This Woman Deserves A Party-M. Engelbreit
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • An enchanting, down to earth meditation on motherhood
This Woman Deserves A Party-M. Engelbreit

Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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  1. Believe: Mary Engelbreit'S Christmas Treasury Believe: Mary Engelbreit'S Christmas Treasury

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ASIN: 0836252039

Book Description

This Woman Deserves a Party is a collection of Mary's illustrations on parenthood. It reflects her own history as a mother, beginning with pregnancy and continuing through the teen years. Author Terry Lee Bilsky's insights, as well as quotes from some famous and not-so-famous parents, offer Mary's fans a down-to-earth context for Mary's wise and wonderful art.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars An enchanting, down to earth meditation on motherhood.......2000-10-27

While I am not yet a mother myself, I am surrounded by women who are all wonderful mothers (starting with my own!). This book is the perfect gift for these women in my life, but not just because it's a book on motherhood. It is enchanting (all of Engelbreit's books are; just look at her art work!) but it is also down-to-earth, never sappy or over-sentimental, as some "motherhood" books can be. There are quotes and poems and short stories about various stages and moments in the lives of mothers, and these are alternately funny, touching, witty, meditative. Sections such as " All Mothers Are Working Mothers", "Let's Hear It for Mom", and "Dads in Shining Armour" all seem to have been written especially for these special and incredible moms. As always, a treasure of a little book from Engelbreit.

Cartier: Creative Writing
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Beautiful Photography, Hasty Text
  • Cartier:Creative Writing
Cartier: Creative Writing
Francois Chaille
Manufacturer: Flammarion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 2080136836
Release Date: 2001-07-03

Book Description

From the creation of its first writing implements in 1868 to today's position as the world's second largest producer of fine writing instruments, Cartier has beautifully combined technical innovation with creative audacity. This volume features a comprehensive selection of pieces from Cartier's incredibly inventive repertoire-- pens, inkwells, mechanical pencils, calendars, stationary and other accessories-- dating from the middle of the 19th century to the present, weaving the story of Cartier's production as a joaillier into the broader fabric of the history of writing instruments and the famous clients who chose to use them. The historical pieces-- many of which are shown here for the first time-- are highly sought after by collectors, and even those made during the last decade are commanding record prices in the salesrooms. The Baron de Rothschild, J. P. Morgan, Mona Bismarck, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and Rudyard Kipling are among the distinguished clients who wrote with magnificent pens and pencils made of gold or platinum, incorporating diamonds, jade, sapphires, emeralds, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, or ingenious timepieces and calendars. One-of-a-kind pieces from New York, Paris and London are thoroughly documented and illustrated with photography specially commissioned for this book. The contemporary writing instruments featured here, from the famous Must to the recent Diabolo de Cartier demonstrate how the company's designers are using the company's long-standing traditions to remain at the forefront of imaginative pen and pencil design for the future. This eloquent testimony to the ingenuity and craftsmanship of Cartier's designers and craftsmen will be essential to collectors of writing instruments and to all those interested in jewelry and the decorative arts.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Beautiful Photography, Hasty Text.......2002-02-18

This book depicts Cartier production of pens and writing paraphernalia from the 1860's to the present day. Its best feature is the high-quality photography and reproductions of exquisite photographs from the Cartier archive. It treats the products as luxury rather than practical goods. The focus is not on how well the pens write, but on what they were made of, how beautiful they are, and what celebrity bought them. The text, whether from the author's style or the translator's, rambles on with pasted together anecdotes--like an early draft of a term paper. There is not one critical word about anything Cartier in the whole book. This is a very well done coffee table book for those who love beautiful writing implements. Buy it used. It won't hold value but is a pleasure to look at.

4 out of 5 stars Cartier:Creative Writing.......2001-02-13

I first thought this book was just another brand-name book which displays its own achievements . But then I realize that this book is an excellent and comprehensive account of the history of writing tools, be they from the East or the West. What has carried me away is the history of items like pen holder, paper knife, inkwell, etc...it makes me realize that every object in the world has its own invaluable meaning and deserves its own dignity . In short, the book is an indispensable eye-opener.

Marianne in Chains: Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Scholarly, perhaps, but dull
  • The myth about the French resistance .
  • Interesting subject, disappointing book
  • The Man who shot Kommandant Hotz
Marianne in Chains: Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation
Robert Gildea
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312423594

Book Description

In France, the German occupation is called simply the "dark years." There were only the "good French" who resisted and the "bad French" who collaborated. Marianne in Chains, a broad and provocative history drawing on previously unseen archives, firsthand interviews, diaries, and eyewitness accounts, uncovers the complex truth of the time. Robert Gildea's groundbreaking study reveals the everyday life in the heart of occupied France; the pressing imperatives of work, food, transportation, and family obligations that led to unavoidable compromise and negotiation with the army of occupation.

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars Scholarly, perhaps, but dull.......2004-07-01

This book was so fragmented that it was difficult to pull the broader picture out of it. It lacked cohesion, presenting as separate chapters important details which could have been woven into a much more readable whole, a much better flow.

The general belief that the French collaborated with the Germans during the occupation was explored in various shades of grey but never really pinned down in black and white---I'm not sure if by the end of it, I was convinced one way or the other, although that little practical distinction was made between occupied and Vichy France did lend more overall credibility to the general collaboration idea. Endless stories with so much boring personal detail contrasted cooperation with defiance, plenty with privation, acceptance with imposition.

The French were definitely pictured as opportunists, opening their businesses, homes and bodies to avoid the potential of brutal plunder, and all the while covertly cheating their often gullible captors in every way they could. Being stationed in France and away from the harsh battlefront was the creme assignment, and while indulging themselves they often fell unwitting prey to almost anything the French could come up with. On the other hand, the Germans were presented as basically respectful of the French through common ancestry and religion, and honor for their heroic actions during WW1---although the military reasons for being there were never too far below the surface, despite the free-wheeling lifestyle they were experiencing in France.

The concluding chapter wound up being the most interesting part of the book, since it did manage to tie it all together fairly well, considering the amount of detail to work with. I think the book could probably have been half as long and much more appealing if Gildea could just have kept it on track rather than digressing into endless minutiae.

5 out of 5 stars The myth about the French resistance ........2004-01-06

I just finished reading Marianne in Chains. As a former SOE agent assigned to the Licensee network in the Nièvre region I must compliment Professor Gildea on his research and presentation of the situation in the upper Loire region during WWII.
During my short assignment in the center of France I heard a lot more criticism of the Allies than about the Germans, who according to most people behaved quite well. Particularily after the bombing of Neuvy sur Loire by the US Air Force when 129 people were killed and 300 were wounded as a result of 1000 ton of bombs dropped on their small village. I was so disgusted by the behavior of my compatriots that I did not return to France for 45 years.
René J. Defourneaux, Author of The Winking Fox.

1 out of 5 stars Interesting subject, disappointing book.......2004-01-05

I really hate to say that I did not enjoy reading a history book, since that is my favorite subject, but this work just did not hold my interest. The subject matter, life in occupied France, intrigued me very much, but the author's presentation left much to be desired, not to mention several errors which should have been caught by a good editor. The various topics, organized into separate chapters, occasionally overlapped and the same information was given twice. Through his concentration on a specific part of France, the author failed to give readers any "big picture" view of what was happening, which led to a very parochial approach, and was greatly non-informative to one who is a non-specialist reader. Also, the going was very tough, and I found myself dozing off many times when trying dutifully to slog through the morass of information provided. There's probably a very good story in this book somewhere, but I couldn't find it!

5 out of 5 stars The Man who shot Kommandant Hotz.......2003-08-26

In September, 1939, France and Britain declared war on Germany because of the latter`s invasion of Poland. France manned its northern and eastern defenses, the Germans manned the „Westwall", occasional artillery rounds were fired to make sure that the guns were properly trained, but for more than six months, all was quiet on the western front. Then, in early May of the following year, the Germans attacked by way of Belgium, broke through the French lines and raced to the Channel coast, giving the French government barely enough time to transfer to Bordeaux, and encircling the British Expeditionary Force in the pocket of Dunkirk (from which the latter was able to escape with acceptable losses).

The French retreated in great haste and disorder, not only the army, but also the civilian population that, for decades, had been fed horror stories of what the Germans would do to them. Many just tried to get away as best they could, others, like units of the Gendarmerie, the Orléans fire brigade or other public services were ordered to do so. What with the general disorder that war brings about the result was often utter chaos, on the roads and in the towns. Eventually, France stopped fighting, and the Germans established themselves according to a pattern governed by military considerations: essentially in northern France and along the Atlantic coast, leaving the rest of the country unoccupied for the next two and a half years, until the Allied landing in North Africa forced them to secure their southern flank. Robert Gildea`s book is an account of daily life in the lower Loire valley during those difficult years.

It is still a subject of historical debate to what extent the government constituted by Maréchal Pétain during the last days of the war was a legitimate entity. At the time of the events described in the book the answer depended largely on the political position of the person concerned. In any case, there was a French government and it continued to function. The German military authorities exercized a certain amount of local supervision in accordance with their needs and Berlin continually tried to align the Vichy government to her policies - often with limited success.

The divisions that had plagued France in the 1930s did not melt into a united front of all patriots against the occupying force. Interests - political, economic, or historical - were far too divergent. One of the main twists was that, until Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941, one year after the defeat of France, the French communists strictly toed the Moscow party line and supported strongly the German demands on the French economy. Their change of policy in mid-1941 manifested itself in numerous acts of terrorism. In the area Professor Gildea concentrates on, such an act was the assassination of the rather popular local Feldkommandant, Lieutenant-Colonel Hotz. It led, inevitably, to reprisals and the shooting of hostages. The selection of hostages was a particularly thorny matter for all sides, and the roster of potential hostages may well have been an element considered by the attackers who thus sought to achieve both an immediate result and a more far-reaching political advantage.

It is quite obvious that in a situation as it existed in France during those years it was impossible for persons with any sort of authority not to deal with the Germans in one way or another, it was impossible for them not to 'collaborate'. As the author amply illustrates, such people often found themselves in a situation where they would be 'damned if they did and damned if they didn`t' - either right away or at the end of the war. A case in point is the relève, i.e. the attempt to bring home, by sending out replacements, French prisoners of war working in Germany. Another example of the dilemmas many Frenchmen were facing is the supply of goods to the German side. If the country was not to collapse economically, people had to be kept employed, and the wine the country continued to produce had to be marketed. In the absence of other clients, the Germans were an obvious choice.

The book shows how, after the end of the war and after the obvious settlement of accounts between the various groups in the Résistance, France, under the leadership of General de Gaulle, managed to maintain national unity by stressing only one side of those difficult years and promoting everyone to the rank of hero. It also describes how, in recent years, the story of the Résistance has somewhat waned and the deportation of Jews has tended to become the prominent theme of the commemorative ceremonies.

The rifts that run through France in many directions are still so deep that it would perhaps be dangerous to undo the myths that are holding the country together and that have had the beneficial effect of assuring a tenuous yet lasting internal peace ever since the end of the Second World War. In this connection, I am always reminded of the old American film „The Man who shot Liberty Valance" which stressed the importance of myths for the cohesion of a society even at the expense of truth. Unfortunately for Professor Gildea this means that he may find it difficult to get a translation of his book published in France.
Marianne in Chains  Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Marianne in Chains Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation
    Robert Gildea
    Manufacturer: Metropolitan Books(H. Holt)
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover
    ASIN: B000WAEF04
    Marianne in Chains: Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Marianne in Chains: Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation
      Robert Gildea
      Manufacturer: Picador
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback
      ASIN: B000OTPY08

      Enjoy Your Own Funeral: And Live a Happy Forever
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Breaking new ground in study of life beyond death
      Enjoy Your Own Funeral: And Live a Happy Forever
      George W. Meek
      Manufacturer: Galde Press, Inc.
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      GeneralGeneral | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
      Psychology & CounselingPsychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books | Adolescent Psychology | Applied Psychology | By Topic | Child Psychology | Clinical Psychology | Cognitive | Counseling | Creativity & Genius | Developmental Psychology | Education & Training | Ethnopsychology | Experimental Psychology | Forensic Psychology | General | History | Hypnosis | Industrial Psychology | Logotherapy | Medicine & Psychology | Mental Illness | Movements | Neuropsychology | Occupational & Organizational | Pathologies | Personality | Philosophy of Psychology | Physical Illness & Psychiatry | Physiological Aspects | Psychiatry | Psychoanalysis | Psychobiology | Psychopharmacology | Psychosomatic Medicine | Psychotherapy, TA & NLP | Reference | Research | Sexuality | Social Psychology & Interactions | Statistics | Suicide | Testing & Measurement
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      ASIN: 1880090856

      Product Description

      When George Meek's wife died after a long illness, he discovered that it was not the end of their relationship. Jeannette not only attended her own funeral, but contacted him from the spirit world. Here is scientific proof that you live on after the death of your body! Meek gives you a mountain of logical arguments and experimental, scientific proof of life after death.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Breaking new ground in study of life beyond death.......1999-08-27

      Not handicapped by preliminary assumptions as a clergyman, or philosopher, George Meek has given many years to communication with the dead.Using current electronic skills he is one of the first to establish verifiable communication with the physically deceased. Working with other seekers he has helped to validate appearances on television screens of people in spirit. His work agrees with the many individuals have experienced death, not as something horrendous, but rather a beautiful, "going into the light." With his background as a successful international industrialist he is able to bring his discoveries to the attention of a broad spectrum of people.

      Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (Photostory)
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (Photostory)

        Manufacturer: Star Trek
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback
        ASIN: 0671468820
        Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Photostory
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Photostory
          Richard J. Anobile , Jack B. Sowards , and Harve Bennett
          Manufacturer: Star Trek
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback
          ASIN: 0671459120
          Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Photostory
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Photostory

            Manufacturer: Pocket Books
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

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            ASIN: B000GX9B06

            Praise Vol.1
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Praise Vol.1

              Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corporation
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback
              ASIN: 0634009672

              Book Description

              25 selections: Behold The Lamb * El Shaddai * How Majestic Is Your Name * Praise The Lord * Sweet, Sweet Spirit * Through His Eyes * Worthy The Lamb * many more.
              Antioch Review, The: What To Read,What To Praise: Vol.62, No. 1: Winter, 2004
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Antioch Review, The: What To Read,What To Praise: Vol.62, No. 1: Winter, 2004
                Robert S.; (Ed.) Fogarty
                Manufacturer: Antioch University
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback
                ASIN: B000KGC0AC
                Carman - Passion for Praise, Vol. 1
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Carman - Passion for Praise, Vol. 1
                  Carman
                  Manufacturer: Word Music
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Paperback
                  ASIN: 0634042750

                  Book Description

                  Carman delivers 14 popular worship songs in his high-energy pop style ranging from soul-filled songs to traditional hymns. 14 songs, including: Alleluia * Awesome God * Bless the Name of Jesus * Give Thanks * Jesus Is the Light * Let the Fire Fall * The Prayer Anthem * Shout to the Lord * more.
                  Give Thanks to the Lord Songbook (Calvary chapel Muisc Praise, Vol. 1)
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Give Thanks to the Lord Songbook (Calvary chapel Muisc Praise, Vol. 1)
                    N/A
                    Manufacturer: Calvary Chapel Music
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Spiral-bound
                    ASIN: B000SWUFLY

                    Product Description

                    Includes Give thanks to the Lord/How I love You Lord/Sing Hosanna/Teach me your ways/Forever/You Reighn Forever/As Long As I live/Celebrate/Elohim/Praise
                    IN PRAISE OF OXFORD, VOL. 1
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      IN PRAISE OF OXFORD, VOL. 1
                      T. SECCOMBE
                      Manufacturer: CONSTABLE
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Hardcover
                      ASIN: B000SEVSO0
                      Instrumental Hymn Solos, Arrangements of 10 Praise & Worship Favorites for C Treble, C Bass, Bb, F, Eb, and Alto Clef Instruments. Vol. 1
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Instrumental Hymn Solos, Arrangements of 10 Praise & Worship Favorites for C Treble, C Bass, Bb, F, Eb, and Alto Clef Instruments. Vol. 1

                        Manufacturer: Lillenas Music
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback
                        ASIN: 0834198215

                        Product Description

                        Includes: Great is the Lord -- Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty -- How majestic is Your name -- I exalt Thee -- I sing the mighty power of God -- I will call upon the Lord -- Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee -- Praise God, from whom all blessing flow -- Thou are worthy -- We bring the sacrifice.
                        Presence Power Praise: Documents on the Charismatic Renewal, Vol. 1
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          Presence Power Praise: Documents on the Charismatic Renewal, Vol. 1
                          Kilian McDonnell
                          Manufacturer: Liturgical Pr
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Hardcover

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                          ASIN: 0814610668
                          SCRIPTURE IN SONG VOL 1;  SONGS OF PRAISE
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            SCRIPTURE IN SONG VOL 1; SONGS OF PRAISE
                            Scripture In Song
                            Manufacturer: Scripture In Song
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback
                            ASIN: B000VYVKJK
                            Spirit Rising Praise & Worship Vol. 1
                            Average customer rating: Not rated
                              Spirit Rising Praise & Worship Vol. 1
                              Various Artists-McCl Cdcolm 86832
                              Manufacturer: CBS/EPIC/WTG RECORDS
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Audio CD

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                              ASIN: 6307573619
                              Tea & Praise  a daily devotional Vol. 1 Jan.-June
                              Average customer rating: Not rated
                                Tea & Praise a daily devotional Vol. 1 Jan.-June
                                Collene Ellis
                                Manufacturer: A Christian Voice
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Paperback

                                DevotionalsDevotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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                                1. Tea & Praise  a daily devotional Vol. 2 July-Dec. Tea & Praise a daily devotional Vol. 2 July-Dec.

                                ASIN: 0977674762

                                Product Description

                                God promises his children new mercies every morning. With that in mind, "Tea and Praise" is written to promote times of refreshing and renewal through God,s word on a daily basis. Every page includes a recommended tea, a Bible verse, a short comment, a song, and a prayer. It provides easy reading for the person with a busy schedule. Once the devotion becomes routine, it adds a moment of delight and uplifts the soul.

                                Increase Your Puzzle IQ: Tips and Tricks for Building Your Logic Power
                                Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
                                • The world needs more books like this!
                                • A basic introduction to the basics of many puzzles
                                • Not for a serious puzzler.
                                Increase Your Puzzle IQ: Tips and Tricks for Building Your Logic Power
                                Marcel Danesi
                                Manufacturer: Wiley
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Paperback

                                GeneralGeneral | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
                                Logic & Brain TeasersLogic & Brain Teasers | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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                                2. Mind Performance Hacks: Tips & Tools for Overclocking Your Brain (Hacks) Mind Performance Hacks: Tips & Tools for Overclocking Your Brain (Hacks)

                                ASIN: 0471157252

                                Amazon.com

                                Are there games that keep tripping you up? Puzzles that make you want to kick yourself when you discover the answer? Marcel Danesi's book can change all that. He walks you through the most common types of puzzles and shows you how to navigate the pitfalls of each so that you can avoid being taken in by misdirection. You'll learn how to systematically work out solutions as you follow him step by step through detailed examples and then practice on puzzles that will make you feel like your genius self again. But if you're already a master, just buy this for the puzzles themselves--they're terrific!

                                Book Description

                                Learn how to take the "tease" out of brainteasers, and increase your puzzle IQ with this eye-opening guide to solving puzzles. Revealing the basic principles and strategies of cracking logic problems, it shows you, step-by-step, how to solve ten of the most common types of puzzles, from basic deduction conundrums to more complex mathematical bafflers. Packed with practice puzzles and offering hours of amusement and mental challenge, Increase Your Puzzle IQ gives you the know-how you need to decipher even the most puzzling of puzzles.

                                Why are 1997 dollar bills worth more than 1980 dollar bills?

                                In a box there are 20 balls, 10 white and 10 black. With a blindfold on, what is the least number you must draw out in order to get a pair of balls that matches?

                                Which clock keeps the best time? The clock that loses a minute a day or one that doesn't run at all?

                                I have two current U.S. coins in my hand. The two coins add up to 15¢. One of the coins is not a nickel. What two coins do I have?

                                How much dirt is there in a hole that is 1 foot wide by 1 foot long by 1 foot deep?

                                Customer Reviews:

                                5 out of 5 stars The world needs more books like this!.......2002-08-30

                                I wanted to echo Charles Ashbacher's positive and fairminded review of this book (and counter the hostile and unfair review by the first reviewer). This book by Marcel Danesi is designed to provide people with an accessible way to approach logic puzzles (as Ashbacher pointed out, there is a good deal of *mathematical* puzzles as well but they do not require a great deal of math background). If -- as the negative reviewer argued -- this book is on a introductory level, so much the better! There are a lot of people who would like to and should get into logic puzzles and games.

                                This book is a great way to avoid some of the pitfalls and intimidating obstacles faced by puzzle-solvers -- whether you are a novice or an *expert.*

                                As for the comments made by the 1st reviewer ... it really is unfair to bash this book based on some sort of egotistical grounds as that particular reviwer seems to be doing. If this book is mostly for *beginners* -- and I believe, on the contrary, that it would be great for puzzle enthusiasts as well -- then there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Everyone needs to be able to walk before they can run and if beginners get a taste for puzzle-solving from a book like this and go on to harder puzzles, then great for them! Frankly, in this world today, we need to encourage more people to get into logic rather than discourage people by the kinds of arrogant attitudes displayed by the 1st reviewer.

                                Also recommended: *Problem Solving Through Recreational Mathematics* by Averbach & Chein, *Puzzles for Pleasure* by Barry Clarke, *Mensa Logic Brainteasers*, and Marcel Danesi's new book *The Puzzle Instinct* (which not only provides puzzles but also discusses puzzles from an anthropological perspective ... i.e., how puzzles are a part of various important themes in human culture throughout recorded history).

                                4 out of 5 stars A basic introduction to the basics of many puzzles.......2001-01-06

                                Humans love puzzles. They appear in artifacts thousands of years old and are part of every culture. One can open almost any newspaper in the United States and find a crossword puzzle and some other kind of problem for solution. Logic puzzles are also popular and can be used to teach the basics of mathematics and problem solving. Furthermore, the skills needed to solve them can be learned, and this book is designed to teach them.
                                The author teaches a course in solving puzzles at the University of Toronto, and much of this material is from that course. However, the level is one where anyone with an interest in puzzles will be able to understand it. Most of the techniques used to solve the problems involve the construction of charts and working through the various options. With the exception of the alphametics, very little mathematics is involved, and then it is the most basic of algebra.
                                There are also some points in this book that mathematics teachers could incorporate into their classes. For years I have used alphametics in my introductory classes in programming. They are an excellent example of coding a series of nested loops that exhaustively searches for a solution. I have also occasionally used a logic problem as a filler in mathematics exams as high up as advanced calculus. Students seem to enjoy them.
                                If you are fascinated by puzzles and would like to improve your skill, then this is a book for you. Many puzzles are presented and solutions to all are included. Happy puzzling!

                                1 out of 5 stars Not for a serious puzzler........2000-01-16

                                To be fair, this book does do a decent job of illustrating some useful, if elementary, techniques for solving popular classes of problems. However, most people who would find such a book interesting have already seen the old chestnuts in here and know how to solve them. A serious puzzler would rather complain about how the problems are ambiguous, well-known, trivial, poorly stated, and/or poorly solved. I'd recommend this to an elementary school teacher trying to teach a unit on logic. But for everyone else, I suggest looking elsewhere. Fortunately, I got my copy free from the publisher. To me, that's about what it's worth.

                                First Among Equals: How to Manage a Group of Professionals
                                Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                                • Full of Cliches
                                • Some great material that I can share & use as a refresher
                                • Packed with Knowledge!
                                • Not as good as the ADV
                                • Not Just Lawyers
                                First Among Equals: How to Manage a Group of Professionals
                                Patrick J. McKenna , and David H. Maister
                                Manufacturer: Free Press
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Hardcover

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                                ASIN: 0743225511

                                Amazon.com

                                Competently managing a group of peers is unquestionably among the most difficult of workplace tasks, but key steps that produce success are laid out so clearly by consultants Patrick J. McKenna and David H. Maister in First Among Equals that even those who completely lack experience should find the process feasible and effective. McKenna and Maister focus on leading teams of professionals--often composed of people who don't feel like they are part of a team or in need of leadership--by transforming the way managers assume responsibility and direct members. "Success in helping your group succeed is mostly about you. Not them," they write. Their book starts by explaining how to prepare for the job ahead, for example, by meeting informally with participants and displaying sincere interest in things that matter to them. It then explores coaching the individuals involved (offering methods for gaining acceptance, building rapport, assisting underperformers and dealing with prima donnas) and guiding the collective group (by developing rules, building trust, invigorating meetings, and resolving conflicts). Finally, it proposes measures for continued success, such as integrating new hires and gauging performance. Dozens of self-assessment questionnaires and diagnostic tests help make this an exceptionally practical guidebook on a critical but oft-neglected topic. --Howard Rothman

                                Book Description

                                Whether you have just been appointed as a group leader or you are a battle-scarred veteran, you know that managing professional people is difficult!

                                In this strikingly unique "playbook," professional service experts Patrick J. McKenna and David H. Maister provide real-world examples, a wealth of self-evaluation materials, and concrete advice on stressful day-to-day management issues that every leader of professionals will welcome. The authors offer penetrating insights into the basics of coaching, dividing their attention equally between energizing and guiding the individual performer and the group.

                                There has never been a book quite like this. First Among Equals is essential reading for practice leaders and group heads in the professional sector as well as managers of highly talented, technical knowledge workers anywhere. The lessons and learnings presented here will give you insights and action tips to help you provoke and inspire your people to their full potential.

                                Customer Reviews:

                                1 out of 5 stars Full of Cliches.......2006-03-13

                                I was very disappointed by the book. Not only is it full of cliches, but some of the advice is actually bad. Like buying a billboard to celebrate an employee's performance? In a professional services firm???

                                5 out of 5 stars Some great material that I can share & use as a refresher.......2004-01-22

                                Gripe no. 1 : I hope its not going to become a common occurrence in business books, but there were 7 pages of 35 advance reviews (but 5 of them were only 2 lines which said little). Let me decide for myself if the book is any good - show me the product. Also, I work in IT, but there didn't seem to be a single reviewer with an IT background?

                                The book looks at the leader/manager/coach of a disparate group of professionals, assuming a mix of seniors & juniors.

                                I think the book isn't just for the leader/manager/coach - because in many such groups today, there can be rotation (time-based or task-based) where any of the group of professionals might be called upon to perform the leadership / coaching / mentoring role. So the book should be read by all members of the team. Also the leader is human - they might not be 'doing it right as per the book', and it could be useful for the others (they are all equals after all) to be informed to provide that guidance/correction.

                                The Sections are laid out well : getting ready; coaching the individual; coaching the team; building for the future.

                                It classes individuals into 4 styles : amiable, analytical, driver, expressive (I tend more towards the expressive), and how to work with each.

                                I also like the way it addressed underperforming members, how to correct the problem rather than try to rationalise it out of existence.

                                Because professionals jealously guard their autonomy, reserving the right to work as they see fit, professional groups have a greater-than-average tendency to become ill-disciplined - and thus a whole chapter is dedicate to how to run a meeting of such individuals.

                                I work in such a group, where there are 20 of us, probably 50:50 seniors & juniors (though we don't refer to ourselves in those terms).

                                Gripe no. 2 : However, one thing missing explicitly from the book is if there are any strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats from a geographically disparate or culturally diverse group?

                                My group is spread across 2 continents, 5 different timezones, with only 2 hours in the day when our extended workday (8am-6pm) coincides. We comprise at least 5 different nationalities & religions, and it seems many more political viewpoints. But time and time again, this material seemed to assume that this was a relatively homogeneous group, everyone was coming together physically in the same room, or at least, didn't even consider that people might be in the same geographical locations but be on the phone, and thus unable to see each others body language. My group only get together in the same room twice a year. We've evolved techniques over the 7 years we've been together to accommodate this, but I would have appreciated it more if this modern reality had been addressed?

                                I also liked the discussion on the maximum size of the group, and one correspondents rule of thumb that the group is too big if he can't tell you the name of everyone's spouse/significant other & what that person does for a living (assuming its OK culturally to ask for that information - in some cultures it's a no-no).

                                There's an excellent wrap-up where the dozens of checklist (don't let the apparent volume put you off - it's not that bad) are summarised and classified, and you are reminded in which chapters they are to be found.

                                Overall I think my group is doing quite well 80% of what is in the book, with maybe 10% that we wouldn't agree with, leaving us 10% that we could improve upon. I'm going to recommend it to everyone else.

                                5 out of 5 stars Packed with Knowledge!.......2003-10-15

                                This book is essentially a collection of practical checklists interspersed with quotations and anecdotes. It certainly meets its objective of collecting everything you need to know about managing a professional service firm's practice group. Patrick McKenna and David H. Maister present the nuts and bolts in a straightforward format. If you feel like you could use some help to do a better job of leading your group of highly trained individuals, if you've just been promoted to the ranks of management and want some guidance or, worse, if you feel like you are herding cats - in Maister's phrase - instead of leading a committed team of professional people, we are pleased to recommend this complete toolbox to you.

                                2 out of 5 stars Not as good as the ADV.......2002-11-26

                                I had high expectation from this book. However, after reading the first couple of chapters, I'm disappointed. This book, in a lot of parts, repeats what other books say, in particular "Managing the Professional Service Firm". If you read Maister's book before, you will be disappointed.

                                5 out of 5 stars Not Just Lawyers.......2002-10-27

                                Great book on inspiring and steering a professional group by design rather than by charisma. For the imaginative person, the book could be applied to any group of professionals working together - whether in business, government, or church/Mission.
                                Managing professionals. (Required Reading). (book review): An article from: Alaska Business Monthly
                                Average customer rating: Not rated
                                  Managing professionals. (Required Reading). (book review): An article from: Alaska Business Monthly
                                  Henry Holtzman
                                  Manufacturer: Alaska Business Publishing Company, Inc.
                                  ProductGroup: Book
                                  Binding: Digital
                                  ASIN: B0008F3ESM
                                  Release Date: 2005-07-30

                                  Book Description

                                  This digital document is an article from Alaska Business Monthly, published by Alaska Business Publishing Company, Inc. on March 1, 2002. The length of the article is 989 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

                                  Citation Details
                                  Title: Managing professionals. (Required Reading). (book review)
                                  Author: Henry Holtzman
                                  Publication: Alaska Business Monthly (Magazine/Journal)
                                  Date: March 1, 2002
                                  Publisher: Alaska Business Publishing Company, Inc.
                                  Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Page: 29(1)

                                  Article Type: Book Review

                                  Distributed by Thomson Gale
                                  First Among Equals: How To Manage a Group of Professionals
                                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                                    First Among Equals: How To Manage a Group of Professionals
                                    Patrick J. Mckenna
                                    Manufacturer: Free Press
                                    ProductGroup: Book
                                    Binding: Paperback
                                    ASIN: B000N7B40A

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