Breaking Robert's Rules: The New Way to Run Your Meeting, Build Consensus, and Get Results

Book Description

Every day in communities across America hundreds of committees, boards, church groups, and social clubs hold meetings where they spend their time engaged in shouting matches and acrimonious debate. Whether they are aware of it or not, the procedures that most such groups rely on to reach decisions were first laid out as Robert's Rules more than 150 years ago by an officer in the U.S. Army's Corps of Engineers. Its arcane rituals of parliamentary procedure and majority rule usually produce a victorious majority and a very dissatisfied minority that expects to raise its concerns, again, at the next possible meeting. Breaking Robert's Rules clearly spells out how any group can work together effectively. After briefly explaining the problems created by Robert's Rules, the guide outlines the five key steps toward consensus building, and addresses the specific problems that often get in the way of a group's progress. Appendices include a basic one page "Handy Guide" that can be distributed at meetings and a case study demonstrating how the ideas presented in the book can also be applied in a corporate context. Written in a non-technical and engaging style, and containing clear ideas and instructions that anyone can understand and use, this one-of-a-kind guide will prove an essential tool for any group desperate to find ways of making their meetings more effective. In addition, neighborhood associations, ad hoc committees, social clubs, and other informal groups lacking a clear hierarchy will find solid advice on how to move forward without resorting to "majority rules" or bickering over who will take leadership positions. Bound to become a classic, Breaking Robert's Rules will change the way you hold meetings forever, paving the way for efficiency, efficacy, and peaceful decision making.

Customer Reviews:

Yet another bad "Anti-Robert's Rules" book.......2007-03-13

The authors of this work have done groups and organizations a grave disservice with this poor 'anti-Robert's Rules' book. It would appear from it that they really don't understand parliamentary procedure (not quite the same thing as Robert's Rules).

We can thank our early European ancestors for parliamentary procedure. They developed it over several hundred years in their town assemblies, and it was later used in the English Parliament (which is were we got the term 'parliamentary procedure'). When the English settled in America, they brought along parliamentary procedure, where it was used in many assemblies, and after independence, in our Congress, state assemblies, etc.

In Gen Henry Robert's time, there were several competing parliamentary authorities. He wrote a good, simple work that codified all this, and it was accepted by many because it was just better. What difference does it make that he was a General? To somehow blame him for the formality of parliamentary procedure because of that is childish.

Furthermore, parlimentary procedure is usable in ALL groups of ANY size to make decisions. In large groups, rules must be more formal, and sometimes addition procedures must be followed to get things done (ex: in large conventions). In small groups, about a dozen or less, you can actually be LESS formal, and despense with some of the normal rules you usually follow. This is set out in Robert's. I wonder if the authors are aware of this?

Consensus is nice, but should not be looked as a panacea. People should education themselves as to what parliamentary procedure REALLY is, and not list to biased authors such as these. Or even people like myself.

Breaking Robert's Rules.......2007-03-09

This book had valuable content. However, the book's organization was sometimes hard to follow. Also, it kept repeating the same points over and over. This made the book quite boreing.

Not business as usual.......2006-08-24

I've always been perplexed by the fact that we run our meetings according to rules dreamed up by a military engineer more than 100 years ago. Maybe Roberts' arcane procedures about what can be discussed by whom and when worked once upon a time, but they don't make sense either in the modern business world or for making important policy decisions today.

I'm not sure that the consensus building approach spelled out in this book will necessarily work in every case, but it's clear, straightforward, and practical. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has gotten sick of going to meetings only to see the will of the majority frustrated by some shrewed parliamentarian manipulating the rules. Susskind offers a constructive alternative for people who just want to get the right thing done.

Great tool for developing effective communication.......2006-08-16

This book has great value whether you are a business owner, politician or public agency staffer, an environmentalist, a facilitator, mediator or any other interested party. It provides a simple, concise and easy-to-understand review of the consensus building process. From a communication perspective, consensus building lends itself towards helping any party in a negotiation develop a greater understanding and wider range of solutions that may be available on any given issue.

The authors frame the limitations of "traditional" Robert's Rules for running public meetings. These traditional methods tend to offer binary decisions (yes or no) which often limit discussion, stifle creativity, and almost always leave someone feeling "left out".

They offer a simple, easy-to-understand and concise method to "break the chains" of communication such that more creative alternatives to issues or problems may be offered and discussed. Through a more creative and contributed process, interested parties can craft decisions based upon informed consensus which lends itself towards more lasting agreements.

The book also offers an excellent treatise on facilitation or mediation techniques. It is useful no matter "what side of the table" you may be in any given issue. A list of Key Terms at the end of each chapter offer an excellent way to reinforce understanding.

Five stars and a great contribution!

Unidroit's Rules in Practice:Standard International Contracts and Applicable Rules

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Unidroit's Rules in Practice:Standard International Contracts and Applicable Rules
G. Letterman
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Commercial | Business | Law | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

In the law of contracts, the term `internationalization' has come to mean the removal of transactions from any nation's legal standards, system of dispute resolution, or commercial practices. The benefits include avoidance of choice-of-law and venue deadlocks, use of clearly-defined terms (sometimes specialized for a particular industry) that have attained general international usage, and escape from the jurisdiction of unacceptable laws, legal systems, and courts. The trend has picked up speed in recent years, to the point where many business people want their contracts `internationalized' as a matter of course. This convenient volume contains the heart of the matter. It focuses on the essential elements that make a contract `international' in the new sense, and the interrelationships between those elements, rather than on the constantly changing mass of attendant detail. It provides a clear understanding of the principles that underlie the structure of a sound international commercial contract, and gives the practitioner the insight necessary to negotiate such a contract successfully, whatever the particular circumstances. To clarify such an understanding of `internationalization,' the author describes and analyzes aspects of the following international contract law regimes: + The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG); + The UNIDROIT Principles; + CISG and UNIDROIT Jurisprudence; + The lex mercatoria and other international, regional, and national contract law principles; + Privately established rules, standards, and certifications; + Model contracts, provisions, and standards; and + International commercial arbitration regimes and other non-national dispute resolution fora. A final chapter deals exclusively with practical applications -- when to and when not to `internationalize' a contract, how to plan for effectiveness and the best advantage, and selecting appropriate and consistent devices for `internationalization.'

Online Dispute Resolution For Business: B2B, ECommerce, Consumer, Employment, Insurance, and other Commercial Conflicts

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Dealing with Disputes in Cyberspace

Online Dispute Resolution For Business: B2B, ECommerce, Consumer, Employment, Insurance, and other Commercial Conflicts
Colin Rule
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Online Dispute Resolution: Resolving Conflicts in Cyberspace
Cyberjustice: Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) for E-Commerce
Beyond Reason: Using Emotions as You Negotiate
I Hear What You Say, But What Are You Telling Me?: The Strategic Use of Nonverbal Communication in Mediation
The Handbook of Family Dispute Resolution: Mediation Theory and Practice (The Jossey-Bass Library of Conflict Resolution)

ASIN: 0787957313

Book Description

In this original and highly useful resource, Colin Rule—a pioneer in the field of online dispute resolution (ODR)—shows how ODR can be used to resolve conflicts which inevitably arise both online and offline in business and commerce. Based on exclusive research and up-to-date best practices, Online Dispute Resolution for Business presents expert advice on how ODR can save time and money, offering timely suggestions and proven approaches for resolving business related conflicts online.

Customer Reviews:

Dealing with Disputes in Cyberspace.......2003-05-06

With this work, Colin Rule, who is one of the pioneers of ODR, and also an excellent writer, has given us much to consider about dispute resolution in cyberspace. The book is written for "managers, employees, union representatives, and others who are looking for a better way to handle conflict in their businesses and organizations." There is a interesting overview of the development of online dispute resolution. Also the author discusses his personal experiences in the field, which adds to the overall credibility of the book.

ODR originated in online disputes for which traditional means of dispute resolution were not suited. With as many as 500 million plus people online worldwide, as more businesses and individuals come to realise this significant point, ODR will flourish.

Challenges arising from ODR are covered in sufficient detail by the author and not only alert us to the issues, but also to suggest realistic ways of dealing with them. The author believes that businesses will come to use ODR as matter of course. His book makes a persuasive case for such an outcome.

Book Description

Timothy Lomperis persuasively argues the ironic point that the lessons of American involvement in Vietnam are not to be found in any analysis of the war by itself. Rather, he proposes a comparison of the Vietnam experience with seven other cases of Western intervention in communist insurgencies during the Cold War era: China, Indochina, Greece, the Philippines, Malaya, Cambodia, and Laos.

Lomperis maintains that popular insurgencies are manifestations of crises in political legitimacy, which occur as a result of the societal stresses caused by modernization. Therefore, he argues, any intervention in a 'people's war' will succeed or fail depending on how it affects this crisis. The unifying theme in the cases Lomperis discusses is the power of land reform and electoral democracy to cement political legitimacy and therefore deflect revolutionary movements. Applying this theory to the ongoing Sendero Luminoso insurgency in Peru, Lomperis makes a qualified prediction of that conflict's outcome. He concludes that a global trend toward democratization has produced a new era of 'people's rule.'

Customer Reviews:

How Vietnam's Non-Lesson is THE lesson for today.......2005-06-04

This is a book about the non-lesson "lessons" of the Vietnam War. Published in 1996, it could be considered the most horribly confusing book about political-military strategy ever conceived. Based tightly on articulating research bounded inside a "paradigmatic presupposition," many early readers would venture to believe Lomperis wasted a decade of research to make sense of a society "in the throes of a revolutionary insurgency struggling to form and consolidate an independent and modernizing state." But reading this book in 2005 makes it all relevant. It actually makes perfect sense, so much so that when read and digested properly, it can be used to predict not only how the newly formed Iraqi government will stabilize and prevail, but will also predict when it will happen by month and year, and that will determine the US exit strategy.
Like wine, this book definitely got better with age! Lomperis grew up as a missionary kid in India and, like how most MKs grow up (this reviewer included), become prescient long-range thinkers, groomed by years of thinking multi-culturally, in multiple languages, and knowing multiple theories of what constitutes rebellion and change in non-democratic societies. Using that type of upbringing, Lomperis asks his readers to understand two significant ideas. First, what are the ingredients of a successful insurgency (and, conversely, of a successful counterinsurgency) and second, what is the optimal level of a Western intervention in either thwarting (or aiding) an insurgency?
These two conceivably simple questions form both an empirical question and a policy question in which the United States currently finds itself, again, in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lomperis' non-lessons about Vietnam now ring true when overlaid onto our current situation. The empirical question has been answered: Can nations involved in an insurgency conduct free, fair, and competitive elections? Obviously the answer is "yes" since it was so admirably demonstrated in both war-torn nations. Elections are the key non-lesson learned from Vietnam since they were never accomplished correctly, fairly, freely, or even competitively. Lomperis states, then proves conclusively, that elections are the "true Achilles' heal" of the insurgent's strategy to destroy popularly elected government.
As for the concept of involvement, Lomperis demonstrated that once a legitimate government has been empowered, the building of respect for it must be undertaken. From a policy viewpoint, our intervention/involvement with a nation struggling to overcome a fully enveloped insurgency must be a threefold arrangement.
First, Lomperis argues that society's fundamental "constitutional" arrangements and historical traditions must be upheld; second, by being itself duly constituted by these arrangements and performing the group functions prescribed for it; and, finally, by being acceptably competent in the discharge of its duties and policies. An insurgency, which is a challenge to constituted authority, will attempt to undermine the police forces first and foremost because they are the most conspicuous targets. However, the more legitimate the government and the more corrosion that can placed on the insurgent forces, the sooner the insurgency will be broken and stability returns. The summary of this concept is policy in action: belief, opportunity, interest.
To bring about the change of government from turmoil due to insurgency and into a sphere of stability, Chapter 11 is the most interesting and useful because it demonstrates how to create a timeline for an exit strategy. Using lessons from six case studies ranging from Mao's long march in China from 1920-1949, Greece 1941-1949, Philippines 1946-1956, Malaya 1948-1960, Cambodia-Laos 1949-1975, to Sendero Luminoso's Peru 1970-1992, Lomperis benchmarked insurgent successes and defeats in a smartly laid out timeline that identifies factors important to legitimate governments. He then plots categories and possible futures which are laid out for policy analyst to mull over. Lomperis' work shows that from legitimate national elections to victory will take approximately five years to achieve, if, all involved will stay the course.
This book is an important addition to the body of knowledge regarding insurgency in nations that have undergone Western interventions. While the author may have struggled to make sense of the Vietnam War, and couldn't, he definitely makes sense of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would behoove those who quantify and codify "lessons learned" for special warfare instructional purposes to read this book, again, and develop the wherewithal and policies to ensure that Iraq and Afghanistan survive and prosper and that our exit from those nations be seen as a victory over those who believe in anarchy.

Baffling Insurgency, Brimming Insight.......2001-04-22

While many Americans have their opinions about the Vietnam War, few have taken the time to examine the forces at play in this event as thoroughly and insightfully as Professor Lomperis has in this book. The true genius of "From People's War to People's Rule" lies in his exploration of the war, not as a single isolated chapter in American history, but as a link in an ongoing chain of insurgencies that plagued the tumultuous political terrain of the Cold War. By looking at revolutions and other Cold War insurrections in countries such as China, Greece and Peru, Dr. Lomperis sheds a clear, luminous ray of light on the poltical forces at play, not only in Vietnam, but in the world that surrounded Vietnam. Amidst a sea of confused and conflicting views about Vietnam, this book offers what most Americans can barely imagine - a clear, comprehensive view of a tenuous time that manages to strike a chord of truth among a mass of misinformation. For anyone interested in sorting out the lessons of Vietnam, this book is a must-read.

Jungle Rules: A True Story of Marine Justice in Vietnam

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Great story.
Jungle Rules
Entertaining and Authentic Fiction based on Fact
Fictionalized Account of a True Story
EXCELLENT BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!

Jungle Rules: A True Story of Marine Justice in Vietnam
Charles W. Henderson
Manufacturer: Berkley Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Marshalling The Faithful: The Marines' First Year In Vietnam
Goodnight Saigon: The True Story of the U.S. Marines' Last Days in Vietnam
Silent Warrior: The Marine Sniper's Story Vietnam Continues
Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills
Very Crazy, G.I.!: Strange but True Stories of the Vietnam War

ASIN: 042521186X

Book Description

A true story of murder, justice, and the military from the author of Marine Sniper, the Vietnam classic with more than a million copies in print.

In Vietnam, they're known as "Jungle Rules"- those by which the U.S. military tries to keep control, often allowing inconvenient facts and regulations to conveniently slip between the cracks. This is the battlefield Captain Terry O'Connor of the JAG Corps is stepping onto.

There's been a murder. After a long day on patrol, Private Celestine Anderson returned to base, only to come under fire from a group of racist white marines. He finally snapped, killing one of his tormentors-and now the inexperienced O'Connor must defend him. But the case pulls O'Connor into the heart of the Vietnam conflict, where bullets overrule books and death is the only judge of men.

Customer Reviews:

Great story........2007-08-07

I've read and enjoyed all of Charles W. Henderson's books. Jungle Rules is another top notch effort.

Jungle Rules.......2007-07-30

This novel relates true court martial cases from the Viet Nam War, author Henderson weaves the very intriguing true cases using fictitious characters as lawyers and accused. THE JAG office is headed up by a real uptight Col. with a need for his troops to dance to his piping, he is thwarted at every turn by two fresh from the states lawyers who find that justice is far more important than the Colonels vicarious needs. The story is not unlike a legal MASH.
I highly recommend this book, very entertaining.
Jack Caffrey, Fmr, Marine Cpl. (Korea)

Entertaining and Authentic Fiction based on Fact.......2007-07-30

I think this is Charles Henderson's most entertaining book since Marine Sniper. There was more to Vietnam than just the battles. This book shows another dimension of the country by describing the DaNang underworld and what happens when some Marines get involved in it. The hook to this story reminds me a little of the TV series Law and Order, which is pitched as fiction based on real life events. This is similar, but set in the Vietnam War and based on a lot of things that did happen in the DaNang area.

This book has plenty of salty language. I also agree that profanity can be badly over-used. That's one of the things that really turned me off to the TV series "Deadwood." Use too much profanity and the words loose their impact, or just become distracting or feel like shtick. I think there's a good balance in Jungle Rules.

Although this book is a very entertaining read, I can't believe Berkeley/Caliber gave it such a lame looking cover. It looks like a history class text book! It totally misses the theme of the story. This novel deserved an exciting looking cover that properly fit the material. I thought about knocking a star off my review over this issue, but I'm not going to penalize the text over a screw up by the publisher's marketing department.

Fictionalized Account of a True Story.......2007-07-28

For individual who states that it doesn't use enough "Muvver-Fletchers" I applaud the restraint. I've read many books over the years, and some authors seem to make them "more authentic" by over-use of foul language. Sell books? I hope not! Clark Gable should have been horse-whipped for using "Frankly my dear, I don't give a da++! This simple departure has flooded the screen with filth. Heck, I spent thirty years in a Marine Corps Uniform, and I'm well aware of some of the rather colorful language that punctuated our speech. I have also read many John W. Thomason novels that I thoroughly enjoyed and no foul language was used - the story was the thing!

I would also like to point out that this is a NOVEL, NOT a true story although it is based on some true events. The characters are fictional (deliberately so I might add). Henderson's writings are excellent; I thoroughly enjoyed his book "Marshalling the Faithful" as that one was a true story and covered a number of personal friends (one of whom had been my room-mate in the Basic Officer's School, and another was a Lieutenant I inherited in the 2nd Recon Battalion after his service in Vietnam). Not only does Henderson tell a great story, it's the way he puts the story together that brings me back to his writings!

Excellent and entertaining reading. He makes it clear that the book is fiction, and his personal experience as a Marine in combat gives it an "aire" of authenticity not normally garnered in current military writing.

Highly recommended - it'll certainly hold your interest if you read it for what it is! If you want everyday "barracks language" give me a call and I'll oblige! Heh, heh, heh...

Dick Culver

EXCELLENT BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-07-27

I too, was in Vietnam during the time this book was written. I was a machine gunner in the Grunts and this is exactly how "Real Marines" talk and act. Many people "Served" in Vietnam, but "Few" were in the "Mud with the Blood" - This is an OUTSTANDING book written by a former Recon Marine and it doesn't get more "REAL" than that! Charles Henderson is a "Marine's Marine!!!"
Give this book a read and ignore the negative report in this review. Charles Henderson has an outstanding reputation among "Real Combat Marines" and he writes it as it really happened. It took me back to Nam after the first few pages and that's what it is all about.
Charles if you are reading this, your Six will always be covered by me!
PitBull Out
Semper Fi,Pro Patria
Charles Patrick "PitBull" Dugan USMC Ret.
0331 machine Gunner - Infantry Vietnam 1966-1967

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Rules of Engagement
Joe Weber
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0515109908

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Old men still feel deeply
Wake me when it's over
Bar far the best thing I have read in a decade.
a sad beauty.
Masterful and Eloquent

Rules for Old Men Waiting: A Novel
Peter Pouncey
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Everyman

ASIN: 1400063701
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Book Description

A brief, lyrical novel with a powerful emotional charge, Rules for Old Men Waiting is about three wars of the twentieth century and an ever-deepening marriage. In a house on the Cape “older than the Republic,” Robert MacIver, a historian who long ago played rugby for Scotland, creates a list of rules by which to live out his last days. The most important rule, to “tell a story to its end,” spurs the old Scot on to invent a strange and gripping tale of men in the trenches of the First World War.

Drawn from a depth of knowledge and imagination, MacIver conjures the implacable, clear-sighted artist Private Callum; the private’s nemesis Sergeant Braddis, with his pincerlike nails; Lieutenant Simon Dodds, who takes on Braddis; and Private Charlie Alston, who is ensnared in this story of inhumanity and betrayal but brings it to a close.

This invented tale of the Great War prompts MacIver’s own memories of his role in World War II and of Vietnam, where his son, David served. Both the stories and the memories alike are lit by the vivid presence of Margaret, his wife. As Hearts and Minds director Peter Davis writes, “Pouncey has wrought an almost inconceivable amount of beauty from pain, loss, and war, and I think he has been able to do this because every page is imbued with the love story at the heart of his astonishing novel.”

Customer Reviews:

Old men still feel deeply.......2007-08-14

Pouncey has written a fine and well-plotted story dealing with events in WW I and WW II with an appreciation for history as well as for his characters, fully formed people who come alive under his skillful hands.

Wake me when it's over.......2007-06-10

Typical of a male perspective and characteristic of American authors, this "Novel" was nothing more than a airport read at best. From Pouncey's Freudian explanations of human behavior to the character MacIver finally slipping away at the end, I was left with the feeling that this book could have easily passed as a rough draft for a great novel or could be the results of a creative writing class at a junior college. If you are looking for a mild read to pass the time, say in a bathroom, or want to get away from socially relevant literature for a moment, this would be a great book.

Bar far the best thing I have read in a decade........2007-04-30

As a former student of both literature and WWI, I can say with no doubt that "Rules for Old Men Waiting" is by far the best book I have read in at least a decade. Only a few books come to mind when I try to think of books I have enjoyed nearly as much: "All the Kings Men", "Hawk Moon" by Sam Shepard, "The Brothers Karamazov", Churchills' "Memoirs of the Second World War". Despite its brevity it paints more vivid pictures than volumes ten times its length and in some of the most effective and beautiful language I have ever encountered. And while it is indeed beautifully written, it is neither pretentious nor overdone. A tale different but yet reminiscent in its honesty and power, and humour, of "A River Runs Through It". Well done Mr. Pouncey. And many thanks.

a sad beauty........2007-02-25

an emotionally powerful novel that drags the reader through the dirt of old age. the ways in which failing health and dying loved ones leave us less and less self-sufficient, where memory and imagination become the riches we cling to in our final days, are all over this book. the story of robert maciver's diminishing days contains a story he is himself writing about men at combat in the first world war. at first i was not thrilled to see this coming, as the story within a story device is a literary gimmick i do not much care for, but in the end the tale which maciver works out is a thrilling piece in its own right and effectively ingrates itself within the whole of the novel without seeming gimmicky at all. this was a very fine work about loss (in several forms), love, memory (and its duel head nostalgia). a piece of literature by a superb craftsman.

Masterful and Eloquent.......2006-11-29

I was attracted to this book by an ad in the New Yorker. Both the title and the dust jacket were intriguing. After reading several Amazon reviews, I bought it. A wise decision, to say the least. It's a masterful, eloquent work, artfully combining youth, marriage, family death, depression and World War I. I look forward to Peter Pouncey's next book. A 5-star rating is an understatement.

The Irish Question: 2 Centuries of Conflict

Average customer rating:

A great introduction to current Northern Irish politics

The Irish Question: 2 Centuries of Conflict
Lawrence J. McCaffrey
Manufacturer: University Press of Kentucky
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0813108551

Customer Reviews:

A great introduction to current Northern Irish politics.......2000-06-24

"The Irish Question" is an excellent tool to help one understand the political events taking place in Northern Ireland today. Being of Irish ancestry, I had a strong personal interest in separating fact from fiction in what I had been told about the politics of Irish history. This book could be considered dry in style if one is not interested in the history of Anglo-Irish relations.

"The Irish Question" chronologically follows the social and political history of conflict in Ireland ending in the later part of the twentieth century. After reading this book, I felt that I could more confidently form an opinion on current events in Northern Ireland. I thoughly enjoyed this book and I recommend it.

I also found the book "The Potato" fascinating in its historical account of a food source that played such a crucial role in the lives of the Irish (and many other western nations) in the 18th and 19th centuries.

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Great Read

Promises Kept

More is better

Boring.

Rules of Conflict

Rules of Conflict
Kristine Smith
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Law of Survival

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ASIN: 038080784X

Book Description

Anarchy Rules

For eighteen years, Captain Jani Kilian has been hiding from her bloody past. Now she faces trial for what she once did, what she knows now, and what she has become.

Eighteen years ago, she was saved by a radical -- and illegal -- medical procedure that added alien genetic material to her own. But her hybrid body is breaking down. And so is everything else.

Relations between the human and alien idomeni races are deteriorating as rapidly as Jani Kilian's augmentation. And Jani's reemergence has caused old wounds to reopen and new wounds to form. Perhaps it's time for a damaged soldier to stop fighting; to let the desperate architects of a vast and devouring conspiracy keep the truth well hidden; to let the universe and everyone in it go straight to Hell.

Perhaps not...

Customer Reviews:

Great Read.......2007-06-29

Don't miss this series. Kristine Smith has written a winning story with believable characters and fast paced action.

Promises Kept.......2003-12-11

This is the second of Kristine Smith's "Jani Kilian" novels, and it's a great read. Smith's first offering, "Code of Conduct," showed promise: it was brilliantly written although confusing and overly flashbacky. This one is even better written, if that's possible, and not at all flashbacky.

At the end of the first book Jani, the cat-eyed "augmented" hybridized (against her will) military document examiner who once apparently killed her commanding officer during a civil war among the alien Idomeni (some of whose DNA she now carries) seemed to have got clean away after solving a murder mystery. But in this tale she quickly gets pulled back in, and the next thing she knows she's up to her neck in diplomatic negotiations, while her body enhancements are failing (fix the chick's knee and get her a new liver--STAT).

Smith's plotting is delightfully over the top although confusing, and maybe she's done that on purpose. She obviously wants to focus attention on Jani and her mob (a few chapters are told from viewpoints other than Jani's) while the diplomatic events, having to do with delicate human-Idomeni negotiations, are kept murkily in the background. And so what I took, in the first book, to be "first novel" faults may in fact be deliberate. No doubt more shall be revealed in the author's next volume (the third of four), "Law of Survival." I look forward to it.

More is better.......2002-11-11

Actually, I would rate this book about 3 1/2 stars, if that was allowed. Fortunately for me, I read this book right after finishing its prequel, Code of Conduct. Don't even think about reading this one without reading that one first. Even in that one it will be very hard to figure out what is going on, as Smith just throws you in and lets you figure out what's going on all by yourself. However, once you read that one, this one is not so hard to understand (although I eventually lost track of who some of the characters were - too many doctors!) I have added the next volume to my wish list, and maybe I'll get it someday.

Boring........2002-11-03

I managed to get as far as page 242 before I just gave it up and I only got that far because it was the only novel I had with me on a long plane flight. The story just drags on without all that much happening. Boring is the word for it.

Rules of Conflict.......2002-05-31

This second book in the Jani Killian series outperforms the first, which was also excellent. It's military science fiction, but intelligently plotted and well-written. Smith keeps tension high despite the relative lack of violent action -- Killian is physically falling apart, diplomatic relations between humans and between humans and aliens are tense, and old crimes are on the verge of being discovered. Characterization is excellent here, with a number of very appealing, well-drawn characters. The SF setting is believable and strong, and the plot is clearer than in the first installment. Smith's grasp of personalities and institutions is deft, sometimes tragic, sometimes humorous. I enjoyed this very much and highly recommend it.

When the Yankees Came: Conflict and Chaos in the Occupied South, 1861-1865 (Civil War America)

Average customer rating:

Excellent work by engaging author...
Very Good Look at the South after Union Occupation

When the Yankees Came: Conflict and Chaos in the Occupied South, 1861-1865 (Civil War America)
Stephen V. Ash
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 080784795X
Release Date: 1999-08-04

Book Description

Southerners whose communities were invaded by the Union army during the Civil War endured a profoundly painful ordeal. For most, the coming of the Yankees was a nightmare become real; for some, it was the answer to a prayer. But as Stephen Ash argues, for all, invasion and occupation were essential parts of the experience of defeat that helped shape the southern postwar mentality.

When the Yankees Came is the first comprehensive study of the occupied South, bringing to light a wealth of new information about the southern home front. Among the intriguing topics Ash explores are guerrilla warfare and other forms of civilian resistance; the evolution of Union occupation policy from leniency to repression; the impact of occupation on families, churches, and local government; and conflicts between southern aristocrats and poor whites. In analyzing these topics, Ash examines events from the perspective not only of southerners but also of the northern invaders, and he shows how the experiences of southerners differed according to their distance from a garrisoned town.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent work by engaging author..........2006-04-06

In this book, Ash analyzes the Southern experience in areas invaded by Union troops during the Civil War. Whereas most other studies on this subject deal with a specific town or locality, Ash's book presents an inclusive synthesis that examines the commonalities of the occupation throughout the South. Three main themes direct his study of occupation. One examines how Northern policies regarding the South during occupation developed over the course of the war. Another theme appraises how three different geographical segments of the South experienced occupation (garrison towns, the Confederate frontier, and no-man's land). Finally, Ash looks at how occupation by Federal forces led to internal conflicts between Southerners of varied political, social, and economic groups.
In Ash's study, three important hallmarks of the South were its social hierarchy, its rural communalism, and its race relations. These elements worked in combination to create a unique society that Northern invaders perceived as both backward and foreign. Because of the cultural disparities between the North and the South, the arrival of Union occupying troops was a greatly feared occurrence by Southerners. However, initial Southern interactions with Union troops proved to be less volatile than was originally thought. Despite Northern attempts to remain equitable and lenient within occupied areas, Southern recalcitrance persisted. The continuation of these rebellious attitudes forced Union troops to adopt a harsher policy in their administration of the occupied South, leading to further antagonism between the Union military and Southerners. The "hard policy" of Union occupation also increased existing internal conflicts in the South, such as those between slaves and their masters, Unionists and their secessionist neighbors, and poor whites and the propertied elites. Thus, with the Union control of the South and the disruption caused by this occupation, the established elements of Southern culture (social hierarchy, rural communalism, race relations) could no longer provide a completely cohesive society.

Very Good Look at the South after Union Occupation.......2000-06-01

A very interesting view of the other side of the Civil War. Ash takes the reader on a trip to the South and shows how life changed after the Union Army invaded. The book gives an overall look at the entire South, showing exactly how different regions were effected. Also includes many quotes from actual residents and cites from Southern newspapers, each giving the reader a true vision of what it was like to live there during the Civil War. A wonderful addition to a Civil War collection, especially if you are interested in the South.

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