The Mystical Arts of Tibet: Featuring Personal Sacred Objects of H.H. the Dalai Lama

Customer Reviews:

An entertaining read.......2007-07-15

I am a vintage clothing nut, and I was looking forward to reading this book. I was not disappointed!
Ms Hawthorne has a light, entertaining style of writing, and has injected a good deal of humor into a subject that normally is a bit wanting in this regard.
There is a decidely British slant to this book, not surprising as the author is from England, but I feel anyone interested in vintage clothing will learn something from this book.
My only complaint is that there should have been more pictures and illustrations.

Average customer rating:

Excellent with a few annoying flaws

Eyes on the prize: Kahvi's strange quest

Elfquest Reader's Collection #9c: Kahvi
Terry Collins , Kim Yale , Joellyn Auklandus , Delfin Barral , and Steve Blevins
Manufacturer: Warp Graphics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Elfquest Reader's Collection #9a: Wolfrider!

ASIN: 0936861746

Customer Reviews:

Excellent with a few annoying flaws.......2000-09-13

This is actually a compendium of two thematically related series about Kahvi and Two-Spear. It would probably have made more sense had Two-Spear's part of the story come first. In any case, the art in the Kahvi series was done by the less competent of Pini's successors, with the result that she looks rather like a chipmunk-cheeked 12-year-old. They do manage to instill some visual humor, as Tyldak attempts to hunt for himself. The story line was exciting, even upsetting at times -- Kahvi seems to have somehow become a less wise person than she was in the earlier books. There's an intense fight scene between... wait and see. The readers discover the origin of the Go-Backs, which is what I always suspected it was, though Kahvi's personal origin (and apparent amnesia heretofore) seem a little far-fetched. The Two-Spear segment is more artistically, but more confusingly, drawn and involves a story line with which most Elfquest readers are already familiar. It's well done here but doesn't really add anything new. I'll add a general complaint: Why can't any Elfquest artists, including Pini herself, look at some pictures of wolves and figure out how to draw them?

Eyes on the prize: Kahvi's strange quest.......2000-09-09

Since Kahvi first appeared in the original Elfquest series in late 1983, the elf-chieftess has become one of the best-known and most distinctive characters in the story. However, of her background virtually nothing was known, until the publication of the "Kahvi" miniseries in 1995- 6. The present story explains how the Go-Back chief, seeking a great elfin relic as a trophy for her tribe, instead discovers a far greater trophy: the secret of her, and their, origins, and their place in the world.

The plot, extremely action-filled within its six episodes, depicts Kahvi's journey as she pursues the Egg of Six Spheres, the repository of all elfin history. But, though she seeks only a totem for her warlike but declining tribe, the Egg revives her memory that she is the daughter of the long-ago chief Two-Spear, and that all her people are thus descendants of the Wolfriders. At first, though, Kahvi refuses to deal with this knowledge, not wishing to see herself or her tribe as lowly "Wolfrider cast-off" (as she puts it). Her struggle to accept this revelation leads her on another quest, during which the elf-chieftess is forced to draw on her long-dormant Wolfrider nature (senses, skills, even bonding with a wolf) to survive the trek back home. In the process, she realizes that her tribe needed no physical trophy after all; their survival as a people, their ability to defend themselves and other elves against all enemies, are all the trophy they need - a lesson she finally brings home to the Go-Backs.

This storyline was conceived, and partially written, by the late Kim Yale, whose stories have a pronounced mystical/supernatural bent. This sometimes affects the dialogue, which in the first three chapters is often too bombastic to be credible (especially the lines spoken by Tyldak and Aurek). The later chapters, however, were completed by Joellyn Auklandus (because of the illness of Yale, who died of cancer in 1997), and these feature much more natural and convincing dialogue; she is equally adept at portraying humor (part 5) and gravity (much of part 6). The story concept as a whole is excellent, but its execution evidently took time to perfect. Credit is also due for the crisp artwork by Steve Blevins; not only is the drawing style surprisingly close to that of Wendy Pini, he also shows mastery of those things which are deceptively hard to draw (complex facial expressions, characters dismounting their animals, and suchlike).

Turning to Two-Spear, he too is featured in this book, in the series of the same name (which for some reason follows, rather than precedes, "Kahvi" in this edition, contrary to chronology). This series is of a radically different stamp, both as literature and as art. The story (written by Terry Collins) is grim and unsentimental, the artwork (pencilled by Delfin Barral, of "The Rebels" fame) hard-edged, almost expressionistic at times. So the tale is conventionally "ugly" to mind and ear; yet the plot forces one to proceed further. The bare outline of the story - the schism of the early Wolfrider tribe - had already been known to longtime readers (from stories in the EQ prose-books of the 1980s); but this tale adds important dimensions to the basic conflict. It explains the elf- chief's profound hatred of humans, and his willingness to kill as many as possible to safeguard his tribe - which shelves into a blind willingness to destroy the tribe in order to save it. More surprisingly, the death-match between the chief and his half-sister Huntress Skyfire is portrayed not only as a tribal crisis, but as a family tragedy - the culmination of years of jealousy and suspicion that poisoned the siblings' once-friendly relationship.

As is the case with "Kahvi", some of the dialogue in "Two-Spear" becomes stiff and crabbed at times, but the story's premise is convincing and demands the reader's attention, and thoughtfulness. Care has clearly been taken with the tone of each episode, not only in terms of storytelling but also through subtle changes in artwork from part to part; for instance, part 2 - which includes a "vision sequence" - is pencilled very lightly and is left uninked, while part 3 - in which Two-Spear murders an entire human hunting-party singlehanded - uses heavy ink-work to convey the chaos and brutality of this scene.

Though these two EQ stories are not directly related - and though "Kahvi" should have placed second rather than first in this book - each tale is a fine complement to the other. Most importantly, the writers ultimately portray Kahvi as a true heroine - a flawed heroine, but a heroine nonetheless. Overall, a compelling read, if an often unsettling one.

Average customer rating:

Halarious!

YOU GOTTA CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!

Hilarious Take on a Double Murderer

Out of Print?!? Say it isn't so!

a must read!

O.J.'s Legal Pad:: What Is Really Going On in O.J. Simpson's Mind?
Henry Beard
Manufacturer: Villard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer

ASIN: 0679768831
Release Date: 1995-05-10

Customer Reviews:

Halarious!.......2006-09-19

I have this item at my desk at work, and I find myself constantly pulling this down, and taking a few minutes to read it whenever I feel down. Almost without failure, it brightens my day. I followed this OJ trial to from the beginning to the end, and it was awesome! I bought at least 20 different books on the crime and the trial, over the past 10 years, most within the 2 or 3 years after the crime.

My mother bought me this notepad, and it is without a doubt, the best book I read on this topic.

I highly recommend it, for its humor and its lasting impression.

OJ was a real scumbag, and this notepad is constant reminder of that fact, and of the fact that we can't bring back Ronald Goldman or Nicole Brown Simpson!

MC White said: Check it out!!!

YOU GOTTA CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-07-08

I found a Xeroxed copy of entire book (shame on someone) in a box from an auction. I've held onto it for years because it's so smart, clever, amusing and imaginative. I watched the trial on tv and wondered many times "what the heck is he writing?" Now I know! Beard and Boswell are demented to be sure, but I've always preferred black humor (don't even go there) and only someone with jumbled brain cells could come up with a book like this one. Buy it..it's priceless!

Hilarious Take on a Double Murderer.......2001-10-06

OK, if the humor of the title of this review evades you, this is not the "book" for you. If you think the whole situation is funny, then get this book.

Page after page of doodles and notes that blow political correctness out of the water, and made me laugh out loud. This product is fall down funny.

Again, a classic that is out of print. Shame, shame, shame.

Out of Print?!? Say it isn't so!.......2000-10-16

Here it is, four years after I first spent a summer reading and re-reading it with my friends (one of whom must still have it!). I've got to read it again. Maybe e-bay?

a must read!.......1998-08-14

without a doubt, the funniest collection of drawings and text on the o.j. situation. a comical view into the demented mind of a lunatic!

Book Description

This brief guide introduces students to reading and writing about fiction, poetry, drama, and film; surveys major critical approaches to these genres; and illustrates the importance of understanding works in the context of time and culture.

Average customer rating:
Favorite Songs of the Good Old Days

Manufacturer: DRG Texas, L.P.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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We Survived--And Thrived (Good Old Days)

ASIN: 159217034X

Book Description

Songs are lifelong friends. They accompanied you through childhood and past the rocky years of adolescence. They help express love and provide solace in times of grief. Enjoy the memories of some of those favorite songs.

Average customer rating:

Favorite Songs of Good Old Days
Ken Tate
Manufacturer: HOUSE OF WHITE BIRCHES INC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDBJRA

Average customer rating:
The Best of Games That Come Alive!
Jerry D. Poppen
Manufacturer: Action Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0960886842

Book Description

VALUE STREAM MANAGEMENT FOR THE LEAN OFFICE: 8 Steps to Planning Mapping, and Sustaining Lean Improvements in Administrative Areas

Don Tapping and Tom Shuker

Administrative functions represent up to 80 percent of the cost of doing business. Eliminating costly waste from administrative and office functions is a great way to increase your profit margin and a vital part of creating a total lean enterprise.

Tapping and Shuker take their Value Stream Management Storyboard and apply its 8-step process in the context of case studies in order processing, customer service, and other administrative office applications of lean. This text will provide you with a complete system for lean implementation in the office.

Highlights include:

· Comprehensive case studies that highlight the applications of lean in an office environment
· A thorough overview of basic lean concepts
· Methods for identifying the administrative activities that need improvement
· The 8-step process for removing waste and reorganizing workflow for cost effective, efficient workflow
· Guidelines and checklists to help direct and maintain lean improvements

Customer Reviews:

An Easy to Understand Approach to Lean in the Office Environment.......2007-04-14

"Value Stream Management for the Lean Office" provides a clear and uncomplicated approach to implementing lean in an administrative environment. At $45 for 150 pages of text it is pricey, but is it worth it ? That, I think, depends on your need. On the plus side the book is very clearly written and lays out a step by step route to lean in the office. Mapping forms and charts to use are presented on the accompanying CD-ROM. It is a straightforward approach which might well suit a fairly small office environment with processes that are not too complicated. However, "simple" can easily become "simplistic" and the book does not adequately cover the issues pertaining in a large or complex environment, with lots of interaction between departments, people or activities. In addition the book provides very little background to lean and no discussion of the philosophy on which lean rests. Thus the book lists stages and actions without giving the reader an understanding of the reasoning or concepts behind lean.

If you have a straightforward office environment, perhaps in a small business, then this book should help you. If your needs are more complex, then you should probably look elsewhere.

Not recommended to get started with VSM for office operation.......2007-03-10

This book is really hard to be rated. Knowing already about JIT/Lean and especially about QRM-approach, I was looking for a book about value stream mapping and office operations to get started (beginner).

First of all, lets start to take a look what I found helpful about this book. The book provides good information about related issues as pitch, heijunka, selecting product-families for determining common processes (known to people with part grouping experiences etc.) and especially about the required project-management.

On the other side the book is weak about explaining the VSM technique itself. This is mainly related to the example chosen, which I found hard to understand and not very helpful. E.g. the key about data to be collected - to describe every process-step itself as L/T, processing time and many more - is only weak described. Without this, you might be able to draw your VSM, but the later good overview/ visualization and optimization opportunity is lost. This can be done much better!

Books as e.g. Complete Lean Enterprise do a much better job here and the example of a company used is much better to explain VSM for people working in industrial environment. Reading this book is easy and understandable - straight forward!

As a beginner in this area, I therefore stick to the book Complete Lean Enterprise and for some special issues, I sometimes use this book rated here. This book here looks a little bit like a summary of lots of important different points about VSM, but I'm personally in favore of books based on simple and realistic examples where text and figures can be simply followed. Without the additional and helpful information provided in this book, I would have given it a rating of 2 stars or even less..

Best Regards,
Oliver

Very good help to understand Lean.......2005-10-14

This is the kind of guide you need to get started together with professional help from outside your organization. As they say, there are no Lean experts, only more experienced people - it shows that Tom Shuker belongs to this category.

VSM for the Office.......2005-10-11

I found this to be a good book on translating the tools of manufacturing to an office environment. It communicates all of the basics that are required.

I've attended one of this consulting group's manufacturing classes. I found them to be dead on. I like the way they handled the accounting/cost/metric relationship to lean production. Basically, the current accounting standards will cause you to do things in opposition to what lean principles will have you do.

In some other office scenarios, I think this more traditional approach will not have all the pieces or tools required. I work in an industry where order entry is significantly more complex than the examples presented, a much higher degree of interaction with other players is required, and rework loops are significant part of the process (customer driven rework). ANITECH has an approach that tracks the information flow surrounding the work process, while applying the same lean techniques that are presented in this book.

Tracking the information flow provides an opportunity to sort out, automate, and lean out that information flow. There is tremendous leverage in this concept.

Move Lean into the Office.......2005-07-26

Value Stream Management for The Lean Office provide me a basic and thorough understanding on how the Toyota Production System can be applied in an office. The authors did a good job in breaking all the Lean tools down into administrative terms. I use this book for all our Lean office projects and would highly recommend anyone attempting to implement Lean in the office to read this.

Creating Mixed Model Value Streams: Practical Lean Techniques for Building to Demand

Average customer rating:

Accessible Exposition of Principles but the Devil's in the Details
lean for Mom and Pop job shops.

Creating Mixed Model Value Streams: Practical Lean Techniques for Building to Demand
Kevin J. Duggan
Manufacturer: Productivity Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1563272806

Book Description

Apply Lean Thinking to Dynamic, High-Mix Manufacturing
CREATING MIXED MODEL VALUE STREAMS: Practical Lean Techniques for Building to Demand
Kevin J. Duggan

How can you apply value stream mapping and lean concepts to the more complex environment created by mixed model (high variety) manufacturing operations? CREATING MIXED MODEL VALUE STREAMS helps to address the challenges of high-mix manufacturing.

Topics Covered Include:
Mapping value streams in real-life manufacturing environments
Developing future states that can respond to daily changes in customer demand
Creating flow through the "pacemaker" process when products have different cycle times
Setting up mixed model heijunka (load leveling) boxes that provide visual schedules at regular intervals
Applying mix logic charts to determine finished-goods strategies and meet seasonal demand

The author uses a step-by-step approach, illustrated through a case study based actual experience, to go beyond the basics of value stream mapping and to show how to create future states in the real manufacturing world of multiple products, varying cycle times, and changing demand. The book includes a CD-ROM featuring useful spreadsheets for sorting products into families and calculating equipment needs.

Comprehensive and down-to-earth, CREATING MIXED MODEL VALUE STREAMS provides the details and techniques for implementing lean in the complex environment that manufacturers face on their own shop floors.

Customer Reviews:

Accessible Exposition of Principles but the Devil's in the Details.......2006-09-24

In this very good book author Kevin Duggan describes an approach to implementing lean manufacturing in challenging environments characterized by a high degree of variety, shared resources, and lumpy demand. All too often in such situations, practitioners conclude that lean principles can be applied incompletely or not at all. Significant missed process improvement opportunities follow from this foundational misunderstanding.

Duggan develops his material using as a case study the hypothetical EMC Supply Company. Value stream mapping is used throughout the book to depict the current scenario and the various improvements to achieve the desired future state.

The author starts at the very beginning, with a discussion of how the proper definition of product families is critical to the creation of flow in high mix plants. He goes on to introduce the concepts of takt time and the pacemaker operation for the process. From there the discussion moves to the balancing of operations, presentation of materials at the point of use, scheduling the work, and dealing with variation in customer demand.

These concepts are applied by the EMC implementation team and are illustrated with an evolving series of value stream maps. As a result the presentation has a "real world" feel to it that should encourage application of the principles.

One significant caveat needs however to be mentioned. Successful implementation is about pressing through countless details in every situation. Duggan draws attention to this in various places writing for example, "Material presentation for a high mix of products will take some creativity and planning. This is an area where we will have to sweat the details".

In fact, in my experience as a lean implementer, the details need to be sweated at every turn. The concepts may be simple, elegant, and often self evident, but putting them into action requires an almost obsessive attention to a myriad of practical intricacies.

For those committed to making this effort the results will be impressive. This book can help make it happen.

lean for Mom and Pop job shops........2005-01-16

Value stream mapping and lean "nuts and bolts" for high variety - low quantity products. This book walks the reader through the process of setting up a high variety flow. I am no lean expert by an stretch of the imagination, but found this book to be extremely helpful in understanding and implementing the technique of flow.

The writing is very clear and concise. Graphics show clearly the subject being discussed.

I suggest reading Learning to See first to understand how to create value stream maps, then apply those learned skills to the floor using Creating Mixed Model Value Streams.

This book should be a required core course in the lean planned program of study. But remember there is no graduation, only life long learning.

The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping For Administrative And Office Processes

Average customer rating:

Lean Administration
Good introduction to VSM for office operation
Process mapping with a new label
Office Value Stream Maps
A LOGICAL EXTENSION OF LEAN PRINCIPLES

The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping For Administrative And Office Processes
Beau Keyte , and Drew Locher
Manufacturer: Productivity Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1563273012

Book Description

THE COMPLETE LEAN ENTERPRISE: Value Stream Mapping for Administrative and Office Processes Beau Keyte and Drew Locher This new book provides a step-by-step approach to applying lean initiatives to the office environment. This title is a must read for those looking to improve their production support activities by identifying waste, establishing performance metrics, speeding up administrative workflow, and improving office efficiency.

Customer Reviews:

Lean Administration.......2007-08-31

This is an excellent resource for office staff wanting to value stream map their work. Its written in a clear no nonsense style with ideas you can put into practice immediately.

I like the insider 'Lean Note' every so often providing hits and ideas you would only get from an experienced lean leader, these tips are designed to stop you going down a blind ally.

If you are thinking of running a Kaizen event in your administrative area you would benefit from everyone on your team having this resource to hand.

The approach is particularly useful for manufacturing companies who have already gone lean on the production floor and are waiting for their office support and administration functions to catch up.

Highly recommended..

Good introduction to VSM for office operation.......2007-03-10

The value of this book depends strongly on your personal knowledge about VSM and JIT/Lean. I was more used to the approach from Quick-Response-Manufacturing as Tagging&Process Mapping. Anyway, for people searching an introduction to Value-Stream-Mapping and especially the office part, I can recommend this book - the production part of the good example used, is not discussed in details - but this is not the goal of the book anyway. I read many different books to get started with VSM, but this one is one of the simpliest and most consistent books about VSM for office operation. The writters refer to one single example of a company and develop the case in a understandable manner.

Readers interested in VSM for the shoopfloor should read this book as well. As a matter, it is unfortunatelly true, that companies focus there attention to the shopfloor operations, meanwhile the potential of upstream and non-production processes are ignored. This book gives you a good knowledge, how to start your journey.

I bought both books, Complete-Lean-Enterprise (the one I refer to here) as well as Value-Stream-Management-for-the-Lean-Office. Meanwhile the first one gave me a much better overview how to practice VSM, the second one was quite week (bad case example in my oppinion) and I could not get the point how to proceed with the VSM-technique. On the other side, the later book provides more information about important issues as pitch, heijunka, work balancing etc., but already using VSM for the shopfloor and having knowledge about JIT/Lean, this will not provide new insights to you anyway. Conclusion, I would recommend this book here to get started and definetly not the book Value-Stream-Mgmnt.-for-the-Lean-office!

Best Regards,
Oliver

Process mapping with a new label.......2006-11-11

I always look for new ideas and this book was weak. The material seemed to be a rehash of process mapping and not an adaptation of value stream mapping to administrative areas.

I already know how to process map and I know how to value stream map.

I agree that administrative areas are more about process mapping, but based upon the title of the book, I wanted some ideas on what others are doing to merge the two concepts.

Office Value Stream Maps.......2006-03-09

Best reference and how to on adminstrative functions for value sream mapping.

A LOGICAL EXTENSION OF LEAN PRINCIPLES.......2005-10-01

This book is a good tutorial to apply Lean to an office setting, but a basic understanding of the Lean principles is required to take full advantage of the work as many parallels are drawn between manufacturing applications and their office counterparts. Overall very useful, but especially in a manufacturing/production-support office environment more than in a traditional service or other type of office setting.

Improving the Extended Value Stream: Lean for the Entire Supply Chain

Average customer rating:

Improving the Extended Value Stream: Lean for the Entire Supply Chain
Darren Dolcemascolo
Manufacturer: Productivity Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1563273330

Book Description

When most teams map a lean value stream, they tend to focus on internal processes, and many organizations have reaped the benefits of implementing lean within their own facilities. The total value stream, however, for a typical product crosses many different organizations and suppliers.

In Improving the Extended Value Stream: Lean for the Entire Supply Chain, Darren Dolcemascolo presents a step-by-step plan for extending lean manufacturing across the entire supply chain. He makes the case for improving the extended value stream by demonstrating the benefits: increased profitability, reduced lead times and inventory, and better quality. He then presents proven methods for sustaining success and continuously improving the entire supply chain. The techniques addressed include extended value stream mapping, process kaizen, outsourcing strategy, supplier evaluation, and supplier integration activities as they relate to a lean supply chain.

This essential workbook:

Is the only complete resource available on the subject of improving the extended value stream. Gives a step-by-step system for implementing lean in the extended value stream. Teaches the value stream mapping methodology required to create plans for an extended lean enterprise.

Readers of this book will learn how to extend lean manufacturing to the entire supply chain, magnifying the benefits of lean manufacturing to their bottom line.

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