Business Law: For 2005 Exams (Cima Official Study System S.)

Book Description

The 2005 edition of CIMA's Official Study Systems are published by Elsevier on behalf of CIMA. Key sections of the 2005 Study Systems are again written by examiners so each text fully reflects what could be tested in the exam.

Updated to incorporate legislative and syllabus changes, the 2005 Study Systems provide complete study material for the May and November 2005 exams. The new edition maintains the popular loose-leaf format and contains:
* practice questions throughout
* complete revision section
* topic summaries
* recommended reading articles from a range of journals
* CBA style mock exam

* The official study systems are the only study materials endorsed by CIMA
* Key sections written by examiners for the most accurate, up-to-date guidance towards exam success
* Complete integrated package incorporating syllabus guidance, full text, recommended articles, revision guides and extensive question practice

2005 Kentucky Contractors Business and Law Reference Manual

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2005 Kentucky Contractors Business and Law Reference Manual

Manufacturer: Renegade Companies Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000EYQ6MI

Product Description

Includes the information necesary to prepare for the required Kentucky licensed contractor examination.

Amazon.com

The Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome, by Jean-Francois Manzoni and Jean-Louis Barsoux, looks into the negative dynamics that unintentionally but unequivocally define far too many relationships between bosses and the people who report to them. More importantly, it also proposes ways to attack the problem where it exists and to keep it from occurring elsewhere. Manzoni and Barsoux, researchers at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, first addressed the issue in a 1998 Harvard Business Review article examining how "bosses unwittingly set up some of their subordinates to fail and, more generally, mismanage many of the subordinates they regard as acceptable but lower-than-average performers." After discussing the various causes and effects of this behavior--including why responses from both sides tend to generate "an escalating spiral of malaise and underperformance"--the authors present assorted remedies (such as "the mental adjustments bosses must make before trying to interrupt" this conduct), a framework for interventions (with details, for example, on handling discussions between two parties whose rapport has deteriorated), and a litany of preventive measures (including specific suggestions for getting new relationships off to a positive start). Very well researched with solid, practical advice. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

Does this scenario sound familiar?
An employee you manage slips up somehow: a missed deadline, a lost account, or a weak presentation. You decide to oversee that person's work more closely. After all, if your direct reports aren't delivering, it's your head that will roll. To further your frustration, the more you "help," the worse the employee's performance becomes. What's going on?

In this eye-opening book, leadership experts Jean-François Manzoni and Jean-Louis Barsoux expose a disturbing and surprisingly rampant phenomenon. While common wisdom assumes that so-called poor performers fail in spite of their boss's best efforts, this book demonstrates exactly the opposite. In many cases, a boss's attitudes and behaviors actually cause or "set up" certain individuals-including those with great potential-to fail.

Based on ten years of study into boss-subordinate relationships, Manzoni and Barsoux show that this Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome is not confined to relationships with the proverbial "boss from hell." Even respected leaders-whether CEOs, teachers, or coaches-get caught up in it. The problem stems from the fact that while most managers empower and encourage star performers, they tend to micromanage and control perceived "weaker" performers in ways that stifle self-confidence and drive. The unwitting result: The latter group lives down to expectations, rather than living up to its true potential.

The cost of the Syndrome, say Manzoni and Barsoux, goes well beyond the lost productivity of a few individuals. It also threatens to derail careers, takes a heavy toll on morale, and hampers overall organizational results. Through dozens of interviews, illustrative stories, and compelling research, they show how readers can:

Determine whether they are involved in a set-up-to-fail dynamic,
Recognize the mental biases that cause bosses to trigger the cycle,
Understand how subordinates contribute to fueling the problem,
Take specific steps to interrupt the cycle through proactive interventions, and
Prevent the Syndrome altogether by managing relationships differently.

For anyone with influence on an individual's potential, this book offers powerful ways to improve performance-and quality of life-in any organizational setting.

Jean-François Manzoni is Associate Professor of Management and founding director of the research initiative on High Performance Organizations at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. Jean-Louis Barsoux is a Senior Research Fellow at INSEAD.

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Why do some employees perform poorly? Most managers would answer this question by ticking off a list that includes weak skills, insufficient experience, inability to prioritize assignments, or sometimes even a lack of motivation. In other words, most managers would contend that poor performance is the employee's fault. But is it? Not always, according to Jean-Francois Manzoni, assistant professor at INSEAD, and Jean-Louis Barsoux, research fellow at INSEAD. Their research with hundreds of executives strongly suggests that it is bosses themselves--albeit accidentally and with the best intentions--who are often responsible for an employee's sub-par achievement. They call this dynamic "The Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome," and in this provocative look at what makes--and sustains--dysfunctional work relationships, the authors conclude with a detailed description of how to break out of the negative spiral that can drain both individuals and organizations of valuable productive energy.

Customer Reviews:

Set-up-to-fail behavioral anti-pattern is more frequent than one can think..........2005-09-23

I find this book extremely interesting and definitely worth of reading. It sheds lights on the well known situation when trying to help a person a manager can actually make things even worse.

*** Whom this book could be interesting for? ***

I believe this book would be interesting for managers of all possible levels since the subject of the book seems to be relevant for all kind of people whose job description is involving management of any kind - regardless if it is a top-management or a team coaching. The above can be applied to parents since growing children sometimes is very close to managing and coaching.

Sometimes people tend to give grades to other people, such as "strong" or "weak". What if the person giving such grades is a manager? How can this affect the behavioral pattern of a person marked as the "weak"? Is this person really "weak" and relatively to whom is he or she "weak"? How managers and "weak" employees build biased opinion towards each other? All these questions are carefully and step-by-step discussed in the book.

It is very important to know that this publication is actually a result of researches performed by the authors and based on real life. It is even more interesting that according to author's words, the described behavioral anti-pattern can be noticed in different cultures. In other words, the book reveals the tendency that can be noticed in many places regardless of the cultural conditions.

*** Summary ***

The book is extremely interesting as a research study on the subject. It contains many examples from the real life while some of them are given with concrete names of well-known Managers and this fact makes the book even more exciting to read.

Common Wisdom: Insidious & Pernicious.......2004-03-12

This work deftly weaves those seemingly abstract and academic studies Psychology 101 students have been reading about for 40 years into the fabric of everyday work experience. The authors are able to put the subtle pattern into high resolution, which at first appears shocking, then depressing, and finally, hopeful.

It was depressing to think that the syndrome is both insidious and pernicious because the common wisdom of most coaching models is a key driver of the syndrome. That is, when a manager notices a performance problem, the appropriate response is to give the person feedback and put them on a "short leash" so that the employee gets extra guidance. On the face, this starts a chain of events:
* Employee perceives the lack of trust, feels cramped by the limited autonomy, as well as being under appreciated.
* Employee responds by withdrawing and reducing unnecessary contact with the boss.
* The Boss takes the withdrawal as confirmation the this is indeed a weaker performer and so shortens the leash even more.
* Progressively, the employee begins to doubt her own capability and ability to contribute, and
* The ugly cycle continues in a downward spiral and the employee has been successfully set up to fail.

It was hopeful to realize that the dynamic is not really based in the coaching model at all. It is based in the very human tendency to categorize and label. It is the common wisdom that there are three kinds of employees: the Stars (or A-Players), the Worker Bees (or B-Players), and the Deadwood (or C-Players). The problem lies in the labeling and how the manager relates to the Worker Bee employee. The Stars have close partnerships with the Boss and are treated as `trusted assistants." The Worker Bees, on the other hand, have low quality relationships with the Boss and are treated as "hired hands." This stark differentiation in the quality of relationship, based on the label is at the root of the issue. Curt Coffman of the Gallup Organization has said, "We're running as an economy at a 30% efficiency rate because so many workers are not contributing as much as they can..." because a disconnect with an immediate supervisor.

Psychologists say that "Perception is not reality." That is truth in their offices; truth in the workplace is, "Perception IS reality." Unfortunate but true. Manzoni & Barsoux do the business world a great service because they clearly and skillfully lay out how our perception creates unintended bias. This awareness is required by both the Boss and the Subordinate to be able to stop the dysfunctional "dance" that occurs when the Set-Up-To-Fail Syndrome is at work. The hope that they present is that awareness leads to re-evaluation and the reduction of bias.

This is one powerful book; buy it, read it, talk about it.

Good Analysis But Bad Prescription.......2003-12-17

Being one authored by INSEAD experts, I bought the book with high expectations, believing that FINALLY the truth can be out!!! I read the first few chapters of the book so religiously (almost treating it like my Bible), taking down key points that are so wonderfully said about the self-fulfilling prophecy that many managers have set themselves up to, i.e. to fail. What's disappointing as I come to the middle portion of the book is that authors suggestion on how managers can avoid the SUTF syndrome by taking the first step (not to mention swallowing all their ego and pride) and start initiating a de-SUTF relationship with his/her subordinate even if it means this person might eventually have a chance of not improving at all (due to job mis-fit)??? I returned the book and bought and digested "First Break All Rules" instead.

The Negative Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.......2003-05-27

This book is based on more than fifteen years of extended and combined research whose primary objective was to reveal the reasons why so many in positions of authority, especially bosses, are so ineffective when managing their subordinates, especially their perceived weaker performers. That is to say, supervisors are often unaware of the fact that they are "complicit in an employee's lack of success. How? By creating and reinforcing a dynamic that essentially sets up perceived weaker performers to fail." Hence the title of Manzoni and Barsoux's book. The authors explain the causes and effects of that "dynamic" (see "Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome," Chapter 3) and also explain how to avoid it ("Preventing the Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome: Lessons from the Syndrome Busters," Chapter 9). One of this book's most valuable contributions is comprised of a series of "Tables" which organize and summarize key points. For example:

Table 2-1: "How Bosses See Their Behavior toward Subordinates" which contrasts tendencies of bosses in relationships with weaker and stronger performers.

Table 5-1: "Taking Sides" which presents two views of the same supervisor's observed behavior either as a "great boss" or as an "impossible boss."

Table 7-2: "Taking Responsibility Away from an Employee" which juxtaposes a supervisor's thoughts and feelings about a subordinate with their interaction in dialogue.

Manzoni and Barsoux assert that the set-up-to-fail syndrome is "both self-fulfilling and self-reinforcing, which obscures the boss's responsibility in the process as well as some of the key psychological and social mechanisms involved." My own experience suggests an often great discrepancy exists between modes of behavior determined by conscious and unconscious mindsets. That is to say, many supervisors would vehemently deny that they are "complicit in an employee's lack of success....[by] creating and reinforcing a dynamic that essentially sets up perceived weaker performers to fail." Nonetheless they are. Were they to read this book, they would probably agree that there is such a syndrome and then lament how unfair it is to subordinates who are victimized by it.

One final point. Countless research studies of face-to-face communication have arrived at essentially the same conclusion: Body language creates 60-75% of the impact, tone of voice 15-20%, and content (i.e. what is actually said) only 10-15%. (Percentages vary among research studies but only slightly.) With the publication of this book, Manzoni and Barsoux have made a substantial contribution to our understanding of a widespread but, until now, neglected cause of human dysfunction in the workplace. Whether intentionally or not, a supervisor can sometimes create irreparable damage, especially to those who already feel insecure, by a negative and demeaning "message" which need not be expressed in words but comes through loud and clear nonetheless.

Relationship between leadership and subordinate performance.......2002-02-22

Jean-Francois Manzoni is Assistant Professor of Accounting and Control at French business school INSEAD; Jean-Louis Barsoux is a Research Fellow at INSEAD. Barsoux is also co-author of 'Managing Across Cultures' (1997). This Harvard Business Review article was published in March-April 1998.

This article is based on two studies designed to better understand the causal relationship between leadership style and subordinate performance - or in other words, how bosses and subordinates mutually influence each other's behavior. Those studies suggest that bosses - albeit accidentally and usually with the best intentions - are often complicit in an employee's lack of success. Manzoni and Barsoux use the term 'set-up-to-fail syndrome' to describe a dynamic "in which employees perceived to be mediocre or weak performers live down to the low expectations their managers have for them." The set-up-to-fail syndrome usually begins surreptitiously and underlying the syndrome are several assumptions/generalizations about weaker performers that bosses appear to accept uniformly. The authors describe these assumptions/generalizations and the impact they have on organizations and relationships. The two costs of the syndrome are the emotional cost paid by the associate and the organizational cost associated with the company's failure to get the best out of an employee. Other costs to consider, often indirect and long term, are: Sapping of the boss' emotional and physical energy, the impact on the boss' reputation, and the impact on the team (team spirit, time management, etc.). So how can we break out of this syndrome? The authors provide a five components framework for effective interventions but they warn that these interventions do not take place very often. In line with the recent emphasis on emotional intelligence, they conclude that higher emotional involvement and investment from bosses is the key to getting the subordinates to work to their full potential.

Good article into a very familiar problem, not just to organizations but also to people. The 'set-up-to-fail syndrome' is mostly based on generalizations by managers and bosses, but is difficult to reverse. The authors provide a solution which is primarily based on emotional intelligence, which is still difficult to learn. I recommend this article as an complement to Daniel Goleman's articles and books into emotional intelligent leadership and management. The authors use simple business US-English.

Product Description

# Solutions to real-life M&A problems as they arise in negotiations # Step-by-step analysis of typical and non-typical transactional permutations # Checklists, flow charts, and other at-a-glance practice materialsWhether you represent the buyer, the seller, or another interested party, you can go straight to a model agreement that gives you: # A complete document structured to embody your client's interest # Clauses addressing a wide variety of specific situations # Specific language for even the smallest variations you're likely to encounter # Includes CD-ROM containing Mergers, Acquisitions, and Buyouts: Sample Acquisition Agreements Recently updated with: # New step-by-step methods for structuring transactions, with tax, SEC, corporate, HSR, accounting and other considerations # New table summarizing and contrasting terms of pro-buyer, pro-seller, and neutral stock & asset purchase agreements # New 2005 legislation, regulations, rulings, and court decisions impacting M&A transactions

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Buyouts (4 Volume Print Set, December 2004)

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Mergers, Acquisitions, and Buyouts (4 Volume Print Set, December 2004)
Martin D. Ginsberg , and Jack S. Levin
Manufacturer: Aspen Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0735548676

Book Description

When structuring mergers and acquisitions, there's only one way to be sure that you've thought of all the tax and legal consequences: rely on Martin D. Ginsburg and Jack S. Levin as you plan, develop, and execute your strategy. In this 4-volume print set these expert practitioners offer you:

Solutions to real-life M&A problems as they arise in negotiations
Step-by-step analysis of typical and non-typical transactional permutations
Checklists, flow charts, and other at-a-glance practice materials
Whether you represent the buyer, the seller, or another interested party, you can go straight to a model agreement that gives you:
A complete document structured to embody your client's interest
Clauses addressing a wide variety of specific situations
Specific language for even the smallest variations you're likely to encounter
Includes CD-ROM containing Mergers, Acquisitions, and Buyouts: Sample
Acquisition Agreements
Recently updated with:

Book Description

Whether you represent the buyer, the seller, or another interested party, you can go straight to a model agreement that gives you:
A complete document structured to embody your client's interest
Clauses addressing a wide variety of specific situations
Specific language for even the smallest variations you're likely to encounter
Includes CD-ROM containing Mergers, Acquisitions, and Buyouts: Sample Acquisition Agreements

Recently updated with:

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The Search for the Mystery Planet: Space Math (I Love Math)
Time-Life Books
Manufacturer: Time-Life Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Math | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
Astronomy | Astronomy | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
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From Head to Toe, Body Math (I Love Math)

Right in Your Own Backyard: Nature Math (I Love Math)

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Play Ball: Sports Math (I Love Math, No 6)

ASIN: 0809499827

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THE SEARCH FOR THE MYSTERY PLANET - SPACE MATH

Manufacturer: Time-Life for Children
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H3N7AA

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The search for the mystery planet: Space math (I love math)

Manufacturer: Time-Life for Children
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Math | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books | Advanced | Algebra | Arithmetic | Fiction | Fractions | General | Geometry
ASIN: 0809499835

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The Search For The Mystery Planet Space Math

Manufacturer: Time Life Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JD2BMI

Book Description

Praise for The Laboratory Handbook by Gary S. Coyne

"This is probably the most useful volume I have encountered for many years and should be made compulsory reading for all those involved in research, particularly new research students."
-Chromatographia

"The book will be valuable for readers needing to understand the theory and proper use, cleaning, and storing methods of laboratory equipment. Safety issues are thoroughly covered. The book is a useful 'how-to-use' reference for students, novices, and experienced laboratory personnel."
-JACS

An updated version of the critically acclaimed Laboratory Handbook, this guide to laboratory materials, equipment, and techniques is an important resource for students as well as veteran scientists and lab technicians.

From vacuum technology and glass vacuum systems to volumetric glassware, gas-oxygen torches, and cryogenic tanks, The Laboratory Companion provides complete coverage of all commonly used lab equipment, including essential information about its selection, use, cleaning, and maintenance. It clearly explains the historical development and rationale behind how and why things are done in the lab, and includes helpful guidelines and step-by-step procedures for each topic discussed.

Since glassware is typically the most prevalent type of lab equipment, much of the book is devoted to the properties and handling of glass apparatus, with additional material on rubber and plastic tubing, corks, stoppers, and O-rings. Readers will also find broad coverage of measurement systems, high- and low-temperature apparatus and techniques, compressed gases, vacuum systems, and other essential subjects.

Customer Reviews:

Highly reccommend to anyone using lab equipment.......2007-04-30

Mr. Coyne's experience and reseach shines through in the text. He includes excellent reference materials, charts and tables guide you on many practical lab activities, from simple, such as how to insert tubing into rubber stoppers, to complex, as in operating vacumn devices. In view of the excellent job he did in this book, I have requested that he consider writing a second in a series addressing how, why and when to use specific or unusual glassware, such as Graham, Allihn, and the various kinds of condensers, drying tubes, separatory funnels and the many other types of specialized glassware there seems to be little published about.

clinical laboratories methods.......2000-06-03

i want to review the some clinical laboratories methods ;as serology,parasitology ....andhematology.

Most useful book in the lab!.......1998-03-08

The usefulness of this text rivals the CRC Handbook. It has a good balance of readable text and reference material, and everything is well arranged and easy to find. It's well worth Amazon's asking price (which is what I paid at the college bookstore).

An essential handbook for Chemistry labs........1997-11-05

Coyne's book shares a wealth of information regarding laboratory equipment such as standard glassware, volumetrics, vacuum greases and oils. It also manages to cover fundamental basic vacuum and air sensitive techniques in terms that don't require a Phd. I highly recommend this book to Chemistry technicians , graduate students and scientists as a reference guide to safe procedures and materials.

Book Description

This expanded and updated second edition offers a comprehensive look at macroevolution and its underpinnings, with a primary emphasis on animal evolution. From a Neodarwinian point of view, the book integrates evolutionary processes at all levels to explain the diversity of animal life. It examines a wide range of topics including genetics, speciation, development, evolution, constructional and functional aspects of form, fossil lineages, and systematics, and --in a major new chapter--takes a hard look at the Cambrian explosion. The author delves into the age of molecular science and integrates important recent contributions made to our understanding of evolution.

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An engaging area of biology for more than a century, the study of macroevolution continues to offer profound insight into our understanding of the tempo of evolution and of the evolution of biological diversity. What regulates biological diversity and its historical development? Can it be explained by natural selection alone? Has geologic history regulated the tempo of diversification? This expanded and updated second edition offers a comprehensive look at macroevolution and its underpinnings, with a primary emphasis on animal evolution. From a Neodarwinian point of view, it integrates evolutionary processes at all levels to explain the diversity of animal life. It examines a wide range of topics including genetics and speciation, development and evolution, the constructional and functional aspects of form, fossil lineages, and systematics, and it takes a hard look at the Cambrian explosion. It delves into the age of molecular science, and integrates important recent contributions made to our understanding of evolution. Researchers and graduate students will find this insightful book a most comprehensive and up-to-date examination of macroevolution.

Book Description

This volume contributes to one of the most important topics of Fluid Mechanics in future and presents recent research results on control theory and applied control methods. Understanding and handling of control methods of nonlinear systems, typical of Fluid Mechanics, is the key to reduce losses and to improve the efficiency and safety of technical processes.

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If you're interested in treasure stories, you like this book.

Starts Good But Gets Bogged Down

Great Read!

Confederate black helicopters, perhaps?

Exciting new history proven by current day facts

Shadow of the Sentinel: One Man's Quest to Find the Hidden Treasure of the Confederacy
Warren Getler , and Bob Brewer
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | 19th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Civil War | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0743219686

Book Description

As a boy growing up in rural Arkansas, Bob Brewer often heard from his uncle and his great-uncle about a particular tree in the woods, the "Bible Tree," filled with strange carvings. Years later he would learn that this tree was carved with symbols associated with the Knights of the Golden Circle, a Civil War-era secret society that had buried gold coins and other treasure in various remote locations across the South and Southwest in hopes of someday funding a second War Between the States. These secret caches were guarded by sentinels, men whose responsibility it was to watch and protect these sites. To his astonishment, Bob discovered that both his uncle and his great-uncle had been twentieth-century sentinels, and that he had grown up near an important KGC treasure site.

In Shadow of the Sentinel, Bob Brewer and investigative journalist Warren Getler tell the fascinating story of the Knights of the Golden Circle and the hidden caches the KGC established across the country. Brewer reveals how, with agonizing effort, he eventually deciphered the fiendishly complicated KGC codes and ciphers, which drew heavily on images associated with Freemasonry. (Many of the key KGC post-Civil War leaders were Scottish Rite Masons, who used the cover of that secret fraternity to conduct their activities.) Using his knowledge of KGC symbolism to crack coded maps, Brewer has located several KGC caches and has recovered gold coins, guns, and other treasure from some of them.

Shadow of the Sentinel is the most comprehensive account yet of the activities of the KGC after the Civil War and, indeed, into the 1900s. Getler and Brewer suggest that the clandestine network of KGC operatives was far wider than previously thought, and that it included Jesse James, the former Confederate guerrilla whose stage and bank robberies helped to fill KGC treasure chests.

This is a rousing and provocative adventure that weaves together one man's personal quest with an intriguing, little-known chapter in America's hidden history.

Customer Reviews:

If you're interested in treasure stories, you like this book........2007-06-09

I very much enjoyed this book....until the last chapter. My family is from the same area of northwestern Arkansas as original source material for this book. I was able to see a lot of similarity between my family's stories and what is in the book. I thought it was very captivating except for the ending. I felt like there should have been another 100 pages to resolve the details that you are lead to. I was left with my jaw hanging. That being said, I do think it makes a very interesting and provocative read.

Starts Good But Gets Bogged Down.......2007-02-01

Started well but there were chapters that just lagged. It will probably be of more interest to those wishing to decipher treasure signs.

Great Read!.......2006-02-17

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I began and finished it in less than 12 hours. Once I picked it up and started reading it was impossible to stop. I enjoyed the mystery, the history, the captivating writting technique and the fact that you really never get bogged down with one topic or activity of the writers. However, for those of you who have read it, I noticed he never says what was in the trunk that he wasn't supposed to go into. I am very much into Confederate history as well as Jesse Woodson James, so this reveiw may be biased. I have to admit I wanted to grab a shovel and a metal detector and head out West after reading this book. I really believe there is lots of hidden treasure in the South. If this book ain't true and the writer is a lier then I guess it ain't true and the writer is a lier. But, the book is very interesting just the same. If you are a believer of what he writes about, you too could find treasure.

Confederate black helicopters, perhaps?.......2005-11-20

REBEL GOLD is a better than average conspiracy book, if you're into that sort of thing. And it has the added allure of postulating the existence of a fabulous buried treasure.

Written by ex-Vietnam vet Bob Brewer and investigative journalist Warren Getler (Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune), REBEL GOLD describes the former's twenty-five year quest to establish the existence and location of Confederate gold and silver caches buried by the pro-secessionist Knights of the Golden Circle in the anticipation that they could one day be used to further a second Civil War. Along the way, Brewer associates the Knights with the Scottish Rite Freemasons, Scottish freedom fighters, the medieval Knights Templar, and the post-Civil War outlaw activities of cousins Jesse Woodson James and Jesse Robert James. (Gee, there was more than one?) Brewer concludes that Jesse and Jesse weren't robbing for personal gain, but to enlarge and help conceal the Confederacy's rainy-day stash.

Brewer's quarter-century involvement with rebel treasure depositories, which are ostensibly scattered over a wide swath of territory in the American Southwest and South, is incremental. Growing up in the Arkansas backwoods, Bob was first exposed to the existence of hidden swag by listening to the recollections, stories, and veiled references by resident old timers. It wasn't until he returned home from Vietnam that Brewer began to take these verbal clues seriously and undertook to systematically correlate and follow widely spread physical mapping clues, principally carvings in the trunks of trees and buried markers. To his credit and the overall story's credibility, Bob did manage to unearth several relatively small troves of buried coins in the area. Later, as his knowledge of the KGC increased and he came into possession of additional coded maps and information, he transferred his attention to a larger area across the state line in Oklahoma, and finally to Arizona's Superstition Mountains. In Oklahoma, he was thwarted by a fellow treasure hunter with whom he'd naively shared knowledge and who allegedly beat him to a significantly large stash of gold in a buried safe. In Arizona (and back in Arkansas), Brewer was, and still is, blocked from unearthing (presumably) major hordes by the fact that the sites are on federal land. And who, in their right mind, wants to share found riches with the dang guv'mint, eh?

Bob's ultimate triumph, if it can be called such, was in identifying the precise but presumed location of the Arizona treasure vault - underneath Picketpost Mountain - after interrelating a myriad of clues - including cliff carvings, buried markers, and coded stone tablets - with the help of a couple of local amateur treasure hunters and a topographical map of the region.

This yarn by Brewer and Getler is a good one, though to be completely believable the reader would, I suspect, had to have been there. Brewer's surmises and intuitive leaps are both numerous and mind-boggling. For instance, concerning an enigmatic stone tablet containing both text and the image of a horse, an image which Brewer had discerned amidst the contour lines and other features of his topo map:

"Bob surmised that the textual clue DON ... was intended to read in reverse, as NOD. If the giant horse's head were to nod ... it would be facing the zone of interest, directly south."

Further, from a newspaper obit about the death of the presumed KGC sentinel Elisha Reavis, Bob's mental contortions are revealed:

"The article reported that a 'Billy G. Knight' - an English 'cowboy' ... had cautioned Reavis a couple of weeks before his mysterious death to 'see a doctor'. Reading between the lines, the 'English cowboy' could easily pass for a medieval Knight Templar, Bob thought. The G could well be a nod toward the hallmark symbol for 'Geometry' (some say, 'God') in Freemasonry. And, he speculated, based on related clues uncovered in Arkansas and Oklahoma, 'William' could suggest William Wallace, the heralded Scottish freedom fighter ..." Yeah, well, like I said, I guess you had to be there.

The thing is, as even Brewer himself recognizes on page 197:

"(The mapmakers) had left behind their signature system of symbolism, too subtle for most to recognize and perhaps too clever for those in the know to be able to follow the encrypted signposts."

So, what was the point of creating maps and clues so arcane and obscure such that die-hard secessionists in future generations might not even be able to recover the treasure? Whatever happened to "keep it simple, stupid"? Indeed, I suspect you could give the same maps and clues to a hundred different cryptologists and come back with a hundred different conclusions. Why should the reader believe Brewer's interpretation, especially as he wasn't (and hasn't been) able to make the major find that would prove him correct?

I'm awarding REBEL GOLD four stars for its interesting premise. Otherwise, it's hard to care. Besides, the symbol "Au" and a figure of the Virgin Mary have just appeared on the trunk of a tree in my yard with her finger pointing down. Hey, Mother, get the shovel! We're gonna be rich, girl!

Exciting new history proven by current day facts.......2005-07-25

First you should know that this is the paperback version of "Shadow of the Sentinel" but you will want both-that for your permanent library and this one for your backpack. I can personally attenst to the signs and symbols referenced as I lived in NW Arkansas in the 1950's and was surrounded by searchers for 'lost Spanish gold'. A true book you will not be able to put down and a search that is far from finished. Well written and extensively researched.

The (Strangest) Song: One Father's Quest to Help His Daughter Find Her Voice

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A Story of Love and Hope
J.Tanit
Any collection strong in either biography, psychology or medical insights will want this

The (Strangest) Song: One Father's Quest to Help His Daughter Find Her Voice
Teri Sforza , Howard Lenhoff , and Sylvia Lenhoff
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1591024781

Book Description

The Compelling Story of the Link Between a Rare Genetic Disorder and Musical Talent This is the first book to tell the story of Williams syndrome and the extraordinary musicality of many of the people who have it. Interweaving science and the personal in a compelling narrative, author Teri Sforza follows the quest of biochemistry professor Howard Lenhoff to help his mentally handicapped daughter, Gloria. From his discovery of Gloria's outstanding vocal talent and innate musical gifts, Lenhoff becomes convinced that people with her disorder have an unusual capacity for learning music, despite their profound mental disabilities. Lenhoff is at first rebuffed, called crazy, and finally vindicated when scientists—and his own formal research—confirm his hunch. Williams syndrome is a rare genetic aberration that occurs once in every 7,500 births. It springs from a peculiar mishap on the molecular level, a tiny chemical error, but one that exacts an enormous toll on body, brain, and personality. The result is an atypical body and a profoundly asymmetrical mind. Thanks to Howard Lenhoff's single-minded determination and love for his daughter, he succeeds in helping his daughter beyond his wildest dreams. Gloria's talents take her to a concert at Washington's Kennedy Center and a number of classical recordings. Lenhoff also helps establish the first residential college for mentally disabled musicians in Massachusetts. An inspiring blend of human interest and breakthrough science, The Strangest Song offers startling insights into the mysteries of the brain and hope that science can find new ways to help the handicapped.

Customer Reviews:

A Story of Love and Hope.......2007-04-14

The Strangest Song is truly a story of love and hope. It should be an inspiration to all parents who are dealing with the challenges of raising a child with any sort of mental differences. It recounts the many fears these parents faced and their difficult pursuit in finding the resources to help them. It was many years before they learned that there were other individuals who had the same genetic disorder. The sameness led them to discover the unusual ability their daughter had for music. It is thrilling to trace these early days to their daughter singing opera with the San Diego Symphony!

J.Tanit.......2007-02-04

An inspiring story about a young woman who, with the support & advocacy of her family, followed her passion for music with great success despite living with a genetic disorder.

Well written & engaging, this is a story everyone interested in the mysteries of the human brain or the extraordinary capacities of the human spirit should read.

Any collection strong in either biography, psychology or medical insights will want this.......2007-02-04

This is the first book to cover Williams syndrome and the genius musical abilities of many who have it. Science blends with autobiography in the moving story of a father's quest to help his mentally handicapped daughter - and his discovery of her musical gifts, which eventually convinced him that people with her disorder can be musical geniuses despite their impairments. His quest for understanding of the chemistry involved in her impairment and to make the most of her abilities leads Lenhoff to not only help his daughter become a musician, but to the establishment of the first residential college for mentally disabled musicians. Any collection strong in either biography, psychology or medical insights will want this; especially general-interest lending libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

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On a Quest to Find the One
Nicole White
Manufacturer: iUniverse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 059531189X

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The {Strangest} Song--One Father's Quest to Help His Daughter Find Her Voice.(Book review): An article from: American Music Teacher

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The {Strangest} Song--One Father's Quest to Help His Daughter Find Her Voice.(Book review): An article from: American Music Teacher
Melanie DeMent
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from American Music Teacher, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2007. The length of the article is 480 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: The {Strangest} Song--One Father's Quest to Help His Daughter Find Her Voice.(Book review)
Author: Melanie DeMent
Publication: American Music Teacher (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 56 Issue: 6 Page: 93(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Shadow Of The Sentinel. One Man's Quest To Find The Hidden Treasure Of The Confederacy

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Shadow Of The Sentinel. One Man's Quest To Find The Hidden Treasure Of The Confederacy
WARREN AND BREWER,BOB GETLER
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P1JPUU

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