Book Description
Professional firms are forever trying to get their people to act like professionals -- to do the right things. Though their various incentives may create employee compliance, these don't often encourage excellence. David Maister, the world's premier consultant to professional service firms, vigorously challenges professionals to examine this essential, yet under-addressed question: What is true professionalism? His answer is clear: It is believing passionately in what you do, never compromising your standards and values, and caring about your clients, your people and your own career. In clear and compelling terms, Maister shows that this approach is not only ethical but also conducive to commercial success.
Download Description
Professional firms are forever trying to get their people to act like professionals - to do the right things. Though their various incentives may create employee compliance, these don't often encourage excellence. Taking issue with such methods, David Maister, the world's premier consultant to professional service firms, vigorously challenges professionals to examine this essential, yet under-addressed question: What is true professionalism?
Customer Reviews:
True Professionalism.......2007-10-11
This is a must read for any managing partner of a law firm. I bought 20 copies and gave them to our partners as a must read.
Business people are not professionals........2006-11-04
This is a feel good book attempting to make an argument that people in business can be "professionals." By definition, business people exist to create and manage a business entity inorder to generate a profit. Professionals are licensed individuals. They are mandated by law is to protect the public's health, safety and welfare through the services that they provide to the community. This book is an attempt to corrupt and diminish the definition of professionalism.
Maister Raises The Bar....Again! .......2006-03-04
Should be required reading for anyone aspiring to develop themselves professionally in a professional services firm. Especially pertinent for leaders and managers.
As Maister points out, some of his recommendations require the courage of ones' convictions to be realized. Yet, this book provides inspiration (along with wonderful advice) to achieve its ends.
Maister is simply the best in this niche...and this book, once again, demonstrates that.
Bill Wiersma, Author, The Big AHA
Essentials Needed To Become a Successful Leader.......2004-04-21
David Maister does a great job of explaining the fundamentals essential to anyone that has a job or is looking for a job in consulting. Splitting the book into three sections made it flow well and easy to follow and comprehend. Furthermore, Maister really focuses on the things that you should look for within yourself as well as the firm and clients. He makes you think about what one should really focus on in your career and the benefits you can receive from your job. This book also guides an employee in explaining situations that will probably occur at some point in their working career. David Maister gives you the tools that you need to be successful; all the person has to do is apply it to their everyday life.
The principles that Maister discussed in his book showed me that there is a balance between the client, the firm, and yourself. This balance is important because it dictates how successful you will become. It is also important to value your client as well as engage with them so that you really know who the client is and what their needs and wants are. Even though you must achieve your goals, you should help others to do the same by establishing a relationship, which in turn will make the working environment healthy and successful.
There is so much information you take a way from this book that will help you in your career as well as your life. I advise everyone to buy this book, because it is very beneficial to the success of anyone's career. Through the use of catchy phrases and clear, practical explanations, I feel that anyone can read this book and take something from it to apply to their career.
Excellent Book - Speaks directly to consultants.......2003-03-08
Finally a book that speaks to the heart of what consulting is(or professional services in general), with no hype, no distractions or flavor-of-the-month thoughts. I had heard David Maister at a recent consulting conference and was quite struck by his focus on people and 'execution of strategies' as being the core of successful consulting firms.
This book is pithy without being trite and if you have been in consulting a while, you can directly relate to what the author is referring to. There are many suggestions in this book that are insightful, practical and feel right on the money to a practictioner.
While by no means a classic, it is certainly a must read.
Book Description
FLYBOYS is the true story of eight young American airmen who were shot down over Chichi Jima.Seven of these young men were captured by Japanese troops and taken prisoner.One was rescued by an American submarine and went on to become president. The reality of what happened to the seven prisoners has remained a secret for almost 60 years. After the war, the American and Japanese governments conspired to cover up the shocking truth. Not even the families of the airmen were informed what had happened to their sons. It has remained a mystery-until now. Critics called James Bradley's last book 'the best book on battle ever written.' FLYBOYS is even better: more ambitious, more powerful, and more moving. On the island of Chichi Jima those young men would face the ultimate test.Their story-a tale of courage and daring, of war and of death, of men and of hope-will make you proud, and it will break your heart.
Customer Reviews:
a great book.......2007-06-28
I thought this was a great book. It details the interesting background of Japan, covers coditions that military men had to face, and provides vivid details of the daily activities of the Flyboys themselves. This is the first military type book I've read, and I plan to continue reading them and hope they read somewhat like this one. This has done nothing but increase my interest in war stories. I look forward to reading Flags of Our Fathers shortly.
Flyboys Review.......2007-06-13
"We scorched and broiled and baked to death more people in Tokyo on that night of March 9-10 then went up in vapor at Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined." This is a quote of General Curtis LeMay talking about the firebombing of the Japanese city of Tokyo.
This book is about WWII in the pacific, mostly the Americans fight against the Japanese. It is a book about 8 American flyboys that are shot down over the Japanese island of Chichi Jima. They were held as Japanese POWs until their executions at the hands of the Japanese. The fates of these 8 men were classified and unknown by everyone, even their families, until now. The book takes place mostly from 1941 to 1945. These were the years that America was involved in WWII.
My favorite part of this book was when the Japanese were fire bombed and a lot of the city of Tokyo was destroyed. This was my favorite because all the troops were really excited about it. They all saw it as revenge for Pearl Harbor. This really let me get inside the soldiers heads and figure out how they felt.
The main theme of this book is war and how it affects people. All the violence in the pacific affected everyone. It affected the natives because their homes were being destroyed n the chaos. It affected the families of the flyboys because they were shot down and the families had to hear the bad news and were devastated.
This was an excellent book. It teaches a lot about the history of Japan and the war in the pacific. Most importantly however, it tells the tales of those 8 brave pilots that gave their lives for our country.
My review on Flyboys .......2007-06-05
I thought that this book was a great story. It had a good story line, and the whole book made sense with its flow. This book really intrigues me because I am into alot of the military or shooting books. I love to read a book with a lot of action in it. Truly a great book.
a hidden secret for years..........2007-04-26
what happened to some American flyboys on the island of Chichi Jima was kept top secret for years. James Bradley in a courageous book tells us what happened. Talk about destiny, one of the few pilots that was actually saved was a young George W. Bush. The brutality of war is never easy reading, here, torture, cannibalism and secret rituals will punch you in the gut. Bradley does a good job of presenting of both sides of the story as he tries to present an even handed account of culture differences and the atrocities of war.
Flyboys was a strange title for this book.......2007-03-26
First let me say, that I enjoyed reading Bradley's book "Flags of Our Fathers". I was expecting the same professional and unbiased research in his latest book "Flyboys".
After finishing the first several chapters of "Flyboys", I had to check the dustjacket to make sure that it was applied to the correct book. "Flyboys" is a strange title for a book in which almost half of the book appears to be a personal apology by Bradley to justifiy the atrocities committed by the japanese from the 1930's on toward the end of WWII in 1945.
Once the reader finally gets to the chapters dedicated to the actual title of the book, it is nearly impossible to accept as plausible even the facts Bradley presents about the american pow's on Chichi Jima.
I find it beneath contempt that Bradley uses the story of what occured to american pow's on Chichi Jima as blatant attempt to bring attention to his own biased and distorted world view. Bradley almost singularly blames much of the atrocties committed in recorded history on "Christians" which he clearly identifies as the culprit several times in the first few chapters of his book.
High-minded revisionism is not a tool used by legitimate historians and "Flyboys" clearly indicates that James Bradley has schemed to try to present his on political agenda disguised as a historical book on WW II.
What Bradley does present in his book about the american naval aviators who were taken prisoner on Chici Jima easily could have been presented as a short story.
The publisher could have saved themselves the trouble of wasting a lot of good paper on more PC revisionism.
An example of Bradley's failures as a historian is his attempt to blame the loss of the war on the fact that the japanese didnot place enough value on the "third demension" - a phrase Bradley uses for air-warfare - when in fact, the japanese were actually way ahead of the United States military in that "demension" as early as the late 1930's. The japanese placed much value on aerial warfare and it took the concerted effort of all the industrial resources of America to eventually catch up to and surpass the japanese in the aerial...oops, "third demension" (Bradley seemed to like using that phrase a lot).
I was considering recommending this book based only on the facts presented in the book about the Chichi Jima atrocities but there's already a much better book out there already on the subject titled "Sorties Into Hell: The Hidden War on Chichi Jima" by Chester Hearn so I won't even do that.
Unless one is curious about how to write a book dripping with politically correct biased revisionism presented as a historically factual work, don't bother with this one.
Book Description
Disposable Dogs is an unforgettable collection of 70 captivating, true stories of dogs from across the United States who were outcasts until they met up with caring people who recognized their worth--in some cases just hours before the lovable animals were scheduled to die.
Readers will meet dogs who are smart, heroic, funny, loyal--all sorts of special pets with extraordinary experiences to share. There's the young Saint Bernard who was adopted from a shelter at the eleventh hour and went on to become the mascot for a professional football team...the neighborly golden retriever who was abandoned when her owner died and soon afterward saved a toddler from falling off a cliff...the elderly blind mutt and deaf old mongrel who found each other near the end of their lonely lives and remained soul mates forever.
These and scores of other tales are sure to make the reader laugh, reflect, admire and, perhaps, swallow hard when an unexpected lump wags its tail in the reader's throat. Disposable Dogs celebrates the meaningful, wondrous lives that have been rescued by good people who make a difference.
Customer Reviews:
Worthwhile reading. Very touching........2007-02-23
I found the stories touching and at the same time heartwarming. In a time when the world as we know it can be cruel to mans best friend, it lets the readers know how kindness and compassion is still prevalent. It makes you realize how much hope and love abandoned dogs and cats can still give us after their hard and sometimes heartbreaking events.
Disposable Dogs.......2007-01-09
The precious face on the cover of this book sets the tone perfectly. And the description beneath the picture says it all. Heartwarming, True Stories of COURAGE and COMPASSION. Seventy dogs are written about and you'll feel like you've known each one of them. You'll laugh and you'll cry about them and for them. A particular favorite is Keeley who was shot and left for dead, but she always had the will to live, and did. "Humans could take a lesson from dogs who have suffered but refused to give up. They never look back. They just pick up and go forward." Amen to that.
Special stories of special dogs!.......2007-01-09
For the dog lover - an insight in to the stories and lives of very special dogs.A must read for dog lovers.
Great book on dogs who did not give up........2007-01-05
I enjoyed this book about "throw away" dogs and how they persevered through lots of suffering. Many had very rough starts and it is amazing to me how these dogs really do live in the moment and don't let a rough start keep them from trusting again.
Disposable Dogs.......2006-11-10
Too juvenile for adults, and not likely that children would really enjoy it.
Book Description
This may be the most important narrative of missionary work you will ever read. Though John G. Paton's accounts of evangelism among the South Sea Cannibals are extraordinary, what sets this book apart is that it contains one of the finest testimonies of multi-generational love and devotion between a father and son found outside the Scriptures. In this autobiographical account, Paton describes how his father's love and training prepared him to endure bitter hardship, to persevere against unspeakably difficult circumstances, and to resist sin. Because of his father's faithful example, Paton was able to love and lead to Christ the very people who tried to eat his wife and child.
"The appearance of my father when we parted has often through life risen vividly before my mind, and does so now as if it had been but an hour ago. In my earlier years particularly, when exposed to many temptations, his parting form rose before me as that of a guardian Angel. It is no pharisaism, but deep gratitude, which makes me here testify that the memory of that scene not only helped to keep me pure from the prevailing sins, but also stimulated me in all my studies, that I might not fall short of his hopes, and in all my Christian duties, that I might faithfully follow his shining example."
Customer Reviews:
Well worth reading.......2003-08-13
If you like missionary biographies, you will find this missionary story to be one of the best you have ever read. I highly recommend it for families. Parents could read aloud to children who cannot yet read this level yet. Although sometimes the subject matter could be distasteful, Mr. Paton uses delicate terms as any gentleman would, but he tells the plain truth about the cannibals without denying them their dignity. Mr. Paton was a godly Christian man, and he tells his story with clarity, honesty, sensitivity and winsome humor. His Christ-like love for the cannibals and his perseverance through unbelievable trials will grip you and carry you through this book. His is a life that we in comfortable, apathetic America need to consider and take to heart. He was totally sold out to the Lord Jesus Christ and he was willing to die serving Christ in foreign lands. You will be inspired and and your faith strengthened by this story!
A Wonderful and Convicting Autobiography.......2003-06-04
John Paton is a shining example that will not fade with time. His love for people, his wit when dealing with the child-like cannibals, and his never dying enthusiasm for the mission convicted me. I enjoyed every page of this book. Paton wrote in a way that was interesting, encouraging, and refreshing. The book might look large, but it is worth it to pick it up and read all the way through it. I loved it!
Book Description
This acclaimed bestseller brilliantly illuminates a hidden piece of World War II history as it tells the harrowing truestory of nine American airmen shot down in the Pacific. One of them, George H. W. Bush, was miraculously rescued. The fate of the others-an explosive 60-year-old secret-is revealed for the first time in FLYBOYS.
Customer Reviews:
Drawn between two worlds.......2007-06-13
Being Half Japanese and Half American, this book was by far the most compelling I have ever read. I did not know the extent of anguish and fierce country loyalty that both the United States Flyboys and Japanese soldiers had to deal with. I could not put this book down. I was reading as if I was that person or this person in the book and trying to comprehend what they were thinking when doing what "had" to be done. And truly the only book in which the last three words written brought hard warming shivers down my spine and goose bumps up and down my body. And once that was done, I cried.
A little different from what I expected . . . ........2007-04-14
Having seen that a movie has been produced based on this book, I expected more of a narrative centering around some consistent characters throughout. In reality, every chapter seems to introduce new flyboys. The stories of these various men are great -- many were very brave and some had amazing adventures, but there are no central characters who carry the narrative, as I had expected and hoped.
The book really traces World War II, with much attention to the war in the Pacific, putting an additional emphasis on the air campaigns. Thus it is a rather broad-based survey of the world war, not a tracing out of individual lives. The author rightly points out that the air war was crucial, and Japan lost WW II in large part because the Japanese high command never really understood the key principles of air warfare.
The book is very hard hitting. Some facts are quite amazing. I have read a number of WW II narratives and have not seen some of this grisly information. For instance, did you know that only about one Japanese serviceman out of three was actually killed by a weapon (i.e., a bullet)? Two thirds were killed from starvation, disease, mass suicide, or abandonment by the Japanese high command.
If there are "bad guys" in this book, it is the Japanese high command. These people were truly wicked in the eyes of Mr. Bradley. Their indifference to the death of their countrymen was appalling.
One interesting detail -- much is made out of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mr. Bradley says that persons who really do the reading about the events of this decade will not criticize the use of the two atomic bombs. The "to the death" fanaticism of the Japanese high command would have made an invasion of the home islands a "lake of blood," with most of the deaths being those of the Japanese civilians. Frankly, the firebombing of the Japanese cities killed far more people than the atomic bombs ever did. Moreover, more persons were killed in the Battle of Okinawa than the combined death toll of both atomic bombings. As Bradley implies, "ignorance makes everything so simple." But hey, we can't deny people their emotional "trip," can we?
Anyway -- heck of a book. By no means a bad book, just not what I had expected.
Excellent story.......2007-03-16
I really liked this book. Very gripping and thorough. There are many WWII books and movies that have been coming out and although I don't think a movie will be made of this book; it's still an eye-opener of how intense and fanatical the Japanese military was back in the day.
fast as a jet.......2007-03-08
If you are a piston-engine airplane lover, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Long, but worth reading.......2007-03-02
James Bradley is an amazing non-fiction writer. I loved Flags of Our Fathers and Flyboys is worth reading, too (although I can't say I loved Flyboys because the topic was very heavy and the book was longer than it needed to be).
Flyboys takes a deep look at war atrocities in the Pacific. And it's not your high school history book. Pilots get their heads chopped off. American pilots. Then officers eat the livers of the dead. Japanese soldiers get bayonet practice on living prisoners, both Chinese and American. The Japanese Spirit Warriors rape and pillage China, killing thousands of civilians--men, women, and children. Bradley even tells of thousands and thousands of civilians being burned to death by napalm. Entire cities are apocalyptically destroyed, leaving nothing but scorched women clutching their babies. These were Japanese victims of America's fire bombing missions that killed more people than both the atomic blasts combined. It's not a book for the squeamish.
However, it is more relevant in our present time of war than most books on the shelf today. It's well written. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a deeper understanding of war.
That being said, the weakness of the book is its scope. It's too broad. It tries to cover too much, leaving the reader trying to mentally chew on something much bigger than bite size pieces.
Book Description
“HEAVEN HELP THE SAILOR ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS.”
–old folk prayer
In late December 1951, laden with passengers and nearly forty metric tons of cargo, the freighter S.S. Flying Enterprise steamed westward from Europe toward America. A few days into the voyage, she hit the eye of a ferocious storm. Force 12 winds tossed men about like playthings and turned drops of freezing Atlantic foam into icy missiles. When, in the space of twenty-eight hours, the ship was slammed by two rogue waves–solid walls of water more than sixty feet high–the impacts cracked the decks and hull almost down to the waterline, threw the vessel over on her side, and thrust all on board into terror.
Flying Enterprise’s captain, Kurt Carlsen, a seaman of rare ability and valor, mustered all hands to patch the cracks and then try to right the ship. When these efforts came to naught, he helped transfer, across waves forty feet high, the passengers and the entire crew to lifeboats sent from nearby ships. Then, for reasons both professional and intensely personal, and to the amazement of the world, Carlsen defied all requests and entreaties to abandon ship. Instead, for the next two weeks, he fought to bring Flying Enterprise and her cargo to port. His heroic endeavor became the world’s biggest news.
In a narrative as dramatic as the ocean’s fury, acclaimed bestselling author Frank Delaney tells, for the first time, the full story of this unmatched bravery and endurance at sea. We meet the devoted family whose well-being and safety impelled Carlsen to stay with his ship. And we read of Flying Enterprise’s buccaneering owner, the fearless and unorthodox Hans Isbrandtsen, who played a crucial role in Kurt Carlsen’s fate.
Drawing on historical documents and contemporary accounts and on exclusive interviews with Carlsen’s family, Delaney opens a window into the world of the merchant marine. With deep affection–and respect–for the weather and all that goes with it, he places us in the heart of the storm, a “biblical tempest” of unimaginable power. He illuminates the bravery and ingenuity of Carlsen and the extraordinary courage that the thirty-seven-year-old captain inspired in his stalwart crew. This is a gripping, absorbing narrative that highlights one man’s outstanding fortitude and heroic sense of duty.
“One of the great sea stories of the twentieth century… [a] surefire nautical crowd-pleaser.”
--Booklist é (starred review)
“Frank Delaney has written a completely absorbing, thrilling and inspirational account of a disaster at sea that occasioned heroism of the first order. In the hands of a gifted storyteller,
the ‘simple courage’ of the ship’s captain and the young radio man who risked their lives to bring a mortally wounded ship to port reveals the essence and power of all true courage–
a stubborn devotion to the things we love.”
–Senator John McCain
Customer Reviews:
A hero in everybody else's mind.......2007-06-19
I was a child of 7 at the end of 1951, and vividly recall going to the Saturday flicks and watching the MovieTone newsreel footage (voiceovers by Ed Herlihy)of the Flying Enterprise in her ongoing struggle to remain afloat. It was the most gripping drama of that era, and the Captain was rightly lionized for his perverse determination to stay with the ship and bring her to port.
At the time, his devotion was seen largely as a blind commitment to duty and obligation, and few commentators ever seriously made the case that abandoning ship would make the Enterprise fair game for marine salvage companies.
So, the tale is well-told, with solid pacing and few digressions into irrelevancies. The things that really were missing from the book, given the saturation photographic and media coverage of the event when it happened, are (1) a cross-sectional diagram of the ship showing how it was loaded, hold by hold, (2) drawings of how the split-hull repair was made and (3) a good collection of photos of the wreck in distress. The omission of these photos is sad, considering that the struggle was filmed for days and the author has only seen fit to include some gray-tone renderings as cover sheets for each section.
excellent reading. The cruel sea........2007-01-16
As a sailor and someone who has great respect for the sea I have recommended this book to my Friends and also given away copies to family, whom I would like to read this book and get the experience though the book.
The sea can be Cruel and wonderful at different times, I love the Ocean but at the same time Respect it for what it can do. The book leaves you wondering how things could have been done differently and perhaps there was other reasons for what took place, the book leaves you thinking, which is good, I can highly recommend this book.
Hans Andersen.
Don't Read This Great Sea Story - LISTEN INSTEAD.......2006-10-19
I listened to the CD version of Simple Courage. Other reviewers have deducted marks for the book's length and author's personal narrative. None of that mars the audio version. LISTEN to the CD. It's been expertly abridged by Kristin Lesko into a tight, taut, compelling story. Frank Delaney is an absolutely OUTSTANDING reader/narrator (a long prior career at the BBC probably helped). I begrudged every moment it took to eject the finished CDs and spin up the new ones.
Uses historical documents and modern accounts to spice true adventure........2006-10-15
Frank Delaney's SIMPLE COURAGE: A TRUE STORY OF PERIL ON THE SEA tells of a 1951 ship laden with passengers and tons of cargo heading from Europe to America which faced huge waves which about destroyed her. Her captain fought to bring her cargo and passengers safely to port: his courageous story is told on audio for the first time, and uses historical documents and modern accounts to spice true adventure.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Captain Courageous.......2006-08-31
The world has not long remembered Captain Henrik Kurt Carlsen, but in 1952 he was deservedly one of the most famous men in the world, "The Man of the Year" according to Life magazine and plenty of other listmakers. Frank Delaney, an Irish writer, was nine years old at the time, and one of the connections he had with his difficult father while growing up in Ireland was sharing the world's fascination with Carlsen's peril at sea. Delaney remembers his father uncharacteristically summoning the family to the radio: "There is an incident happening at sea." An incident, indeed, and one that stuck with Delaney for years, finally flowering into the grand account _Simple Courage: A True Story of Peril on the Sea_ (Random House). Delaney's personal interest in the story, as part of his own family's lore, is told in episodes through the book, illustrating how all the world over people were waiting to hear of the fate of Carlsen as he clung to his sinking vessel, so it helps us understand what a sensation the story was at the time. Delaney's book brings the sensation back for our own time.
For the voyage of _Flying Enterprise_ at the end of 1951, she had picked up passengers and cargo in various European docks, and was headed to the United States. The master of the ship was Captain Carlsen, a 37-year-old Danish-born American who had two decades of seagoing experience, including 43 Atlantic crossings. He was an impeccable sailor and captain. He had no pretense; everyone who knew him said that he was exactly the sort of straight-arrow he seemed to be. The ship had the ill fortune to be hit not by one but two rogue waves, the first cracking the hull and the second giving it a sixty degree list which shifted the cargo so that she could not right herself. Eventually there were ships that came to the rescue, and although one passenger died in the transfer, all the rest of the crew and passengers jumped, often heroically, into the raging and frigid waters to be dragged to safety. Carlsen ordered everyone off, including those that volunteered to continue to try to save the ship, and then began a solitary stay on the vessel, attempting to find food or a dry place in which to wedge mattresses so he could catch some sleep. A seagoing hero in peril was a great story, and the press ran with it, ensuring that even Delaney's isolated family knew of "Stay-Put Carlsen" or "Captain Courageous." There were those who thought there must be some hidden motive to keep Carlsen aboard in such atrocious conditions, but the truth is, as the title of the book implies, simple: Carlsen knew his duty, he loved his ship, and until there was no hope, he was not leaving.
This was the biggest one-man heroism story since Lindbergh. He was honored on his return to England, and when he got to New York, he was given a ticker tape parade. He refused to cash in on his fame; even while he was awaiting rescue, a beer tycoon had arranged for a packet to be dropped to him offering him $30,000 to endorse a particular brew. He declined an appearance on _The Ed Sullivan Show_. He was quickly put back at work for his shipping line, and was a hero to all, except for himself. For one thing, he never understood why people would get so worked up over a man who was simply carrying out his duty; for another, he felt a deep personal shame that he had become a captain who had lost a ship. It is a true touch of tragedy within a spellbinding tale of a hero pitted against the vicious sea.
Customer Reviews:
Flyboys.......2007-08-26
For anyone even remotely interested in the Pacific war, this book's an absolute "must read". I've given this book to two close friends who could not put it down and had the exact same reaction. An eye-opener, to say the least. Read it!
The truth is pretty painful.......2007-08-15
An incredible book for detail into the history of the world that leads to the stories of these brave pilots. It is accuracte but not a flattering commentary about how we treat each other on the face of the earth. Challenging and rewarding to read.
History vs. storytelling.......2007-07-09
Author Bradley is a storyteller and a detective, not an historian. He needs some leeway to establish a context, which is tough to do with such a complicated subject matter. Reviewers should save their historical-critical energies to refute the analyses of real historians.
Technically, the writing is unsophisticated and sometimes inept. There are painful mixed metaphors, an annoying third-person use of the Japanese honorific "san" (and then only when the author approves of the subject), and the unscholarly, disparaging references to those who displease the author(bordering on name-calling).
Once you get by this trivia, you see the book for what it is: a mesmerizing, disturbing, intimate story about the exteme dichotomies of war. As with the tale of Breaker Morant or Judgement at Nuremburg, a reader can take any ideology he wants from this "sideshow of the war", but in the end can not help but be haunted, saddened, and inspired.
Why America Dropped the Bombs.......2007-05-07
I am old enough to have lived through the war and remember it well. I never knew why Japan declared war on the U.S., even though I have taken every history class offered throughout my school career. "Flyboys" is probably the most brutal book I have ever read, almost too difficult in places. I am grateful to James Bradley for having written this book, I now understand why America dropped the Atomic Bombs and put an end to that war. "Flyboys" is a must read.
leave your biases at home when you read this.......2007-04-16
This is a top ten book in my opinion and a must read. Bradley does draw conclusions but only after citing the conclusions and opinions of others that were there. I do not view this book as a guilt trip, but a historical look from both sides of the fence. While reading this book, I couldn't help but think of the middle east and our approach. War is hell and if your not prepared to fight like the devil, be prepared to be conquered by the devil.
Bradley did a great job in citing historical events that brought us to the conclusion of WWII. If you are NOT a defender of american stupidity, you will enjoy this book. Im not a liberal and I dont feel guilt, but Im not stupid either, and I dont appreciate being lied to by the public school system and having been fed a buncha bulls*it on how the west was won starting somewhere in 1492.
Book Description
A compelling, at times devastating, ultimately inspiring account of how much can go wrong on the ocean and how, miraculously, one person conquered her own fears.
Tami Oldham and her fiancé, Richard Sharp, set sail for Tahiti under brilliant blue skies, and their future together was just as bright. Young and in love, they were both expert sailors who had already seen much of the world and planned to see more.
Twenty days into their journey, Tami and Richard sailed directly into a monumental hurricane. With every ounce of their strength, they battled the elements. Richard tethered himself to the boat and sent Tami below. Seconds after leaving the deck, she heard Richard's terrified scream over the roar of the wind. And then all went black. Red Sky in Mourning is the story of tami Oldham Ashcraft's forty-one-day journey to safety, which she survived through fortitude and sheer stregth of character. The description of her awaking to the boat's capsize -- realizing that Richard had been blown overboard, her motor was shot, and her masts were gone -- is only one of many moments captured with wrenching realism in this dramatic, detailed account.
Even more remarkable, though, is how Tami overcame seemingly insurmountable tragedy, injury, and mechanical failure to navigate herself to safety. Interspersed with flashbacks to her romance with her doomed fiancé, this survival story offers an inspiring reminder that even in our darkest moments we are never truly alone.
Customer Reviews:
More a love story than a survival story.......2007-06-26
It's really more a love story than a survival story. I have read good 'lost at sea' non-fiction such as 'The Raft' and excerpts from the Adrenaline series by Listen and Live audio. However this book really does not come close to the near death experiences by crew who are lost at sea without food and water. But it is a good love story, so for that reason I give it 4 stars.
Amazing Story of Survival!.......2005-08-14
You will not be able to put this book down! I learned so much about sailing from reading this book and the other reviews make it clear that even experienced sailors have as well.
One reviewer who really enjoyed the book criticized the fact Tami and Richard were so much in love they were not afraid to show it in the way they spoke with each other. I find nothing at all odd about calling each other "Love". It is similar to using the nickname "Sweetheart". Absolutely and totally believable in my opinion.
As I read this book the descriptions of the places and the story was such that I found myself back in time, caught up in their beautiful world 22 years ago. Tami if you ever come to New England to speak I would love to attend! Now more than ever I would love to sail. Tami and Richard shared moments which many people will never experience in an entire lifetime.
I recommend this book to people of all ages and backgrounds. This is a story which even those who live far from the sea can relate to. The freedom and exuberance of youth and love, the excitement of an adventure, the loss of one we haved love with all our heart, tragedy, despair, hope, courage, survival....and once again living and loving.
This book held me spellbound. I was surprised when I found myself reaching for the kleenex as I finished the book. Perhaps I had finished the journey with Tami as I read the book. The fate of the Mayaluga was probably the final incident which started the tears for me. I will not ruin the ending for all of you. We all know what Richard would have chosen for the Mayaluga and it would be great to have an update on this.
The photographs were so nice to have included in the book and I only wish there had been more photographs of the places they had visited! Purchase this book and you will treasure it!
Alone with The Voice.......2005-02-26
Tami lost her boyfriend and the rigging of the boat they were delivering from the South Pacific to San Diego, during a hurricane they tried to avoid.
Her story is of profound love, desperation, madness and survival, told like only that lived through it can.
Beautifully written, entertaining and a few lessons for the rest of us sailors.
On top of the entertaining and poetical value (has both) it has important information on what to do (and avoid) on a similar situation. More importantly, how to avoid being in one on the first place!
Capt. Pablo Vitaver
Important Life (and Sailing) Lessons Revealed.......2003-10-04
What a wonderful book, by a courageous woman. As I read the book, I felt that I was there with her during her struggles and triumphs. And the ending is very positive and doesn't leave the reader hanging. She's overcome a great deal in life at a young age, and has gone on to become a very solid and interesting wife and mother, I suspect. Yes, the book describes a real tragedy, the kind of thing that a sailor prays to avoid. However, there are real lessons to be found, such as equipment and design flaws aboard her boat, as well as the 'human factors' which she discusses openly. I've made purchases and upgrades to my boat (I liveaboard and cruise fulltime) based on her book and her lecture at the Annapolis sailboat show. Just buy the book, and you won't be sorry!
An intense story.......2003-08-15
This is an intense and riveting story of talent, guts and luck. I would have left out some of the slightly gooey romanticism, but it's her story, not mine.
She does a great job narrating on the audio cassette.
Average customer rating:
- The Boy of Steel
- The Boy of Steel: A Baseball Dream Come True
- The Boy of Steel: A Baseball Dream Come True
- Beautiful Story
- A Fine Inspirational Book.
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The Boy of Steel: A Baseball Dream Come True
Ray Negron
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
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Birth of a Dynasty: Behind the Pinstripes with the 1996 Yankees
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ASIN: 0060898704
Release Date: 2006-08-29 |
Book Description
Young Michael Steel loves to watch the New York Yankees on TV—from his hospital bed. Michael has brain cancer. But when Yankee second baseman Robinson Cano visits Michael in the hospital, Michael embarks on an unexpected and wonderful journey when he becomes a Yankee batboy for a day. It's his baseball dream come true!
When Michael's illness makes him weak on the field, can he be strong enough to fulfill his batboy duties and make his new teammates proud? With a little help from Yankee greats Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Roger Maris, and Mickey Mantle, Michael Steel earns his nickname "The Boy of Steel" and learns a very important lesson: Never stop fighting!
Laura Seeley's vibrant, action-packed illustrations illuminate Ray Negron's touching and triumphant story, and children and parents alike will root for Michael as they learn about baseball, cancer, and a life lesson we all need to know. With a foreword by Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos, The Boy of Steel will be a hit with your little baseball fan.
Customer Reviews:
The Boy of Steel.......2007-01-22
I very nice story that any baseball fan would like. A good story for teaching children about illness and how to deal with it.
The Boy of Steel: A Baseball Dream Come True.......2007-01-16
This book is very special to me since it is based on the life of my nephew. The book displays the courage of a little boy. Lives can be changed after reading this book. We are never too old or young to learn that we are put here for a purpose and we should make the most of every day we are given and work through any adversities that are put in our life's path.
The Boy of Steel: A Baseball Dream Come True.......2007-01-12
Sometimes it is a children's book that should be read by ALL young and old alike.
Ray Negron's book is one of those books. A wonderful story with a great uplifting message
for children AND adults.
Moms and Dads should read this one to ALL the children and teachers should be encouraged
to add it to their class curriculum.
Just a great book---that does not come around too often. BUY this one!!! You will NOT be disappointed!!
Beautiful Story.......2007-01-10
If you want to bawl, this is the book to read. Written with alot of love and tenderness and history of the NY Yankees, by a guy who works in the Yankees front office. A++++
A Fine Inspirational Book........2006-11-12
A Great Book For Children Also For Adults. It Shows A Never Give Up Attitude In Life And That Some Dreams Can Come True. It Also Clearly Shows Beyond Any Doubt That The New York Yankees Are By Far The Greatest Sports Franchise Ever.
Book Description
David Kherdian re-creates his mother's voice in telling the true story of a childhood interrupted by one of the most devastating holocausts of our century. Vernon Dumehjian Kherdian was born into a loving and prosperous family. Then, in the year 1915, the Turkish government began the systematic destruction of its Armenian population.
Customer Reviews:
Tear Jerker.......2007-08-13
I read this book 4 years ago. It's an amazing story, but make sure you have your tissues with you!
The road from home.......2007-05-28
This book is like an Armenian Ann Frank. You feel you know the family. It was very well written.
So far...so good .......2007-01-31
I am reading this book as a student in literature class. We as a class have only read up through chapter 5. So far it is a good book. However I would not recommend this book to anybody who is very sensitive,beacuse this is a very sad,and true story. There are some parts that are boring so you have to be paient with the book. This book is very popular amongst my class. So if you are interested in true stories i would recommend this book.
The Road from Home by Deahna S........2006-12-13
I really enjoyed The Road From Home. It was an interesting biography about an Armenian girl named Veron Dumehjian. She tells us of her life during the early 1900's when the Turkish government attempted to rid Turkey of its Armenian population. She and her family are torn from their quiet, wealthy lifestyle in Azizya. They are forced to march without being told where they are going. This is a beautiful story of Veron's strength and will to be alive.
As I was reading this book, I felt the intensity of Veron's emotions. She struggles to hold onto sanity as "the great dome of Heaven cracked and shattered" over her life. In some ways I can relate to Veron in the way that she cares for her family more than herself.
David Kherdian, the author, really does use an abstract way to describe the emotions of the characters. An example of this when he wrote, "Slowly, our lives fell into a pattern as we began to live with our sorrows and make a new life," to describe when Veron was getting used to her life after her parents and siblings had died. He uses descriptive words and has a clear plot line. There were very few moments during this book when I felt confused.
Over all, The Road from Home was a sad, but enjoyable book. It was sad because of the things that Veron must go through. It was enjoyable because of how well written and unique it is. This book really does show how someone's life can change in the blink of an eye.
The Best Book in the most simple words.......2006-09-20
This is by far one of the best books that I have read about the Armenian Genocide, in the most simple words possible. The book captures the reader's attention by its moving and true story of a young woman who came from a distinguished Armenian family in Turkey and became a victim of the first genocide of the century. It shows the courage of this young woman and the will power of most Armenians in staying alive and surviving the most brutal acts of the Turks against the Armenians. It is a story that every child & adult, Armenian or none, should read. It gives the reader a true perspective of how the Turks committed the act of slaughtering and killing the Armenians and the Greek, while also sharing some of the Armenian history and its cultural practices. I suspect that Veron Kherdian is still alive, but if she is, I'd love to visit her and thank her for her courage, her lessons that she taught me in her book, and most of all the message that she gave in her book: "Never give up hope in a better and sunny day, yet to come" and for me as an Armenian her most important message was to never give up my race and my history as an Armenian and to teach our future generations the truth about our history and our ancestors.
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