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Books to read if you're planning a vacation in "Lawrence", sorted by average review score:

CURRENT Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 1999
Published in Paperback by McGraw-Hill/Appleton & Lange (22 October, 1998)
Authors: Lawrence M. Tierney, Stephen J. McPhee, and Maxine A. Papadakis
Average review score:

A quick and very usefull font of medical information
I had bought my first current series textbook in 1996.It was the emergencies book.Since that I bougth Medical,Paediatrics and Surgery books.The hallmark of this series is the very simple language and the exact deep information of the topics covered in those books. Current medical diagnosis and treatment is a essencial book for physicians and medical students in my country (BRAZIL).This book is listed in examinations tests to admition in several institutions here.To read CMDT creates a wide expertise in diseases at all over fields of medicine since dermatology to cardiology passing for psychiatry,neurology , ginaecology and other medical areas. Quick,simple,cheap and very usefull.A cost-efective medical textbook.

Must have!
It is VERY nice book. Especially for medical students and residents.
You can understand from detail to basic of diseases. With this book, you know how to approach and make your list of differential diagnosis.
I worked for infectious disease patients for a while, and this book was very useful because you can get the general knowledge not only about infectious diseases but also general internal medicine, skin lesions, bone diseases, and so on. I especially recommend the chart of antibiotics(Chart 37). I like this book because we can also get the update etiology of diseases. So nice.

The best!
Very concise, covering a large number of conditions with information about clinical features, diagnosis and treatment... just the best medical book for students, residents and general prationers.


Get The Ring: How to find and Keep the Right One for Life
Published in Audio CD by Warm Wisdom Press (01 March, 2003)
Authors: Rosie Einhorn, Shimon Green, Dov Heller, Tziporah Heller, Lawrence Kelemen, Mordecai Rottman, Sherry Zimmerman, and David LeVine
Average review score:

Amazing and refreshing to see the Jewish perspective
Get the Ring is a must-buy! There is at least something (actually, lots of things) for everyone on every single CD. I myself was amazed at how the series seemed to be talking personally to me. The issues it addresses are exactly the ones that I have come up against again and again while dating.

For example, the information about the differences between men and women is priceless. I know that lots of people today have trouble with this idea, but what can you do? Men and women really are different, and this series does an excellent job of describing each one fairly.

Not looking for perfection is another key theme that struck home. I found that I have really been looking for that "perfect" someone, just like in the movies and the novels, and that's one reason why I've always been disappointed in relationships - they never measured up!

The advice on actual dating is terrific. Even though it might not all be relevant to everyone, there are a lot of good, sound principles in there that can be applied in different ways to fit different situations - for example, the need for down time, which is something I had been ignoring.

Another aspect of the series that I really appreciated was the emphasis on character development and how the person you are is what's really going to determine the nature of the relationship and how well it goes. That was a big revelation to me.

The 10 ways to marry the wrong person are fantastic! I felt like whacking myself on the head with each one. Why couldn't I have heard this five years ago?!

But the biggest advantage to Get the Ring is how realistic it is. On the one hand, it dispels a lot of illusions that people (including me) have (in my case had, because I already heard the series) about dating and marriage. But on the other hand, it doesn't leave you with the feeling that you're stranded holding a burst balloon. Each speaker explains - with lots of empathy, I must add - how to rebuild your outlook on dating so that, if you follow their guidelines, you're sure to be more successful in the future.

If you are dating - or married, for that matter - than you owe it to yourself to buy "Get the Ring." Even if you never listen to self-help products, change your policy this one time. I promise you that you won't regret it. I didn't. I am now going out with someone and Get the Ring is my bible - and things are going great!

For anyone who wants a great relationship
When I first heard about "Get the Ring," my initial reaction was, "Do we really need another series of advice on relationships?" The market seems to be flooded with them.

But then I listened to it. Impressed is not the word.

First of all, let me explain what "Get the Ring" is and what it isn't. It is a six CD/cassette series on dating and marriage. However, it is not preachy, and it is not dry. It is based on a series of interviews with seven top marriage counselors, each with his or her own style and manner of presentation. The interviews are lively, humorous and unbelievably on target. You can tell that the interviewees are dealing with these issues on a daily basis.

One of the most unique aspects of the series is that it's not geared to any specific population. Lots of books on relationships focus on either singles or marrieds. Rarely do they offer information that is useful to both. But I would highly recommend "Get the Ring" to anyone, whether never-married, divorced and looking, married but having difficulties or married happily. I, for example, have been happily married for 8 ½ years and I still found lots of great ideas for making our marriage even better. My husband listened, too, and he said the same thing.

Another unusual facet of "Get the Ring" is the source material of its content. All seven speakers plus David LeVine, the producer of the series as well as the interviewer, are practicing, traditional Jews. As such, their presentations are based on Judaism. But their advice and guidelines are so right-on, and ring so true, that you'd never know that they're formed by a tradition thousands of years old if nobody told you. The series is geared toward an entirely secular audience, so everyone can enjoy and benefit.

The range of topics is so wide that it's hard to believe that it all fits into just over five hours. Some of the topics include defining love, differences between men and women (unbelievable!), detailed dating advice, how to discern true character, and how to make time for each other despite hectic schedules. One of my personal favorites is the "Ten Ways to Marry the Wrong Person." I thought it to be an absolutely mind-boggling presentation, especially the down-to-earth, practical advice on discovering true character, common interests and life goals. Just that information alone could totally change the way a single man or woman would approach dating - and it gave me some interesting ideas on how to enhance my own marriage. I could add some more details, but I don't want to spoil it for you.

A word of caution, however. (Some people might consider this a "con" even though I think it's a "pro.") A lot of the ideas presented seem at first glance to be revolutionary, especially in today's day and age. An open mind is a prerequisite for listening to this series. So if all you're looking for is to have your old opinions and preconceptions reinforced, you're not going to be very happy after listening. Then again, maybe the series will open your eyes and you'll see where you've been going wrong and how to fix your mistakes.

If there are any real "cons," the only one I can think of is that, because the recording was done in an office, there is occasionally some background noise that can be distracting - although the sound quality happens to be excellent. As far as I'm concerned, it's a small price to pay for information that could change your life.

Having listened to "Get the Ring" over five times, my opinion is that anyone who seriously wants to get married or to have a better marriage cannot go wrong by following the advice in the series. In his introduction, David LeVine says that your chances of finding the right one increase every time you listen. I couldn't agree more.

Worth Its Weight In Gold
Get The Ring is an excellent six CD audio collection that provides invaluable insight for singles about finding the right person for marriage. David LeVine interviews many reliable resources within the Jewish Dating Community who provide common sense back to basics advise. Whereas this CD is a bit more focused on the Jewish Community, persons of other faiths can certainly utilize this information.

The people interviewed on this CD set all have varying styles. Rabbi Shimon Green is certainly the must humorous of the bunch. Lawrence Kelemen certainly reflects on societal issues the most. Excellent points on how seeking the one you love is not taught in school. Too much of an emphasis on veneral diseases instead of how to treat a member of the opposite sex.

Regardless of who is speaking, excellent advise flows like a river into a stream. Its important for single people to evaluate strengths and weaknesses carefully. What are key deal breakers? Also what are potential red flags? Its very important to notice how someone treats those whom he or she has a casual relationship with like a telephone operator.

Also the importance of physical attraction, ethics, and how long should one date someone. Another key point is to network when dating someone. Getting recommendations from trustworthy people always helps. You are oh so precious why not go the extra mile.

Other sections emphasize the value of being humble and acts of kindness as more important than raw chemistry. Kindness and a humble attitude can actually create long lasting chemistry as opposed to a flash in the pan relationship where both parties never take the time to know the person.

I could emphasize so many other good moments of this CD for many more moments. However the deep meaning behind the words of wisdom from these speakers is what will provide long lasting knowledge to many single people out there. This is a must purchase for anyone in search for true love.


The Hoopster
Published in Paperback by Milk Mug Publishing (07 January, 2003)
Author: Alan Lawrence Sitomer
Average review score:

I disagree
I take exception to the featured review given here. I am English department chair for one of the largest high schools in Calif., in LA county, inner city. I disagree that Andre becomes predictable or a 'stock character.' We ARE told of the content of his article, in general terms, but that is enough. It is the non-explicit aspect of his 'dark night of the soul' search that captivates and allows the reader to 'fill in the blanks' which spurs the reader to do what too many do not, BE the film director on the screen of their minds. This is one book that gets our kids excited, and almost every one of them has a clear, and varied, view of the article, the struggle, and the speech. As a matter of fact, writing the absent speech is one great assignment that never fails to rouse the students to some of their best writing. So, contrary to your 'official' review, this book is well worth our teens' reading and DISCUSSING with parents, teachers, and each other.

Absolutely Smashing!
This book has all the elements that make a novel worth reading. It has humor, (Cedric is hilarious) it has tragedy, suspense and most of all it sends a clear message about a very serious issue, but it makes it interesting to read. It is really an insight to teenage life and best of all it is really easy and fun to read!
This book is really a 'Slam Dunk' on teenage novels, Check It Out!

The Hoopster
The Hoopster was a very enjoyable and easy read. I found the theme to be very appropriate for todays children and young adults who find themselves embroiled in similar situations. The moral is applicable to both inner city and rural kids and provides a positive outlook of what can be accomplished by caring individuals. I have passed my copy to several educators at both the middle and high school levels who find it appropriate at those grade levels and all social and economic backrounds.


Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World
Published in Hardcover by Broadway Books (17 September, 2002)
Authors: Lawrence Goldstone and Nancy Goldstone
Average review score:

Very interesting!
I bought this book because I am interested in the early history of book publishing. I had never heard of Michael Servetus and found his story fascinating. What a brilliant man. And what an unlucky man!! How could anyone be so smart and so stupid at the same time? He managed to figure out how blood circulates before anyone else, and then buries this info in a treatise against the belief in the trinity! Most of his books were destroyed (along with him), but a few managed to survive. The story of that survival is also fascinating. The biggest question I had, and it is one that no one can answer, is why when Servetus managed to get away from the inquisition did he run to Geneva, where his bitter enemy Calvin was waiting to burn him?? Just about the only thing the Catholic church and Calvin agreed on was that Servetus should die. This book is, thus, also about a time with attitudes that are incomprehensible to most of us....a time when people wanted to murder others for not believing the same. No one seemed to honor freedom of conscience! So, this book was very interesting, told me about someone I had not heard of, and described a very tense time in the history of western religion. I highly recommend it.

Michael Servetus - Etched in my mind forever.....
What a fascinating book. It is superbly written and almost impossible to put down. Nonfiction history books that read like bestselling thrillers are hard to find indeed. But that is definitely the case here.

Throughout the ages, how many individuals have markedly changed the world we live in, yet are not found in most history books? The name Michael Servetus is one that should be known by any serious student of Western Civilization, yet sadly his story has been missed by so many historians.

Kudos to the authors for a job well done.

Fascinating History
Out of the Flames tells several stories. First it traces the life and remarkable career of Michael Servetus, a lesser-known but highly important Reformation leader who ran afoul of John Calvin for his views on the Trinity and predestination. His death by burning was accompanied by a rounding up of all the copies of his book Christianismi Restitutio for similar destruction. The authors also describe the long tangled provenances of the three copies of Servetus' work which still exist. Throughout the book the authors are often diverted into fascinating tangents which add light to either Servetus' life and work or to the circumstances under which the three copies survived.

Out of the Flames will not only inspire you with the story of Michael Servetus and his stubborn devotion to his heretical views, (and to his remarkable scientific and anatomical knowledge) but will also impress and intrigue with the amount of research the Goldstones did in order to track down the three copies.


Children: The Challenge/a Parent's Guide to Children: The Challenge
Published in Paperback by E P Dutton (July, 1987)
Author: Lawrence Zuckerman
Average review score:

Second generation to use this book
Just over 30 years ago, when I was expecting my first child, I did a parenting course here in Melbourne, Australia. The course was based on the original version of this book. My daughter and her younger brother were raised using the principles of "logical consequences" as in the book. This helped us all relate happily together, even during and after the separation and divorce of their father and myself. Now both my children are university educated, happily married adults. Even now, people comment on how delightful my children are and how, as a single parent, I must have been "lucky" to get such good kids. I know that luck had nothing to do with it! Last week I found that my son's wife is expecting my first grand-child. My son asked if I still had "the book". I don't know where it is now, but I am so glad to see that I can get him one from Amazon. I'll order 3; one for my son, one for my daughter and one for a "refresher" course for me. I wouldn't trust anything else!

Great for dealing with children of all ages!
When we decided to start trying to have a family, my husband and I bought this book on the recommendation of my father and older brother and his wife. My brother is raising three darling and happy daughters who are delightful to be around. My husband has told me he's going to be able to use some of the things we're reading in this book to improve relations with some people he works with. So it's not just little kids who could benefit from these techniques...

One reader mentioned some of the examples are a little out of date, and that's true. But it isn't hard to figure out the modern equivalent.

My father says this book was his bible when he and my mom were raising me and my siblings. He recommended my brother re-read a chapter or two every week, just to keep the ideas fresh. I know when ever they have a problem, they pull out the book.

Children: The Challenge
I am a 47 year old mother of three sons. I was given this book many years ago by a friend and I have recommended it many times. It is a practical, easy to follow concept: Help your children make wise choices and live with the consequences! It eliminates the power struggle between parent (authority) and child (rebellion). You help explain their choices, possible outcomes of those choices, and what you will or will not do in any given situation. For example, "I cannot drive this car with so much shouting. If you continue to shout (argue) I will stop the car". If shouting persists, stop the car and get outside until everything is quiet. A few stops like this and all you need to do is put on the turn signal. They learn that if they choose to argue and make noise in the car, the car will stop. One son decided he did not like his winter coat the first day it was cold enough to wear it. I said, "ok" and didn't push the issue. However, when he arrived at school, he wasn't allowed outside for recess. The next day he took the coat and never complained about it again. BUY THIS BOOK.


Third and Indiana
Published in Audio Cassette by Media Books (September, 1998)
Authors: Steve Lopez and Robert Lawrence
Average review score:

A great and moving story!
This is just a great story with characters you will never forget and told with a genius for dialogue and place. An excellent debut novel. I couldn't put it down and at the end I didn't want it to end. Lopez captures perfectly the essence of life in the "Badlands" and South Philly -- and it was great to read a story set in a city that I know and love. Read this book; you won't regret it.

Touching and Powerful
Being a kid myself, about Gabriel's age, I found this book absolutely riveting and couldn't put it down until the last page. Although I've never experienced the Philly scene, because I'm from a small town, I really felt the atmosphere of the danger and "survival of the fittest" there. Steve Lopez did an excellent job of communicating to the world the trap young kids can get caught in, where it starts out as fine, but then you keep getting deeper and deeper until you don't know how you got in the first play. The book is tough, yet soft, and I found myself crying at the end... it's a must read book!

Aneamia and the blind eye
Steve Lopez paints the most accurate picture of Philadelphia's Kensington section I have ever read. There is no way to candy-coat the truth, but you can depict it with truth, in hopes of bringing some sensativity to the issues. Lopez's portraits are tight and clear. If anyone reading this story is not moved by Ofelia Santoro's search for her son, night after night, I don't know what that person would be affected by. Equally compelling are all of the portrayals of the characters in the story. I, unfortuately, know many of the families of Kensington in circumstances like the Santoros-- and worse! This book is certainly Pulitzer material.


Josey Wales: Two Westerns: Gone to Texas/the Vengeance Trail of Josey Wales
Published in Paperback by University of New Mexico Press (November, 1989)
Authors: Forrest Carter and Lawrence Clayton
Average review score:

2nd Greatest Western
I'd rank this one right below Owen Wister's The Virginian on my own list of all-time greatest westerns. If I'd read this book two years ago my son would've been named Josey Wales Lambert. Every Southerner, no, every American should read it, digest it, and live by the same code. Yeeeha!

The book and movie
"The outlaw Josey Wales" the movie is my favorite western movie. I had not read the book until recently, and found the book as good as the movie. In fact I viewed the movie after reading each chapter and they are almost exactly the same. This story is a story of what our west was like after the civil war. It is a fun and easy read, and you will dread the story being over. A great gift would be the book and the movie for your Western loving friend

Western with a Different Slant on Post Civil War Times
This book tells two consecutive stories about Josey Wales that take place right after the War for Southern Independence, a period of time about which I did not have a lot of previous information. The first is a story about individualism and government abuse of those individual who don't fit the mold or have no use for the "services" that a government longs to provide. The second is more of a pure western and a vengence tale after some of Josey's friends are murdered. Although he'll kill a man in a second if he's crossed, you can't help but admire his character and courage. I've lent this book to three of my friends and they all tell me that the book was great. Overall, a very enjoyable read, expecially if you're not a big government lover.


Night Thoreau Spent in Jail
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Bantam Books (December, 1982)
Author: Jerome Lawrence
Average review score:

Enjoyable Reading for the Thought - Provoked Mind!
I read this book a year ago in philosophy class when we were studying Thoreau. I must say, of all philosophers, Thoreau is one of my favorites. This play examines feilds such as family life, relationships, government, policy, and my favorite - education. After I read this play I had marvelous thoughts about how wonderful the education system would be if only Thoreau's ideas could be played upon! I strongly recomend this book to anyone who is sometimes accused of being an "idealist" or a "dreamer" - but also to those who hold a strict perspective on government and education. Keep an open mind and enjoy the thoughts that flow through Thoreau's mind!

See your outside world!
Review of ¡°The night Thoreau Spent in Jail¡± Henry David Thoreau, born in Concord, Massachusetts, in early 1800¡¯s, rejected paying taxes because the U.S. government exercised its authority to the slaves, Mexicans, and pageants through the fugitives slave law, the Mexican War, and so on. The play, ¡°The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail,¡± written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, is based on his spending one night in jail. The circumstance, a cell in the prison, allowed him to recall his past and discover himself as a pencil-maker, a school teacher, an author, a handy man, etc. Each scene implies his various talents as showing him not just as a great philosopher or a writer, but as a human being.

Thoreau had been inspired by the humanism speech of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who was the Sage of Concord. In order to follow Waldo¡¯s lecture, he declared himself free, and he tried not to yield another¡¯s will. He practiced his philosophy by teaching the nature to the students, trying to distinguish himself from others, surveying living things in the meadow, and refusing the taxes to the unfair government. He was so called, a ¡°transcendentalist¡±, and he kept emphasizing ¡°BE YOUR OWN MAN!¡± His saying, ¡°The freest man in the world! And you, out there, are chained to what you have to do tomorrow morning!¡± in jail showed his position against the civilization and the world. After spending one night in jail, Thoreau eventually decided to face the real lives instead of avoiding them.

Thoreau met another prisoner, Bailey, who had waited for the chance to prove his guiltlessness and had never spoken up for himself to avoid trouble. Bailey barely understood what happened in the world or what were right things to be done. He stands for the victims, who can¡¯t get along with others and be protected by the authorities, like Henry Williams, an escapee and slave trying to get to Canada. On the other hand, Deacon Nehemiah ball, the chairman of the Concord School Committee, stuck to insisting on having an obedient attitude, taking the strict policy. He is the symbol of the power and violence.

Thoreau¡¯s brother, John, understood, supported, and ran the meadow school with Thoreau, but he died young from lockjaw. Besides John, the young lady Ellen Sewell also understood Thoreau¡¯s transcendentalism. She attended his lectures and attracted his attention. However, she didn¡¯t dare to stand up to the authority. One more woman is there, Lydian Emerson, who is Dr. Emerson¡¯s obedient wife. She, who is warm-hearted, tries to make Thoreau get in the mainstream. Despite her sympathy toward Thoreau, she maintains her position, observing the majority. Sam Stapler, the constable in Concord, has difficulties because he persuades Thoreau to pay his dues. Finally, he carries out the law and arrests Thoreau.

This play is not just for those who started to know new spirits, which are the transcendental movement and the abolition movement in the late 1800¡¯s, but for all of us who are educated, rationalized, and law-abiding in the societies, so that we can justify their own determinations. We always assimilate social conditions to be alike. We often forget thinking about what we are doing as keeping pace with others. This play is insightful enough to extend their point of view about the world and think over our attitudes toward societies. It deserves the best compliment and is recommended to read. Why don¡¯t you stop wandering around in your cage to see your outside world?

just BUY the book!
this book speaks for itself...there is nothing more I can add to it...a simplification of Thoreau, for sure...if you want something weighty, get A Plea For Captain Brown or one of his other essays (usually included with Walden anyway)

But this play shows that you don't have to be weighty to be deep, and it doesn't have to be overly long to be profound.

This book will change your life.


Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know
Published in Digital by Harvard Business School Press ()
Authors: Thomas H. Davenport, Lawrence Prusak, and Laurence Prusak
Average review score:

A KM classic!
This classic is an excellent blueprint of knowledge management (KM) in action, and is a must read for KM professionals, CIOs, and CEOs. One of the unique aspects of the book is its treatment of knowledge roles, skills and personnel (such as CKOs), in addition to detailed analysis of knowledge generation, codification, transfer and technologies. The material is divided into 9 chapters, and draws on case studies of KM in action in about 40 organisations.

Today, the 'knowledge movement' is picking up as more and more companies have instituted knowledge repositories, supporting such diverse types of knowledge as best practices, lessons learned, product development knowledge, customer knowledge, human resource management knowledge, and methods-based knowledge.

'The only sustainable advantage a firm has comes from what it collectively knows, how efficiently it uses what it knows, and how readily it acquires and uses new knowledge,' the authors begin.

First, companies must understand the difference between data, information and knowledge. Generally speaking, data is transformed into information after it has been 'contextualised, categorised, calculated, corrected and condensed.' This becomes knowledge after a process involving 'comparison, consequences, connections and conversation.'

'Knowledge is a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information,' the authors state. Knowledge is fluid as well as structured, and involves experience, truth, judgement and rules of thumb.

'Knowledge is aware of what it doesn't know. Many wise men and women have pointed out that the more knowledgeable one becomes, the more humble one feels about what one knows,' the authors explain.

In contrast to individual knowledge, organisational knowledge is a more complex and murky dynamic, involving socio-political factors of knowledge buying, selling, brokering, pricing, reciprocity, altruism, reputation and trust.

The chapter on knowledge generation focuses on conscious and intentional techniques like acquisition (eg. of Lotus by IBM, NCR by AT&T), rental (sponsorship of research in academic institutes, hiring a consultant), dedicated resources (research centres and universities like Xerox PARC, McDonald's universities), fusion (via brainstorming and retreats), adaptation (eg. via learning sabbaticals), and knowledge networking.

Successful codification is implemented via a knowledge taxonomy suited for different knowledge types and attributes and which is aligned with business goals, as well as narratives and rhetorical devices for communicating knowledge behaviours. This can include external knowledge (eg. competitive intelligence), structured internal knowledge (eg. research reports), and informal internal knowledge (eg. know-how databases).

Instead of 'Stop talking and get to work,' Alan Webber recommends a better attitude: 'Start talking and get to work.'

Other approaches, depending on organisational and national cultures, include corporate universities, KM workshops, group dinners, and even group drinking sessions in nightclubs as in Japan (where inebriation can sometimes be used as an excuse for voicing criticism!).

Key roles here include knowledge project managers, coaches, trainers, councillors, counsellors, officers, integrators, administrators, engineers, librarians, synthesisers, reporters, and editors -- capped by learning officers, CKOs, directors of intellectual assets, or CIOs. Consulting firms have hundreds of KM jobs; Buckman Labs even has a role for 'anecdote management' to develop stories about successful KM in practice.

Good knowledge workers need to have a combination of 'hard' skills (structured knowledge, technical abilities, professional experience) and 'soft' skills (cultural, political and personal aspects of knowledge), the authors advise.

Three key CKO responsibilities include building a knowledge culture, creating a KM infrastructure, and making it all pay of economically, the authors recommend.

'The recent dramatic rise in Internet and Intranet use is one manifestation of the expanding role of electronic technology in communication and knowledge-seeking. Firms are becoming aware both of the potential of this technology to enhance knowledge work and of the fact that the potential can be realised only if they understand more about how knowledge is actually developed and shared,' the authors explain.

The authors caution against a technology-centred KM approach, but argue that a technology ingredient is a necessary ingredient for successful KM projects.

'Peter Senge, the influential author of The Fifth Discipline, has argued recently that organisations seeking to manage knowledge have placed too much emphasis on information technology and information management. We agree. However, the world of organisational learning places too little emphasis on structured knowledge and the use of technology to capture and leverage it,' the authors forcefully argue. In fact, the word 'knowledge' is not in the index of Senge's book!

Hoffman-LaRoche used KM to efficiently manage the drug application process, cutting it down by several months at a savings of $1 million a day. New England heart surgeons have jointly collaborated to cut down mortality rate for coronary bypass surgery. HP's case-based reasoning KM tool for customer support helped reduce call times by two-thirds and cost per call by 50 per cent.

Other benefit calculations include better management of patents (eg. Dow Chemicals), improved cycle time, better customer satisfaction, and even phone calls avoided (HP).
Intangible but also important outcomes include higher workforce morale, greater corporate coherence, richer knowledge stock, more knowledge usage, and stronger meritocracy of ideas.

In terms of pragmatic steps, the authors have lots of recommendations. Start with a focused pilot project. Work along multiple fronts at once: technology, organisation, culture. Begin with existing information resources. Focus on weak areas. Lead with technology and organisational learning.

The book is also peppered with useful quotes about knowledge, and it would be appropriate to end this review with some of them:

'In the end, the location of the new economy is not in the technology. It is in the human mind' (Alan Webber);

'The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers' (Sydney Harris);

'The great end of knowledge is not knowledge but action' (Thomas Huxley).

Knowledge is the only unlimited resource, the one asset that grows with use, according to Stanford economist Paul Romer.

>>>>>>>>>

...

First Great Book of Best Practices for Knowledge Management
Although knowledge management is an irresistible concept, your progress in this area is anything but assurred. Knowledge management is a hot topic, but it is usually pushed by people who want to sell you something. As a result, you can end up with a lot of technology that will not help you to manage your knowledge. As insurance against getting started in the wrong direction, I suggest you read Working Knowledge as a first step.

Davenport and Prusak have examined 39 organizations that are well above average users of their knowledge. The case histories will give you a practical sense of what works that would take you years of false steps to duplicate in your organization.

Then, even more helpfully, the authors outline the key lessons of these top performers for you to follow. I especially recommend chapter 9 on The Pragmatics of Knowledge Management.

Any new initiative will run into problems and fall back. A great book to read next is The Dance of Change, which focuses squarely on that issue.

Any book has to narrow its focus to be successful. That focus creates a vulnerability. In this book, the vulnerability is not looking far enough ahead for more effective ways to do knowledge management that no one is yet doing. For example, the potential to share knowledge among top best practice organizations is enormous. More attention is needed here.

But do buy, read, and apply the lessons of this book. It's a great place to start!

Knowledge Managment Defined
About a year ago I began doing research on this concept of knowledge management. I was lucky enough to stumble onto KMGMT through computerworld magazine, where Dr. Davenport has several articles posted. I made my way to his web site, and a wealth of other's via the leadership series March 17th, 1997. After doing much independent reading I made my way to Dr. Davenport's class where he was actually using this book as reference for the class. I was astounded by the knowledge made available. IT is clear after reading this book there are four key enablers for KMGMT -- leadership, culture, technology, and measurement. I give this book a superb rating, it's fresh, real and creates solutions for companies IT/KM leader instantly.


Story of the Titanic As Told by Its Survivors
Published in Paperback by Dover Pubns (February, 1960)
Authors: Lawrence Beesley, Jack Winocour, Harold Bride, and Charles Lightoller
Average review score:

An unforgettable voyage with acutal Titanic passengers
The Story of the Titanic as told by its survivors is a beautifully written and accurate account of the foundering of the Titanic. The book is a compilation of four previously pubished books by actual survivors. The four authors will transport the reader to a different time and place. Lawrence Beesley's 'The Loss of the SS. Titanic' provides terrific insight into the life and attititudes aboard the Titanic. Archibald Garcies's 'The Truth About the Titanic' offers an incredible story of survival since he actually went down with the ship and was able to swim to safety, only to die a few months later. Finally, Commander Lightoller, one of the only surviving officers, provides a more technical assessment of this epic disaster. Though the story is repeated in each volume I never got bored because each perspective gives the reader greater insights into the people, the ship, and the ensuing disaster. The details in each volume are fascinating. I'm convinced that James Cameron read this book prior to filming the movie since so many of the details in the movie are found in these pages. The writing, reflecting the earlier part of this century, is formal, but beautifully clear. Overall, this is one of the best shipwreck books that I've read. A Must Read.

Shows the Value of Eyewitness Accounts
This Titanic book is different from most others in being told entirely from the perspective of survivors. Two of the surviving passengers and crew tell of the ship's last hours. The first story is told by passenger Lawrence Beesley, a science prof. on his way to America. His account details the trip from Southhampton to New York. Beesley was a level headed individual who tells the story in an almost detached fashion, without fear or hysteria. His detail and objectivity make this my favorite eyewitness account. The writings of Lightoller and Bride are excellent as well. They do a good job of conveying the approaching terror people must have felt as the ship went down. One realizes that they knew what would happen, while many passengers did not. Archibald Gracie's chapter was less good. It begins alright, but he ends up giving us a detailed review of the lowering of each lifeboat, something any later researcher could have done. And unless Gracie was taking notes at the time, I find it hard to believe this was his experience! But all in all, this book is a must for Titanic buffs. It gives us a look into the tragedy that few other books can.

After seeing 'Titanic' read it!! From those who survived
"Story of the Titanic as told by its Survivors" recreates that fateful night of april 14/15, 1912 with chilling detail. It is one of the most accurate accounts of the Titanic's collision with an iceberg in the North Atlantic and its subsequent foundering. The book is a collection of stories told from the perspective of second class passenger Lawrence Beesly, first class passenger Col. Archibold Gracie, Second Officer Charles Lightoller, and Junior Marconi Operator Harold Bride respectively. Each telling the tale of the foundering of the great ship from his own experience during the hours of 11:20pm April 14 to 8:30am April 15, 1912. After seeing the James Cameron film 'Titanic' I read this book and found that Cameron had recreated the tragedy to the tee. Although Lightoller and Gracie adamently claim the ship went down intact!


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