A Team Leader's Guide to Lean Kaizen Events

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First choice of available books on the subject

Facilitation Guide with Methods and Tools

A Team Leader's Guide to Lean Kaizen Events
William Wes Waldo , and Tom Jones
Manufacturer: Breakthrough Performance Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Kaizen Event Implementation Manual, 5th Edition

The Kaizen Pocket Handbook

The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed

Lean Thinking : Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation, Revised and Updated

Value Stream Management for the Lean Office

ASIN: 0976901013

Book Description

Product Description
Lean manufacturing isn't new, but many companies are still discovering how Lean principles can greatly improve both manufacturing and service processes. A Team Leaders Guide to Lean Kaizen Events helps organizations reduce process and product waste, and solve issues related to efficiency, workflow and resource balancing. Introducing a structured methodology called SCORE(TM), the book provides a blueprint and complete set of implementation aids for Lean projects that will prove invaluable for any organization.

A Team Leaders Guide to Lean Kaizen Events is written for facilitators who have already been trained in the principles and tools of Lean, and who want a step-by-step process for conducting Lean Kaizen Events. The book provides a detailed roadmap for running an event, explanations of commonly-used Lean tools and more than 30 must-have templates. The 85-page guide comes with a BONUS CD-ROM that includes all the templates, team charters and worksheets in Excel, plus 13 Lean workplace posters (24x36" or 8.5x11") that can be used to inspire and motivate project teams.

About the Authors
William Wes Waldo is a certified Lean Master with more than 12 years of quality, operations management and process improvement experience in diverse environments. Wes instructs students in the principles of Lean, as well as facilitating Lean Kaizen events at client sites. Wes received his Lean certification from Ohio State Fisher College of Business. He is also an ASQ certified quality engineer. Wes is also a contributor to The Complete Idiot's Guide to Lean Six Sigma (release date April 2007).

Tom Jones is a Six Sigma Black Belt and Lean Master with operations leadership experience, a background in process management and a proven track record of substantial gains in quality and productivity. Tom has a masters degree in quality management, and a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering with an emphasis in management science. Tom is also a contributor to The Complete Idiot's Guide to Lean Six Sigma (release date April 2007).

Customer Reviews:

First choice of available books on the subject.......2007-02-02

I have copies of several different books that claim to guide a company thru the Kaizen process. This is the one that I suggest most often.
If you are a small to medium sized manufacturing company and need a straight forward handbook that you can implement yourself, this is the one to get. The CD is helpful in providing the sample forms on Excel and even the posters can be printed locally for your program.
This book can be used as a practical roadmap for implementing a continuous improvement program. While it is somewhat weak in the problem solving area, the rest of the book more than makes up for this.

Facilitation Guide with Methods and Tools.......2006-11-28

The guide removes the mystique of conducting your own Kaizen events. Kaizen events can mobilize teams with enthusiasm to solve many problems in complex business processes. With the use of this guide, typical failures are prevented through the application of the SCORE methodology. The enclosed CD contains the forms and checklists shown for fast startup.

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extremely satisfied
ENTERTAINING EPIC IS GREAT FUN
Superman is Back.
Satisfies!
Superman Comes Back to Life Even Better Than Before

The Return of Superman
Dan Jurgens , Karl Kesel , Roger Stern , Louise Simonson , and Gerard Jones
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1563891492

Customer Reviews:

extremely satisfied.......2007-07-27

my item arrived in brand new condition and i was very happy with my purchase

ENTERTAINING EPIC IS GREAT FUN.......2007-07-27

Civil War. Infinite Crisis. And now World War Hulk. These are excuses for comic books companies to make big $$$$ with some earth shattering all encompassing epic that usually affects the whole comic universe. Trouble is they rarely gel and too many of the sundry titles are weak and frivilous. Well DC just about get it right with this mammoth epic, which is suprisingly cohesive and pretty damn exciting throughout. The whole epic structure is very well done with buckets of action every issue and a terrifically huge climax to tie it all together.

Superman is Back........2007-07-17

The Return of Superman is a good book with lots of battles and destruction. Sometimes it can get cheesy but it's still good. It's a great buy since you get about 500 pages for a good price. When you start reading it and get to the middle,you start to miss the true Man Of Steel. When Superman finally comes back there's a huge battle that is really fun to read and the ending is really good. This book is really fun to read and it doesn't dissapoint.

Satisfies!.......2007-05-30

For any Superman comic fan - get this book - it's GREAT! Even classic! Yes, there are five characters in this story who claim or appear to be Superman and only one of them is truly the real thing. Yes, the plot twists and turns as the story slowly reveals the natures of all the imposters. Yes, it is a great payoff in the end, with a happy ending. Read it as the conclusion to The Death of Superman and A World Without Superman.

My favorite parts are the origin of Steel and his connection to Supes, the Eradicator (who is a complex character - good/bad together), and the Cyborg character - wierd!!

Any complaints that too many characters spoil the story - I have to disagree and say that they all make you appreciate the true Superman and his good character when he finally shows up at the 2/3rd mark in the story.

And Supes with a mullet (long hair from being gone so long -- or because it was written in the early 90s) is just plain humorous. But it works fine for the story.

A huge book - fantastic value - and you'll blaze through it!!! This one definitely satisfies!

Superman Comes Back to Life Even Better Than Before.......2007-04-24

This is a great book that chronicles the period after "Funeral for a Friend" and shows the triumphant return of Superman after he was beaten up by Doomsday. The four imposter Supermen offer an exciting element of wonder and treachery to the story. This is a great buy.

Soccer Strategies: Defensive and Attacking Tactics

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Holistic overview of the basics
Formation Strategies

Soccer Strategies: Defensive and Attacking Tactics
Robyn Jones , and Tom Tranter
Manufacturer: Reedswain
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Soccer | Sports | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 189094632X

Book Description

Aimed primarily at intermediate and advanced coaches, this book examines the principle formations used in modern soccer and the need to fully understand them all of one is to adapt to game situations using counter-active tactics. The author discusses such offensive topics as support, width, penetration, mobility and improvisation. Defensively, Chapters include: Three Man Defense, Four Man Defense, One Forward System, Two Forward System, and Three Forward System. Well organized and clearly written, this is an outstanding coaching book.

Customer Reviews:

Holistic overview of the basics.......2007-08-08

Great book for covering all the major issues of attacking and defending. If you want to know where your defenders or forwards should position to maximize their position, this is a great book. There are many simple basic diagrams that are uncluttered, showing just the players involved in the play and this is a plus for sharing information with your players!

The book does not cover any drills for achieving these desired results, but I consider it a must read for the coach considering the 4-4-2, 4-3-3, or 3-5-2 formations.

Buy with confidence, this book will refresh your positioning and playing coaching skills as well as providing a way to copy handouts for your players from the many diagrams this book provides!

Formation Strategies.......2000-07-02

As stated on the back cover, this book is "aimed primarily at intermediate and advanced coaches" and "examines the principle formations used in modern soccer..." It states these formations clearly (along with diagrams) and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each. It is a great resource for the coach who is looking to develop the appropriate offensive and defensive systems. The book does not cover other issues such as team management or practice drills. Look elsewhere for that.

Average customer rating:

Save your Money

Avengers: Galactic Storm, Vol. 2
Len Kaminski , Tom DeFalco , Mark Gruenwald , Roy Thomas , Dan Thomas , Gerard Jones , Bob Harras , Paul Ryan , Pat Olliffe , Rik Levins , Dave Ross , Rurik Tyler , Jeff Johnson , Stephen B. Jones , Steve Epting , Greg Capullo , Craig Brasfield , John Czop , Darren Auck , and Dave Simons
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785120459

Book Description

One galaxy's heroes are another's villains, and two galaxies' worth of them are in head-on collision - with the Avengers in the middle of a war whose repercussions will haunt them for years! The events that split and shook the Earth's Mightiest Heroes to their foundations end here, and intergalactic boundaries aren't the only lines being drawn! Plus: The tri-galaxy war devastates the Earth far more literally when we see "What If the Avengers Lost Operation: Galactic Storm?"! Collects Iron Man #279, Thor #446, Captain America #400-401, Avengers West Coast #82, Quasar #34-35, Wonder Man #9, Avengers #347, What If? #55-56.

Customer Reviews:

Save your Money.......2007-07-12

This graphic novel contains the conclusion to the Galactic Storm series, which was originally published by Marvel in the Annual issues of their various on-going series (Capt America, Avengers, Thor, etc...). As a rule of thumb story lines that involve Annual issues from multiple comic series are wretched.

This one is no exception. The story telling is choppy, because each Annual covers one hero (or set of heroes). The art is middling to bad, again because its an Annual; Marvel and DC feel its ok to let quality slip. Marvel even managed to get two of the issues in this book out of order.

Go ahead, buy it. I dare you.

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One last hurrah for the House of Ideas

Avengers: Galactic Storm, Vol. 1
Bob Harras , Tom DeFalco , Mark Gruenwald , Gerard Jones , Len Kaminski , Roy Thomas , Greg Capullo , Steve Epting , Jeff Johnson , Stephen B. Jones , Rik Levins , Dave Ross , Paul Ryan , and Rurik Tyler
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785120440

Book Description

The Kree are one of the Fantastic Four's oldest enemies; the Shi'ar, one of the X-Men's oldest allies. But it's the Avengers who are caught in the middle when the two alien races wage a war to re-write Marvel's map of the universe! As two-legged WMDs land on Earth, the Avengers end up as alien invaders on wartorn worlds of wonder, both as a unit and individually! Featuring the Imperial Guard! Starforce! Deathbird! Thor vs. Gladiator! Super heroes from three galaxies and more clash in the first half of the story that shook the team to its foundations! Collects Captain America #398-399, Avengers West Coast #80-81, Quasar #32-33, Wonder Man #7-8, Avengers #345-346, Iron Man #278 and Thor #445. Book 1 of 2.

Customer Reviews:

One last hurrah for the House of Ideas.......2006-03-19

Once upon a time there was a comic universe, large and diverse, filled with just about any type of character from any type of pulp genre, and they shared and interacted in the same universe. You had a Martial Arts character named Shang Chi living in the same world as the cosmic space fantasy Silver Surfer who fought against the supernatural thriller Dracula who appeared in the socially conscious Uncanny X-Men and the main nemesis of said group had a daughter (Scarlet Witch) who was married to an andriod Avenger and the Avengers leader fought alongside a gruff Atlantean who was an ally to the Defenders and enemy to the Fantastic Four...mythology, science fiction, magic fantasy, "monster" characters, "horror" characters, all were there in the same universe.

That was the House of Ideas. Marvel comics, from about 1961 to around 1991. Sure, there were dud stories and more than enough cheese to make McDonalds next billionth cheeseburger, but the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. The spirit of creativity and continuity drove Marvel to its market supremacy. Characters embodied ideas, paradoxes, philosophies, sure the comics were aimed at kids, but there was some thought beyond the horizon to captivate the reader willing to reflect on the stimuli presented by the likes of Galactus, the Eternals, the Supreme Intelligence, Ultron, ect.

Since then, its been all down hill. Late spring 1992, Liefeld's Youngblood and Valiant's "Unity" crossover opened the doors to the "spec boom", when comics became investments instead of enjoyments. A comic bought for a buck in December 1991 (*cough cough*, Solar Man of the Atom #1) could be sold for about a eighty bucks one year later. This ended up destroying the comic industry, as DC and Marvel sold their creative souls to try and capitalize on the "hype". Superman was killed off, the Green Lantern corps destroyed, variant covers became more important than the 22 pages in between, Iron Man was turned into a teenager, X-men uber alles and, unfortunately, the sole prism that the next generation of comic collectors would experience the Marvel Universe.

But, in early 1992, Marvel did something right. A 19 part crossover among the Avengers titles called "Operation: Galactic Storm". At the time, it didn't make much of a ripple, as evidenced by the fact this is the first time the series has been reprinted, 14 years after the title hit the stands. But its story-value has increased with age, mostly because of what I've outlined in the first couple of paragraphs--Marvel simply hasn't been as thoughtful and innovative since. Those of us bored by the current Marvel regime, which attempts to make every single comic a replica of Kevin's Smiths overrated (and short) run on Daredevil, find refuge in the hallowed and barren halls of the old House of Ideas.

The premise is simple--the Kree (an Avengers foe) and the Shi'ar (an X-Men supporting cast empire) are at war, two Marvel alien empires that had had little contact prior to the story. The problem is, they use the Earth's sun as a "stargate" to transport warcraft from one galaxy to the other, and the disturbances said stargate causes thus threaten to destroy the earth. Thus, to preserve human life, the Avengers split up so they may "reason" with the two empires, and get them to take their war to some other turf. The story alternates among earth, the Shi'ar homeworld, and the Kree homeworld, and just about every Avenger, ever (except Quicksilver and Dr. Druid) get some face time in this epic.

What makes this crossover so strong? 1.) It's about ideas. Although this TPB only covers the first 13 chapters, its obviously needed to get to the good stuff at the end. The Greater Good, the misuse of evolution (or the inevitable extrapolation of ethics from evolution?!?), what makes one human, pragmatism over idealism, all these play a role in the story, and could elicit a lightbulb or two in the minds of those willing to wonder again. 2.) Its surprisingly character driven. The Supreme Intelligence makes a pretty strong stamp as a unique villain, Wonder Man and Vision have some nice characterization, Iron Man's pragmatism vs. Captain America's "by the book"ism, Sersi and Hercules' old school divine ethos vs. the (let's by honest) navel gazing of the modern day Avengers...even Captain Atlas and the Starjammers get some room to define themselves. and 3.) some well placed humor throughout the crossover.

What are some weaknesses? Well, first off, its just the first volume, and the second volume will have one of the most memorable climaxes for a crossover. Secondly, the art is (very) uneven, and it seems even the reproduction of the coloring is uneven. The Quasar issues are hard to look at, but the Wonderman and Avengers chapters (illustrated by Jeff Johnson and Steve Epting) hold up not only well, but very well. The story starts off slowly and unremarkably. To the modern eye trained to over realism-ify the superhero genre, the notion of Captain America wearing a trenchcoat and walking into a diner in Arizona may induce a groan or two. But the story picks up once the Avengers split up and go after the empires. The story will require a heavy dose of Avengers-background--if you don't know the relationship between Vision and Wonder man, and if you don't know that the Kree have been culturally stagnant for millenia (from the classic Kree/Skrull war from the early 70s), then much of the nuance of the tale may be lost.

I'm probably reviewing this volume through rose-colored glasses, remembering the good ole House of Ideas, but I think the story nonetheless holds up on its own merits. Its not a Bronze Age story, its not a Dark Age story, it's certainly not a Silver Age story, Galactic Storm is its own entity, built from Marvel's history and the diverse characterization in the Avengers family, taken to a logical conclusion. That, is a good story.

Average customer rating:

Now that's what I call satire...
Mr. Herman Jay, wherever you are, THANK YOU!
A Foundling's Felicity
Tom Jones: There Is No Doubt-Society Is Just
Simply The Best

Tom Jones (Oxford World's Classics)
Henry Fielding
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192834975

Amazon.com

Tom Jones isn't a bad guy, but boys just want to have fun. Nearly two and a half centuries after its publication, the adventures of the rambunctious and randy Tom Jones still makes for great reading. I'm not in the habit of using words like bawdy or rollicking, but if you look them up in the dictionary, you should see a picture of this book.

Book Description

Fielding's comic masterpiece of 1749 was immediately attacked as `A motley history of bastardism, fornication, and adultery'. Indeed, his populous novel overflows with a marvellous assortment of prudes, whores, libertines, bumpkins, misanthropes, hypocrites, scoundrels, virgins, and all too fallible humanitarians. At the centre of one of the most ingenious plots in English fiction stands a hero whose actions were, in 1749, as shocking as they are funny today. Expelled from Mr Allworthy's country estate for his wild temper and sexual conquests, the good-hearted foundling Tom Jones loses his money, joins the army, and pursues his beloved across Britain to London, where he becomes a kept lover and confronts the possibility of incest. Tom Jones is rightly regarded as Fielding's greatest work, and one of the first and most influential of English novels. This carefully modernized edition is based on Fielding's emended fourth edition text and offers the most thorough notes, maps, and bibliography. The introduction uses the latest scholarship to examine how Tom Jones exemplifies the role of the novel in the emerging eighteenth-century public sphere.

Customer Reviews:

Now that's what I call satire..........2007-04-24

"Soon after its 1749 publication, Tom Jones was condemned for being "lewd," and even blamed for several earthquakes. But what really riled its critics was its supremely funny satirical attack on eighteenth-century British society and its follies and hypocrisies - which, of course, are very much like our own." From the publisher

A Love Story? Adventure? Sophisticated 18th century humor? A handsome and rambunctious protagonist? I'm In!
This is the lengthy, (maybe a bit too drawn out) history of Fielding's hero, Tom Jones. Found as an infant in the bed of Mr. Allworthy, the wealthy and pious widower who adopts him and raises him as his own.
The enormously Kind Allworthy raises the foundling (orphan) child as his own, much to the chagrin of his super class conscious community, where he is given all the privileges of upper class society (sans the inheritance. In 18th century England, it is illegal for foundlings to be heirs). Fielding's Hero has a heart of gold; he is gallant, chivalrous, with boyish good looks to match-- the only problem is Tom can't seem to keep himself out of trouble. Especially with the ladies. He carries on scandalous affairs--endearingly. He can't seem to control his libido but Fielding never paints his intentions as dishonorable. By no means is he innocent; Jones is just a nice guy who finds himself in hilarious situations with women because he is irresistable...and HORNY.
Through the cunning of Allworthy's nephew Blifil, and his own folly, he gets turned out of doors by Mr. Allworthy, just as his beloved Sophia, (the girl next door) is betrothed to his sneaky cousin.
Sophia runs away to London rather than be forced to marry Blifil, while Tom himself encounters some uproarious adventures in his path to London, where he and Sophia's trails meet and he endeavors to win her back. There in London he even discovers his true parentage, and the evil Blifil gets recognized for the conniving sneak he is.
In the end, all is well. It takes Fielding 1000 pages to do so as he pokes fun at 18th century English morals,introduces us to interesting characters, puts Tom in crazy situations, and explores the true meaning of what it is to be "good."

Mr. Herman Jay, wherever you are, THANK YOU!.......2007-04-06

Henry Fielding's observations about humans and society hold true: This book is so funny it could have been written yesterday.

Thank goodness my 12th grade English teacher (the aforementioned Mr. Jay) had us read this marvelous book. After devouring Fielding's rambling and intricately plotted story as a teen, I was never again daunted by huge pre-20th Century novels with teeny print. This book opened the door for me to enjoy Austen, Dickens, Trollope, etc. I've reread it recently, cackling at every page, and it has remained my favorite novel.

The story is divided into three parts: the country, the road to London and the city itself. Along the way we meet so many memorable people, each with his/her own little set of intrigues--some of which overlap, of course. It is amazing to me how Fielding managed his characters' comings and goings so as to make it perfectly plausible that no one character has all the pieces of the puzzle of Tom's parentage or of Blifl's treachery.

Henry Fielding is a great `host' and companion. He has a truly hilarious writer's voice, alternating different literary tones to describe characters and events for maximum comic effect. He shamelessly digresses about whatever subject he feels like. (He is considerate enough to put these fabulous musings in well-marked chapters and gives the reader permission to just skip them. My very favorite: the one about extending the metaphor of the cliché `all the world's a stage'.)

Favorite Quote from Tom Jones: "It is as possible for a man to know something without having been at school, as it is to have been at school and to know nothing."

Can I give it SIX stars?

A Foundling's Felicity.......2007-01-25

This book or novel or whatever you may deem fit to call it has so many points in its favour that it's difficult to know where to begin. I think a rundown of a few of the myriad of characters that delight me personally might do for starters:

Tom Jones - A young fellow with many "imperfections" if so they may be called, but a robust fellow with a "good heart." Prudence and what is commonly called virtue are not his strong suit - But may I remind the reader that virtue comes from the Latin word for "manliness"- Tom is certainly possessed of the word's etymological origins, if not of its modern usage (particularly in amorous matters)--And a good thing too, or we should have no story here to delight us!

Squire Western- Another rambunctious character, who, for me, typifies all that is Eighteenth Century England. Every time he appeared in this book, whether it was to comment on wenching, wine, or riding to hounds a smirk would immediately cross my face followed invariably by chuckling by the end of the chapter.

Henry Fielding - The author plays as much a part of the book as any of the characters with many prologues and prefaces and etc. For these, and for much of the rest of the book, I might add, the reader who has not had four years of Latin inculcated into him at an English boarding school would do well to buy the Oxford edition, which fully explains all the learned quotes - Also, as one who was thus inculcated but is inclined to laziness, the Oxford edition's notes prove extremely helpful also. Fielding also gives us a lively picture of the literary life of his time, which the Oxford footnotes do a deft job of explaining- In short, buy the Oxford edition.

This review can not be comprehensive. There are simply too many characters to even make a go at encompassing them all. I'm merely describing some of the, to me, more delightful ones.

The book as a whole is simply a joy to read, in its comic descriptions of all who will deign to admit that they are human, and of some priggish sorts who will not so deign. I can put it no better than Fielding Himself at the beginning of Book XV:

"There are a set of religious, or rather moral writers, who teach that virtue is the certain road to happiness, and vice to misery, in this world. A very wholesome and comfortable doctrine, and to which we have but one objection, namely, that is not true."

In short, this is a delightful ramble of a book which, while entertaining the reader not too attached to Sunday School, sheds light on how unvirtuous the virtuous can be, and how kind and good-natured the roguish can be as well as giving us as good a history lesson on the state of affairs in Eighteenth century England (with attention given to the Jacobite Rebellion etc.) as many a "proper" history does.

Who, I ask myself, would not delight in this book? ---Well...for the priggish, there's always Jane Austen.

Tom Jones: There Is No Doubt-Society Is Just.......2006-08-18

When Henry Fielding published TOM JONES in 1749, just one year after Samuel Richardson did with CLARISSA, there was a literary and vituperative collision of the only two writers of English novels. Richardson's heroine lived in an uneasy stasis of romance and tragedy, one in which the attention of the reader was directed to specified personalities, clear if egregious motives, and numbed reactions that were none the less horrifying in their numbness. Richardson, then, placed Clarissa in an unjust world that allowed her to grow in a manner that transcended her endured injustices. The world of Henry Fielding, by contrast, was one of benevolence., one in which evil and foolish characters were allowed to thrive but at no point in TOM JONES was the reader in any doubt that by the end of the hero's epic journey that he would regain a sense of social equilibrium. Fielding, then, placed Tom Jones in a just world that allowed him to wallow in his own sexual excesses but would not permit him to stay there very long. The very qualities that annoyed Richardson so much about Fielding's basically optimistic view of society are the ones that have made certain that both Clarissa and Tom Jones are much read today, even if for quite different reasons.

As many readers have noted the action of TOM JONES is divided into three parts: the first tells of the major characters--the Allworthys, the Westerns, the birth of Tom, and the linked events that caused Sophia to flee from an unwelcome marriage to the scoundrel Blifil. The second tells of the interlocking flights and pursuits among Sophia, Tom, Mrs. Fitzgerald, Mrs. Waters, and Mrs. Honor. The third details the deux ex machina travails in London that clear up all difficulties in a manner that strains credibility. Each of these three encapsulates specific traits that permeate the book. In the first of the three, Fielding uses deliberate misunderstanding between Squire Allworthy and Tom, between Allworthy and Sophia, and between Allworthy and Blifil to create purposeful ignorance that heightens the satire between what one person knows and what the other does not. In the second, Fielding shows that Tom's numerous falls from grace show him to be not much worse than your typical young man who sees no big harm in engaging in illicit encounters with women who are only too glad to have them. Readers might shake their heads at these lapses, but their essential sympathies were not permitted to waver. Fielding further did not allow readers to forget that the focus of the book was not on Tom's dalliances but on his eventual uncovering of his rightful place in society. By the third section, Fielding uses an admittedly too pat a way of ensuring that Tom's noble birth be acknowledged, but despite that Fielding first hints in the first two sections and then finalizes in the third the underlying ideology that English class structure and unity are paramount. When Tom and Sophia are ultimately reunited in marriage, Fielding assures his readers that one need not upset the stratified social order of 18th century England to ensure a fairy tale ending. The fact that readers now respond as well as readers then suggests that Fielding's belief that society needs a stable and long standing cohesive order has not changed much in three hundred years. Samuel Richardson might object, but readers can find a place for their two widely divergent views and enjoy both.

Simply The Best.......2006-01-31

It's nearly impossible to review a book that is just so incredibly good. The quickest way I can describe it is: This is simply the best novel I have ever read. And that's after four years of being an English major as an undergraduate, plus ten years of reading novel after novel after novel after that.

This book is the bridge between early novels like DeFoe's Robinson Crusoe, and what the novel becomes in the hands of Dickens. It also shows flashes of influence from people like Swift and Pope (whom Fielding mimics in a couple of passages). The novel has something for everyone: for example, if you want humor, it's here in spades--in both broad form (the rantings of Squire Western and his sister arguing with each other) and subtle form (chapter headings like "The Reader's Head Brought Into Danger by a Description", or the ironic description of the plain-looking Bridget Allworthy: "she was so far from regretting want of beauty that she never mentioned that perfection, if it can be called one, without contempt." If you want characters that have real imperfections and aren't just good or bad "types", you won't find more interesting ones than here. If you want to see what English novels looked like before the Victorians made them all "moral", you need look no further than this one, which was blamed for causing a series of earthquakes at the time of its publication because of its "lewdness" (not that it's seriously lewd, but it's hard to imagine a Dickens hero who ever believes, with good reason, that he has fathered a child out of wedlock, and who ends up for a while the "kept man" of a "fashionable woman." And if you want to be a writer and not just a reader of novels, Fielding's book contains quite a bit of advice on that, particularly in the introductory chapters of each sub-"book."

I despise Samuel Taylor Coleridge on most occasions, but he was right about one thing: he described Tom Jones as having, along with Oedipus Rex, the most perfectly constructed plot of any book. I couldn't agree more. So knock the dust off this classic and read it. It may be long, but you'll be wishing it were longer once you finish it.

Incidentally, there's one odd feature of the "Everyman" edition of this book. For some reason, it doesn't include headings to each book, describing the time period covered by that part of the novel. I have seen these headings in a number of other editions, so I'm not quite sure what is up with this.

Average customer rating:

Solid
A great book
A model for such books; buy it locally if you can

Zion: Canyoneering
Tom Jones
Manufacturer: Canyoneering USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0978961404
Release Date: 2006-11-13

Product Description

This guidebook leads the leader to forty-nine adventures in and around Utah's Zion National Park. It includes: - Descriptions of selected trails - Thorough information on off-trail classics such as The Subway and The Narrows - Details of technical canyoneering in classic canyons such as Pine Creek, Mystery and Behunin - Valuable pointers on gear, climate, safety and environmental awareness - Sections on the area's history and geology that will enrich your visit. 256 pages including 16 full color plates, 43 maps and 30 black and white photos.

Customer Reviews:

Solid.......2007-05-18

Jones' descriptions of the technical sections of Pine Creek, Keyhole, and Middle Echo were accurate and useful. This book is clearer than Michael Kelsey's book on technical options in Zion. Jones' suggestions regarding where to eat near Zion were also great.

A great book.......2007-05-18

Definately the most comprehensive book to canyoneering in Zion. All the better known really good canyons seem to be in the book.

A model for such books; buy it locally if you can.......2007-01-05

Rather than debate the ethics of such a book in the first place, I'll address how the author has acquitted himself, which is: extremely well. If you're going to write about so delicate, potentially dangerous, and wildly popular an area, this is the way to do it.

Readers will find this a refreshing change from other guidebooks that deal with southern Utah. The text is well written. The maps are nicely done, if spare (you'll need topos anyhow), and the photographs are both enticing and informative. Best of all, the book consistently and repeatedly advocates treading lightly and maintaining a healthy margin of safety. No doubt this has to do with the considerable difficulty of many of the routes described: writing in part for accomplished canyoneers, the author has chosen to treat his readers as equals. Such an approach cannot explain everything, though, since he also generously includes a large number of journeys accessible to lesser mortals. (And one dearly hopes that accomplished canyoneers no longer require guidance in how not to ruin the places they visit.)

The prose is concise, witty, and informative, whereas many such books are chatty yet largely devoid of pertinent information. Some may be put off by this: if you enjoy "Sunset" magazine profiles or Successories posters, look elsewhere. But anyone who actually likes Zion -- or anywhere else in the desert southwest, for that matter -- will be delighted.

The business of prose is no small matter, in my opinion. Unlike so many authors, Jones is educated and it shows: he has the knack for generating simple, muscular sentences that demonstrate a full command of right English as she is spoke. (Jones' literacy will come as a particular relief to readers who have long endured books by a certain author who has occaisonaly to taken of the foto's.) Such crisp and lucid writing makes the book not only more enjoyable but also more authoritative, since the writer's credibility remains intact at the end of each sentence.

Also worthy of praise is Jones' inclusion of summarized accident reports in the back of the book. This might best be described as the Demotivators part of the text; certainly it should help steer neophytes away from routes that are beyond them.

One last point: I bought this book at IME in Salt Lake City. Interested readers might want to try to do something like that, too. Local retailers, like the small press that produced this book, need support. In the case of back-country activity, this is more than mere romanticism. The owners, operators, and employees of small businesses in this trade usually form the first (and, in Utah, often the last) line of defense between wilderness and the spread of Jeeps, ORVs, and oil wells. If you like these places, you should try to support the people who work in and near them.

Harvard Business Review on Breakthrough Leadership

Average customer rating:

Among the best in a breakthrough series of paperbacks

Harvard Business Review on Breakthrough Leadership
Daniel Goleman , William Peace , William Pagonis , Tom Peters , Gareth Jones , and Harris Collingwood
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1578518059

Book Description

The Harvard Business Review Paperback Series is designed to bring today's managers and professionals the fundamental information they need to stay competitive in a fast-moving world. From the preeminent thinkers whose work has defined an entire field to the rising stars who will redefine the way we think about business, here are the leading minds and landmark ideas that have established the Harvard Business Review as required reading for ambitious businesspeople in organizations around the globe.

This collection features an all-new roundtable discussion with a unique "closing essay" on followership. The collection also builds on the special leadership issue of Harvard Business Review.

Customer Reviews:

Among the best in a breakthrough series of paperbacks.......2004-12-16

This is one in a series of several dozen volumes which comprise the "Harvard Business Review Paperback Series." Each offers direct, convenient, and inexpensive access to the best thinking on the given subject in articles originally published by the Harvard Business Review. Presumably two of the criteria for determining which articles to include are (a) frequency of reprint requests and (b) significance of the article in relation to the author(s)'s subsequent work. I strongly recommend all of the volumes in the series. The individual titles are listed at this Web site: www.hbsp.harvard.edu. The authors of various articles are among the world's most highly regarded experts on the given subject. All of the volumes have been carefully edited. An Executive Summary introduces each selection. Supplementary commentaries are also provided in most of the volumes, as is an "About the Contributors" section which usually includes suggestions of other sources which some readers may wish to explore.

In this volume, we are provided with eight previously published articles which, from a variety of perspectives, examine an especially important business subject: How to achieve breakthrough leadership. In the first, Harris Collingwood shares leaders' remembrances of moments and others who have shaped them. The core concepts in the next article, "Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance," were later developed in several books co-authored by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee. Collingwood then reappears as co-moderator with Julia Kirby of a roundtable discussion during which six experts (e.g. Frances Hesselbein who is chairman of the Peter F. Drucker Foundation and Frederick Smith who is chairman and CEO of FedEx. For me, one of the most thought-provoking articles is the one in which Richard S. Tedlow explains why and how "a handful of simple principles" followed by seven "titans of industry" (i.e. Carnegie, Eastman, Ford, Noyce, Revson, Walton, and Watson, Sr.) can also be applied by others to achieve breakthrough results. The material in the remaining five articles is also worthy careful consideration. Of course, the value of each article will largely be determined by its reader's own interests and (especially) needs.

I have read and reviewed almost all of the volumes which comprise the "Harvard Business Review Paperback Series." This is one of the best but the same benefits are offered by all of the others: Cutting-edge ideas which can have the greatest impact for about 30% of the cost, were the articles ordered separately as reprints. Better yet, they are grouped by common business topic but their authors approach that topic from significantly different perspectives. Most executives should own and then read all of the volumes in this series. Once having done so, my guess is that they will frequently return to specific articles for guidance whenever an unexpected problem or opportunity appears. hence the importance of highlighting key passages. Hence the importance of the Executive Summary for each article in each volume. And hence the importance of having direct and convenient access.

The Fantasticks: The Complete Illustrated Text Plus the Official Fantasticks Scrapbook and History of the Musical

Average customer rating:

Why, it's fantastic!
No Woder It's the Longest Running Show in American History!
The most wonderful musical ever!
An amazing look at the long life of The Fantasticks.

The Fantasticks: The Complete Illustrated Text Plus the Official Fantasticks Scrapbook and History of the Musical
Harvey Schmidt , and Tom Jones
Manufacturer: Applause Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1557831416

Book Description

"Richly illustrated, it is ideal for fans of the show, as well as admirers of musical theatre." - Variety * "Anybody who has seen the show (who hasn't?) should read the book" - Entertainment Today * "The perfect present for any Fantasticks fans." - Cleveland Plain Dealer * "A valuable resource. Recommended for all collections." - Choice

Customer Reviews:

Why, it's fantastic!.......2000-07-26

Who would have guessed that such a simple, straightfoward musical would be the longest running show in New York history? Read this copy of the libretto, and you'll know why. The show is very simple and very honest. It has drama and lighthearted comedy in just the right amounts to create what is, in many ways, the perfect musical. This volume also contains lots of extra information about the show, including the lyrics to a new song written for the show in its later years, and a number of photos. The music is missing, of course, but even without the OCR to the show, you get a great sense here of what makes The Fantasticks so, well, fantastic.

No Woder It's the Longest Running Show in American History!.......2000-06-08

It never fails to amaze me that Jones & Schmidt were capable of such powerful poetry while still studying for their masters degrees. This thesis show is a powerhouse of simplicity and a panorama of minimalism. Sound oxymoronic? It is. The show is so disceptively simple, but the stories it tells are universal, and they are guaranteed to ring true for even the most tarnished audience member. One read, and it won't be hard to "try to remember" this show for a long time!

The most wonderful musical ever!.......2000-03-27

This is one of the most wonderful musicals ever. It has a wonderful story and plot but the best part about it is the music. The music is absolutely FANTASTICK! The musical contains a wide variety of songs, each with its own mood and purpose. There are funny and amuzing songs, ominous songs, loving songs, wishful songs... there's something for everybody. I first saw the Fantasticks in New York and fell in love with the music. I have almost all the songs completely memorized and I am working on putting a few of the song into my audition repertoire. This is music that every true musical fan should have. Its brilliant.

An amazing look at the long life of The Fantasticks........1998-09-02

It has been two years since I was first introduced to The Fantasticks. Ever since I saw the show I have been captivated by its remarkable story, lyrics, and music. It was only recently that I read this 30th anniversary edition and truly found out how amazing this show is.

Tom Jones' personal account of The Fantasticks shows the reader what exactly goes in to a show before it actually debuts. The first section "Try to Remember" is well set as the first chapter of the book. The reader will benefit more from reading this chapter before the show.

The third section (the second was the libretto) is a look at the actors really shows you the life of the longest running Off-Broadway show.

Book Description

A foundling of mysterious parentage brought up by Mr. Allworthy on his country estate, Tom Jones is deeply in love with the seemingly unattainable Sophia Western, the beautiful daughter of the neighboring squire—though he sometimes succumbs to the charms of the local girls. When Tom is banished to make his own fortune and Sophia follows him to London to escape an arranged marriage, the adventure begins. A vivid Hogarthian panorama of eighteenth-century life, spiced with danger and intrigue, bawdy exuberance and good-natured authorial interjections, Tom Jones is one of the greatest and most ambitious comic novels in English literature.

Customer Reviews:

There is only one Tom Jones.......2007-08-25

and he was a foundling. This is the most wonderful novel in English, in my humble opinion. It is a totally delightful romp through 18th Cetury England and a true classic of literature. The other Tom Jones, the Welsh one, does not hold a candle to our dear Tom who adored the charming Sophia and goes on a journey of self discovery.

Greatest comic novel ever written.......2007-08-25

I wouldn't bother writing a review of this novel, since it stands alone as the greatest comic novel ever written, and certainly doesn't need my help. But I can't help responding to the review of the Patriarch. Puck: "Lord, what fools these mortals be." Looking at the sophistication of this reviewer, I assume that he will make the mistake of thinking Puck must be a spectator at a hockey game. Get this book. Read it again and again. Just about everything you need to know about human nature is in this book, and indeed, the author makes the statement in the opening that indeed, his subject is "human nature."

Please ignore the other reviewer.......2007-08-03

This is a classic piece of literature and very entertaining. I was very surprised to find that it had a one star score on Amazon until I read the only review for it, which accused Fielding of writing this as a fake history of the singer Tom Jones. To anyone in doubt, this book was first published on February 28, 1749. Yes, 1749. Tom Jones the singer was born in 1940. So...

It's not unusual...to be disappointed with this book.......2007-08-02

Hey everyone, this is going to be a sad review. Because I've been having an off day today. To cheer myself up I went to the local library. Well, they had nothing. Just the kind of books you find at yard sales. But I spot what appears to be a diamond in the rough. The history of Tom Jones. Now your's truly has been a fan of Tom Jones from the very begin. And since it's been awhile, I thought I'd read this book to see just what Tom Jones life was like. Now after reading this book for some time I realize this book is not about Tom Jones at all! It's just some author's brilliant scheme to make people buy his book. Imagine if I wrote a book and called it, "Paul McCartney, a biography or the Life and Times of John Lennon when the books had nothing to do with either of these people. That's pretty much what we have here. What's next Mr. Henry Fielding, if that is even your real name, The History of Wayne Newton? Anyway, thank God we have Amazon so people could expose these confidence artists for they really are.

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