I bought this book based on another customer review. About the only pictures are on the front cover. This book is NOTHING more than various knive ads and catalogs from long past. There is no related history or collector insights. Indeed there is very little original writing in this book at all. Major modern manufacturers are not covered (Buck for instance) and like I said, there is very little additional information other than the catalog reprints. Knife values are kind of strange. My recent sales are as much as 4 times what is listed. Most are 2-3 times what is listed. I have noticed that other knife books are a little low also. There is no real help with identification in this book either. The only thing I liked about this book was the cover.

Ron Stewart and Roy Ritchie's Big Book Of Pocket Knives provides an excellent reference for any who would collect pocket knives, with close-up black and white photos of the knives accompanied by written descriptions and values. A "must' for avid collectors.

If you are into systems thinking, you probably already know most of the material in this book. It has two good case studies of strategy planning using system tools. The concepts are great, but this is a poorly written book. You would think it was written in German and then poorly translated into English. It consistently uses unfamiliar acronyms, making it read like alphabet soup.

People working with large complex systems can often become lost in the large number of variables in their working environment. It is easy to be swayed by the ones that happen to be most appealing personally or most visible, rather than by the ones that present the highest leverage point based upon a good analysis connecting goals, resources, structures, actions and people. For someone like me working to develop global systems that aspire for fundamental societal change, this is a continual danger. The methodologies presented in Managing from Clarity are powerful tools to avoid this danger and ensure that actions are tied to points of high strategic leverage.
- Steve Waddell - PhD, MBA
Director - The Collaboration Works

This book was a major disapointment and waste of time. Instead of providing interesting insights and data on young adults (25-35), the author instead decides to talk about her own generation, the Baby Boomers. As a child of Baby Boomers, I'm quite aware of the impact their perceptions had on me; however, this book focuses too heavily on the my parent's generation and how they influenced my generation. In my opinion, the author has fallen into a problem many Boomers have - a tendency for self-absorption and selfishness. When she does get to talking about the subject we are all interested in, the talk becomes a familiar litany of divorce rate statistics, overexposure to television and my generation's supposed cynical outlook on life. Skip the book and use the money to buy a meal for your favorite "Generation X'er" so that you can ask them the questions you're looking for. The results will be more accurate than anything in this book.

As a marketer, I was hoping to actually get some data and marketing insights out of this book. Very little of that was found, however, the book was geared towards explaining the psychology of Gen Xers and that actually made for more interesting reading...

The book is quite good as far as it goes. The writing is good. One wonders at the author's choice of shipwrecks as some wrecks with considerable loss of life are not included.. It would seem that too extensive a listing is given to some obscure wrecks. Also, a number of entries are not on shipwrecks but associated items and places, perhaps too many such entries.

Also, in my opinion, a number of articles were too short, and a number of shipwrecks that should have been included were omitted.

Too Short: Third World wrecks that are included, Estonia, Exxon Valdez, Flying Enterprise, Wilhelm Gustloff (shipwreck with the most victims), Lakonia, Mikhail Lermentov, Morro Castle, Noronic, Oregon, USS Pollux, Princess Sophia, Princess Alice, Principe de Asturias, Principessa Malfala, Queen Elizabeth, USS Squalus, Sultana, HMS Thetis(sub), USS Truxton, HMS Vanguard , HMS Victoria.

Left Out: Athenia, Baychimo, USS Cairo, Derbyshire, HMS Edinburgh, Farallon, Grosvenor, HMS Hood, CSS Hunley, I-52, Iron Mountain, Joyita, Laconia, Lancastria, Achille Lauro, Mary Rose (Tudor), Melbourne, USS Memphis, HMS Natal, Oceanus, Ohio, Pacific (Collins Line), Princess Victoria, Prisendam, HMS Royal Oak, Royal Charter, Veendam, Volturno, Yankee Blade, and probably any number of wrecks occuring in Third World countries.

This book is written by a popular science journalist. It's a fact-filled reference of shipwrecks, mainly from the last few centuries. Here you can read the stories of the Wilhelm Gustloff, Titanic, Central America, and others.

The cover is global but the focus is on American wrecks and wrecks from the last two centuries. The book does not cover warships sunk in battle. Hundreds of ships are listed alphabetically and described. There is also a chronology and a keyword index. All this makes the book a useful reference.

The illustrations are few, consisting of simple drawings and black and white photos. More illustrations and a few colour photos would have made the book better.

A few comments:

- On keyword sheathing, the book gives the impression that lead sheathing of Spanish ship hulls ceased in 1567. That is not true. In 1999 I was diving on the remains of San Pedro de Alcantara. It was Spanish, lead sheathed and built on Cuba in 1770.

- On keyword Grand Congloue, the ancient wreck site is described as one wreck. But today's archaeologists agree that it's actually two wrecks on top of each other. The author refers to a book from 1971, which may explain why the text is out of date.

- On keyword Magna Carta, there is no mention that this famous document is from the 13th century AD. That is a pity. Readers who don't know about Magna Carta might get the impression that it's a modern text.

Despite these complaints, the general impression is good. The author has assembled an impressive amount of information in an easy light style. The book is a straightforward and useful reference for both professionals as well as for school kids. It is useful for readers anywhere, but considering the lack of ancient and European wrecks, the book may be best suited for American readers.

David Ritchie has produced a good basic reference work on shipwrecks throughout the world.

It is a bit uneven in concentrating on New England, the Outer Banks, the Great Lakes, the Columbia River bar and the Caribbean. Other areas of the world, by comparison, receive relatively short shrift.

I was particularly puzzled why Ritchie left out some shipwrecks that were very well-documented and dramatic. The one that immediately comes to mind is the burning of the immigrant steamer Volturno in the mid-Atlantic in 1913. Hundreds of the ship's passengers were rescued thanks to the bravery of the ship's captain and crew and those of the rescue ships that steamed to the scene.

I also would highly recommend that in subsequent editions, Ritchie consider a detailed entry on the Derbyshire, a mammoth freighter that disappeared during a typhoon in the South China Sea in the 1980s. The recent discovery of the ship in water nearly two and a half miles deep helped solve a mystery, bring closure to a horrible loss for the crew's families and offered engineering lessons that may well save the lives of hundreds of seamen in the years ahead.

If you want good narrative (and aren't too finicky about accuracy of detail), try to obtain a copy of Jay Robert Nash's book on disasters. (Hint to a publisher: This one urgently needs to be dusted off, updated and republished, as do Dwight Boyer's works) Until that happens, Ritchie's book will do yeoman service in your reference collection.

First of all the content is, well, okay. But don't expect this to be what you expect a book to . It is really really thin-- only 63 pages long. Most magazines are thicker. When I opened the box, I thought it was empty. The book was so thin I didn't notice it was under the invoice ! Fair enough;one might argue that you can say a lot in 63 pages. But wait a minute! That's not all. Clearly half of the pages have huge blank spaces...for you to fill the blanks with your exercises, you see.It is,after all, a workbook. Then there are completely empty pages in between chapters that are counted within the 63 pages. But what makes this so unforgiveable is that most the pages that are full have huge margins to the sides, top, and bottom. Some people might find the content good, but you can get a lot more for your money elsewhere in my opinion.

This video-and-workbook set are a great introduction to the world of foundation grant proposal development. Like any tool, it's important to know how it should be used. This set will be used best in training situations where a facilitator will be available to assist with interpreting the workbook materials and "fleshing out" some of the concepts. But that's not a requirement; anyone interested in the subject can learn a lot from this introductory material.

I'm a little surprised that the authors/publishers chose to stick with the term "grantwriter:" many foundation staffs believe that THEY are the "grant writers" and that those seeking funding are preparing applications for grant funding. However, the market holds to the term "grantwriter" for proposal applicants, and it is less cumbersome than anything else I've heard to describe those who prepare grant proposals and applications.

Watch the video first, and then tackle the workbook. [In fact, the video makes absolutely no reference to the workbook.] The video's 25 minutes are well-produced and feature foundation grants experts. The videocassette I viewed seemed to have some minor audio problems, but that may have been my equipment rather than the video itself, and in any case, it didn't affect my understanding of the material.

The video presents the twelve elements of a successful foundation grant proposal, from the cover letter through the proposal narrative to the budget and appendices. It also provides some basic tips for writing successful proposals: researching foundations; calling foundations for help; making your grant application easy to read and to navigate; writing in a clear, concise style that accurately presents a compelling case for funding, etc.

People preparing government grant applications show be wary of some of the specific advice in the video (like that to avoid double-spacing in foundation proposals), and I would have liked to see the video emphasize the overriding importance of preparing an application using the funding source's preferred format rather than a single "best practice" format, regardless of how professional it appears. It would also have been nice to see some mention of the workbook in the video, if only to reassure the viewer that they don't have to take copious notes while watching.

The 64-page large format workbook takes the writer through the organizational and "thinking" steps necessary to prepare a good grant application. There are seven exercises to help develop a clear mission and objectives, determine evaluation steps, pencil out a budget, etc. The next section of the workbook shows examples of each of the twelve components of a grant application on the right-side pages. The left-facing pages contain descriptions of each section and tips for writers, similar to the material covered in the video. The workbook's final section provides tips on strategy and structure, and discusses why not all applications are successful, again closely following the content at the end of the video.

The Grantwriter's Start-Up Kit will give novices a good introduction to the subject and some basic tools, and is a great "off the shelf" tool for facilitators and instructors seeking to expose others to the world of grantsmanship.

While I normally don't expect to absorbed by a page-turning plot when I pick up a children's book, many times I do find myself interested in a story, admiring the writer's creative thought process, or at least admiring the attractive artwork. In this story, I was left more with a "so-what" impression. In drawings that range from "sufficiently cute" to "could have been better" the tale shows dinnosaurs engaging in typical childhood fun from finger-painting to snowball fights. There is nothing especially clever or captivating about it. Still there, is nothing offensive or obnoxious about the content; I just can't help wondering if the author couldn't have made it a little more imaginative. Obviously, the intended audience will have considerably less sophisticated tastes than I do. I am sure most little children will enjoy this story, but few will call it their favorite book.

As a video instructor for high school and adult students, I liked this book because it explains to students the type of work that they may initially have in the news and entertainment television industry. At the same time, the "real world" stories show how successful one can become with hard work and determination.

J.K.G. Jantarro was falsely imprisoned for fraud and lost his left arm through injuries from guards. Finally vindicated and released, he sued and received LOTS of money from the state. His top-of-the-line prosthesis figures in the story. Hired by movie maker Alan Laki to find out why his wife is spend thousands of dollars, Jantarro ends up investigating Laki's death (the work for a dead man). One creepy little character has a collection "under glass" of live giant lizards -- Komodo, Monitors, etc.

The magic generated by revolutions of Rainbow and the aurora of TMIB is either very bland or this "book" misses capitalizing on it. Rainbow is a rock and roll band created by Ritchie Blackmore, who is temperamental bad boy, music perfectionist, and brilliant guitar virtuoso with a very eccentric lifestyle. As a fan, I was let down by this "book" with its quick cut-n-paste job.

If you are longtime Blackmore fan, then there are no surprises uncovered in this book for you. If you are an aspiring Blackmore fan, websites and USENET newsgroups provide the same information in this book for free.

This book lacks charm, enthusiasm, excitement, insight, and shock. The clinical writing approach scurries the reader through Ritchie's youth, Deep Purple, then into Rainbow's personnel revolving door by weaving historical events with a thread of dull quotes. I found this book akin to reading an article in the local paper about a popular person, who recently passed away. If you enjoy reading the absoluteness of that person's life milestones, then this book may be for you. This book provides an interesting twist to obit-style article format by providing a VH-1-esque "Where Are They Now?" chapter. (Too bad that can't be done for the daily obits!)

This bound pound of paper contains eight chapters of band member roundabout. However, the author seemingly, knowingly attempts to placate the reader with nearly 90 pages of appendices including discography, band equipment, tour info, tour dates, set lists, bootleg lists, website links and fan club info.

BOTTOMLINE:
If you want a page turner, this book is not it.

If you are looking for a Blackmore or Rainbow tell-all with shocking new uncovered details, this book is not it.

If you looking for continuance, quality and class of Chris Charlesworth's masterpiece, this book is not it.

If you are looking for a manual to your Rainbow CD and bootleg collection, this book is it.

I happen to disagree with that other review of this book. I found it to be very informative about the band Rainbow. Stories about how the band was formed, how songs came to be composed, why people came and left and other stories (like many "pranks" Blackmore would play on other band members, most notably Tony Carey). Most of the websites I went to that he mention often tell inaccurate information. If you like Rainbow BUY THE BOOK !!

Other than proposing to be a knife price guide, this book has no information about knives, other than a very cursory overview, for someone who knows absolutely nothing about knives. The book fails miserably in its attempt to be an informative price guide. The concockted mathematical formula for determining a knife's value is devoid of reality. In the case of certain brands, such as "Case" and "Cattaraugus", the values are so far below real world values that the book is almost entertaining as a jest. Someone who wants to learn about knives and gain a feel for their values would best be served by getting a copy of Levine's 4th Edition. I wish I had read my own review before I purchased this book.

The strong suit of this book is the section recounting the histories of dozens of knife manufacturers, as well as the six appendixes, which give detailed identification information and price guidance for Buck Creek, Case, Cattaraugus, Robeson, Remington, Taylor, and Winchester.

But the stuff that is missing is annoying, especially in a book that calls itself a "standard guide," and is in its third edition. There is neither a glossary nor an index. The title itself is misleading: this book deals only with pocket knives, and less than exhaustively at that. I was surprised not to see information on modern innovations like the Tanto blade and the Walker lock. Important makers such as Keen Kutter, Leatherman and SOG are not mentioned. Then again, the authors also fail to mention Damascus steel, switchblades, gravity knives and butterfly knives. There is a windy essay on the desirability of bone as a handle material, but no advice how to tell bone from ivory, Delrin or other imitation materials. A chapter about knife shields (or escutions) promises to tell why they are important, but fails. In one spot the authors go on at length about counterfeit knives, and in another they discuss reproductions, but they fail to make the obvious connection between the two, or explain the difference. Very little information appears about watch fob knives or "gentleman's" knives. The authors rank Marbles pocket knives as a "top priority" collectible, but there is almost no specific information about them.

More annoying are the little errors and typos throughout the book. When I found Bakelite identified as a type of hard rubber, I almost threw the book across the room. This is such an obvious mistake that it leaves me wondering what more subtle inaccuracies are in the book. Finally, nobody has edited the text for clarity or consistency, leaving the reader to plow through repetitious paragraphs, some of which actually say nothing.

I would not recommend against buying this book, but it is a disappointment. Unfortunately, it is all too typical of the quality of material that we find in books about collectibles, and not only from this publisher. Collectibles books are expensive, and apparently profitable since there are so many. The buying public deserves better, and should demand it.

This was one of two knife collector books I purchased as a beginning collector/seller. I was glad to see a WR Case & Son, Buck Creek, Cattaraugus, Robeson, Remington, and Winchester pricing guides. Also, good commerative price guide and knife history as well.