A thrilling book. I couldn't put it down. The author writes in a way that makes it seem like a movie. I could picture each scene & event as if I was watching it in person. I had trouble putting the book down to go to work. All I wanted to do was to see what would happen next. Everyone interested in excitment & a visual treat should read this book.

If you want a thriller you won't be able to put down, then pick up a copy of Marshall Frank's "Dire Straits." From beginning to end Frank takes you on a ride of thrills and adventure while intertwining a harrowing week for the three main characters. Not only does the author know how to tell a great story, but his characters come to life in the pages. I have to agree with Edna Buchanan--"'Dire Straits' takes your breath away."

the book is almost of the same caliber Rommel was. Do not waste your time.Entertaining, exciting, it flows so fast. Buy this book now and have an wonderful time!

Charles Marshall has done an excellent job in preparing a literary work that is, in my studied opinion, a complete overview of Rommel...as a man and military genius. Marshall's detailed account of Rommel's life is reinforced by information received during interviews with Rommel's widow as well as the letters Rommel sent her during the African campaigns. Further, Marshall, as a former Army Intelligence Officer during WWII, relies heavily on his own detailed diary enteries of interviews with German/Nazi officals in captivity prior to the end of the war. Marshall's work details Rommel's life from pre WWI through his untimely death, forced by Adolf Hitler, before the end of WWII. If there is only one true account of Rommel's life, "Discovering the Rommel Murder" is it.

I guess I'm kind of qualified to write this review because Herb's a friend of mine. He's a professor of African Studies now at Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, and a world-renowed expert on mercenaries. Most of his students don't know he ever went through what he went through, but even without it, he's still one of the most popular, most beloved professors at Georgetown. This book just proves what a good man he really is. Highly recommended.

I read this in 1981 and return for few line review, 16 years later. Why? Because I still strongly recall the great encouragement it provided to me during that time. Afflicted with cancer, Mr. Howe, a man in his 20's, fights back w/the 90's moniker of a in-your-face tenacity. From his title, very heavy excercise, and a killer positive attitude to get IT before it gets him carries this work that would inspire many, if not all, present day motivational speakers. More than a biography, its strength is in the achieving what one once thought of as impossible.

Over 10 years ago this book changed my life. It helped me to ferret out several food allergies that were not easy to find through traditional approaches. The book explains how we can develope allergies to many common foods, and that these allergies can produce symptoms that mock various diseases and maladies, both physical and mental. Additionally, the book gives detailed options as to how to test for food allergies, and how to structure your diet to avoid the offending foods. I occasionally refer to it even years later. Recommended related title:

Dr. Mandell's Allergy-Free Cookbook, Fran Gare Mandell, M.S.; Pocket Books, New York,1981

This book shows how hidden food allergies and chemical sensitivities can cause such behavior as: rage, fear, lack of concentration, hyper-activity etc. and physical reactions, too numerous to mention. If the reader wants to try the diet it needs to be attempted with the appropriate professional person.

Nineteen compelling, "nearly true" tales set in southern Africa during the late 1970s and 1980s comprise a debut work for this promising writer. The book, essentially a memoir dealing with Howard's coming-of-age experiences in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe during and after its war for independence, is a labor of love -- love for the land and its inhabitants: black, white, colonial and indigenous. As an American youth studying veterinary medicine in South Africa, Howard, afflicted with wanderlust, chanced to hitchhike north to Rhodesia on school holiday, whereupon his life was forever transformed. Upon marrying a Rhodesian girl and beginning a veterinary practice in the quaint colonial town of Marondellas, his soul became an irreversible part of the hard, red African clay. Now practising in New Zealand, Howard has experienced that teawakening of midlife, when many of us feel an urge to do an accounting of our lives. Howard is eminently successful in this accounting, and has shared his impressions and experiences in a way that makes this reader, a resident of Zimbabwe in the 1980s, want to see more. His stories, some comedic, others tragic, will evoke fond memories and nostalgia in all who once called southern Africa home.

Talk to most people about southern Africa and they will recount images of political unrest and violence. "Drive-By-Duck and other stories" offers the reader a different viewpoint. Human emotions and experiences of everyday life are interwoven in stories that reflect the depth of these nomatter where in the world you live. The only difference is the backdrop of the majesty that is southern Africa. For the reader brought up in southern Africa, the book will evoke many special memories. For the reader who has a curiosity for this part of the world, it will fuel your urge to visit one day. And for anyone who just wants a 'darn' good read, you WON'T be disappointed. If you only buy one book this year, let it be "Drive-By-Duck and other stories"

This is one of the most interesting books I've ever read. Stanton was a 19th century women's rights activist who had a complex, rationalist personal theology that changed and evolved thoughout her lifetime. This book reveals this theology, her weaknesses, and her. Recomendo este livro altamente!!!!!!

Reading the book not only helped me to understand the political and legal environment for women during Ms. Stanton's life, but also helped me to understand Ms. Stanton as a person and her inner drive for equality. Her narrative provides us with stories to illustrate her passion for justice and her perservance in working toward the woman's vote. We get a picture of the territories and the states during those early times as she stuggles to get to places by means that would seem alien to us now.

Ms. Stanton demonstrates that her partnership with Susan B. Anthony was inevitable as their strengths complimented each other to help them fulfill their work toward equality. Although neither women lived to see the amendment pass, there are no signs of regret for all the years of dedication. We know she knows it will happen. Through her reality, we share the frustrations, the angers, the joys, and the triumphs.

I liked knowing Ms. Stanton had written the book and feel I got to know her courage, wit, and character by reading it. I highly recommend the book.

I was greatly inspired by Aaron Pryor and his story. This book is action packed from cover to cover. If you want to read an exciting book that is a real-life account of a man going from the mountain top to the valley and back, this is the book for you. This is a must read for men and woman of all ages who want to gain perspective of what it's like to work your way to become a champion and then lose it all. Not only does the book keep you on the edge of your seat, but you'll learn about the importance of having the right people by your side and the consequenses of the decisions you make.

Tragedies and the inner power to overcome them are found in the real life story of Aaron is surreal but painfully accurate... The voice of Aaron comes from the book like he were sitting beside you and telling you his life story. His natural humor and "the truth that is stranger than fiction" style hold you to the book. Boxing is the thread in Aaron's book--humanity and friendship are the fabric. Read it for life!

When I first saw the book, I was disappointed by its small size, but after reading it, I was surprised only by how powerful its contents were. Marshall explains the ABCD's (Anarchy, Bullying, Conformity, and Democracy) of fostering social responsibility in the classroom. This is a how to book for implementing and teaching your students to accept responsibility for their own actions. I found this small package to be worth its weight in gold.

I also purchased Marilyn Gootman's The Caring Teacher's Guide to Discipline, which in over 200 pages did not provide as much useable information as Marshall did in 41.

This book left me excited about trying something new!

In these days of school violence, the book offered me concrete tips and strategies to use with students the very next day. By asking the students to take ownership for their own behavior, both good and bad, they felt empowered to be more successful in both in and out of the classroom. The book flows easily and I read it in one seating. I read it the second time with a highlighter marking specific strategies to use with the students. I would highly recommend it both pre-service and in-service teachers.

The book's thesis is that four basic elements of management (Select, Direct, Evaluate, and Reward) form the "framework of all people and performance management." Throughout his book, Marshall provides what he calls "incremental lessons in understanding and applying these basic elements." At one point, he suggests that his book is directed primarily to entry-level and mid-level managers.

Perhaps. But in fact, The Four Elements of Successful Management can be of substantial value to anyone who has management responsibilities (regardless of level) or who reports to those who do. Many CEOs and COOs need reminders of what they presumably have already learned but perhaps forgotten or neglected. Moreover, entry-level and mid-level managers are provided with a comprehensive frame of reference within which to understand the interdependence of the four elements. After reading Marshall's book, they will have greater respect for the complicated challenges which their own supervisors must face each day. And perhaps be better prepared to face those and/or other challenges in years to come.

It is Marshall's assertion that "the reason managers spend so much time directing is that they do a poor job on selection." Direction should begin "with a strategic plan or business plan that outlines the principal products and services a business wants to produce for a specified market over a specified period of time."

Throughout The Four Elements of Successful Management, Marshall shares a wealth of information and counsel. To at least some executives, perhaps, his ideas may seem obvious...if not simplistic. Be that as it may, he raises all the right questions and then provides answers which are sensible, practical, and cohesive.

Don R. Marshall is president of the Marshall Group; a consulting firm that helps companies improve their quality and productivity with more than thirty years' experience in operations, HR management and performance planning. This light and enjoyable read presents how-to advice and timesaving tools for fine-tuning anyone's management skills. With an easily absorbed style, sans the usual drone of statistics or graphs, he explodes each of the title elements into distinct and definable lessons on modern reality management. I couldn't put it down. If that seems too early for such a biased endorsement, forgive my enthusiasm. Normally, a book-reviewer would parade their knowledge base against the author in a subtle battle of opinion. Not this time. The first element, "Select", is particularly useful for HR personnel or management within any size organization. Marshall correctly relates that hiring and retaining top performing people is crucial to business success, therefore the level of strategic planning to address that objective is a measure of business potential. He guides the reader in the selection process with a range of practices beginning with expected axioms such as "defining the job before trying to find a candidate" through more elaborate and sadly, less frequently utilized managerial activities like "conducting a job audit." An interesting side benefit of performing a comprehensive job audit is that information gathered during the audit might suggest a better way of accomplishing the job, or, possibly eliminating it entirely. The next two chapters on selection explore deeper dimensions of screening, interviewing and selection of candidates. The second element for successful management presented is "Direct." It is here that Marshall introduces training, both of management and non-management and, the importance of it being a continuous process. He briefly slips into PC speech by attempting to rename training "Strategic Plan Implementation Program", unnecessary and condescending. Just call it training, why cloud the issue. Direction distills the fundamental responsibilities of management as... * Direct employees toward objectives. * Oversee the work effort and address immediate problems. * Report information on the progress of the work to their superiors.

Evaluation is the next element covered and enlists sample forms and outlines for objective evaluation of managers and non-managers. Meetings are included and condensed into three rules for productive evaluation. 1) Don't say anything if there is nothing more to say. 2) Don't say it here if it should have been said somewhere else 3) If there wasn't anywhere else to say it, say it here. Don't leave it unsaid. In other words, deal with performance deficiencies as they surface, not at a performance review meeting. The closing chapters are a examination of rewards, their various types and purposes. He makes clear the distinction between reward and compensation. Compensation, of course, is what people receive for putting in their time, i.e., money. A reward is whatever someone has coming as a result of their performance. Interestingly, he expands the connotation of reward to include something negative like a demotion, a transfer, or termination. He continues the section with subcategorical headings of non-pay rewards, variable rewards, withholding rewards and others. Another break with the norm comes in his insistence that rewards are presented according to results, not simply the effort. The elements again are 1)Selection of employees who have the necessary attitudes, skills and energy to perform the specific job required. 2)Direction of employees through clear, concise and frequent outlining of required activities 3)Evaluation of employees against schedules events and dates that ensure accomplishment of the key objectives 4)Reward of employees that is appropriate to the level of accomplishment, not the effort

Marshall through this book has provided an excellent framework and reference for managers struggling to translate and transfer objectives to subordinates.

Could Friedrich Nietzsche actually have a hero? For those familiar with his works, the answer to this question would not be an easy one, for the reason that Nietzsche's writings are so honest as to be almost obscure. It is not common in literature or philosophy to find an author so willingly an exhibitionist. It is as though Nietzsche were himself trying to figure out who he was in his writings, and he never hesitates to reveal his thoughts. But maybe exhibitionist is not the right term to describe Nietzsche, as such a characterization would imply that he needed another's look to justify himself. But it seems as though Nietzsche was not writing for another, but for himself, feeling perhaps that his self-analysis was best done on paper.

The author addresses this book to the readers of Nietzsche's works who are "victims" and have swallowed the bait, and consequently "carried along by the flights of his thought". She makes sure immediately to caution the reader that the expression "heroic individualism" is not found in any of Nietzsche's writings. But the equation "individual = hero" holds throughout his works. The author does a fine job of extracting this mathematics of individuation from the the writings of Nietzsche. One finishing the book, one carries away a deeper appreciation of the playful seriousness of Nietzsche's philosophy and his admonition to do philosophy while always looking in the mirror, and seeing one's own reflection, not someone else's.

Nietzsche was always celebrating, according to the author, the death of gods, and his project was to inspire a passion for greatness in a world without gods. But idols are to be smashed, and the grandeur of man is not to be found in a divine origin. It is making use of the dynamism of the flux, and the achieving of fame, and not its achievement, that is true heroism. The hero is a "dragon-slayer" who must achieve in life the highest value, and it (life) is never to be squandered. Caution though must be ever present, lest one use heroism not as a stimulus to self-development but as a means of avoiding it. "Sentimental dirge" and Wagnerian romanticism must be rejected.

The great man does not seek the admiration of the many, as the author again characterizes Nietzschean heroism: "go silently through the world and out of the world". The temptation for recognition must be avoided; one must not succoumb to the illusion of fame. The golden calf is not to replace the true self as the object of worship. Glory is always self-administered.

So how rare or common today is the hero of the Nietzschean type? Well, quite common...thousands...maybe hundreds of thousands. They are to be found in dance, in science, in literature, on the battlefield, behind the counter, sitting in the classroom and also standing in front of it, in the laboratory....indeed everywhere....the 21st century has no paucity of heroism.

This short book from Princeton University Press (only about 200 pages) is popular scholarship at its best. Thiele cuts through the many difficulties of Nietzsche's work to present, in prose accessible to any bright undergraduate, the essence of Nietzsche's project: the creation of a self that gives a noble and passionate answer to the question what it means to be fully conscious, fully human, fully engaged in creating one's values and one's life. I've been reading Nietzsche for some ten years now, and had lately begun writing about what makes him so fascinating--when Thiele's book made my own effort unnecessary. If you want to know (1) why Nietzsche looms large in the modern mind and (2) whether you want to read him yourself, this is the place to start