The first reviewer got it right on the excellent information at hand in this book. Chris Dawson gives you practically everything you need to know about Alberta's major rivers, including how precisely to get there, which flies work best, and where to find a good guide. I live abroad and rarely get home to Alberta, but I occasionally open this book to remind myself of some of the glorious streams I've fished and of some of the fine rivers I've yet to wade through. Though Dawson possesses a good narrative gift, I wonder sometimes at his occasional criticism of other fishermen. At one point in the book, Dawson questions the sanity of a guy who likes to photograph his favourite trout streams from an airplane. Maybe it is an odd avocation, but when you come to think of it, so is fly fishing itself: many of us spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on equipment, strain our eyes all winter long attaching fur and feathers to hooks, and manage to enter the water only a handful of times a season -- just to feel the primal tug on the line; when we're actually successful at landing our little fish, many of us forget the hunter/gatherer instinct and let the creature swim away! It is all rather peculiar stuff, and I have yet to adequately rationalize it to myself. In comparison to most fly-fishermen, myself included, Dawson's "Map Man" doesn't seem all that odd to me. The sections that rankle add up to no more than a few pages of the entire book. Unfortunately for Chris Dawson, I see that this book's amazon sales don't compare with Grisham's or Oprah's picks, but that's good news for me; I'll be fishing in Canada this summer, and I hope more people will be at home reading potboilers than driving the backroads of Alberta, Dawson's book on the passenger seat, looking for all the great places to hook a trout.

This book provide all the information you need to plan a trip to this part of Alberta/BC. Great information and advice!

Simply the best source of information on fly-fishing in Southern Alberta. This book takes the reader to each stream to learn it's charms and secrets.

If you are expecting a shapechanger story - forget this one. Although we learn the hero can change into wolf, he never does! All we have is the heroine upset that he can, but other then that it has nothing to do with the story. Totally wasted as a concept. Another problem is that there is almost no dialog in the book. Everything in this book is described and usually after the fact.There is no drama whatsoever. Even when the characters talk, most of it is just description as in "What's that?", "It's a ... This book is really inferior.

I started this book at 10 pm and couldn't let it out of my hands until 4.30 am. WOW! I loved Mrs. Dawson style. It is not like those cheesy books that are only good for being able to fall asleep or when you have a cold. This book transfers you into another world, another culture. If you like adventure, mysteries, archeologic explorers and the idea of hidden cultures (hmmm... and a wonderful love story) you will enjoy this book. I dreamed about the Black Mountains and started sketching in the morning - the first time since a year. Thank you Mrs. Dawson.

'Heart of the Wolf' has more elements of paranormal suspense than shapeshifting or sword-and-sorcery. This is not an 'action' type read. The mystery of the hero and his people is resolved at the end and satisfing overall, though the heroine's character could be stronger; several times I question her lack of motives, by I didn't write the book. :-) As the title suggests, after much soul-searching and decision-making the book does deliver Daken's secret in his heart and he is absolved of whatever demons he fights. More a mental and emotional challenge than physical conflict in the read, this book has substance which takes the dedicated reader through the proverbial mill trying to figure out the "why" of the situation. I loved Daken's village and their society (expanded in Ms. Dawson's 'Secrets of the Wolf'), and the idea of a shapeshifting main character. Hopefully Ms. Dawson will expand further in the future with a third book based on this world.

Ross Dawson's book, "Living Networks," provides an exceptionally lucid and visionary framework in which to chart a succesful company or individual course in the Knowledge Economy. Through concise bullet lists at key points throughout the book, the author provides a series of critical considerations and steps to develop a solid plan of action for the reader to embark on a voyage into the future of high-value commerce that, in a globalized world of business, will be characterized in significant measure by networks and relationships. The writing is quick and lively and the advice and insight imparted are invaluable.

Networks, networking and relationship building through networks have become a very popular theme for business writing, the thesis being that strategic networking is one of the critical keys to business success.

Ross Dawson's first book Developing Knowledge-Based Client Relationships, focused on relationships between knowledge working professionals and their clients. His new book has a much broader reach, being concerned with the development of network technologies and the implications for business strategy across the whole range of stakeholder and competitor relationships.

The author has demonstrated that the success of his first book was no mere flash in the pan. He writes excellent colloquial English, develops his argument clearly and logically and uses examples and illustrations well to clarify the main points in his argument (unlike the many authors who seem to use examples to overwhelm rather than enlighten). The subject itself is an important one and, although Dawson is not alone in tackling it, his book is the one I would choose as a guide to understanding and action for the practical business person. (For example, I find it more approachable than Verna Allee's The Future of Knowledge, which is written at a more conceptual level and is rather more difficult to read.) It is one of the few books I have read which is clearly informed by an implicitly (as well as explicitly) systemic view of the world.

Living Networks elucidates these systemic relationships and then proposes strategies to achieve successful competitive placement within the systems that the entity chooses to try to influence. Its prescriptions are also based on values that are made explicit in various parts of the book - for example the value on retaining and fostering diversity despite globalization and the importance of operating in ways that build trust.

The book is arranged in four parts: Evolving Networks; Evolving Organizations; Evolving Strategy; and Future Networks (the evolution of business). Each of the ten chapters in Parts 1 to 3 ends with a summary section connecting it to the argument in the rest of the book.

Part 1, Evolving Networks, is a short introductory section that starts by identifying five key issues that the author seeks to explore. These are the impact of networking technologies on:
* the nature of relationships between companies and those they deal with;
* ways of working and relating within organizations;
* innovation and intellectual property, with a particular emphasis given to the importance of open source models of innovation;
* strategy in an economy in which strategic positioning in relation to the flow of information and ideas is becoming critically important; and
* the need for styles of leadership that move beyond the box of traditional command and control and position their organizations effectively within networks, while developing their capacity to recognize, bring together and exploit intellectual property.

Part 1 provides the base for the main focus of the book in Parts 2 and 3. Part 2 describes the evolution of organizations in a systemic world governed by the rules of complexity, but from the particular perspective of networking, relationship building and innovation. The description is complementary to that in books like Moore: The Death of Competition, Hock: Birth of the Chaordic Age, or Youngblood: Life at the Edge of Chaos, all of which provide different insights on the same general phenomenon.
13 action steps are offered for building network presence. In order to keep the scope of the book within reasonable bounds, the important issues of privacy and of intellectual property are mentioned, but not discussed in any detail.

Part 3 turns to strategy. The thesis is that:
Devices, communications, and industries are all converging into one vast space for doing business. This is the flow economy, in which almost all value is based on the flow of information and ideas. Companies must continually reposition themselves in this flow economy, both to meet new competitive challenges ... and to take advantage of ... emerging opportunities.

The single chapter in Part 4 develops 10 propositions or forecasts:

* We will soon be immersed in connectivity [access will spread and bandwidth will become greater]
* Transparency will drive business and society [suggesting that privacy will vanish]
* Collaborative filtering will be the heart of the networks
* Information filtering will be an evolutionary battlefield [marketers trying to insert messages and technology and other means becoming available to exclude them]
* Open, accepted standards will predominate
* almost all value creation will stem from collaborative relationships
* Collaborative intellectual property models will flourish
* Highly virtualised organizations will be a dominant force
* The rapidly increasing pool of free agents will be polarized [the rich will get richer and the poor poorer]
* People and networks will merge [technologies for integrating the human and the machine are developing].

These are of course forecasts or bets on the future. The development of their implications makes interesting reading and provides a possible direction. Whether we want to, or do go that way is another question. As with the debate on globalization, what we can do, what we should do and what we will do are not necessarily the same and depend in large part on the underlying 'rules of the game', including the measures by which we judge success. What those are and should be is a debate that is taking place at the level of societal governance - a debate of immense importance to us all.

There's a lot of confusion out there about what technology means to business in the wake of the dotcom bust. Living Networks finally brings clarity to this field. It explains clearly where we are, and covers what managers have to do in organizations, strategy, innovation, and more. It really is exceptional to find a business book that is both very practical, and also such an entertaining read.

No point doing a synopsis. The book has a Website ... which has an overview and chapters to download. And a "blog", so you get the author's realtime commentary too. Bring on the day when all book's have this value-add!

Two (small) reservations. First, Dawson implies that everything he covers is happening now. Much of it is, but some stuff in the book (especially web services) will pan out over the next few years. Second (if you can call it a problem), the book is so broad in scope that it doesn't have the theory and richness of more specialist books. Want to know the latest on network theory and the social implications? Read Nexus by Buchanan or Barabasi's Linked. Want in-depth network strategy? Information Rules by Shapiro and Varian. Mathematical business analysis of networks? Buy Shy's Economics of Network Industries. The key issues in intellectual property? Lessig's The Future of Ideas. What the new dynamics are for individuals? Pink's Free Agent Nation is still a winner. Want the whole kit and kaboodle: what's happening in the economy today, and what to do about it? No question, Living Networks is the standout book. Hopefully it will get some good competition soon.

Bowling Strikes was off to a great start. It jumped right into the mechanics of bowling in good detail. Suddenly, after 30 or 40 pages, it just died. It almost looked like the author became bored and just wanted to throw another hundred pages on to make the book longer. A good portion was spent displaying almost every possible spare. First of all, with the title being Bolwing Strikes, was was there more space dedicated to picking up spares? I would have rather the author diagnosed precisely what caused the spare and options to correct your throw rather then spending a page on how to pick up the 6-9-10! Even stranger, the author assumes you're advanced enough that you throw a hook, yet spends several pages on ettiquette, how to score, and injuries. The first 20 or 30 pages have some helpful tips, but you're better off spending the money on practice. Best suited for someone who just bought a fingertip ball and wants to learn how to hook.

Ive been bowling for 2 years now and messed about with bowling straight then spinning the ball but my averages were always around 140. Ive had this book for 2 weeks and I now have a comfortable style and bowl 160 average (top score 210). The author tells you how to apply spin to the ball via the "squeeze"...excellent book and judy is very pretty! Nice one amazon

this book was great. It had all the info you need to know if you want to be a good bowler. all you beginners,this is a must read. It has lots of helpful tips and stratiges from todays top professionals, such as Ernie Mcrackin and Roy Munson. All of you beginners out there, I have three words for you; BUY THIS BOOK!

We don't need to see the Little Mermaid's nipples.
(I can never understand why the people who cry out that the nudity is "JUST art!" don't notice that it is never underdressed males, but little girls that we have to look at.)

Amazon.com rates this book for ages 4 - 8, but the text is difficult and violent, and the admittedly lovely art is appropriate for graphic novels in the _Sandman_ vein, not for kids.

Yes, it is a lovely story, yes, it was dark to begin with, and no it is not a children's book.

Good translation, pretty (aside from the gratuitousness) illustrations earn 2 stars.

Sulamith Wulfing's art is gorgeous! Unfortunately, most of the reviews I see here are NOT for her book! They are reviews of the version Rachel Isadora illustrated (see the "nipples" and violence comments); or even for Disney's Little Golden Book adapted from the cartoon. I don't understand why reviews for other versions are displayed here; it's very misleading! If you like Sulamith Wulfing's art, you'll probably like this book.

The Little Mermaid. Illustrated by Sulamith Wulfing; text by Hans Christian Andersen. Translated from the German by Petra Michel.

Sulamith Wulfing is a fantastic artist whose work has been sold as books of plates, calendars, and even decks of cards. This book is special because it is one of the few times that her works illustrate a story. Each page has black and white line drawings and there are ten full page color plates. The color plates are the type of work for which the artist is most known and the ten in this book have been reprinted in her calendars and other collected works. The color is vibrant and the themes of each are sublime. The cover illustration is also the last illustration in the text and shows the mermaid transformed into The Immortal Soul.

An epilog called "The Sacrifice" written by the artist's son, Otto Schulze, states that a new translation of Andersen's story was used and that "parts of the story have been summarized." While staying true to Andersen's original plot, incidents and characters have been left out and parts of the story have been changed. These changes raise the story above being a children's fairy tale and highlight its allegorical theme about the role of love in the quest for immortality. The modified text and the mystical art go together excellently to make this the best rendering of this story I have ever seen. Originally published in German in 1953, this work is as vibrant today as when it was first conceived 50 years ago.

At the end of the book is a brief one page biography of the author with an early photograph of her and a self portrait painted in 1953.

If you are looking for a book that will teach and train you in the concepts and mechanics of biostatistics, don't buy this one. The lay-out of the text is too cramped. The definitions and explanations are often poorly worded. The sections within a chapter seem to be presented in an anti-logical manner. If you really want to learn biostatistics, try Rosner's Fundamentals of Biostatistics. Check out this one from your college library (if you really want to look at it) but please don't spend your money on it.

A hard plus if your looking for pregrad. introductory clinical biostatistics. However I agree with other reviews that the layout or format could be arranged more powerfully, and the mechanics explained with more and better examples with a little more detail. Some of the examples in the book are excellent. I, especially, liked the Methods for Analyzing Survival. I disliked the explanations on statististical power as well as calculating sample populations necessary (n=?)to obtain clinical significance. This book is a good bone to start knawing on, however, the meat is found in other supplemental texts; therefore, reference footnotes are needed which- nowadays- should include, reference books, journals and webpages.

1. Huge breadth: covers topics of interest to clinicians and plenty of material (see below) for aspiring researchers. Algorithms and lay-out keeps the big picture easily in view. 2. Solved problems: methodical answers, clear, instructive. 3. Appropriate depth: is mathematically correct -- not oversimiplified at the cost of accuracy -- while introducing the key formulas and concepts. Much explanatory text makes the ideas clear rather than esoteric derivations. 4. Includes statistics software: menu-driven so "user friendly," has basic and advanced functions. 5. Practical approach: sample problems and exercises are modelled around cases rather than just theory. These cases have data-base directly on the accompanying software so readers may 'learn' and then 'do' immediately. 6. I learned a lot from this book :-)

Private Investigator, Jeri Howard is out to find the real cause of her present, but just past away client, Rob Lawter. She goes undercover, travels, worked double shifts to find the answer to how Mr. Lawter died and what was the cause of it? This book is packed with gradually piled on suspense that can't exactly keep me interested. There seems to be a lack of description of the characters and the settings. Or maybe I'm just slow. It does include accurate information when it comes to describing the cities mentioned in the story, San Francisco and Oakland. Could get a higher rating, it just doesn't have what I want in a mystery novel. I would highly recommend this to San Franciscans and Oakland-ERs.

THE PLOT Private Investigator Jeri Howard is back and she's lost a client. Rob Lawter comes to Jeri and retains her services, tells her he'll brief her later, but he takes a header out of his apartment window -- suicide, accident or murder? Jeri investigates and takes a job as a legal secretary (her previous employment) at the company where Rob worked as a paralegal. All she has is a determination to help her now-dead client and an anonymous threatening note he received warning him about "blowing the whistle". Lots of people enter, stage left, and most of them stick around for the duration making it hard for Jeri to pin them down.

Was it one of the lawyers? Was it the corporate bigwigs who took over the company in a hostile takeover and are they going to take the company apart piece-by-piece? Was it the plant managers conspiring to hide some terrible secret? Was it the brother-in-law who is trying to convince everyone that Rob committed suicide? And what do Rob's neighbours know about what happened that night?

WHAT I LIKED There are no super-human powers of deduction shown here by Jeri. She is a plodder -- one piece of the puzzle at a time, turning it around and around to see if it fits anywhere. And a lot of the time, she doesn't know what to do with the pieces and doesn't try to make them fit anywhere. The writing is up to Dawson's normal first-rate level and it is particularly interesting to see how Jeri goes about her non-investigating tasks around the office. The office, and the office politics, are made real by describing Jeri's experiences -- all of them, including the rules for working the photocopier. They set the tone for the workplace and most writers would have left them out. Dawson includes them, and the story is better for having them.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE Jeri can be a bit of a dunce at times. Several "clues" leap off the page at the reader, but Jeri misses them, or rather, completely misses the significance -- at the time. There are a couple like that, so quite often the reader knows where the story is going when Jeri doesn't, and it is only to the credit of Dawson's writing that you don't say "Hurry up and get there already."

Secondly, at the end, Dawson doesn't play fair -- there are two "clues" that turn everything around for Jeri, the final pieces of the puzzle, and she doesn't show them to the reader. "Foul!", I cry.

OVERALL RATING There is nothing overly exciting about the book, but it is a decent entertaining mystery, and the descriptions of the office raise it up a notch. The fouls at the end lower it a bit, so an overall 3.5 out of 5.0. Wouldn't want to buy it in hardcover, but it would be worth a paperback purchase.

There is a familiar ring to the Bates food manufacturing company. Could it be another LBO company deep in the heart of Oakland that Jeri Howard finds so familiar? An excellent book full of Bay Area flavor -- which is what draws me to Dawson's books. She's a wonderful, entertaining writer and you find yourself right beside her in the produce district sleuthing for clues.

Character development? An interesting plot? This book has neither. Frankly, I had trouble understanding what a publisher saw in it. While the premise/gimmick is great -- explore the men you've loved and where those relationships went wrong through the women who raised them -- but Dawson forgets her premise on nearly every page. Further, she forgets to tell us anything about the main character. We don't care about Lulu -- therefore we don't care about her men (and she gives us so little information about THEM it's hard to see why she keeps falling for these guys). Overall, Dawson's skimming over the details leaves one just plain annoyed. It was a chore to get to the end of this book, and the end is utterly unsatisfying.

I found most of this book to be engaging, and it was written from a unique perspective: Lulu Penfield has suddenly and unexpectedly become a mother-in-law, and she is not ready for this new role. She decides to write, in a journalistic form, about her experiences with the mothers of the boys and men whom she has loved. The journal is directed to her newly married son and provides the insight that one not only marries a man but the woman who raised him. I am not sure that I agree with this premise, but I accepted it since the entire book seems to be based on it.

Lulu has always tried to figure out how her various (and distinctly different) mothers-in-law have insinuated themselves so deeply into her life and had so much influence/impact on her. In her journal, she has time to explore these questions and to consider how to think about mothers-in-law..

I think Dawson has done a good job of character development. Each woman in this "gallery" is distinctive, real, and complex, which made it easy to picture them and how they "operated". The author used the structure of multiple marriages to explore the female-to-female connection.

A funny and bittersweet look at love, marriage, and mothers-in-law.

Lulu Penfield is shocked to discover that she is that (horror of horrors) a mother-in-law. Her son has eloped and it throws her for a loop. Or as she writes, "On top of everything else you've changed MY life condition. You have actually reached across two thousand continental miles and tampered with my life condition. Do you realize what this means? You've turned me into a mother-in-law!"

She then remembers each of HER mother-in-laws. Five completely different women each having an impact on her life. She learned from each of them but in the end, does it really help her when she meets her daughter-in-law for the first time?

Whether you're a mother-in-law, a daughter-in-law or someone in between, you'll enjoy the experience.