Reading this book reminded me of attending a good conference where lots of company executives provide detailed examples of the issues they faced, and how they went about dealing with those issues. Since such conferences usually cost several hundred dollars, this book is a real bargain -- and you don't have to get on an airplane and fly someplace!

One of the strengths of the book is that you receive several perspectives on the context for each case history. The editors describe what each case means, and the conclusions section summarizes general patterns. Also, each case is presented in the same format which makes it easier to understand what is being shared. I was particularly grateful for the exhibits (which exist in electronic form in the CD enclosed in the book). I also appreciated that the cases were primarily written by Human Resources professionals inside the companies, rather than being a consultant's take on what happened.

Having said all those positive things, let me share some concerns. First, I looked in vain for my favorite examples of outstanding work in recruiting, retention, knowledge encouragement, and executive development. If this book is about "best practices" where were GE, Disney, Motorola, Ritz Carlton, and SAS Institute? Second, many of the cases involved companies that are better known for their poor performance than for excellence. If they are developing their people so well, what happened? Third, a lot of these cases involve new initiatives where the long-term consequences are hard to see. Fourth, the profit impact on the organizations was not well documented. That makes it hard to use these cases as examples to encourage your own company to follow suit. Fifth, as change management processes, most of these cases are far behind the curve of what is described in Peter Senge's various books of case histories such as The Dance of Change. Part of the reason seems to be that a number of these cases aren't very new.

Of the cases in the book, I recommend the ServiceMASTER, Westinghouse, Johnson & Johnson, Allstate, and Case Corporation examples as the most helpful to me. I mention that because there's a lot of material in this book. I read a lot and rapidly, and I found this book hard to tackle. By being more selective in what you go after, you can help avoid some of that problem. Naturally, if your own issues are only in a few areas, just look at those cases.

Develop the full potential of everyone, beginning with yourself!

"The principal goal of this book is to provide you with the key ingredients taken from best-companies to help you create and enhance your organization and human resource development (OD/HRD) initiative. Through a case study approach, this book provides practical, easy-to-apply tools, instruments, training, concepts, and competency models that can be used as benchmarks for the successful implementation of your specific OD/HRD initiative (from the Introduction)."

In this context, Louis Carter, David Giber, and Marshall Goldsmith (editors) divide core part of this book -Organization and Human Resources Development Case Studies- into following five OD/HRD topic areas:

I. Organization Development and Change: In this section, W. Warner Burke says, "Seven rich cases (Kraft Foods, Nortel, ServiceMASTER, SmithKline Beecham, Westinghouse, CK Witko, and Xerox) of organization development and change are discussed...The cases cover a wide range of change from how OD occurs every day to deep change in an organization's culture...Without doubt we can learn from these cases. And learn we must. Changing organization is too intricate to be left to novices. We have indeed learned and noted at the outset, but we still have much to learn. As one who has been involved for more than 35 years, helping organizations change is both thrilling and very satisfying. Learning, however, is the most exciting part (pp.6-8)."

II. Leadership Development: In this section, Jay A. Congerwrites that "In the cases that follow, we look at three companies (Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, and Sun Microsystems,Inc.) that have dedicated serious time and resources to leadership development...In addition, all three of the company cases make extended use of competency models, 360-degree feedback, and action learning (p.186)."

III. Recruitment and Retention: In this section of the book, John Sullivan writes, "you'll learn how three diverse companies tackled their retention and recruiting problems. Two of the firms are high tech (AMD and Cellular One), while another (Allstate) is in a more traditional industry. Both AMD and Cellular One focus on solving the hot issue of retention while Allstate takes a new look at the recruiting and selection processes. All three of the case studies use a scientific approach to identify which solutions have the most impact...All three of these case studies are worth examining because of their scientific methodology as well as their results. All are full of powerfull 'lessons learned' for those who are soon to begin a major recruitment or retention effort (pp.303-304)."

IV. Performance Management: This section examines performance management systems of Case Corporation and Sonoco. Edward E. Lawler III says that "the performance management systems in most organizations are contoversial, ineffective, and constantly under construction. They are so problematic that critics argue many organizations would be better off if they simply didn't have a performance management system, particularly one in which performance appraisals are tied to pay actions. But-and it is an important but- if individuals are not appraised, counseled, coached, and rewarded for performance, how can an organization pruduce the organized, coordinated, and motivated behavior that it takes to perform well? The answer most likely is that it can't (p.393)."

V. Coaching and Mentoring: Introduction of this section, Beverly Kaye writes, "the last 5 years have seen a groundswell in both arenas. And it's not just been more of the same; organizations have begun to use mentoring and coaching more purposefully. HR and OD practitioners have worked to utilize both interventions to meet pressing business problems having to do with the development and retention of talent, as well as the growth of future leaders. These interventions have been more systemic, more thoughtful, and more innovative than ever before. The case studies (Dow Corning, and MediaOne Group-AT&T) illustrate this trend. Both were motivated by specific business drivers, both were preceded by intensive research, both were implemented over time, and both were evaluated seriously. Readers will find them instructive, detailed, and engaging (p.438)."

Finally, Louis Carter (editor) says that "contributors were asked to indicate where they envision their organization is heading with its initiative within the next 5 to 10 years. Responses indicate that the contributors want to keep the organization on a track to continuously learn and develop its capabilities. Comments from some contributors indicate that they want to leverage lessons learned from this experience. Some contributors commented that they want to firmly ingrain the initiative into the organization to the point that it is almost invisible to the user, making it an accepted part of life at the company. Other contributors will continue to refine the present initiative in place, while others will expand their efforts into other business lines. Survey results clearly indicate that the present state of the initiatives represented in this book represent snapshots of moving targets. Further growth and innovation is inevitable for these best practice organizations, as they work to stay ahead of their competitors by embracing change and continuously learning and improving (pp.531-532)."

Strongly recommended.

Here in a single volume is about all that is needed to design, implement, and then monitor a program through which to achieve organizational transformation. Moreover, the editors have selected both information and wisdom which can help to ensure that such a program is comprehensive, cohesive, and cost-effective. The phrase "best practices" is apt but should not be misconstrued to mean that strategies and tactics which have been highly successful in some organizations are necessary going to be successful in all others. Moreover, I urge the reader to keep in mind that, although the organizations featured (e.g. Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Foods, Nortel Networks, ServiceMASTER, SmithKline Beecham, and Sun Microsystems) are among the largest in their respective industries, much of the material in this book is also relevant to small-to-midsize organizations. My own rather extensive past experience with all manner of organizations (including non-profits) has convinced me that most people do not fear change; rather, they fear the unfamiliar. Hence the importance of three on-going initiatives: communicate, communicate, and communicate.

Part One consists of Acknowledgments, About This Book, How to Use This Book, and an excellent Foreword by Richard Beckhard. Carter, Giber, and Goldsmith then shift their attention in Part Two of "Organization & Human Resources Development Case Studies." The individual case studies are distributed within this thematic structure:

Organizational Development & Change

Leadership Development

Recruitment & Retention

Performance Management

Coaching & Mentoring

Part Three: Conclusion consists of Research (OD/HRD Trends and Findings), Endnotes, About Linkage, Inc., About the Editors, Index, and How to Use the CD-ROM, terrific value-added benefit.

Back to Beckhard's Foreword for a moment. In it, he identifies six (6) "elements" which are basic to each case study; all are central to and sequential within the change process associated with organizational development/human resource development (OD/HRD). They are: Business Diagnosis, Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, On-the-Job Support, and Evaluation. It is helpful to keep these six "elements" clearly in mind while working your way through the abundance of information which the editors provide. Fortunately, they have organized the (sometimes daunting) material with meticulous care and write exceptionally well. I also urge you to use the same six "elements" as guidelines when determining what the design of your own program for organizational change should be, and, when selecting those strategies and tactics discussed in the book which are most appropriate to the implementation and evaluation of that program. This is especially true of decision-makers in small-to-midsize organizations.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out O'Toole's Leading Change, Katzenbach's Real Change Leaders as well as his Peak Performance , Kaplan and Norton's The Balanced Scorecard and The Strategy-Focused Organization, Quinn's Deep Change, O'Dell and Grayson's If Only We Knew What We Know, Isaacs' Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together, and Senge's The Dance of Change. Those especially interested in Six Sigma are encouraged to check out (and read in this order) Pande's The Six Sigma Way, Breyfogle's Implementing Six Sigma, and Eckes's Making Six Sigma Last.

I have never heard of Lin Carter until I stumbled onto a copy of "Callisto" at my favorite bookstore six months ago. For the past month, I have started reading it and to my amazement, enjoyed it. Before this, I never read sword-and-sorcery based fantasies such as this, but was overwhelmed by Carter's Thanator world. What I enjoyed about "Callisto" are the characters, the effective use of first-person narration, and the settings. Carter, as well as Jonathan Dark, have done an outstanding job at conceiving this classic. I just hope that a new generation of readers will embrace "Callisto."

I first read the Calisto series twenty-five years ago when I was a teen ager. I am currently re-reading the books to my twelve year old son (he's a remarkably good reader, but he still loves to be read to --who doesn't) and am delighted to say that he is as enthralled by the adventures of Jonathan Andrew Dark as I was so long ago. These books aren't high art or particuarly thought provoking, but if you allow yourself to suspend your disbelief a bit, the pay off these books will give you is well worth the effort. A princess to be rescued and a kingdom to be won! Who could ask for more from a read.

Lin Carter, of course, didn't write this book; he was merely the editor, transcribing the peculiar parchment delivered from overseas and lands unknown. As an editor, he contributes numerous footnotes and appendixes that help the reader's understanding of this weird alternate-universe Callisto, whose sky is golden during the day, and at night filled with the great orb of Jupiter and its racing moons. If this document were a piece of fiction, one could say it was derivative of Burrough's Barsoom; but there is a verisimilitude to these memoirs of the downed pilot John Dark, who stumbles upon a lost city in Cambodia and is transported to Callisto (called Thanator by the natives). His adventures are vivid and various, full of strange creatures, swordplay, mind control, Romance, super science; perhaps they can only be appreciated by an eleven-year-old boy who has yet to read the Burroughs books, and who wishes to encounter a planetary romance, for once, as it *really* happened. I have always remembered Koja, the insectoid Yathoon warrior; Darloona, the beautiful real-life Dejah Thoris; grizzled Lukor the master swordsman; the nefarious Sky Pirates in their floating galleons, the terrible Mind Wizards; and of course the wise Lankar, who is none other than Lin Carter himself, transported to Callisto in Book Six (the locals have difficulty with complex Earth names; John Dark becomes Jandar, Lin Carter, Lankar). My only regret in this neccessary reissue is the cover, which is grim and dark, and surely depicts nothing on Callisto. The original Dell covers, by Vincent DiFate, were both vividly colorful, pulpish and, of course, accurate.

Considering that The Frenchman is an adaption of a "Millennium" TV script, the novel is re-worked with intelligence and care. The show's subtle nuances and characterzation are beautifully captured on paper by the pen of Elizabeth Hand. Much to my surprise, The Frenchman can stand alone as a serious and thoughtful work, full of poetic language, and not just as a novelization. I recomend it whole-heartedly.

I found the Frenchman a facinating and heart stopping book that I couldn't put down. After renting it in the Library, I went out and bought a copy for myself to keep for years to come. Now I can read it over and over again whenever I want.

I liked this book alot! It was a great adaption of the Pilot Episode(also known as The Frenchman,Who Cares?) of Millennium and I like Elizabeth Hand's writing.

keith carter's new book of photographs is a beautifully put together book. the publishers did an excellent job, they made a book that just looks beautiful, though i do see where keeping it in good condition might get to be a problem. the images are beautiful images, but after a while you do get a little tired of seeing the same thing over and over again. it's not as good as 25 Years, but i'd still recommend this book as an excellent purchase.

I like this selective focus images so much!
It's like a dream!

I was browsing through the bookstore one day when I spotted this book. I have never seen prints (OK, reproductions of prints) so beautiful in all my life, and as a photo student I'm addicted to looking at every kind of photograph imaginable. Carter uses the Hasselblad arc-flex, a sort of bellows for the medium format camera, to get dream-like images where part of the image is in sharp focus and other parts drift off into softness. He has an extraordinary sense of light, capturing so many subtle nuances, and he tones his prints beautiful shades of brown and purple. Carter seems to tell stories with his photos - it's like you "read" his pictures, instead of simply looking at them. His passion for life and for what he calls visual "opera" are evident in every shot. Looking at his book, one is transported to a whole other universe, and dwells there happily.

I read this book several months ago and meant to write a review here. It is truly a refreshing book which no doubt will preserve some of the great (and not so great) times of an era which some will never experienced. As a personal friend of Mr. Carter, I can tell you he enjoys life and his book reflects it. At first it was a little hard to get into, but the more I read the more I hated to get to the end. I found myself reading a few stories each night, and also found myself rolling in laughter and at times with tears rolling down my cheeks. If you grew up in the south, or any little Mayberry town, you will enjoy the yarns he spins. I am glad he took the time to write about those times so that our kids and grandkids can take a glimpse of a great time in the history of our country. Good luck Mr. Ira, great book. When can we expect the next one?

AFTER READING THE BOOK, "THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A COUNTRY PEDDLER", I HAVE A DEEPER APPERCIATION FOR THE AUTHOR. I AM A 2ND GENERATION SUPERMARKET RETAILER AND HAVE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS ALL MY LIFE (SINCE THE AGE OF 6 YEARS OLD). I AM NOW THE CEO OF OUR FAMILY BUSINESS AND CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF THE EVERYDAY PORTION OF THE BUSINESS.THROUGH THE YEARS,MANY SALESPEOPLE HAVE COME AND GONE. FEW STAND OUT, BUT IRA CARTER IS ONE YOU NEVER FORGET.AS A BUYER IN MY YOUNGER YEARS AND LEARNING THE ROPES OF THAT END OF THE BUSINESS, I WORKED WITH IRA AND HIS PRODUCTS. HE WAS KIND, BUT BUSINESS. HE WAS DEDICATED TO BOTH HIS CUSTOMERS AND HIS COMPANY. HE ALWAYS HELD HIMSELF IN HIGH ASTEEM AND HE TRIED TO BE A TEACHER OF THE BUSINESS AND OF LIFE.

AFTER READING HIS BOOK, AND NOT HAVING HEARD FROM HIM IN MORE THAN 15 YEAR, I HAVE A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR THE MAN AND AM PROUD TO CALL HIM A SALESMAN,TEACHER,GENTLEMAN, AND FREIND.

I CAN RELATE TO MANY OF HIS STORIES AND ATTEST NOT ONLY TO THE HUMOR, BUT TO THE PRECIEVED TRUTH THAT HE PORTRAYS. THANKS FOR PRESERVING THE MEMORIES.

Ira Carter is a good Christian man who loves people and life. This book is a group of great short stories, easy to read, with humor and honesty. I am proud to be his friend and truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for pleasure.

A friend from Mississippi.

Even artwork as stunning as these illustrations need to be showcased on their own...and Alice Carter has done a fine job.
As would be expected, a publication like National Geographic would require a higher level of artwork to complement its writing and this book delights us with lush, wonderful illustrations selected from Nat'l Geographics archives-- as well as insight into their creation and/or history.
In today's digital age, it is awe-insptiring to see such a wonderful handcraft placed on a pedestal.

Hats off to Prof. Carter!

There are not enough art books in the world like this one. Alice Carter has not only selected a great number of outstanding illustrations, from artists who are houshold names, she has also introduced a new generation of young illustrators to artists who have been unfairly forgotten by time. As a professional illustrator and a "book junkie", I am constantly searching online, in used book stores and anywhere else to find good art books for personal enjoyment and professional growth. This book is one of those rare gems, a well written book, with images that will impress. National Geographic has had a distinguished history marked by outstanding research and artwork of the highest quality. To encapsulate their illustrious history is one coffee table book is no easy task. This book does justice to that great history. This book is in the same fine tradition as Carter's other acclaimed book, The Red Rose Girls.

"The Art of National Geographic" collects a wealth of stunning illustrations by many different artists. Altogether, these illustrations take the reader on an epic journey through time and space, across the worlds of both nature and technology.

There are many memorable images in this book: dinosaurs in fierce battle with each other, a sailing ship battered by a storm, a transcendent-looking Einstein haloed by celestial bodies, an army of ants on the march, majestic-looking World War II-era naval vessels, a close view of Saturn's rings, etc. Amidst all of the "big" pictures, there are also smaller and gentler sights, like Mary Eaton's delicate botanical watercolors. This is a marvelous collection of illustrations that invites you to return again and again.

this book contains 3 great stories and a cuple of good ones. some are more fantasy than horror. kuttner can be a little bit obvious, a little bit simplistic, but the suspence, and he knows when to focus - when he should move forward and when he should stop and describe more vividly (his writing style focus concerning timing is excellent), his descriptions are good when they should be, and he knows how to hold our interest and how to avoid being boring.

This book contains a number of stories by one of the lesser-known disciples of Lovecraft, one Henry Kuttner. Although the stories are not classics of the genre, showing development in a new direction, they rise above pastiche and provide good reading. Kuttner is certainly able to grab the reader's attention and hold onto it, and tells a good tale while he has it.

"Bells of Horror" is the high point of the volume; it is a fine story set in California, a locale the author clearly enjoys. It is this setting in a number of stories that gives the stories a unique flavor; Kuttner's descriptions create a new millieu for the eldritch horrors that are the center of the Cthulhu Mythos.

It is also "Bells of Horror" that first mentions The Book of Iod, a volume which belongs on the shelf with the usual suspects--De Vermis Mysteriis, Unaussprechlichen Kulten, Cultes des Goules, the Book of Eibon, the Pnakotic Manuscripts, and, of course, (all together now) the horrible Necronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred.

Kuttner's ability shows itself most in his ability to create a mythology. Instead of a few separate stories, the contents of this anthology fit together in intriguing ways--but they don't fit together seamlessly, just as other myth cycles don't. All in all, this collection is a very worthwhile read.

I thought this book was excellent! Most books have stories with happy little endings, but never a few unhappy endings. This book provided a mix of both. simply the best book of short stories ive read

This book is a great one for those who are interested in persuing high/steep angle rescue. It serves as an excellent guide and is illustrated with easy to understand pictures and comments. I would recommend this book to anyone that is or will be a student or become involved in any techinical rescue team/situation.

Tom Vines is the training officer at Carbon County Sheriff's Search and Rescue in Red Lodge, Montana. Steve Hudson is President of Pigeon Mountain Industries, Inc., and Deputy Director, Walker County Emergency Management in Lafayette, Georgia. Together these two experts have created an instructional text that can be read profitably by anyone, whether a beginner or an experienced rope jockey. Every chapter is fully illustrated, teaching skills step-by-step in an instructional style that works in the classroom as well as on the side of a cliff. Quizzes at the end of each chapter help hone your skills, and answers, provided at the back of the book, allow you to check your knowledge.

This is a great book for somebody already involved in rescue work wanting to go the next step. It has lots of great info and good pictures. It takes some background knowledge to go through it with ease but in the case that you do not have that background it walks you through everything step by step. Under no circumstances does this book take the place of the instructor but it does make a great addition to the class. I highly suggest this book for anybody who is going to actively participate in high angle rescue work.

This book is ideal for the reader who enjoys the traditional format of architectural history. It contains background information, interesting stories behind some of I. M. Pei's most famous works, and a nice biographical sketch of the architect. Arguably, it is also one of the more "comprehensive" monogram that features Pei's architecture.

Although the photographs are beautiful, this book lacks depth if you are planning to study Pei's work. The plans are too small and are only mere fragments of the buildings. Photographs are artistically taken and fail to give a sense of the entire spatial composition of Pei's intricate design. None of the buildings are examined critically.

All in all, if you are looking for an entertaining reading then this book is ideal for you. But if you are looking into critically understanding Pei's work, then this book is really insufficient.

A very user-friendly book about this humble but undisputedbly one of the greatest architect of this century. The book is humane in the sense that it potrays I M Pei as the architect, & also, I M Pei the person behind the limelight. It's only fair to have his legacy left behind in all corners of the world signifying how irrelevant that is of what race you are to be regarded as a complete person & architect. His genius has transcends borders, cultures, & time. I couldn't help noticing that the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, & the shrine in Japan, & probably other masterpieces weren't included in the book. Perhaps it's time to have the book updated.

I am a software engineer, but I love modern architectures. I.M. Pei is my favorite architect, this book gives me a lot of background information about some of the most important buildings Pei designed (do I still need to list some of them?!). I enjoyed reading the book so much.