change Books

This book is excellent!! This book makes understanding the future almost as easy as a carnival card reader. This book isn't a book of prophesy. It is a book that teaches you how to formulate your own prophesy for your unique situation.

The author has a unique way to do this. He urges readers to seek keys. These keys are things in the environment which indicate other things will occur. The average reader after finishing the book will change their way of looking at the world. Through his explanation of how to make a scenario you learn how to gather information from unknown sources and focus on what is important. It is like an unveiling of magic keys to the world. These keys aren't of course magic but something new. The newness opens minds.

The book is dry in places but I think everyone will enjoy this book.

Heard THE ART OF THE LONG VIEW, written and read
by Peter Schwartz.

The book's subtitle caught my attention: PLANNING FOR THE
FUTURE IN AN UNCERTTAIN WORLD . . . I thought to myself,
"Wouldn't that be a great thing to do?"

Schwartz, one of the nation's leading futurists, actually
answers my question--showing how it can be done through
the use of scenario-building . . . this enables managers to:

* "invent and then consider, in depth, several stories of equally
plausible futures" so that they can make "strategic decisions
that will be sound for all plausible futures."

I liked the examples that were given, including many from his
work at Royal Dutch/Shell . . . the one describing the thought
behind a new natural gas field offshore from Norway helped
make the whole scenario concept much clearer to me . . those
involved at the time had to consider whether the U.S.S.R. would
continue to be an enemy of Western Europe and not ship
its own low-cost natural gas to that market.

This informative book was first published in 1991 and revised
in 1996 when it came out in paperwork . . . I'd be curious
to see a 2008 edition.

This book, written by Peter Schwartz, probes readers to take the time to map out their future, whether personal or business, by way of "scenario building." Too many of us go on expecting (or hoping) for things to just fall in to place- optimists! Schwartz, who worked for Shell during the energy crisis in the 70s, uses his experiences of using scenario building to teach the reader how to plan major decisions in their organizational and/or personal future. This craft isn't about predicting the future, but rather a way to formulate the probability of events and construct plausible futures that allow people to consider different futures so the can be prepared.
One thing that I did like was his idea of "reperceive." People are reluctant to see how the world really is and concoct this fantasy of how the world works, and in most cases it is just that, a fantasy-world. Before individuals plan for the future, they have to first "reperceive" it or "question their assumptions about the way the world works, so that they can see the world more clearly."
The negative points about this book had to do with how out of date it is. Written in the late 80s, I couldn't get past the many references to old technologies and political and economical events to be able to enjoy the book. In attempts to forecast the year 2005, scenarios are built on events and political situations of the 80s which makes for very boring reading because it entails a lot of detailed events that happened before I was born. While this future is not totally wrong, it is pretty generalized- anyone who is that vague about the future would be on point.
In all, this book was okay. It didn't knock my socks off- but it did bring back fond memories of the Sony Walkman.

The Art of the Long View is a good book for anyone who has just started a study of the various methods people use to look into the future. This book gives a great intro to scenario planning that is used by big corporations. With rich resources of information and time, the big boys can afford to use such a process. Unfortunately, for a small business, scenario planning is a time consuming affair that probably won't yield payoffs. While I learned something about the methods, I actually got more out of going to Peter's website for a better overview.

This is one of the books on the Navy's recommended reading list, which is why I picked it up. The author is touted as one of the world's leading futurists. I'm not sure how one gets the title of leading futurist, but I'm guessing it's not because of his accuracy or success in predicting the future. It's actually funny, because in his book he puts forward three possible scenarios for the world in 2005, none of which hit the mark. Of course, there are portions of all three which ring true, which is probably the biggest thing I learned from this book. If you want to be a leading futurist, the first rule is the same as that of any other fortune teller. Be vague! The second rule is: hedge your bets. Give lots of different possibilities.
This book is strikingly out of date, coming before the internet, wireless communications, the global war on terrorism, etc. One would think that a leading futurist might have predicted some of these in 1991, but he did not. He also displays a lot of the pessimism that was rampant in America in the 1980s, when Japan seemed to be the way of the future and America destined for decline. Mr. Schwartz missed the Japanese economic stagnation as well, in spite of being a leading futurist. He tends to let his political views seep through a little too much, his bitterness and hatred of Ronald Reagan and everything he did is palpable and Reagan is continuously cited as the cause of many of the nation's and world's ills.
I would say that the most valuable part of the book would have been the sources he used to glean upcoming trends and changes before they were generally known to the public. Unfortunately, they like the rest of the book, are sadly out of date. Many of the periodicals are no longer being printed, wiped out by the power of the internet. Without that, the book is really reduced to a process for creating some stories of the future, but without a glimpse of the major changes that are coming these stories, like Mr. Schwartz's views of the 21st century, will fall very short of the mark and will not be of much use to planners.

It's sometimes difficult to find good managerial books that are based on more than pure management theories. This book is an exception. A must read piece of art crafted by people with feet deeply planted into the real way of doing things at corporations.

This book strains people's brain in the sense that they feel compelled to think about what is going on at work heading for a better company through reengineering established processes. Specially for me, this book also brings hope, hope that no matter how critical some process (which in many cases we are part of) may be, there is always a solution that can be pursued.

But the book also comes with a major drawback. One may think that the solution for all problems is reengineering.

This book suggests that Taylorism in service industries is counter productive. Broadly the idea of Taylorism is to reduce productive process to simple repetitive elements and to have a manager supervise the process for work efficiency and integration of effort. The big pay of Taylorism is that the simplicity of the work process is such that there are limited training costs and people with little education or skill can perform the process. Whilst this approach may still have a role with manufacturing in the modern age it is counter productive for white colour work.

The authors give an example with the case of IBM Credit. IBM sell computers and a certain number are sold on credit. IBM Credit was set up to give loans to customers. The process used by IBM Credit was that a initial call would be received and a request would be logged. A piece of paper would then be taken to the Credit Department. A specialist would make computer entries and then do a credit check. Another piece of paper was then sent to the Business practices section where it would be logged on another computer system. The Business practices would attach any special terms to the form which went to a pricer. A pricer would calculate the interest rate who would then give it to a clerical officer. A clerical officer would then send out a letter of offer. The process took some six days on average although it could take two weeks. However if one calculated the actual administrative time to process the request it was about 90 minutes. The majority of the time was taken up with paper work being moved or sitting on desks. Due to the multiplicity of people involved and the number of computer systems it was not possible to know were the application was or the expected completion time.

It would appear that a complex system had been developed to deal with the potential of fraud or bad credit risks. The reality was that most of the loans were small and most going to be straightforward. IBM thus decided to develop a system in which one person would be responsible for the five process and in the majority of cases could turn the form around in an hour.

What IBM did was to reduce the number of untrained staff and have fewer staff have greater responsibility using newer slightly complex programs to do the work on calculating the deals. The throughput was increased 100% and the turn around time was less than a day.

Another example is the Insurance industry. In the past Insurance claims have been processed by each claim having an independent verification of the claim before the job was given to a repairer. This meant slow turn around times and a duplication of having an expert look at each claim.

Instead the insurance company decided to pay out claims below a certain level and to have a number of shops simply do the repairs without checking the quantum. There was an occasional audit of the cost of the repairs but the repair shops chosen were keen to keep the cost at a reasonable level because of the volume of work.

These two examples explain what reengineering is all about. Over time complex systems can evolve in a business for what seem rational reasons. Having checks to prevent fraud or bad risks with the IBM case for instance. However incrementally the administrative structure may evolve into a system which fails any cost benefit test.

The notion of reengineering is to look at businesses without assuming anything (or as the authors say starting with a blank page) to see if what is going on is rational. Reengineering is not so much concerned with incremental increases in productivity or cost reduction. It is based on the notion that many business can evolve in a certain way because of the logic of Taylorism which in the end is inconsistent with customer and business needs.

The book is entitled " a manifesto for business revolution" so that it contains some florid language suggests the need for a mindset of dramatic change and the need for leadership in change. It is easy to read but one wonders if there is objectively such a process of reengineering and whether it simply means that from time to time one should look objectively if business processes make sense or are just the accumulation of traditional practices.

Donna Sammons Carpenter ghostwrote this book.
It made waves when it first came out.
However, like most management fad books, its message is not really relevant any more.

Buy and read a real management book, for example, something or anything by Alfred Chandler.

Very satified with book, shipping, packaging, and timely fachion sent and received.

Seven years ago when I was still in college we needed some stuff on changing businesses. A friend of mine, studying at another college, gave this book to me as it was mandatory reading material in his economics and business class. So what did this had to do with computer science?

This was the first book I had ever read without any mandatory pressure from school. And actually, it was fun! The book contains good samples of real business cases, although a bit dated now, and lets you think about processes. Anything at home or in business is being run by processes, so why not learn more about them?

Seven years later after graduating Computer Science I run my own business with eight programmers and me doing the business cases. Why? Because computer automation is nothing but a tool to enhance business processes. And I'm glad I've learned about them on time.

If you think this book is not for you, think again.

The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear

I read this book several years back and was just recommending it again today. I was giving up hope for America every recovering from the abuse of power we were suffering under the BushII administration, I came away realizing that little things done by everyday people do make a difference.

I don't understand why one reviewer thinks this is a "leftist" book. It's about standing up for your rights as a citizen and learning from others who have done the same thing.

I guess people who buy into "be afraid, be very afraid, 9/11, 9/11... if we don't fight them over there they will come here.." won't like this book. But I think that is a very small fringe minority.

Anyone who believes in Democracy and is proud to be an American will understand that our contry and other country's struggles give us common ground.

Received on time and in a very well condition. Very Satified.

Good things are possible, keep at it, it will take a while, but, it is not impossible! Even the review here at Amazon by Ms. Nina Rosenberg shows the uphill distance we have to go. Let's all keep walking, and even invite Ms Rosenberg along, maybe offer her a cup of tea. Anyhow, I loved this book and feel that we need to sometimes focus on what is good, and what HAS been accomplished and try to understand how it was acomplished so that we too may pave the way to greater peace, for all. Yes, not just for the USA, but for all citizens of the world. If you liked this book, I suspect you might also enjoy a book on non-violence called "nonviolence: twenty five lessons" by Mark Kurlansky.

Don't give up, keep at it, keep the faith, ward off despair!

This book managed to be easy to read despite the large amount of information within its pages. I found it to be inspiring without being too heavy, and informative without leaving me wracked with guilt and anxiety.

If you are not already a leftist committed to shoving your ideology down everyone else's throat, don't go anywhere near this book. Utter trash.

I just received this book in the mail a couple of weeks ago and I'm already on my second read through. It is such an uplifting book. I read a few pages with my son everyday. What a clever idea of putting all of these wonderful quotes into one little gem of a book. I look forward in getting your other quote books. Thanks for the smile!

I wish I could give half star ratings sometimes. This book would have gotten a 4 and 1/2 rating if I could.
The only thing that I did not like about it was the Bible passages. To me they do not lift my spirit, but that is just because I am not of that faith. Otherwise this is a great book.

I've purchased many copies of this little book over the past year. They are great girl friend books or for any quote lover. I've keep one on hand for myself and often reference it when I need some inspiration. Buy two, one to give away and one for you!

we write a quote in our elementary class each day and use this book as one of our references.

This is one of those purchases where I really felt like I got my monies worth. I refer to the quotes within this book on a weekly basis as I offer a "final thought of inspiration" to my yoga students. Since my family is a group of bathroom readers, Ive also been thinking about doing a bathroom wall of quotes. This book offers a variety of quotes nicely arranged in categories. Great to sit, read and ponder!

I read the many reviews for this novel and finally decided to order it. However it sat on my "to be read" pile for a while. Finally I picked it up and was immediately drawn in. I have not read any "end of the world" novels before this one. The premise of the story was very clever, I especially enjoyed the fact that the characters did not spend much time discussion the "change" and worried about their own survival. There was just enough of a mix of world building and bloody combat to keep my interested. After a while I found myself really caring about the well being of these characters and eagerly turning the pages impatient to learn their fate. Now having said all that I would like to echo a comment made by several other reviewers, I found it highly improbable that all the people that banded together each turned out to have very archaic and specialized skills and knowledge regarding medieval combat, agriculture, engineering, etc. That in no way subtracted from the sheer fun of reading this novel. My only regret was that I did not read it sooner.

Dies the Fire, S.M. Stirling's first novel in the "Change" trilogy, takes a look at the world left behind by the Nantucket Islanders in his "Islanders" trilogy. Here, we see that the same Event that sent Nantucket three thousand years into the past has caused a devastating Change in the world they left behind: all modern technology based on chemical or electrical power - including electronics, internal combustion engines, and firearms - suddenly stops working.

The main characters of the novel are Michael Havel, pilot and former Marine; Juniper McKenzie, Celtic musician and priestess of the Craft; and Norman Arminger, history professor, anthropologist, and medieval expert. Unlike the Islanders trilogy, which splendidly evokes the past by showing an entire world, Dies the Fire evokes the horrors and trials of surviving the loss of a world by focusing on Havel and McKenzie, and their efforts to survive and start anew - with glimpses of Arminger's founding of a Protectorate based on medieval feudalism, with serfdom, slavery, and military conquest all a part of it.

Stirling has captured the sense of what a world without modern technology would look like - and he makes you think about just how much we take for granted is dependent on the last two hundred years or so of scientific advancement. From fantastic combat and action scenes to detailed, well-written explorations of how survivors could begin again, this book is a great read and a wonderful start to the new trilogy!

If you're into the whole King Arthur lords and ladies stuff, then this book would be right up your alley. For me, however, I expected this post-apocalyptic novel to have a little more substance. Instead, all I got was 10 pages of interesting material, 390 pages of fluffy adventures, and 170 pages of Wiccan partying.

The premise is interesting--the explosive and electrical elements have somehow been removed from the laws of physics by some unexplained event. That means electricity doesn't exist (thus, no power), fuel won't burn (no more transportation), and gunpowder won't ignite (thus, no explosives or guns). Aside from the question of, "How are people still alive, seeing that our nerves run off electrical impulses," this book sets up an interesting beginning. However, it strays off fast, focusing instead on the petty problems of social bickering, overly intense focus on adapting to "natural resources", and an overly excessive amount of focus on Wiccan celebrations. Honestly, I was sick and tired of having the ol' gang get together and have some "joyous celebration". After the second page, it was enough, but I was delighted to find a good chunk of the book focusing on just that.

I cannot figure out why so many people liked this book. Maybe it's my tastes, but the work is so tangented that it's a dull read in my opinion.

Like all major shifts in environment those that can't adapt die horribly. This strong first novel really sets you cheering the survivors. The second novel is also a worthy read, but the third is full of fluff. Too many pages decribing the pretty flowers. Hang all page number requirements by their entrails!

I really enjoyed the story in Dies the Fire. What would happen if all high tech (everything more complex than a steam engine) just stopped working? How would the world react?

Well, badly, it turns out. And reading about the collapse of society is fun. Fun, in a watching a train wreck kinda way. Very cool. Five stars for the story.

The characters were interesting and well drawn. Four stars for character development.

My only gripe with this book, indeed with all of Stirling's books, is the pacing. Things move a bit too slow for my tastes. Three stars for pacing.

Overall, I give Dies the Fire: A Novel of the Change four stars.

Give! Give money. Give time. Give Stuff. This book is all about how to give more to charity. If you are inclined to give, I think this book might give you some new places to look. If you aren't inclined to give, neither will it convince you to start.

The book is a laundry list of ways to give. I enjoyed the writing style. It's a pretty quick read, and I made a fair number of notes about things to go look up further. However there are not good citations for various provided statistics which makes them a little suspect.

The book really doesn't rank alternatives, give suggestions for which are better in the author's opinion, or otherwise make suggestions. I would prefer to see a more clear distinction of what works and what doesn't. In this sense it fails to come through on the 'How each of us can change the world' portion of the title. Examples of affecting 1,000,000 lives are mixed in with examples of helping 10 people. Giving is *not* a social good on its own. It's the impact of the giving which most of us care about. This book just focuses on the giving.

Although there are chapters on Organizing Markets and social business' and other ways to give that are more aligned with the way I think philanthropy should be done, the book is essentially about old fashioned charity and volunteering. I personally have some basic philosophical difficulties with this model of social good. I prefer to see things done either at the societal level as advocated in Sachs' "The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time", or through social business similar to what is advocated in Yunnus' "Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism". My primary problem with individual charity is that it calls on the good hearted to bear more of the burden than the greedy. I prefer systems that either make everyone equally accountable for societies needs, or provide rewards for satisfying society's needs. While this is a gross simplification, in my opinion, if you want to do some good, go get an MBA and do it on a big scale. I'm not much a fan of sacrificing personally if you are not in a position to do so. This book seems to advocate that everyone should give, even if they can do little, and even if they don't pick the recipient carefully.

I was a bit disappointed in the final chapter titled "How Much Should You Give and Why?". It stopped short of actually addressing the question, instead basically saying "it's an individual decision". I think I would have preferred a stronger statement which could have served as a center of debate, but I suppose a history in politics prevents strong statements.

This book was basically a very long list of amazing people giving time or money (or both) to very thoughtful and important causes. These people volunteer here. this guy had a great idea and created an NGO there. The spirit of it is very flat and reads like an extended laundry list.

Giving, in itself, is of course, important. Giving as a book, I didn't find that inspirational.

Giving is a straight forward 211+ page reason why we should give our time, money, and energy to help make a difference in he world. Clinton, fills the pages with nothing short of inspirational stories of incredible people, and how they have made an impact on the lives of others. Clinton argues that its easy to find a way to give to our world through examples of these extraordinary people such as; Bill and Melinda Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Oseola McCaty, Muhammad Yunus, Andre Agassi, Nelson Mandela, Josephine Murebwayire, Bono, and countless others whose stories were told through the pen of Bill Clinton.

Giving is easy to read, and its formatted so that you don't have read each chapter in its given numerical order, you can skip around and still feel the message. This book breaks down philanthropy into six different categories; giving time, giving things, giving skills, gift of reconciliation and new beginnings, gifts that keep giving, and giving good ideas.

Clinton makes it easy for you to want to give, not only because of the remarkable stories but because he provides all the contact information in the back for every charity, non-profit and nongovernmental organization that he mentioned to help tell his story. He does this because, "if your willing to volunteer, there is no shortage of organizations and projects that will be gland to welcome you."

Though at times some parts of the book can read a little like a brag sheet for Hillary, it doesn't take away from his main focal points. Overall it's a book that leaves you feeling inspired, motivated, informed, and ready to take action. So if you have a moment, try Giving this book a chance.

You know that part called 'Acknowledgements' which is available in almost every book and covers three or so pages? Ever read one of those? I bet you skip those pages every time!

The first two-thirds of this book gave me the exact same feeling. Every chapter covers too much names that are soon to be forgotten by the time you enter the next chapter. No matter how inspiring these people are, you cannot ask the average reader to remember the UNC, DDA, EXRE and whatever NGO is being mentioned.

And then, out of the blue, the book does get interesting. Most of this is due to the change in writing and you get a sense of personal touch in its writings. It doesn't even surprise me if Mr. Clinton only wrote some of this book.

The people mentioned in this book deserve better than just being a paragraph in a chapter. Maybe Mr. Clinton should call his good ol' pal Al and make a documentary about this book, because it does hold award-winning content...

Charitable giving is a regular part of life for many Americans and one man who wants to encourage Americans to integrate giving into their daily lives is former U.S. President Bill Clinton. The former U.S. Chief Executive has his own foundation dedicated to the cause of world health and other issues and he wrote this book to educate the reader on the different ways to give and the visible difference that a little effort can make. Writing a check or offering a credit card number to donate cash is the most common way that people give, but like Clinton explains in this book, there are many other ways to give that are just as important and equally valuable. Serving as a volunteer for an important cause, teaching others how to read, or donating used goods are among the many other ways by which an individual can help to improve the lives of others.

Americans are a very charitable people and Clinton frequently praises the generosity of others in the book's opening chapters and in other segments of the reading. As many people know, Bill Clinton joined with former president George H.W. Bush to help raise money for Tsunami victims and for those devastated by Hurricane Katrina and he points this out several times in the books chapters. Clinton wanted to demonstrate how most any people- even those who were once political rivals- can join forces for a common cause. No matter what one's political affiliation, most anyone will agree that charitable giving is important and commendable. It should be part of everyone's lifestyle, provided they have the means to give. And regardless of the size of the gifts, giving is still helpful and should always be encouraged. This book makes mention of mega- givers like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, but it is quick to point out that small gifts also make a big difference.

One of the many positive experiences I gained from reading this book is the knowledge about specific charities. Many of the charities mentioned in Giving are well- established, but there are several surprises. One is a charity called Chess in the Schools, which teaches chess to inner city youth as a means to improve learning in other areas. Yet another is a charity called H.O.P.E, which was founded by a group of high school students who wanted to break the cycle of poverty and disease in other countries. Information on these and other charities (including web site addresses) are found in the book's Resources section. I have already visited the web sites of several different groups and I am likely to add some of them to my list of important causes for future giving.

Overall, Giving is a very good book about the difference that each one of us can make. The fact that Bill Clinton is the author will likely discourage many people from giving this book a read and that is a shame because there is plenty of good information in Giving. Politics aside, this is a positive, well- written, non- controversial book about the different means to give, the different causes to support, and the different ways we can all make the world a better place. Its optimistic tone and strong message make it a good book for all, and hopefully one that will inspire others to devote more time and effort to the virtue of giving.

I found it very interesting, is not a science book...I think this book is perfect if somebody wants to know anything about the climate change

Tim Flannery, well-known for his writing on the unique ecology of Australia, turns his attention to the pressing issue of global warming with "The Weather Makers". As the disappearance of the southern winter rain belt hit home in 2006, Flannery deservedly won an Australian of the Year award for exposing the continent's shameful record on greenhouse gas emissions.

"The Weather Makers" begins in a quite slow fashion with a look at past climate changes and how they have occurred. Flannery, in a very scientific manner, gives a very detailed account of how the Earth's climate evolved, and how scientists gradually found out the role of carbon dioxide in making the Earth habitable by increasing temperatures. He looks at these things in quite revealing detail and the goes on a journey through geological and human history to illustrate how humanity developed in an era dominated by long periods of very cold weather in which most of the unusually fertile land of Europe, North America and New Zealand was covered by glaciers. Flannery then looks, in very close detail, at how coal and oil were formed and shows, in remarkably simple and legible language, how fossil fuels form and explains why they are so rare in comparison with the present demadn for them. He also shows, in quite simple language, how they burn and why they vary so much in their usefulness as fuels.

It is the last half or so of "The Weather Makers" that is really revealing and something that must be read by global warming sceptics and especially by those who are in doubt or overtly nervous about action. Flannery shows, contrary to popular belief, that climate moves as carbon dioxide increases from one metastable state to another, and that the changes - like the 40 percent drop in Melbourne rainfall in October 1996 - are quite abrupt and, as we are seeing in Australia today - extremely liable to be disastrous. his illustration of the declines in rainfall over southwestern Australia are especially noteworthy. Flannery also does a marvellous job of showing how species, especially in tropical mountains that are effectively cool "islands", global warming has already driven extremely old species like the golden toad to extinction through chaning the level of the cloud layer. The very fact that such species have become extinct should, of itself, be enough to quash notions - still popular amongst the most fertile sections of modern humanity - that global wamring is not real.

Flannery also writes an excellent section titled "The Great Stumpy Reef" about threats to the Great Barrier Reef from global warming and coral bleaching.

The last part of the book, which looks at the Kyoto Protocol, is however clearly the weakest part of the book. Whilst I do not question Flannery's point that there are a large number of vested interests controlling politics in Australia and the US that prevent public ratification of the Kyoto Protocol regardless of its ineffectiveness, I am still critical of Flannery for his failure to recognise that - contrary to conventional wisdom - Australia and the Republican states of the US do not belong to the same culture as the rest of the West. Rather, they retain a value system that disappeared from Europe a hundred years ago and from Blue America, Canada and New Zealand in the 1960s and 1970s. I myself have no doubts that Australia would not refuse to take the most radicla action on greenhouse emissions like eliminating car travel and coal power were it not for a rapidly growing and socially ultraconservative bloc of voters become the dominant force in its politics. Flannery, in contrast, never looks at public opinion in Australia beyond the stereotyped liberal view that the public is less conservative than government.

The rise of parties like One Nation and Family First in Australia, and the number of conservative, climate-sceptic sites on the web form the US, should be proof that public opinion is actually more conservative than Flannery would like to believe. He also does not consider the serious question of what an increasing ultraconservative Australian public will think when rainfall declines in Melbourne and Perth become even worse than they have already.

He also does not look at whether international bodies' failure the greater ecological vulnerability of Australia (which he ought more than anyone to have known about) idea of assuming equal reductions for all countries as the right way to reduce emissions radically wrong. I myself believe Australia should have been internationally targetted long before any efforts at dealing with any other nation's emissions were even considered.

Nonetheless, for all Flannery's failures on the cultural front, "The Weather Makers" is still a most impressive read packed with infomration to arm yourself against the climate change sceptics and to harden your views if you are in doubt.

A few weeks ago, while visiting South Australia's Yorke Peninsula (the place where European settlers have cut the native mulga forest to plant wheat and barley... and later discovered that it does not always rain enough to grow wheat and barley), I stopped by a local public library looking for an interesting Australia book. As my luck had it, I picked two, from the same shelf: Tim Flannery's "The Weather Makers", and Tim Low's "Feral Future: The Untold Story of Australia's Exotic Invaders". It turned out that these two books - both well written, well informed, and covering environmental subject of concerns to Australians as well as people worldwide - complement each other in some ways that neither author may have planned.

The heart of Flannery's book is a martyrology of species that have already gone extinct due to the climate change now in progress, or those likely to do so as the climate change (warming, reduction in precipitation, fog, or cloud cover) continues. As a biologist closely working with many rare and endangered species, and, on occasion, having a chance to discover a tree kangaroo species just to see it become extinct within a few years, Dr. Flannery no doubt is in a very good position to appreciate the danger brought by climate change to many plant and animal species, as well as the tragedy of their loss to the mankind.

As Tim Flannery's accessible and well-presented analysis of many extinction (or threatened extinction) cases shows, the extinct or doomed species are mostly those that are already on their last legs, due to the natural or human-induced causes. Some of them have lost most of their habitat during the last ice age, others during the warming that followed the ice age; some were extirpated from many areas when the Aborigines came to Australia with the spear and the firestick, others were helped to their grave by Anglo-Australians' bulldozers and ploughshares. As Flannery correctly emphasizes, it is the reduction and segmentation of suitable habitats that makes many plant and animal species especially vulnerable to climate change, as, with the wheat fields and housing estates in the way, they can't easily "move" from the northern to southern parts of their geographic province anymore.

Although that's probably not Flannery's conclusion, it seems to me that in many cases the impending loss of these species, while tragic for the world's genetic diversity, and for those small areas where these species do find the refuge now, their extinction won't affect the ecosystems as they currently exist throughout most of the world: there, these threatened species have already disappeared.

As the global temperature inexorably rises, what is coming to replace the doomed species and the ecosystems that they form? As Flannery suggest, many areas of the world are on the way to simplification or "uniformization" of sorts: the reindeer's and lemming's tundra may be replaced by the expansion of the moose's and squirrel's taiga forest; the polar bear's ice-covered Arctic ocean - with a seasonally ice free cold sea (similar to today's Bering Sea perhaps?); Amazonian rainforest, with a savanna of sorts. And to get a better idea of who *is* likely to survive in the new hotter world, Tim Low's "Feral Future" makes a good companion reader. It is all about creatures whose habitat, instead of shrinking (often, due to human activity), expands (often, not without human help). Widely adaptable, these species are likely to survive in the changing world, and likely even to benefit from the change sometimes, replacing the species that are losing ground. Forests of lantana and mimosa instead of the native species; rats and racoons instead of tree cangaroos; starlings and mynas instead of the native birds... this is what we are likely to see more and more, with or without climate change.

Read the two books together and think of what the future may hold. It may not be all that unpleasant - if, after some millenia, the climate stabilizes again, the now-worldwide starlings or racoons may undergo a new wave of speciation, developing new narrow-ecologic-niche species, replacing those that are disappearing now. It's probably not the first time this happens, on the geological scale: there must have been other global extinction events, followed by the appearance of new narrow-niche species, descending from the adaptable wide-nice survivors.

But in the present day, perhaps though the conservation biologists could pressure governments into funding captive breeding programs, to save some of the particularly threatened species for later reintroduction in the suitable environments - wherever those may be. Maybe we should be prepared to grow a new Great Barrier Reef around Tasmania, too :-)

This was a wonderful read for me during a week I spend in the woods on retreat. Although not as "spiritual" as I would have expected, it still resonated with so much of my being in the wilderness. Contrary to Dr. May, I have spend numberous years with such times. I just thoroughly enjoyed his writing style, his honesty and humor, and the awareness that this was his last book before his death. I cried at the end of it!

The Weather Makers is a great over-all, general look at global warming and climate change. Easily 5 stars, the highest rating, for its reasoned, common-sense guide to a complex subject, which largely avoids partisan politics and alarmist reactions. Of more than 30 books I've read on the subject, this is in the top three, the other two being "With Speed and Violence - Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change" by Fred Pearce; and "Hell and High Water - Global Warming, the Solution and the Politics, and What We Should Do" by Joseph Romm.

I am finding I am not alone in my cynicism of the blind buy-in of "the sky is falling" mentality towards the environment and the now coined "green movement". The author presents a great deal of data to support his thesis but it is well written.

The Skeptical Environmentalist is a wonderful book. In today's environmental debates, this is a work without peer. Nowhere else can a person obtain a truly focused and non-biased view (at least as non-biased as a person can be) on the future of our planet and how to meet its problems.

The author is a scientist who specializes not just in environmental matters but statistical research. His mathematical background shows at every step in the book. First of all, he is highly organized. There is never a doubt of where he is at or where the author is going with his thoughts. Nothing is confusing here. Next, the author is thorough in his research and his presentation. He considers every nuisance of the problem and approaches the matter with exactness.

This is a true man of science trying to show the reader how science, true science, approaches problems and works out solutions. Even if one isn't interested in the environment, if there is an interest in science, this book will show how science must work, and how it must NOT work, if there is to be thoughtful progress in the world through science.

If you are wondering what the environmental debate should sound like you must read this book. If you are wondering what the facts are behind the various environmental problems facing the world today you must read this book. If you are looking for reasonable solutions to many of the environmental problems facing humanity today you must read this book.

In short, if you care about science or the environment - read this book!

AD2

I have always considered myself to be an environmentalist since I was a child and my parents taught me not to litter or be wasteful, to be kind to animals, and to respect and appreciate nature. These are values I've maintained and am trying to pass on to my children. So, like many others, I have become increasingly worried about the condition of our planet with the constant bombardment of sound-bites bearing line after line of ever more distressing news almost on a daily basis.

But after reading through Mr. Lomborg's incredibly detailed book I find myself more worried than before, and not because we're *not doing* enough but because we're often not doing the *right* things. Mr. Lomborg, a former Green Peace activist, analyzes the data and statistics on many of the current environmental issues, such as soil erosion, landfill capacity, amount of forest cover, ozone levels, global warming, etc. He examines the data on glaciers that are melting and those that are growing. He looks into the data behind the claims of impending catastrophe, such as the famous "hockey stick" graph, and traces it back to the sources. His conclusions are often very surprising and highlight the need to NOT base public policy on shrill and panic-inducing headlines but on rational and coherent science. For example, through detailed analysis he concludes that even if all nations agreed to abide by the Kyoto Treaty it still wouldn't make a significant impact in global warming.

But just because Al Gore is afraid to talk with him, don't assume Lomborg is dismissive of the warnings about climate change. He concludes that the earth is in fact getting warmer and that mankind's activities are most likely the primary reason. But he doesn't claim, as some do, that all results will be beneficial and therefore needn't worry us. Instead, he actually analyzes the various claims of both disaster and benefit, and concludes that the results (as near as can be determined based on currently available information) will be a mixed bag. Overall he advocates for more reasoned policies of action based on sound science rather than on simple knee-jerk reaction.

This is an exhaustively researched and detailed book that covers many environmental topics and is not limited to global warming. But it is an approach that I appreciate, not merely calling for action, but calling for action in the most beneficial ways. Most may not want to attempt reading it front to back as I tried, but it is an excellent resource and is laid out in a manner that allows easy access to selective topics for lots of helpful information. An excellent voice of reason in a very emotional and important debate.

This is a comprehensive and technically precise investigation into many claims of human impact on the environment. The author heavily documents his sources, which allows them to be conveniently cross-referenced for more academically-minded readers. The massive number of citations also suggests how deeply researched this book really is!

In terms of readability, this book is very accessible for those with a basic familiarity with data analysis; probably nothing more than an introductory statistics course for humanities students. This is largely required to appreciate the more precise statements in the books and the extensive number of supplementary charts and graphs.

This book thoroughly investigates trends of life expectancy, food availability, energy availability, global warming, depletion of forests, depletion of natural water and the like. The general consensus is that although there is usually some truth to many of the more alarming claims out there, any Malthusian prediction of destruction is generally exaggerated. Moreover, the author refutes many commonly exaggerated perceptions about the dangers of nuclear power, DDT and alar.

The global warming chapter is a little outdated, largely because the theory that global temperature is largely driven by solar activity was not popularized around the time of this writing. For more information on this particular topic, I recommend either Bjorn Lomborg's book Cool It, Climate Confusion by Roy Spencer or Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years by Fred Singer and Dennis Avery. The latter two books however, have much more of a derisive tone than Bjorn Lomborg's book does. In many respects, the honest and patient tone of Lomborg's volume makes it much more enjoyable to read.

An environmental book written by a statistician! 90% of all statistics can be used to show either side of the argument 50% of the time! This author uses this skill liberally.

The first chapter makes a very valid point: be aware of what you're reading and be skeptical! The rest of the book is slanted toward his OPINION and he disregards information that doesn't support his viewpoints.

Many things may not be as bad as some portray but they aren't as rosy as this author portrays either. READ WITH SKEPTICISM!!

Resonant Leadership provides a thoughtful and holistic analysis of how leaders can use the emotional intelligence competencies of mindfulness, hope and compassion to achieve business and personal success. The book approaches leaders as individuals and encourages them to base their development as professionals off their personal strengths and weaknesses, rather than advocating a one-size-fits-all formula approach. My only criticism is that parts of the book read as too simplistic; however, this flaw does not detract from the high quality of the book as a whole.

This is a must read for those interested in teaching and living leadership. It deepens the knowledge base of anyone who have already acquired knowledge of EQ from books like Primal Leadership, Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace, and similarly titled books.
Boyatzis and McKee does great credit to their background scientists/practitioners of the craft of applying EQ into the workplace. In fact, not just the workplace, but in daily living.
Their presentation is clear, and can be appreciated by anyone seeking to deepen their knowledge in EQ led leadership.
Higly recommended for those in positions of leadership.
Having taught leadership to both academic, corporate and NGO audiences, the lessons and presentation of content is highly appreciated.

I very much enjoyed Drs. Boyatzis and McKee initial offering with Daniel Goleman, "Primal Leadership", so I looked forward to learning more about resonnant leadership. I certainly wasn't disappointed. I very much appreciated the author's attention to citations and footnotes, indications of valid and solid research -- something that is becoming increasingly rare in these days of making-it-up-as-you-go writings.

Furthermore, I applaud the authors for having the courage to tackle the very important subject of burnout -- there are more leaders suffering from burnout than one would think. I have simply been amazed at how many burned out executives I have met in my time, and how few of them seemed to realize that they were burned out. Plus, the simple and effective perspectives of attending to Mindfulness, Hope and Compassion are very important indicators for workplace success.

While "Resonant Leadership" is an important book for leaders, the one criticism that I have of it is that it is a little light on practical application. For a book that holds a bit more practical applications for leaders, I would highly recommend "Leading People the Black Belt Way" from expert Tim Warneka -- a book that covers similiar territory in a similar "applied academics" fashion, but has the added benefit of offering a few more specific, hands on approaches for developing Mindfulness, Hope & Compassion.

Overall, I would highly recommend "Resonant Leadership".

Recognizing the importance in leadership to first and foremost `know thyself', authors Boyatzis and McKee use real business leadership examples to demonstrate how a single-minded focus on performance goals or career objectives can ultimately lead to what they define as the Sacrifice Syndrome - over reliance on self and subsequent burnout. They then recommend the use of Mindfulness - listening carefully to our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits as we pay attention to what is happening around us; Hope - clear thoughts about what the future can be and how to get there; and Compassion - empathy and caring in action - as the renewal pathway away from this Sacrifice Syndrome.

The authors present a sound argument for the importance of maintaining balance between head, heart, hands (and spirit too) in dealing with the stresses of leadership. As I read the book, I found myself wanting more about applying the principles to managing others and had the feeling that the authors had the knowledge and abilities to address this missing - maybe in a past or future book? Recommended for those feeling worn-down by the stresses of leading in today's challenging environment.

A good framework for Servant Leadership style. Authors drive the point home by hammering three concepts into reader's mind: mindfulness, hope, and compassion. However the book fall short on emphasizing the power of "serving others," which I believe is a vital ingredient for resonant leaders. Many useful real life examples.

The condition of the book was excellent.
I am a fan of Elizabeth Gilbert, however the open ended quality of this book left me a bit exasperated.

This is an incredibly well written book, and Elizabeth Gilbert is my new hero. However, I like her other books much better. Eat, Love Pray is fabulous.

I expected more. I love Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love and I thought I would enjoy this one, but I was wrong. Her short stories went nowhere and had no real significance to them. The characters really didn't leave an lasting impression on me either. I was dissapointed with this book, however, I would still be interested to see what Gilbert puts out in the future.

Elizabeth Gilbert is a talented writer and some of these stories in this collection are absolutely terrific. These stories will capture your imagination. There were several that I wished Gilbert would have made into novels. I really enjoyed reading these stories, but I did read Stern Men, her novel, first and as strong as these stories are, Stern Men is even stronger, so I was a little disappointed. All in all, however, this is a terrific collection by a very talented writer and I look forward to seeing more of her work.

A friend's interest in Gilbert spurned me to read this short story collection, which I found very enjoyable. Gilbert has a way of creating a very vivid scene and situation, so as to wrap your interest around the characters promptly. Then, naughty as it is, she ends her stories almost always leaving you to wonder how everything will play out. It's more that she's giving you a glimpse into another world, rather than relating a brief story from beginning to end.