Cato, the day he eviscerated himself and still was happy.

James Thor Whitehead is a young boy living in Carter County, Tennessee and growing up with his family's tradition of storytelling. All his life, he has listened to this father's tales about the famous tiger that roams the mountains and valleys of East Tennessee. Thor believes that these stories are true and fears that this legendary beast will one day hunt him down and eat him. Eventually Thor learns of the real "Tennessee Tiger" who was legendary for his killing of 99 bears in his lifetime and the sparing of the 100th bear's life. A combination of folklore and mythology make this book a must. This book should be enjoyed by children of all ages and adults alike. It is especially meaningful when read together as a family. My child enjoys hearing this story over and over again. The colorful pictures are quite unique and very well done. I highly recommend this book!!

A wonderful anthology, with selections that cover virtually every "vice" attached to man. Each one is celebrated in its way, and you are taken from the forbidden lust/love of adultery, and the guilty pleasure of voyeurism. A must have for any library.

This electronic document consists of three Harvard Business Review articles on information technology.

The first and newest article is written by Nicholas G. Carr, who is Harvard Business Review's editor-at-large and writes for several leading business magazines and newspapers. This article was published in HBR's May 2003-issue. As information technology's power and presence have expanded, companies have come to view it as a resource even more critical to their success. Since 1965, the capital expenditures of American companies on IT has risen from 5% to almost 50% (well over $2 trillion) each year. The attitude towards IT has also changed in this period, from proletarion tools to strategic tools. But Carr believes that IT is best seen as the latest in a series of broadly adopted technologies that have reshaped industry over the past two centuries. And although these technologies opened opportunities for forward-looking companies to gain real advantages, they become commodity inputs as their availability increases and their cost decreases. Building on comparisons that the impact of railways, the telephone, and electric power had on business, the author explains the coming implications for corporate IT management. He discusses the vanishing advantage of IT, the commodization of IT, and a more cautious approach toward IT in the years to come. Carr's advice for IT management is take a more defensive posture toward IT (spend less; follow, don't lead; and focus on vulnerabilities, not opportunities). This is a good article on the future of information technology. And although a good many people/companies will not like it, the author has a strong, somewhat negative, message. Based on the histories of previous technologies Carr believes that IT management should become boring, with a far more defensive approach toward IT.

The second article is written by Michael E. Porter, who is a Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and a leading authority in the field of competition and strategic management. This article was published in the March 2001. "The key question is not whether to deploy Internet technology but how to deploy it." According to Porter companies should build on the proven principles of effective strategy since the Internet per se will rarely be a competitive advantage. "Many of the companies that succeed will be ones that use the Internet as a complement to traditional ways of competing." In order to prove his point Porter discusses a long list of subjects, such as distorted market signals ("New technologies trigger rampant experimentation ... as a result, market behavior is distorted and must be interpreted with caution."), the impact of the Internet on the five competitive forces and industry structure ("Its greatest impact has been to enable reconfiguration of exisiting industries."), and the myth of the first mover. He then switches over to the future of Internet competition ("The next stage of the Internet's revolution will involve a shift in thinking from e-business to business, from e-strategy to strategy."), discussing the impact of the Internet on competitive advantage. Porter also discusses the Internet as a complement to traditional business. He uses sidebar and figures to translate the impact of the Internet into his famous models and frameworks (five forces, strategic positioning, and value chain). "Only by integrating the Internet into overall strategy will this powerful new technology become an equally powerful force for competitive advantage." Although this article came too late for many Internet companies, it is essential reading for managers of organizations that are considering or need to improve their online strategy. It provides great insights into how the Internet links into traditional business and strategies.

The third article is written by Thomas H. Davenport, who is Professor at the Boston University School of Management. This article was published in July-August 1998. "Enterprise systems appear to be a dream come true. For managers who have struggled ... the promise of an off-the-shelf solution to the problem of business integration is enticing." But the growing number of horror stories give managers pause. The main reason enterprise fail are business problems. Companies fail to recognize the technological imperatives of the enterprise system with the business needs of the enterprise itself. The author describes the scope of the enterprise system (the functions supported by enterprise systems, the allure of enterprise systems (streamlining of data flows and information), the impact of enterprise systems on strategy, and the impact of enterprise systems on the organization and culture. Davenport finalizes the article with some advise for management: "If the development of an enterprise system is not carefully controlled by management, management may soon find itself under the control of the system." It is an interesting article on the possibilities and flaws of enterprise systems. It also provides good insights on the impact enterprise systems have on organizations. This article is very interesting to people thinking about introducing enterprise systems, understanding enterprise systems, and using enterprise systems.

Great collection of articles on information technology. Each article is good on its own, but this collection certainly offers an attractive package - especially with a $3.00 discount in comparison to the three articles individually. All articles are written in simple business US-English.

..there are 2 types of books that Desmond Bagley wrote. One being utter trash (Flyaway etc) and the other being some of the best thrillers you can read. This one belongs to the latter.

This is one of the most original plot that you can come across. Also, it is based in an unusual location

I was hooked from my very first prey book.I have read them all and can't wait for the next one.I was dissapointed when i read them all and there were no more.I got so caught up in luca's life and need the next book to see if he gets married.He is a very likable character and gets you hooked from the start.It's hard not to like him.I need to read them again.I read only romance until lucas and didn't know i would like murder novels but he changed it all.now i read james patterson too.I couldn't put the books down and became part of them.a must .read the whole series if you read one.

I have no idea how I missed this Sandford fiction in his "Prey" series, but I did. It's definitely one of the first with Lucas Davenport. It's an absolute jewel right down to the last sentence. I actually enjoyed it more than the newer "Prey" books.
John Sanford poured so much detail in to his characters. The killers (notice the plural) in this novel keep Davenport reeling with questions to the end, which is also a terrific surprise.
If you're a new reader of John Sandford, go back and start with this book before reading the newer "Prey" books. It will help you to understand Lucas Davenport better as well as his police pals.

I read numerous books and, up until now, haven't read any of the prey series. I was suspect at first, since I'm in academics, I thought this series might be poorly written--as are some popular novels that seem to fly off the book shelves. Having been skeptical at first, I was floored by Sandford's writing and ability to place you right beside Lucas Davenport, and watch the fast-paced plot unravel. Lucas is a self-destructive character that seems to come out smelling like a rose by the end of the book. As of now there are 14 Prey novels, and I have purchased all of them--after reading Eyes of Prey, of course.

Eyes of Prey is acutally the third book in the series and catches up with Davenport as he is chasing a killer that has a nasty habit of taking the eyes from his victims. The pace of the book is fast, and the plot is peppered with so many twists and turns that you will be unable to stop reading--I read the book in two days. Davenport is the type of character that keeps you wanting more as you finger each page, anticipating the next exciting plot-twist.

I would recommend that you pick up all of the prey books, but start at the beginning--I unfortunatley did not. 14 in all and here are the books in order:

RULES OF PREY
SHADOW PREY
EYES OF PREY
SILENT PREY
WINTER PREY
NIGHT PREY
MIND PREY
SUDDEN PREY
SECRET PREY
CERTAIN PREY
EASY PREY
CHOSEN PREY
MORTAL PREY
NAKED PREY--just released this year!!!

If you're tired of the inflight magazine, pick this book up as I did on a recent trip back home from Chicago. I didn't realize I had read this before (I should have known, I've read all the other ones) but that did not stop me from getting caught up inthe story again.

Smith walks the fine line between action novel and romance novel, in fact it was my mom who introduced me to his writing years ago, but Eye of The Tiger's 'manly' cover design won't get you any strange looks on the plane...

He just draws you in. You feel like, "Sure, I know what's it's like to dive in the Indian Ocean, fight off sharks, ride out a cyclone, no problem." I defy you to read a Wilbur Smith book without getting totally drawn into the story.

Like I said - this one's great for a plane flight, just about the right length for coast-to-coast travel and perfect if you're longing for the sun.

MM

Eye of the Tiger is a tribute to the masterful writing skills of Wilbur Smith. This was the first book I read by Smith that took place in contemporary times, so his immense skill in creating historical settings was not necessary. He spins a hard to put down account of a search for what we will learn to be buried undersea treasure from a shipwreck.

The protagonist is Harry Fletcher an ex-mercenary who is now a premier deep sea fisherman based out of the fictional island of St. Marys, an idyllic paradise off the coast of Africa. He gets lured into the search for an unknown item in the guise of a fishing charter. This turns into a web of intrigue as a bevy of unsavory characters try to get their fingers into the prize. Fletcher and his cohorts eventually decide to go after the treasure themselves. Along the way he falls for the sister of one of the players in this well thought out caper.

The ending has a nice twist to it which left me with a very satisfied feeling as I completed the book.

When a friend found out that I am a big fan and avid reader of the Dirk Pitt novels, he said "if you like Cussler, you'll love Wilbur Smith." I followed his advice and tried out Eye of the Tiger. This is the first Wilbur Smith novel I've read, and it definitely will not be the last. I'm definitely hooked!

Why am I so hooked? It's an engrossing page-turner, it has lots of lively action, the bad guys are eminently hate-able without being cartoonish, the heros are believable and all the more lovable because they have such human foibles, and everything in the story is so believable.

The hero (Harry Fletcher) is a manly-man who is able to think and fight his way out of apparently impossible situations, yet at the same time never comes across as an invincible superman. I think I also like him so much is that he is a reluctant hero. Circumstances are forced upon him, rather than him being sent in to save the world because he's the only one who could do it. In some ways, he is almost like Hemmingway's Old Man and the Sea, except that Wilbur Smith likes for his Hero to come out ahead in the end.

But I think the part that I most appreciated was that there were so many unpredictable surprises and twists, yet in hindsight, all the clues were there. Let me explain. My wife refuses to watch a movie with me the first time she sees it, because the clues are so ibvious that I usually figure out who dunnit or what the big surprise will be early on, and can explain why. Either that, or I get mad because the clues are never presented at all and the hero figures it out only through knowledge of some totally arcane trivia or by way of some clue that the author never actually presents to us in the book (or movie). This sucks! At least give me a chance.

Not so with this book! There were some wonderful twists that I found myself very happy to see because, in hindsight, the clues were all there, and it was totally valid for the hero to catch them, and I should have caught them to. For example, I didn't have to know about Flame Coral to draw the same conclusion Harry drew - I should have understood the implications of the other diver not knowing what it was. (You'll understand once you read the book).

Bottom line: my friend was right. If you like Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels, you WILL definitely like Wilbur Smith's Eye of the Tiger. I have already ordered a bunch more of Wilbur's books to add to my stack of Cussler novels.

Wilderness survival and wilderness living are not the same thing!!!

Like the previous reviewers - I have read most of the survival books on the market and I agree that this is hands down the best one out there. It covers all aspects of survival:

1. personal protection (clothing, shelter, fire)
2. signaling
3. sustenance (water and food)
4. travel (using a map and compass)
5. health (psychological stress, traumatic and environmental injuries)

I agree with a previous post -- its navigation chapter is the best I have seen and has really helped me master this skill. In addition, Greg Davenport's medical experience is apparent - his health section is by far the best I have seen in a book related to wilderness survival...

In a time when most survival books are actually about living in the wilderness ... it is good to find a book that focused on teaching the skills needed for those who play and work in the wilderness... I look forward to reading Mr. Davenport's newest book -- Wilderness Living -- which does focus on wilderness living skills.

Greg Davenport's simple approach to Wilderness Survival is the key to this user friendly educational text.

Greg posts on several of the wilderness survival forums. Through his book and posts I have come to understand his unique approach to wilderness survival. He believes that it is based on ones ability to do three things:

1. Stop and recognize the situation for what it is.
2. Identify your "five survival essentials" and prioritize them, in order of importance, for the environment that you are in.
3. Improvise to meet your needs using both your manmade and natural resources.

His book covers this process. It explains in step by step format how to meet your "five survival essentials" in every global environment. Davenport believes that these essentials are constant and the only thing that changes (from one climate to another) is the order and method in which they are met. These "five survival essentials" are:

1. Personal Protection (clothing, shelter, fire)
2. Signaling (manmade and improvised)
3. Sustenance (water and food ID, procurement, and preparation)
4. Travel (with and without a map and compass)
5. Health (psychological stress, traumatic and environmental injuries).

Davenport covers this information and more in his book (preview the table of contents). If you travel outdoors and are interested in learning about wilderness survival buy this book! You will not be disappointed.

I've read many wilderness outdoors and survival books for different country (mountain, forest, desert), and Wilderness Survival is one of my all-time favorites, along with Mountaineering The Freedom of the Hills by Don Graydon and The Ultimate Desert Handbook by Mark Johnson (both of which I also highly recommend).

I liked this book, though, as a die hard Prey fan, I would not rate it among the better books in the series, like "Mind Prey." This novel finds Davenport once again tracking down Clara Rinker, the female contract killer from "Certain Prey." While living in retirement with her new boyfriend in Cancun, Rinker loses both him and her unborn child to an assassin's bullet meant for her. Believing the failed attempt on her life to be the work of her former employers, who would rather not take the chance of her turning them over to the FBI, Rinker embarks on a mission to kill the four men she believes were involved. Lucas is recruited by the FBI to help in the search for Rinker. This book was, in my mind, one of those books that you can't tell whether you like or dislike. It had some very good elements, but some parts just didn't work well. I really enjoyed seeing Rinker going after her former bosses, and I thought it was a unique twist for Sandford to leave the audience sympathizing with the villain, a rarity in his books. Other parts left me scoffing, such as the FBI enlisting Davenport to help them. It's very typical of Sandford to make the FBI look like morons, and I didn't see any reason why they needed Lucas, who had only met Rinker twice before and had failed to catch her even then. It was a poor excuse to get him involved in the pursuit. All in all, if you're a Prey fan, I urge you to read this, though I don't see it as one of the "classics."

At the end of "Certain Prey" three years ago, Clara Rinker took a shot at Lucas Davenport, missed and called him on the phone to chat about it. You knew then there'd be a sequel, and it's as good as the first - even better.

"Mortal Prey" begins in Cancun when sniper Izzy Cohen fires at Clara killing her lover Paulo Mejia and their unborn child, wounding her. Determined to settle the score, Clara takes off before Paulo's powerful family finds out she was the real target and the St. Louis mob realizes she's still alive. Her hit list includes four "businessmen" led by Nanny Dichter, pioneer of the St. Louis cocaine business, and John Ross who got Clara started as a contract killer and is still one nasty guy. The first hit comes quickly with a lot of little arrows that will point to Clara when the cops, the Feds and Ross start following them, but she'll always be a step or two ahead.

The FBI is holding her younger brother Gene on a trumped up drug charge, so Clara calls Lucas to lay down the ground rules. The lively if unrealistic banter between maverick lawman and outlaw sets the tone for the chase to come. Ten pages later Sandford repeats the conversation as Davenport heard it, capturing the gut level connection between them while their two minds work at warp speed toward opposite ends.

There's a steady flow of great action with Lucas and his unofficial partner ex-cop Mickey Andreno working the streets and Agents Mallard, Malone and the rest of the FBI providing high tech back up and firepower. Through page 350 the story follows a somewhat structured outline, moving from one showdown to the next. Then Sandford gives us three quick closing chapters. He provides a sufficient degree of closure to this saga but leaves enough loose ends and surviving old and new characters that I would bet on, hope for, future St. Louis based / Rinker related Prey stories.

One thought for Sandford's next effort: Certain Easy Rules of the Mind in the Eyes of a Secret Chosen Mortal turn Silent in the Sudden Shadow of the Winter Night.

Translated: The Prey series has been great, but don't let the 90s Lucas wear us down. Keep the stories coming, but trade in the Porsche.

Clara Rinker shares almost all the great qualities of many leading ladies we're fond of except one: she's the villain! Rinker is back (from Certain Prey) and this time is out for total revenge for the single bullet that killed her lover, her unborn baby, and laid her up for a month or two. It doesn't take her long to return from Mexico to St. Louis where she systematically and cleverly, amidst a huge FBI team watching her every movement, proceeds to knock off her human targets.

Enter our hero of this 13th Prey series offering, Lucas Davenport, a deputy police chief, independently wealthy and working here with the FBI since he almost killed Rinker in his hometown Minneapolis in the earlier book. Cleverly hooking up with some retired ex-cops, Lucas takes to the streets and beats the horde of FBI-types with clues and ideas at every turn. Does he get Rinker this time??

We're surprised at the mixed reaction of the audience to this one. We've read the whole series (plus the three Kidd books by Sandford), and we think not only is this one of the best, but indeed one of the best books we've read in the last year. The story is good, the pace is better, and Sandford can actually write a 10-or-15-page chapter unlike some newer authors that can barely muster up three pages without changing sets. Most of all, we care a lot about Lucas (and his fiancée) and truthfully found ourselves growing fonder of Rinker herself with every passing scene. If only she weren't a murderer, she'd be quite a catch (no pun intended). Best of all, Sandford maintains suspense without shoving our face into a million sub-plots and detailed blood and guts; and when we can barely wait to race to the finish, that's a compelling read! Get it and enjoy it!

Lucas Davenport is the detective in charge of the investigation. Davenport's ability to unfold the plot is extraordinary. This time he finds murder is hitting close to home. The action is non-stop and I could not put it down. Davenport finds the motive for the killings are revenge. I loved reading this book, once you start to read you are hooked!

This is one of my favourites in the Prey series. Two females are shot in a bank robery, and the husband of one of them escapes from prison. Now he wants to get his revenge, but not by taking it out directly on the police officers. He wants them to suffer as he is, and wanting nothing by revenge, he's going after their families...
Sandford is a master of writing about different motives for the killings in all his thrillers. Previously I've read about someone killing because (s)he feels (s)he have to do it, another time I read about a much more dangerous motivation, the profit. In this book, Sudden Prey, the main character, Lucas Davenport, is facing the most simple and purest motivation, which is revenge. But can his killer-instinct, fast thinking and intelligence help him to solve this case?
Sandford has the ability of making you so curious about what will happen, that you simply can't put the book away. You have to finish it right away. And if you enjoy the Prey series, this book is a must. Certainly one his best. A great book also recommended to anyone who loves to read, and those who like thillers.

I love great literature, and once-upon-a-time, I tried to focus on the National Book Award winners, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and other international authors who could tell a good story in an interesting way. For variety, I read the earlier Stephen King books, and some "hard" science fiction, like Bob Forward. In a funk, and bored with several wonderful books I was plodding through, I heard an advertisement for "Mind Prey" (the previous "Lucas Davenport" novel) by 'John Sandford.' In a moment of -- for me -- consumer frenzy, I saw it at a local drugstore and bought it. Wow! I researched the author, and began to get his "Prey" books and read them from first (Rules of Prey) to last (Sudden Prey). 'Sandford' really knows how to tell a story; his characters are interesting and believable, and while there's plenty of "blood and guts," its all in the context of solid, you-are-there plotting. Sudden Prey, as usual, made me stop in the middle of a chapter, and say aloud, "no, no: that can't happen!" Sometimes I was right, sometimes I was wrong, and I give all the credit in the world to 'John Sandford' for getting me involved enough to care about the characters he creates. And, I still enjoy the National Book Award-type "good" literature I once thought was the only thing "intelligent" people should read. I'll read everything this guy puts out. If Sudden Prey is your first Sandford book, you'll go back and read the rest -- and I recommend them all. Jack Flynn