Book Description
In business, it is no longer necessary to sacrifice integrity and peace of mind in favor of profits. Successful Fortune 500 executive James A. Autry effectively explodes the myth that "nice guys finish last" in what is perhaps the most practical, honest and humane management book ever written -- an indispensable handbook that explores every aspect of the fine art of creative and caring leadership. A unique primer for business in the '90s, Love and Profit offers clear, direct and compassionate guidance, dealing situation by situation with the most difficult decisions every manager must inevitably face -- from motivating high achievers to letting nonproductive employees go. A rare and innovative work, it will enable you to manage brilliantly and profitably during the day ... and sleep well at night.
Customer Reviews:
Great, fresh approach!.......2007-03-04
I was delighted to find a book that puts "caring" and "leadership/management" together. At a time when so much emphasis is put on risk management in Personnel/Human Relations, it is reassuring and liberating to have support in using our natural instincts in our roles in management.
Cold lemonade on a hot afternoon.......2002-07-17
As an in-house leadership development consultant for a large company, I read alot of management books. This one is truly a keeper! It isn't full of "fad", impossible ideas about exploiting employees, just ethical ideas to consider about people, in the workplace --what should that environment should be like and how should supervisors and managers contribute to creating and sustaining it.
Reading this book is like enjoying a cold lemonade on a hot afternoon. It is a fun and easy read that really makes you stop and consider the basic, critical, beliefs about how we should treat each other -- in the workplace or anywhere.
I strongly recommend this book, which considers both "love" and "profit" in the workplace -- it is neither an oxymoron nor illegal.
An excellent management guide!.......1999-08-27
James Autry takes us right down to the fundemental source of good management and successful relationships: a deep and abiding respect for the people that we share our work and our lives with. A corporate culture is something that we create, one person at a time not some "evil other" that demands that we abandon our principles and our humanity.
Not a typical management book.......1999-01-04
Much more applicable than the one-minute manager. For people who love their work.
A most humane perspective on the science of management........1997-01-12
Like most middle managers, I sometimes feed compelled to read a management tome from time to time. Love and Profit is different! It proves that a financially successful company does not necessarily have an inverse relationship to one that is humane. Autry writes in short segments, usually of an anecdote from his career, and then analyzes it from a business perspective. There are a lot of Aha! moments in this book. This book shows us how we should treat others in all situations - which makes it all the more exceptional as a business book. The only reason there is a 9 in my rating is the poetry
Average customer rating:
|
Love & Profit: The Art of Caring Leadership
James Autry
Manufacturer: Nightingale Conant Corp (a)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
 General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
ASIN: 1555253954 |
Book Description
The newly revised Third Edition of Repair Your Own Credit can guide you out of the credit war and away from the unethical credit repair services. The truth behind these services is that they take tens of thousands of dollars every day from unsuspecting consumers already on the verge of bankruptcy, and they can't do anything to repair your credit that you can't do yourself.
Bob Hammond's Repair Your Own Credit reveals the unethical and illegal secrets of the credit repair industry from an insider's point of view and the measures you need to take to repair you credit yourself. Some topics included are:
- The importance of good credit.
- The cast of characters within the credit game.
- Tips on re-establishing and repairing your credit.
- The low-down on credit repair companies.
- What's included in your credit report and how to obtain it.
- Where to get help.
Customer Reviews:
Mediocre - doesn't focus on credit repair and needs more accuracy.......2006-07-09
I'm puzzled about this material and the author. Hammond has written severeal books about how to get bad things off of credit reports and fix credit, often times citing illegal tactics. However, in this book he attempts to educate readers about credit repair scams; some of the scams and illegal practices he was previously an advocate of. Ok about the book. It will give readers and idea of how the credit reporting system works and relates to consumers. There is a lot of talk about Experian and not enough about the other two agencies. Apparently the author was involved in litigation with Experian. The material is often repetitive making it redudant. The chapters are too short and leave the reader wanting more thorough explanations of the topics (for example: credit scoring, identity theft and credit repair) Also, his interpretation of how creditors interpret credit inquiries and other data is incorrect. The book suggest that too many inquiries = bad risk. This isn't true b/c inquiries have the least impact on FICO scores.He also notes that a person's spouse's name appears on his credit report along with his number of dependents and marrital status - All of which are not true. Summary - More emphasis should have been placed on the accuracy of the data outlined in this book but it's a pretty good start for beginners. I'd recommend The Insider's Guide to Credit Repair by K E Varner for the most up-to-date and accurate information about credit repair, id theft, and scoring.
An good choice for a basic understanding to fix your credit........2005-01-02
I read the book and have used some of the principles it presented. For the most part I thought the book brought together a fair amount of information for a novice to use in repairing ones credit.
It by all means is not the total repair guide but it really is designed for easy to understand reading and that is just what it presents and does an good job.
If I were the professional that was looking for a more comprehensive look into advanced tactics, then this book is not for you.
If you want to improve your score or fix some nagging but easier credit issues then this book works.
Curt
http://www.101-credit-debt-finance.com/
Disappointing! I have seen better........2001-05-28
As a person who knows the credit repair industry traits & practices, I am sorry to inform you this book falls short of helping any reader wanting to repair their own credit. I usally like to read 2 books a year on credit repair. I do this so I can check out the advice and knowledge of others in the credit industry. If you're looking for a book to assist you in repairing your credit,LOOK ELSEWHERE! This book gives the reader very basic information, this is information the reader probably already knows or that could be obtained from the federal trades commission or any of the 3 credit reporting agencies for FREE. I really got a good laugh when I saw chapter 5 "The Importance of Good Credit". I said to myself, "Why waste a chapter on this subject?" Anyone buying this book, or for that matter any book on the subject credit repair, is well aware of the importance of good credit!
Let's move to chapter 7 titled "Repairing Your Credit Step-by-Step". This chapter only has 12 pages.The first 7 pages are how to repair your credit and the next 5 pages are sample dispute letters. I'm sorry but this chapter should be the meat and potatoes of the book not "THE STRING BEAN". Another disappointment was chapter 9 titled "Lending Scams". This chapter has 11 pages on this subject: "WHO CARES"! This book is suppose to be about "CREDIT REPAIR". I think this book had good intentions, but just couldn't put it together. It had alot of usless information scattered throughout the book.
I feel anyone looking to repair their credit will not gain the knowledge or confidence to complete their goals with this book. The only positive thing about this book is that it is easy to read. My advice to anyone looking to repair their credit is LOOK ELSEWHERE!
I would just like to add, I just completed reading a book by BILL KELLY,JR."THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CREDIT REPAIR". Now this was a great book! I will be writing a review on this great book soon. STAY TUNED!
Lacks useful information........1999-07-26
I recieved more useful information from a pamplet my bank sent to me than from this book. This book rambles on about how good credit affects you and why it's important to have good credit. The useful information is simply repeating what most people already know - That you can write your credit agency, and for a fee get a copy of your report, and you can write them a letter disputing what's in your report. It does not give any real depth to help you straiten out your credit.
Easy to read, eye opening for the uninitiated, not a how to........1999-04-28
This book is very good for people that do not work in the fields of credit/accounting/banking, etc. Much of what it had to say I already knew, but I guess I can therefore say I agree with it. It tells you why YOU should repair your own credit and not pay someone else to do it. It tells you WHY you should do it. It gives a good bibliography.... but it does NOT tell you HOW to do it. That's really what I was looking for. I liked it well enough to buy his other book, Life After Debt, which is advertised as a how-to. I'll get back to you.
Customer Reviews:
Buy the Third Edition.......2005-06-10
I'm the author and wanted to let you know that if you're interested in this book, you may want to buy the newly updated and expanded third edition, which has been retitled The Complete Credit Repair Kit, and includes a CD and new information.
Try another book!.......2004-08-17
Very superficial information - you can do better just by doing an online search and reading that up. Save your money for a better book.
Excellent book on credit and debt.......2001-11-29
As an expert on credit and debt myself, I think this book covers the topic pretty thoroughly. I'm glad to see another book that plainly spells out that there are no easy fixes for debt and credit problems and guides the readers through it - Kristy Welsh, author of "Good Credit is Sexy".
Get information you can use!.......2001-09-25
The book told me how to get my credit report and fix it. Theres a lot of good ideas about how to save money and do a budget. I didn't know I could negotiate with creditors. This was a good buy.
Product Description
Illustrations and exercises designed to assist credit repair.
Book Description
Consumers increasingly are turning to complementary medicine, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, naturopathy, massage therapy, dietary supplements and herbs, energy healing, meditation and yoga, and mind-body therapies. This book addresses the growing interest in the legal, ethical, and regulatory aspects of integrating such care into conventional clinical settings.
Integration of divergent philosophies, paradigms, and practices requires responsible investigation, informed judgment, and open-minded yet critical study and analysis of various systems of healing. Michael H. Cohen offers providers and policymakers vitally important information by addressing questions such as credentialing, malpractice, informed consent, and liability for referrals. He describes both practical strategies for minimizing liability, as well as the necessary future evolution of the legal and regulatory structure.
Cohen also probes uncharted ethical and bioethical issues in complementary medicine and integrative health care. He further explores the connection between law, medicine, and spirituality and the role of this connection in human evolution. The book's range mirrors the integrative process itself, a process of grappling with, and meaningfully assimilating, disparate traditions and unfamiliar ways of thinking about the significance of health, body, and being.
Beyond Complementary Medicine is required reading for anyone involved in health care, including executives, insurers, managed care organizations, attorneys, ethicists, and lawmakers; physicians integrating complementary and alternative therapies; complementary and alternative medicine practitioners; medical schools, law schools, and educational institutions offering programs in health care, public health, and complementary therapies; companies manufacturing herbs and dietary supplements; and most of all, patients and their families.
Michael H. Cohen is President of the Institute for Integrative and Energy Medicine, a nonprofit organization in health care policy, ethics, and legal and regulatory affairs, and an attorney with an international practice in integrative health care.
Average customer rating:
|
Alfred True on agricultural experimentation and research (Three centuries of science in America)
Alfred Charles True
Manufacturer: Arno Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Agricultural Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
| Agronomy
| Animal Husbandry
| Aquaculture
| Bacteriology
| Biochemistry
| Biotechnology
| Chemistry
| Crop Science
| Economics
| Education
| Entomology
| Food Science
| Forestry
| General
| History
| Horticulture
| Insecticides & Pesticides
| Irrigation
| Marketing
| Soil Science
| Sustainable Agriculture
| Tropical Agriculture
General
| Agricultural Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0405125895 |
Average customer rating:
|
Troia and the Troad (Natural Science in Archaeology)
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Turkey
| Asia
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Greece
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Cultural
| Anthropology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Anthropology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Archaeology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Chemistry
| Archaeology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Methodology
| Archaeology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Biotechnology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Regional
| Geography
| Earth Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Biotechnology
| Bioengineering
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Biotechnology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
All Amazon Upgrade
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Engineering
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
History
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Professional & Technical
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Science
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Professional
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Science
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 3540437118 |
Book Description
When reconstructing the past, the archaeologist needs to take into account all kinds of relevant information. Where no written evidence is available, the natural sciences play an indispensable role. Troia is a remarkable site in this respect. The present Troia project, under the directorship of Manfred Korfmann, integrates various disciplines including geoarchaeology, archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, anthropology, geophysical prospection as well as chemical and technological studies of metal, stone and pottery. Hardly any other archaeological project is supported so intensely and on such a broad scale by archaeometric investigations as the international research group in Troia. In April 2001 an International Symposium was held in Heidelberg, Germany, with the aim of promoting scientific interaction and providing synopses of the various disciplines engaged in Troia. This volume contains most of the contributions presented at the symposium.
Book Description
Stephen J. Gould, Harvard professor, claims that "professionally trained scientists virtually to a person, understand the factual basis of evolution and don't dispute it." This book refutes that statement with essays from 50 doctorate-holding scientists from around the globe who give sound reasoning and evidence for believing in a literal six-day creation.
Customer Reviews:
Good book........2007-08-22
This is a good book.
It is not technical at all, which is a good factor.
This book provides collection of short essays why various scientists decided to hold to a young earth creationism.
There are some good points to learn.
I personally enjoyed reading it.
Recommended!!!
50 Scientists admitting their presuppositions!.......2007-06-22
I too love this book. All of the scientists who contributed to this work are well credentialed. Their explanations, for why they believe the biblical account of Creation in Genesis 1, are compelling. They don't throw their brains out the window in order to believe the Bible. So how can they reconcile the Bible with Science?
This is the point that some of the reviewers who have posted here don't get: all scientists have presuppositions. They start out with certain beliefs that guide their conclusions. Postmodernism has taught us that there is no such thing as pure objectivity. As the philosopher of science, Paul Feyerabend, has written, "...there is hardly any difference between the members of a primitive tribe who defend their laws because they are the laws of the gods... and a rationalist who appeals to objective standards, except that the former know what they are doing while the latter does not" (Science in a Free Society [London: Verso, 1983], p. 82).
These scientists admit their presuppositions--a rare thing for scientists to do! Most simply pretend to be "objective" and rule out any possibility of supernatural causes because of their philosophical beliefs (e.g., atheism, naturalism). I applaude the contributors to this book. Their intellectual honesty no-doubt makes them better scientists. And I challenge the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students of science who read this review to also read this book and then ask themselves this question: Do I have the guts to admit to myself that the philosophical presuppositions that I have greatly influence my perspective? And how do I know that my philosophical presuppositions are correct and those of these 50 scientists in this book are not?
I highly recommend this book for thinking people. But, as you can see from some of these reviews, prejudiced people won't like it.
A real gem .......2007-06-03
I love this book, really love it. This is one of the gemstones of my private little library and highly recommended.
Don't take me wrong here. I'm not, repeat not, repeat not, a "young earth creationist", or any other kind of creationist. Precisely for that reason, I adore this book. This collection of testimonies from 50 Christian-fundamentalist scientists PROVE that creationism is bogus, and that people adopt it for religious and psychological reasons, NOT for scientific ones.
Unsurprisingly, the book is published by Answers in Genesis, one of the more extreme creationist groups, substantially worse than even the notorious "Institute for Creation Research".
I will now take the libery and quote extensively from this book, hopefully without breaking any copyright rules. All these quotes are for review puposes only!
>>>>>ANDREW SNELLING (p. 280): I believe in the creation of life by God in six literal days, and in God's destruction of life and the earth by a year-long cataclysmic global flood, for two reasons - first, and foremost, because the Bible clearly records these events as real, literal history, and second, because the scientific evidence, correctly understood, is totally consistent with this biblical account. As a geologist I continue to find scientific investigation of God's world very satisfying and exhilarating, because I always discover that ultimately the evidence in God's world agrees with what I read in God's Word.>>>>
Comment: Andrew Snelling believes in creationism first and foremost because the Bible tells him so. He then distorts the scientific evidence to "prove" his point. This is science?
>>>>>STEPHEN TAYLOR (p. 284) I became a Christian at the age of 16 by seeking forgiveness for my sins and committing my life to the Lord Jesus Christ in a simple prayer. Although aware of the apparent contradiction between science and the Bible, the fact that Jesus believed in the Genesis account as historically true was enough to convince me as a young Christian that I should also! The disciple is not above His Lord. Many years later, I am more than ever convinced not only of the truth of the Christian gospel , but also of the harmony between the biblical revelation and true science. It is extremely important to realise that, contrary to what we are often told, there is no proven fact of science that can be shown to contradict the biblical account. When scientific theories appear to contradict, it is important to examine the evidence for and interpretation behind such ideas.>>>>>
Comment: Same basic story. At the age of 16, this man decided for some kind of psychological reasons to embrace a narrow, fundamentalist form of Trinitarian evangelical Christianity. Later, he distorted science to fit his preconcieved subjective dogma!
>>>>> ELAINE KENNEDY (s. 294-295) Those of us who believe in a short chronology and a six-day creation do not have an adequate explanation for radiometric dates; however, we do know that much research needs to be done and we know multiple interpretations of the distributions concerning the processes involved are possible. Despite this possibility, dates are often used to refute biblical chronologies as though no questions or arguments oppose these conclusions. When interpreting scientific data, I use the same techniques and approaches as my colleagues, but my assumptions come from my biblical paradigm. I often recognise conflicts; indeed, the geologic literature reminds my daily that conflict exists, and many aspects of the geologic record are difficult to explain to the satisfaction of my colleagues or myself. This does not mean that they are correct and I am wrong, but rather that much research needs to be done. This attitude seems an impossible bias to some, but I find my faith leaves me open to alternatives, while I continually question the interpretations in my work because of my science. (...) Although I have been a Christian since I was seven years of age, it was not until I was in the midst of my geologic education that I decided to include my geologic assumptions within a biblical world view. In effect, I realised that I consider God's revelation more valid than human reason, because I experience His recreative power in my life daily.>>>>>
Comment: Elaine Kennedy admits that scientific evidence disproves the Bible, but she has decided to remain a creationist anyway, for purely psychological reasons, "because I experience His recreative power in my life daily". How sad. She could have become a good geologist.
>>>>GEOFF DOWNES (s. 310-311) I chose to accept the Bible as the basis for all my thinking, and understand Genesis in the plain sense in which it was written. I could not explain all the things that I observed in nature within that framework, and I still cannot. But I knew that, if these lecturers could be inconsistent in the sense that they were not able to make the evolutionary framework fit the evidence at every point, then I could also hold in "tension" those areas of science that I could not explain within a creationist framework. My understanding of the creationist perspective became steadily stronger in its ability to accommodate and explain the real scientific evidence.>>>>
Comment: Same basic story as Elaine Kennedy.
And finally, the ultimate gem of them all, a real shocker, already a classic, and suitable placed at the very last of the book.
>>>>KURT P. WISE (s. 332) Although there are scientific reasons for accepting a young earth, I am a young-age creationist because that is my understanding of the Scripture. As I shared with my professors years ago when I was in college, if all the evidence in the universe turns against creationism, I would be the first to admit it, but I would still be creationist because that is what the Word of God seems to indicate. Here I must stand.>>>>>
And there you do indeed stand.
As for the Earth (and science), "and yet she moves".
Warmly recommended.
They really need some new arguments.......2007-04-21
I was guided to this book by a friend as their source for the Evolution/Creation discussion we where having. At one point they threw up their hands and said "Read the book". So I did.
Bad arguments, misleading definitions, huge leaps in logic that a first year would question, misrepresenting evidence, and assuming the bible is a inerrant source are all the fallacies in this book. I was also hoping to run into something that isn't on a PRATT list now or an argument I haven't heard yet, but no luck.
Granted, there are a few nuggets in the book of questions that science haven't answered yet, but because science doesn't know doesn't mean that god did it. It just means they don't know yet.
And that I think it the biggest problem with the book. It acts like science is complete and knows all it is going to know, and that the bible has all the answers. In truth, science will never know everything but has the best discription of how the universe works now and is willing to correct itself if proven wrong, and the bible was written by people who wrote based on their limited understanding of the universe who didn't know what we know now, and these 50 scientists don't want it to be wrong.
Thought Provoking.......2007-01-16
This is a great read for believers and unbelievers alike. It provides scientific support that enhances the faith of those who already believe in creation and challenges those who don't to consider whether thier belief makes sense.
Average customer rating:
|
Few-cycle Laser Pulse Generation and its Applications
Franz X. KSrtner
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Electrical & Electronics
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Electronics
| Electrical & Electronics
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Physics
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Optics
| Physics
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Optics
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Lasers
| Light
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
All Amazon Upgrade
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Engineering
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Professional & Technical
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Science
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 3540201157 |
Book Description
This book covers the physics, technology and applications of short pulse laser sources that generate pulses with durations of only a few optical cycles. The basic design considerations for the different systems such as lasers, parametric amplifiers and external compression techniques which have emerged over the last decade are discussed to give researchers and graduate students a thorough introduction to this field. The existence of these sources has opened many new fields of research that were not possible before. These are UV and EUV generation from table-top systems using high-harmonic generation, frequency metrology enabling optical frequency counting, high-resolution optical coherence tomography, strong-field ultrafast solid-state processes and ultrafast spectroscopy, to mention only a few. Many new applications will follow. The book attempts to give a comprehensive, while not excessive, introduction to this exciting new field that serves both experienced researchers and graduate students entering the field.
The first half of the book covers the current physical principles, processes and design guidelines to generate pulses in the optical range comprising only a few cycles of light. Such as the generation of relatively low energy pulses at high repetition rates directly from the laser, parametric generation of medium energy pulses and high-energy pulses at low repetition rates using external compression in hollow fibers. The applications cover the revolution in frequency metrology and high-resolution laser spectroscopy to electric field synthesis in the optical range as well as the emerging field of high-harmonic generation and attosecond science, high-resolution optical imaging and novel ultrafast dynamics in semiconductors. These fields benefit from the strong electric fields accompanying these pulses in solids and gases during events comprising only a few cycles of light.
Average customer rating:
- A Study of Prejudice
- Sinclair Lewis almost laughs American racism into impotence
- Lewis was a genius to have written this book in 1947!
- Great Lewis
- Truth in black and white
|
Kingsblood Royal (Modern Library Classics)
Sinclair Lewis
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Johnson, Charles
| ( J )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Lewis, Sinclair
| ( L )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Johnson, Charles
| African American
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Soul Sister (30th Anniversary Edition)
-
If He Hollers Let Him Go: A Novel (Himes, Chester)
ASIN: 0375756868
Release Date: 2001-04-10 |
Book Description
A neglected tour de force by the first American to win the Nobel Prize in literature,
Kingsblood Royal is a stirring and wickedly funny portrait of a man who resigns from the white race. When Neil Kingsblood a typical middle-American banker with a comfortable life makes the shocking discovery that he has African-American blood, the odyssey that ensues creates an unforgettable portrayal of two Americas, one black, one white.
As timely as when it was first published in 1947, one need only open today's newspaper to see the same issues passionately being discussed between blacks and whites that we find in
Kingsblood Royal, says Charles Johnson. Perhaps only now can we fully appreciate Sinclair Lewis's astonishing achievement.
Customer Reviews:
A Study of Prejudice.......2005-07-05
This is the fifth book of Sinclair Lewis's that I have read. Like the previous two I completed; "Main Street" and "Elmer Gantry", "Kingsblood Royal" seems dated but still conveys a very timeless message. This novel is about a man of prominance in a Northern Minnesota city (I figured it to be a composite of Bemidji and Grand Rapids) who suddenly finds out he is descended from a Negro. He goes through a transformation of perspective on racial issues. In time, he declares himself publicly to be a "Negro". The effects of this declaration demonstrate the prejudices and ignorances (pardon the redundancy) of the US in the immediate post-WWII years.
Sinclair Lewis does a compelling job of ferreting out the evils of racial prejudices by showing how one previously accepted man of importance descends to the level of a societal pariah. Close friends turn away, well-meaning people succumb to pressure and cease their assistance, family members disavow him. At the same time, we become familiar with the Black residents of Grand Republic who share their trials and tribulations. I was impressed by how well Lewis covered his subject from so many angles. In doing so, he challenges the reader to examine where he or she would find themselves among the varied characters in "Kingsblood Royal"
My complaint about the book is somewhat qualified. Mr. Kingsblood is 1/32 Negro yet he grabs onto that as his racial identity after living his life unaware of it. I'm 1/32 Irish but I don't consider myself to therefore be Irish. It's one thing to discover your long lost father; it's quite another to discover your long lost great great great grandfather. I suspect that this was what Lewis felt he needed to do to make the story otherwise believable and to point out, as well, how the stereotypes of that period would identify such a small percentage as making no difference in definition. I'll grant him that privilege given that he wrote such an excellent book.
Sinclair Lewis almost laughs American racism into impotence.......2005-06-01
KINGSBLOOD ROYAL is a 1947 novel rich in sometimes unintended, sometimes avoidable consequences as a basically dull, average American Neil Kingslbood plods back into American business humdrum. He had been wounded in 1943 as a Captain in the US Army. He "piously" (after the fashion of the Roman hero Aeneas) promises his father to look into a family legend (communicated surprisingly late to the hero) that the Kingsbloods are descendants of English royalty. Nothing is clear one way on the other on the paternal side of genealogy. But interviews with his father's mother and then with a Minnesota historian reveal first that Neil's great, great, great maternal grandfather, the Canadian voyageur Xavier Pic, had a Chippewa wife. And shortly thereafter there is convincing documentary evidence that Pic himself was 100% black, having been born on the isle of Martinique around 1750.
That makes the startled Neil Kingsblood both 1/32 black as well as heavily Native American. What to do about it? There had been and was still no suspicion among any family members or friends and business colleagues that the Kingsbloods were (by certain American, mainly Southern, standards) legally black. No one need therefore ever find out. And it was pretty clear that if the word got out, the results would not be pretty.
Yet Neil, a man not otherwise noted for boldness or delicate conscience, decides to "come out," even after being advised not to by newfound black friends in the city of Grand Republic, Minnesota. The results are even more awful than a reader nearly 60 years after the fictional events might imagine. Neil loses job after job. His wife is socially ostracized. Eventually even his young daughter is snubbed as well. Family members of his generation beg him to keep quiet. When he does not, a marriage does not take place. A divorce occurs. Neil is blamed for his father's sudden death. Bloody mindedness spreads.
At the end of the novel, the hero, his family and some armed black friends fire on an angry mob massing at the Kingsblood home after community leaders fail to persuade them to move out of the semi-prestigious all-white neighborhood. The police move in to arrest Neil and others but exempt Neil's wife Vestal, daughter of a community leader. She however remains true to Neil to the end. She assures her arrest by hitting a policeman over the head with a pistol.
The story may sound far-fetched. But remember 1925 when black Doctor Ossian Sweet moved into an angry previously all white neighborhood on the East Side of Detroit. Shots from inside Sweet's house killed a demonstrator outside. Defended by Clarence Darrow, Sweet was acquitted. (No one was killed in KINGSBLOOD ROYAL). But racial violence rose through the next twenty years in Detroit.
Anti-black racism was still strong in 1947 when KINGSBLOOD ROYAL hit the streets. In some small way Sinclair Lewis may have almost succeeded in laughing American racial idiocy away.
Lewis was a genius to have written this book in 1947! .......2004-09-11
I began to read the book not knowing what the subject matter was. As it unfolded, I became fascinated with the story and the time in which it was written. The main character is in fact noble in character & his wife recognizes it by trying to emulate him. I look forward to reading many more of Lewis' novels.
Great Lewis.......2003-04-29
Kingsblood Royal is largely successful at what it attempts. The reason I didn't give it five stars is because there are a few one dimensional characters in it. Though Lewis tries for complexity in his African American characters, in a few of them, he misses the mark. And occasionally the book suffers from that "can't we all just get along" ness that enlightened Caucasians can't help but aim for in books like these. Overall, though, the book is a great success. What struck me time and time again, was the rage with which this nation has demonstrated its belief in the resolute inferiority of black African genes. That having only 1/32nd black African ancestry could cause people to view you entirely differently, proves the potency of the belief that one drop of identifiable black African blood, poisons the entire pool. I recommend this book to anyone who seeks to really understand the racial craziness of America.
Truth in black and white.......2002-08-20
What if you discovered you were part black? Only 1/32nd, not enough to darken your skin, but beyond the pale in 1947. When Neil Kingsblood uncovers his heritage, he also discovers his conscience, finding it difficult, finally impossible to not express his outrage at the racial status quo.
It is important to note that Kingsblood has so internalized the beliefs of his community about racial purity that he soon comes to see himself as being a "Negro," and not simply the bearer of a small amount of nonwhiteness (something not unusual in America). When he comes out--a phrase Kingsblood often uses and one that takes on additional resonance today--the white community instantly sees him as being a racial imposter, a black outsider. He understands his transgression, he knows what he is losing, but does it anyway, and even when further experience reveals just how much is at stake, he does not back down, giving Kingsblood a nobility he lacked before the revelation.
Lewis's characters are felt-through creations, not cardboard cutouts. Although the novel's violent conclusion was considered melodramatic by white critics back then, several decades of truth-telling since 1947 have proven the hard-core truth of Lewis's premise: racism and violence go hand in hand.
But what gives the novel its emotional drive is Kingsblood's relationship with his wife, Vestal. Not an outright bigot--she's too well-bred for that--Vestal is both fiercely loyal to her husband and dismayed by his annoucement, yet over the course of the novel you see her attempts at growth and in the novel's denoument, her final decision.
It's a novel that is suited for adaptation to the screen, with the added advantage nowadays of there being so many well-known African-American actors. A quality movie, in fact, would be much in line with Lewis's ethos of writing in an accessible style to reach the masses but with a social activist message. It would be an eloquent rebuttal of the novel's initial poor reception.
Average customer rating:
|
Kingsblood Royal
Manufacturer: Panther
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000DCNGOW |
Books:
- Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends
- Magic Words: 101 Ways to Talk Your Way Through Life's Challenges
- Make It So You Don't Have to Fake It!: 55 Fast-Acting Strategies for Long-Lasting Success
- Manage Your Time, Your Work, Yourself
- Managing Your Mouth: An Owner's Manual for Your Most Important Business Asset
- Men and Women of the Corporation
- Millionaire's Handbook: Words of Worth...Sage Advice for Success in Business and Life
- On the Job: How to Make It in the Real World of Work
- Organize Your Office! Simple Routines for Managing Your Workspace (Revised and Updated)
- Organized to Be the Best!: New Timesaving Ways to Simplify and Improve How You Work
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- 10 Secrets to Successful Home Buying and Selling: Using Your Housing Psychology to Make Smarter Deci
- Zen Shorts
- Women, Art, and Spirituality: The Poor Clares of Early Modern Italy
- Who Killed Jesus
- When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost : My Life as A Hip Hop Feminist
- West Side Story
- Working With Wildlife: A Guide to Careers in the Animal World
- The World Almanac Job Finder's Guide 1997
- Working in Ski Resorts - Europe & North America, 4th
- Walking Tall: An Autobiography
The Servant Leader: How to Build a Creative Team, Develop Great Morale, and Improve Bottom-Line Performance
The Book of Hard Choices: How to Make the Right Decisions at Work and Keep Your Self-Respect
Life & Work: A Manager's Search for Meaning
Looking Around for God: The Oddly Reverent Observations of an Unconventional Christian
Leadership Is an Art
