This Moment on Earth: Today's New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future

Book Description

An inspiring celebration of courageous American innovators who are transforming the way we protect and care for the world we live in.

The environment, and the movement that grew up to protect it, is under attack--concerted and purposeful. Yet the need for solutions to pressing environmental problems grows more urgent each day. Teresa Heinz Kerry and Senator John Kerry traveled across the country in a national campaign to see at first hand how these issues unite people across party and ideological lines. From the San Juan Basin to the Gulf of Mexico to the South Bronx, from mothers on Cape Cod to Colorado ranchers, they found a vibrant coalition of people and communities deploying ingenuity, technology, and sheer will power to save the world they know and love. Now, in this passionate and personal book, Senator John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry shine the spotlight on an inspiring crosssection of these new environmental pioneers.

The book combines intensive research with keenly observed personal experiences to present a portrait of Americans devoted to the natural diversity and spectacular uniqueness of our country. It also includes an extensive guide on where and how readers can get involved.

Customer Reviews:

May A Republican Say Something?.......2007-10-06

Senator Kerry, this is one of the best books I've read in a long time, and I read a lot of books. The common sense, lack of passion, and optimism did my old heart good. Since I'm not as optimistic as you, I believe if we're to come out of this tailspin that my party has put us in, your approach, not mine, is the key. As a Vietnam veteran who was shot down twice in Vietnam 1968-69, I hope you understand that the Swift Boat guys were exploited by sociopaths. The weak minded simply cannot refuse even the briefest moment in the limelight. They well forsake God and country without hesitation. Supporting you in 2004 has turned out to be one of the smartest things I have ever done. Believe me, it wasn't easy. It temporarily cost me the goodwill of friends and family. Thousands of Americans are still cheering Bush and Cheney not even aware that all their savings may be wiped out before these two leave office. Saudi Arabia on this very day--10/06/2007--has refused to cut interest rates in lockstep with the US Federal Reserve for the first time, signaling that the oil-rich Gulf kingdom is preparing to break the dollar currency peg in a move that risks setting off a stampede out of the dollar across the Middle East. As you know, Israel has already refused aid (free money) in Dollars. When Americans turned their backs on International laws, they turned their backs on God's laws as well. The price for doing so will be incomprehensible for most. Another book, please.

Required Reading.......2007-08-08

The material in this book should be put in the public's face daily via media, billboards, etc. It should be required reading. Every mother should understand that a disposable diaper takes 500 years to biodegrade (and as those chemicals in the diaper biodegrade, they pollute and cause potential carcinogens).

I would not call the book "bipartisan" as per some of the other reviews, and I think its bashing of the Bush administration (even though I am not a fan) detracted from the overall book. However, it is important reading; it had an impact on my behavior.

Stories of Hope.......2007-08-02

I was a little skeptical with this book being written by John Kerry. I wasn't sure what to expect. It gives some really good stories of everyday people who just wanted to make a change for the better. They weren't any sort of extremists or hippies. Just people with common sense and the determination to stand up for their right to live in a clean world.

KERRY gETS IT RIGHT.......2007-06-18

Kerry analyzes today;s environmental experts and gets it right. The book is passionate, well researched, spot on and well written. I was pleasantly surprised.

I think Kerry was at his best early in the book when he evaluated some of the current plans for saving the Earth. He got a little off track as the book progressed, then veered back on track in the last 100 pages.

I highly recommend this book for anybody who cares about the planet. Also recommended: "Earth In The Balance" by Al Gore. Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit

Encouragement for activism.......2007-06-09

This book is both inspiring and upsetting. Inspiring for the stories of success in opposing pollution and degradation of the environment and restoration to a more healthy one. It is upsetting to read of the abuses and pollution creating dangerous places to live.

It is a call to action that we all need to consider. I got many good ideas about issues I hadn't thought about and it made me think about my local situation. It's good to know people have won battles and corrected abuses.

Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series)

Average customer rating:

WOW!!!
Wonderful but it is difficult
Fantastic Book
A Thorough Introduction
Great book

Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series)
Erich Gamma , Richard Helm , Ralph Johnson , and John Vlissides
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code
Head First Design Patterns (Head First)
Code Complete, Second Edition
UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling Language (3rd Edition) (The Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series)
The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master

ASIN: 0201633612

Amazon.com

Design Patterns is a modern classic in the literature of object-oriented development, offering timeless and elegant solutions to common problems in software design. It describes patterns for managing object creation, composing objects into larger structures, and coordinating control flow between objects. The book provides numerous examples where using composition rather than inheritance can improve the reusability and flexibility of code. Note, though, that it's not a tutorial but a catalog that you can use to find an object-oriented design pattern that's appropriate for the needs of your particular application--a selection for virtuoso programmers who appreciate (or require) consistent, well-engineered object-oriented designs.

Book Description

Now on CD, this internationally acclaimed bestseller is more valuable than ever!

Use the contents of the CD to create your own design documents and reusable components. The CD contains: 23 patterns you can cut and paste into your own design documents; sample code demonstrating pattern implementation; complete Design Patterns content in standard HTML format, with numerous hyperlinked cross-references; accessed through a standard web browser; Java-based dynamic search mechanism, enhancing online seach capabilities; graphical user environment, allowing ease of navigation.

First published in 1995, this landmark work on object-oriented software design presents a catalog of simple and succinct solutions to common design problems. Created by four experienced designers, the 23 patterns contained herein have become an essential resource for anyone developing reusable object-oriented software. In response to reader demand, the complete text and pattern catalog are now available on CD-ROM. This electronic version of Design Patterns enables programmers to install the book directly onto a computer or network for use as an online reference for creating reusable object-oriented software.

The authors first describe what patterns are and how they can help you in the design process. They then systematically name, explain, evaluate, and catalog recurring designs in object-oriented systems. All patterns are compiled from real-world examples and include code that demonstrates how they may be implemented in object-oriented programming languages such as C++ and Smalltalk. Readers who already own the book will want the CD to take advantage of its dynamic search mechanism and ready-to-install patterns.

Customer Reviews:

WOW!!!.......2007-09-13

Being a total noob to programming, my friend got me into learning about Objective-C and Cocoa. I have bought many books on the subject and I'd like to say that this book helped me with my understanding of objective-c programming language.

Thanks to the authors

Wonderful but it is difficult.......2007-09-05

The book is wonderful and samples are very exciting and meaningful.But book is difficult,if you don't have any idea about design patterns,you cannot learn easily from his book.But If you are not new about Design patterns,this book is very useful.

Fantastic Book.......2007-08-12

I would recommend this book to any software developer, architect, or designer. Fit for all levels of experience. It is clear why this is so often referenced in other development literature.

A Thorough Introduction.......2007-08-12

I have read this book many times over. I purchased
this book many years ago and I still reference it today. For those
who are interested in OO design this is the best book I have read,
followed by John Lakos "Large Scale C++ Design". This book will
have you thinking about how to design software, and if you are
diligent, eventually you will be designing your own patterns.

This book is a definite must for any language, since it will
change the way you view software.

Great book.......2007-08-05

I found the case study very helpfull. The patterns explained in a very clean way, so I recomand every developer that is interesting in design patterns, refactoring etc to read it.

Visions of Sugar Plums (A Stephanie Plum Holiday Novel)

Average customer rating:

Janet, Janet, Janet
Quick fun!
What was Janet Evanovich thinking? Oh I know, let me rip off my fans and make a quick buck...
I was disappointed
Pretty Good Read

Visions of Sugar Plums (A Stephanie Plum Holiday Novel)
Janet Evanovich
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Plum Lovin' (A Stephanie Plum Novel)
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ASIN: 0312986343
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Amazon.com

Christmas in bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's world isn't quite like Christmas in Whoville. With only four days to go before December 25, she doesn't have a decorated tree in her apartment or any presents bought. Plus she's chasing an elusive bail-jumper named Sandy Claws; a hunky guy named Diesel is literally popping in and out of her apartment; and a mob of manic elves is threatening to assault her with cookies. The end result is that Stephanie is feeling a tad stressed over the holiday season. Life isn't any calmer over at her parents' home in the Burg, where Grandma Mazur is dating a new octogenarian stud muffin; sister Valerie is wailing over some unwelcome news; and Stephanie's mother is coping by belting back tumblers of Red Roses in the kitchen. Just where is the elusive Mr. Claws hiding, and why? What's causing the power blackouts all over Trenton? And what about the mysterious villain, Mr. Ring? Is all of this real, or is Stephanie just having a very bad dream?

Janet Evanovich's mysteries are eagerly awaited by fans everywhere and this holiday installment won't disappoint. With a returning cast of entertaining, quirky characters and a rock-solid setting in New Jersey wrapped around an intriguing mystery, Evanovich delivers yet another hilarious adventure featuring irrepressible bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. --Lois Faye Dyer

Book Description

It's five days before Christmas and things are not looking merry for Fugitive Apprehension Agent Stephanie Plum. She hasn't got a tree. She hasn't bought any presents. The malls are jam-packed with staggering shoppers. There's not a twinkle light anywhere to be seen in her apartment-and there's a strange man in her kitchen.Sure, this has happened to Stephanie Plum before. But this guy is different. He's mysterious, sexy-and has his own agenda. His name is Diesel, and he's on a mission. The question is, what does he want with her? Can he help her find a little old toy maker who has skipped out on his bail right before Christmas? Can he survive the Plum family holiday dinner? Can he get Stephanie a tree that doesn't look like it was grown next to a nuclear power plant? These questions and more are keeping Stephanie awake at night. Not to mention the fact that she needs to find a bunch of nasty elves, her sister Valerie has a Christmas "surprise" for the Plums, her niece Mary Alice doesn't believe in Santa anymore, and Grandma Mazur has a new stud muffin. So bring out the plastic reindeer, strap on your jingle bells, and get ready to celebrate the holidays-Jersey style.

Customer Reviews:

Janet, Janet, Janet.......2007-10-09

I was disappointed in this novella having read the entire series of Plum books. No Ranger, Hardly any Morelli and some guy named Diesel who "pops in and out". The story was not believable and the wedding at the end was ridiculous.
Janet, Janet Janet-Please keep Stephanie and the characters that surround her more convincing.

Quick fun!.......2007-08-17

I especially loved this short novel. It was fast, fun, and rang in the holiday spirit! Read it two years ago during Christmas; it's become a holiday tradition and a relaxing break for myself during the busy holiday season! Draw yourself a bubble bath, grab the book, and head for the tub. It's a great escape and you deserve it! Enjoy!

What was Janet Evanovich thinking? Oh I know, let me rip off my fans and make a quick buck..........2007-07-29

I have read the first four books from the Stephanie Plum series and found them rather enjoyable. This book however is awful. It is quite obvious that this book was written in lightning speed with not much thought or editing. I was quickly becoming a fan of Janet Evanovich but this book has turned me away from her slightly.

I was disappointed.......2007-05-24

I love the Stephanie Plum books but I didn't like this one enough to finish it. I'll stick to the number books and pass on the specials from now on. I didn't like the Thanksgiving one either.

Pretty Good Read.......2007-05-06

Janet Evanovich is a great Author. I was disappointed in this Christmas book, however. It seemed that she had rushed to meet the deadline or something. Just not as good as all the others. I did however enjoy reading another book from one of my favorite authors.

Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning (Information Science and Statistics)

Average customer rating:

Excellent book for pattern analysis and classification!
The book should change its title
Ok, but too much math destroys the intuition...
The best Pattern Recognition textbook I know
Great Insights, but a hard read

Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning (Information Science and Statistics)
Christopher M. Bishop
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Elements of Statistical Learning
Pattern Classification (2nd Edition)
Gaussian Processes for Machine Learning (Adaptive Computation and Machine Learning)
Data Mining: Practical Machine Learning Tools and Techniques, Second Edition (Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)
Machine Learning (Mcgraw-Hill International Edit)

Accessories:

Pixelization Paradigm: Visual Information Expert Workshop, VIEW 2006, Paris, France, April 24-25, 2006, Revised Selected Papers (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)
Multimodal Technologies for Perception of Humans: First International Evaluation Workshop on Classification of Events, Activities and Relationships, CLEAR ... Papers (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

ASIN: 0387310738

Book Description

The dramatic growth in practical applications for machine learning over the last ten years has been accompanied by many important developments in the underlying algorithms and techniques. For example, Bayesian methods have grown from a specialist niche to become mainstream, while graphical models have emerged as a general framework for describing and applying probabilistic techniques. The practical applicability of Bayesian methods has been greatly enhanced by the development of a range of approximate inference algorithms such as variational Bayes and expectation propagation, while new models based on kernels have had a significant impact on both algorithms and applications.

This completely new textbook reflects these recent developments while providing a comprehensive introduction to the fields of pattern recognition and machine learning. It is aimed at advanced undergraduates or first-year PhD students, as well as researchers and practitioners. No previous knowledge of pattern recognition or machine learning concepts is assumed. Familiarity with multivariate calculus and basic linear algebra is required, and some experience in the use of probabilities would be helpful though not essential as the book includes a self-contained introduction to basic probability theory.

The book is suitable for courses on machine learning, statistics, computer science, signal processing, computer vision, data mining, and bioinformatics. Extensive support is provided for course instructors, including more than 400 exercises, graded according to difficulty. Example solutions for a subset of the exercises are available from the book web site, while solutions for the remainder can be obtained by instructors from the publisher. The book is supported by a great deal of additional material, and the reader is encouraged to visit the book web site for the latest information.

Coming soon:

*For students, worked solutions to a subset of exercises available on a public web site (for exercises marked "www" in the text)

*For instructors, worked solutions to remaining exercises from the Springer web site

*Lecture slides to accompany each chapter

*Data sets available for download

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book for pattern analysis and classification!.......2007-10-01

Excellent book for pattern analysis and classification! It begins with basic data curve fitting, linear classification models and ends with combining models (tree-based models, graphical models, etc.). Contains great number of examples and exercises. Very good introductory for beginners in pattern analysis, excellent companion for academics and researchers.

The book should change its title.......2007-09-25

This book (PRML) should be re-titled as "PRML: a bayesian approach". Yes, bayesian approach is very useful for machine learning, and sometimes the final goal of learning is to maximize some sort of posterior probability. However, if the author is such a huge fun of bayes statistics, please tell perspective readers in a clear way. Emphasize bayes aspects too much really hurt the quality of this book as a general-purpose textbook of machine learning.

For a better textbook of machine learning, I recommend:
1) The elements of statistical learning (perhaps this book a little hard for beginner in this field -- but as least better than PRML -- you can compare their chapters about linear regression to see which one is better).
2) Pattern classification (focus on classification, not regression. Also not very easy -- anyway, machine learning is not an easy field ^_^).
3) Machine Learning (a little old, but great for beginner.)

These three book also mention bayesian statistics, but in a proper way. If you have some experience in machine learning and have engineering-level math background, just choose the 1) or 2). If you are completely a beginner, first take a glance on 3), and then go to 1) or 2).

Finally, if you want a book that discusses machine learning purely from bayesian perspective, PRML is good.

Ok, but too much math destroys the intuition..........2007-09-09

This book is a fairly thorough overview of typical topics employed in a graduate machine learning course. However, from page 5 on, expect to see more equations on each page than paragraphs of text (with most of the remaining text explaining the context of the variables within the equations). Now, for someone such as myself who enjoys mathematics, this is not a problem. However, I would not recommend this book for someone with a mathematics background that is in any way weak. Furthermore, there is a more fundamental problem with the presentation of the material that warrants this book no more than a 3-star rating: the simple intuitiveness of the concepts is completely lost within the mathematics. Instead of explaining what variables represent and leaving it to the reader to figure out what is going on, this book could be made much more approachable by simply stating the intuition behind the equations. Take the sum rule, one of the first theorems in the book, for an example of how the author muddles what is effectively a basic and intuitive concept: the book has a fairly lengthy definition of several variables representing concepts such as "the number of observations in which x_ij appears" prior to presenting a summation over all y-variables (a notational convention that the author admits is "cumbersome" on the next page, and states that "there will be no need for such pedantry" as that which he proceeds to perpetrate throughout the book!), while he could have simply presented the simplified sum on the following page (p(X) = sum(p(X,Y), Y)) and it would be immediately clear to most readers what he was attempting to explain. He could also simply state the intuition behind the theorem in English, that summing over every event yields a probability of one, and therefore summing over all events in which a variable appears effectively marginalizes the variable (something he comes close to doing after the presentation of the equation, but by then, the reader's time has already been wasted). Similar examples abound throughout the book, becoming particularly bad during the middle sections, when the techniques begin to become less intuitive.

As another reader mentioned, the author also commits the serious mistake of using pi for a symbol other than the constant or the product operator, which muddles the equations on a skim and forces the reader to refer back to the variable definitions to determine the context.

Having done work in machine learning's applied cousin, data mining, and thus having used many of the techniques presented in the book in actual research, I can't help but think that the presentation of the book's content could be much clearer. When doing work in the field, we can look up the equations as-needed; it is the knowledge of *when* and *how* to apply or extend these techniques that is more important, and that is the area in which I feel this book is lacking.

The best Pattern Recognition textbook I know.......2007-07-17

This book brings the most updated research in this field. The writing stile combines common-sense intuitive explanations with precise mathematical formulations. A lot of colorful figures support the text and help the reader to understand and absorb the described ideas. Short biographies of scientists like Bayes, Laplace, Gauss etc. (which unfortunately substantially drop after the Ch. 2) provide a brief glancing on humans which are behind these great names. The author makes connections between the different chapters, which help the reader to see a wide picture. But don't expect for an easy work. As every deep scientific text it is sometimes fluent and fun, and sometimes demands an effort, rereading the same text again and again, and referring to other references. Personally I feel a great satisfaction when after such an effort the concept became clear to me.

The other useful feature is solved exercises which are available for download from the authors' web site [..]

The main drawback of this book is a relative small amount of detailed examples. As an experienced educator, I know that "a single good example could worth a thousand explanations". It probably will be not an issue with appearance of the practical companion volume (Bishop and Nabney, 2008). The reference to the future (2008) still un-existed publication is unusual, fresh-thinking, and right idea.

With this book C. Bishop continues his "tradition" of writing deep and important scientific books which was started with the "Neural Networks for Pattern Recognition".

A short comment to the reviewer "lew lwndn123", who is deeply disappointed by the fact that this is a textbook. Yes, it is a textbook, and it is clearly written in the "Book Description". It is unfair to "kill" the book just because you didn't really check what you are going to buy, especially you admit that "as a textbook, this is very good text, and deserves 5 starts". I think it will be a decent step if you will correct your review.

Great Insights, but a hard read.......2007-06-16

This new book by Chris Bishop covers most areas of pattern recognition quite exhaustively. The author is an expert, this is evidenced by the excellent insights he gives into the complex math behind the machine learning algorithms. I have worked for quite some time with neural networks and have had coursework in linear algebra, probability and regression analysis, and found some of the stuff in the book quite illuminating.

But that said, I must point out that the book is very math heavy. Inspite of my considerable background in the area of neural networks and statistics, I still was struggling with the equations. This is certainly not the book that can teach one things from the ground up, and thats why I would give it only 3 stars. I am new to kernels, and I am finding the relevant chapters difficult and confusing. This book wont be very useful if all you want to do is write machine learning code. The intended audience for this book I guess are PhD students/researchers who are working with the math related aspects of machine learning. Undergraduates or people with little exposure to machine learning will have a hard time with this book. But that said, time spent in struggling with the contents of this book will certainly pay-off, not instantly though.

The Leader of the Future 2: Visions, Strategies, and Practices for the New Era (J-B Leader to Leader Institute/PF Drucker Foundation)

Average customer rating:

Your organization needs "the "leader of the future" now, today, this moment....
weLEAD Book Review by the Editor of leadingtoday.org
Expert takes on leadership today
The Essential Leadership Guide
An awesome collection!

The Leader of the Future 2: Visions, Strategies, and Practices for the New Era (J-B Leader to Leader Institute/PF Drucker Foundation)

Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

The Leader of the Future: New Visions, Strategies and Practices for the Next Era
What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
A Leader's Legacy
Coaching for Leadership: The Practice of Leadership Coaching from the World's Greatest Coaches
Leading at a Higher Level: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations

ASIN: 0787986674

Book Description

The Leader of the Future 2 follows in the footsteps of the international bestseller The Leader of the Future, which has been translated into twenty-eight languages, and is one of the most widely distributed edited collections on leadership to date.

In twenty-seven inspiring and insightful essays, this book celebrates the wisdom of some of the most recognized thought leaders of our day who share their unique vision of leadership for the future.

Returning Contributors: Ken Blanchard with Dennis Carey, Stephen Covey, Marshall Goldsmith, Charles Handy, Sally Helgesen, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Jim Kouzes & Barry Posner, Richard Leider, Ed Schein, Peter Senge, and Dave Ulrich with Norm Smallwood.

New Contributors: John Alexander, Darlyne Bailey, Howard Gardner with Lynn Barendsen, Usman Ghani, Ronald Heifetz, Joe Maciariello, Jan Masaoka, John Mroz, Brian O'Connell, Jeff Pfeffer, Ponchitta Pierce, Srikumar Rao, General Eric Shinseki, R. Roosevelt Thomas, Noel Tichy with Chris DeRose, and Tom Tierney.

"Hesselbein and Marshall Goldsmith, one of the USA's top executive coaches, edited the collection The Leader of the Future 2. Its 27 eloquent essays provide a kind of hopeful, idealistic best-case scenario for future leaders of non-profits and businesses. This is not a cookie-cutter, how-to approach. The job of the essayists is to provide food for thought and goals. The high quality of writing here should inspire anyone who has aspirations for leadership."

—Bruce Rosenstein, USA Today

Customer Reviews:

Your organization needs "the "leader of the future" now, today, this moment...........2007-09-24

Frances Hesselbein is currently editor-in-chief of Leader to Leader quarterly. Previously, she served as CEO of the Girls Scouts of the USA and then as chairman and founding president of the Leader to Leader Institute, formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management. Her published works include this book as well as its predecessor, The Leader of the Future, co-edited with Marshall Goldsmith and Richard Beckhard, and Be*Know*Do (an adaptation of the U.S. Army's leadership manual) to which she and General Eric K. Shinseki (USA Ret.) co-wrote the Introduction as well as Hesselbein on Leadership for which Jim Collins provided the Foreword.

Twenty-seven individual essays comprise this volume. The material is organized within five Parts:

A Vision of Leadership (Chapter 1)

Editors' Comments: "[Our] book begins where it should, with Peter Drucker's vision of leadership...[His] thoughts on creating organizations that have a spirit of performance built upon the `theory of the business,' creating a positive social impact and demonstrating consistent effectiveness, challenge the reader to both embrace change and become a change leader."

Leading in a Diverse World (Chapters 2-5)

Excerpt: "Leaders of the future will be progressively more cosmopolitan, progressive, diverse, and values oriented. They increasingly will come from countries with enormous growth potential outside of North America and Europe, such as the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), places where leaders must also address daunting obstacles such as poverty or environmental depredation, regardless of the sector or the focus of their enterprise." Rosabeth Moss Kanter, "How Cosmopolitan Leaders Inspire Confidence"

Leading in a Time of Crisis and Complexity (Chapters 6-11)

Excerpt: "Leadership becomes necessary to business and communities when people have tough challenges to tackle, when they have to change their ways in order to thrive or survive, when continuing to operate according to current structures, procedures, and processes no longer will suffice. We call these adaptive challenges. Beyond technical problems, for which authoritative and managerial expertise will suffice, adaptive challenges demand leadership that engages people in facing challenging realities and then changing those priorities, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to thrive in a changing world. Ronald A. Heifetz, "Anchoring Leadership in the Work of Adaptive Process"

Leading Organizations of the Future (Chapters 12-19)

Excerpt: "Leaders will need to go beyond looking at the work to be done and consider the human doing the work. They will need to understand the incredible pressures that have been brought about by globalization, technology, and competition. They will need to appreciate the hard work and sacrifice needed for professional success in a much tougher world. Leaders will need to realize that as work becomes even more important, and organizations become even more important, they will become even more important - in helping to shape the quality of life and the futures of the professionals they lead." Marshall Goldsmith, "Leading New Age Professionals"

The Quality and Charter of the Leader of the Future (Chapters 20-27)
Excerpt:

"Leaders who think like anthropologists would realize several things. First, they would realize that they are leaders by virtue of their basic fit into the cultural milieu in which they grew up and in which they are now operating. It is all well and good to note that leaders "create" and "change" cultures, as I have argued in the past [i.e. in Organizational Culture and Leadership, 2004], but first they must realize that to change culture you must thoroughly understand the culture that created you and legitimized you...In other words, leaders must be culturally self-c0njscious and be aware of the cultural layers in their own personalities. Second, leaders who think like anthropologists would be conscious of the cultural variations among countries and companies, and among occupational subgroups within their companies." Edgar H. Schein, Leadership Competencies: A Provocative New Look"

Note: Schein then explains in his essay that in addition to thinking like an anthropologist, effective leaders must also have the skills of a family therapist and cultivate and trust artistic instincts.

In the city where I live, we have a number of outdoor markets at which slices of fresh fruit are offered as samples of the produce available. In that same spirit, I frequently include brief excerpts such as these from a book to help those who read my review to get at least a "taste" of the material in question. All of the material in this volume is of a very high quality. The value of each article, however, will be determined by the needs and interests of each reader.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Hesselbein's The Leader of the Future published earlier, co-edited with Marshall Goldsmith and Richard Beckhard and Be*Know*Do (an adaptation of the U.S. Army's leadership manual) to which she and General Eric K. Shinseki (USA Ret.) co-wrote the Introduction; also Hesselbein on Leadership for which Jim Collins provided the Foreword.

weLEAD Book Review by the Editor of leadingtoday.org.......2007-06-17

The Leader of the Future 2 is a labor of love and a gift to all those who enjoy the study of leadership. This is the first book published by the Leader to Leader Institute (formerly The Drucker Foundation) since the death of leadership patriarch Peter Drucker. All proceeds support the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management. This book follows the publication of the international bestseller, The Leader of the Future.

This meditative work is the collection of 27 essay chapters that contemplate the kind of leadership needed for the future of the world. Each chapter is written by a respected leadership consultant or educator who provides their unique and challenging perspective on the kind of leader our world needs now and will need in an uncertain future. This collection of "thinkers" has varied experience in all sectors of modern society. As it states in the foreword of the book, "This book delivers a "battle cry" that will mobilize the leaders of the future to build viable, relevant organizations that will sustain us in the times ahead... Planning in the past was rigid, inflexible, and hierarchical, but planning for the future will require leaders to be fluid and flexible, and move easily across their organizations. The Leader of the Future 2 is indeed part of a blueprint for planning in a dynamic new world."

The genesis of the book was the tragic events that occurred on 9/11. Since that event a lot has changed in the world, and will continue to change in our uncertain future. The Leader of the Future 2 divides its 27 chapter into 5 interesting parts. Each part focuses on a certain aspect of leading in the future like vision, diversity, complexity, change and character. This is a book for serious thinkers and at times is not easy to read. Some of the gifted contributors would be the first to admit that writing with clarity is not their greatest personal strength. But in all fairness, they are looking back on the past with eyes toward the future and this is always an ambiguous rehearsal. The Leader of the Future 2 is brain-candy for anyone who likes to step outside of everyday thinking and ponder the "what-if" of tomorrow!

Expert takes on leadership today.......2007-05-03

In a 1964 obscenity court case, then U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart wrote that pornography was difficult to define, but noted, "I know it when I see it." The same might be said of leadership. Since 1990, the Leader to Leader Institute (formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management) has dedicated itself to examining, defining and elevating the art of leadership through books, educational materials and its respected journal, Leader to Leader. This book is a sequel to the Institute's The Leader of the Future, an international bestseller published in 28 different languages. This follow-up volume features 27 essays on being a leader in today's complex, challenging world. We confidently recommend this leadership treatise, which presents the informed thoughts, insights and opinions of respected experts from academia, the media, business, the military, the nonprofit sector and numerous other venues. Thanks to such contributors as Stephen Covey, Howard Gardner, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, this collection of essays clearly addresses the challenges of modern leadership.

The Essential Leadership Guide.......2006-10-07

Once again, Marshall Goldsmith and Frances Hesselbein have provided readers with an essential guide to the biggest challenges and the best thinking of thought leaders and practitioners in the field of leadership. In a world in great need of leadership, this book provides an array of outstanding contributions from those who have shaped and inspired this field. This book provides a superb addition to the libraries of all those who care deeply about leadership -- and who among us does not (or should not)?

Rachelle J. Canter, Ph.D.

An awesome collection!.......2006-09-30

An awesome collection! Jim Kouzes, Peter Senge, Edgar Schein. A great list of contributors. Some of the very best thinking on leadership, strategic thinking, and change.

Senge's article on the basic fundamentals for sound leadership in a changing world is nearly worth the price of the book on its own. If that article isn't enough, Edgar Schein's contribution on leadership competencies is just excellent. You'll find yourself rethinking a number of assumptions about what leaders do.

The Enduring Vision : A History of the American People (Vol. 1 & 2)

Average customer rating:

Read me a story
A Great Book, But Expensive and Difficult in High School
Very Concise
Informative and readable
Comprehensive "Vision" Provides Powerful Insight

The Enduring Vision : A History of the American People (Vol. 1 & 2)
Paul S. Boyer , Clifford E. Clark Jr. , Joseph F. Kett , Neal Salisbury , and Harvard Sitkoff
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Discovering the American Past: A Look at the Evidence Volume 2
Enduring Voices : Document Sets to Accompany the Enduring Vision : A History of the American People : From 1865
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Enduring Vision: A History of the American People to 1877 (Enduring Vision)
Precalculus: Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic (7th Edition) (MathXL Tutorials on CD Series)

ASIN: 0395960770

Book Description

Noted for its innovative coverage of the West and the environment, this best selling U.S. history text provides students with a clear political narrative that incorporates social, cultural, military, and economic history.

Each chapter begins with a dramatic vignette that both draws students into the chapter and presents the chapter's main themes. The vignettes are followed by three to five focus questions that provide a framework to help students understand the most important topics in the chapter.

The last chapter of the book focuses exclusively on the Clinton administration.

Customer Reviews:

Read me a story.......2005-09-24

This book is a joy to read because the text flows in such a way that one would think he was reading the History Channel. While that may seem terrible to some, the book draws not just on secondary sources with a "hindsight" attitude toward the subject matter, but rather engages the reader by reflecting on primary sources, on individual stories while still giving the bigger picture. The incorporation of culural history is one of the main reasons I enjoyed this text, but I also liked how modern finds about certain events (such as the spainish american war) were given alongside the popular thought of the day.

A Great Book, But Expensive and Difficult in High School.......2005-06-11

I used the third edition of this book, it was only one volume covering from clonial age to the first election of Clinton. This was the book assigned to my high school and AP history class (my setup was weird 4 periods a week of standard High School history, and 2 a week of AP level history). This book prepared me really well for the AP US Exam, while I have not yet received my score, I am very confident I knew the material well. This book also really helped me for the SAT Subject Test: US History, on which I scored a 96th percentile 780. While this book is good for intense history courses, I believe it is too hard for a standard high school level US History course. This is because it covers too much material for that type of class. This book is very well written, and at times can often be interesting to read, what other text books can say that.

Very Concise.......2003-03-27

This book was very detailed and comprehensive. I used it along with two other books in my AP US History class. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because it jumped around too much perhaps it could have talked about the 1930s in Chapter 24 then back to the 1920s in 25.

Informative and readable.......2002-10-23

Lets face it a lot of history texts are prozaic and they do not have to be. Boyer and the other contributers deliver a text that is well written in the sense that it is somewhat enjoyable. The most important aspect of a text book is the information and The Enduring Vision does not fall short here either. I have used this book for background information in American history as a serious history student. It is a great source for quickly refreshing your mind on seldom visited topics. This would also make an excellent high school history text, but was really written for introductry college courses in American history from the colonial era to the present.

Comprehensive "Vision" Provides Powerful Insight.......2001-05-11

I used The Enduring Vision as a text for my AP US History class in high school. The organization, development, and discussion in the book increased my understanding of each era of our history. When used as one of two or three texts for the AP class (which I do recommend), The Enduring Vision provided me with insight into the major aspects of our history. The Student Manual to accompany The Enduring Vision was also a helpful tool in preparing for the AP Exam.

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory

Average customer rating:

The Hobo Philosopher
Fantastic read
Never Question Your Sanity ,,, It's not You
.......not a secret anymore......
A BRILLIANT BIOGRAPHY - WELL DONE!

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory
William Manchester
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940
American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880 - 1964
The Wit & Wisdom of Winston Churchill
Never Give In!: The Best of Winston Churchill's Speeches
The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940

ASIN: 0316545031

Customer Reviews:

The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-21

This is William Manchester at his best. This is fascinating reading and fascinating writing. Of course Winston Churchill was quite a character but to be honest I didn't know that fact until I read this book and its companion volume.
After reading this book I put it to my mind that I would read everything that Manchester wrote. I've got a couple more to go. You can't miss with this purchase. A great story, great writing, and good history. What more could you ask for?

Fantastic read.......2007-06-18

I am a little half way through the book, but it already is one of the best books I have ever read. The book deserves all the accolade. Manchester's approach to biography is a little different from many others in that he did not shy away from coloring the narrative with events that were yet to occur. He always hinted the historical significance of events in light of what happened later. I find this extremely helpful. For example: Churchill's fascination with early airplanes, his conception of tanks when dealing with a domestic riot are just two examples. These illuminated Churchill was indeed ahead of his peers in recognizing important trends.

The buildup to WWI is masterful. The book weaves Churchill's struggle with the Irish Home rule question together with the naval arms race with Germany in 1913. Since we know WWI started in 1914, the realization that Churchill and the British government were struggling with a domestic problem (which surely was exploited by the German Kaiser) enhances our understanding of the immediate pre-war times.

I knew the old US of A was not a world player before WWI. This book adds to that impression. Until the outbreak of the war, the US is just not on Churhill's radar: it does not show up much in his writing, travel, and speech. Yes, he did a book tour in the US, but that was before he started his political career.

Can't wait to read the second half of the book.

Never Question Your Sanity ,,, It's not You.......2006-12-22

This book should be read (before, after or with) The End of the World as We Know It. The scenarios are almost interchangable.

.......not a secret anymore.............2006-12-11

Actually it is very sad to mention this blunder against humanity:

When the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers in October and November 1914, Britain's communications with India and the East via the Suez canal was immediately placed in jeopardy.
There was a secret agreement with Germany signed in August 1914 by the Young Turks that was troubling the Russians and taken as warning of the forthcoming trouble to The Tsar. The Russians regarded their Caucasian terrirories were also placed in jeopardy.
Consequently, the British and French, in order to protect their future `colonies' and bisect the `sick man of Europe', had to act forcefully. They opened another front in the South with the Gallipoli (1915) and Mesopotamian campaigns.

Anxious to score his first military encounter with `the enemy', Winston Churchill, in his capacity as Lord of Navy, prematurely urged a combined French and British naval incursion into Gallipoli. But the Turks were successful in repelling the British, French, and Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. and pushed their eventual withdrawal and evacuation.

((By contrast, in Mesopotamia - Iraq- after the disastrous Siege of Kut (1915-16), British Empire forces - mainly of Indian troops - reorganized and captured Baghdad (March 1917). Further to the west in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, initial British failures were overcome when Jerusalem was captured in December 1917, and the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under Field Marshal Edmund Allenby, broke the Ottoman forces at the Battle of Megiddo in September 1918))

Russia, the protector of the Greek Orthothox Armenian population, sent her best troops in the Caucasus. The Turkish, Vice-Generalissimo Enver Pasha, supreme commander of the ex Ottoman Empire armed forces, was a very ambitious man. His aim and everpresent dream was to conquer central Asia. Enver Pasha, like Winston Churchill, was not a practical soldier. He launched an offensive with 100,000 soldiers against the Russians in the Caucasus in December of 1914.
His main enemy was the severe Weather conditions.
Insisting on a frontal attack against Russian positions in the mountains , Enver lost over 80% of his troops at the Battle of Sarikamis, in the heart of the tough winter season.

In 1917, Russian Grand Duke Nicholas assumed senior control over the Caucasus front. Nicholas tried to have a railway built from Russia (Georgia) to the conquered territories with a view to bringing up more supplies for a new offensive. But, in March of 1917 (February in the pre-revolutionary Russian calendar), the Czar was overthrown in the February Revolution and the Russian army began to slowly fall apart.
Hence, the protector of the Armenians was gone.

Winston Churchill blunder in Gallipoli, opened patched over wounds and re-ignited animosities between the Turks and their Armenian neighbors. In 1915, the Armenians were the victims of his cowardice. The Turks committed a HOLOCAUST against the Armenians that immediately started after WC debacle in Gallipolis.
The mass murder of the Armenians was indeed the first Holocaust of the twentieth century.

A BRILLIANT BIOGRAPHY - WELL DONE!.......2006-07-27

This is a brilliantly written biography of one of the most fascinating characters in history. Like most of Mnchester's work (I must admit to being a big fan), this is a very readable biography, well researched and holds the reader's interest from page to page. We see so much of Churchhill in his role as a WWII leader that we tend to forget there was a young man, living, learning and growing before the back and white films we see today. It is good to be reminded of this from time to time. It is also, for those interested, to learn how a world leader of Churchill's calibre came into being, how he developed and why he was the way he was. This work gives us great insight to those questions. Cannot recommend this work highly enough.

Average customer rating:

Excellent!
Good presentation of both beginning and advanced material
Best Intro. Text I've Used
Excellent introduction guide

Computer Vision
Linda G. Shapiro , George C. Stockman , Linda G Shapiro , and George Stockman
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Algorithms for Image Processing and Computer Vision
Introductory Techniques for 3-D Computer Vision
Machine Vision : Theory, Algorithms, Practicalities
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Multiple View Geometry in Computer Vision

ASIN: 0130307963

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2007-07-11

Pro:
This book is really good. In simple, the book is written in English. It seems to be aimed at an entry-level CV student. Having some prior Image Processing or Computer Vision background will help you run through the book faster, although it doesn't seem to be required.

Shapiro makes sure you understand the concept behind the algorithm and then provides you the pseudo code rather than typing up some complicated C/C++ code.

Con:
There are alot of exercises in the chapter and they really help in testing your understanding. I only wish the author provided solutions to the exercises.

Good presentation of both beginning and advanced material.......2005-10-07

Of the several computer vision textbooks that I haved owned and read, this book provides the best combination of introductory techniques with more advanced material in a very readable style.
The first two chapters are a very conversational overview of computer vision and image representation, but don't let this fool you. Starting in chapter three, the book becomes concise in presentation and in numerical examples. The authors starts out with the basics of binary image analysis which includes a very good discussion of image morphology. However, this is not an image processing book, so you should already be familiar with image processing on the same level as what is presented in Gonzales & Wood's "Digital Image Processing", which is my personal favorite among the various image processing texts. Next pattern recognition basics are discussed, including a section on neural networks that was clearer than anything I gleaned from Haykin's classic text on the subject. Next, the author moves into the realm of gray scale images by discussing the filtering and enhancing of images, which is similar to material in many image processing books. The basics of computer vision conclude with chapters on color, shading, and texture. Next, the book jumps into more advanced material that builds on the introductory material. For example, there are chapters on content-based image retrieval, a subject on which the author Linda Shapiro is conducting research at the University of Washington, and also on computing motion from 2D image sequences. Finally, the book tackles some 3D computer vision issues such as perceiving 3D from 2D images, object pose computation, and 3D models and matching using image "snakes". There are algorithms presented in pseudocode throughout this book, along with supporting mathematics, so the reader should have a good understanding of matrix algebra as well as calculus to really get the most from this book. The algorithms are concisely represented, and I had no trouble coding up a content-based image retrieval program based solely on the contents of this book. The pattern recognition chapter lacks a few details, and it might be helpful if the reader had a copy of Tom Mitchell's "Machine Learning", which parallels nicely with the pattern recognition chapter of Shapiro's book and is both complete and concise.

Best Intro. Text I've Used.......2003-11-17

This text is excellent as the basis for an introduction to CV, it treats a wide variety of topics in a clear and accessible manner. I particularly appreciated the books coverage of topics which aren't traditionally considered to be CV topics (like classification and some material on probabilistic inference). Highly recommended.

Excellent introduction guide.......2002-08-25

The book presents a nice complement to Image Processing, Analysis and Machine Vision (Image Processing, Analysis, and Machine Vision, 2nd ed., M. Sonka, V. Hlavac, and R. Boyle, 1998, IPAMV). As the difference in names implies, Computer Vision is not appropriate as an image processing textbook. It contains sufficient information on image processing to implement computer vision algorithms, but the focus of the book is on image analysis and high-level vision. The result is that the combination of IPAMV and Computer Vision cover the spectrum from intensive image processing and manipulation to high level analysis, object recognition and content-based image retrieval.

Computer Vision contains sixteen chapters that fall into roughly four categories: overview, 2-D CV topics, 3D CV topics, and special CV topics. Since it was written with the intent of reaching a broader audience than IPAMV, this book is appropriate as a primary text or reference for a wider variety of courses. For example, it would be appropriate for courses ranging from an introduction to imaging for non-scientists to a sophomore-junior elective to a first-year graduate seminar.

The overview chapters (chapters 1-4) include a summary of problems in CV, imaging and image representations, simple binary image analysis and a survey of pattern recognition concepts. The 2-D processing topics (chapters 3, 5-7, and 11) include thresholding and binary image analysis, filtering and enhancement, edge detection, Fourier Transforms, color, texture, segmentation, and 2-D matching and pose calculation. The 3-D computer vision topics (chapters 9-10, and 12-14) include motion detection and analysis, range image analysis, stereo, calibration, intrinsic image analysis and line labeling, shape from X, and camera models. The special topics (chapters 6-8, 15-16) include color and shading, texture, content-based retrieval, virtual reality, and a set of case studies of CV systems. Different combinations of these are appropriate for different types of courses.

In comparison with other texts, the coverage of color and shading in Computer Vision is the best available without consulting a color reference such as Fairchild's Color Appearance Models (described below). However, it still does not contain adequate coverage of physical models of reflection or color appearance. The texture chapter is comparable to Sonka et. al., and the CBIR and VR chapters are unique. It is these latter two areas that give Computer Vision a nice high-level flavor and provides a reference for these growing areas of CV.

Like IPAMV, Computer Vision contains a large number of example images, diagrams, and algorithms. The writing is clear and the mathematics--when it is necessary to present it--is complete and accessible. Since the book is designed with multiple audiences in mind, the heavy mathematical sections are flagged and the book can be used effectively with or without them.

Of particular interest to CV practitioners and students dealing with issues of calibration, chapter 13 contains a nice description of Roger Tsai's camera calibration algorithm, complete with an example. Note that Trucco and Verri (see below) also cover Tsai's calibration algorithm.

Overall, the choice between Computer Vision and IPAMV should be based on personal preference, the focus of your course, and the background of your students. IPAMV will be more accessible to engineers and contains more in-depth coverage of image processing techniques. Computer Vision is more accessible to computer scientists and covers a number of higher-level aspects of CV that are either not covered or briefly covered in IPAMV. In a number of areas--texture, stereo, motion, calibration, and segmentation--the two books are quite similar and the differences are mainly in style and emphasis.

The Healthcare Quality Book: Vision, Strategy, and Tools
Average customer rating:

Great

The Healthcare Quality Book: Vision, Strategy, and Tools
Scott B. Ransom , Maulik S. Joshi , and David B. Nash
Manufacturer: Health Administration Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Health Care Delivery | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

Healthcare Finance: Basic Tools for Non-Financial Managers (Health Care Finance (Baker))

Applying Quality Management in Healthcare, Second Edition: A System's Approach

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Healthcare Human Resource Management

ASIN: 156793224X

Book Description

The definitive book on improving healthcare quality, this book compiles the most current information on a vast array of quality issues, tools, and strategies. The book's core premise is that the key to effective improvement is centering all efforts on the needs of patients. With the future of healthcare revolving around the patient, this book will be a valuable resource for years to come.

The editors have assembled a nationally prominent group of contributors to provide the best available thinking in each area of quality. Topics covered include: collecting data and the various sources that feed into quality improvement; approaches for analyzing data to measure performance improvement; establishing measures to assess physician performance; assessing patients' experiences within important dimensions of care; developing balanced scorecards or dashboards; clinical IT capabilities needed to support efforts to improve complex clinical processes; the relationship of the law to quality improvement; leading quality-improvement efforts and managing change; and understanding the work of the two major accrediting bodies in healthcare quality.

This book is copublished with the American Society for Quality and includes Forewords by Stephen M. Shortell, Ph.D.,FACHE, and Gail Warden, FACHE.

Contributors to this book include: A. Al-Assaf, David Ballard, Donald Berwick, Troyan Brennan, John Byrnes, Francois de Brantes, Susan Edgman-Levitan, Frances Griffin, Carol Haraden, Maulik Joshi, Narendra Kini, Robert Lloyd, Jerod Loeb, David Nash, Greg Pawlson, Michael Pugh, Scott Ransom, Jim Reinertsen, Paul Schyve, Stephen Shortell, Mike Stoecklein, Richard Ward, Gail Warden, Valerie Weber, and Leon Wyszewianski.

Customer Reviews:

Great.......2006-02-25

The quick service of getting this book for a college course was great. Thanks for being quick.

Living With Blind Dogs: A Resource Book and Training Guide for the Owners of Blind and Low-Vision Dogs, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

Book for handling blind dogs
Most practical, encouraging help available to owners of blind dogs
Very helpful...
Very helpul & informative
Excellant resource!!!!!

Living With Blind Dogs: A Resource Book and Training Guide for the Owners of Blind and Low-Vision Dogs, Second Edition
Caroline D. Levin
Manufacturer: Lantern Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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New Skills for Blind Dogs
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The Healing Touch for Dogs: The Proven Massage Program for Dogs, Revised Edition

ASIN: 0967225345

Book Description

"Living With Blind Dogs," now in its second edition, is the only published resource book on this topic. It embodies helpful hints from hundreds of blind-dog owners, as well as years of ophthalmic nursing, veterinary, and dog training experiences. Both the veterinary community and dog owners alike continue to praise this text, in which Levin successfully answers the common question: "What do I do now?"

This revised edition contains all the topics covered in the first edition, such as: Dealing with feelings of loss and grief, how dogs react to blindness, conditions that cause blindness and how they progress, genetics, pack issues, training concepts, new skills, helpful hints to negotiate the house, yard, and community, toys, games, and suppliers/resources.

This revised edition also includes numerous new sections and chapters: Dogs both blind and deaf, dogs blind from birth, white canes and other devices, circling behaviors, changes in barking patterns, dealing with cats, giving eye drops, traveling and camping with a blind dog, adding another dog to the pack, dry eye syndrome, VKH, and new findings on PRA and SARD.

Customer Reviews:

Book for handling blind dogs.......2007-10-10

This book is very helpful for me in training my blind Pekingese. I've gotten several good ideas from it.

Most practical, encouraging help available to owners of blind dogs.......2007-07-21

My sweet Basset Hound Wilma developed glaucoma causing immediate blindness in one eye with the possibility of blindness in the other eye at some point. This book is full of encouragment that blind dogs can lead happy lives and really "normal" lives. It has pages and pages of practical things to do to help your dog. It is also a great resource for someone like me with a dog partially blind or beginning to lose their vision because there is a very helpful information on preparing your dog for blindness. I had felt so sad and hopeless about my dog's future until I got this book. A MUST HAVE BOOK for anyone dealing with their dog and blindness.

Very helpful..........2007-05-14

I am the owner of a 6 yr old rottweiler who has been diabetic since 2005 and has recently developed cataracts due to her illness. This book has been extremely informative to me as I assist my dog to adjusting to life without sight. It helped me to understand that with a little patience and guidance, my dog can still enjoy a quality life. Since this is probably a one-of-a-kind book, it is an invaluable source for owners of blind dogs. I highly recommend it.

Very helpul & informative.......2007-04-04

I had been approached about adopting a blind puppy. I purchased this book to figure out if I would be up for the task of dealing with a blind puppy. I found this book to be very helpful & informative. I did adopt the puppy & I was able to have the house ready for her to negotiate & map out by following the book's suggestions.

Excellant resource!!!!!.......2007-03-18

This book helped me deal with what was a very difficult transition when my dog lost his eyesight late in life!

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