Overall, I felt somewhat disappointed.

In fact, the book did clearly communicate - 'image is everything', and it provided pretty good explanation on detail principles/aspects of image. However, those principles actually are pretty common sense and generic, so I was looking forward to 'how to' section, especially how to link all principles together and provides a clear plan and tool on the application of the integrated persona principles. Most of the business examples in the book only demonstrated a single aspect. Yet when it comes down to application/how to section, the author only spent 11 pages on 'how-to' and those how-to are still generic. I don't know whether the author is just want to show 'the principle'. So when you really want to apply it, you need to contact with them for tools and consultation. However, if that's the case, then I don't want to buy this book because I want to self-help and self-improve.

Net, I found this book is good at theory/principle explanation but didn't provide a clear method on 'how-to' business application. Recommend 'not to buy' for marketing/brand people.

The importance of a company's image as a corporate asset is immense. The Persona Principle clearly demonstrates how top management at any firm can ensure that their entire organization live and breath a good corporate image. Through the use of case studies, and proven image-marketing techniques, the authors will help you build a step-by-step " Persona Plan " to help your company capitalize on the most important and powerful asset it owns.

The books that are out there about image tend to be turgid, academic, and industry specialized. This book fragments the mold to propose a simple and intelligent argument about image, organized in clear (actually coherent and logical - not just) steps. Overlook the occasionally shoddy writing and lower school imagery, and you'll find a treasure of insights into the elusivity of image-formation. I have been known to sleep with my book. You may too!! whew.

First, I am a non-denominational Christian. I am not a Mormon who goes to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Therefore, I am not writing to defend LDS' doctrine. Don't be misled. I am just writing to point out some error in this book.

In "This We Believe" on page 289 in Chapter 11 which titled "The Evangelical Family: Its Blessings and Boundaries", Joseph M. Stowell wrote:

"Sometime ago, a friend was telling me about her Mormon neighbor. She rejoiced in their friendship and said how much she appreciated the times they prayed together. She asked me, "Have you ever prayed with a Mormon?" The inference was that she and her friend were wonderfully one in prayer. While one could cultivate a friendship with Mormons, praying with them would be quite another issue. Because they deny the doctrine that Christ is God, spiritual oneness with them is not only wrong but impossible, according to the Bible. Historically the church has persistently held to the fundamental realities of truth about Christ as a test of faith: his virgin birth, divinity, resurrection, and return."

The phrase "[Mormons] deny the doctrine that Christ is God" is blunt falsehood. LDS affirms that Christ Jesus is God. They might have their Trinity doctrine varied from the one confessed by the mainstream churches but they DO affirm the deity or "Godship" Christ. This is what I'd term "unchristian apology" - affirming the importance of truth on one hand but telling "untruth" on the other (not necessarily lying but by, perhaps, a big careless mistake).

i think the beliefnet review is very useful. i think there are wide diversity within evangelicalism. somehow the american types and the british type are already not exactly the same. and beyond the evangelical tradition, the Christian Church has even more diversity. to me the bottom line being all of us confessing christians who participate in the life of the church share the same faith.

to be honest, i haven't read through the whole book. but as an editor of the publisher who will publish the book's chinese version, i'll rate it 4-star. and i am looking forward to read kevin vanhoozer's piece on jesus. he is a theologian that has depth.

In a world that resisits truth and pays the price in growing irrationality, fragmentation, and evil, Jesus says we are to be "salt" and "light"--- radiating centers of Gospel light amidst a world utterly consumed by darkness.

But how well do we understand the Gospel? A group of prominent church leaders and scholars did more than just ask that question. They drafted a clear, definitive statement of the essentials of the Gospel titled "The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration." Leaders from across the denominational landscape have endorsed it, and the list of names, already impressive, continues to grow. This remarkable show of unity affirms the core beliefs about our salvation that evangelicals hold in common. In the face of our differences, these are what bind us together as the church of Jesus Christ and make Gospel the Good News of Great Joy.

___

OUR OPINION:

Every Christian should read and commit themselves wholly to this profound affirmation of the Biblical Gospel. The fact that the reviewer at BeliefNet takes issue with it simply underscores that organization's committment to "the broad way that leads to destruction."

And that is a great tragedy... one that should move us to tears.

And to pray...

-- The Discerning Reader (@Amazon zShops)

The Small Business Guide to the Internet: A Practical Guide to Going Online is the only book I've read that gives the a list of practical marketing ideas a business should use if it is to be successful online.

A sound guide to creating a strategy that keeps you in touch with your consumers in this fast-changing, new media environment. The fundamentals of advertising on the Internet are no different than other media. As a marketer, you need "reach" and "targeting" and Barratt's and Armstrong's guide will help you devise the strategy that suits you and your company's needs.

It was not the first time I read a book where people wanted to go into the west. But this book was different from all the others because here it was a girl which tried it alone....

This book surprised me. I was expecting something cheesy and cliched, and instead I found a story that totally captivated me. Once I started reading, I didn't put the book down until I'd finished. "Annie" is the story of a teenage girl who sets out with only a dog and a horse to find a place where she and her little brothers can live. Okay, so the premise has probably been used before, but the thing about this story is that it's so realistic. The landscape is described in vivid detail, so you feel like you're right there, and Annie's feelings are very true-to-life. Annie is easy to identify with; she tries to be independent and tough, but she makes mistakes, she feels awkward around people, she is confused by her own emotions. She seems like a real person. There are a few scenes that seem flat, and a few where the characters' motivations aren't all that clear, but for the most part, it's a beautifully written, character-driven story. This is one of those rare books that is equally appealing to adults and kids, if they can get past the setting. I would definitely recommend it for teenagers. There is surprisingly little violence, except for a rape scene that, while not all that graphic, makes it clear that the girl has been raped.

I'm not sure why this is classified as a "lesbian novel". There's not much romance of any kind, either same-sex or opposite-sex, although you get the sense that the friendship between Lucille and Annie might have turned into romance eventually. Oh yeah, one more thing I had to say. The descriptions of farming (complete with the bones in the yard!) and Annie's memories of her father were absolutely dead-on. The flashbacks were one thing about this book that really got to me; they matched my own memories of growing up on a small farm in Pennsylvania. Annie's father reminded me of my own, especially the part about him killing animals. Great book. I'm gonna go look for more by Ms. Armstrong now.

This book explains the Erlang language and distributed programming system, which is now an open source system. It has the benefit of simplicity plus expressiveness. A good antidote to the current Java rage. The book is informal, which makes it a good tutorial, but I wish it also had a more formal supplement.

In general, this book was well worth the money paid. It's reasonably comprehensive and written for people who actually plan on writing Erlang programs. Furthermore, it even uses understandable real-life examples.

With no time to cook for friends or you have forgotten all your own creative ideas.This is a great jump start for newly married or it is about time we had people over instead of going out all the time. It gives great pantry stocking lists, times for prep, cooking etc are listed so you can pick what you have time to cook. Also it has GREAT directions to make food ahead of time so you can be at your own dinner party instead of being locked in the kitchen. I think this book might be all the tips and things I could have learned from my mom would have lived in the same town. Great wedding gift.

My favorite cookbooks, and this is one of them, are all marked by a certain similarity. The similarity is that the recipes they contain have been meticulously tested. This is the primary strength of "Cooking for My Friends". Every recipe you try will invariably yeild a great dish. It also has a wide variety of tastes and recipes to choose from. It is one of those rare cookbooks which allows you to choose any recipe between the covers and come up with something spectacular. You'll want to tell your friends that some of the recipes are your own.

Though Create A Culture has been designed for the classroom, writers of fantasy and science fiction will find it a helpful tool in bringing to mind important questions about the culture in which their story takes place. The questions are well-selected and open-ended allowing a writer full creative reign.

I used this in a grade 6 classroom. At first I didn't think they got much out of it but when we went on to other lessons, I noticed an amazing improvement in how quickly these students grasped the new cultures we studied as compared with students from previous years.

_The Dreams of Mairhe Mehan_ is a haunting and lyrical book about Mairhe Mehan, a young Irish girl living in the slums of Washington DC during the Civil War. Mairhe's family has been separated; her brother is off to fight for the Union, and her father pines for his native Ireland as his mental capacity deteriorates. The story is told through Mairhe's dreams, a poetic mix of Irish lore and the stark(but somehow dreamy) reality of the war.

The Dreams of Mairhe Mehan, is a haunting and gripping tale of a young irish girl trying to face realliy after the civil war.

Mairhe Mehan has recently come from Ireland with her brother, and father when the war comes her brothe goes off to fight, leaving mairhe and her father to themselves, when mairhe's father loses his mind, she tries despretly to get her brother back. the army will let him be released for a large price. stuck with the delema of how to earn so much money, Mairhe dicideds to knit lace. But as always things don't come out as the should, and Mairhe has to find somthing to do with her father, and herself. Jennifer Armstrong's play on words and dramatic style make The dreams of Mairhe Mehan a chilling glimps in to this young girl's troubled life.

Not to put the previous reviewer down, but which culture hasn't studied the constelations ("fixed stars") & plenets ("wandering stars") for centuries?

This is a great book. The wording is very practical and down to earth. The subject matter in most of these chapters is formidable (given the limited space), and allows dialog between the reader & writer. What I enjoyed the most was not the diversity that was braught to the book, but the depth of knowledge that was braught to it. The chapter written about Chinese "Five-Element" Astroloy was my favorite. For more info about "this stuff"; I recomend anything written by DEREK WALTERS.

Now if you'll me let complane (which is what most of the critiques on Amazon.com do), I'll share with you what I don't like about most practicing astrologers. Most people (including Fagan) try to dispute the validity of using one Zodiac over another (sidereal vs. tropical). But the fact is that some Zodiacs don't even use the ecliptic! Incuding Chinese astrology. Or the Nakshatras, which most western astrologers "throw in"! And this is my point, that these Zodiacs are a cration. Our creation! And that's what makes astrology valid! Remember Arroyo. Don't forget Arroyo. He said, "If astrology is in fact an emination of universal mind or 'Collective Unconscious' or anything like that, then instead of imposing foreign dogma on astrology, I would say, let us open our eyes to what astrology already is! Let's acknowledge its inherent, extremely sophisticated, psychological [soulful] dimentions. It's all there. It's a tremendous tool, a language of consciousness and inner experience... This is one reason why traditional astrology has become quite meaningless to many of us; the astrology has not for the most part evolved to keep pace with our growth [in] consciousness. And it's why every culture has it's own astrology-the consciousness of that culture determines what level of understanding they can have of astrology."

I really need to emphisise this feeling I have about these truths! It seems as though all we need to do is look up and astrology becomes valid, alive because we are!

For another "good read" try The Origin of The Zodiac by Rupert Gleadow.

This is a book about astrology from China, India and Tibet. I do not know of any other book in which there are so many different astrological techniques from the East. Everything is clearly explained. In this book, you will find the wisdom of the sages of the East who have spotted the stars and planets for centuries. Now you can learn about their insights.

This audio tape is an exploration of monotheistic religions, written and read by Karen Armstrong, the author of numerous scholarly and well-received books on monotheism ("A History of God", "The Battle for God", "Islam: A Short History"). Unlike Armstrong's previous works, "The Future of God" does not focus exclusively on the historical development of monotheistic religions, but it also contains intriguing speculation as to what may lay ahead, extrapolating from their rich past. I can think of no better qualified person to engage in such speculation than Karen Armstrong; to have any credibility in predicting the future, one must have a clear grasp of the past.

As always, Armstrong counterbalances the ethnocentric Western view of religion with contrasting views from Islam, Judaism, and even Buddhism. She reminds her Western listeners that idea of a god who is objective and exists outside ourselves is somewhat peculiar to the West, and is even "eccentric" when compared to Judaism, Islam, and Greek and Russian orthodoxy.

An important theme that runs throughout the tape is that of change; while most adherents of a religion view their creed as essentially fixed, having been revealed in effectively its final and current form, Armstrong continually reminds us that this is a complete fiction. Each of the major religions has undergone enormous transformations over time, and are indeed still in the process of change. For example, Armstrong points out that many of the early prophets were actually polytheists; while they chose to worship a single god, they fully acknowledged the existence of others. Also, the notion of a personal god, with human traits, is a relatively late addition.

Armstrong argues that the idea of a personal god has been useful in the early stages of a religion, but that it ultimately proves to be problematic and limiting; that it must eventually be abandoned for more abstract and mystical notions. This leads to Armstrong's most unexpected--even startling--proposal; that modern atheism is potentially a prelude to a new religious outlook with an even deeper appreciation for god. She likens atheism to a sorbet that cleanses the palette in preparation for more delicious things to come. Armstrong notes that "If we look back at history, we'll see that when people were called atheists this usually marked a religious transition, one of those quantum leaps to an entirely new era of religiosity and spirituality. Thus, in the early stages of their history, Jews, Christians, and Muslims were all called atheists by their pagan contemporaries, not because they didn't believe in god (obviously they did), but because they denied current conceptions of the sacred that were dear to the pagan world."

As the initiators of all religious movements, throughout history, were castigated as atheists, might we not reason that the atheists of today are in fact at the vanguard of a new epoch of religious views? A fascinating idea, to be sure. Indeed, on might view Secular Humanism as such a movement, although Armstrong does not make that connection explicitly.

Perhaps my only complaint about the tape is that it lacks the traditional references that allow a reader to explore the background material to a greater depth. Admittedly, this is rather hard to do on an audio tape, yet there were times when a brief pointer to the relevant literature would have been extremely helpful. As one example, Armstrong states categorically that the book of Genesis is a myth, and that it was quite deliberately written as such. As this is a topic of heated debate (at least in the US), it would have been appropriate for Armstrong to mention the evidence or body of work that, in her view, establishes this fact.

I found Armstrong's ideas to be quite thought provoking, so I feel the tape is well worth the cost. I believe that anyone who has read and enjoyed Armstrong's books would also enjoy this tape (even though it contains but a small fraction of what is contained in her larger volumes). I recommend it.

A good one, if you like the clear definition style of Karen Armstrong. This book looks at faith and believes system outside of the common day practices of the different religions. I enjoyed it.