"Steal Away" was not what I expected. I expected more adventure and bonding between Beth and Susannah - I couldn't quite understand if they were true friends or mere acquaintances who went through a trying experience. The concept of going back and forth from the "past" to the "present" was interesting and different, but couldn't save this book. The relationship between Mary and Free was also confusing. I came to the conclusion that they were not fond of each other, because of Free's bitterness. The beginning and ending letter added to the confusion and the "unspoken" words and emotions made me reread paragraphs to fully understand what happened. The plot and the way the story was constructed was enjoyable, but the writing style used by Armstrong was annoying. I do not recommend.

The book was written well, but in a confusing format. Mary is writing down a story from her grandmother's childhood, with help from a girl named Free. The book however starts with a message from Mary to Free written later when they had grown up. This letter, and the one at the end as well, confused me and threw me off.
The story being told is, as I said, about Mary's Grandmother. She was born in Vermont in a time before slavery was abolished. This is the story of how when her parents died she was sent to live in Virginia with her slave owning, preacher uncle. The fact that a preacher owns slaves confuses her because she has grown up in Vermont, and she is further set off balance by being given a slave named Bethlehem. They decide to run away, and throughout their travels you can't tell if they are friends or people who are determined that the other is a burden on them.

For better historical fiction I suggest Ann Rinaldi

Steal Away by Kacie Mazur Hour 7

I would rate the book Steal Away by Jennifer Armstrong with a fie star rating. I would rate it with this rating because of the time frame and how well it fit in with the characters. The whole book was just astonishing. The sense were just so really you would never want to put the book down. The book just went together so well. I loved this book, and all the details that it contents. The author really made all the events that dealt with discrimination. Also the belief that Susannah had for the black slave was so beautiful and that shows that some people really do care. I have not really read any books that really went along with this story but in the future will be filled with more of these types of books. The way that people were treated in the past and still today just makes the biggest different in the people that are here today. People to this day don't realize that all people have feelings and do care. The way blacks and slaves were treated in the past is just the biggest mess. "How can the slaves make a living if the whites just give then the bare minute?" asked Susannah. Well the answers to that one little question was answered but the people that didn't care. In ways the people cared it was just against the peoples beliefs to speak of.

The author has done an excellent job of presenting the proper
marriage of systems engineering and process development/deployment. It
is obvious that he speaks from the vantage point of many years of
experience in various industries; in other words, "He has been there and
done it. One of the strongest points of the book is the workflow
Illustrations and figures depicting the various hierarchical structures that
can be utilized in process development. Conversely, the major weak
point of the book is that the text could have addressed the figures and
illustration more thoroughly with greater discussion on the details.
However, as is, the book is an excellent reference work for the
systems engineer, the process development practitioner, and especially those
just starting in the process world. I recommend the book highly and
give it a four-star plus (out of five) rating."

As a small ISO 9001:2000 registered Capital Equipment Design and Manufacturer (75 employees and a revenue of $16M) we are challenged daily to measure, analyze and continually improve our QMS and in particular our Product Realization Process.
Within the pages of EPDM The Holistic Approach I have discovered the philosophy, the methodology and the tools to effectively implement the changes required throughout our enterprise to successfully pursue the goals and objectives of our Quality Policy and Business Strategy.
The book explains how to construct a process architecture for product development and more importantly illustrates how to overcome the inevitable resistance to change.
Even though the book is based around large Aerospace companies the concepts are scalable to smaller enterprises such as ours.

Through our new cross-functional teams we are in the process of integrating the contents of the book into our enterprise management system.
The transformation that has taken place within our company at all levels since we have adopted the Holistic Approach is very evident and measurable.
It has delighted both our owners and our customers and resulted in a highly motivated, effective and focused workforce.

I read this book over the past few months and felt compelled to write a review. The book is very important to me. I have been managing and directing engineering and product development for years and I am a strong and experienced engineer. I have managed some fairly complex and challenging projects for electronic device companies. I realize now that some of these projects and products, while successful, required a lot of energy and effort to carry through. I also realize that I have tended to see these projects as largely "engineer-centered" projects without the needed holism. Further, I now realize that it takes a very special individual to really lead a project. In my case, it was the president of my company who intervened and really made the difference in the process. I understood subconsciously what he was doing. However, it was not until I read the book that I realized how really complex the process was and how the "engineering-centered" view was a potential weak spot in the process.

As part of the rejuvenation of our products, I launched the "new look" project as engineering manager. Early on, it was clear that the project had a lot of skepticism, factions, diverse opinions, and general resistance to change. As Stephen Armstrong suggests, change management is a very profound process to establish and maintain. He also implies that engineers may only focus on the linear and technical process and perhaps not grasp or control the other influences that can affect the success of true product development. In the case of Summit, the president joined the project team and participated actively in the meetings and the process because I think that he knew that this had to be a "holistic" process. This was critical because of the importance of the project to the company. Some team members at the meetings suggested that he was usurping my role as project leader. I was engineering manager and had assumed the role of "team leader" because traditionally product development was centered in engineering/R&D. What I experienced was a lot of resistance and resentment from other departments such as manufacturing, QA, and service. I realized that if the project were to succeed that I would need a strong mandate from the top and sustainable support from the corner office, along with much better teamwork. I did not resent the president's presence. Instead, I sensed that something good and interesting was happening. In retrospect, I now see that he (the president) wanted an integrated (holistic) solution and that there were forces and influences that only he could influence or control. The lesson to me was that thinking of the project only in a linear technical fashion, while important, was not the complete answer to getting things done in the needed time frame. The final project was not perfect in all respects. While we were able to keep development cost down, this did take more time because of the need to locate and coordinate contract resources and unexpected problems with certain key vendors. Also, we spent resources on a feature that was later decided to eliminate. Regardless, we did demonstrate to the marketplace that we had up-to-date technology and the commitment to support our products going forward.

A couple of other items
* Our president (COO) sent the whole company off to project management training. This was an important step because it provided a common agenda and dialog for the team and it showed the commitment of top management to success of the project and the product.

* The COO's time and availability became a problem because of business pressures. He did not abandon the project and appointed a second-in-command, a marketing director, to continue the day-to-day operations. The marketing director had sufficient communications skills, organizational clout, and the ability to stimulate teamwork that kept the process going. In fact, it was one of the best functioning teams because a workable process replaced the interdepartmental conflicts.

The COO was and is a smart, demanding, and a really good leader. What he did was to address the product development process in the holistic manner that Stephen describes. At times, I felt that my role as engineering manager was being affected by the President's intervention. The president was careful to get my agreement and he made a point of sitting beside me at meetings to lend support. I realize now that I could not have pulled off the project by myself. The engineering process alone had been tried twice before and had failed to produce results. It was an uphill struggle with a lot of technical challenges along with the project challengers. The political, organizational, etc. issues were too large and beyond the scope of my control. I am a good manager in the engineering process but not in the league of the president. So the purpose of the article is to point out the revelation that I had during the project and especially when I read the book.

Those who do not apply a holistic approach to product development are most likely old school executives/engineers (we've done it this way for 30 years) who are the blockers in the organization. The author describes in detail the tactics to deal with blockers. The blockers usually ignore the human issues and think a team is just a collection of people in a room.

Read the Saint, Founder and Prophet, the most exhaustive and complete compendium of source documents on the life and spirituality of St. Francis. Adrian House references documents contained in this compendium in his creative interpretation of what is actually known about St. Francis. In particular, his discussion of St. Francis' sexuality bears no resemblance to the source documents from which he says that he obtained his background information. It is true that the Church rushed to canonize Francis and so the Church authorized biography by Thomas of Celano was very one sided and lacking in candor, especially concerning Francis' life before conversion. However, subsequent second hand accounts of Francis' life as well as critical writings and analysis by many scholars and historians have provided perspective, at least sufficient in scope to paint a consistent portrait in key lifestyle areas. Adrian House writes well and his perspective is interesting, but it's very far from a reasonable, scholarly interpretation of the best source information available. His reference to credible sources may lead the reader to believe that what House writes as fiction is supported by historical fact. Read the sources and make up your own mind.

I have long admired St. Francis of Assisi. A truly holy man, I was confirmed under his name. And yet, his ideal of living a life of poverty and service is something I could never find the courage to emulate to any significant degree. Still, it is heartening to read of his life. In our modern world, we need all the inspiration we can find. Adrian House has done a good job of using the life of Francis to provide inspiration for us.

One of the main things I like about House's work here is that he provides the story of man who is truly human. I quickly tire of biographers who try to throw only good light on their subjects. This is a particular danger when writing of a person many consider to be a saint. Still, for saints to really inspire, to lead us towards the good, we must be able to see ourselves in them. Like many great saints (Paul, Augustine, etc.), Francis lived the rather loose life of a wealthy young man for many years before the revelation that turned him into the man he became and House is not afraid to show us this. Even better, House recounts instances of Francis losing his temper and making mistakes after his transformation but with the caveat that Francis, unlike most, always tried to make amends for his transgressions. This, in my mind, is what is best about Francis.

The weakness of this book is that is caters a little too much to a modern, ecumenical audience. Francis was a product of twelfth century Italy and we lose a sense of time with all the interspersed quotations from post-Middle Ages, multicultural sources which shed little light on the man Francis was. I love to read Shakespeare, Buddha and the like, but not here. This is somewhat a matter of taste, however. I am already well-versed in the Christian milieu and, therefore, don't need help to connect to Francis. Non-Christians may find this book more palatable because of House's style.

On the other hand, the only really modern writing I want to see is modern scholarship and, fortunately, there is that too. House handles Francis's mystical side very well and I liked the way he points out how the Orders Francis founds get hijacked and turned away from Francis's ideal. People like to criticize modern religions expression but we should take the time to look back at the original spirit of these groups and rituals before decide it has no value. House's book gives us this opportunity.

Excellent book on St. Francis. The only complaint I have is it isn't very good with maps and showing the reader where Francis traveled. Having been in Assisi helped me to imagine where Francis traveled. It's wonderful to read that the saints are human and do err. Faith gets them through! An excellent introduction to the life of one of the most revered saints, and also a good introduction to his faithful compainion, St. Clare.

William Armstrong's small work is a great way for all life-long students to understand what it takes to streamline techniques for higher learning. Although many might fault the book for it's brevity and say that the author doesn't go into enough detail, I felt the author's advice was very pertinent, and very self-explanatory. His 50 year experience in teaching shines through with a gently guiding hand, placing the responsibility in the hands of each student. There are no tricks that are presented here, as indicated by the very name of the work. So, whether you're looking for ways to succeed in that upcoming course that's supposed to be tough or just trying to brush up on ways to maximize your efforts in a lifetime of learning, you're definitely on the right track, by reading this one.
One other thing to keep in mind, because the author wrote this work so long ago, it provides a great baseline in it's fundamental principles. I would also suggest Adam Robinson's "What Smart Students Know" to supplement the principles introduced in "Studying is Hard Work". Robinson's work has some more methodology and covers some more modern principles like memorization and the use of "hooks". Good luck in your learning!

Sure wish I had known this book was available in our local library since 1957. I sure could have use it when I was in highschool in the 70s. Our schools' teachers should all read this and begin disseminating it to students beginning when they begin school.

Since most schools send out newsletters to parents/guardians of students the same book should be made known to them to read on their own with the notation that these principles will be what is presented to their children as guides to become the best student they can be. As parents are a child's first and best teacher, reading this book will prepare your child for school as you will likely begin to follow these principles and pass them on to your children without much effort.

Too many letters go out telling parents to become involved in their children's schooling...but the why and how isn't there. This book is the why and the how. I'll be writing a letter to the editor of our local weekly newspaper as well as to several other daily papers that our community subscribes to so that those wishing to improve their study skills will know they have a means to do so.

I doubt any other study books compare as this one has all that is necessary to make a person realize it is within oneself to get the job done. It is outlined...as some have reviewed otherwise, if you apply the study skills to the book itself the gems will leap out at you.

When I entered high school forty years ago, I was given this book, with the warning that school work was about to become less like play and more like adult work. This book helped me understand the difference between merely getting a job done and doing it well. It gave me the tools to study efficiently and to focus on the task at hand, abilities that have stood me in good stead ever since. But my response to one of the prior reviewers is this, gentle reader - the title says it all - there are no short cuts, cute tricks, diagrams. Life does not ever put the important stuff in bold print for you. Mr. Armstrong understood that studying is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. The book expresses the expectation that you, the student, must examine how you think and then develop your own discipline to learn how to learn.

...the answer. He has good reasons why we (parents of kids diagnosed as ADD) should really examine medication and other solutions. I am glad I bought this book.

Before heading right to the 50 Ways, Armstrong offers the reader five chapters filled with information, positive and negative, about ADD and medication, the whys and wherefores. He starts with reasons why he doesn't believe in A.D.D as a medical problem, treatable primarily by medication.

As he says in this review area, he is NOT saying ADD doesn't exist - he acknowledges that the problems we experience with our kids are real. What I believe he IS saying is that he doesn't believe the 'disease' diagnosed as A.D.D. is a medical problem only within the child, curable by medication.

He suggests that some of the problem may be cultural - we expect our children at the age of 6 to be able to sit quietly in a classroom setting - other cultures allow children more freedom, some offer less. Changes in our own "short attention span" culture may contribute to the A.D.D. behaviors, as do boring classroom set-ups, gender differences, different learning styles, parent-child dis-connections and so on.

He tells what is good, and not good about the pills - some of which may be the same as a placebo effect. When parents and teachers know the child is being medicated, they relax and that change of attitude has a positive effect on the child (I have seen this with my own child and his teachers).

He writes more about the negative effects of Ritalin (not Adderall) as perhaps stifling creativity and the dependency factor, although he is clear that there is no answer yet (however, both Ritalin and Adderall are controlled substances and many children do have negative 'withdrawal' effects). Despite his discussion on drugs, he says "Such drugs, used in the right way with the right individuals by responsible physicians, can significantly enhance the quality of life for many children." But he limits this to three situations - 1) several hyperactive children 2) children in the midst of a life-changing trauma (death in the family, for example) 3) a last resort.

After some 50 pages of this introduction, you get to the reason you bought the book - alternative solutions and they are good (whether or not your child is on medication). He starts with a checklist of things that may bother you about your child's behavior - each one checked off directs you to at least one chapter with possible solutions.

Examples include: Runny nose, itching, stomachache - go to Chapter 2 and look at the Feingold Diet, or Chapter 12 ideas to help alleviate what may be an allergy problem; play Nintendo for two or three hours at a time, go to Chapter 3 and consider limiting TV and video games or Chapter 36, giving your child access to a computer (he misses, on this one, his own Chapter #5, find out what really interests your child - the one I've found most effective - piano, riding lessons, reading, outside play with friends really are more appealing when encouraged by a parent!). Each of these chapters has information, which many of us have already read - but he also provides resources at the end of the chapter which I am finding helpful. And let me once again point out, he has 50 (5-0!) ideas neatly arranged in one book - I especially like that you can look at the list of your child's particular problems and go right to the chapter, rather than trying to read all the way through, cover to cover.

For those who believe that medication is a strong, necessary and large part of the solution, or for those who do not have the time, money or emotional resources to examine the "whys" of ADD, the first part of the book more of an annoyance than a help.

If so, I'd still encourage people to read this book, pages 61 - 257.

I've read about 10 books on attention deficit disorder, including Driven to Distraction and most of the Thom Hartmann books. Out of all the books I've read, this is my favorite. The book is not quite as radical as it sounds; the author isn't saying that some kids aren't different or couldn't use intervention. What he's saying is that the "disorder" designation of ADD is not appropriate for most of the kids who get labeled as such. Yes, they're different, but there are lots of reasons why, including diet, learning styles, temperament, allergies, and normal heredity. The book is very practical. There is a questionnaire to answer about your child. For each "yes" answer you give, the author references one or two chapters which might be helpful to your specific child. I found these chapters on "tips" most helpful. For example, if your child seems to think best on his feet, there is a chapter which discusses how some kids perform better in school when they are allowed to move around during the lecture. He does not lump all ADD kids together, like most authors, but focuses on their individuality.

As the parent of a child labeled ADHD and as someone who has spent the last 18 months researching this condition, I found this book to be the best I have come across yet. Unlike the first review listed here, I did not get the impression that this book blames bad parenting for the condition. It is touched upon early in the book as a probable cause of some of the behaviours, but it is definitely not what this whole book is about. Thomas Armstrong give us several very workable strategies that are more compatible with different learning styles. He does not swing too far to the left or right, but rather encourages us to stand back and use reason and understanding and not to be caught up in the opinions of the closed-minded disorder model. He does not totally condemn nor does he fully endorse the use of medication, again he shows us how to use reason to determine if and when medication should be used. Not only do his strategies work for these "labeled" children, but many of them are excellent strategies that we all could make use and would be of benefit to even "normal" children. I would highly recommend this book to all parents of children who have been saddled with the label of ADD/ADHD. This book should be mandatory reading for all teachers. It should be part of the program during teachers college.

This book is indeed very, very, very long, but I believe that is to be expected if one wants specific details about names, places and events that span 5 centuries. Mr. Crow's style is not as heavy as many historians, and I found the book an easy, if somewhat tedious read.

The author does get a little random in his thought processes later in the book, as though he was trying to meet a deadline, but didn't want to omit a single relevant thought.

The one theme in the book I found striking was Crow's seemingly constant need to act as an apologist for the Catholic church's role in the conquest and consolidation of the New World. He sometimes tries to justify the Church's actions before he tells the reader about the actual events, and sometimes he does this afterwards, but he does it pretty consistently. Perhaps he feels the prevailing bias against the Church's role in the conquest requires a little overstatement in the opposite direction, I don't know.

At least there is no effort to distort the facts. The author lays them out, warts and all. He just repeatedly tries to suggest that, well, "Everyone else was doing it, too!"

Another peculiarity I noted was Crow's repeated assertion that there is no racial conflict in Latin America, apparently due to the fact that early Portugese and Spanish explorers and colonists brought none of their countrywomen along, and felt free to mate with as many of the indigenous females as possible.

His book repeatedly makes it clear that the Spanish and Portuguese literally used up the indigenous people without reservation, even as they bred themselves a newer, more hardy race of mestizos, yet he consistently commends the conquerors for being so racially "open-minded". If he means being willing to make use of whatever human lifeforms one can find for breeding stock or beasts of burden, I guess maybe he's right.

Nevertheless, I thought it was good book for anyone seriously in this period of world history, and would recommend it.

My favorite history writer is Barbara Tuchman and I found some similarities between her and Mr. Crow in how they present history. They both bring a lot of the human element to history telling. I particularly enjoyed learning about Brasil's Dom Pedro II, who seems to get generally brushed over in history. One also gets a good feel for how and why the Latin American economic and political structures developed. It is extremely long, which is great for the amateur history buff, but probably not so great for the college student.

He does have some obvious biases and makes a liberal amount of commentaries. His subjectivity is easy to recognize, enjoyable to read, and he often makes some good points. I appreciate that he doesn't hold back on both praise and criticism of significant people or events. I have a much broader understanding of our southern neighbors and plan to read the book again.

I have read this book many times. It was my reference bibile as i majored in Latin American Studies. Although long it is an easy read. Crow does what many other authors fail to accomplish, he maintains his objectivity. It is a good book for non-Latin Americans to gain insight into Latin America. Great book, dedicate a summer to it.

Lots of tips, tricks etc. for end users trying to learn Discoverer.

Lacks best practices, installation/configuration options for Administrators. Unfortunately, this seems to be the only book available covering Oracle Discoverer. For Administrators, the only available resource is Oracle Documentation.

I have used Oracle Discoverer for years now (ie: v.3.0, etc.) and I wished many times to have a book that I could look through when I needed help. I've taught courses in Discoverer at numerous companies to hundreds of users and this book would be an excellent resource for end-users to have. For the more advanced users there's plenty of information included as well. Having this book on my bookshelf by my computer is good and bad. Good - because there's always something I have to look up (even if I already know it, it's good to know it's there); and bad - because when an end-user sees the book, they always want to borrow it.

I would give this book high marks as it's a good all round reference and learning book.

This is the only game in town as far as Oracle Discoverer goes. We use it on the job, and while most of the book doesn't work for us, since we use a specific pre-programmed EUL, the chapters on using functions are what makes money for us.

Though an outstanding, scathing, commentary on the decline of real , political change affected by feminism in regards to incest and less specifically, child molestation in general, this book loses its powerful and meaningful perspective by miring down in hyper-feminist rhetoric and premises that are not in touch with reality.

The author would have the reader believe there is absolutely no such thing as a female child molester and that every single accusation of incest or molestation against a male is founded. She goes on to say evidence to the contrary is simply a male-centered ploy to try to throw the scrutiny elsewhere.

Such diverse characters throughout history as Maimonides and Ronald Reagan are blamed for perpetuation sexism and either ignoring or promoting incest, father-daughter only, of course. No other kind exists.

Accurate in its account of how the feel good, self help, movements of the late 1980's and early 90's and the Morning TV attitude toward personal problems and crises have all but destroyed the real, political force of the war against incest, the one-sided, almost childish stance the author takes to prove what is obvious.

I agree wholeheartedly with the author that the era of Oprah and victims are victims forever, offenders are victims, too and, let's all discuss it over and over again on TV has trivialized the bane of incest and turned treatment and recovery into something of a dark joke. But I will not accept there is no such thing as a false accusation of incest, motivated either out of malice or confusion, nor will accept there are no female offenders throughout history or currently.

When reading this book, ignore the propaganda and heated rhetoric. Deduce what needs to be done to restore America's abhorrence of incest and the damage it does to our society, in that regard, it's right on the mark. Ms. Armstrong is still a very angry victim and I think the avenger's spotlight of this national shame having been shined away from her for many years has angered her even more.

Rocking the Cradle of Sexual Politics is a very important, educational book about some of the root causes of incest (particularly father-daughter incest). This is a very informative and revealing book on our societal response to the uncovering of incest. As a survivor of incest, Louise has developed a deep understanding of how incest is perpetuated through societal beliefs. These beliefs are woven so deeply into our society that they are hidden to people who are uneducated about the dynamics of power and control exerted by men over children (and women). These same hidden messages are then spouted out all across society and the media. And Louise is very correct in naming incest as the cradle of sexual politics.

Louise isn't saying that only men commit sexual abuse, or that boys are not abused, she is simply focusing on the issues of male dominance over female children (and how this informs us about the most prevalent forms of incest).

Louise also sheds light on what has become, in many ways, a victim culture. I agree with a lot of her views on our society creating a victim culture surrounding incest, and I am very thankful that Louise has spoken out about this, but at the same time I think she can go a little too far in that direction. I think it is very important to acknowledge our power as women and to steer ourselves away from the perpetuation of a victim culture, but at the same time we should not silence ourselves or cover over the depth of the impact that incest has had on our lives. Although our experiences of incest may be similar, everyone has a somewhat different experience and after effects, and I do not believe in judging people's experiences or reactions. I agree that the self-help culture can be overkill, but at the same time if we have the need to heal, and we need support I think it is good to be self-motivated (and not left to rely only upon doctors and therapists who can only offer an opinion). Louise made some extremely important points on this topic, but I just feel more fluidity in my opinions. I cannot generalize people into categories. My opinions about people are based on the full context and situation of each individual's life. Incest is a political issue, but we cannot forget that it is also personal (it happens everyday to real, individual people). If we discard recovery altogether what options are left for transcending the personal effects that incest has had on our inner lives?

Although I do not agree with all of Louise Armstrong's opinions, seeing the integrity and conviction that she has to her own beliefs has re-affirmed the value of my commitment to my own opinions and insights about sexual violence within our society. Having a strong commitment to ending sexual violence is extremely important if we ever want to reach that goal.

The author of this book, Louise Armstrong, is a woman of courage and unafraid of speaking her mind, despite the very delicate subject on child sexual abuse. In her book, she portrays child sexual abuse as being a problem that the male dominated society manipulates and maintains with almost every means available. The view that through time, women have been held responsible for the sexual abnormalities of a certain percentage of the male sex, is strongly stressed throughout the book. Mothers are encouraged to act, when their children disclose sexual abuse by their fathers and when they indeed act, the legal system reacts by holding the mothers responsible for the abuse, not the criminal fathers, based on the courts' findings they have not been able to "prevent" their husbands from sexually abusing their children: "And so the mother sued the doctors and laywers who did nothing to help. She said that "even when a medical examination found evidence of sexual abuse after a weekend visit with the father in February 1981, her complaints were ignored, and she was subsequently found in contempt of court because she refused to allow the father to visit the child". Either she would allow the father to take the child for a weekend visit or she would go to jail" (p.121)! We are caught in a learned helplessness situation and Louise Armstrong inspires us to do something about it, not to give up the fight! One of the most inspiring books I will ever read!

I'm an I-Banker and enjoy reading biographies of exceptional businessmen. Sandy Weill's recent biography comes to mind as a personal favorite. Since Tom Weisel is an exceptional athlete with many interests similar to mine, I thought I would enjoy this read. Frankly, it's very painful.

First of all, the two-page summary at the end of each chapter written by Weisel would have been a great framework around which to write a biography. But the actual chapters read like a paid self-promotion or someone in the throes of hero-worship. The author consistently talks of what a great athlete Weisel is while making sure he mentions that Weisel never brags about his athletic prowess. No need to given that the writer will glorify the results. Even concerning business the writer manages to find a positive in every event. For example, the original partners split up and start a competing firm but there is no attempt to mention if Weisel's faults could have had any impact. Of course, per this book, he has no faults.

Weisel eventually merges the successful but controversial Montgomery Securities into Nationsbank but after trumpeting this as a great deal, it merges poorly so blame is completely placed on Nationsbank. Now, of course anyone living this large competitive life must trade-in for a 24-year-old trophy wife when he is 49. Unfortunately there is never a significant mention of the break-up of his first marriage other than what a great father he is and how involved he is with all his kids.

This book is so filled with braggadocio that if Weisel were really interested in keeping the profile of a respected businessman, he would have done his best to limit his exposure to this book. Tom Weisel may very well be a great man but great men do not need to have this much said about them in this forum. I'm shocked he agreed to allow his name to be included in this work, as it is not becoming.

Amid the expanding shelves of business biographies and dot com tell-alls, this portrait of Silicon Valley investment banker Thomas Weisel stands almost mythically taller than the others. It's not just that Weisel survived and thrived despite first the disastrous sale of his company to NationsBank and then the tech downturn. Nor is it just that Weisel is a bold and canny business thinker and a charismatic leader who inspires loyalty and near-reverence among employees and clients alike. More than anything, what fascinates is the feedback loop between Weisel's workaholic style and his consuming passion for skiing and cycling--a passion that led him first to successfully reconfigure the U.S. Olympic ski team organization, and then to put together the winning U.S. Postal Service cycling team led by Lance Armstrong. One only wonders how such an obviously brilliant man could have such simpleminded and even incoherent libertarian politics.

Author Richard Brandt, a veteran technology journalist from Business Week and the now-defunct Upside Magazine, makes use of his long intimacy with the tech sector business world to situate Weisel's career within the historical context of Silicon Valley's rise, hysterical boom and return to reality.

I loved "Capitol Instincts" and you will, too. It is a quick, enjoyable and often very funny read. For those of us who know far too little about the world of investment banking (and for that matter, art investing and high level sports) it is an easy way to gain insight and important knowledge.
I enjoyed the way Brandt took you from the history up to hot off the press issues changing the face of banking today, as well as very intriguing backroom dealmaking. He reveals a master dealmaker at work.
Weisel's sections keep the info coming, with his pointed valuable advice to entrepreneurs and investors.
The sections on sports and art were fascinating. Again, Brandt delivers depth with fascinating details and insight on his subjects. And it is fast and fun all the way.
Buy it, read it, send copies to all your friends. This book is hot, fast, easy and fun to read!
I can't wait to see what this hot author will tackle next!

I was very disappointed after reading this book; I expected more from the Oscar winner for the screenplay, based from his book, DANCES WITH WOLVES. Frankly, the book is rather boring. There are rare moments where you can't wait to find what happens.

It's ironic that Blake originally despised Custer while writing DANCES WITH WOLVES then, later, found he liked Custer after all. If only he could have written about Custer's last days with more passion and ambition, yet, he did not.

I do NOT think this is a good book to start one's discovery of Custer. For that, I'd strongly recommend Louise Barnett's TOUCHED BY FIRE.

Although a fair attempt to get inside the mindset of G.A.C., this book ultimately fails to deliver the thrills or tension it should have. The biggest downer is that this was written by the author of the excellent 'Dances with Wolves'. As a fictional account of Custer's diary, the book is tied by the fact that there is no reference to the Battle of the Little Big Horn and this also leaves the reader with a sense of unfinished business. Rumours are that the screen rights for this book have been bought by Oliver Stone. I would recommend Oliver and any other interested reader to acquire 'A road we do not know'. It's a far more exciting read.

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Don't expect a nice guy who dances with wolves. This one kills with "Wolverines."

Penned by the best-selling author/Academy Award-winning screenwriter of DANCES WITH WOLVES, in Michael Blake's MARCHING TO VALHALLA we again journey West to the savage frontier of post-Civil War days. Only this time our guide's no Indian lover -- he's an Indian fighter. And an immortal legend. George Armstrong Custer.

But as we accompany him on this journey through uncharted territory, we discover -- soul-wrenchingly -- he's as mortal as the rest of us.

It is 1876. On a long march to what Custer hopes will be his most glorious campaign, he decides to record his daily thoughts and observations, as well as the events that led him here, in his Journal. It is through this Journal that we enter the secret catacombs of his "true heart."

The skeletons of fallen Confederate soldiers unearthed by rain. The dark entombment of Custer's dreams during his court martial and suspension from military duty. The taste of blood-lust, more satisfying than the finest wine, when he commands the brigade known as "Wolverines" on the battlefield. And piercing the mists as magically as the rainbow-colored suns he glimpsed during the Washita Campaign, the love Custer shared with his wife, Libbie.

Through Custer's eyes we see the beauty of the prairie flowers, the way light "dances" through the cottonwood leaves. And through his eyes we see the horrors of war. Battlefield carnage. Three mutilated bodies found at a stage station. The senseless burning of a Cheyenne village.

Michael Blake's a master, and his imagery flows like warm, golden honey. His words ambush us and hold us captive. But secretly we hope he'll never let us go.

When Blake sends us riding across the plains to that final destination, Custer's thoughts whisper tragically through our own hearts. And for that brief, flickering moment we know the name of the horse we ride -- Fate.