Future Prospect raises the bar for any professional involved in business performance and development. This book clearly explains the core concepts and strategies underlying in any business and advances the business activities and processes to world-class level. And it provides how-here-and-now you can make enormous impact on your business results.

The first book to explore the impact of ebusiness in any business for any one aspiring to reach world-class status by guiding the readers to the changes that are taking place now, and an intriguing look into the future of business.

Penetrating through the swirling mist of high-tech business scenarios with vision and simplicity, Future Prospect offers the vital tools to configure your business for tomorrow's prospects. It offers executives and analysts with a roadmap and agenda they need to advance their carriers.

This book is the best out there, by far, on evaluating a team's farm system. While 30 players certainly isn't comprehensive, almost all worthwhile prospects are in there (though it depends on how many legitimate prospects a team has). In the front, they rank teams on their overall farm system, and then have a series of Top 50 prospect lists (with several of their writers each having a say). I'm writing this well into the season, but its still worth picking up (I think they dropped the price several times, now its pretty cheap)-or if you're reading this deciding whether to get the 2003 edition when it comes out (should be more of the same).

There are plenty of things to like in the team sections. They give a good run-down of the organization's condition and what the future may hold. The prospect reports contain a lot of good stuff, including reports from instructional league and accurate scouting info. BA tops the statheads, who aren't really in the same league. I can remember a few years back, people looking at spreadsheets and calculators claimed Torii Hunter would never hit...slap hitter at best...would fight for a 4th outfield job...good defensively. It was BA that kept ranking him high, even as he hit .230 in AA. Turns out: Gold Glove, 27 homers last year, looking at 30+ this year, MVP candidate, etc. Tools matter.

There are a few things I found to be a bit off. First of all, they put more weight on pitchers than I would like. There are very few impact pitchers in the Bigs, but if you read this prospect book on its own, you would think there's about 100 more on the way. Obviously thats not the case...injuries take a toll and many simply don't pan out (or don't meet expectations). Then there's unheralded guys who come through...position players are much more projectable and thus should recieve more benefit of the doubt. One slight complaint: I would like a bit more draft info, maybe a list of all players that signed and the level they are expected to start at (there is a brief draft review for each team already).

This book is the best for those interested in baseball's future stars. In depth reports on the top prospects for each team. Not just the AAA players, but those from rookie league to first round picks. Insightful analysis. Not a read for those who like a book in story form, but a must for those scouting out the best prospects on the minor league tour.

If the kid is a prospect, he's in this book. Detailed scouting reports of the top 30 prospects of each team. Also contains an analysis of each team's farm system and projections for the future. If you want to find the stars of tomorrow, start here.

David Orr is a hero in my mind. He is making a true diffence. In this amazing piece he explains how and why we must integrate ecology into every aspect of our educational system. He not only writes about this, he also practices what he preaches. This is evident at Oberlin college where he has built, with the help of Bill McDonough, John Todd and others, a building that acts like a tree. Great work David, keep it up.

Dr. Orr's analysis of the root causes of our environmental problems is powerful and pesuasive. Rather than trying to address the corrective actions for the symptoms (ozone holes and global warming, for example) he identifies their fundamental sources and focuses his proposed corrective actions on them. The lack of any meaningful educational content on what it means to be a citizen in a closed ecology on a planet with finite resources is at the center of why the environment continues to deteriorate. If you are serious about being part of the solution and not part of the problem, read this book! --and get others to do the same. I've bought twenty copies that I plan to send to the most influential people I know. If they will read it, they will be "hooked" as I was.

David Orr's book is powerful. I hope that this would become a best seller because it opened me up to a whole new way of thinking about what we can do with the environmental mess we have gotten into. Essentially we need to be educating people how to think from a system perspective and give people the experience to appreciate the environment. I hope you buy this book and be part of the solution.

Bowers' work is an excellent argument for careful reconsideration of "pushing" computing tools as a panacea. I was especially struck by hi intimation that technology is like a drug that causes addiction. Books of this type should be required reading for a variety of policymakers, and this particular book makes the issue of 'tech addiction" easy to understand.

How do computers affect such diverse social issues as cultural diversity, educational quality and ecological systems? Let Them Eat Data provides a social analysis of the computer's effects on life, considering how computer-enforced cultural patterns contribute to global ecological problems. A unique, involving probe of some unusual effects of the new computer world.

In Let Them Eat Data: How Computers Affect Education, Cultural Diversity, And The Prospects Of Ecological Sustainability, C.A. Bowers discusses the issues that arise from the gap between common perceptions and the realities of global computing. These issues include the misuse use of the theory of evolution to justify and legitimate the global spread of computers. Bowers also covers the ecological and cultural implications of unmooring knowledge from its local contexts as it is digitized, commodified, and packaged for global consumption. Let Them Eat Data is informative, insightful, thought-provoking, and highly recommended reading for those with an interest in how the computer and the Internet are influencing popular culture, education, as well as creation and dissemination of information.

A history course in a University should be created around this book! So might insightful information about the day-to-day existence of people during this period in history. An incredible amount of information is provided in an easy-to-read format by the author. A must read for anyone interested in the histoy of women throughout the ages.

If you want to thank your lucky stars for the things that are available to us in modern times, read this book. It is an excellent scholarly overview of the lives and times in the period it covers, but as well it is a fascinating book for anyone who enjoys reading about times past.

Each chapter addresses an area that was of interest to women of the times, and remain of interest today - health, cooking etc, and they are so complete in addressing the issues that they read like small essays on their own.

This is a really enjoyable book, and not just for its scholarly value.

The period 1500 - 1800 is marked with great social and political upheaval. Olwen Hufton has taken on a monumental task in trying to show, not only the various types of women within this period (rural, urban, old, young, wives, widows, spinsters) but also how their lives changed as society and politics changed (renaissance, industrial revolution, religous oppression). The result is an easy to read and entertaining book that gives a general picture of the women of Western Europe (using various surveys and censuses) as well as concentrating on specific areas to give a human face to the statistics (personal accounts, diaries). The extensive notes and bibliography make it usuful for those who wish to study more about this period.

An informative and entertaining read

I bought this book for two reasons. First and foremost, my undying love for the game that, as a girl, I was forced to give up at the age of 15. Secondly, my love of black and white photography. Not only does David Deal capture the essence of the sport itself, but he captures the character of the "boys" who play it. Throughout the book, between pictures, are his personal accounts of travelling with the team, the interactions between teams and between teammates and more importantly of life at the minor league level. But I think the pictures tell more than the words, capturing a catcher's throw to second, the dirty ball in the hands of a player that could be anyone at any level, the joking between teammates, the pride on the face of the rookie and the catcher sitting in the dugout after a tough game. The pictures are phenomenal, all captivating in their own way. It's amazing how well Deal has captured the true nature of the game.

You may not have heard of David Deal, but you will. Prospects: A Portrait of Minor League Baseball, cements him as one of the great photographic geniuses of our time. In this powerful, moving book Mr. Deal captures the bygone allure and glory of what was once America's favorite sport. His original photographs take us back to a day when sandlots all over America were teaming with kids dreaming of the big leagues. What's amazing is that this is not an anthology of old photographs - just the opposite. In this wholly original work, Mr. Deal captures tomorrow's big leaguers...today. His lens invites us into the world of minor league baseball and does so with ease and brilliance. These players are seldom noticed, rarely acknowledged. Mr. Deal does more than notice and acknowledge - he celebrates, elevates and glorifies them. And you will be moved to do the same. But this is more than a baseball book - it's a book about life, about dreams, about hope. Buy this book. Read this book. Share this book.

This is a beautiful book, a celebration of baseball and a tribute to those who strive and struggle in any this or any other endeavor. What amazes me about Mr. Deal's portraits is his ability to capture his subjects with such vigor and HONESTY. These young ballplayers seem to meet the camera in all their raw self-hood. They don't pose for the camera. Rather, the camera seems to draw out of them something true and strong and wonderful. It's hard to describe. Unless you are holding the book in your hands it probably won't make much sense. But this is an extraordinary celebration of baseball, a remarkable and powerful tribute to those who play the game. Wish I could say it better. There is something very moving in this work.

Grab a fresh highlighter and your notepad when you start to read this book. Hope that your competitors never read it. Why ? The book is packed with useful information. Information that I have used to help myself and clients increase sales... sometimes doubling sales because of what's in the book. Reading this wonderful book is like getting your hands on a secret weapon!

Roy Porter Senior Account Manager Burton, Livingstone & Kirk Newport Beach, CA

Too much advertising and promotion is done, to the tune of billions of dollars each year, and the creators of this so-called promotional material have little or no idea what the return on investment will be. As the co-author of this book, I can promise you that after reading it, you'll know how to predict the return on investment for your marketing dollars, increase the marketing budget, and decrease the chances you'll be laid off, downsized or right sized

As a fairly secular American Christian I feel relatively nonpartisan in this tragic and ongoing confrontation. However, the more I have interacted with Israelis and Palestinians over the past 3 years, the more I began to feel that the debates between them did not square with my understanding of the conflict. Especially with respect to the peace process after 1993 and the entire involvement of the Clinton administration.

This book is a powerful, succint and spot-on antidote to the heavily biased media coverage in the United States. It presents the Palestinian case in an articulate fashion and lays out why seemingly fair proposals were designed such that their implementation would have either been impossible or deeply favorable to the stae of Israel.

But above all, Bishara explores the less tangible elements of the conflict which are oft ignored, yet are perhaps the most crucial dimensions. Who is "guilty"? Who will emerge as the "benevolent" party in the conflict? Who is generous & fair, and who is hateful and untrustworthy? These attributes Bishara argues are deeply skewed to the advantage of the Israelis under nearly all current negotiations, no matter what their strictly territorial or other tangible aspects. These psychological dimensions are what remain unaddressed and are what will perpetuate the violence which has already harmed so many.

Read this book if only for the sake of those whose voice goes unheard.

These days, Marwan Bishara's older brother, Azmi Bishara, the Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset, is being prosecuted for political statements he made in Syria and Um-Al-Fahm. As a Palestinian living in Israel, i sympathize with Azmi Bishara and point an accusing finger at Israel's hypocritical and racist "democratic" machinery. My accusations do not stem from hate nor from any racist basis, but from a belief in the justice of the Palestinian cause, and the belief in a future where Palestinians and Jews will be able to live together in peace and as equals. However, Marwan Bishara's analysis of the Palestinian/Israeli dispute current condition enlightens the reader with details that have not been highlighted during the conflict in the last decade. Marwan is a penetrating critic of Israeli and American policies. He guides the reader through layers and layers of details concerning the dispute on a very profound level. During his analysis, the reader gets to know the true origins of the term 'Tanzim', and how the Israeli secret security service(Shabak) turned it into a name of a notorious terrorist group that did not exist. Marwan also provides the reader with information about Al Gore's motivation for supporting the Oslo Agreement, and about his economical interest in the success of the agreement. This book should be read with an open mind, and the reader should prepare him/herself for fundamental changes in his/her perception of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.

Emilie Richards has done it again! Prospect Street captured my interest at the beginning and kept it until the last word was read. Ms. Richards has a unique way of building a mystery and gradually unfolding it so you just have to know what is going to happen next. Faith Bronson, her family and relationships, keep the reader constantly fascinated, sometimes surprised, always amazed at the intricate weaving of a wonderful storyline, believable characters, and a great romance. I have read all her novels and I can not wait for The Parting Glass.

I admit it, I bought this book because I liked the cover. I have never read any Emilie Richards books before and I simply fell in love the cover and picked it up. The book just looked so welcoming with the pretty red door, I wanted to peek inside and see what was going on behind it. I was not dissapointed. I was hooked from the first page. The story of Faith and her family kept me turning the pages, staying up late, and taking way too lengthy lunch breaks at work! This book is full of heartache, mystery, love and family drama. Emilie Richards develops her characters so well, you can't help but keep reading. The characters come alive off the page. By the time you finish this book you will feel like a member of Faith's family, or at least a close friend. Buy this book! It may have a great cover but it has an even better story inside!

This is my first Emilie Richards book and I can say that it won't be my last! I enjoyed this book completely, the story kept my interest right through. Faith loves her husband and believes she will be able to close the distance she feels has come between them, she is devastated when she finds out he has a lover. The story goes on to tell how she handles life afterward and how she uncovers many family secrets. I can't wait to read all the other books written by this author, hopefully they will be just as compelling.

You don't have to be a baseball lover to appreciate this brilliant novel. The game merely serves as a vehicle for the self-realization and adventure experienced by two men. The character development and descriptive style employed by the writer made the book a joy to read. Like most readers, I can't wait for Brian Shawver's next novel!

Thanks Brian Shawver for writing an excellent first novel. I would recommend to anyone interested in baseball, diverse personalities, moral dillemas, and communism.

Wow! That is my first impression after reading the Cuban Prospect. I picked it up thinking it would probably be a humorous tale about baseball (kinda of a "Bull Durham" in Cuba), but it was so much more that!

It is the story of a washed up minor league ballplayer, turned scout who gets the assignment of sneaking a hot new prospect, Ramon Diego Sagasta, out of Communist Cuba. Along the way, the duo encounters everything from flying fruit to inept Cuban cops. However, while the story is entertaining, the true magic lies in the meaning of each man's journey (the end has a twist).

I found the main characters very real and very engaging. The prose the author uses is amazing and the smart recollection of baseball's past only adds to the enjoyment of the book.

For anyone who ever wanted so bad to be a part of something, but wasn't good enough to do it, read this book. As Ramon Sagasta will tell you, some people will do anything just for the chance to be a part of history.