Wheller serves up the best concise easily understood description I have ever seen for both statistical process control and the Deming management philosophy. No executive or manager responsible for imporving an organization can afford ignorance of the information in this compact volume. A leader blessed with competent statisticians may find that Wheeler's book suffices without other material covering the matter in greater depth. Leaders lacking support from statistically sophisticated staff may feel a need to stiffen their understanding with Deming's _Out of the Crisis_ and _The New Economics for Industry, Government, Education_. Even without a thorough understanding of continuous improvement philosophy, Wheeler's book, properly applied to your business, should easily offer an RoI well over 1,000,000%.

Dr. Wheeler has given a major contribution to the field of statistical process control in this work. With depth and breadth of material, Wheeler has created a simple yet powerful guide to a topic that at times can be quite intimidating to the statistically untrained. With his simple and illustrative presentation style, this book is easily accessible to all levels of practitioners - professional statisticians will enjoy and benefit from the book as well as novices in the field. While only taking two or three hours to read, it is a treasure-trove of information and we have successfully used it as a textbook in a basic seminar in statistical process control. I think this is an important and landmark piece of work, quite worthy to be mentioned in the same breath with works from legendary figures in the field such as Deming and Shewhart

I am a non-technical, non-mathematician, steeped in Deming-oriented Continuous Improvement, which I teach at university-level. This is simply the best (and easiest to read) book on the subject of 'control-chart' based SPC. It's in a class all by itself. It's an enlightening book about Life. It will change the way you look at and understand phenomenon. I wish Wheeler would write a series of such books, treating the rest of mathematics in as enlightening and cogent a fashion.

Most people who study ebusiness at universities either focus on website design, marketing/logistics of ebusiness, or systems/software. This book gets to the heart of conducting business over the internet - combining brand recognition with eye catching design and a quality/product or service. University programs and businesses looking to be successful in ecommerce should make this book required reading.

This is a great resource for anyone responsible for brand management. It is a rare combination of a practical and creative approach to the subject. It is very helpful in outlining the processes involved in brand and identity management and how to carry these processes through to implementation. Any organization could benefit by implementing the ideas and processes the author outlines.

This book is the best "how-to" guide on brand identity -- it addresses issues no other author has. So many brand identity books are essentially coffee table books, full of illustrations with a little commentary thrown in. Not this book. It has an incredible amount of useful information (words and graphics) pertinent to anyone who has anything to do with identity, not just designers. In fact, this would be a terrific book for every marketing communications, public relations, and senior management person in corporate America.

This is a great book for all basketball fans and all Kentuckians. For those who do not understand Kentucky, or who do not understand basketball, this book will make both of them much more understandable. Truly, there is nothing on Earth like the subculture of Kentucky basketball.

What a great book exploring the UK basketball phenomenon! Anyone who questions the importance of this program to its fans should read this book! You may not come away a fan, but you'll certainly understand those who do! WOW!

...and then I had to read this book after losing a bet (on the 1999 UK/Indiana game, which Kentucky won). As a hoosier fan, it pains me to say that I actually loved this book, and any book that can take the arch enemy of a program and make him/her see the light is a remarkable work. Reading through this book, I actually realized that there were tears in my eyes on several occasions. How could this be? I'm a hoosier--a sworn enemy of the Kentucky Wildcats--and yet, after reading this book, I found myself actually (choke!) liking them! My congratulations to Lonnie Wheeler on an unbelievably good book, and my hat's off to the Kentucky Wildcats--the best program in college basketball!

Shipped home from the Pacific, Cletus Frade learns that he will be sent to Argentina to aid in the war effort against the Nazis. He and two other Americans are sent to Argentina to sink a Nazi ship refueling and rearming German U-boats. In Argentina Cletus meets his long lost father, a very important man in Argentina and tries to sway him toward the United States. During the course of his mission Frade comes upon many problems, falls in love and builds a strong relationship with his father.
I recommend this book very highly. This book never had a dull moment. This is the second book of W.E.B. Griffin that I have read and I enjoyed both of them. This book takes place during World War Two and contains a lot of real to the time's technology and information. Griffin obviously spent a great deal of time researching before he wrote this book. It pays off. The quality of the story is greatly enhanced by the use of factual information. Of the many books in this genre that I have read this is one of the better ones. The story line drives along at a steady action packed pace. Though this book is projected more towards the middle-aged male demographic, I think that anyone who enjoys espionage, romance, anyone interested in World War Two or anyone who enjoys fiction would greatly enjoy reading this book. This is a great book and I recommend it to anyone.

Griffith is well known for his military books that have real characters doing unreal things that make the entire novel a real story of unreal quality. Ok just a confusing enough sentence to make you read more. Griffith is such a writer that his characters are what carries the story; meaning the reader wants to know how the characters are going to develop in the situations. Cletus Frade is akin to another of WEB's great characters...Craig Lowell.

Perhaps one of my favorite authors with books that allow for countless rereads.

This was another great novel by W.E.B. Griffin. I loved the way he developed the relationship between Cletus Frade and his father. Also, as with most of Griffin's novels, I found this one to be a good way to learn about little known historical facts about World War II.

Whispers of Heaven by Candice Proctor was an unforgettable read. It was an amazing lovestory that fills the reader with sadness, joy and a renewed belief in the power of love.

Tasmania, 1840

Irishman Lucas Gallagher, is a convict sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor working for the wealthy English. For years, he has suffered brutal whippings and intolerable conditions all the while dreaming of someday escaping. He is desperate to escape not wanting the degradation he has suffered to break him.

After years of schooling in England, Jesmond Corbett returns home to her family's estate. She is determined to be a dutiful daughter, hoping to please her very proper and disapproving mother. She strives to become the type of woman her betrothed and her mother want her to be. Yet, there is a restlessness within her that she can't ignore even after all of this time being away. She yearns to break free, to become the woman she wants to be not what society deems is proper.

Her life changes when she sees Lucas Gallagher. Convicts have always been a part of her life but there is something about this man that touches her with sadness. His image is seared into her mind forever: midnight black hair, handsome hard features that proclaim his Irish heritage and fierce eyes. Eyes that trouble her so . . . .

Society demands that there can never be any relationship between a wealthy young lady and a convict. Even knowing how her mother and fiance would react, Jesmond is drawn to Lucas as he is to her. Once he is assigned to become her groom, they are forced into greater intimacy. Jesmond discovers what kind of man Lucas really is and, in return, she feels wonderously alive in his presence. She doesn't have to pretend to be something she is not.

Both know that their love can have no future but they cannot deny the longing they have for each other. A longing that might destroy Lucas' last chance for freedom.

This is a MUST READ BOOK. Candice Proctor instilled within this book such depth and feeling. The characters were unforgettable. I laughed with Jesmond and Lucas, cried with them and felt such immense joy once their love prevailed.

One of the BEST historical romances I have ever read. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

In 1840, after spending two years overseas studying geology, Jesmond Corbett returns home to Tasmania. Jesmond is determined to please her snobbish elitist mother Beatrice by marrying her fiance, wealthy aristocrat Harrington Tate.

Her brother Warwick salivates over the stallion she brought back for him, but quickly learns the hard way that Finnegan's Luck throws its rider. The government men work on the Corbett estate paying for their crimes to society. A government man, Lucas Gallagher catches Finnegan's Luck when the horse tries to escape. Warwick awards him by moving Lucas to the stables where he meets Jesmond a lot since she enjoys riding. Soon Lucas and Jesmond fall in love, but society would never accept a relationship between a convict and a lady.

WHISPERS OF HEAVEN provides readers with an interesting look at Australian society in 1840, which makes for a fresh story line due to the unique setting. At the same time that the plot provides an intriguing look into the past Down Under, the details lead to a slow moving tale. Still, the main characters, including the siblings, are fully developed and each one represents a segment of society. Candice Proctor is a talented author.

Harriet Klausner

This book is another brilliant and haunting romance from Candice Proctor.

I'm an avid reader - from various genres, to literary fiction, to nonfiction. I can honestly say that I have rarely - outside of classic literature - encountered an author whose work stays with me the way Candice Proctor's does.

After I finished this book, I immediately went back and re-read key passages. The characters stayed in my mind and in my heart.

Much of Proctor's strength comes from the rich historical detail (she recreates a time and place so effectively that I almost feel as if I'm there). But even more important is her insight into the human condition. Her ability to explore the universal need for love and validation alongside of the brutalities of which man is capable makes her a real "thinking" person's romance author.

She's a master of the genre.

If you like books by Barbara Delinsky, Kristin Hannah and other contemporary stories that cover more than just romance, you'll love this book. Susan Wiggs creates very human and complex characters and then she writes about love between sisters, family members, men and women. A woman comes home to the family she left behind ten years ago for reasons that become clear as the story unfolds. All the characters grow and change. Nothing is tied up neatly, it's all believable, but it's a very satisfying ending. Worth your time.

What's a Perfect Read? The sort of book you can sit down with and meet characters who feel as real as your friends. A story so involving that you forget all the crud going on in your life and realize that there are deeper things in life that are wonderful, you discover this in your own life as Jessie, Dustin, Luz, and Ian find out in theirs.

The Perfect Read reminds you to accept your children with all their flaws and to recognize Love when it walks into your life.

Thank you Susan Wiggs for a Perfect Read.

Many a historical romance author has tried to make the crossover to contemporary fiction. In rare instances, authors excel equally in both genres, and Susan Wiggs is one of those rare exceptions. With her latest novel, she explores the bond between sisters Jessie Ryder and Luz Ryder Benning.

After almost sixteen years traveling the globe on photojournalism assignments, Jessie is back to see her beloved sister Luz, three nephews, and fifteen-year-old niece Lila, who is actually the baby Luz and husband Ian adopted from Jess who took off years ago. Through the pain of separation and untold secrets, the sisters try to fit into each other's lives again, as Luz and Ian must decide whether to tell rebellious Lila the truth of her birth. And even Jessie has some secrets regarding Lila's conception. Amidst this very realistic glimpse into one family's drama is the surprising romance Jessie finds with local pilot and widower Dusty Matlock, who has a tragic story of his own.

Expertly drawn characters set against the beautiful Texas landscape are the life force of this compelling novel. Not only is the reader entranced by the unearthing of past secrets, but present-day secrets come to light in this thought provoking read with a unique and believable view of one family's ability to stay together despite personal trauma and tragedy.

This is the 6th book in "The Cat Who (TCW)..." Series. The 5th "TCW Played Brahms" was the biggest turning point, and this book is the important sequel.

I don't think the TCW Series is very good as a whodunit, but this book is relatively well-plotted. Maybe best-plotted in the six TCW books I have ever read. But I don't give this book five stars, because I still don't like Moose County and I feel the development is rather boring.

And I feel Koko's sleuth ability is too much in this book, such as Koko gets cold to Qwill who barks up the wrong tree. Still tolerable this time, since it can be interpreted as Qwill's overestimation. I'm afraid it might go too far in later books.

This book starts off very interestingly with Qwill not knowing who or where he is due to falling off his bicycle on Ittibittiwassee Road. This provides some very interesting reading material at the beginning because his best friend Riker comes to his hospital room and has to refresh Qwill's mind on his past. So, consequently, the reader is filled in on a lot of Qwill's life up to that point. Some of which we already knew, some we didn't! This whole book is, of course, interesting and Koko and Yum Yum are adorable. This paragraph from the book will give you a good idea about the cats... "'CHFFF!' The Siamese were still under the table. Yum Yum was looking for a shoelace to untie, and Koko was listening to the guests' voices with rapt concentration."

I think that this is one of Lilian Jackson Braun's best.. . . . it was great i could not put it down

I read this book years ago and have always loved it. The book has enough historical detail to entertain anyone who loves history and romance. The characters are strong and mostly likable,their lives seem to be like everyone else's. The only thing I did not like was there was no closure. The reader is left with feeling that they have to find out what happened to Jane and Thomas.Ciji Ware certainly left this one open.

I picked up this book never expecting it to be such an entriging love story. However, when I got into it, I could not put it down. I have never been interested in the British perspective on the American Revoltution, but the story of Jane Maxwell, Thomas Fraser and the Duke of Gordon was gripping. My fasination with this story is sorting out what was real and what was fiction. I have tried, rather successfully to research Alexander, the 4th Duke of Gordon. I was able to pinpoint several facts in history, but haven't been too successful with the characters. Does anyone know? The author details in the back of the book her exhaustive search for her Scottish linage to Jane Maxwell, but I was just curious how much was true. Great book, I loved it and will probably reread it again.

I am a latecomer to the novels of Ciji Ware, but very impressed with her ability to richly depict characters and places. I have personally visited the Island of the Swans, and thoroughly hiked in the area in which her book is set. Ms. Ware has a historian's love of accuracy, and her descriptions of Struy, Loch an Eilean, the River Spey, Culloden House (where I have sojourned many times), etc. are absolutely perfect. I was transported, once again to that delightful corner of the world.

3 women...3 pasts...3 futures...what will happen to Bobby when Joe finds her? Or will Joe find her? Bobby and her daughter are being abused by Joe, Bobby's husband, they ran away to get away from the abuse. Bobby found a job as a "care-taker" and she nurses an old lady named Alma...who loves children. Alma's niece, Eva, is a writer and quite good...until she stopped writing about things she love...so in the end...will Bobby and Penny be able to stay away from Joe? Find out for yourself and read the book!

Bobby,a battered wife,along with her six year old daughter,Penny,flees after a final beating. She arrives in Connecticut,fearful and desperate to start anew. She is hired as a live-in practical nurse for Alma,a retired headmistress who has suffered a disabling stroke. Alma's niece,Eva,a famous author, hires her against her better judgment.Penny instantly ingratiates herself with Alma, soon followed by Bobby. The three of them form a sort of triumvirate which Eva is helpless to change. She soon realizes that this woman and her child are changing the tenor of the household for the better, reluctantly accepting them,although she cannot totally accept Bobby until much later. The other characters are:Charlie,Eva's lover;Dennis,Alma's physical therapist;Melissa,Eva's charming daughter,and,of course,Joe,Bobby's psychopath husband.Charlotte Vale Allen has,as always, given all of these characters such dimension that you know them well. You almost feel like you are living in this interesting household,sharing experiences with all of them. This story progresses so smoothly along,with side-trips of memory for each of the three women,which adds,not detracts, to the whole.The violent climax will hold you breathless with suspense until the end. This is a wonderful book,with wonderful characters, that will be hard to forget,as you become one with them during your reading.

Bobby Salton knows she can't take her sadistic husband's abuse for another day. So at the beginning of the story, she takes her little daughter Penny when the monster isn't home and runs. Driving away in her half-working car, she finds refuge in a rambling house on the Connecticuit shore.

Hired as a live-in companion to Alma Ogilvie, Bobby helps the retired headmistress regain her independence.But Bobby's battered appearance also has a startling effect, especially on Eva Rule, Alma's niece, a successful author.

Three very different women grapple with dreams of haunted pasts, and yet form a tenuous bond. Just as they begin to look to to the future, the past catches up with them. Bobby's husband, for one thing, is still on the run looking everywhere for Bobby.

A very absorbing book and hard to put it down.

For anyone who wants a well-paced romance with accurate historical detail, this is the book for you.
Juliet and Ross are married and have been living separately for 12 years, when they're thrown back together trying to rescue Juliet's brother sparks begin to fly.
One of the best things about this novel, is that both main characters have faults, flaws, and their relationship suffers from the problems that real relationships have. It's not all sunshine and smiles for these two, and I liked them all the better for that reason.
Another great thing is the amazing descriptions of Central Asia and the Middle East. Although sometimes the details were a little tedious, they really helped the pace of the book, it was a little like watching and Indiana Jones movie.
All in all, I found this book to be more serious than most romances. I can't wait to read the other books about the Cameron family.

This novel is a rare treat, because it truly transports the reader into an unusual setting that romance novels don't normally venture. Our hero, Ross,has a passion for exotic travel and culture, but he's been a lonely man. His wife, Juliet, left him soon after they were married and they have lived apart for 12 years. Juliet's mother propositions Ross to find Juliet's brother, who is missing in Arabia and presumed dead. Since Ross is proficient in Arabic and local customs, he agrees to help. On his journey, by chance Ross finds Juliet living in Arabia and the sparks start to fly. Juliet is fiesty and is determined to help Ross rescue her brother. The historical details are well-researched and very colorful.

As to be expected, the sparks that are rekindled between Ross and Juliet are a source of confusion for both. Ross has never known why Juliet left him, and Juliet is too ashamed to tell him. Nonetheless,their love is reborn and eventually they come to terms about their relationship. It is a beautiful story. I highly recommend this novel for historical romance readers who enjoy looking into another culture, and for those who enjoy reading about a second chance for love. Mary Jo Putney has written a winner! Don't miss the last novel of this trilogy, Veils of Silk.

This is the second book in Mary Jo Putney's Silk trilogy set in the early Victorian period. I really felt I was there travelling the Silk Road in the mid 19th century. The background to this book is very exotic and really brought to life by Mary Jo Putney. This book is a sequel to Silk and Shadows in which we first met Ross, the hero. I don't want to give away the plot as it is quite thrilling. The action essentially begins in northern Persia, where the heroine has been leading a life in emulation of Lady Hester Stanhope. From there, the hero and heroine embark on a fascinating journey to Bokhara in Central Asia. This novel can stand apart from the first book in the trilogy though it's helpful to read Silk and Shadows first (which was set entirely in England), but it's absolutely, I feel anyway, essential to read this book before Veils of Silk, the sequel and final book in the trilogy, as it sets the background for the plot in Veils of Silk (which is set in India). If you dream of travelling in the footsteps of Victorian explorers and spies to exotic lands, along with a great romance, this is the book for you.