I ordered this book hoping it'll give me some fresh and new ideas for designing. I am very dissapointed, because what I've got is not more than 330 pages of outdated, temporary designs. Pretty much 330 of its 374 pages are filled with the same of what I call "typical american design from 90-95". So if you look at it that way, this book is way overpriced for 40 good pages.

I buy this book as a birthday present for my friend who studies in a uni. He said that this book is really fantastic. It's full of brilliant ideas. Once in a while when he's running out of idea to do his assignment, he will read this book - take the basic idea and developed furthermore from there. The minor problem in this book is because it was published in 2000. Three years is lots of time of changes in design. So he still have to make himself up to date with all the things that going up in design graphic world.

Much better than a brainstorming creative session, 'The Big Book of Design Ideas' is a MUST for every creative professional out there. The best of the best are featured in this book, from logos, to cd's, to books,to webpages and so much more! An outstanding book that you will find useful over and over again. This book will inspire your creativity because seeing excellent work always seems to inspire excellent work. Highly recommended!

This is an exhaustively detailed account of the life of Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter, told in a compelling, fluid style. Great detail is given not only the the life of Rubin Carter, but of all those persons involved in Mr. Carter's decades long struggle for freedom after having been twice wrongly convicted for a 1966 triple murder. The background detail of places and events provides an impressive depth and understanding of the political undercurrents and feelings of the day. Mr. Carter has strong feelings about the criminal justice system in the United States, and a strong basis for those feelings. Mr. Hirsch's meticulously researched 'hurricane' provides the reader with a well written 'Journey' not only of, but with Rubin Carter.

James Hirsch does an excellent job with his biography of Rubin Carter. I read about one non-fiction book to 20 fiction books; this one could influence me to raise the percentage. They say that fact is stranger than fiction ... the story of Hurricane Carter gives credibility to that statement. Hirsch had me hooked from page one. His matter-of-fact style is rift with descriptive passages that lend themselves to the stuff good novels are often made of. The story itself: unbelievable! As a die-hard fan of historical fiction, I would recommend this tale to anyone. Tough to put down and not meant to be read through multiple sittings.

As a lawyer and an African American I vaguely remember the story of Rubin Carter but did not follow it closely. When the movie came out I read the reviews with great interest. The reviews all said that the movie did not give the full story and it's obvious that you can't cram a whole life time and years of legal battling into a two hour movie. When I saw the movie I was intrigued by the story and ordered the book. I found the book well written, with excellent details. It tells the real story and gives the details of the legal battle in a reable form that is understandable by any reader. You get to know Rubin Carter by reading this book in a way that could never happen in the movies. It's well worth reading, although the story itself is a sad commentary on the rights of African Americans.

Two basic elements of his character stand out in this book by former President Jimmy Carter - his willingness to show us the stuff he's made of - warts and all, and his insistence on fairness in dealing with people. If he had a weakness while serving as President, it was that he expected Washington press and politicians to exhibit these character traits as well. Of course, they did not. For me, Mr. Carter's accounts of his family life confirmed my belief that he has always been a man dedicated to his faith and public service. For him, the two are inseparable. Mr. Carter's remarks about his brother Billy and Miss Lillian also show an appreciation for family and for the world that the press has overlooked. Therefore, we never knew about it, except for our personal observations. I would like to thank President Carter for giving me the chance to more fully understand and appreciate him and what he stands for. May he have a long life and continued success

Former President Jimmy Carter initially intended Living Faith to be a compendium of his Sunday school teachings. However, as he wrote, it became more of an autobiography relating how he grew up and the role of his faith in his private and public lives. The first third of the book depicts his early life in, departure from, and return to rural Georgia, written in a meandering style sprinkled with appropriate Biblical verses. He then goes on to explain his approaches to leadership, justice, peacekeeping, fighting poverty, and civil rights through his faith in God and Jesus Christ and his understanding of the Bible. His philosophy is possibly best summed up by the simple theology of pastor Eloy Cruz (with whom President Carter worked on a missionary trip). "You only have two loves in your life -- for God, and for the person in front of you at any particular time."

I have always respected President Carter and felt that he was misunderstood and should have had more time in office. His work since his presidency with Habitat for Humanity, the Carter Center, his peacekeeping efforts, and his support of fledgling democracies has probably outweighed his actual presidency. Living Faith will help the reader better understand this good, honest man, the likes of which are virtually nonexistent in modern politics.

I doubt that I could be tempted to read a book authored by any political leader of my time -- or any time -- with [as of now] perhaps one exception. As a man of great intellectual curiosity, spiritual insight, and ethical depth, Jimmy Carter is a most uncommon leader; one who continues to make meaningful contributions to the welfare of humanity and who continues to offer thoughts worth considering. In this volume, a spiritual thread binds President Carter's consideration of economic, social, political, humanitarian, scientific, philosophical, religious, and very personal issues.
"No matter what we seek in life, we are more likely to find it if we are not self-centered but concentrate on something or someone outside ourselves."

This was and excellent book, focusing on President Carter's life after his 1980 loss to Ronald Regan. The president allowed the author, who had complete access to President Carter's records, to interview him several times. Thus the author was able to gain tremendous insight into Carter's personality.

From his involvement in Habitat for Humanity to his efforts in the Middle East Peace Process, the author beautify weaves the character of Jimmy Carter with historical events. The book reads with the ease of fiction.

An enjoyable, contemporary history about a unique individual, it was a pleasure to read.

If you are even slighly interested the post-presidential career of Jimmy Carter, this book is a great work of art! I knew that President Carter was a hard working, great man; I just did not realize How Hard Working, Caring, and Diligent President Carter actually is. He is defintely a man that is a great role model for all people that are interested in running for a political office, or wish to live peacefully on planet earth. Mr Brinkley does a fabulous side of pulling us in to the Carters' world, educating us, and entertaining us. This is a GREAT book!

This book provides insight into the life of Jimmy Carter after his defeat to Reagan in 1980. Every chapter divulges new aspects of Carter's amazing post-presidential life. Brinkley has managed to present an accurate picture of Carter that does not gloss over or mock his faith. Well done!

To the below reviewer who wrote that "Carter has not done an intelligent thing since leaving office", I would say that you are entitled to your opinion but you obviously did not read this book. To make such an assertion needs factual backing. You can say that Carter failed as a civilian ambassador but you cannot deny that he and his Carter Center helped forge peace, eradicate numerous illnesses, free thousands of political prisoners, and inspire millions. That is a viscious, partisan attack and has no place in a review of this book. Interesting to note that outside of the US, world leaders and people would heartily disagree with any assessment of Carter that fails to acknowedge his monumental contributions to peace and human rights. I defy you, after reading this book, to list a single modern president who has done more than Jimmy Carter.

I am a huge Letterman fan and thought Bill Carter spent too much time in this book focusing on Jay Leno.Ive re-read it a couple of times and came up with the same conclusion.The book was far better than that rediculous movie.

This is a must-read for any Leno and Letterman fan who wants the inside scoop on exactly what went on behind the screens during the fight over "The Tonight Show". It is easy to follow and it mentions all the key players. As I'm in the UK, and we only got the Letterman and Leno shows in 1994, it details everything that happened that we didn't already know. The only distracting thing about the book is that it swings Letterman's way. As it is a couple of years old now, the last chapter (Carter's own feelings on the matter) doesn't ring entirely true. It is, however, an entertaining and insightful book giving a great view of network politics and contracts.

Bill Carter has done an excellent job of telling the tale of how Leno got the coveted Tonight Show gig over Letterman. Of course its much more than that because the selection of Johnny Carson's replacement is arguably one most important decisions made in TV history. Not only do get to meet Letterman and Leno up close and personal, we also get to be a fly on wall inside the offices and boardrooms of some of the most powerful people in America --the entertainment czars. We learn about the differences of philosophy between the East Coast and the Left Coast (California)and learn that there are actually some pretty decent suits among the snakes. Carter does a really good job at keeping himself out the story, but it still often reads like satire --funny and cutting. The people are fascinating especially Jay and Dave. I'm thrilled that NBC was forced to make the right --and most profitable-- decision by sticking with Jay (a truly nice guy -- I speak from experience having met him and he comes off that way in the book) even though at the time the book was finished it looked bad for the Peacock Network. The updated paperback edition is the one to buy because an added chapter tells about the Hugh Grant incident on Jay's show which of course was the turning point for The Tonight Show. This is a great book about the industry.

As one who practices in the business turnaround arena, I have a keen understanding of the Pate/Platt analogy of the Phoenix. In many cases, with the right timing, latitude, people and luck, a business heading south can be captured and "redefined" into one going the right direction.

For those unaware of the symmetry, the Phoenix takes is roots from classical mythology. The Phoenix, a young and strong firebird, would build a nest of frankincense and cassia twigs, ignite it, and self immolate once it became "old." A new Phoenix would rise from these fragrant flames, gather the ashes of it's predecessor, encapsulate them in a precious egg of Myrrh, and fly them to the altar of the Egyptian God of the Sun in the city of Heliopolis Egypt where they were carefully deposited. According to many scholars, this flight represented "the capacity to leave the world and its problems behind, flying towards the sun in clear pure skies." The ostensible lesson of the Phoenix is in the midst of prosperity and strength, we need a renewal phase or a recycling designed to interrupt the daily norms, allowing a rebirth and regeneration.

If there are two individuals with a strong sense of this "rebirth," it's Carter Pate and Harlan Platt. Pate is a Big Four turnaround specialist and Platt created and administers the certification exam for the Turnaround Management Association.

In THE PHOENIX EFFECT, the authors reveal the warning signs and critical pointers leading to a "real" review of one's business without the emotional denial typically present. The ability to identify trouble spots before they create trouble is the key, the authors tell us. The nine strategies described by the authors are:

1) "Determine the Scope" - where does your business sit in the industry you compete? Should you create new business lines, drop old ones, merge, etc?

2) "Orient the Business" - Are your products aimed at the right markets at the right time? Does your sales/growth strategy require some level of reorientation to generate greater effectiveness?

3) "Manage Scale Accurately" - can you grow your business from within with existing resources or should you consider a merger?

4) "Handle Debt" - restructure or renogotiate debt whenever possible. Create a credit facility meeting your business's need. {A word of caution: restructure credit facilities judiciously. Going back to the well too many times will create negativity, concern, doubt and potential retraction of your banking relationship.}

5) "Get the Most from Assets" - carefully scrutinize your asset bases, both tangible and intangible, to determine if they are working for your business. Any superfluous and underused assets should be considered dead weight.

6) "Get the Most from Employees" - identify and use creative strategies to increase the quality and productivity of your employee base.

7) "Get the Most from Products" - routinely review your product base to ascertain current pricing strategies, customer base and the quality a customer brings to your business. {I regularly review my client base to determine if I've outgrown a client. This type of renewal, while often awkward and painful, is absolutely healthy for both myself and the client.}

8) "Produce the Product" - are there alternative methods your products can be created, manufactured or offered proving more efficient and cost-effective? Is outsourcing a possibility?

9) "Change the Process" - model your own processes after those who have created a successful model. No change for the better is too small.

Pate and Platt provide an incredible number of real-life examples (certain aspects of which surprised me greatly...from a confidentiality point-of-view) of fatal mistakes and storied comebacks. This is a very solid read for any business owner, high-level manager, or consultant. It provides a blueprint for clarity in an otherwise complex web of uncertainty. Let's face it, any time a business is in trouble, you'll find more chaos, worry and "Chicken Littleisms" than you'll ever want to see. Creating a cohesive plan of attack designed to bring the pieces back together is the turnaround specialists mantra.

The only reason I didn't give this offering five stars was the authors' penchant for concentrating on the product section. While certainly not unimportant, the concept of crafting a turnaround strategy is much more than product direction and quality. Regardless, this book is quite good and extremely poignant.

Turnaround specialists Carter Pate and Harlan Platt outline nine strategies any organization can use to revitalize itself and rise from the ashes. The nine strategies also correspond to the chapter titles in their new book:
1. Get to the Point of Pain -- overcome denial and deception and get started.
2. Determine the Scope of your Business -- pick a market you can serve profitably.
3. Orient the Business -- aim your products at the right customers.
4. Manage Scale -- larger size can reduce cost but is no guarantee against failure.
5. Handle Debt -- restructure, renegotiate, and/or merge to enhance value.
6. Get the Most from Assets -- manage working capital to avoid cash crises.
7. Get the Most from Employees -- people not products keep a business going.
8. Getting the Most from Products -- market strategy needs to change with markets.
9. Produce the Product -- consider the options, better, faster, cheaper or outsourcing.
10. Change the Process -- reengineer for better time, cost and quality.
This book is a quick read and loaded with case examples that demonstrate the successes and failures of executing these strategies. Revitalization applies to both good companies and those that are currently troubled or distressed. I found it even appropriate for focusing or refocusing a startup or business plan. Tom Peters called it, "A damn good book." I strongly recommend it to any consultant or manager that is concerned with maintaining a profitable business. The Phoenix Effect: 9 Revitalizing Strategies, No Business can do Without" again demonstrates revitalization and renewal efforts require many different types of actions.

Carter Pate, a PricewaterhouseCoopers turnaround expert, and writer Harlan Platt provide clear and effective advice to any business needing revitalization or wanting to stay ahead of the competition. The book describes techniques to guide business owners in completely evaluating their entire company and then shows the path they need to follow to put their business back on track.

The nine strategies include getting to the point of a problem, examining the scope of your business, determining your correct orientation, dealing with scale, handling debt, dealing with working capital, handling employees, product marketing, product production and process analysis. Not just theoretical in nature, the authors detail the process in a very easy to understand and implement manner. The examples are detailed and to the point allowing anyone to follow the process.

Whether trying to turn around a business in trouble, keep a current one ahead of the competition or determine a business strategy for a startup, the book provides top quality guidance.

I suspect the prospective purchaser may be mislead by certain of these reviews.

1) I'm not sure what is meant by "his attempt to put written parameters on atonalism", but it is important to understand that Schoenberg's "Theory of Harmony" says nothing whatsoever about atonal music.

2) Does it "[show] that if [Schoenberg] had wished, he could have written popular pieces in the key of C major that would have been some of the finest music ever written"? It shows, I suppose, that Schoenberg had a solid grasp of traditional elementary harmony, but as far as I know this has never been in question. Before he wrote atonal serial music and before he wrote free atonal music, Schoenberg wrote a reasonable quantity of tonal music, so you don't have to speculate about what he could have composed "in the key of C major". Just listen. (It's a thickish sort of tonal music and not really my cup of tea.)

3) Whether or not you admire the author or his music, you would be very foolish to assign this to your undergraduate students or to try to teach yourself theory with it--and not just because a number of the author's speculative notions are dubious.

4) If you elect to read it you'll be in for quite a bit of haranguing. Brace yourself.

Schoenberg is willing to reconsider and rethink every aspect of traditional music theory. It's too bad his conclusions are almost invariably wrong, but this book will help you reconsider and rethink traditional music theory yourself--and come to your own conclusions. Also: this is much too unwieldy for the classroom; use Robert Ottman's texts instead. I recommend as well PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns--for theory and for practice.

This is a classic in music theory--the 1983 English translation of the Schoenberg's third edition of the Theory of Harmony. Written as a textbook, it almost is never used as such; rather, it is used primarily by Schoenberg scholars and, more generally, academic music theorists. Schoenberg's ideas differ frequently from more "standard," American curricula (Piston, Schenker) and for this reason make for interesting reading. In addition, viewing Schoenberg's output as theorist as compared with a his output as a composer is always a rich topic.

I am now speaking to you as an anatomist and as a professor of human gross anatomy -- Student Beware. This is not the book that you think it is.

Look carefully. Gray's Anatomy currently comes in two english editions. The British Version (now in its 39th edition) retails for about... The American Version (now in its 30th edition) retails for about ... If the edition you are looking at costs considerably less than those prices ASK YOURSELF WHY!. You are probably considering the "classic collectors edition" which is a reprint of the 1901 American Edition. There is nothing wrong with that edition, if you are interested in the history of science. However, much of the terminology has changed and in 100 years we have developed a much deeper understanding of human anatomy.

Know what you are buying. If you are a serious student of anatomy, you probably do not want this to be your first (or only) edition of Gray's Anatomy.

I am a student and an emergency medical professional... The amount of information contained in this book is impressive and it is small enough to carry in a briefcase for reference. The text is clear and comprehensive. It has a through rundown of all the human systems and extremely detailed breakdowns of the human anatomy itself. Two things I'm not so impressed with, however - which are very important - are: 1. Illustrations are bountiful...but are in black and white and it is VERY hard to differentiate between structures....and little lines that point to specific structures dissappear in the drawing, instead of quickly mapping things out. 2. There are VERY few full size/system illustrations....for example, there is not a picture of the entire anterior/posterior/lateral skull, abdominal cavity, chest cavity, or appendages for quick reference...instead, all the illustrations are piece by piece...one page has the mandible, one the eye bones...it is all broken down into little sections. I recommend buying a large, detailed A&P book and just using this as a reference.

Gray's Anatomy is a "classic" book on Anatomy. Unusual for a classic, it is everything you have heard. The drawings are beautiful, accurate, and interesting. At the same time, this book was a standard text for Anatomy since 1901. As such, the drawing are only part of this book. The book's main effort is to explanation human anatomy. It does so wonderfully and clearly, with words. The drawings are only there to help with the text's explanations.

A quick warning. Since this book has been around since before 1901, there are many, many different versions. Make sure you check the printing date of the one you buy. The human body has not changed since this first editions, but our access to it has. As such, while some of the earlier books are beautiful to look at, the later editions are more valuable as a reference tool.

This book irritated me. The thing keeping it from two stars was the fact that I was interested in the relationship between Vixa and Naxos. I was a bit disappointed...maybe because I had higher expectations for the book. Anyway...The book never really held my interest; the only person that was truly enigmatic to me was Naxos and possibly the Queen. Still...As far as books about elves go, compared to some, this is action-packed. (Really, myself, I lost track of the rather tediously redundant battles...They kind of blur when the same things happen again and again). Some things are interesting, though I don't think knowing about sea elves (and this book is written mostly from a "land" elf's point of view, so you don't see too much of their minds) is exactly relevant. Well...Those were my two cents. Don't say I didn't warn you.

If you like stories about elfs you'll enjoy this book. It's about what happens when land elfs encounter the sea elfs, the dargonesti. Conflict arises when the characters find out the the Dargonesti want to conquer them. It's pretty cool when the main character meets someone who wants to help, she gets a new power. The power to turn into a dolphin.This is a very interesting book and has a good ending.

The plot was good if you like storys with fantasy characters like elves, dwarfs, mages, and more. If you don't like storys with plots trying to save their country with characters of what I have listed, this may not be a book for you. The story is that a princess, Vixa and her friends are trying to save her country from intruders. On the way there, they got lost and find them selves on an uncharted island. There on the island they encounter many stranges things, meet a race of sea elves, and confronted a new foe. The book deals with some elements from D&D(Dungeon&Dragons) a game with fantasy characters on a mission or trying to reach a place that you can play with a group of friends.

The story of "Lazarus and the Hurricane" is riveting. But only half the story is told. The book describes how Lesra Martin, a young teen from Brooklyn's notorious Bedford-Stuyvesant district, came to live with a group of Canadians in Toronto. But nothing is said about who these Canadians really are and why they live the way they do. Not even their surnames are revealed -- except, of course, for the book's co-authors.

The book tells of Rubin Carter's final release and his move to Toronto. But the story ends there. You never read about Carter's turbulent love affair with Lisa Peters (one of the Canadians), a relationship that began when he was still incarcerated. And, needless to say, you never read about Carter's break with the Canadians and why, even to this day, his relationship with them remains precarious.

This book can be recommended to those looking for an inspirational, miraculous story. But for those seeking the hard facts about Rubin Carter and the Canadians who were instrumental in securing his release, this is not the book to read. Too much information is (intentionally?) omitted. Fortunately, the gaps have been filled by James Hirsch, whose thoroughly researched work now constitutes the standard critical biography of Rubin Carter.

Rubin Carter's unjust incarceration should shatter all illusions that in the United States of America anyone can get a fair and just trial. Carter's saga certainly proved that justice isn't blind. Carter's case is an in-your-face look at what is deeply wrong with our criminal justice system. Yet it is more than that. There is another side to the story.

Lesra, a young black teenager, purchases Carter's biography of what happened. Inspired by this giant, Lesra along with his Canadian guardians take on the quest of proving Carter's innocence. Their love, dedication and commitment prove that even in the worst of times there is hope. This book is the story of that hope unfolding.

Upon reading the book, three stories unfold; Lesra's, Rubin Carter's and the Canadians. Of course Carter's story predominates throughout the book while Lesra and the Canadians provide a nice back drop. The fact of the "Canadians" are not mentioned by name gives you a feeling of them being mere objects in the work of freeing Carter. Even Lesra doesn't receive the full attention that he deserves in this intertwining story.

Even Carter becomes an enigma. We really don't get to know the man but we are bombarded with information concerning his case. Perhaps other texts will make up for the above defientcies. I feel the most important part was Carter's refusal to allow the prison and criminal justice system to dehumanize them. If anything we learn how dehumanizing this system is in our own country. The greater lesson in the book is no matter how bad things can get there are decent people out there to help. Once you open yourself up to them changes can occur.

This is a remarkable story, it starts out in the sixties, and takes you through twenty years of injustice to the eighties, and through that time you learn of the corruption of the government to prove its point. Rubin Carter didn't deserve the injustices that he suffered and after his many attempts to prove it, he gave up, just then by chance a young man learns of his heroic and yet sad story and vows to help Rubin. Along with his help the 'Canadians' as they have been named, decide to help Lazarus on his endeavor. They started out as mere acquaintances and ended up to be best friends. This book tells how a tragic event can bring together many people to help two innocent people, and how a stranger off the streets can change the future for them all. This story moved me, I highly recommend this to anyone, I thought this book would be yet another boring book about some no name boxer, but I was wrong, I learned of one of the greatest injustices of the twentieth century. For the young and the old, this book is great.