In this new supplement, the authors have identified four essential educational components that educators must process when addressing the issues of using technology within the educational setting. These emerging issues of cyber standards include (a) developing a compressive, site-based technology plan that focuses on the improvement of student learning (b) developing policies for cyber security that protects the school from potential liability and student endangerment (c) developing appropriate and factual communication strategies that support positive marketing of the school mission to the public and (d) how teachers can engage the use of technology for improving the teaching and learning process.

Public schools are now discovering that they cannot prepare students to succeed in tomorrow's world unless they reinvent themselves today. The schools that will thrive in the future are those schools that embrace reform and take control over their own destinies. In many cases throughout the nation, today's schools are not in control of their own destinies because of the loss of local control and the inability to initiate an open agenda for public engagement in the school renewal process. Despite this, policy makers (state agencies and legislators) continue to establish mandates for holding educators accountable for student improvement. Designed in non-collaborative environments, these mandates are based on high-end accountability policies that regulate school reform. However, rarely are these reform mandates based upon the wisdom of school effectiveness research. Additionally, the local school communities are not consulted about how the new regulations will influence the education of their particular school populations. Five years ago, during the course of our crystal ball gazing, we missed several important concepts when developing this manual. We did not recognize that policy development would have such an influence on school reform measures, nor did we fully understand the extent to which effective schools research could have on the impact of policy development. To support communities in building stronger schools and regaining ownership, this manual provides a guide for supporting effective school practices through polices and programs based upon effective school research.

The authors are very detailed and descriptive with the information needed to administer the daily task of leading an effective and successful school. It is a definite hands on resource that you will want to keep handy and review and use daily. The authors are very knowledgeable and have studied all angles of organizational procedures and implemented suggestions for different sites that may be modified to adjust to your situation. It is a book that a new principal would find quite useful in setting up a building that would run successfully from day one and effectively limit major crisis from ill thought out planning. The chapter on safety is, in this time of major concern, a vital guide to helping protect a school from later regrets of irresponsible behavior to the safety and concern of all within its confinds. I as an administrator of an elementary school found it very useful and highly recommend it to others as a very useful guide and resource to keep on hand when reviewing or changing procedures within your building.

"All the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were hurrying over the Green Meadows. Some flew this way and some ran that way and some danced the other way. You see, Jerry Muskrat had asked them to carry his invitations to a party at the Big Rock in the Smiling Pool." Originally published in 1910, the Old Mother West Wind Stories of Thornton W. Burgess are brimming with just this type of endearing and whimsical imagery. They are quaint but clever, sensitive and fun-filled. This lovely book contains sixteen stories featuring many charming woodland characters such as Tommy Trout, Mrs. Redwing, the Willful Little Breeze, Billy Mink, and Little Joe Otter. Burgess was a dedicated conservationist and these stories were intended to instill an abiding love of Nature and wildlife in small children. They do a wonderful job of it and Burgess would be delighted, as I am, in this edition's beautiful illustrations that are the work of the talented Michael Hague. The first illustration in the book, featuring Old Mother West Wind in her flowing grey and blue gown and her long flowing hooded cape, is worth the price of the entire book in and of itself. We have come to expect great things from Hague but he outdoes himself in this book. I'm glad to see these wonderful stories available to another generation of children. Their gentle pastoral nature really is timeless and the less our world sees of natural habitat and woodland creatures the more we need this book. Treat yourself and you children to it. It's one of my favorites.

"Old Mother West Wind", is the first of many stories by Burgess of his imagined world of The Green Forest, the Laughing Brook, and the Smiling Pond. Originally published in 1910, it is based upon a series of bedtime stories Burgess wrote for his son. The characters are inspired by the variety of wildlife Burgess was surrounded by as a child growing up in the yet-uncommercialized Cape Cod, Mass. His love of nature and his desire to instill that love in future generations is conveyed beautifully in these classic tales.

Old Mother West Wind comes down to the Green Meadows from her home in the Purple Hills daily to allow her children, the Merry Little Breezes, to frolic among the residents of the area. In "Old Mother West Wind", you are introduced to many of the characters upon which later books in this series are based. As the back of the book states, "[This book] combines gentle lessons about wildlife and the environment with the fun of a good story". In addition, most tales contain a basic moral lesson (ie. don't steal, don't lie, etc).

Any imaginative child will be captivated by this book. The chapters are short, with simple language that children will identify with, for the most part. Read aloud to pre-readers, or read by children themselves, this book will surely be a family favorite in no time.

This republication by Dover Children's Thrift Editions costs only a dollar. If you are looking to fill in your child's library a little whithout breaking the bank, I highly recommend starting here (and with the other Burgess books). You'll be glad you did.

Note: the next book in publication in this series is the Adventures of Johnny Chuck. While it is not necessary to read the books in order, I just wanted to add that info in case anyone wanted to know.

I read Burgess as a child and have loved him ever since. These wonderful stories inspire a love of animals and a love of nature, but not at the expense of good, old-fashioned American story-telling, and those who dismiss them as "sentimental" are displaying an unbecoming pomposity, in my view. Old Mother West Wind is beautiful classic, a book that escapes the pushy realism of so much contemporary storytelling aimed at children, which is really the choice of the parent, and not the child. Let kids imagine! It'll last them all their lives. What a gift, indeed!

Author Jim Harrison says, "this book is the portion of my life that means the most to me". His poems vividly reflect the truth of his words. He writes about himself, his journey through life in outrageous and brilliant language weaving images of nature and earthly passions. Pause, and wander through the forests of this collection. It is lovely, lyrical and passionately beautiful.

"I have decided to make up my mind about nothing, to assume the water mask, to finish my life disguised as a creek,.."-from Cabin Poem. I met Jim Harrison once in New York. He and Russell Chatham signed the books I had collected by Harrison. My first thought was how could this gruff large loud man with one glass eye write such moving literature and poetry? How could he write with such realism and romance and with such deep spirituality and beauty? How does he know these things? I realised in the same moment that others must have felt the same about Hemingway. We have genius among us.

I first read Jim Harrison's poems almost thirty years ago in the Crawford County library in Grayling when I was at the beginning of a long teaching trail. Harrison saved my life that day and he has almost every day since. I return, almost daily, to his work which serves as a "shock tippet" against the "stuff" of the world. I don't think anyone comes close to his ability to chronicle the spirit of the natural world...the language he speaks comes from the most secret of places.

I am from Brasil and I live in da UP! I drank from the Tocantins and took many a swim in Superior. This book rocks my world!

The best there is! ...and if you read it and like it, you should try the short story "Brown Dog." ...or maybe it's "Browndog." Either way, it's from "The Woman Lit by Fireflies."

Jim Harrison rules!

My hiking, camping, backpacking, Nature-loving, outdoorsman hubby bought this book for me - and I began it reluctantly. Boy, was this gal surprized and pleased. A beautifully written narrative with fascinating characters, settings, dialogue, and points of view. I loved it! And now plan on reading more of Harrison. SUNDOG would make a great film! And I would love to write the script.

When I read for pleasure, the most important thing to me is the quality of the fictional dream. If it pulls me in and captures my imagination, I'm happy and satisfied. I really don't pay much attention to whatever messages the author might be trying to send to the readers, or what deeper meanings might be concealed in the prose. I just want to be carried off in a fictional dream which provokes thought and perhaps changes my outlook, if only for a short time. SUNDOG is such a book. The fictional dream it creates is wonderful and seductive. I've reread this book time and again and it just keeps getting better and better. You should read it; I bet you'll like it, and enjoy it. Harrison's talent is really something rare and great, and this book is one of my all-time favorites.

This book is truly a masterpiece and will delight all readers, from the inveterate George Harrison fans to people just becoming familiar with his works. Leng has a real flair for written expression and research. His extensive knowledge of Eastern music and how Harrison incorporated Eastern styles into his music enrich this work. Leng offers extensive coverage to people who influenced the late guitarist such as Klaus Voorman, an artist who had known George since the inception of the Beatles and who later drew the 1966 album cover for "Revolver," pianist John Barhman and Ravi Shankar, the man who taught George to play the sitar.

Leng plainly respects the intelligence of his readers and his writing is clear, clean and crisp. There is no extraneous matter. Leng has a gift for piquing the interest and curiosity of readers. In reading this, one wants to know more about John Barham and the other people who influenced George Harrison. Leng's work is expansive; he excites interest and curiosity in an almost "ripple" effect form; each person named in his book "interlocks" in the way they influenced George Harrison. It is this approach that maintains readers' interest. Leng has researched his information well and his respect for George and the many people who influenced him and his art comes through plainly in this work. I like the way Leng accepts and acknowledges George, warts and all and the musical analysis he provides in this work.

The writing's on the wall - try some, buy some and please try and buy this book! This is a superior work!

Simon Leng's book not only provides wonderful insight to George Harrison's music, but manages to do so in a thoughtful, informed and unbiased manner. Leng's knowledge of Indian music and its application in Harrison's work is particularly welcome in light of the many critics, Iam MacDonald in particular, who overlooked Harrison's talents in their haste to credit the Beatles' success to the genius of John Lennon. In addition, Leng refutes much of the criticism heaped on Harrison's work in light of commentary given by musicians who toured with Harrison and documentary footage of live performances. Even so, Leng never excuses all of Harrison's shortcomings nor forgets to acknowledge his indebtedness to other artists.
This is a very enjoyable book, and one could only wish Leng had been able to include material on Brainwashed and the Concert for George given in his honor at Albert Hall. The inclusion of drawings by George's longtime friend and fellow musician Klaus Voorman are a wonderful addition. Read this work near your stereo, and have ready George's "I, Me, Mine" for additional reference.

I agree with the praise given this book by other Amazon reviewers, but would like to add a few points. First, Simon Leng discusses Harrison's musical relationship with pianist, composer & arranger John Barham, ranging from George's first interest in the sitar through their work on Ravi Shankar's "Chants of India" album. I would like to read more about Barham. Secondly, the book gains quite a bit from Klaus Voorman's involvement. Voorman is the artist and bass player who met the Beatles in Hamburg, produced the covers for "Revolver" and the Anthology CDs and played on Harrison's early solo albums. Voorman also contributed two nice sketches of George for this book. There are extensive quotes from others, including Doris Troy and David Bromberg (the latter of whom, although very insightful, may be quoted a bit too much considering his brief acquaintance with Harrison). This book may be the best available work on George Harrison.

This book set me off on a binge of Chinese history reading. I had to know more about Kang Sheng, for example, and "Claws of the Dragon" helped shed light on this "immortal". Then there were: Zhou Enlai's hagiography 'Eldest Son' at the hands of Han Suyin; The White Boned Demon, about Jiang Qing; Mao's doctor's self-glorifying account; Deng's biography. Nothing compares to this book for readability and sense of magnitude. You meet the twenty or so people who decided the fates of a billion Chinese. Modern democracy has nothing to compare. The personalities in recent Chinese history, the importance of them, are staggering. The Great Leap, the Cultural Revolution--these hellish mass movements affected hundreds of millions of people. You get to see the tiny coterie which ordered the lives of a significant portion of the Earth's inhabitants for fifty years. An amazing book.
I wish Harrison Salisbury were still around to write an update. TNE stops in 1991 as the economy is slowing and the hardliners are asserting themselves. Deng visited the "new cities" on the South China Sea in 1993-4, invigorating them and the "capitalism with Chinese characteristics" which they represented. What followed, of course, is our recent history of China thinking itself as a great power.

What Mao and Deng did as China's "new emperors" are well known. For Mao, the Korean war, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the establishment of China as a nuclear power; for Deng, the Reform and Opening, and the Tiananmen Massacre.

Why did they do it? This is a question that is seldomly asked and when asked, never satisfactorily answered. Salisbury has attempted to answer such a qusetion with more depth than the simple-minded answer "because they want to stay in power". Salisbury carefully laid out for the readers how Mao and Deng's acts were shaped by their personal histories, by attitudes of other countries toward China, and by the burden of Chinese history and culture (unlike America, the Chinese leaders did not start from a clean slate, instead, they carried 5,000 years of history with them). In short, this book is about how history, culture, international hostility and personality has shaped modern China; how these factors brought out the "emperor instincts" in Mao and, to a lesser extent, Deng.

Indeed, what Mao did was almost right out of history books. The emperors' attempts to annhilate their enemies when they sensed danger, the emperors' attempts to better people's lives using means that were totally naive and against human nature, has happened numerous times in Chinese history. China has been too burdened with its history, and Mao was simply an emperor fulfilling his roles while the whole world was watching.

The book also touched upon an interesting (and sad) question: what blames should be placed on ordinary people? It was Mao who unleashed the darkest aspects of human nature during Cultural Revolution, but the darkest sides of some Chinese people were so dark that one has to wonder: why were these people worse than beasts? The Red Guards and the on-lookers who readily cheered as thousands and thousands of people were tortured and beaten (or drowned, pushed from high-rise buildings) to death has to make one wonder: why did they do it? why did they have no judgment of their own and could become the worst creatures on earth simply because of a few words from their leaders? I believe that, if China wants to prevents something like the Cultural Revolution from happening again, it will not be enough to openly admit Mao's role in these atrocities. Ordinary people will also have to do some soul-searching.

After reading this book, I felt extremely sad. I sensed that the disasters that happened to the Chinese people in the past decades could have been avoided. If only Mao had studied Western politics instead of focusing entirely on the deeds of Chinese emperors; if only Kim Ii-Sung wasn't such a fool as to start the Korean War; if only the Chinese people were exposed to Western culture earlier and possessed more qualities than blind patriotism and loyalty; if only more of Mao's subordinates were willing to be outspoken; if only Stalin was a bit less sinister toward China; if only America was a bit more open-minded and not refusing Mao's request for negotiations outright... The list is endless. History is full of missed chances, and ordinary people suffer. Although no reversal is possible, we may be able to learn from the past and avoid some disasters in the future. Because of this, I highly recommend this book.

I am a fan of Salisbury's works for a long time, and this book has not disappointed me. The writing is compelling, the materials well organized, and his unbiased reporting is as good as ever. This is one of the best books on the modern history of China.

Salisbury's book is so good, his reporting so valuable, that it will provide ample basic information to future historians as they attempt to sift through this period with some scholarly distance. Just prior to Tiananmen "incident" as it is called in China, he went and talked to the last surviving people who remember Mao and Deng, the two most powerful leaders of Communist China. It was a unique time, as China was open for just a moment during a reform period before shutting down again after Tiananmen and those people were about to disappear forever. Salisbury found them and recorded their memories.

The result is a masterpiece of reporting, bringing Mao and Deng to life and in detail like no other account that I have read - and I have read a lot of them! The book concentrates on government and power politics, leaving the details of policies to others, which strikes just the right balance.

Highly recommended.

When I show a friend Susan's book they can hardly believe it is in watercolor. Her flowers, leaves and backgrounds are exceptionally vivid and robust. There are a few step-by-steps in it but not enough for a beginner. I hope her next book will have more steps to each picture. I feel confident we will see more from her - if she's willing. This has inspired me more than any other watercolor book. And, I liked almost all the pictures in it enough to try myself, which is alot more than I can say for any other watercolor book I've ever found! Enjoy!

I have always wanted to paint, specifically watercolours. I have have participated in classes but never really felt confident enough to move on. I purchased Susan Harrison-Tustain's book and was overwhelmed by the images I found within. Now I am working through the excercises and although previously my attempts were pretty rugged now they are not so rugged. I found the book so inspiring and easy to follow that my confidence has now improved greatly.

From the time I saw the first cover shot in a North Light flyer, I knew I MUST own this book! I have many floral watercolor books, but if I had to give them all up and keep only 1 -- this would be THE book. The breathtaking pictures (thanks to Susan) and the incredible color reproduction (thanks to North Light books) makes this book a feast for the eyes and the soul! The method of instruction that breaks down Susan's artistic process step-by-step make this book one of the most information-packed I've read. Susan is not stingy sharing her techniques-- but pictures this gorgeous are really only about 10% technique and 110% divine inspiration. Keep them coming, Susan! I too would love to see a video come out.

Professor Thomas G. Field, Jr., Franklin Pierce Law Center

Few variables are more likely to dictate short- and long-term commercial success than a firm's ability to convert intellectual assets into intellectual property (IP). The smaller the firm, the bigger the need, and the need only grows.
Most companies are careful to avoid IP infringement and are eager to sue direct competitors who do not. Many firms also educate key employees on their roles in perfecting and protecting intangible assets. Fewer give full attention to IP and antecedents that might nevertheless be regarded as assets. For example, those who would not hesitate to monitor and sue infringing competitors may not monitor non-competitors as potential licensees.
To extract the most from intellectual assets, many factors, e.g., legal, technical marketing and sales, must be weighed. Edison in the Boardroom offers important advice to help firms take steps to meet that need. Despite its reference to "assets" in the subtitle, however, most of this book focuses more narrowly - on IP, and on patents specifically.
Davis and Harrison, said to bring "a quarter century of IP consulting accomplishments between them," document that some companies have long engaged in trying to optimize the value of their intellectual assets. The authors also assign companies to a five-level hierarchy based on a range of IP-management strategies. A goldmining metaphor is usefully advanced at one point to describe those levels as: defensive (staking claims), panning (cost control), mining (deeper profit seeking), processing (integration), and sculpting. The heart of the book consists of five chapters that discuss these levels seriatim and offers a host of useful ideas and anecdotes.
The book is generally well-structured. For example, early in each of the five core chapters is a description of what "companies are trying to accomplish" at the corresponding level of IP-management sophistication. At the defensive level, of course, companies have processes for seeking, maintaining and enforcing IP. Yet, in the discussion of second-level companies, said to seek to reduce costs by exercising judgment about what is brought into and kept in their patent portfolios, it becomes clear how much various levels overlap. The first two topics may usefully be segregated for purposes of discussion, but it is hard to imagine any company that can afford, literally, to pursue protection without attempting to balance portfolio goals against concomitant costs. Indeed, one thesis of the second chapter is that no firm can seek the strongest protection for everything of potential patentability, much less seek it in every possible country.
The third chapter diverges considerably. Companies featured there are said to seek, e.g., to extract portfolio value as quickly and cheaply as possible. Several have gone well beyond suing competitors or easily discovered, non-competing infringers. The most aggressive of such firms regard IP departments as profit centers and actively solicit licensees. Their success is sometimes remarkable. As the authors point out, "Worldwide revenues from patent licensing have grown from $15 billion in 1990 to over $100 billion in 2000." Echoing the central theme of another recent book, Davis and Harrison also point out that, "Some experts estimate that companies are sitting on $1 trillion per year in unexploited licensing fees."
Fourth- and fifth-level firms are difficult to distinguish from ones discussed earlier - or from each other. For example, level-four companies are said to seek to integrate "IP awareness and operations throughout all functions of the company." That seems necessary, too, for allegedly less capable compatriots. Further, when level-five firms are described as embedding intellectual assets and their management into the company culture, it is difficult to find divergence.
The last are said to have as additional objectives: (1) staking a claim on the future and (2) encouraging "disruptive technologies." Still, these could easily been collapsed into "Get a Crystal Ball!" Heuristics for meeting them non-serendipitiously are weak.
Consider, for example, the mouse and graphic interface as commercialized on Macintosh computers. Steve Jobs is said to have derived both from the Alto computer developed by Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center. While Jobs became a billionaire, "Xerox completely failed to get into the personal computer business, missing one of the biggest business opportunities in history." To avoid repeating such mistakes, Davis and Harrison suggest that companies should "identify ways the corporation can benefit from [ideas outside their business capacity] before moving on." They, not surprisingly, can offer little guidance.
One IP attorney recently stressed the need for his colleagues better to understand the identification, protection and use of intellectual capital "effectively to address strategic corporate objectives." Those for whom this is novel terrrain will find Edison in the Boardroom helpful.
Also, senior IP counsel better acquainted with the topic may find the book useful. Some will face difficulty in convincing those at the same level or higher in the corporate hierarchy of its importance. To the extent that their advocacy of the critical role to be played by IP counsel is perceived as serving selfish aims, the book should help allay suspicions.
For these and other attorneys, the value of Edison in the Boardroom could easily, and vastly, exceed its modest price.

The authors provide an excellent framework for companies to manage their intellectual property - without using too much consultant speak.

They quote examples at different levels of their framework and look at companies who are suceeding at managing and valuing their IP effectively. This is a skill which can only be more and more wanted in the future.

The most interesting takeaway is that most companies are very bad in this field, and there are very few success stories.

Julie Davis and Suzanne Harrison's book, Edison in the Boardroom, takes readers deep enough into the field of intellectual property management for them to incorporate presented theories into their respective professional disciplines - researcher, attorney, licensing exec, etc. - without the book becoming unwieldy. Excellent balance. This book can become a cornerstone text for any professional involved with intellectual property to direct his or her focus for additional study and to ensure his or her working knowledge of the challenges confronting professionals in other disciplines that together form a corporate intellectual property management program.

Shef is now co-king of england, and has brought peace and prosperity to his land. He is summoned to go north, and to make a great journey around the northlands. The plot thickens in this book, and builds on the first. The charachters develop even more in this book, and continue to do so in the final book of the trilogy.

I love this trilogy, from the start of book one to the end of book three, the historical aspects are pointed out in a way that fits as part of the story and they don't overthrow the plot, lending the books a very authoritative tone. The Characters are great, (Brand is one of my favorites) and there's plenty of action. What I like best about these books is that Harrison really makes you feel inside the story, the way he handles the characters attitudes towards each other and their surroundings really makes you feel like you're right with them weather it's Anglo-Saxon England, Scandinavia, The Frankish Empire, Muslum Spain or what's left of Rome. As for character development, Harrison has a great way of using the third-person point of view in a way that can convey things unknown to the characters yet at the same time the tone of the narrative is flavored with the particular character's personality, culture and view of their surroundings, helping the reader understand more fully the motives and inhibitions of the people he describes. I read these back in high school and loved them then as much I still do now.

I am not usually interested in alternate-history stories, but this one intrigued me -- and paid off. This looks at the efforts of Shef, who has risen from slave-status to become one of the two most powerful kings in England (and an ally of the other). What does a driven man do when he reaches the top? Shef builds a mighty fleet and goes after his enemies abroad. Without intending to, he completes the legendary circuit of the Norse lands and establishes himself, after tremendous adventures and battles, as the King of the North. A new factor is introduced along the way, as the Holy Roman Church establishes an order of knights on a quest for the spear of Longinus that bears the Blood of Christ. Who has it? Shef, by accident of destiny. This makes him an enemy of the knights and their fearsome Germanic leader, Bruno.

Another "alternate" factor thrown in to the mix is a new religion, called "The Way", which is a more civilized version of Norse mythology. As in standard Norse mythology, there is a set of gods, with each representing different aspects of life and with internal strife between the gods. What "The Way" adds is the idea that Man's role in life is to find his greatest talents and to dedicate himself to his patron god by mastering the talent that god represents, adding something to it, and teaching others. This new religion also does not see itself as being necessarily in conflict with any other religion, and follows a belief in freedom of choice. Shef follows a little-known god, who is the patron of knowledge and invention.

All of this might sound somewhat dry and esoteric to some. However, the religious factors is woven into a rousing, well-written adventure tale featuring lots of battles, alliances, treachery, a little romance, and very interesting settings. I have read this book several times, and expect to read it again.

The author feels that many substance abusers have an underlying emotional problem like depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder etc. They really need to be treated for this in order to get the substance abuse under control.

If you are having a substance abuse problem, read this book and be sure you get screened by a real professional for emotional problems. Keep an open mind and save yourself a lot of trouble and heartache. When the emotional issues get resolved, the substance abuse problem may practically take care of itself!

A great "primer" on depression. This is the first book I read on depression after reading Darkness Visible, and I still think it's one of the best, especially as the author's daughter, who suffered from depression, contributed to it.

This was the first work on depression authored with a real life perspective on the illness and its affects on "life" that I had read. Having been trained in the mental health field and being employed in a mental health related job, this was the first work to help me feel better about my own illness. It was so easy to be understanding and supportive of others with this illness, but when it came time for me to understand and to be caring for myself, it all but elluded me.

Also in this work I found the connections between depression, addiction, weight related issues, and hormonal problems. Every little piece of my spotty medical history came into focus under the hands of the author in this book. I have yet to read anything that has helped me on the road to understanding my depressive illness any more than this book. Having a lay person relate information through her own real experiences is a definate plus as well.