Robert Levin has the natural talent to manipulate words and bend them to his will. His flair for the dramatic make each of his stories come to life right in front of you. One story in particular, The Profundity of Madness is a nonstop, verbal declaration of emotions. His characters are so true to life and his wonderful flow will keep you reading and wanting more. I would highly recommend this book along with his others, The Lizard and the Fly, as well as his new novel that is coming out April 2003, About Face. He's already received an affluent critique by the NY Times and they say the book is "Absolutely Brilliant!" This is the author to keep an eye on, he's definitely going places.

I really enjoyed this book. You can't get the stories out of your head and definitely don't want them to end. After finishing this book I bought The Lizard & the Fly which I would highly recommend also.

Read this collection on a weekend away. I found it very thought provoking. The characters are well-drawn with unique voices. Give it a try when you have time to kick back, laugh a little and perhaps shed a tear, as well. You'll come away wanting to read more.

The topic sentence of this book is "We see human civilization as having risen to eminence among other species through political, scientific, and technological innnovation." This sets the tone for a humanistic course the the forms of creativity through history. For someone who comes from a technology background (read: geek), this book was an unexpected suprise. It gave a social context to the value system that the technologist depends on, and the legacy that supports the innovator of today.

I was inspired me over and over again. I kept on finding gems, and thinking "that's a creative way to get unstuck." For something that has so many references, it's balanced well with the discourse. I've got a reading list now, and a few biographies to read.

There was a spiritual quality to this book, grounded in history and human experience. In comes through in the sense of reflection, and the connection to great humanists through time.

A note of caution. The wordsmithing in this book is tight. While not a bad thing, that may lesson the appeal of this book for some. Also, the title doesn't exactly reasonate, since the theme of "grace" is never dealt with, and while Creativity is one of the great natures, it seems a stretch.

Had I not met the author in person, I would have never considered reading this book; Now, I wonder if it would be possible to take a class from him.

If you are looking for an exceptional find, this is one.

This book is a study of creativity in the social and ethical contexts, and of creativity as a result of innovation. It can also be used as a guide book for leading a life promoting innovation through creativity.

The book has three distinct but closely related parts: The Creative Mind, The Ethics of Creativity and The Politics of Innovation, explaining how the building blocks of creativity - inspiration, imagination, sense of beauty, integrity, persistence, vision and learning - all lead to innovation. While one could use this as a resource for inspiration and as a guidebook for practicing and promoting creativity in everyday life, the author makes no efforts to sell the book as such. Instead, he has opted for a conversational style that aids critical reading, and inspires further thinking. This helps to frequently stop and think about the material, and to inquire the logic. The language is very crisp and to the point. The editing is very sharp. One could read the book just for the anecdotes, both historic and the contemporary ones, which are plentiful in the book. The notes at the end is really an annotated bibliography, which can also be very useful.

This is a great antidote for the current day world where success is often wrongly equated with "fast", "immediate", "creating powerpoint slides", ... and the likes; where, the examination of things is becoming increasingly superficial, and the critical evaluations are frequently regarded as a hindrance to "productivity", and where the incompetence is frequently promoted for the resulting political expediencies. Dr Grudin explains why some people despise the concept of "working the system" to your advantage, and why they often take routes that look more elaborate and longer. He explains what is it that some people who get paid for forty-hours but seem to be always at work, are seeking and what drives them to voluntarily opt for such practices of hardwork and dedication. He explains why some people seem to take so much interest in every project around them, and seem to bounce back to success and happiness, from every failure they encounter. And, finally, he convinces us how creative work, even at the modest levels, can be the key to happiness.

By not casting its title with something like "N-practices of super-creative people" or something akin to that, and instead giving it the current title, and thus choosing honesty and class over marketing, Dr Grudin has put to practice what he preaches in the book. But if that makes you not consider this book, it's your loss!

A great baedeker for people and organizations wanting to promote creativity, and through creativity, innovation.

Robert Grudin is one of my favorite writers, consistently presenting deep topics, such as the meaning of creativity and the dangers in liberalism that even liberals must eventually admit. He writes with a clarity and wit that is all to rare these days, and this is his best book.

this is the most complete and useful textbook i use, and so are surgeons around me

As a member of the Danish Society for Surgery of the Hand, I have spent a lot of time browsing this text-book which has become the bible of many hand-surgeon world-over. The book is a complete listing of diseases in the hand, and covers everything about it. This book not only covers the diseases but also includes the most wanted "author`s preferred method". Drawings are good and easy to apply on patients. This bible will always be the backbone of my handsurgery.

This is the definitive textbook on hand surgery. Dr. Green should be commended for further improving what was already a comprehensive text.

And terrific! With Groundwork, Robert Welch distills into one heady brew four hundred years of Anglo-Irish conflict and the historical relationships between the Condon and O'Dwyer families. He does this by presenting four- or five-page stories of individuals and events at seemingly random dates and stirring them together. Some stories are in the first person, giving an effervescence to the characters and an immediacy to events, even very ancient events. Other stories are in the third person, providing color and allowing the reader to "store" the information for future use. The individual stories are very short, the cast of characters is very large (necessitating a dramatis personae at the beginning of the book), the time frame is huge, there is no real "plot," in the traditional sense, and time here is cumulative, rather than linear.

Despite all this, Groundwork is not difficult reading. Somehow Welch manages to make it all work, and even a casual reader with little or no background or interest in the history of the Irish people will find it absolutely fascinating and often thrilling. On the most superficial level, the daily lives of the Condon and O'Dwyer families in the 20th century capture the reader, who can identify with them and share their tribulations--a girl who finds herself pregnant and abandoned, a son who becomes a monk, a father whose children die during an epidemic, a wife who finds that her husband has been unfaithful.

Welch is not writing a melodrama here, however. These events are related to the ongoing history of the Irish people, with some entries here dating back to the Elizabethan period. Betrayals in the 20th century parallel some depicted in earlier centuries; the struggle to survive as Irishmen in a country dominated by the British is similar, regardless of century; the seemingly thankless efforts of scholars to preserve the history, culture, and language of the Irish continue unabated through time; and the desire to achieve respect, both individually and as a people, never wanes. As Katherine Condon remarks on the death of her mother, "I'd like to be with her among the dead, and along with all the Condons and O'Dwyers that have lived here for so many centuries. We are all alike, all sad and thoughtful, and full of rancour and feeling." And Welch includes it all in this book.

Welch has grabbed the most complex Irish histories and squeezed them into 202 pages of excellence!.

EVERYTHING is covered.. This book is definately a must!, even for a historian his or her self!.

An AMAZING, enthralling, terrifying, and realistic account of the tragedy and beauty of two families in County Munster. Robert welch transforms a true Irishmans history and ancestry into a mind-blowing piece of, what is sure to become, an artifact of uncensored and factual Irish belief and history...

This book MUST be read, the experience is too much to miss...

Joel David Rifkin, convicted murderer of seventeen women, has finally opened his soul to Mladinich. He recounts his lost years before his arrest in 1993, about what his life could have been had he stayed in college, pursue a long-term career and had a long term relationship with a woman of his choice instead of squandering his money on "hookers." Mladinich wanted to get to the source of Mr. Rifkin's anger toward women in general, which he projected onto prostitutes, the most hated segment of womenkind. Prostitutes are among the most vulnerable and exploited segment in the nation. This is an excellent book to read if you want to get into the mind of a serial killer.

A friend gave me this book to read on the plane, I am glad I had it, we were delayed two hours. I really liked this book, it is a little different than the other true crime books I have read, the writer shares his life, his own shortcomings, fears and insights with the reader. I also thought the book a had a good pace, there was always something around the corner...

This book was well written. I enjoyed the many comments directly from the subject of the book, and I really appreciated the author's sharing of his own thoughts-both good and bad. I felt the author was very honest with the reader and found it easy to identify with this author and his feelings of confusion.

I planned a trip to Ireland for my Mother, 4 sisters and Myself.
I started with "Ireland for Dummies" then read "Frommer's Ireland 2001" and crossed referenced with "Ireland from $60 a Day". I learned more from these books in 2 weeks than in all of my years as a Travel Agent and Airline staff!! Their detailed in-sight and straight-forward advice was right on target. They give prices,times, phones numbers and payment information. They tell you where to go, what to do and who to talk to. I loved their list of on-line addressess for information. Only two things were wrong with my copy. They quoted every price in Irish pounds that were useless after February 2002. I realize that they had to go to print before this change and were unable to adapt in time. The other was lack of detailed mapping. A free map was included inside "Ireland 2001" but only had some of the streets shown for Dublin. I know these will be corrected in future printings. I would recommend these Frommer's books to anyone!! They are written in plain English, yet don't talk down to you(even the "Dummies" book. It was quite humorous)

My family used Frommer's Ireland 12th Ed. extensively before, during ,and after our trip to Ireland in July of 2002. The first two chapters Best of..., and Planning your Trip... were worth the purchase price alone. All of the Best of tips we followed were excellent choices.
The large fold out map that was included served very well during our driving tour of Ireland. Using the county and town maps that were included in the local sections kept us right on track. Distances are deceptive however. It takes longer to get anywhere you go than it would appear from reading the map. The Irish road system is not built for speed ( nor comfort for that matter) so plan accordingly. It takes a long time to drive across the country, or from county to county. More could have been made of this issue in the guide. Our biggest mistake was trying to do too much.
The up to date information on Dublin was very helpful, as were the frequent tips throughout the guide on ways to avoid the summer crowds. I used the web addresses that were included for lodging and found them very helpful for checking availability and booking our rooms quickly. Don't go without it!

My wife and I traveled around Ireland for two weeks this summer, and Frommer's Ireland was an amazingly helpful tool.

Realizing this would probably be the last time we'd be traveling abroad for a while, we decided to mix it up a bit --"inexpensive" to "moderate" accommodations and restaurants in most places, with a few dabbles in the "expensive" (and even one "very expensive") splurges along the way. Across the board, the recommendations in this book were outstanding. What to see and do, where to stay, where to eat and shop.....all were presented in a very down-to-Earth way. The eye for small detail and nuances throughout the book made us feel we were getting advice from a local expert who REALLY knows her stuff.

I can't say enough about how helpful this guide was to us -- it really made our trip a memorable one. The fold-out map got us around most of the country with no trouble....once a nice gentleman in a petrol station showed me how to get my rental car into reverse.

All in all, a terrific book.

Like, I daresay, a lot of people, I first read this book when I was about 11-12. I've kept coming back to it ever since (I'm now in my mid-twenties) and it reveals new layers every time I read it.
It's superbly written, darkly funny, fast-paced, and thought provoking. The characters are facinating and the way Westall gradually reveals the Big Picture is just masterful. A classic.

Robert Westall is one of this century's greatest writers for young adults, and this, in my opinion, is his very best book (although "Devil on the Road" comes a close second - they're very similar in style). An SF classic which eschews the normal spacecraft and explosions for complex political and social ideas. There have been genuinely few adult SF novels published in the last thirty years which compare to this novel's intelligence and dark humour. I read this first when I was 13 and have re-read it more times than I can remember... Simply put, my battered yellowing copy of this is very dear to me, and I suspect, will always stay that way.

This book is the first that I have ever read cover-to-cover, in one sitting. Perhaps that enhanced its impact. Westall has put together a fine story, well before its time, which is an excellent read as well as informative and perceptive in its comments on technology and society. If you can get a copy, its well worth reading. If you've already read it, take another look. Time hasn't dulled its message.

I first saw this chart on my Greek professor's wall and was stunned by it. So much information, and very clear diagrams indicating the relationships of all the gods. This is a must for any mythology enthusiast.

Word Ninja

I was not disappointed by this wallchart in the least. It has so much information, and really presents the relationships among gods, humans and other beings very well. These relationships are so intertwined and tangled that I doubted whether they could be clearly presented. This chart does. (Now if only the type were just a little larger.)

This enormous Wall Chart is a "Must Have" for any scholar of classical literature and mythology, as well as anyone who just loves reading Classical Myths and stories of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. The artwork is superb, as are the detailed references and "nexi" that are drawn between the various figures of Classical Mythology--both famous and not so well known! The visual impact of this Wall Chart allows one to understand that complex system of mythology and beliefs that described the world of the Ancients. This is the best Wall Chart of any kind that has been created on any subject both Ancient and Modern. If you wish to hang it in an open space, just ensure that you have a suitable and sizable wall on which to place this wonderful chart.

You will find in this book the best advices for anybody who wants to endertake a Gourmet food business. From the design of the store (including Kitchen equipment) to the day to day operation, from a theorical business plan to its practical application, Robert Wemischner and Karen Karp provide the reader with the best support and the best methodology to succeed in this business. "Gourmet to Go" is a book that leads step by step the Gourmet food entrepreneur to a real and durable success in this field. Most of the subjects are treated with an obvious professional background. We would like to find some more informations on the product by itself (type of food, type of gourmet product) and maybe some ideas on possible future development... This is a very hepfull manual.

Although, as the name suggests, this book is geared mainly towards gourmet to go operations (specialty food stores with emphasis on catering and gourmet take-out) it is an invuluable resource for anyone thinking about entering the gourmet food industry.

I wasted all kinds of time and money on general business start-up books and learned little more that nothing about starting a gourmet food store (or any business for that matter). The business plan section alone is better than a whole book I purchased on the subject. I found every bit of Gourmet to Go to be extemely useful and after reading it couldn't believe I had even considered going into business without it.

This is an excellent treatise of starting a specialty food store or, perhaps is even more beneficial to one who wishes to wholesale food products to place in food stores or delis..

People wanting to cash in on the current trend towards take-out convenience need this book, as well as From Kitchen To Market and How To Get Your Product Into Supermarkets.

The three books are invaluable for overlapping reasons. A prospective store operator needs to understand how to setup his or her store and, just as important, how their competition operates. Beginning store operators also need to understand their industry in detail not merely from the viewpoint of their competition and from their customers, but from their suppliers position.

Gourmet To Go does a great job from a narrow viewpoint. Probably the only topic not suffriciently explored is the hands'-on advice. Perhaps the next edition will detail the possibilities for including rollergrills, microwaves and how to earn what the industry refers to as "Plus-sales." I'm speaking of the technique in all fast food chains and convenience stores to get customers to spend more money.

Other hands-on topics that should be discussed are controlling theft and the experience of many store operators who have lost significant chunks of money in providing lottery tickets. I know of a feww whose losses exceeded $10,000. Adding insult to injury, lottery only reimburses stores from one to three percent of gross sales and pay-outs for winning tickets. Despite such a poor return on investment, many stores consider it mandatory to provide lottery.

Further, computerizing the store could be considered, as well as installing UPC readers. It is not uncommon to see even the smallest store using such equipment. Yet, those installing such systems all seem to have to reinvent the wheel.

Again, buy this book but augment it with From Kitchen To Market and with How To Get Your Product Into Supermarkets so you can keep up with and, perhaps, improve upon your competition and keep customers, suppliers and yourself happy!

Bruce Roberts and Ray Jones produce the best lighthouse travel guides available. This one is no exception.

First, this book is chocked full of Bruce Roberts' beautiful photographs of the lighthouses in this region. The photographs are nothing less than SPECTACULAR! Combined with the revised and updated information on each makes this regional lighthouse guide a requirement you won't want to be without whether you're visiting the region or a life-long resident. The text contains full, rich descriptions of each lighthouse, too.

I have many lighthouse books and all of Bruce Roberts' and Ray Jones' regional guides. I've read them all and used most of them while traveling. I've found them to be first rate, an excellent choice for people who want everything lighthouse between two covers. A joy to look at and informative to read.

There are directions and other info for finding and visiting lighthouses. They do not always show all lights for a given area. The photos are all color. I own 3 of these books. There are not many other guide books out there so if you are looking for guide books these are good to have. Since there are so many books in this series I thought I'd help people find them easier. This is the series.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
American Lighthouses
California Lighthouses
Eastern Great Lakes Lighthouses - I own this one
Western Great Lakes Lighthouses - I own this one
Southeastern Lighthouses - I own this one
Southern Lighthouses
New England Lighthouses
Mid Atlantic Lighthouses
Gulf Coast Lighthouses