Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower

Book Description

From the most highly respected analyst of foreign policy writing today, a story of wasted opportunity and squandered prestige: a critique of the last three U.S. presidents' foreign policy.

America's most distinguished commentator on foreign policy, former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, offers a reasoned but unsparing assessment of the last three presidential administrations' foreign policy. Though spanning less than two decades, these administrations cover a vitally important turning point in world history: the period in which the United States, having emerged from the Cold War with unprecedented power and prestige, managed to squander both in a remarkably short time. This is a tale of decline: from the competent but conventional thinking of the first Bush administration, to the well-intentioned self-indulgence of the Clinton administration, to the mortgaging of America's future by the "suicidal statecraft" of the second Bush administration. Brzezinski concludes with a chapter on how America can regain its lost prestige. This scholarly yet highly opinionated book is sure to be both controversial and influential.

Customer Reviews:

The idealism is better than the realism .......2007-08-29

Intelligence is no substitute for integrity. In surveying the world - situation and the role three U.S. Presidents had after the fall of the Soviet Union Brezinski fails to give prominent place to one major development he himself had considerable responsibility for i.e. the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. It was he who as Carter's foreign policy chief - advisor supervised the fall of the Shah in Iran, and did nothing to prevent the rise of the radical Islamic regime there. He also helped put into place the Mujadeen in Afghanistan, and they have been a key element in the rise of Global Islam worldwide.
In this book he focuses on what he considers the missed opportunities of the U.S. after the fall of the Soviet Union. He is especially critical of the current President.
Brezinski does have interesting things to say about current American weaknesses including the balance of payments problem, the problem of a loss of kind of moral discipline.
His idea of the United States leading mankind to a new era of dignity and freedom is a good one. And for his 'idealism' expressed most fully in the final chapter the book is worth reading.

DR. BRZEZINSKI SHOULD BE RUNNING THIS COUNTRY.......2007-07-25

I feel strongly, that this book says what most rational people in the "world!" are thinking. It is pure and clear truth. It could have been a lot less disasterous for our country, if Dr. Brzezinski could have tutored bush/cheney/rice, on how to lead a great nation with "integrity, honor and some backbone." Can we find a way for a man like Dr. Brzezinski,(who was born in Europe/Poland), to run for President?! Fantastic book! I read it in one sitting.

Second Chance: 3 presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower.......2007-07-21

Grim yet fairly non-biased assessment of the administrations since the fall of the wall. There is some hope at the end of the book, but it will take an extraordinary turn of events to keep America from losing its place in global stature.
His critical eye on the current administration is no nonsense and, sadly, accurate.

J'Accuse.......2007-07-08

This is nothing more than a scathing indictment on eight years of GWB misrule.

To distinguish his indictment from other partisan rhetoric, ZB has placed his argument in a much wider and rational perspective. He has reviewed also the missteps of the previous two US Presidents in the foreign policy arena, and the lost chances of securing and cementing a true global leadership position for USA.

What is so different with the current regime is of course not just a matter of lost chances but colossal cost to US interests abroad. Not to mention lack of any significant progress in any key domestic agenda issues to balance it all.

ZB tries to make the argument at the end that all is not lost, and US still has a chance to regain its leadership position following certain steps.

His argument is not very credible though. He ignores the fact that US, as a nation, thinks and feels very differently than the one of 50s and 60s which put US on a moral path to global leadership. Things are indeed different, and second chance seems to be wishful thinking mostly.

Writing is excellent as expected, delivery and reasoning forceful and complete. Interesting reading for those of us contemplating the next chapter.

Brilliant. A must read as we approach the future election they are boring us with ..........2007-06-28

I happen to hear this guy on Charlie Rose the other night and went out and bought his book. The book isnt as interesting as he is in an interview live but its well worth the read.

His analysis of the past three administrations is superb. It is balanced and I think offers great insight into the hits and misses of our leaders. He goes on to explain his views on the world post Russia and our missed opportunites. His close of post 2008 I would love to hear discussed by him and others.

An important book for this country. Get it and read it and act.

Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

Average customer rating:

Not as good as the Black Swan
A MUST read
Fallacies of inductive reasoning
It's a book - breath deep
Risk Management 404

Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Statistics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Free Will & Determinism | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk
When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management
Fortune's Formula: The Untold Story of the Scientific Betting System That Beat the Casinos and Wall Street
Inside the House of Money: Top Hedge Fund Traders on Profiting in the Global Markets

ASIN: 0812975219
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Amazon.com

If the prescriptions for getting rich that are outlined in books such as The Millionaire Next Door and Rich Dad Poor Dad are successful enough to make the books bestsellers, then one must ask, Why aren't there more millionaires? In Fooled by Randomness, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a professional trader and mathematics professor, examines what randomness means in business and in life and why human beings are so prone to mistake dumb luck for consummate skill. This eccentric and highly personal exploration of the nature of randomness meanders from the court of Croesus and trading rooms in New York and London to Russian roulette, Monte Carlo engines, and the philosophy of Karl Popper. Part of what makes this book so good is Taleb's ability to make seemingly arcane mathematical concepts (at least to this reviewer) entirely relevant in evaluating and understanding everything from the stock market to the success of those millionaires cited in the aforementioned bestsellers. Here's an articulate, wise, and humorous meditation on the nature of success and failure that anyone who wants a little more of the former would do well to consider. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards

Book Description

“[Taleb is] Wall Street’s principal dissident. . . . [Fooled By Randomness] is to conventional Wall Street wisdom approximately what Martin Luther’s ninety-nine theses were to the Catholic Church.”
– Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker

Finally in paperback, the word-of-mouth sensation that will change the way you think about the markets and the world.This book is about luck: more precisely how we perceive luck in our personal and professional experiences.

Set against the backdrop of the most conspicuous forum in which luck is mistaken for skill–the world of business– Fooled by Randomness is an irreverent, iconoclastic, eye-opening, and endlessly entertaining exploration of one of the least understood forces in all of our lives.

Customer Reviews:

Not as good as the Black Swan.......2007-10-01

I read the Black Swan and I loved it. So, of course, I had to read this book too. It turned out to be a rehash of the same material, but not told with the same conviction. In the Black Swan he pulls no punches. Here he has not quite gotten all his material together and you can feel it. If I had not read the Black Swan I would have liked this book. But, since he wrote a better one, I would recommend the Black Swan and not this one.

A MUST read.......2007-09-29

A great book that everyone can read and understand. Wonderful insight into the ramdomness of life.

Fallacies of inductive reasoning.......2007-09-02

If you ever felt a little queasy about that article in the paper - the one that connected all the dots and claims to have explained yesterdays news - then this is a book you must read. Taleb covers a lot of ground, at times in seemingly sporadic jumps, but each chapter is a mini research library in itself. The reviews for this book span the whole gamut, and I will not try to add to the noise short of saying that if you are interested in probability, in how it affects our lives, and how it skews our perception of the world, then you should judge the book for yourself - I happened to have read it twice.

It's a book - breath deep.......2007-08-31

A good read and many valuable insights that will keep you thinking long after you've moved on.

Attacking this author is besides the point; frankly, why should anyone care if he is or isn't a arrogant, ivy league brat, a walking contradiction that doesn't appreciate the "businessman"? The book is either worth the read or it isn't. My opinion - it has something important to add and does so in a fun, refreshing style to boot.

Risk Management 404.......2007-08-31

Hard to rate this book too highly. It is not without flaws and even the author describes is as something along the lines of a self-indulgent and eccentric essay (my words). That is of nonetheless part of its charm. This is an unorthodox look at a very important topic for our world.

It would be a mistake to come to this book as your first introduction to risk management, life, philosophy, probability or derivatives trading. It covers all of those topics and much, much more but this book is not written as an introductory read. You need to have some life experience and at least a working knowledge of risk management (in whatever field of endeavour you pursue). The joy of this book is it's ability to stretch your mind with new ways of thinking.

Taleb's fundamental premise is that we underestimate the role of luck (or Lady Fortuna) in our lives and he argues compellingly to that end with a range of interesting examples. The survivorship bias of 'successful' people is well illustrated using a number of examples to show how (for example) derivatives traders start and fail on a regular basis, eventually leaving only the ones who have been continuously successful. That although skill and experience are important, many wealthy trader have basically thrown 'heads' 20 times in a row (ie. survived 20 years trading). We then back-test their methods to find the 'secret of their success' assuming that it is more than luck which of course it usually (but not always is) but that we for the most part a) underestimate the role of luck and b) assume that what has worked in the past will continue to work in the future. He uses the black swan example (all swans were white until the discovery of black swans in Australia in the 17th century) to illustrate the point that even if the processes that trader has used in the past worked out, we need to keep challenging our thinking and continually learn anew. In a complementary but very different vein, have a look at 'Managing the Unexpected' by Karl Weick and Kathleen Sutcliffe. They give new meaning to the concept of mindfulness and how 'high reliability organisations' such as nuclear aircraft carriers use a 'Pre-occupation with Failure' to sustain mindfulness and avoid Black Swans.

Some reviewers seem to have found Taleb's style challenging (and yes he can be sarcastic) but overall I loved it and found it a compelling read. I have a Masters in Risk Management, trade options, help clients with risk management and international security solutions and am a better practitioner now for having read this shotgun blast of scattered but linked ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed the places that it took and continues to take my thinking and am just grateful that he took the time to share his thought with the rest of us.

Mandatory reading for anyone who manages risk (which is after all just about everyone). When you think you understand something about risk management, then it is time to read this.

Claimed By Shadow (Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Not so intertained
Indecisiveness with Mystic Backgrounds
Wonderful Sequel!
Trying too hard
Fun, exciting read

Claimed By Shadow (Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 2)
Karen Chance
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 1)
Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 2)
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For a Few Demons More (Rachel Morgan, Book 5)
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels Series, Book 1)

ASIN: 0451461525

Book Description

Clairvoyant Cassie Plamer has inherited new magical powers-including the ability to travel through time. But it's a whole lot of responsibility she'd rather not have. Now she's the most popular girl in town, as an assortment of vamps, fey, and mages try to convince, force, or seduce her-and her magic-over to their side. But one particular master vampire didn't ask what Cassie wanted before putting a claim on her. He had a spell cast that binds her to him, and now she doesn't know if what she feels for him is real-or imagined...

Customer Reviews:

Not so intertained.......2007-08-27

I did not read the first book, but I picked this one up because it looked good. I just did not get into it like I normally do with books of this genre. The main character just seemed whiney to me. I could see no real reason that she wouldn't want to accept her power. Maybe it is explained in the first book. The shifting through time was interesting as well as the Dracula references. Over all I counsider this book ok and I will not read the others in the series.

Indecisiveness with Mystic Backgrounds.......2007-08-18

In book one, Cassie was smart, savvy, and running for her life. In book two she is still running for her life, but she doesn't know what's going on. On the whole, I believe a protagonist with a clue is more fun than one without one. The supporting cast from 'Touch the Dark' is still here, but with switched around loyalties that aren't always well explained. I liked the first volume better, but the second isn't that much worse. 'Claimed By Shadow' gave me the sense the author was trying too hard with her plot, as things become very tangled at the expense of characterization. This could have been wonderful if motivations were shown instead of told in dialogue.

In short, this novel was fast and suspenseful without being great. A nice quick read if you go for vampires and magic. It felt much more like paranormal romance than fantasy.

Wonderful Sequel!.......2007-08-15

I loved the first book (Touch the Dark) and anxiously awaited the sequel. I was thrilled to find it was even better! Smart, sexy, funny, intense, like nothing else in the genre. Can't recommend it highly enough for fantasy, mystery or thriller fans.

Trying too hard.......2007-07-31

I'm a huge paranormal romance fan - it's almost the only thing I read these days - so I was excited to think I had found another author to add to my list. Unfortunately, Ms. Chance doesn't make the cut.

This is the first book of hers that I have attempted to read, and I have to say it doesn't motivate me to try again. Frankly, I haven't even finished it. She lost me in the first chapter. I have continued to slog about halfway through the book, but the pacing of the book is frenzied and the characters, while fairly well developed, seem out of control of their own lives. Too much back story is needed from the previous book (which I wasn't aware existed when I purchased this one) to really understand this one.

The feeling I get from this book is that the author is trying too hard. She seems to be attempting to achieve a Harry Dresden style, but is just flat out trying too hard. Too much in too short of a time. She's rushing and I'm not enjoying the ride.

Basically, I've lost any interest in these characters and don't really care what happens. I expect I will eventually finish this book when I don't have another one and am desperate for something to read. I can only hope it suddenly improves.

Fun, exciting read.......2007-07-30

I loved this book! I've read many fantasy/vampire tales, but none that were as original and just plain fun as this series. I really enjoyed Touch the Dark, which turned out to be unexpectedly substantial (I had initially thought it would be a fairly basic vampire romance book). And this one was equally surprising. Fun, funky, yet strangely meaty, for lack of a better word. There's a solid plot in there amidst all the madness! And I was very surprised by the final denoument. I can't wait for the sequel.

Your Complete Retirement Planning Road Map: The Leave-Nothing-to-Chance, Worry-Free, All-Systems-Go Guide

Average customer rating:

A Financial Guide, not a Complete Guide
Enough info for a..
Comprehensive and Infinitely Practical--A Must Buy for Every IRA Owner
Mastering the complex with simplicity
Same Rules, Easier to Understand

Your Complete Retirement Planning Road Map: The Leave-Nothing-to-Chance, Worry-Free, All-Systems-Go Guide
Ed Slott
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Introduction | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Retirement Planning | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Retirement Savings Time Bomb...and How to Defuse It
Parlay Your IRA into a Family Fortune: 3 EASY STEPS for creating a lifetime supply of tax-deferred, even tax-free, wealth for you and your family
Retirement Income Redesigned: Master Plans for Distribution: An Adviser's Guide for Funding Boomers' Best Years
Retire Secure!: Pay Taxes Later The Key to Making Your Money Last as Long as You Do
You Can Do It!: The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement

ASIN: 0345494555
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Book Description

This is the same diagnostic system I use with my own clients and with the financial advisors I train. So, going through it will be like having me sitting beside you, whispering in your ear, guiding you every step of the way.”

–from Your Complete Retirement Planning Road Map

Corporate pensions are disappearing. Social Security is in trouble. And the sizable postwar generation is reaching retirement age. With the futures of millions of Americans at stake, Ed Slott, the country’s foremost retirement planning advisor, now offers expert advice on weathering the perfect storm of financial instability that looms on the horizon. Your Complete Retirement Planning Road Map, Slott’s most essential and accessible book yet, provides clear step-by-step directions through the highways and byways of IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and other major accounts.

In five helpfully focused sections, Slott combines crucial facts with interactive checklists and questionnaires (those he uses with his own clients) to teach investors and beneficiaries alike the best way to save and to maximize an inheritance. Inside you’ll discover

• My Account Inventory: an overview of every retirement savings account you own, whether you’re thirty or sixty-five–from what it is and where it is to who gets it and how, plus where to put important data for easy access and where to store your essential documents (hint: not in a safe-deposit box)
• The Account Owner’s Care Solution: how to properly fill out retirement account beneficiary forms so that whatever amount of money is left in your account after you’ve fully enjoyed retirement will go to whomever you choose and not to relatives who suddenly pop up out of nowhere
• The Account Beneficiary’s Care Solution: what to do when you inherit so that you won’t lose any of the tax benefits and other opportunities your benefactor has created for you, or make a mistake that could wipe out an inherited fortune that took years to build up
• The Special Issues Care Solution: how to handle the out-of-the-box issues that could affect you or your beneficiaries (e.g., life events such as divorce or incapacity; tax issues for unmarried partners; decisions about trusts)
• The Follow-up Care Solution: how to keep your planning on track and make adjustments when circumstances change, and how to determine whether your professional retirement advisor is really up to the task of preserving and protecting your money
• Plus: the most up-to-date information on tax laws, including the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which provides major new retirement incentives that you can take advantage of

Your Complete Retirement Planning Road Map is an indispensable planning solution that is sure to become the standard how-to on a complex subject that is becoming relevant to more people every day.

Customer Reviews:

A Financial Guide, not a Complete Guide.......2007-02-19

To me the title of this otherwise excellent book is somewhat misleading. It should say something like 'Your Complete FINANCIAL Planning Road Map.' That is, it doesn't go into things like should you move to the sunbelt, or how much money will you need, or medical aspects or any of these other subjects. Instead it is a very complete discussion on the tax issues of investing for retirement.

This book talks about IRA's, and Roth IRA's, and 401(k)'s, and all the other alphabet soup of the tax system in the United States. It is complete and up to date as recent as the 2006 changes to the tax laws.

A major part of the book consists of check lists that you should go over as part of your retirement/estate planning. These also are very well thought out and force you to think about things you would otherwise ignore.

A minor complaint, these checklists are printed in the book. I'd much rather see them on the web or in a CD bound into the book. He says you should fill them in using pencil in case you later want to make changes. I'd like it better to fill them in on a computer and then print them out. Once again, the information is there and more complete than you'd imagine, so you can consider this a minor complaint.

Enough info for a.........2007-01-26

small pamphlet, not a full size book. Rambling and repetitious. Read it twice and couldn't extract any useful information that wasn't available in other sources.

Comprehensive and Infinitely Practical--A Must Buy for Every IRA Owner.......2007-01-23

Ed Slott's latest book, Your Complete Retirement Planning Road Map provides the most comprehensive, infinitely practical, hands-on set of checklists I have ever seen for IRAs and retirement plans. Ed, perhaps the best known and most trusted author on IRAs and retirement plans, takes the reader step-by-step through important concepts regarding IRAs and retirement plans and provides the reader with an action plan. Ed really rolls up his sleeves and gets into the nitty-gritty. Another outstanding feature of the book is that Ed has included the best questions--with complete answers--gathered from his clients and readers over the years. Chances are if you have a question, it has been asked of Ed, and you will find your answer. If you buy Ed's book and follow his recommendations, you will be better prepared and better documented than 99.9% of all the IRA and retirement plan owners.

James Lange, CPA/Attorney Author of Retire Secure! Pay Taxes Later: The Key to Making Your Money Last as Long as You Do

Mastering the complex with simplicity.......2007-01-22

I have personally been studying with Ed Slott in his Master's Elite IRA Advisory Group for the past two years. This new book is a composite of the various modules we have been studying in depth. This book gives an excellent overview in a version to be understood and simplified so that many can be aware of the many issues present in dealing with the one asset that for many represents their largest financial position. I applaud Ed's efforts to make such a text available and appreciate the opportunity I have had personally to train in depth in all of the issues detailed in his book. I would also commend serious readers and investors to his two earlier books my favorite of the two being, Retirement Tax Time Bomb and How to Defuse It. Anyone with a large IRA should be aware and get the book. It could make a tremedous difference in who ultimately winds up the beneficiary of all your hard long years of labor.

Same Rules, Easier to Understand.......2006-12-30

I have read all three of Ed's IRA books. As a Financial Planner, I find the Retirement Savings Time Bomb to be the best. However, if you are slightly less versed in tax code than a professional planner, his newest book is an excellent tool. I strongly recomend it to all (non-financial professional) qualified account owners. Good Job Ed!

Average customer rating:

3 1/2 stars
2nd Chance
fantastic book
2nd better than 1st.
2nd Chance

2nd Chance
James Patterson , and Andrew Gross
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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

3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club)
1st to Die: A Novel
4th of July
The 5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club)
Jack & Jill (Alex Cross Novels)

ASIN: 0316693200
Release Date: 2002-03-04

Amazon.com

2nd Chance speeds along at a Formula One pace through many tight curves, but unlike recent entries in the Alex Cross series, it doesn't sacrifice good characters to a twisted plot. Lindsay's the star, but there's a fine esprit de corps among the four women, who are even better developed here than in the first book. What makes them both convincing and interesting as a criminal-justice juggernaut is their willingness to stick their necks out, even if they suffer for it. If you haven't picked up a James Patterson novel in a while, this is a great time to start anew. --Barrie Trinkle

Book Description

2nd Chance reconvenes the Women's Murder Club, four friends (adetective, a reporter, an assistant district attorney, and a medical examiner)who used their networking skills, feminine intuition, and professional wiles tosolve a baffling series of murders in 1st to Die. This time, themurders of two African Americans, a little girl and an old woman, bear all thesigns of a serial killer for Lindsay Boxer, newly promoted to lieutenant of SanFrancisco's homicide squad. But there's an odd detail she finds even moredisturbing: both victims were related to city cops. A symbol glimpsed at bothmurder scenes leads to a racist hate group, but the taunting killer strikesagain and again, leaving deliberate clues and eluding the police ever morecleverly. In the meantime, each of the women has a personal stake at risk--andthe killer knows who they are. 2nd Chance speeds along at a Formula One pace through many tight curves,but unlike recent entries in theAlex Cross series, itdoesn't sacrifice good characters to a twisted plot. Lindsay's the star, butthere's a fine esprit de corps among the four women, who are even betterdeveloped here than in the first book. What makes them both convincing andinteresting as a criminal-justice juggernaut is their willingness to stick theirnecks out, even if they suffer for it. If you haven't picked up a JamesPatterson novel in a while, this is a great time to start anew. --BarrieTrinkle

Customer Reviews:

3 1/2 stars.......2007-09-27

After the thrill ride of 1st to Die, I was anxious to read the next installment. But I'm glad that I didn't go out and buy the rest on impulse. I would've been even more disappointed, knowing I'd wasted the money... 2nd Chance lacked the excitement of the first. It is still a mystery full of suspense, intrigue, and unforeseen twists but it felt anticlimactic. We are introduced to Marty Boxer, Lindsay absentee father. Lindsay is mourning the loss of her partner/lover/boyfriend and has been off the police scene up until a horrific shooting in front of a church, where a little girl dies. She is brought back on the case and follows a string of seemingly racially-charged crimes. The perpetrator is still a surprise and there's the final twist at the end. Maybe since 1st to Die was my first James Patterson read, it felt more riveting. Here it seemed like it was following the similar plot points to the first. And now after just finishing the third, he seems to follow a pattern of throwing in red herring suspects, angry family matters, drama with in the Women's Murder Club, intense crime scene, and a twist at the end. There was also a lot more of the f- word which I found distracting and unnecessary - it has no purpose or meaning other than being a horribly crass and ineffectual way of expressing your thoughts. Overall, 2nd Chance is a fast paced, interesting mystery but not quite as good as the first. Hopefully the series doesn't continue going downhill from here. I would suggest getting these out of the library before you make the investment and are disappointed.

Maybe the new TV show will be better (Fridays at 8pm on ABC starting October 12, 2007).

2nd Chance.......2007-09-13

This was the second book in a series of 6, soon to be 7. I loved the books. They were easy to read and the story line moved quickly. I'm not sure how James Patterson does it but he is able to write from a woman's perspective so well, you forget that a man is writing it. As soon as I finished the 2nd one, I wanted to buy the remainder. In fact I am waiting on 3 and 4 from Amazon right now.

fantastic book.......2007-09-11

This book started as good and suspenceful as it ended.I liked how they introduced us to lindseys dad in this edition of wmc....book owl..

2nd better than 1st........2007-08-12

I really liked this one because the action and excitment was right there from the beginning and Patterson again keep me guessing right to the end. This is a fast read which doesn't require a lot of concentration, but it kept drawing me back to see what happens next. Men, don't let the fact that this about "A Women's Murder Club" keep you away because Detectives Jacobi and Cappy are always there to back up Lt. Lindsey Boxer. Also Lindsey's Dad, Marty Boxer, comes back from her past to help her in to solve this murder series.

2nd Chance.......2007-07-29

This is an excellent series. I highly recommend it. Plot has good twist and turns and a very easy read. I bought this one first and liked it so much I decided to purchase the series. I have not been disappointed.

Average customer rating:

A good one
MMMmmmm, meatballs....
cute story, incredible illustration
great for kids >=3
wow, memories

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Judi Barrett
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books)
Where the Wild Things Are
Pickles To Pittsburgh
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

ASIN: 0689707495

Book Description

If food dropped like rain from the sky, wouldn't it be marvelous! Or would it? It could, after all, be messy. And you'd have no choice. What if you didn't like what fell? Or what if too much came? Have you ever thought of what it might be like to be squashed flat by a pancake?

Customer Reviews:

A good one.......2007-10-01

This is one of my kids' favorites. A bit longer than most of the bedtime stories I read, but they really like it.

MMMmmmm, meatballs...........2007-09-25

This was one of my absolute favorite books when I was a child. It was silly enough to keep my attention, but not too silly as to be unbelievable. I WANTED to believe the town of Chewandswallow was real, and I wanted to live there! I still do! I still have my copy, which is now almost 30 years old- and I will be reading it to my children. I recommend this to all children, it's a super fun read!

cute story, incredible illustration.......2007-09-09

Awesome illustration. The story is cute. I'm not sure of a moral, but it's good entertainment for a young reader.

great for kids >=3.......2007-08-31

We read this to our oldest daughter when she was small -- many, many times. And then again to our younger kids. Just got it for our granddaughter, but at 2 she's a little young.

Great book.

wow, memories.......2007-08-01

I'm 26 years old now, don't have any children yet (He'll be here in a few months =D) I just happened to see a friend of mine mention this book somewhere and 20 years later, I immediately remembered this being one of my absolute favorites books when I was a child. Anyone with a child of reading age should def get this book!

Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

More like 4 1/2 stars
Cool New Series
Soldi start to a new fantasy series
Excellent Urban Fantasy
Meh...

Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 1)
Karen Chance
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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Claimed By Shadow (Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 2)
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ASIN: 0451460936

Book Description

Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with revenge in mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection.The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire- and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay.

Customer Reviews:

More like 4 1/2 stars.......2007-10-04

"Touch the Dark" was a great find. It's mainly a vampire novel, but it centers around a clairvoyant who grew up in the vampire world. A nice touch in this book was that, unlike most vampire novels, Chance didn't spend a ton of time on the backstory of every vamp we meet. She didn't have to because she used some familiar historical characters-everybody from Kit Marlowe to Mircea (Vlad Tepes' brother) to the painter Raphael, to Rasputin (the villain). This gives an idea to their age without spending the whole book on them.

The reason this lost 1/2 a star for me was the author's habit of stopping in the middle of an action sequence to infodump, which I found annoying. It was mostly interesting stuff, though, so not so very annoying. I was glad to see that the problem didn't show up in the sequel, so maybe a rookie mistake? Anyway, great premise and great book for the most part.

Cool New Series.......2007-10-04

The first line sets up the tone of the whole book:

"I knew I was in trouble as soon as I saw the obituary. The fact that it had my name on it was sort of a clue."

It's the kind of start that makes me want to keep reading, and I'm really glad I did! This book stands out in the field of fantasy/paranormal romances that have come out lately. It's the characters that really made it for me. All of them were individuals with their own personalities and quirks. Pritkin was especially fun-although I worried that he was about to have a heart attack whenever he appeared-and Mircea and Louis-Cesare and . . . oh, hell, I loved all of them. Billy Joe, Cassie's ghost friend, was especially funny. Which was another neat element. I didn't expect a dark fantasy (and this is really dark in places) to also be funny, but it was.

Very good start to a series. The second is Claimed by Shadow and it was even better than Touch the Dark, I thought. And the third is Embrace the Night, out in April of 2008. Come on April!

Soldi start to a new fantasy series.......2007-10-04

This book rocks hard! The characters are fantastic, no two-dimensional types here. The dialogue is smart and witty. And the sexual tension is steamy. To the reviewer who found the idea of a sexual situation involving vampires and a human to be icky-where have you been? Buffy come to mind, anyone? Or about a thousand other fantasy books that have come out lately? Only Cassie's "encounter" doesn't turn out quite the way I--or she--expected, and I loved it. It was a funny, sexy, smart scene--like the rest of the book. More, more, more!

Excellent Urban Fantasy.......2007-10-04

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. Both Touch the Dark and Claimed by Shadow were original, exciting and substantial reads. I've read both books twice and I can't wait until next April for the third, Embrace the Night. Chance has created an amazing world that has completely sucked me in.

I don't want to say too much about the plot, because the book has a strong mystery element and I don't want to be responsible for spoilers. But, essentially, Cassie Palmer is a clairvoyant on the run from the vampire who brought her up and used her psychic talents for his own nefarious purposes. She escaped him and lived a fairly normal life for three years. But, as the book opens, he has caught up with her. She returns from a break at work to find her obituary displayed on her computer screen. She assumes that it's a warning from her old master, and that she must flee immediately. From there on, Cassie and the reader are transported into a world of magic, danger, intrigue and secrets, where nothing is what it first seems and everyone is a possible enemy.

Vampires, werewolves, fey, time travel, assassins, witches-the book has it all, but it is all very well done and quite believable. It's obvious that a lot of time was taken on the worldbuilding, something that I found very refreshing. I'm tired of reading so-called fantasies which are little more than romance novels in disguise, with poor world-building and little attention to detail. Touch the Dark has none of that. The characters are well drawn, the writing is solid, the mystery was excellent, and the pace just never lets up!

Highly recommended.

Meh..........2007-10-04

Ok, there was a lot wrong with this. I read the whole thing, unlike many of the other low-star givers who reviewed this book. I found the book lacking in many ways. One was the glaring abuse of English in this book. There were a lot of elementary Grammar and idiomatic mistakes. Another was the kitchen-sink inclusion of every type of supernatural creature imaginable. The werewolf on the stairs was pointless, even though it looked like it might be important later. The inclusion of so many famous figures from history as vampires was ludicrous. Jack the Ripper, Rasputin, Cleopatra, I mean really! I found myself reading on just to find out what other travesties I could find. The 'love story' part of this book fell very flat. I was squicked out instead of enjoying the erotic scenes because they smacked of necrophilia, and were devoid of any arousing emotion. The ending wasn't an ending. The climax happens off-stage while the characters are getting it on, then it ends. The device of using the character's virginity as the key to the plot was just absurd. Very unsatisfying. The motivations of the villain were not believable, Cassie behaved foolishly, acting as a plot-puppet jumping through holes. Not recommended.

Chance and Circumstance: Twenty Years with Cage and Cunningham

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A brilliant insider's view of Cunningham and Cage
A Major Document
If only this had been published 30 years ago
revisiting merce with CB

Chance and Circumstance: Twenty Years with Cage and Cunningham
Carolyn Brown
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394401913
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Book Description

The long-awaited memoir from one of the most celebrated modern dancers of the past fifty years: the story of her own remarkable career, of the formative years of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and of the two brilliant, iconoclastic, and forward-thinking artists at its center—Merce Cunningham and John Cage.

From its inception in the l950s until her departure in the l970s, Carolyn Brown was a major dancer in the Cunningham company and part of the vibrant artistic community of downtown New York City out of which it grew. She writes about embarking on her career with Cunningham at a time when he was a celebrated performer but a virtually unknown choreographer. She describes the heady exhilaration—and dire financial straits—of the company’s early days, when composer Cage was musical director and Robert Rauschenberg designed lighting, sets and costumes; and of the struggle for acceptance of their controversial, avant-garde dance. With unique insight, she explores Cunningham’s technique, choreography, and experimentation with compositional procedures influenced by Cage. And she probes the personalities of these two men: the reticent, moody, often secretive Cunningham, and the effusive, fun-loving, enthusiastic Cage.

Chance and Circumstance is an intimate chronicle of a crucial era in modern dance, and a revelation of the intersection of the worlds of art, music, dance, and theater that is Merce Cunningham’s extraordinary hallmark.

Customer Reviews:

A brilliant insider's view of Cunningham and Cage.......2007-08-12

Merce Cunningham and John Cage are two of the most significant figures in dance and music in the second half of the 20th century. Cage, who is aruguably the most influential artist of the second half of the century, has been much written about, and was himself a prolific author. Cunningham has also published influential books, and the two have been the subject of numerous documentaries. But not until now has there been an insider's view of what it was like to be an intimate part of the Cage-Cunningham inner circle, a world that included artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, composers Earl Brown, Morton Feldman, and David Tudor, and many others. Brown has written an honest, sincere account of what life was like touring the US in a VW bus with Cage at the wheel, stopping for picnics along the way. Moreover, while Brown clearly adores both Cage and Cunningham, she doesn't hesitate to provide occasionally hair-raising accounts of things said and done by these two artists that seem incongruous with the myths built up around them. In that regard, Brown renders them human in a way I have never previosuly encountered. Reading that Cage, while in his cups one night, held forth on how turned on he was by Merce, should finally set the record straight (pardon the pun) about Cage's sexuality. The book is a treasury of great anecdotes about Brown's life on the road with an astonishing group of artists, and I felt privileged to have been privy to the journey. It is also a savvy analysis of Cunningham's choreography from the perspective of someone who actually danced it. This book should be required reading for anyone seriously interested in understanding the lives and work of Cage and Cunningham.

A Major Document.......2007-06-27

The wonderful thing about this book is that it gives a very close-up view of the Cage/Cunningham world, especially in the early years of the Cunningham Dance Company. It also presents the two major figures, John Cage and Merce Cunningham, in a critical light. We see them both as the towering creative forces that the outer world knows, as well as the difficult, moody, and complicated people they really are, or were.

The book is exhausting in the way it reveals Brown's life as a dancer, and the tensions and struggles of the Company. Perhaps it could be a few pages shorter, but (in the first half of the book) the insights into the world of modern dance in general, and the NY avant-garde in the 1950's and 60's in particular is fascinating and valuable.

It's also a good example of why people should keep detailed journals.

If only this had been published 30 years ago.......2007-05-13

This book is an excellent opportunity to examine Merce Cunningham's work. Carolyn Brown was probably his favorite dancer. She was intimately connected to Merce and John Cage. Many will come away with a more real understanding of what "chance" means to this work. This is very much a dancer's view of things. I only wonder why it took her thirty-five years to write this book. She confesses to the book deal being offered and signed almost as soon as she retired. There are telling comments on State support of the arts and on unions.

revisiting merce with CB.......2007-05-08

As a former student and long time friend of Ms. Brown and Merce Cunningham, I was moved and delighted to revisit the struggles, perseverance and creativity that went into daily life during the years Ms. Brown spent in the Cunningham Company and to understand, from her viewpoint, the inner workings of Merce's choreographic process. I learned so much and appreciate the knowledge, skill and levels of artistry, friendship and as well as travail that made those years so vital. Thanks, CB

Analysis of Derivatives for the CFA Program

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Analysis of Derivatives for the CFA Program
Don M. Chance
Manufacturer: Assn for Investment Management &
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0935015930

Book Description

Analysis of Derivatives for the CFA® Program introduces students and practitioners to a practical risk management approach to derivatives. The textbook captures current practice and reflects what the general investment practitioner needs to know about derivatives. It does not simply deliver an explanation of various derivatives instruments and positions but provides motivation for every derivatives position by explaining what the manager wants to accomplish prior to addressing the details of the position.

Chance Encounters: A First Course in Data Analysis and Inference

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Book Contents

Chance Encounters: A First Course in Data Analysis and Inference
C. J. Wild , and George A. F. Seber
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471329363

Book Description

This unique book combines lucid and engaging exposition, graphic and poignantly applied examples, and realistic exercises to take readers beyond the mechanics of statistical techniques. The result is a journey into the realm of practical data analysis and inference-based problem solving.

Customer Reviews:

Book Contents.......2006-03-08

The "search inside this book" feature was not available when this review was posted. Hope it helps.
Contents:
1 What is Statistics?
2 Tools for Exploring Univariate Data
3 Exploratory Tools for Relationships
4 Probabilities and Proportions
5 Discrete Random Variables
6 Continuous Random Variables
7 Sampling Distributions of Estimates
8 Confidence Intervals
9 Significance Testing: Using Data to Test Hypotheses
10 Data on a Continuous Variable
11 Tables of Counts
12 Relationships between Quantitative Variables: Regression and Correlation
13 Control Charts
14 Time Series
Appendix: Statistical Tables
References
Answers to Selected Problems
Index

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