of humor. The book seems to be British or Canadian, so a few of the local jokes went over my head, but overall great book. I would recommend reading through the "Search inside" that Amazon offers, and browsing through using "surprise me". I believe they let you read about 100 pages using this feature.

Average customer rating:

Glosses over some matters of importance

neat

Book was good, DVD stunk!

"Content-Free"

Stay Tuned

Stay Tuned: Television's Unforgettable Moments
Joe Garner
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Parenting Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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Now Showing: Unforgettable Moments From The Movies

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And the Fans Roared: The Sports Broadcasts That Kept Us on the Edge of Our Seats (Book + 2 Audio CDs)

Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0740740148

Book Description

For over 50 years, we have watched as television has entertained, informed, comforted, and thrilled us. We watched as sitcoms evolved from I Love Lucy to All in the Family: at first merely amusing, then becoming reflections of society and pushing the cultural boundaries. We watched President Kennedy, the first-born of television and politics, unite us in the optimism of his "new frontier" and in the grief of his assassination. Television has taken us to the scene of mass celebrations, such as the wedding of Lady Diana to Prince Charles, to calamities in Munich and New York, and into frightening fields of battle in Vietnam and Iraq. Television exposed the imperfections of the jurors' box in the trial of O.J. Simpson and the ballot box in Election 2000. Television put us in the front row when Hank broke Babe's record, when the U.S. hockey team beat the Soviets in Lake Placid, and when the NFL spilled over from Sunday afternoons to Monday nights. Over 50 years of memories-the stars, the programs, and the events stored in our hearts and imaginations like treasured heirlooms-are found in this new hardcover multimedia book from veteran New York Times best-selling author Joe Garner. In Stay Tuned, he has gathered 36 landmark moments from news, sports, and entertainment in a riveting anthology. Each story comes to life through detailed, behind-the-scenes accounts and firsthand anecdotes, and is illustrated with hundreds of poignant black-and-white and color photographs. The book's accompanying CDs and DVD feature the corresponding clips, narrated by Walter Cronkite for news, Bob Costas for sports, and (TK) for entertainment.TV's Unforgettable Moments is certain to become an important and lasting chronicle of the medium-and a best-seller in the process.

Customer Reviews:

Glosses over some matters of importance.......2003-08-29

The DVD accompanying this book is a treasure, I use it in my video production class. The book is passable, but not as insightful as others. Buy this for the DVD

neat.......2003-07-09

This a great DVD/cd set to own, for anyone that watches tv. it has funny moments, amazing moments, and sad moments, but it's a great way to see some of the biggest stories from tv.

Book was good, DVD stunk!.......2003-01-08

Garner does a good job WRITING about television,but when it comes to SHOWING television history on the DVD, he failed miserably. Too much blabbing and not enough actual footage. The worst was the segment on "Cheers"--they only showed STILLS, nothing of the shows! Please--if you couldn't get the rights from NBC, you should have just skipped it! And then there was John What-his-name (Cliff) saying that Sam and Diane were like "Tracy and Bacall." Hello?? Perhaps "Tracy and Hepburn" or "Bogart and Bacall," but "Tracy and Bacall"?? This DVD misses the mark, just like ol' Cliffie.

"Content-Free".......2002-12-27

I was disappointed with the whole thing: mostly commentary and not much content; I'd have expected and would have liked more of each show and less of the commentary. It felt to me like the authors missed their mark and focused on their documentary rather than on the subject(s). I wouldn't recommend at all, even at the reduced price from the original retail...

Stay Tuned.......2002-12-27

Another great one from Joe Garner! Stay Tuned is a very good coffee table book (if you will) covering more than 50 years in TV from great shows like "I Love Lucy" and "Survivor" to Sports with Tiger Woods Win at the Masters and the beginning of Monday Night Football to the tragic events of the death of Princess Diana and 9/11.

From cover to cover, it's a great book and the DVD that comes with the book is great as well! It also comes with 2 audio CD's with naration as well. Now some people (including myself at first) might not like this one because this book doesn't cover a somewhat important part of TV. The book does not cover anything from the long running cartoon "The Simpsons". Garner's reason was that there isn't that "one marquee" episode of the Simpsons. So again, you Simpsons fanatics might be a little mad at that.

This is a great gift for all ages and all TV Viewers alike will enjoy this one as well. I will say there is a lot of narration on the DVD but even so, I think anyone can still appreciate the simplistic history of TV. Also, check out WE INTERUPT THIS BROADCAST. This is another great Garner book about radio and Tv and the shocking bulletins that have made us all go "what?" for example, the Kennedy assasination. Either way, a great buy and a great gift for anyone. Highly recommended!

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Stay Tuned Television's Unforgettable Moments
Garner Joe
Manufacturer: Andrew McMeel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S6QB68

Average customer rating:
Anthology of Music in Western Culture, Vol. 1
Mark Evan Bonds
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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A History of Music in Western Culture

Anthology of Scores to A History of Music in Western Culture, Volume II: The Classical Era through the Twentieth Century, Second Edition

History of Music in Western Culture, Vol. 1

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Writing About Music: An Introductory Guide (3rd Edition)

ASIN: 013014357X

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Buy This Book!

Risk/ Rewards is the way to go!!!--OPUS_Overture_3 (Captain-OPUS_Spaders)

WOW!!!

This Book Will Re-Orient Your Thinkking

From a newbie...

How NOT to Lose at Spades, Second Edition
John Strichman
Manufacturer: Karosa Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Card Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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The Complete Win at Spades

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ASIN: 0970631219

Book Description

Note: If you would like a BRAND NEW CUSTOM AUTOGRAPHED copy, see the author's listing under "used and new" copies of the book.

Having received unsurpassed acclaim among the Spading community since its publication, the first edition of How NOT to Lose at Spades was the highest rated Spades book and a bestseller here at Amazon.

This edition is even better, with expanded coverage of key topics, and lots of new material.

Written by one of the most highly regarded Spades players on the Internet, How NOT to Lose at Spades identifies 80 common mistakes that players make which cause them to lose games that they could have won. Through the use of over 100 bidding and playing examples, the author shows readers how to avoid these mistakes, and in a very structured approach teaches readers how to think and play like a winning Spades player.

The majority of readers see an immediate improvement in their game, and many readers order additional books for their regular playing partner(s) or friends.

"How NOT to" is highly unique compared to other books on card theory. It is written in a simple and fun style, with the emphasis on humor and enjoyment of the game, rather than on complex diagrams, statistical theory, and technicalese.

Through this unique approach, the author teaches readers how to "think" when they play, as much as how to play, and it is this approach which is the key behind the book's popularity and success, and which has generated a loyalty among its readers which is rare indeed.

Once you have read the book, you will probably think of the game very differently than you ever have before, and you just may wind up being rewarded in Spades.

Readers have achieved the following results using the teachings in the book: ZSTOC (Zone TOC): WIN, ATLANTA, 2001 LIVE TOURNEY: WIN, LAS VEGAS, 2001 LIVE TOURNEY "Main Event Cash Prize": WIN, ZONE CLUB CHALLENGE: 2ND and 3RD out of 114 teams, ZONE CLUB HONORS: (11 game tourney among the Zone's very best) WIN and 3RD Place, Igames TOC: WIN, ZONE CLUB CHALLENGE: WIN and 2ND Place out of 125 teams, 2003 ZONE Sweethearts Tournament: WIN and $1,000 Cash Prize!

Do you know... the single most important consideration when playing Spades? the biggest mistake made in Spades? Hamlet's secret to successful bidding? the most powerful convention in the game of Spades? the 2 biggest mistakes players make bidding Nil? how to bid an Autowin? how to make a Faux Throw when playing a Nil hand? the Rule Of Four? how to bid the Prevent Defense? how to use the Potato Chip Attack? how to insure your pard's Nil with the Dormy Dare? when to go Undercover In A Miniskirt? when to use the Cover Charge, and when More is Less?

If you don't want to lose at Spades, you need to know the answers to these questions, as well as how to use the other 100-plus strategy and execution approaches described in this 220-page book.

Special note: The book is 8.5 by 11 inch format, with 14 point normal font.

Customer Reviews:

Buy This Book!.......2007-09-30

Before I bought this book, I would win sporadically and only when I had "good" cards. After reading How NOT to Lose at Spades, not only did I win more games than I lost, I even won games with "bad" cards. In other words, I would look at my cards and know how to bid and play the cards determined by the situation at hand...for each hand. It has upped my games tremendously, and now the teams that I could never even fathom beating, I now beat. You know the ones I'm talking about. I used to leave the table feeling like a pretzel not knowing what hit me. Not anymore. Do yourself a favor. Buy this book, have your partners buy this book and together you will see the difference. Thanks Jack!
Lori

Risk/ Rewards is the way to go!!!--OPUS_Overture_3 (Captain-OPUS_Spaders).......2007-09-28

I've been playing about 2 years now and until I read "How NOT To Lose At Spades" I was basically just flying by the seat of my pants. Learning the risk/rewards system has helped me analyze my possibilities and those of the "pones". This book brings everything down to a level everyone could understand, not technical terms or diagrams as I've found in other books. Jack gives basic strategies as well as advanced. The humor found in this book helps take away the fact that you are truly learning something in the long run. Before I purchased this book, I read all of his monthly columns and we've also developed a friendship thru the game of spades. His mentoring has increased my win percentage dramatically.
I highly recommend this book for all levels of players.
Overture

WOW!!!.......2007-09-17

I am very impressed with this book. You have to read it a little at a time, stopping to put the suggestions into practice as you go along. Why? Because Jack's book causes a paradigm shift in your thinking. You'll never see the game the same again--your ability to analyze not only your own game, but that of your pard and pones, will increase exponentially. Not only is this a great book, but John (Jack) Strichman is a very personable and approachable person, who will go the extra mile for you. I feel as though I am fortunate enough to have two great pards--"The Lady in Red" I am ever honored to have across the table from me, and Jack sitting beside me whispering winning secrets in my ear.

This Book Will Re-Orient Your Thinkking.......2007-09-01

I had played spades in college for about a year (not on-line spades - real cards) and had gotten pretty competent thanks to an excellent partner who carried me. In the intervening (25 or so) years I probably only played 10 or 12 times. Several months ago I happened upon Zone spading and really enjoyed it and played frequently getting my rating up a little over 2200. At this point, though, my game stalled. I could hold my own, but wasn't getting any better. I like to excel, so I started looking around for a book or something to help improve my game.

I read some of Strichman's archived columns on the Zone and they showed me a few things I had been doing wrong (and reinforced some of what I had been doing right!). And, of course, I learned that he had also written a book - How Not to Lose at Spades. I ordered the book and Strichman graciously signed it and promptly mailed it off.

This book changed my whole approach to spades. Before, I had some favorite strategies and tactics. This book taught me that the proper "overall strategy" is to evaluate the potential risks and rewards of your bids and play with the ultimate goal of Winning the Game (or Not Losing the Game as Galt might say). You may say to yourself, "well that's what I already do." IMHO, I doubt it - unless you are among the elite or you have read this or another equally good spades book (I haven't read the others - I offer no opinion of them). I have played with very good players, with thousands of games under their belts who make relatively simple mistakes that would be impossible to imagine if they attacked the game with the appropriate risk/reward approach.

One example (made up by me): Your team has 460 points (no bags) and the opponents have 410. Your partner has bid 3, the opponents have combined for a bid of 3 and it is your bid. You hold AKQJ6 of spades, no hearts, and the rest of your hand is basically junk. What should you bid? Really you should know the answer without looking at your cards - read the book to see why. You bid 1 (after looking - of course I'd actually look - lol). There is zero reward for bidding more than 1. You will win the game if you bid 1, because that will take your point total 500 (+ 1 point per bag) and you cannot possibly bag out even if you take every trick. It doesn't really matter what the risks are from bidding 2, 3, 4, or 5. Because the reward for doing so is exactly zero.

Trust me, this book will reorient your thinking about spades. But that is not all, oh no, that is not all. Strichman knows how you think - he knows the mistakes you make, the strategies that you are not aware of. You will learn to avoid these common mistakes and to implement these winning strategies that you do not know about. Your game will improve enormously unless you are already among the very advanced already.

There is one aspect of the game that is not covered in the depth that would be necessary to help elevate you to the true upper echelons of the game. That aspect is trying to absolutely maximize the number of tricks that you take with your (and your partner's) hands. Bridge players are masters at this and many many thick tomes have been written for bridge players to help them achieve this skill. This is in no way a criticism of Strichman's book - the book would have increased in length four- or five-fold if he had attempted to really address that. This book has excellent advice on maximizing your trick-taking, it's just not the most advanced, in-depth treatment of the subject.

I have not yet fully digested all parts of the book, but I know that it has already improved my game enormously. The book is an easy, even fun, read and is very accessible. And it will improve your game from the first day you read it - assuming you implement its ideas :). I know that the various aspects of my game are at different skill levels at this time. Currently, I am trying to work on maximizing my trick-taking skills, while shoring up the other parts of my game. I look at this book as a solid foundation on all aspects of the game and a great taking-off point for those looking to make it into the elite.

Recommendation: Buy this book if you want to enjoy spades more and start winning more / losing less!

Tiger_CogDis

From a newbie..........2007-06-26

I have only played once...but, what I do, I like to do well, so I decided I needed help. I chose this book specifically because of its title...not as 'aggressive' as 'How to WIN at Spades'. I am still in the 'reading' stage, since I haven't had the chance to put my newfound knowledge into practice yet. I wanted to comment on, not ony the promptness of the book's arrival, but on the interaction between Jack and me. We have sent several e-mails back and forth and I know that Jack's promise of personal help, should I need it, is not an empty one. It is a pleasure to deal with such a pleasant man ! Unusual in this somewhat impersonal cyberspace world. Thanks, Jack !

How NOT to Lose at Spades, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

How NOT to Lose at Spades, Second Edition
John Strichman
Manufacturer: Karosa Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MCSYMW

Book Description

In this groundbreaking book, organizational effectiveness experts Edward Lawler and Christopher Worley show how organizations can be “built to change” so they can last and succeed in today’s global economy. Instead of striving to create a highly reliable Swiss watch that consistently produces the same behavior, they argue organizations need to be designed in ways that stimulate and facilitate change. Built to Change focuses on identifying practices and designs that organizations can adopt so that they are able to change. As Lawler and Worley point out, organizations that foster continuous change

Are closely connected to their environments
Reward experimentation
Learn about new practices and technologies
Commit to continuously improving performance
Seek temporary competitive advantages

Download Description

In this groundbreaking book, organizational effectiveness experts Edward Lawler and Christopher Worley show how organizations can be built to change so they can last and succeed in today's global economy. Instead of striving to create a highly reliable Swiss watch that consistently produces the same behavior, they argue organizations need to be designed in ways that stimulate and facilitate change. Built to Change focuses on identifying practices and designs that organizations can adopt so that they are able to change. As Lawler and Worley point out, organizations that foster continuous change Are closely connected to their environments Reward experimentation Learn about new practices and technologies Commit to continuously improving performance Seek temporary competitive advantages

Customer Reviews:

A Primer of Change Concepts.......2007-08-27

In this easy to read compilation of business concepts to deal with constantly changing external environmental factors driven by the global economy, academics Lawler and Worley introduce their `B2Change' Model. Using the term identity, to describe an organization's core values, behaviors, and beliefs; the authors use several Fortune 500 examples to argue that continuously Strategizing, Designing, and Creating Value around the organization's identity are the primary contributors to organizational effectiveness. It is hard to argue with these descriptors of widely acknowledged, critical, organizational drivers.

The book follows the discussion of the B2Change Model with an overview of various structural options, information requirements and decision making processes, people management, and leadership thoughts before closing with a chapter on the features of a Built-to-Change Organization. During these discussions they promote; leadership teams as being more useful than a single hero-leader, team evaluations over individual performance appraisals, rewards that motivate performance, and a shift away from the job to the individual as the building block for an organization's design (the Me Inc. concept). All these and the many other ideas for adapting to change are often given life thru the use of business examples. The book is recommended for students of organizational change looking for an overview of management concepts that support change.

Change the way we change.......2007-06-13

Brilliant! the book introduce a new approach to change. Out of the box thinking, to the point, and very insightful. Sharp writers that make a different in the way we think and operate.

Very Good Book!!!.......2007-01-09

This is a very good book. For those interested in creating an organization that is designed to view change as "normal" business--this book is excellent reading. I teach organizational leadership--I have added this to the required reading list in a change management/research course.

Clear roadmap for the future: how to change continuously.......2006-08-10

This is a bold, fascinating and occasionally dangerous book, which we recommend to those who want to plan carefully and honestly for the future. Why "carefully" and "honestly?" Because authors Edward E. Lawler III and Christopher G. Worley are savvy enough to identify the kind of organization best suited for a business environment shaped by continuous change - and bold enough to prescribe the actions leaders must take to survive in this environment. These actions require care and honesty because they differ so fundamentally from many past business practices. For example, the idea of continually re-planning your market position sounds straightforward. However, to then eliminate all employees who have done great work, but whose skill base does not match the firm's new portfolio, is risky and requires great faith in your vision. As the authors repeatedly note, the future is difficult to predict, and impossible to predict completely. What's more, for individual managers to examine their organizations, see that they no longer fit and voluntarily step aside will require rigorous honesty and responsibility. They would need to have planned their careers and finances well enough that self-interest does not blind them. Many of this book's ideas have a similar nature. They seem good and right, but applying them successfully will require great discipline.

Organizations that cannot change cannot survive, much less prosper........2006-08-08

Obviously, if organizations are not "built to change," they cannot effectively respond to inevitable changes in their competitive marketplace. Moreover, they may be able to achieve some temporary success but cannot sustain it over a period of time. In the Foreword, Jerry Porras briefly but brilliantly explores two themes: "First, leaders must understand their organization's values, and work to shape them in such a way that those values guide and sustain needed changes rather than undermine them. Second, leaders must architect their organizations to embrace rather than resist change." Co-authors Lawler and Worley see this volume as a sequel to Jim Collins' Built to Last because, in it, they explain "what organizations need to do once they have developed the foundation for survival and want to increase their effectiveness over time." This seems to be the same objective which Collins set for himself in his own sequel, Good to Great.
What they call the "B2Change Model" consists of Environmental Scenarios (which describe a range of possible future business conditions an identifies "preferred futures") and three primary organizational processes which contribute to organizational effectiveness. Strategizing (a process by which to establish priorities so that by having a "strategic intent"). Only after concluding this process can an organization then initiate the other two processes, Creating Value through competencies and capabilities, and, Designing the structures and other processes that enable an organization to achieve sustained effectiveness enterprise-wide. Step by step, with both rigor and eloquence, Lawler and Worley explain how any organization (regardless of size or nature) can do this, guided and informed by the B2Change Model.

In the final chapter, they make several key points. First, that making the transition to a B2Change organization is much more difficult than operating one. Also, that each of the three processes is more changeable and more flexible than the prior one. However, the designing process is the key to developing the competencies and capabilities that are needed to implement a strategic intent. They identify five key initiatives on the road to becoming B2Change and then discuss them in the order in which they recommend implementation. (They are listed on page 287.) They also explain how certain key elements can support an organization's focus on its external environment so that everyone involved understands change as a natural process. "Creating a change-friendly identity is a fundamental step in becoming a b2change organization." Still another key point involves what Lawler and Worley see as the final initiative: bringing all of the prior processes together in a virtuous spiral. "Virtuous spirals - periods in the life of an organization - are characterized by critical configuration, proximity, and dynamic alignment. They are built and sustained by a series of temporary competitive advantages."

I am reminded of what Peter Drucker observed in 1963: "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all." That is precisely why Lawler and Worley place such great emphasis on the first process of the B2Change Model, Strategizing. It is absolutely imperative that proper organizational priorities and an organization's strategic intend be established first. Otherwise, completion of the second and third processes may well be flawless but ultimately worthless.

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