D-A Books

This book is excellent. The book is easy reading and has easy to apply mental techniques to improve racing and training. Swimming in open water is my "weakest link". This book offers many mental training techniques that should be helpful.

I found this book to be good with many ideas. It did get a little redundant at times, which can probably be attibuted to emphasizing approaches to mental training. It definitely gets across the need for mental preparedness and ways to go about it. Reading it a couple times and and doing the exercises included in the various chapters is necessary to get the most from the book and approach.

I saw the author at the Velo Swap in S.F. in December 2006. Gave a great presentation and his way of thinking fit my training regimen for my bicycling. The style and presentation fit my mindset and when it is rainy, snowy, blowing or just don't care. You realize you are not alone and gives the tools and techniques that get you going. Not your average mental training guide but new stuff and odd angles make you approach your workout and mind in a different way

Success in sports requires as much mental strength as it does physical, and this book will teach you how to approach your sport... and your life.

I was hesitant to buy this wondering if I could really learn something about mental training from a book. I decided to give it a try and I am very glad I did. This is one of the best Ironman prep books I've read. I highly recommend it.

I looked all over for a kids book about Henry Thoreau to use with my 3rd and 4th graders. They really enjoyed this story! I highly recommend it.

Wonderful book, my adult friends loved it as much as the children. Thoreau was cool 150 years ago and knew then what ignorant people like GW Bush will never know. This book should be read by everyone!!!

This is a beautifully illustrated and clever fictionalized account of Henry David Thoreau as a man who turns out not to be so foolish as his townsfolk think. His neighbors in Concord think he's crazy for not wanting what they want: more money, more property, more industry, more things. Their incredulity is heightened when he decides to live out by himself in a small cabin on the banks of Walden Pond. As told in this story, the townspeople and especially the mayor are threatened by this challenge to their lifestyle and decide to try and kick him out by enlisting a toothpick manufacturer to come in and cut down the trees in Walden woods. He changes their mind by telling his story -- or, as the authors suggest: by bringing his townspeople out of their cloistered lives and into the woods for an afternoon.

Of course this isn't exactly what happened -- there were some industries in the area but logging had been taking place in the Walden woods for a long time before Thoreau got there, and while some of the townsfolk thought Thoreau was crazy, none of them were threatened by his lifestyle and none tried to threaten him. Still, the essence of the story rings true, and the authors use of poetic license serves to indicate how much of a contrast there was between Thoreau's convictions and lifestyle and those of most around him. A very nice story, that would serve as an excellent brief introduction to the life of Thoreau for newcomers of all ages.

One minor caveat on the otherwise excellent illustrations: Thoreau is here depicted as tall and lanky, something like Lincoln, when in fact by all accounts he was short and lean but built.

"The Trouble with Henry" provides children with an accessible classic story expressing the trials and tribulations of individuality and fostering sensitivity to the environment.

What a refreshing story! My daughter and I loved it. From the beginning to the end, children (and adults alike) will be caught up in the wonderful imagery created and clever "sounding" words chosen by its author. By celebrating the spirit of the individual and appreciating the simplicity and beauty of nature, children are introduced to Thoreau in a delightful and marvelously illustrated way. The Trouble with Henry is bound to be a favorite, especially among younger readers.

It is not enough, says Jordan D. Lewis, for companies to share resources, ownership and profits. For partnerships to really work, the companies must be able to act as an alliance, sharing goals and strategies. The glue that holds alliances together, says the author, is trust. This book focuses on the ways trust can be created, fostered and maintained between business partners. The author begins with what he calls the eight conditions for trust:
1. Mutual need creates the opportunity.
2. Interpersonal relationships make the connection.
3. Joint leaders deliver on both firms.
4. Shared objectives guide performance.
5. Safeguards encourage sharing.
6. Commitment creates enthusiasm.
7. Adaptable organizations support alignment.
8. Continuity sustains understandings.

The author then discusses actionable guidelines and tips for fostering a relationship of trust with business partners. Among these are the following:

· Pick team players-Invest in relationships early to facilitate understanding of each other's business needs. Ensure joint leadership and team development.
· Define a single purpose-Every step taken in an alliance should reflect a shared vision about the business purposes of the alliance.
· Align your organizations-Create an alliance plan detailed enough that teams in both organizations will know what is expected of them. Align incentive systems within the organizations with shared objectives.
· Orchestrate many units-Facilitate the cooperation of leaders from all levels with their counterparts in the partner organization. Each of the participating units must satisfy the eight conditions of trust.
· Take nothing for granted-Manage the alliance and plan for continuity.

If trust is the glue that holds organizations together then you can trust that Jordan Lewis' new book Trusted Partners is an essential element of that glue. I have enjoyed Jordan's other books but find this one the most practical in its ability to translate wonderful stories about the business world into practical day to day applications. In addition, the final seven chapters of the book provide a guide for practitioners which we have incorporated into our evaluation of all our business partnerships.

While reading the book I needed to pause on frequent occasion and fit many of our current business relationships into his case examples. One of its greatest value may be to learn from others' mistakes and successes, and improve on this essential element for every organization.

Lewis has ventured into governance territory where few have trod--for example, asking how to structure boards of various types of alliances. To my knowledge, no other book has this type of material, which makes this book an excellent choice for corporate directors. (I am familiar with this audience, because I am the Editor-in-Chief of Director's Monthly, the official newsletter of the National Association of Corporate Directors, Washington, DC).

The basic premise is obvious: There can be no solid"partnerships" without trust. As the subtitle indicates, Lewisexplains "how companies build mutual trust and win together." It is imperative that individuals be worthy of trust. They must earn it and then sustain it with behavior based on core values. We all know that values derive from character (or the lack thereof), that values determine attitudes (both negative and positive), and that such attitudes are revealed by behavior.

My guess is that those in greatest need of this book will encounter the greatest difficulty when attempting to follow Lewis' suggestions. "Trust is at the heart of the knowledge economy....Rather than being a matter of blind faith, trust must be cone step at a time. Further, building trust between organizations is all-encompassing. It involves their people, politics, priorities, cultures, and structures." Organizations become untrustworthy when those within those organizations are untrustworthy. Over the years, all of us have been victimized by fraudulent claims, intentional misrepresentations, corrupt "politics", "a hidden agenda", broken promises, etc. If trust is to be built between organizations, there must be interpersonal as well as intrapersonal relationships based on trustworthiness.

Lewis's book is divided into three parts: Trust Leads to High Performance, Alliances with Key Partner, and Tools for Trust: A Guide for Practitioners. He follows a step-by-step process within each part, providing an abundance of observations, suggestions, and caveats. Who will derive the greatest value from this book? Here are my nominees:

1. Decision-makers who have the authority (not simply the responsibility) for their organization's cultural transformation.

2. Owners/CEOs of start-ups who are committed to building trust as well as sales and profits.

3. Those involved in M&A initiatives whose due diligence includes evaluation of cultural capital as well as material assets.

One of the book's most valuable sections (Chapter VII in the Third Part) summarizes "actions that establish trust-building habits." Note the use of the word "habit." Lewis is quite correct when insisting that time and effort are required to build and then sustain trust. Conversely, trust can be quickly compromised by a single act betrayal.

In this final section, the "trust-building habits" are classified as follows: Trust Conditions; Recruiting, Training, and Rewards; Management Behavior; and Other Activities. Once you have read the book, selected what is most appropriate to your own organization, and then begun the difficult task of implementation, it would be a good idea to re-read Chapter VII in the Third Part. The counsel Lewis provide will help you formulate your own tasks and objectives within the framework of the eight trust conditions and related practices.

If those within your organization are unwilling and/or unable to make a sincere and steadfast commitment to building and then sustaining trust, find another organization. And consider this fact: The companies which dominate their respective industries are the same companies which are rated the best companies to work for. Coincidence? I don't think so...and neither does Lewis.

Brilliantly written, "Trusted Partners: How Companies Build Mutual Trust and Win Together" contains all the essential directives for building, sustaining, and harnessing the succulent fruits of a harmonic coalition.
This 319-paged book is an exhaustive compilation of both ideas and pieces of advice. Its logical arrangement ensured that all those crucial information remain dynamic. This is an important text for anyone who is into (or tends to go into) any form of corporate alliance or similar association.
Every important ingredient required for building, improving, and nourishing partnerships is in this book. Most of them were illustrated with examples.
This is a sound Management book. It is all about winning. Almost perfect! But I did wish that it provided clues on how to constructively repair a partnership that has been damaged by egoistic tendencies.

This is one of those books that you can enjoy reading even if you don't own a kitchen. The author's voice is soothing and the rhythms of monastery life echo throughout the recipes.

This book is one of a series. The recipes are simple, easy to follow,and by no means austere. Using seasonal ingredients, the results are delicious and imaginative salads. I have given several copies as gifts.

Thanks for getting this book to me quickly and in perfect condition! What an excellent book - full of great salad ideas that don't have complex ingredients!

This is truly a wonderful salad book - will make you famous for your dressings and salads. Not one bad recipie and easy to follow with few ingredients. I buy it for my friends and family too.

As a perpetual dieter I need to eat vegetables, a lot. I'd become very sick of salad and making them when I came across this book in my library. My entire family loved the couple of recipes I tried, and I was happy because everything tasted very good, so I bought the book. There is a great variety of salad types from potato and pasta to leafy and everything in between. The book is organized by season but don't be afraid to explore outside the current season, since different regions have different growing seasons, and grocery stores often (not always) have good produce out of season.

If you're even then slighest bit interested in the aftermath of Lincoln's assassination then this is a MUST read. Outstanding and detailed look into the 20 days that follow the assassination of the 16th President of the United States.

You're only cheating yourself if you don't read this.

This book is unusually good. I borrowed a copy from the libary after reading thse reviews, and now I'm back buying a copy to re-read and cherish.

I'd thought it would be simply a gorgeous picture book, but it's the prose and anecdotes; they bring the people of the day to life. You will get to know these people very well.

Magnificent book by the same family: "Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography".

I originally received this book in 1968 from my parents. I wanted a new copy for my coffee table. This is so full of facts and fascinating photos any one who is a Lincoln or Civil War buff will treasure it. A must have.

I first read this book when it came out back in the 1960's
It hooked me forever on the Lincoln Assassination
And it's still the best photo book on this tragic event!

This is a nice picture book of the last days of Abe Lincoln. It starts with his visiting the captured Confederate capital of Richmond, and then his murder in Ford's Theater. This book covers the snaring of the conspirators along with their military trial. Then it takes a look at the twelve cities where there were funerals in. Few people realize Lincoln's funeral was the precursor to Memorial Day. Unlike other picture books, this has a lot of information in it. This is a lengthy read at 300 + pages.

The authors spent a lot of time securing the rights to the many pictures that accompany this book. This is a very informative read. It also depicts the emotion of the time when Lincoln was murdered. Abe may not have been liked when he was alive, but he became a saint when he was dead.
A very informative pictorial read.

I'm a sonographer in a general ultrasound department of a hospital, graduated last year. I was looking through Amazon's list of general resource books for ultrasound, and took a chance on this one. VERY glad I did! This is a great book to keep around in the department, or even to study from. Great images, extensive topic coverage, and well laid out. I would recommend it to anyone in a similar position, no matter the experience. Not much in the way of neonatal ultrasounds, and I wish there was more on vascular, but it really does a great job with Abdomen, OB/GYN, small parts, etc.

I'm a 1st year radiology resident. This book is a good balance between time spent and knowledge obtained for a busy resident. Totally recommended as a first read before entering U/S rotation. However, coverage of vascular ultrasonography is minimal- so after mastering this your next logical step would be Zwiebel's book. Introduction to Vascular Ultrasonography(Fifth Edition)

I found myself reading this book when I had some free time at work, before I bought my own. It covers Abdomen and OB-GYN, so you dont need another book. For a textbook, its easy to read and the pictures are fantastic, so you know when you see it on your patient. I sold my other text books because I acutally read this one and refer to it. I love this book!!!

I am a second year radiology resident. I just completed my first US rotation. I used this book and thought it was great. It has nice pictures and a well-put-together text. All in all, I highly recommend it. One of the best of the Requisites series!

Great book that cover general and obstetric ultrasound in a concise way.
Highly recommended.

[A review of the SECOND EDITION, 2005.]

In the last 15 years, GPS has moved from an expensive and specialised application to a mass consumer market. There are numerous books on GPS; mostly directly at that mass readership. These typically concern how to use a device with a GPS receiver.

By contrast, this book is meant for the engineer who has to design such a device. It is a compendium of technical papers covering many aspects you are likely to need. And undoubtedly some you won't, which should be reassuring. Because it means that you do not have to read all of this book for it to be useful.

The sensitivity of the GPS satellites and the resultant GPS ground resolution is amazing, as can be appreciated from some of the papers in the book. Due mostly to the stability of the satellites' orbits and their onboard atomic clocks. Chapter 7 describes how GPS requires corrections due to Einstein's Theory of General Relativity! Not just Special Relativity. As a physicist, I found this fascinating. GPS is perhaps the first field where General Relativity is used, not to be tested, but as providing a necessary quantitative model for getting correct results. Akin to how Newton's Equations have been used for 300 years in ballistics. Granted, most readers will be engineers, who might find GR a trifle exotic.

The book also has good coverage of the Russian GLONASS system. Perhaps for those who also want to use this for redundancy. Or to combine the signals from this with GPS for enhanced resolution.

I've been an engineer and PM working with GPS and GPS systems since the inception of GPS in the mid-80s. While employed by a major DOD research lab I was fortunate enough not only to have access to practically every GPS book and article available, but I also had the opportunity to meet many of the key people responsible for the design and development of the system (many of whom contributed to this text). From system design to receiver architecture, this is by far the best general reference I have found on GPS.

If you are looking at the first edition, please note that the publisher plans to issue a second edition in December 2005.

This is a great book to read if you plan on developing any type of GPS tracking system. While the book covers the the basics, you'll need some further resources on interfacing GPS receivers and such hardware to real-world devices.

An interesting article entitled "Tracking a Vehicle With GPS" can be read at www.closerworlds.com

A lot of mobile solutions are soon to hit the market such as mobile phones using GSM or GPRS to track a person. This book will help to understand how it all fits together. It would have been nice if the book could have touched on how older communication systems like VHF radios can transmit GPS data. For that you'll have to visit www.closerworlds.com or some other website with such resources.

I'm an aerospace professional that is very close to the GPS system. This book is one of the best in depth references that I could recomend. I am not a novice and this text may intimidate some.

Textbook that teachess you about sexual behaviors like it says.
Has very interesting pictures to show you exactly what is going on.
I enjoyed reading this book by myself while my teacher talked on about other things and the videos were interesting and fun to watch

WHAT A GREAT BARGIN! ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK. GOOD TIMING OF DELIVERY. THIS SELLER IS VERY RELIABLE!

Book is an excellent review of human sexuality and understanding of sexual behavior and desires.

This is a great textbook. It's clearly written, and it's actually enjoyable to read. The author appears to have had a good time writing it, and included many limericks, engaging examples, and other items that make this textbook anything but dry.

no matter how experienced a person can be in sex, we all must read this book. it not only gives basic understanding of sexual behavior and act, it also goes over other ares like understanding transvestites, fetish, sexual diseases, etc...

Henry David Thoreau, as his many devotees (including this reader) know, is as relevant today as he was 150 years ago. His writings are available in a variety of hardback and paperback editions most of which are considerably cheaper than this book. So why purchase this particular edition. There are two reasons that seem to make sense: if you read and reread Walden a hard copy is more durable than a paperback; and this edition includes an excellent set of notes placed side by side with the original text which is a real convenience.

So what about the book called "Walden" and Thoreau himself? Well those many folks who are devoted readers of course understand the importance of Thoreau to American letters. For someone who might like to read either Walden or one of Thoreau's other writings out of curiosity or necessity (required reading) there is one thing that this reader finds particularly interesting about him and his works: Thoreau was a practicing philosopher who created a set of values and proved their validity by living them. "Walden" among many things is an account of how the practice of such values can effect the way one lives.

In academic philosophy there is a branch called "axiology" which is the study of values. Many a modern professor of philosophy would undoubtedly fault Thoreau for failing to build a value `system' based on recognized philosophic criteria. Well, this is the difference between a professor of philosophy and an actual philosopher. Thoreau did not profess a philosophy he lived a philosophy. The values that he developed if adopted today by an individual would be just as practical and lead to the same level of happiness as in his day. Reading through Walden provides a running account of how to deal with mundane chores necessary to live (and live well) and to deal with the more cosmic issues of space and time (as understood by the individual). There are of course other tangible benefits that come from reading Thoreau, but obtaining a philosophy for living is certainly among them.

This copy of Walden is beautiful and the extensive notes are very helpful.

I have at least six or seven different editions of Thoreau's greatest classic, and this one is my prized possession. Of course, if I took his ideas more seriously I would simplify things and give away the other copies, but they have my notes in them and I find it hard to let go of them. Part of the problem of this edition being so beautiful, on excellent paper, with very useful notes and images, is that I would hate to mark it up with the lines and notes that I have included in some of the other editions. Still, that's a good problem. The notes in this book are useful notes -- not just a haphazard list of some scholars' remarks (not always authoritative) on favorite passages, and not speculation, but clear sources for some of the obscure references in the text.

On the book as a whole, it is worth noting that Walden is rich in ideas and is one of the most profound American philosophical classics, and no reading could exhaust its wealth. It is much more than a journal of Thoreau's time alone in the woods (as it were) on the banks of Walden Pond (as it is often thought to be by those who haven't read it - I know because I often ask my students what they know about the book before they read it).

A quick introduction to the project of Walden, that will help organize and make sense of some of the variety of Thoreau's remarks here, is to think of his remarks as falling under three rough stages:
(1) an account of the problem we face, that we waste away our lives trying to make a living, that we seek to acquire property for the sake of freedom but find ourselves encumbered, that we associate the rise of modern technology with enlightenment but find that our technologies and advances increasingly take us away from ourselves and our self-sufficiency, and make us dependent on what we do not individually understand.
(2) an account of an experiment undertaken to discover what is truly essential for a life of fulfillment, and the discovery that a complete and worthwhile life can be achieved through a deliberate simplification of desires.
(3) an account of the many remarkable discoveries that can be made about ourselves and about the natural world and the relation between these when we voluntarily simplify our lives.

This is a book to read and return to throughout one's life, and there aren't many books that really merit such attention. Given its importance, having a copy in what is probably the best edition available now makes a lot of sense.

This edition of Walden is a joy to read, with lovely typeface and layout. I am not a Thoreau scholar, but found the annotations accessible and absorbing. The layout allows you to read Walden straight through or wander off into the annotated notes, depending on your mood.

A book that serves as a miniature vacation every time you open it.

Walden, since the age of fourteen, has always been a special place for me. Ironically, I did not disturb the leaf laden path through Thoreau's wood until seven years after, but at a young age I enjoyed the utopia this book offers. Interestingly enough the surface was read, and with little understanding of history, of which I know have a Masters degree, I did not know the context. With this Annotated version you are thrusted further into Thoreau's world than ever before. I suggest strongly to read the text, then start over with just the annotations. It takes you into the historical/political context of the book's purpose, and from that, into a world leading to civil war, that would traverse those growing pains into a time of reform. Truly a book before its time, yet speaks to the reform movement of the latter 19th c., and perhaps today.

I got a copy of this book for each of my children after having borrowed it from someone else. I don't necessarily agree with everything that the author has written but he does have some great thoughts on life in general and even better, has written them down for his children to read. I think that most of us would love to share our hard learned wisdom with our children to possibly spare them some heartache and experience of roads better taken but as my daughter always tells me -- she needs to learn from her own mistakes, thank you very much Mom. Still, the idea of the content of the book and wanting my children to have successful well-rounded lives made me purchase the book for them and enclose a letter in which I have added some of my own thoughts, wisdom and wishes for them.

Life offers a very diverse serving of obstacles and opportunities. Each provides it's own lesson that we may become better people for having experienced them. Carl's book drives this home with a wonderfully broad foundation of thoughts and ideas, that are as much for parents as they are for young adults. I felt inspired and grateful that someone took the time to paint a view to life with such down to earth values. Thank you Carl, our whole family enjoyed your book.

I've just finished Carl Nichols' extraordinary book which was a gift to me. I am so grateful that he took the time to write this wonderful how-to full of practial advice, thoughts, and values about work, life, loving, creativity, and leadership. Mr Nichols' book is a welcome relief for those of us who do not have the time or experience to articulate these important principles to our kids. I feel like a much better parent just by having read the book, and I actually find myself having more meaningful conversations with the kids now. We're communicating!

So thanks, Mr. Nichols, for having the courage and insight to write this extraordinary book. I plan to buy several copies for Christmas presents for my friends.

This is a wonderful, succinct book for anyone starting out into adulthood, or any parent wanting a good guide of things to teach their kids. Things learned not in school but through life experiences, Carl distills down into a set of practical advice, as given to his college bound son.

The beauty of this book, relative to the wealth of "self help" books out there, is its complete coverage of "things you need to know" instead of just being about one topic like public speaking or negotiations or money or relationships. Its almost a "best of", short and sweet, targeted to a particular life stage. And Carl's advice rings true throughout.

An ideal gift for a high school or college grad, but also for any age there are lessons for us, and for our kids.

Absolutly great. I feel as though Nichols is my father and all of that advice is directed towards me, too. It is very well written and there are some amazing tips on how to look at certain situations in life. I especially love the comparison of the different types people at work to different breeds of dog. It is a great book. I highly reccomend it to anyone and everyone.