Having read books 1-5 in the SEALS:The Warrior Breed series, I couldn't wait to get my hands on book 6, Marks of Valor. The book is an excellent continuance in the series of characters which I have grown attached to. In the book, there could have been a little more action. The book spent more time on getting to know the SEALs and how it was like back in America during the Vietnam War. (I'm one of those who like to read about the guerrilla fighting) I think H. Jay Riker is writing an excellent series and this book continues to pull me deeper into it. Excellent work, Mister Riker. I can't wait to read "In Harm's Way" and other books following it in this excellent and ongoing series.

One of the greatest books I have ever read. Riker did a great job on this one. It had a little something for everyone. Good action, a little love, and some real life type situations from the homefront made this one a must read.

Have you ever wanted to "off" your spouse? Yes? Well suppose, just suppose, he/she was thinking the same thing about you -- at the same time .....

Taken to an absurd extreme, this hilarious book will walk you down the paths of decision, indecision, and true love.

At a mere 154 pages and full of contemporary, snappy (and adult) dialogue, Jay Cronley has written a wry tale with which you can pleasantly while away an afternoon.

SHOOT! by Jay Cronley is a hilarious comedy/mystery for the adult reader. His portrayal of two couples, at war with each other and themselves, is a riot. I admit it is written from the male perspective, but with enough heart for women to enjoy too. I read it straight through in one sitting.

I know, I know. You've enjoyed the two "Lord of the Rings" movies released so far and maybe thought about trying out some epic fantasy in printed form, right? But then you saw that most fantasy series out there are either at least half a dozen volumes long (or more!) or have individual volumes thick as a telephone book. In some cases, both descriptions are true! So, naturally you run out of the bookstore screaming in fear at the prospect of conquering all those pages. Well, here's your solution... if you're open to or already familiar with the comics medium, pick up the first two volumes of CrossGen's epic "Sojourn" graphic novel series. This volume, plus volume 1 ("From the Ashes") together collect the first 12 issues of this terrific fantasy series, and the story so far gives you the type of drama, wonder, adventure, and humor you experienced in Peter Jackson's films (though with its own personality and flavor), but without the time commitment, fuss, and... well, drudgery, of having to wade through a four-pound doorstop of a book (or two, or three, or... you get the picture). Instead of getting your weightiness from the literal weight of the book, you'll get it from the epic goings-on, courtesy of Ron Marz's entertaining writing, and from Greg Land's wonderfully detailed artwork. And for those of you who don't mind a nice, thick book, and even like 'em, don't worry, you do get well over a hundred pages in each of these first two volumes, plenty of pages to let you get good and immersed in the story. But not enough to send you away screaming.

The second trade paperback of the Crossgen series "Sojourn" continues with the same fervor of the first and makes your tounge water for the third. Arywn, the beautiful herione chosen to defeat the bad guy to save the world, Gareth, the cycloptic narrator, Kreeg, Arwyn's faithful poochie, Mordath, Skeletor's first cousin [not really], and Neven, the mysterious mage all return as the hunt continues to track down the shards of Aiden's arrow.

Without giving too much away, volume 2 focuses on the attempt to retrieve of the first shard and an encounter with a very unusual dragon. There is more character development for Arwyn and Gareth, and we are left just as confused regarding Neven's role. And Kreeg goes "woof".

What sets Sojourn apart from other series' (in my opinion) is the role of Gareth. He is a narrator, a commentator, and a main character. Whereas Arwyn is rather tactid (is that a word?), we constantly hear Gareth's thoughts and opinions, but not so often that it gets annoying. Arywn's character is also phenominal since she is a strong herione with an unpleasant past who doesn't really want the arrow to save the world, but to avenge the death of her son and husband.

If you liked book one, you'll love book two just as much. If you didn't like book one, what's wrong with you? ;)

This book is a great read for anyone who engages in work of any sort, or who desires to connect with self and others in a deeper, more meaningful way. While traditional approaches to career satisfaction have focused on "correct" placement in accordance with interests and personality, this book begins to step into an area that is unknown, ambiguous, and individually unique.... the human spirit.

The definition of "spiritual" in this context has much more to do with a deeper connection to the ideals, values, and goals of an entity greater than oneself (be it a company, an organization, or a family) than the more traditional connotation of "religion," or human relation to "God," (although one chapter does venture into the notion of partnering with "god"). It speaks both to those who would be leaders of others, as well as to those who would just become a leader in his or her own life.

Chapters on leadership, and accessing and projecting one's spirit as a leader provide a new framework that may become one of the most effective approaches to teaching effective leadership yet. Other chapters implore individuals as well as leaders of groups to understand their fears and to become aware of strengths and weaknesses.

Perhaps the most valuable thread running throughout this compilation of chapters by various authors such as Parker Palmer and Katheryn Tyler Scott, is that for any of us to realize a new, higher, more fulfilling connection to those activities in which we engage daily (called "work"), we must individually take a journey within.... a journey that will prove of tremendous value to anyone willing to take it.

Exploring the relationship between spirituality and leadership, this book is a rare breed. It contains very high quality articles from insightful writers such as Parker Palmer, Vaclav Havel, and Jay Conger. It explores the inner being of a leader and spirituality in practice. This book distinguishes itself from the multitude of management and leadership books with a class of its own. A must read for wholesome leaders with sustainable lives for significance.

I have been teaching ballet for more than 10 years and whereas I found this book quite basic, I think it would be a wonderful tool for a new teacher. It goes into great depth about the differnt teaching styles, constructing a class, dicipline, basic technical concepts, imagery, etc.

I did want to note that this book is written for instructors teaching beginning ballet in a high school or college, not so much for the "Studio" teacher.

If you are a new teacher and not quite sure where to start, this would be a good book for you.

I just started teaching beginning dance classes and I wasn't sure how to go about it. And then I discovered this book. It is an amazing reference. It is in two parts, the first part discusses how to plan your classes and different teaching methods. The second part breaks up one term into four different units and then gives exercises (barre and center) for each unit. For each exercise, it gives the french name, pronunciation, the english definition, a breakdown of the movement including arms, musical info (tempo, timing, etc), a preparation as well as progressions for teaching it. Excellently designed. It is more based on the Cecchetti method and since I prefer certain aspects of the Russian method I changed some things. Overall, this is an excellent book and walks with you along the path of teaching ballet. I highly reccomend it.

This book is a comprehensive examination of the changing nature of work and the changing character of the workplace. The text analyzes trends such as reengineering and TQM and whether these trends are likely to continue as is, evolve, or disappear.

The role of human resources management is depicted in an expanded role that assumes a cross-functional position in the modern organization. Training is seen as a process of continuous learning rather than a preparation process. Teamwork is shown as an essential facet of technology as projects are too complex to be assigned to individuals. The authors describe an organizational architecture that combines market, social, and technical skills. The individual is described in a nested position within a group, within a business unit, within an organization.

This text has been used at Santa Clara University in the Engineering Management and Leadership program and is highly recommended for similar programs or for managers or self-led professionals who want to delve into concepts such as spiral work-flow models and lateral organizations.

"Tomorrow's Organization focuses on the new organizational designs and management approaches that are emerging as organizations transform themselves to face the challenges of continuous and relentless global competition. The book is based on two premises. The first is that the nature and intensity of competition have changed, and so organizations are now required to be simultaneously more effective and more flexible in their ability to reconfigure themselves, carry out their dynamic strategies, and make sure they are delivering value to their customers faster and better than their competitors. The second is that strategy and organization are not enough: organizations must also create new approaches to the human issues that accompany change" (from the Preface).

In this context, editors divide this invaluable study into four parts:

Part I- Designing Competitive Organizations. In this part (Chapters 1-4):

* E. E. Lawler III, D. Finegold, and J. A. Conger focus on the development of a framework for understanding the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of corporate boards, and specific principles and practices that can contribute to board effectiveness.

* J. R. Galbraith describes customer-product structures, and focuses on three questions concerning this kind of structures: (1). What are hybrid structures? What do they like? (2). Why are companies choosing to organize in this way? (3). How do we make hybrid structures work effectively?

* J. R. Galbraith argues that "the new information technology facilitates the networked organization by allowing independent firms to join together in networks". And then he describes the various design issues that have to be addressed in networked organizations.

* J. R. Galbraith examines the factors on which companies organize their global operations, and considers the major approaches to organizing, as well as where those approaches fit.

Part II- Enabling Competitive Performance. In this part (Chapters 5-7):

* D. Finegold, E. E. Lawler III, and G. E. Ledford Jr. ask that 'Is attention to competencies another management fad, or is it a more fundamental and lasting change in the theory and practice of managing organizations and individuals? Then, answering this question, they examine three distinct competency approaches as well as tensions among them.

* S. G. Cohen and D. Mankin argue that "New information technologies, combined with the global competitive pressures, have fundamentally changed the nature of work". Then they examine this impact of information technology on the nature of work.

* E. E. Lawler III and S. A. Mohrman review employee involvement, total quality management, and reengineering approaches with an eye to assessing both how they unfolded and their long-term implications for the field of management.

Part III- Managing People in the Competitive Organizations. In this part (Chapters 8-11):

* S. A. Mohrman and E. E. Lawler III outline the specifications of new human resources management, and argue that "the human resources function not only must become a true business partner but also must be a microcosm of the organizations in which it is embedded".

* D. Finegold, after describing the main elements of new learning paradigm for building competencies, reviews the steps that firms can take to identify a clear set of priorities for development and to evaluate the make-or-buy decisions regarding training.

* J. A. Conger and K. R. Xin describe changes in the nature of executive education, changes that include an increased focus on developing executives for the new competitive environment and the new, more lateral organizational forms.

* E. E. Lawler III focuses on how pay systems can be designed to support particular strategies, and argues that "the challenge for organizations is to integrate their pay systems with business strategy and with overall organizational design. This challenge must be met if organizations are to compete effectively in rapidly changing global markets".

Part IV- Transforming the Organization. In this part (Chapters 12-14):

* D. Mankin, S. G. Cohen, and T. K. Bikson provide frameworks for creating high-performing organizations through the design and implementation of new information technologies and the team-based organizations that employ them , and describe the change processes needed to create the new organization.

* R. V. Tenkasi, S. A. Mohrman, and A. M. Mohrman Jr. study organizations as they have gone through a fundamental transformation in their organizational model and the factors that contribute to accelerated learning during transitions, and then describe the dynamics that characterize organizational learning as organizations change their underlying architectures.

* A. M. Mohrman Jr. and S. A. Mohrman argue that "performance management is central to managing the business, defining the individual's relationship with the organization, and providing a mechanism for feedback and control". Thus, they describe some of their research and experience to show how and why this happens.

I highly recommend this study to all executives.

Pluses: This book has a number of unusual sites for Genealogical Research. It jogs the memory to new sources for the elusive piece of information needed to find your ancestor or cousin. The sites then lead to the information that you have sougth for years. It includes both domestic (US) and international sites. The latter are quite useful and otherwise hard to find.

Minuses: The book was first printed in 1997 and some of the sites have new URLs. For example Cindi's List has changed. (Experienced surfers can still find this invaluable site.)

This revised, updated edition to genealogical research on the Internet lists websites from around the world and the resources and guides on each which lend to genealogical research. Entries include email and postal addresses, phone contacts for the web site, and lists of archives and other data sources around the world. From special collections and historical society holdings to public and research libraries, Virtual Roots 2.0: A Guide to Genealogy and Local History On The World Wide Web is packed from cover to cover with genealogical research and reference assistance source materials.

The book is great, if you are running a cronicicle with kuei-jin, some mages, Dark Kingdom wraiths, or Shen Shapechangers. But westerners stay away. The culture difference would be brutal (;->). Otherwise, a good book. PS- Don't try and do the story, but get the sword

Disregard the idea of a story it brings if you want. It could limit you. But storytellers know how hard it is to create and keep a full guide of an area, complete with NPCs. This guide has it all, even the maps, havens, characters, plots, you'll ever need to get a full world of darkness crossover. If you like storytelling with all types of characters this is the book to have.

A Lesson Before Dying is one of the best books that I have ever read. This book focuses on the racial differences in the 1940s and how blacks were treated unfairly. Jefferson, a young black man,accused for murder is sentenced to the death chair. Without proper evidence, the all white jury assumes that he killed a white man. However, Jefferson is actually a good boy who was raised by his Aunt Nannan. After realizing that her nephew will die soon, she wants him to die a man and a believer in God. Unfortunately, Jefferson endures name calling and racial abuse, thus he feels that he is only a worthless hog. It will take the help of his former teacher, Grant Wiggins, to make his Aunt's dream come true. The road to making Jefferson a man and a believer is not an easy one. Even Mr. Wiggins must learn a lesson and become a believer. I recommend reading this book because it seems as if the reader " learns a lesson before dying" with Jefferson and Grant. It is also significant because many black men and women in our past died as Jefferson- innocent. However, there was nothing he or she could do but keep the faith: that can never be taken away

After reading this I immediatly ordered another Gaines book, and will undoubtedly read everything else he's written. The character's struggles are so universal, even though the time and place are very specific and far removed from someone like myself, an Asian-American female who grew up in the Southwest.

Gaines gives us insight into the climate of pre-Civil Rights Louisiana, and for the version I read (just shy over the 200-page mark), less is definitely more. The barest details and subtle nuances picked up through dialogue and the very believable interpretations by the main character are extraordinarily strong and perceptive. The story managed to remind me that not everyone of Caucasian descent during that time was hostile and unreasonable toward African and Black Americans, and that their actions oftentimes were dictated by the conditioning in their environment rather than deep-seated personal hatred and bigotry.

The main point of the story involved a teacher's (Grant)commissioning to impart his learning and knowledge unto a man (Jefferson) sentenced to die for a crime he did not commit. What at first seems like an unlikely "overnight" transformation hits home later in the most poignant way, when readers are given a special gift from Jefferson himself.

Please read this book.

I'm glad to hear many of the students who reviewed this book say that they found it more piercing than some of the "older" novels they read in class. Although as a teacher I wouldn't throw aside Hawthorne for Gaines, I think this book is a terrific addition to the American classics read in middle and high school. It makes a good pairing with To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee's classic (and still as moving as ever) focuses on the trial of a black man, unfairly convicted, whereas Lesson accepts the inevitable death sentence and explores the journey towards salvation. Our narrator is the only "educated" person in the novel, but for all his education, he has no soul and no religious faith. After being asked to meet with Jefferson, the condemned man, to convince him that he is in fact a man, not a hog, the narrator discovers as much about himself as the prisoner. The minor cast of characters are well drawn -- the pain evident in their lives is present on ever page. We witness the indignities they suffer in the hands of the white justice system, including being forced to wait hours just to speak to the sheriff. I'm glad Gaines includes one "good" white man (Paul) as a gesture of good will that there are always smaller heroes among villains. The friendship between the narrator and Paul makes for an inspiring finale.

This book is very moving and well-written. Highly recommended.

Considered by many to be the great American novel, Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is the story of a boy, Huck Finn, and a runaway slave, Jim, as they travel down the Mississippi River on a raft. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is the sequel to Twain's novel "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer". Where "Tom Sawyer" was more a care-free children's book, "Huck Finn" is a far darker less childlike book.

Judging from my rating you can see that I do not agree that this is in fact the great American novel. Twain seemed far too unsure of what he wanted to accomplish with this book. The pat answer is to expose the continuing racism of American society post-Civil War. By making Jim simultaneously the embodiment of white racist attitudes about blacks and a man of great heart, loyalty, and bravery, Twain presented him as being all too much of what white America at the time was unwilling to acknowledge the black man as: human.

However noble the cause though, Twain's story is disjointed, at times ridiculous, and, worst of all (for Twain anyway), unfunny. The situations that Huck and Jim find themselves in are implausible at best. Twain may not have concerned himself too much with the possibleness of his story; but, it does detract from your enjoyment of a story when you constantly disbelieve the possibility of something happening.

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is an important book in that it did affect much of the American literature that followed it. However, this is another novel which is more important to read for its historical significance than for its story.

I read this, since it was my school's outside reading assignment. The printing was so small, that I first thought it would be a boring read. But I soon figured that I was wrong. I found myself slowly slipping into the story as if it was all happening before my own eyes. The characters were very interesting. Especially Huck Finn seemed like a very likable person with a strong identity, wit, and a soft heart. He does not want to sit and let the world rule over him, but instead test his own ideas and proves to the world that he can be better than what the society expacts him to be. And although many say it is a racially biased book because of its frequent use of N word, nobody can deny that it was a commonly used word in the 1800 where the rogue institution called 'slavery' was considered healthy and inevitable. As a matter of fact, this is a book that actually tries to tell the world about the evilness of racial prejudice not promote it. One should read between the lines, in order to acknowledge Twain's subtle attempts. It was a thrilling experience and I recommend people to have for their own!!!!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, was one of the best novels I have ever read. When I was a junior in high school, I had to get signed permission to read this novel. I never thought a book could be so controversial that something like that would be necessary. I am so glad that I read it then, and again during my freshman year of college, because I think it sends a powerful message. Written in the dialect of the deep south, Twain successfully gets the reader involved in the book. When I read this novel for the first time, I did not want to put it down. The character of Huck intrigued me. Though a young boy, he had more common sense than many people years older than him. He knew what he wanted and was smart enough to know how to go about getting it. When he befriends a runaway slave named Jim, social issues are brought up and Huck is forced to follow what his heart says, instead of what society says is morally acceptable. I enjoyed how Twain portrayed Huck and Jim's journey down the river and the adventures they shared. It was a symbol of their need for freedom. By sharing the same goals, Huck and Jim become true friends. They are beyond the color barrier and realize that a person is a person, regardless of what they look like or who they are. I think much of today's society could benefit from reading this book. It helps you put things in perspective and think about what is really important in life; what others think versus how you feel. If anyone is looking for a good novel to read, one that captures interest and provokes thought, Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is it.