Amazon.com
To prove their various points, most books on business leadership focus strictly on either a series of standard, contemporary corporate illustrations or a single nontraditional model (such as a specific historic personality or a classic manuscript such as the Tao Te Ching). But Michael Useem, director of the Center for Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, has long used poignant real-life examples of people facing their "moments of truth"--regardless of the setting--to teach students how best to perform under the pressures they will face in the business world. In The Leadership Moment: Nine True Stories of Triumph and Disaster and Their Lessons for Us All, Useem presents some of these surprisingly effective profiles to show how others have responded when push truly comes to shove. Among them are: the story of Roy Vagelos championing an unprofitable drug that ultimately wiped out a debilitating disease in Africa; how flight director Eugene Kranz worked calmly and efficiently to return the endangered Apollo 13 astronauts safely back to Earth; and a look at Arlene Blum's pioneering all-woman ascent of the 26,545-foot Himalayan peak Annapurna in 1978. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Are you ready for the leadership moment?
Merck's Roy Vagelos commits millions of dollars to develop a drug needed only by people who can't afford it · Eugene Kranz struggles to bring the Apollo 13 astronauts home after an explosion rips through their spacecraft · Arlene Blum organizes the first women's ascent of one of the world's most dangerous mountains · Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain leads his tattered troops into a pivotal Civil War battle at Little Round Top · John Gutfreund loses Salomon Brothers when his inattention to a trading scandal almost topples the Wall Street giant · Clifton Wharton restructures a $50 billion pension system direly out of touch with its customers · Alfredo Cristiani transforms El Salvador's decade-long civil war into a negotiated settlement · Nancy Barry leads Women's World Banking in the fight against Third World poverty · Wagner Dodge faces the decision of a lifetime as a fast-moving forest fire overtakes his firefighting crew
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Eugene Kranz returning Apollo 13; Arlene Blum leading the first women's expedition climbing the Himalayan peak of Annapurna; Roy Vagelos committing Merck to spending hundreds of millions of dollars to develop a drug needed only by people who couldn't afford it; Alfredo Christian ending the civil war in El Salvador.
These are just some of the stories in this unusual and important book about leadership. Michael Useem believes that by examining what others have done when a business, a life, or even the fate of a nation is on the line, we all can learn what works and what fails, what hastens a cause or subverts a purpose, and what must be done when we must perform and lead under pressure.
Customer Reviews:
Warren Bennis is right: "It's one helluva read.".......2007-08-23
I read this book soon after it first appeared (in 1998) and recently re-read it, curious to know how well its core concepts and insights have held up. My conclusion? Very, very well. In his remarkably informative Foreword, Warren Bennis acknowledges having several reasons why he admires Michael Useem's book and cites three. First, Useem's selection of "cases" that focus on nine "real people, not stick figures"; the cases deal with what in theater would be called "turning points" (i.e. "life-challenging, morally consequential events fraught with risk and danger"); and third, the principles that Useem examines can be applied to any organization, regardless of size or nature, and the lessons learned from the nine cases are "eternal and universal. "
Useem suggests that leadership "is at its best when the vision is strategic, the voice persuasive, the results tangible." His focus is on exceptionally difficult leadership decisions, "those fateful moments when our goals are at stake and it is uncertain if we will achieve them, and when the outcome depends on mobilizing others to realize success." He examines nine quite different leaders who found themselves in "life-challenging, morally consequential events fraught with risk and danger" and prevailed. Those who have seen the film Apollo 13 are already familiar with Eugene Kranz (portrayed by Ed Harris). However, most of those who read this book were previously not familiar with several others, notably Wagner Dodge, Arlene Blum, and Clifton Wharton. Nonetheless, valuable leadership lessons can be learned from each of the nine.
Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is of special interest to me. Briefly, he had assumed command of the 20th Regiment of Infantry, Maine Volunteers, in May of 1863; within four days, they were marching through Virginia. Less than a year before, the 20th had mustered a thousand men at commissioning time; only 358 remained. The situation was soon complicated by the fact that 120 mutineers in the 2nd Regiment had been placed under Chamberlain's command. His orders from his superior, General George C. Meade: "make them do duty or shoot them down the moment they refused." What happened next is best revealed within Useem's compelling narrative but I can reveal that Chamberlain's combined forces played a major (if not the pivotal role) at Gettysburg, securing and then defending their position.
Useem observes that, in a crisis such as the one Chamberlain and his men faced on Little Round Top when under relentless attack, "everything is magnified, for better or for worse." Some rise to the leadership challenge and take effective action as Chamberlain did, others don't. Useem suggests several leadership lessons to be learned from that bloody, decisive day on the fields of Gettysburg. For example:
"Winning the confidence of your people now may well be invaluable in a yet-unforeseen time when you face the ultimate test...[However,] early investments in winning support among even your most stalwart opponents may make the difference between success and defeat when it counts most." This is precisely what President Abraham Lincoln did when forming his first cabinet, one that Doris Kearns Goodwin characterizes as a "team of rivals."
I commend Michael Useem on his brilliant correlation of historical information with an analysis of the leaders he has studied and the lessons to be learned from their encounters with "life-challenging, morally consequential events fraught with risk and danger."
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out his Leading Up as well as Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas' Geeks & Geezers (recently updated and reissued as Leading for a Lifetime), Bill George's True North, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Andrew Ward's Firing Back: How Great Leaders Rebound After Career Disasters, and Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition co-authored by Dennis N. T. Perkins, Margaret P. Holtman, Paul R. Kessler, and Catherine McCarthy.
A Different Approach to Self-Help.......2007-03-01
Biography is often a more inspiring way to learn "soft skills" than are traditional self-help books that spell out, word for word, the traits they're purchased to teach. But it's also possible, with a biography, to miss the decision-making moments, even though the actions the subject took are clear.
The Leadership Moment combines both historical and didactic approaches, by pausing in the midst of its nine hair-raising stories to briefly examine the choices that caused the next turn of events. The winning characteristics and skills are repeated in the back of the book under the picture of their respective exemplar. If you enjoy quick reads that deliver in a can't-miss fashion principles you can use, you will enjoy The Leadership Moment. Read a chapter a day before sallying forth to slay your own dragons.
Entirely worthwhile reading, the volume nonetheless has its weaknesses. Only two of the nine accounts are about women, and both of those are set in an all-female environment. (The seven males are in all-male environments.) Seven stories are unequivocal triumphs, one a brazen failure (though another man steps in to save the company), and one ambiguous: did the hero fail to lead or did his team fail to follow? The lesson author Michael Useem highlights is not altogether clear the way he tells the story.
Good leadership examples.......2005-08-31
Many of the examples used in this book are excellent case studies for leadership workshops and classes. It was a nice variety of examples from different sectors and industries.
Great leadership stories!.......2004-12-01
As part of an assignment for a Leadership/Small Group Communication course, I was directed to select the book of my choice from an Amazon book search under the topic of leadership. After poring through the descriptions of just a few of the 116,000 books in this category, I quickly identified the type of book I was looking for. I wanted something less academic/theoretical and more real life. I figured any lessons on leadership would be easier to grasp if they accompanied the stories of real people. Michael Useem's The Leadership Moment: Nine True Stories of Triumph and Disaster and Their Lessons for Us All fit the bill.
The Leadership Moment is a book of nine stories of real individuals who were faced with leadership challenges or put into positions where their decisions as leaders would greatly affect the outcome or survival of companies, countries and often, many other lives. The stories cover attempts to cure disease, retreating from a fire, returning a malfunctioning spacecraft to earth, ascending a mountain, leading men to battle, restructuring large corporations, the downfall and rise of a large company, working towards development of women in the third world and ending a civil war. Each story identifies a leader put into a critical do or die situation where their decisions and leadership qualities either led to success and meeting objectives, or led to failure and the demise of the company or death of those they were leading.
What I really liked about the book was the real life examples and the vast range of examples that Useem used. While many of us in the corporate world identify leadership as the ability to bring in financial returns or climb the corporate ladder, this book shows how leadership comes up in vastly different situations.
Useem's writing style flows well and is easy to follow. The stories are interesting and descriptive. For each story, he points out several leadership objectives that are implicated in the story. I enjoyed the book, and was able to identify how some of his leadership objectives could apply to my own career. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting read on leadership.
great service.......2003-07-11
The book arrived on time, and in great condition. And they also included another book for free with the order!
Book Description
Karenna Gore Schiff's nationally bestselling narrative tells the fascinating stories of nine influential women, who each in her own way, tackled inequity and advocated change throughout the turbulent twentieth century.Ida B. Wells-Barnett, who was born a slave and fought against lynching; Mother Jones, an Irish immigrant who organized coal miners and campaigned against child labor; Alice Hamilton, who pushed for regulation of industrial toxins; Frances Perkins, who developed key New Deal legislation; Virginia Durr, who fought the poll tax and segregation; Septima Clark, who helped to register black voters; Dolores Huerta, who organized farm workers; Dr. Helen Rodriguez-Trias, an activist for reproductive rights; and Gretchen Buchenholz, one of the nation's leading child advocates.Gore Schiff delivers an intimate and accessible account of the nine trail-blazing women who deserve not only to be honored but to have their example serve as beacons.
Customer Reviews:
Lighting The Way: Nine Women Who Changed Modern America.......2007-08-03
This is a magnificent book, written by a brilliant and humanitarian author. It is well researched and documented, and it is very interesting and enlightening. Every person in our nation could benefit from reading this informative work. Thank you for this book!
Extraordinary women.......2006-11-10
Karenna Gore Schiff has done us a wonderful service with this book of women whose impact on American life has been profound. Her essays on the lives and contributions of these women are readable and enlightening. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them.
Excellent book.......2006-08-20
This is a beautifully written and captivating look at the lives of strong women who helped change the course of American history. I was extremely impressed by Karenna Gore Schiff's writing ability . All of the women profiled in this book are fascinating Americans and most of them are long overdue for this kind of a tribute. Schiff truly did her research and I was also interested in the information she shared about the strong women in her family--most notably her grandmothers. She dedicates the book to them.
I am disappointed!!!.......2006-04-06
Any college student can write a book as this-- I'd rather read an Encyclopedia!!!
Lighting the Way: Nine Women who Changed Modern America.......2006-03-17
I read about this book in the newspaper and bought it immediately as a birthday present for my daughter. When it came I started to read it and liked it very much. I didn't want to read the whole thing because I think it needed to be brand new for a gift.
Book Description
What makes for a healthy church? A large congregation? Plentiful parking? Vibrant music?
You may have read books on this topic beforeâbut not like this one. This new expanded edition of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church is not an instruction manual for church growth. It is a pastor’s recommendation of how to assess the health of your church using nine crucial qualities that are neglected by many of today’s churches.
Whether you’re a church leader or an involved member of your congregation, you can help cultivate these elements in your church, bringing it new life and health for God’s glory.
âIf you are a Christian leader, be careful of the work you are now holding in your hand: it may change your life and ministry.â
âD. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
âThis is a foundational work which I highly recommend.â
âJohn MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher
âI want God’s word about the church. I turn with hope and confidence to Mark Dever’s radically biblical commitment. Few people today have thought more or better about what makes a church biblical and healthy.â
âJohn Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church
âThis is the best book I have read on this topic of critical importance.â
âC. J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries
âNine Marks of a Healthy Church is required reading for my students in ecclesiology.â
âPaige Patterson, President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
â[This book] belongs in the hands of every faithful pastor and all those who pray for reformation in this age.â
âR. Albert Mohler, Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
âNine Marks of a Healthy Church is a biblical prescription for faithfulness.â
âJ. Ligon Duncan III, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS
Customer Reviews:
Doctrinally Sound; Biblically Pragmatic.......2007-07-19
Mark Dever has done what so many others have failed to do: combine the delight of doctrine and biblical interpretation and join it with wise, pragmatic advice on what the church is, is to be and how it should function in order to be healthy. If another pastor or elder from another church asked me to recommend a book that would help their church, this would be one of the first I'd mention. While not exhaustive in content, Nine Marks is more than sufficient. The chapters I took greatest encouragement in where the first two: Biblical Exposition (something I believe in and seek to practice) and Biblical Theology (a concise summation of who God is and how this should impact the church). Perhaps the two most challenging chapters were: Understanding Biblical Church Membership and Biblical Church Discipline. I truly agree with the idea of a congregational covenant; it would be difficult to "pull off" in the Evangelical Free Church (we're just too fiercely independent). The matter of church discipline is one we neglect to our great detriment. Most often, we'd rather re-act to a bad situation than be proactive in spurring our congregants on to growth in Christ through positive forms of discipline. Much work to be done here; but thanks to Dever's work, the challenge and the "how to's" are there.
Read this book, especially if you're a pastor. If you're a pastor of a small church, read this book with your leaders and see what the Lord will do through you. If you're a pastor of a large church, read this book and see if there are biblical corrections you need to make, even if it means hosting a "membership drive" (see the chapter on membership and you'll get the attempt at humor here). Read this book with the Scriptures open next to you and I know you'll be blessed.
The Church Reformed always being Reformed according to the word of God.......2007-07-16
Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever is not a book about competence of operation or to have an entertaining church. Pages 35 through 39 talk about friendliness, entertaining music, starting church on time, a clear program, activities for the children, parking, the appearance of the sanctuary, comfortable seating, first impressions visitors get of the church, and the impression of the community. The author does not deny the importance of the church being retrospective about the nuts and bolts of the church, but argues over emphasis on these things and the idea that population of the pews can be unhealthy to the local body. Many have argued this book is a critique against the seeker sensitive mentality of today's church. This gives the reader a too narrow perspective: This book demands that a church give a comprehensive education to those who attend, biblical obedience to those who belong, and sanction against those who belong but do not participate within the church or are disobedient to the word of God. To teach the body in a competent manner and train its members in the Christian walk. The author does not give a number but my impression is that 90 percent of the churches in the United States would fail the physical. This book could be helpful for one who wonders which local church to join or what one should pursue in a Christian body.
The first mark is about expositional preaching. The pulpit is the major tool for church education and sets the tone for the other tools the church uses to educate her members. The whole church should go through the Bible verse by verse in consecutive order. Topical preaching should be used in a limited sense, because the pastor will avoid the harder tropics. The author uses the phrase "Ecclesia Reformata Semper Reformanda Secundum Verbum Dei. A reformation phrase meaning: Church Reformed Always being Reformed according to the Word of God. Mark Dever argues the church, as a whole should be refreshed by the word of God, continue to hear the word of God, to be refashioned and reshaped by the word of God. The preached word is the great imperative for the Pastor, not moral exhortations.
The second Mark is Biblical theology, the Author uses this term to argue the church must give witness to who God actually is and not what some want Him to be: An argument against preaching the common sentiment who God is, but who is the God presented in the Bible. How are the acts of God recorded in the Old Testament? Mark Dever compares the sacrificial system recorded in the Old Testament to the perfect atonement sacrifice recorded in the New Testament. The Author further argues for what this means about ones own sinfulness and that for man generally.
This leads the reader to Mark three. Consider mark two something people do not want to hear but must be convinced to consider the Gospel in its true light as the Good News. " The Bible utterly rejects the idea that we are okay, that the human condition is just fine, that everyone is really in need of accepting their current condition... that we simply need to look at the bright side of things." (Pg. 80) God is love, but love is defined by who God is. God is holy, sovereign, immutable, all knowing, and all-powerful. Jesus is our friend if one accepts Him as Lord and Savior. The relationship between God and man depends on what one does with Jesus in the context does one accept himself as sinner and the means God has provided to reconcile oneself to Jesus. The author goes into detail why Jesus must suffer and die, so man any man could reconcile himself to the Father. That is if one repents and accepts Jesus as Savior.
Tell people honestly that if they repent and believe they will be saved- but it will be costly. Mark 4 is about the nature of conversion and turning away from their old way of going against God's will. Mark five is about evangelism as a practice by those who are members of the church. To tell people the Gospel that one is in rebellion against God, one needs to repent, and is in need to accept Jesus as Savior. It is not about taking the unsaved to a church service. Evangelism is not apologetics. Evangelism is not personal testimony. High growth rate may not mean good biblical evangelism. Evangelism is about sharing the Gospel; it should be acted upon based on obedience to God, love for the lost and a love for God.
Mark Dever makes clear there are consequences to those who do accept Jesus as Savior and there are consequences to those who accept Jesus as Savior. Becoming a Christian is an intellectual assent that one is a sinner and there is need to change behavior. The implication is one cannot view, do certain things, and have a correct walk with God. Mark four is about responsibility of the members of the church. Healthy churches have membership and those who belong actually attend worship services regularly and are obedient to God. "If we really want to see our churches grow, we need to make it harder to join and to be better about excluding people." This includes excluding members who do not attend services- excommunication. Mark six is about Church membership and mark seven is about discipline in the church.
The author goes into detail about a Christian never discipled properly. To not have a regular prayer life or scripture study. To believe a Christian life is a moral life instead of living for a sovereign God. Concern more for one's safety and children then building up the body of Christ. Proper discipleship is mark eight. Mark nine is good leadership in the church and the members of the body to obey the anointed leadership in the church- even though they are sinners.
Dump Church Growth for Church Health!!!.......2007-06-17
Dr. Mark Dever's 9 Marks of a Healthy Church is must reading for 21st century pastors and lay leaders. It is an excellent book (however, I still think the best book on the church is Dr. John MacArthur's The Master's Plan for the Church), which I read in less than 72 hours--not normal for me at all.
9 Marks gives its readers "a plan for recovering biblical preaching and church leadership at a time when too many congregations are languishing in a merely notional and nominal Christianity" because the "purpose of too many churches has fallen from one of glorifying God simply to growing larger, assuming that that goal, however achieved, must glorify God" (25). Because of this, Dr. Dever's goal is "to call attention to some important aspects of church life that have been overlooked or even forgotten in modern American Christian life" (148).
So, for churches who have glorifying God as their highest goal and health as their desired description, what are the 9 Marks Dr. Dever prescribes:
1. Expositional Preaching
2. Biblical Theology
3. The Gospel
4. A Biblical Understanding of Conversion
5. A Biblical Understanding of Evangelism
6. A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership
7. Biblical Church Discipline
8. A Concern for Discipleship and Growth
9. Biblical Church Leadership
While reading the first five chapters, the one thought that kept coming to my mind was "Thank God for the seminary I went to (The Master's Seminary) because from day 1 and for all 4 years, these values were firmly and effectively hammered into our brains so that the first 5 chapters ended up being a very good review.
For instance, I could not agree more with Dr. Dever that "the main role of any pastor, is expositional preaching" (39), which is preaching that "takes for the point of the sermon the point of a particular passage of Scripture" (40) and that if "you are looking for a good church, this is the most important thing to consider" (52). Oh that Christians would get this!
In his chapter on the gospel he has this great quote from J.C. Ryle which summarizes one of the worst problems in the American church: "There is a common worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough--a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice--which costs nothing, and is worth nothing" (92). If your church produces this, run away fast.
I could not agree more with this assessment from his chapter on evangelism:
"We need to see an end to a wrong, shallow view of evangelism as simply getting people to say yes to a question, or to make a one-time decision. We need to seen an end to the bad fruit of false evangelism. We need to see an end to worldly people having assurance that they're saved just because they once took a stand, shook a hand, or repeated a prayer. ... We need to see the end of this debilitating, deadly coldness to the glorious call to tell the Good News. And we need to see a renewed commitment to, and joy in, the great privilege we have of sharing the Good News of Christ with the lost and dying world around us" (143-4).
The chapters I liked most were 6, 7 and 8 on church membership, church discipline and a healthy church's concern for discipleship and growth.
He convinced me in ch. 6 that church membership is biblical and therefore, absolutely essential for having and maintaining a healthy church. It should have a high commitment, and should be taught on and encouraged regularly. Membership is the environment where edification is supposed take place, which means it is a travesty that we can find so many "Christian books that talk about growing as a Christian but completely ignore the role of the church" (157).
Chapter 7 is an excellent and truly convincing explanation of and defense for church discipline. It should be done for the glory of God in obedience to Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 with the attitudes of "humility and love, and want[ing] to see good come" (187) for the promotion of holiness, the health and witness of the church and the ultimate good of the person disciplined.
Finally, I will sum up Dr. Dever's excellent chapter on discipleship with "a healthy church is characterized by a serious concern for spiritual growth on the part of its members" because in "a healthy church, people want to get better a following Christ" (198). If you do not go to a church where this is a major goal of the people involved, find another one as fast as you can.
In the midst of all the chapters, the greatest strengths of this book come from Dr. Dever's insightful descriptions of modern American church life and his devastating critiques, which are made with equally insightful expositions and applications of Scripture. He does this over and over again throughout the book and it is masterful!
In the end, you cannot go wrong in reading this book (I do tend to disagree with his congregational form of church government thinking what Strauch presents in Biblical Eldership is more biblical), and I am convinced that if pastors dumped the unbiblical and irrelevant church growth and emergent movements and joined the Church Health Movement (as outlined in this book) that they would be far better off on their day of judgment (James 3:1; Hebrews 13:7).
Good theological type reference book .......2007-05-13
This book is a good reference with lots of important information; however, it is written in theological terms and sometimes hard to follow.
Church Health.......2007-02-25
Pastor Mark Dever writes from Scripture and from pastoral experience. He writes to pastors, elders, and all committed Christians reminding readers that church health must precede church growth.
"Nine Marks of a Healthy Church" is counter-cultural. That is, it moves counter to the Christian culture of the day that promotes a watered-down version of Christianity and Church life.
Dever combines the rare ability to write prophetically (challenging current Christian culture) while still writing enticingly (encouraging change rather than promoting division and antagonism). He also combines the greatest of skills: relating biblical truth to daily life and relationships.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Soul Physicians, Spiritual Friends, Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, "Biblical Psychology," and "Martin Luther's Pastoral Counseling."
Amazon.com
Geraldine Brooks spent two years as a Middle East news correspondent, covering the death of Khomeini and the like. She also learned a lot about what it's like for Islamic women today. Brooks' book is exceedingly well-done--she knows her Islamic lore and traces the origins of today's practices back to Mohammed's time. Personable and very readable, Brooks takes us through the women's back door entrance of the Middle East for an unusual and provocative view.
Customer Reviews:
Love this book.......2007-10-09
Everyone woman in the USA should read this book to understand how very lucky we are. The book was written well before 9/11 and I think I finally understand what was in the mind of the terroist.
a masterpiece of journalism and good writing.......2007-09-13
The author conveys immense respect, honour, and friendship towards her subject, and towards the individuals she writes about. Very fine journalism, one has to admire the courage and hard work it took for her to put this book together.
It was an enjoyable and informative read. It saddens me to learn of those who may not simply be trapped by a literal veil, but who are trapped in such entrenched cultural dogma that they would come to accept or even welcome abuse and suppression as a norm, and who would even fight against efforts to have freedom. I see this sort of phenomenon also in those who have grown up in an abusive home, who come to expect mistreatment as a norm.
The reason that the average rating for this book is not "5 stars" is naturally because of the various extremely low ratings, which are entirely predictable given the subject matter here. I would invite the reader to take a look at those reviews, which are for the most part fundamentalist rantings; it will make them easy to dismiss.
A Window into Women in Islam.......2007-04-03
When I picked up this book, I could not put it down. Everything about this book fasinated me: the connections to ancient Islamic hadith, the lives of specific women, and the overlying comparisions on treatment of women in the Middle East. One by one, Brooks takes issues she encountered while living there and address each on its own. She laces individual stories with greater events and observations, trying not to make judgments - until the end. Then she sets forth with a fury and I can't help but admire the way in which she puts forth her arguments.
The book was clearly written for a Western audience unfamiliar with most Islamic traditions and that happened to work out nicely for me as I just happened to be that kind of audience. This book was not meant for people very familiar with Islam and the Middle East, if you are and plan to read this book, I would suggest patience as Brooks explains many things you might already know.
The biggest flaw is the structure of the book, which seems to jump around alot and isn't bound by a central theme or string (other than Islamic women, of course). Each chapter stands on its own and address a different topic, which makes it nice to read, but negates the impact of the conclusion. The other problem is one of age. The book was written over ten years ago and most of the interviews took place during the late 80s, early 90s. This impacts the discussion of nations in the book, especially for Afghanistan and Iraq (of course). However, I did not find it that distracting as most of the book discusses the women and their every day life.
In all, I would recommend this book, especially to people interested in Women's Studies or the Middle East. It's light reading and fasinating, so anyone interested in those topics should get around to reading it sooner or later.
Balanced Account Of Life Among Women In The Muslim World.......2007-04-02
I have read many books related to Islam and this is one of the best. Many writers approach Islam with a political axe to grind, either intentionally seeking to defame the entire Muslim world or serving as apologist's for the religion's tendencies towards misogyny and violence.
But Brooks, in contrast, comes across as an open minded journalist attemping to report honestly on her experinces living and working in the Middle East for six years. Yes, she's a Western secular feminist and she makes no secret of that being her personal perspective. But still she strives to maintain her journalistic objectivity and report on the wide range of differing opinions among Muslim women themselves. For instance, she describes her conversations with Muslim women that prefer to stay veiled as well as her talks with Muslim women that see veiling as oppressive and confining. She doesn't offer a blanket condemnation of the women who prefer to be veiled. But instead explains the cultural and religious basis for veiling while articulating her own liberal Western perspective that finds it to be a disturbing practice. She doesn't pull any punches in explaining some of the worst excesses of Middle Eastern Islamic culture, such as the Saudi Arabian father who murdered his own daughter for not being a virgin on her wedding night. But she also recognizes that early Islam, at least while under Muhammad's leadership, generally improved the status of women in the Arab world.
Still Brooks makes it clear that it isn't so much what a religion claims to believe in but rather the real life actions of it's followers that truly matters. Islam has some admirable beliefs, such as its emphasis on helping the poor and needy. But still it's indisputable, at least from my liberal Western perspective, that women in the Muslim world are far too often treated as second class citizens and Brooks does a fine job of articulating this as well as many other aspects of life for women in the Middle East. Highly recommended!
Islamic gender politics through the eyes of a secular feminist........2007-02-20
As its subtitle suggests, Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist Geraldine Brooks' (Year of Wonders; March) fascinating study, NINE PARTS OF DESIRE, reveals the "hidden world" of Islamic Women. Having spent six years covering the Middle East for the Wall Street Journal, and two years living in the Middle East as a news correspondent, Brooks (a secular feminist) immersed herself in Islamic culture, studied the Koran, and interviewed both fundamentalist and feminist women to reach a well-informed understanding of the often confusing and seemingly incomprehensible Islamic practices that have disempowered women from Mohammed to the present. In her examination of Islamic gender politics, Brooks not only explores why Islamic women are prohibited from wearing any clothing that would arouse desire in men and why they are prohibited from praying aloud in public, but why they submit to such practices. This book will provide readers with an informed understanding of Islamic practices relating to women.
G. Merritt
Book Description
In this ground-breaking book, acclaimed author Kati Marton brings to life an unknown chapter of World War II: the tale of nine men who grew up in Budapest's brief Golden Age, then, driven from Hungary by anti-Semitism, fled to the West, especially to the United States, and changed the world. These nine men, each celebrated for individual achievements, were actually part of a unique group who grew up in a time and place that will never come again. It is Marton's extraordinary achievement to trace what for a few dazzling years was common to all of them -- the magic air of Budapest -- and show how their separate lives and careers were, in fact, all shaped by Budapest's lively café life before the darkness closed in.
Marton follows the astonishing lives of four history-changing scientists, all just one step ahead of Hitler's terror state, who helped usher in the nuclear age and the computer (Edward Teller, John von Neumann, Leo Szilard, and Eugene Wigner); two major movie myth-makers (Michael Curtiz, who directed Casablanca, and Alexander Korda, who produced The Third Man); two immortal photographers (Robert Capa and Andre Kertesz); and one seminal writer (Arthur Koestler, Darkness at Noon).
Marton follows these brilliant products of Budapest's Golden Age as they flee fascism in the 1920s and 1930s en route to sanctuary -- and immortality. As the scientists labor in the secret city of Los Alamos in the race to build the atom bomb, Koestler, once a communist agent imprisoned by Franco, writes the most important anticommunist novel of the century. Capa, the first photographer to go ashore on D-Day, later romances Ingrid Bergman and is acknowledged as the world's greatest war photographer before his tragic death in Vietnam. Curtiz not only gives us Casablanca, consistently voted the greatest romantic movie ever made, but also discovers Doris Day and directs James Cagney in the quintessential patriotic film, Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Ultimately, The Great Escape is an American story and an important, previously untold chapter of the tumultuous last century. Yet it is also a poignant story -- in the words of the great historian Fritz Stern, "an evocation of genius in exile . . . an instructive, moving delight." An epilogue relates the journey into exile of three members of the next generation of Budapest exiles: financier-philanthropist George Soros, Intel founder Andy Grove, and 2002 Nobel laureate in literature Imre Kertesz.
Customer Reviews:
Why immigration is good for America.......2007-09-06
Most of the nine Hungarian Jews discussed in this book emmigrated to America and made outstanding contributions to science, mathematics, information technology, and films. Hungary, during its short life of freedom, served as an incubator for intellecutual curiosity. The rise of Nazism forced these great minds to flee there native country and eventually wind up in the U.S.A. Their contributions to the U.S.A. resulted in the development of the atomic and hydrogen bombs, the computer and a branch of mathematics called game theory. The efforts of these immegrants contributed substantially to our victory over both Germany and Japan,
Budapest as the incubator of Greatness.......2007-05-31
The nine men biographied in this book all were born in pre-WWI Budapest when it was the capital of half the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They were "double" outsiders being both Jews and Hungarians, estranged from most of the rest of Central Europe and from their own homeland. After WWI and (thankfully) before the beginning of WW2, they all managed to escape. But they didn't escape from Hitler, most when they first left Budapest went to either Berlin or Vienna; they truly escaped from Admiral Horthy and his Arrow Cross, the first fascist government in Europe.
Of the nine, seven made their homes in america and two in england. In England would 'settle' Alexander Korda who was considered the 'only' British film mogul (producer of "The Third Man") who was later knighted. Also Arthur Koestler, ex-communist who would write the Stalin scathing novel "Darkness at Noon" which first brought to light the Gulag and the terror of Communism.
Four of the scientist who came to america ended up the major forces behind the 'Manhattan Project', the H-Bomb (and later design the 'Strategic Defense Initiative') and the first true computer "Eniac". Two others are responsible for many of the most famous photographs ever published (Robert Capa was known as 'the World's Greater War Photo- journalist') in Look, Life and Home & Gardens. The last man, Michael Curtiz, created the look and feel of three of the most famous american movies, "Mildred Pierce" "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and what many consider the greatest (romantic) movie ever made "Casablanca". It was Curtiz who fought with Jack Warner (and won) the battle to use Bogart and Bergman, instead of George Raft and Bette Davis.
At the end, Kati Marton (whose own family escaped from Hungary in 1956 following the abortive revolution), does a phenomenal job of bringing these nine mens lives to life. Her ending snippets about Andrew Grove (of Intel) and George Soros (who gives new meaning to the word Philanthropist) are worth the price of the book alone.
Hungarians love their salami and their Magyars.......2007-03-26
Every anti-semitic Hungarian needs to read this book.
OK, but..........2007-03-20
I found this book quite interesting although not very well written. I am also less than happy with some of choices made by the author - why these nine are featured when some of them (A. Korda, for example) are not in the same league of significance as others. Why were others ignored?
But that was all well until I read that E. Wigner never returned to Hungary late in his life and was never honored there officially. I met Wigner in Budapest in the late seventies on one of his several trips to Hungary and I know that he received numerous acknowledgments there. Among others, he was elected an Honorary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. So I wonder, what else is inaccurate in the book?
Budapest's loss is the world's gain..........2007-03-12
Ms Marton is a wonderful writer and her subject matter is close to her heart as she is a transplanted Hungarian, like the subjects of her fascinating tale: "The Great Escape". Marton has focused on nine Hungarians,scientists, film makers and photographers, who fled their homeland because of the country's intolerance to their religion. To a man they went on to make their mark in their respective fields the common thread besides their birthplace, was their everlasting affection for Budapest as one of the subjects stated "Everything I am is because of my experience growing up in Budapest". A very fine read, as a result of the book, I have been looking into travelling to this fabled city .
Product Description
In our postmodern, experience-oriented culture, people are longing for greater authenticity, integrity, and depth in their pastors and leaders. Board directors, church members, and staff alike are all eagerly seeking leaders who effectively integrate their spirituality and leadership. Pastors and executives, however, often struggle with knowing how to integrate their spiritual values and practices into their leadership and management roles. Designed for pastors, executives, administrators, managers, coordinators, and all who see themselves as leaders and who want to fulfill their God-given purpose, The Spirit-Led Leader addresses the critical fusion of spiritual life and leadership for those who not only want to see results, but who also desire to care just as deeply about who they are and how they lead as they do about what they produce and accomplish. Geoffrion creates a new vision for spiritual leadership as partly an art, partly a result of careful planning, and always a working of the grace of God. PRAISE ABOUT THE BOOK Before I finished the introduction of The Spirit-Led Leader, I knew that Timothy Geoffrion was refreshingly honest. Halfway through the book, I knew that he had a great ability to integrate essential things. Now, having finished the book, I consider it one of the best books on leadership I've readinspiring, challenging, practical, and balanced. Brian McLaren Geoffrions book offers us a foundation for leadership beyond human striving. He points us instead to profound dependence upon the grace of God at work in us. Ruth Haley Barton If youve ever struggled with the dilemma of how to integrate your personal faith into effective corporate leadership, you will want to read Tim Geoffrions book. What is needed, he says, is nothing less than a complete transformation of ones life. Corinne Ware At turns inspirational and practical, The Spirt-Led Leader charts a course that is both hopeful and challenging. If Christian leaders base their work on these works, theres no telling the Kingdom work that can happen! Tony Jones
Customer Reviews:
The Spirit Lead Leader.......2007-03-09
The Book gave helpful information, and made it stick with Chapter Quizes at the end of each Chapter.
These could even be useful in a Council or Board retreat for Church leaders.
Initial Response.......2007-02-23
After a first quick reading I believe this book is a helpful addition to the resources available for leadership, especially in Christian ministry positions and Christian based businesses. A bit repetitious, the author lays out a strong foundation for leading others into a cooperative and harmonious relationship.
I enjoyed a very good read on Leadership.......2006-02-25
I enjoyed T. Geoffrion's Spiritled leadership. His personal experiences in leadership and life experiences help make it an easy read.
He does a great job synthesizing his thoughts with other's thoughts on the issue: from Brother Lawrence on servant leadership to current secular leadership gurus like the "get the right people on the bus" guy I'm spacing his name---.
I also liked the creative format that seems crafted to make the book practical after reading i.e. "what's needed, what's real...."
Thanks Tim ,I'm recommending it to our staff
Book Description
A new supplement that further explores fiends of the D&D world.
Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells is a supplement designed to be the definitive resource for information about devils and the Nine Hells of the D&D world. Like its predecessor Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss, this game material is completely compatible with the D&D core rulebooks and is intended for both D&D players and Dungeon Masters.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Robin Laws is a freelance writer who has designed dozens of roleplaying game products, including most recently Dungeon Master’s Guide II.
Robert J. Schwalb is a freelance developer and editor who primarily works on game products for Green Ronin Publishing.
Customer Reviews:
An Excelent Source for Devilish Exploits.......2007-07-12
This book is all about Devils and the Plane where they reside. I mean all about them. In my mind there are three really fantastic masterminds in Dungeons and Dragons: Dragons, Mindflayers and Devils.
If you're looking for content you can use all the time, then this isn't the best book for you. Go look at the compendiums or the Complete books. If you want villains and powers to tie together an entire campaign from level 1 into epic, than this is for you.
Included inside is a very nice tale of the creation of hell and the devils that can be easily adapted for your home brew world. Then theres feats, spells, prestige classes, descriptions of the layers and lots of new devils.
Again I must stress that the prestige classes, feats and spells are really geared towards either serving devils or fighting them. This book is a commitment to a devil themed campaign. It does so beautifully.
With the help of this book, my main villain just became a pawn in planar politics. My PCs have lots of options, on how to progress forward. I've got lots of ideas and environments for epic feeling quests before we get to the main devils. I highly reccomend it.
Hell awaits only the most brave or foolish.......2007-05-30
Well, I have to congratulate Wizards for adding another great book to the list of accessories. Our group runs several high level to epic level campaigns and this is a must for anyone who wants to involve the Blood War and the politics and intrigue of hell to your campaign. The new stats for the all the major players are here along with prominent followers and factions for each lord. There are many new feats and skills specific to just these planes as well as a few new presige classes that you can use for PC's and NPC's. The other great things is the plethora of roleplaying ideas for each of the nine hells, including cities, landmarks and many maps to really help you flush out your campaign. Things like this and other information make it a must for your collection so that when your party meets Mephistopheles, its an experience that they will never forget!
Awesome Book.......2007-05-16
This book gave great inside views into hell. It gave the facts on how hell lives, sleeps and breaths, along with the ArchDevils to go with it. If your planning on running a adventure in hell for a duration of time i suggest this book.
Useful Add-on.......2007-05-13
This book is a very good addition to any D&D campaign that plans on traveling to the Outer Planes, or fights extraplanar threats on a regular basis. The maps of the nine layers, and the detailed write-ups of the unique leaders of each of the layers add to it's usefulness. The extra devils are also useful to allow for rotating of devilish threats.
Deviliscious.......2007-05-07
If you are a cruel DM (at times) then this is the book for you. Nothing like a trap door to Hell to get your adventuring party set-up for a TPK. In all seriousness, this is a great source for Devils in any DM's line-up, I am glad I picked it up.
Book Description
Tome of Battle introduces a new combat subsystem for the D&D game. Tome of Battle introduces new rules for players who want new and interesting combat options for their characters. The nine martial disciplines presented within allow a character with the proper knowledge and focus to perform special combat maneuvers and nearly magical effects. Three new martial adept base classes are presented that allow a character to develop their discipline even further. Also included are new feats and prestige classes that build on the disciplines, new magic items and spells, and new monster and organizations.
Customer Reviews:
Our new favorite PC book.......2007-10-06
My entire gaming group reached a consensus: this book is our new favorite book for core classes in DnD 3.5.
First off, a cautionary note: DM's WILL want to read this before letting their player with all the disposable income roll up a character from this book, as its systems are complicated and the character abilities have been created almost whole-cloth. In general, we've found the classes to be powerful for a long time over a long series of encounters, but not QUITE overly so. When compared to the amount of damage a like-level sorcerer can throw around or a twinked-out feat-er, they're about right.
The core mechanics added are the nine martial Styles, which provide a choice of Maneuvers and Stances.
Styles: various fun, flavor-filled fighting styles, each with their own distinct forms, themes, signature weapons, etc. Example: Desert Wind focuses on slashing weapons and often allows a fighter to move quickly around the battlefield and deal elemental fire damage.
Maneuvers: Specific martial attacks with often near-spell-like effects that add a distinct descriptive element to the game. Maneuvers are used once, then lost, but can be regained during combat in a number of different ways, depending on your core class. Many attack-based maneuvers focus on making one standard action to achieve a very nice, powerful effect, so if your player knows his rules, this can actually speed UP combat if he usually plays a dual-wielding cheese monster (no, that's NEVER happened in any of my games...)
Stances: A martial stance that provides a continuous, ongoing benefit. Players can switch between them as a swift action.
The core classes are all very cool, and determine which Styles you have access to. As they start, they have access to a choice of lower-level maneuvers and stances, but these can be readily switched out later for more powerful ones, so their early choices don't become useless later on. In fact, the core classes are so cool, you often will stop looking for a prestige class, unless it is one of the few included in the book that also make use of the martial stance/maneuver system.
In addition to having access to specific style choices, each class also gets interesting class abilities as well. One cool example: the Warblade, a medium-armor figher type, can buy fighter-specific feats as an equivalent figher a few levels lower (read: weapon specialization, greater weapon specialization, etc.). In addition, they can CHANGE any weapon-specific feats to focus on a different weapon, such as weapon focus, weapon spec., with only a short amount of exercise at the beginning of the day. Did your character focus on swords but find a sweet magical greataxe? No problem.
Fans of White Wolf's Exalted game with notice some similarity in the stances and maneuvers to Exalted's Charm structure, the big plus being that lower-powered maneuvers learned early in a characters career can be switched out for higher ones, rather than lingering around at higher levels not doing anything like a bag of caltrops.
All in all, the Book of Nine Swords is not a must-have to play the game, and is certainly not appropriate to every single type of campaign, but most long-time DnD players will find the book adds new spice to their game, with new and interesting options that remain effective no matter what level your character is at the moment.
JT
Excellent.......2007-08-09
Great new classes in the book. It opens up wonderful new possibilities for melee characters.
broken but fun (review is for ppl who know the game).......2007-08-02
I haven't totally devoured the entire book. However, i am currently playing a third level Warblade (class level of four) in a very active campaign. I made sure to OK the class with the DM before using it. I made sure he was aware of how some people declare the class is broken, but he said it would be fine.
I have to admit, i didn't think it was broken until i had taken a few levels in the class. In short, my character just seems over powered, in combat. At the cost of next to nothing, he can add an extra d6 of damage to every other attack...and that is only one of the five "maneuvers" he has in his repertoire. As he continues to level, the amount of extra damage dice continues to climb. Along with these dice come other perks, such as disallowing your enemy to move for a round, or to bypass damage reduction. It just seems too easy to accomplish spell-like abilities for no real cost to the character.
It feels as though these maneuvers not only take the place of figher feats, they are far superior to them. Also, the Warblade gets some pretty decent class features, that make it almost swashbuckelerish, without any real penalties. My character is a Dwarven tank.
I should note that we are playing a rather high powered campaign. Strength and Constitution are both 18 and he has points in Intelligence to aid with the class abilities of the Warblade. He also has no negative modifiers on any of his abilities (all are 10 or above). However, all other characters were made using the same sytem.
I certainly wouldn't say the book is bad. The system they lay out for maneuvers and stances works and is consistent. I certainly have fun playing the axe-wielding cuisinart who mops up the bad guys. Our campaign has a deep enough storyline that just excelling in combat doesn't make for an over-powered character compared to the other characters.
But just be warned, that if you have a large party, with more than one front-line fighter, there may be some jealous glances thrown the way of your Warblade. And if your players aren't mature enough, you may find some arguments breaking out.
Cool new classes and system.......2007-07-19
The classes in this book are awesome and the weapon techniques are cool. The desert wind school has some of the coolest abilities as the shadow hand style. It makes for interesting strategic combat.
Excellent resource for high power campaigns.......2007-07-16
Gamers who play low-power, goblin-bashing campaigns will find little use with this resource. Using any of the classes or even some of the feats will greatly disrupt the balance of power in any low-magic, low-power gaming style. However, for those whose prefer supplemental books such as Epic or Unearthed Arcana , this is a fun and much needed resource.
This book brings relevancy to the fighter-based classes. In any high-power campaign, wizards, clerics, pscions and even druids wipe the floor with fighters and barbarians. Tome of Battle provides three alternative fighter classes that have spell-like abilities they may execute several times per day. Using martial-art style maneuvers, stances and counters, these ultra-fighters do extra damage, strike multiple targets, unleash a whip of fire or pounce like a wild cat.
I am a DM who eagerly purchased this book when it was first published. Now, I cannot run a campaign without at least one player choosing a Warblade or Swordsage. Even at low levels, I can really open up the Monster Manual and provide new, challenging and diverse encounters without having to worry about killing the PCs too quickly.
But more than bringing balance to my high-powered campaign, it makes fighter fun for all of my players, most of whom have been playing D&D for two decades. Versatility, adaptability and creativity have never been the hallmarks of the fighter classes, and for that reason, experienced players tend to choose classes with more depth. Tome of Battle brings that much needed depth to the fighter. This book makes fighters fun again. That's worth all of five stars.
Book Description
One American in ten tells the other nine how to vote, where to eat, and what to buy. They are
The Influentials
Who are they? The most influential Americans -- the ones who tell their neighbors what to buy, which politicians to support, and where to vacation -- are not necessarily the people you'd expect. They're not America's most affluent 10 percent or best-educated 10 percent. They're not the "early adopters," always the first to try everything from Franco-Polynesian fusion cooking to digital cameras. They are, however, the 10 percent of Americans most engaged in their local communities...and they wield a huge amount of influence within those communities. They're the campaigners for open-space initiatives. They're church vestrymen and friends of the local public library. They're the Influentials...and whether or not they are familiar to you, they're very well known to the researchers at RoperASW. For decades, these researchers have been on a quest for marketing's holy grail: that elusive but supremely powerful channel known as word of mouth. What they've learned is that even more important than the "word" -- what is said -- is the "mouth" -- who says it. They've identified, studied, and analyzed influence in America since the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (now Exxon) hired Elmo Roper himself to develop a model for identifying opinion leaders, and in The Influentials, they are finally ready to share their results. A few samples:
• Influentials have been the "early majority" -- leading indicators of what Americans will be buying -- for more than five decades, from choosing energy-efficient cars in the 1970s to owning computers in the 1980s to adopting 401(k)s and IRAs in the 1990s to using the Internet and cell phones today.
• Influentials have led the way in social development as well, from the revival of self-reliance (in managing their own health care, investments, and consumption) to mass skepticism about the marketing claims of everything from breakfast food to politicians.
Although America's Influentials have always been powerful, they've never been more important than now. Today, a fragmented market has made it possible for Influentials to opt out of mass-message advertising, which means that a different route must be taken to capture their hearts and minds. The Influentials is a map for that route, a map that explains who these people are, how they exercise influence, and how they can be targeted. The Influentials features a series of rules and guidelines for marketing to Influentials; case studies of products that have prospered because of Influential marketing (and products that have failed because they lacked it); a history of the phenomenon...and why Influentials are more influential today than ever; and profiles of twelve real-life Influentials.
Both an intellectual adventure and a hands-on marketing manual, The Influentials is an extraordinary gold mine of information and analysis that no business can afford to ignore.
Download Description
"One American in ten tells the other nine how to vote, where to eat, and what to buy. They are The Influentials Who are they? The most influential Americans -- the ones who tell their neighbors what to buy, which politicians to support, and where to vacation -- are not necessarily the people you'd expect. They're not America's most affluent 10 percent or best-educated 10 percent. They're not the ""early adopters,"" always the first to try everything from Franco-Polynesian fusion cooking to digital cameras. They are, however, the 10 percent of Americans most engaged in their local communities...and they wield a huge amount of influence within those communities. They're the campaigners for open-space initiatives. They're church vestrymen and friends of the local public library. They're the Influentials...and whether or not they are familiar to you, they're very well known to the researchers at RoperASW. For decades, these researchers have been on a quest for marketing's holy grail: that elusive but supremely powerful channel known as word of mouth. What they've learned is that even more important than the ""word"" -- what is said -- is the ""mouth"" -- who says it. They've identified, studied, and analyzed influence in America since the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (now Exxon) hired Elmo Roper himself to develop a model for identifying opinion leaders, and in The Influentials, they are finally ready to share their results.
Customer Reviews:
Not Recommended.......2007-01-28
If you can read the title, there's not much of a point in reading the rest of the book...except maybe for one section describing how to identify "the influentials". Still, I don't recommend buying it.
Insightful core theme- Doesn't need a full book though.......2005-05-19
Interesting book. Basic premise is that the folks that spread the word about mass market products are not movie stars or early adopters, but folks who are socially and politically active in their communities. Think den mothers, PTA members, folks in the Lions Club, the local city council etc. The notion connects to the concepts outlined in "Tipping Point" about Connectors, Mavens and Salespeople, although the framing is different and in this case Influentials appear to be part Connector, part Maven and part Salespeople.
In any case, it's a valuable insight which is probably relevant across cultures and countries. You don't need to read the whole book but it's worth reading a few chapters.
Good title, but the actual book part just muddles things.......2004-11-18
The Influetials is either just a big statistical blob or I missed something. Keller et al start out by describing the influential as someone who other people in the community kind of look toward. They are very socially connected and respected. There is no doubt in my mind that the proposition that one in ten people has a huge influence on how the other nine think, however instead of exploring the social patterns Keller et al try to define that person whom they call an "Influential" They begin by saying in the first chapter that statistics can't pinpoint an influential and then spend most of the book tossing statistics on influentials at the reader - lots of tables that don't tell me anything.
One thing that I found interesting were the case studies scattered through the book. Basically these were mini-biographies of influentials slanted more towards what they were up to at the moment. Even these weren't all that helpful.
I recommend skipping The Influentials. The title is really good but the book doesn't focus or do much to back it up. Actually things just get muddled. The Tipping Point by Malcome Gladwell has a good bit of discussion about who influences opinions and how. Check that out instead.
The Influentials.......2004-03-31
The Roper organization has long been known for the quality and reliability of its data. Now it has given us a remarkable distillation of information in order to show how a select group of people carry more weight in the decision-making processes of the rest of us.
In "The Influentials: One American in Ten Tells the Other Nine How to Vote, Where to Eat and What to Buy," Jon Berry and Ed Keller of Roper ASW tell us how certain people stay ahead of the curve and, essentially, create and maintain that most precious of marketing commodities: "word of mouth."
Of course, the real trick is discover how channels of influence weave their way through the popular culture and subtly induce us to buy. The "Influentials" among us have mastered this because, according to Berry and Keller, they are more likely to accept new ideas, to ask questions, and to listen carefully. With its fact-based approach, "The Influentials" brings us into the lives of people whose habits, desires and innate characteristics enable them to create the "buzz" that will lead to product success.
The book is extremely well documented, with lots of charts and graphs that go back through 30 years or Roper research. As a marketing professional, I was impressed with their arguments and their proven methods. Great book. I say, go for it !.
There *is* good information in here.......2004-02-11
There really is good information in this book. And some of the findings are certainly useful for understanding this important segment of the population.
However, the book reads like a 300+ page market research report. You are bombarded with statistic after statistic embedded in what seems to be every other sentence.
If you manage or market consumer products professionally, you will probably find this book useful. If you're reading this for personal interest, be aware that it is a bit tedious to read.
Book Description
From the inspirational leader and author of the international bestsellers Your Sacred Self and the classic Your Erroneous Zones comes this mind-awakening guidebook for making your desires reality.
Based on ancient principles and spiritual practices, Manifest Your Destiny introduces the Nine Spiritual Principles that will help you overcome the barriers--both within and around you--that prevent you from getting what you want, including:
- Developing spiritual awareness
- Trusting yourself
- Reconnecting to your environment
- Attracting your desires
- Accepting your own worthiness
- Practicing unconditional love
- Meditating to unlock the power within you
- Letting go of demands
Filled with warmth and insight, this invaluable book will help you achieve your goals--and take you to a level higher than you've ever dreamed.
Customer Reviews:
A cook book for spirituality.......2007-06-06
This book is one of the clearest, most concise spiritual books I have ever read. People who review it badly, must be Fundamentalist Christians or just negative human beings. If you read this book with an open heart and mind, it says it all. It gives you everything you need to be a happy, fulfilled human being and to manifest good in your life and the lives of others. It is so short and simple, I call it a Cookbook for life. Get it and read it again and again. But if you are a negative, dogmatic, closed minded person, don't get it. You won't understand it anyway. Otherwise get a copy for you and all your friends and loved ones. Peace and love to you, Wayne Dyer. God bless you!
Very boring and condescending book.......2007-03-19
Dyer thinks he's God. I'm tired of his constant criticism about everything and everyone. Now in this book if you want to look young or lose weight you're selfish and a bad person. Then in his lectures he says you can reverse time. He says whatever he wants to make money and I find him a hypocrite. Every principle is that he writes if from some great enlightenment in his life. Why didn't he pay the Catholic Church for stealing St. Francis' prayer. The catholic church is not happy with Wayne Dyer and that's something you can research on the net. He takes what he wants to make money off of innocent people.
Awesome!.......2007-02-28
Manifest Your Destiny encourages you to step into your own PLACE OF POWER. It encourages you to do so and lets you know that it is your spiritual right to do so. Furthermore, this book gives you the techniques and information necessary for you to live your life in authentic power. "Never ever a victim " is the consciousness that grows out of reading and applying the information in this book. Truly awesome! Peace and love!
A good accompaniment to the CD's of the same name.......2007-02-20
Dr. Dyer has once again presented the spiritual and metaphysical universe directly and succinctly, encouraging us to step back inside ourselves to access the infinite. I found this book to be a wonderful accompaniment to the CD set by the same name.
Loved it!.......2007-02-07
As I always feel about Wayne D. It was a perfect insight into a healthy way to focus one's wants and desires. Whenever I need spiritual help I run to Wayne's media to help me to look for my inward needs to be met.
Books:
- The Power of Impossible Thinking: Transform the Business of Your Life and the Life of Your Business
- The Power of Impossible Thinking: Transform the Business of Your Life and the Life of Your Business
- The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life)
- The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life)
- The Secret: Unlocking the Source of Joy and Fulfillment
- The Shadow of the Wind: A Novel
- The Simple Truth
- The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less
- The Street Lawyer
- The Successor: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Childhood Language Disorders in Context: Infancy through Adolescence
- Top-Secret, Personal Beeswax: A Journal by Junie B.
- The Hollywood Way: A Young Movie Mogul's Savvy Business Tips for Success in Any Career
- The Myth of Hitler's Pope: Pope Pius XII and His Secret War Against Nazi Germany
- The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Growing More Profitably
- What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coff
- Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff
- CIMA Study System 05: Financial Accounting and Tax Principles, First Edition: For May and November 2
- The Invisible Hand: Economic Thought Yesterday and Today
- Medstar II: Jedi Healer
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
The Go Point: When It's Time to Decide--Knowing What to Do and When to Do It
Leading Up: How to Lead Your Boss So You Both Win
The Leadership Experience (Thomson - South-Western)
Leadership in Organizations (6th Edition)
Upward Bound: Nine Original Accounts of How Business Leaders Reached Their Summits
