Economic-Life Books

I've bought this book as a graduation gift, and I've kept one for myself. Unlike many similar books filled with mostly "feel good" platitudes, it offers some really helpful advice on topics that aren't normally adressed anywhere. It should help any graduate get off on the right foot with co-workers in the business world.

This book is an wonderful gift for a new graduate or someone changing jobs. It is fun to read and filled with interesting quotes. I gave the book as graduation gifts and everyone loved them! After seeing their reaction and hearing their comments I purchased one for myself!

Our recepients have all been very appreciative. This book is perfect to keep in quantity already gift wrapped for those many graduation annoucements we recieve.

Ms. Ballard's book is THE perfect college graduation gift! I happened upon this jewel while perusing Amazon.com titles and ordered one to check out. I was thrilled. I immediately reordered 1/2 dozen and they have been wrapped and distributed to recent grads to much applause and appreciation. Everyone that I have shared the book with has "stolen" my idea and it is now the true rage among the recent graduate population in North Carolina. Order this book by the case. You will not be sorry!

I wish I'd had this book when I finished college! You'reAlready A Success is full of common sense advice and insights thatwill serve not only graduates who are starting out on the career path but also to all who are ready to move to the next step in their professional growth and anyone rejoining the job market. END

Sometimes, the most profound truths are contained in simple quotations. This book really made me think about how I handle different situations on a daily basis. If you are interested in self-improvement, buy this book and follow the principles. The techniques are very practical and can be followed to improve both your personal and professional life. Recommended, for anyone who is just starting a career, turning 40, going through a midlife crisis, or just feels like they need more directions in their life.

This book makes you reflect on many of the important questions when work situations change from what you are used to. Excellent primer for analyzing where you are in life. This book points out the possibilities of making good decisions when life hands you a challenge. Highly recommended.

This book is quick and easy to read, has humor and is thought provoking. As a career counselor, I think this book is perfect guidance for young people about to set out into the world from college.

If you need a "new look" at a difficult work situation, I recommend this book. It will only take an hour of your time and is very easy to read. It made a big difference in how I view opportunities.

No matter who you are or what your situation you will get something out of reading this book. It encourages the reader to learn to seek and enjoy change. Overall, this book is a very enjoyable read. The style of the book is so good you can't put it down once you start reading it. The pictures ensure the phrases are easy to recollect. You will want to pass this on to friends and colleagues after reading!

Modern moms are overworked and under-appreciated and "42 Rules for Working Moms" is a fresh, funny, and inspiring call to action to working women from working women that says, "it's okay to work and be a mom." The truth (which seems to be ignored in society's current views of working motherhood) is that there was never a time in history when the average woman was able to give birth, and then have the luxury of doing nothing else until her child reached adulthood. In my opinion, (unless you're a celebrity or royalty who relies on others to "manage your children") very mom is a working mom and this book is filled with useful, practical advice on how to survive and succeed as a modern working mom.

The writers of this book have given many great tips and suggestions. As a first time expectant women who has worked for over 20 years and soon to be a working mom, this book is going to be perfect as my guide and reference. Every Mom and Dad should take the time to read it.

This book has made me laugh AND cry. Feeling like I am in "the trenches" with 2 very young kids and a full time job, I need the inspirational advice from these funny and smart moms on a daily basis. Each night I read a different "rule" (some for the 3rd and 4th time) and feel so much better about managing it all. It's the perfect way to end a hectic day.

This book makes me feel better about being a working mom. After reading it, I realized that other working moms out there face the same challenges I do and overcome them with tenacity, creative problem solving and humor.

Finally, a funny and practical book on how to balance work and kids. I am sharing this one with all my friends.

Austerity Britain presents an interesting retrospective on the tough times in the immediate post-war era. It is a good companion/follow on to "How we lived then" about the actual war years. Some of the political philosophy, particularly in the earlier chapters can be a bit heavy going, but the view on what it was like to live through the period is good, particularly if you did actually survive those years, as did this reviewer.

I bought this book at the same time I purchased Peter Clarke's marvelous "The Last Thousand Days of the British Empire" on what I thought the reasonable assumption that it might provide the social history complement to Clarke's account of the geopolitical death rattles of the Empire following the war. That it precisely served that function better than I could have imagined does not in any way diminish its value as a brilliant stand-alone analysis of everyday life in post-war Britain that will certainly never be duplicated in either its scholarship or compass. Kynaston weaves an incredibly rich fabric of first-person accounts and commentaries ranging from housewives to the Labour party's leadership to incipient and established entertainers to sports stars and innumerable others high and low on the social scale, each citation perfectly apt and illustrative in its context. The reader feels he is living the period, suffering with the deprived homemaker, hoping against experience with the coal miner, sensing pitfalls to the social planning completely unanticipated at the time, and generally acquiring an understanding of those years that completely supplants everything one thought one knew of the subject. The book is a bit of a slog what with over 600 pages of text, and in my experience, there are very few works of this size that are worth the time an effort. Be assured that this is one of them and that every reader is looking forward to the promised sequel covering the years 1953-79. Social history, indeed, history, doesn't get much better than this.

An excellent description of that time in England. Brought back a lot of memories. Probably less interesting to folks who had NOT lived through it.

A very nice journey into the past, where you as the traveler, are entertained, amazed and surprised at how the English people survived the war. I was entranced to read how the English took everything, well actually, without anything that we all took for granted, in stride. They suffered the most during the war and gave their all for victory. This is a wonderful story told as how it was to live, eat, entertain and get on.

Written for a British eye more than for an American, this American learned a stronger respect for the people of Britain for the way they won the war and then won back their share of industry and prosperity. Having won a glorious victory, within hours the victorious citizens of the country that sustained almost six years of war following on a prolonged depression realized that the trials of war time would be extended by the austerity of post-war Europe. While England won the war, they paid a high price. More important, the collective, heroic efforts of the large working class produced a tide of enthusiasm for nationalisation of industry, housing to replace the hundreds of thousands displaced by German bombing, and a broad social welfare plan focusing primarily on health care.

It is not a pretty story. Post-war England was drab, lacking many basics, watching its empire dissolve, and driven by a strong, centralized plan to restore the economy that changed the basic way people looked at business and government. And, with the continuing pressures of rebuilding the rest of Europe, the threat of further communist expansion, and the rise of American power, perhaps Britain went too far in moving towards a benevolent but often clumsy and experimental form of socialism. It would be almost another forty years and the decisions of the Thatcher government, that saw the maturity and, in some cases, the reversal of this social and cultural experiment.

This is a long, dense and colorful book, full of first-person details and observations, many of them from the surveys and observations of the government itself. Chapters focus on various aspects of the cultural and social revolution, in the classroom, on the factory floor, in the (mine) pits, in the shops, in the media, and more. At one bookstore where I looked for the book, they claimed that it was a textbook and not part of their trade book collection. While it is as thorough -- or more -- as any academic textbook, it reads more like a highly detailed, multi-authored journal or catalog of the period. Invest the time.

If you've got too many demands and not enough time, this book will help you conquor the chaos - it's the next best thing to having Mary Poppins move in. The authors give real advice on making the most of your time. Any of their suggestions can be incorporated into your life, no matter what your income level might be.

These authors have got it right. For over 30 years I lived in a very hectic world trying to balance family, work, hobbies, friends... In a large energy utility I was a mentor and coach to many, and now teach in a business school- and act as a consultant to industry. I continue to be in touch with a great number of folks of all ages. While the advice, and reflections of the working world I have given in the past seemed sound, and were generally consistent with many of the principles outlined in this book, those I coached, and I would be better off if I had the book then... but it is never too late- several of them will be receiving a Christmas gift early... Thank you Kurt et al.

It's a problem almost everyone faces today, how do you balance work, home, pleasure, church, and other obligations so you are not completely overwhelmed? "Beyond Juggling: Rebalancing Your Busy Life" provides a realistic approach to getting your life under control.

The authors provide five alternatives to trying to juggle multiple commitments: Alternating, Outsourcing, Bundling, Techflexing and Simplifying. Each one of these alternatives is examined in detail with a description of what it is and is not, an aptitude test to determine if it is an appropriate option for you, and descriptions of the trade-offs for each option.

The last part of the book contains a self-assessment that helps you determine the strategy that you are currently using, the ones that best fit your personal style, what will work now with your present career and life-stage and what will be needed in your future as your needs and circumstances change.

This is simply the best book on balancing your life obligations that I have read to date. Immediately useful, highly practical, it is a highly recommended read for anyone seeking balance in life.

There are lots of books out there just waiting to organize your life and tell you what to do. Problem is, once you finish reading the book, it's impossible to put everything into practice. I really enjoyed Beyond Juggling because it went past that. It gave real, workable solutions to fit work and personal life. I work at a Fortune 500 company and find it difficult in the early part of my career to take the advice of most books. I can't "get off the treadmill" or work flextime until I've build up some organizational credibility. The great thing about the book was that I found solutions that worked for me. It wasn't preachy by telling me I should, of course, put family first. I know that already. Rather they listed great strategies that have really helped me to help balance everything that's important to me.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves work, and loves their life, but doesn't necessarily want the two to be one and the same!

Beyond Juggling was useful to me, a mother of young children, planning to reenter the workforce. I knew I didn't want the long hours and constant intensity of my previous job, but nor did I want a boring, low-stress, low-expectation job. The authors lay out the pros and cons of five strategies to keep your work and life in balance. I learned that I shouldn't work at home (what the authors call techflexing) since I need--and enjoy--the motivation of interacting with coworkers. On the other hand, my preference to concentrate on one thing at a time makes me good at alternating, a strategy of "intense work periods followed by breaks to recharge." The authors' suggestion that alternaters choose occupations that have natural peaks and valleys, such as tax accounting helped me focus my job search.
In addition to helping readers recognize and use balancing strategies that fit their personalities, Beyond Juggling shows how to incorporate other balancing strategies on a smaller scale. My need for spontaneity makes bundling, "packing multiple purposes into a single event or activity," a poor choice for me generally, but forming an investment club may be the perfect way for me to stay in touch with both my friends and my portfolio once I go back to work.
Since I love to give advice, I relished the appendix, "How Managers Can Use This Book," a whole arsenal of tools to get the best from your employees, not just the most. A wise manager may just give this book to his team members, and prevent burnout before it happens.

I am a reader on the tail end of the boomer generation, yet I found the information provided in the book very helpful in assisting me when trying to place my grandmother in a nursing home. It guided me through the process as well as helping me to understand what she might be experiencing both mentally and physically. I completed the Crisis Information Checklist provided in the book in order to get my affairs in order. I also checked out the author's website and found it to be most useful! I applaud the authors for creating such a valuable reference guide both in text and online!

Highly readable with copious references to useful websites. The authors have cut through the chaff by prefacing topics with condensed but substantive overviews. Overall, I found the book to be a good practical resource. A good read.

I have relied on WHAT TO EXPECT DURING PREGNANCY, WHAT TO EXPECT DURING THE FIRST YEAR, and now there is a book to tell us what to expect for every year after that! Great resource. A must for your home library.

I have spent countless hours worrying about my aging parents and what the future holds for all of us. This publication has given me answers to many questions and explained where to go for additional information. It also hit upon areas that I had never considered before. I want to thank the authors for providing such a valuable resource. The Boomer Basic crisis information checklist is great.

Great book. Very useful tool. The book really talks to the issues I face today. A must for the library. The website and the website references really make for a complete one stop for issues facing my generation.

I can do no better than the hydrogeologist Syndnor in summarizing the utility of this introductory work. My only critique is that Mount needs to revise the chapter on climate and consider projected impacts on CA's surface water based on what we now know after 13 years of data collection.
Just as Knox needs to revise his primer Global Climate Change and California (1992).

California Rivers and Streams: the conflict between fluvial processes and land use, Dr. Jeffrey F. Mount, 1995, University of California Press, 359 pages

California geologists, engineers, environmental planners, and the general public will enjoy reading this comprehensive book on California rivers. The author is Dr. Jeffrey Mount, who holds the Roy J. Shlemon Chair of Geology at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Mount is the Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis. He has formerly served on the Reclamation Board within the California Resources Agency.

With a heightened sense of public concern about flooding, water supply, levee repair, fish habitat, and river restoration, this book on California rivers is the best general primer that is currently available. Although not designed as a textbook, California teachers may find it suitable for introductory courses because of its comprehensive scope and highly readable narrative.

The book is divided into two parts. Part 1, How Rivers Work, includes: Chapter 1, Introduction to the rivers of California; Chapter 2, Water in motion, Chapter 3, A river at work ¯ sediment entrainment, transport, and deposition; Chapter 4, The shape of a river; Chapter 5, Origins of river discharge; Chapter 6, Sediment supply; Chapter 7, River network and profile; Chapter 8, Climate and the rivers of California; Chapter 9, Tectonics and geology of California's rivers.

Part 2, Learning the Lessons: Land Use and the Rivers of California, includes: Chapter 10, Rivers of California ¯ the last 200 years; Chapter 11, Mining and the rivers of California; Chapter 12, Logging California's watersheds; Chapter 13, Food production and the rivers of California; Chapter 14, A primer on flood frequency ¯ how much and how often? Chapter 15, The urbanization of California's rivers; Chapter 16, The damming of California's rivers; and Chapter 17, The future ¯ changing climate, changing rivers.

Review by Robert H. Sydnor
California Certified Hydrogeologist #6
LM-AEG, LM-AAAS, LM-AGU, M-GSA, M-AGWA

This book will answer any questions you have and then answer all the questions you are too dense to think of. Anyone living in California should be forced to read this. River runners also benefit from this book that shows the correct fleuvial processes, unlike many kayaking/rafting books. Read it, get on the water and then fight for the rivers!

This is a subperb review of how rivers systems work and how man-made changes effect these systems. Perfect for the interested layperson interested in earth science. The second half of this book covers the major watersheds of California.

I am a hydrologist and a water lawyer practicing in Washington DC -- this is the book I give to clients and friends to explain how rivers work and what people do to them. It assumes an intelligent reader but no background is required to get the main points. While its title and focus is California, the lessons are applicable throughout the country. Great book.

Easy to read. Chock full of practical information and resources as well as real-life examples that are as entertaining as they are inspiring. Would make an excellent gift for a new retiree, someone contemplating a career change, celebrating a 50th birthday, a college graduate...

My first reaction while reading this book was one of surprise. I'd been expecting just feel-good inspirational stuff, but was pleased to find it dealing with the nuts and bolts of our changing world and the struggle it can sometimes be to survive in the new reality.

I'm a fan of various financial advice columns and shows; one of the topics that never fail to appear is how much longer people live today --- and the associated costs of doing so. CAREER OF GOLD addresses this issue head-on, as well as the taboo topic of age bias encountered when trying to finance a longer life, later in life.

It offers advice on how to deal with this mountain of a problem: climb it while you can. People will be surprised to discover that it's possible for the average person to function --- and thrive --- in the new world of global opportunities. I was fascinated to see how you can develop a new business, and tap into the tremendous growth potential of emerging markets like China, India, and Brazil. It's shown that the online world of the internet can be harnessed to create your second career.

A wonderful resource guide for anyone looking to create a sense of job security. Although titled for the 'second half of your life' this book is suitable for the younger generation as well. BIG thumbs up!

The author provides the reader with support and encouragement in an easy to read and practical guide. His excitement and positive attitude jump out from the first page and carry you through to the step by step fulfillment of self-directed employment. Bracken provides examples, inspiration and concrete advice in defining your assets, determining a market, developing your "product", utilizing computer technology and more. This book is a great resource for baby boomers who want to follow the dream of making money doing what they love.

The idea of using your experience and knowledge to start a new career doing something you really like sounds too good to be true - which is probably what stops most of us from ever trying. Yet this book proves that we should try. Career of Gold provides down to earth advice on how to identify core skills which are very much in demand in today's changing world. The book then provides the tools and information to turn these valuable skills into real opportunities. It isn't easy but it's easier than you think. The book provides numerous examples of people who have tried and shows how using these techniques gave them the power to reorganize their careers successfully.

People are living longer and the quality of life is continuously improving in that extended life. The Career of Gold is not a get rich quick scheme.
However, most people will find it provides the information necessary to use their knowledge to find a career which suits their lifestyle and which they can enjoy and at the same time bring in extra income. The book deals head on with issues like age bias, gaining recognition for the knowledge you possess and using the internet as a gateway to the global marketplace.

Career of Gold is a valuable resource for everyone over the age of fifty looking to restart or supplement their career. It also provides many useful links to resources which most people probably don't know exist.

Well written biography. Moves along with a smooth pace. Has the feel of an exciting novel rather than a history. Will be of interest to southern Californians and particularly Angelenos. Those who have seen the movie, "There Will Be Blood" will find this story worthwhile.

The book was very interesting and historical. The writer was excellent and easy to read and understand.

Margaret Leslie Davis has done it again with another fine biography. Ms. Davis shows us the inner man of Edward L. Doheny, one of the richest and greatest Californians in history, virtually the John D. Rockefeller, Sr. of the West. Doheny was flat broke at the ripe age of 40 and yet within a few years he became one of the richest men in the country through his wild-cat oil discoveries in Los Angeles and Mexico. The break-up of Rockefeller's Standard Oil by the U.S. Supreme Court left Doheny an opening which he exploited adroitly. Most impressive is Ms. Davis's keen legal understanding and her scrupulous attention to noting her sources. In fact, the "notes" at the end of the book are arranged so that the top of the page refers the reader to the page number of the text thereby making it very easy to flip back and check the source. A small detail, perhaps, but much appreciated. Ms. Davis is a true scholar; her legal training shows itself especially when discussing the Tea Pot Dome scandal that ultimately tarnished Doheny's reputation. In short, Ms. Davis is becoming our finest historian on the West and particularly California.

Good read, except for the fact that the author deliberately omitted the fact that Ned Doheny & Hugh Plunkett were gay. Ned Doheny probably was bisexual and he spent a lot of time with his buddy Hugh Plunkett. Certainly the Doheny family asked the author to downplay this issue in exchange for their co-operation with the book. Hugh was more than a "private secretary". I assume the author is straight; so she would not understand Ned's sexuality; Ned was spoiled rotten, an only child, and was given everything money could buy. It is a wonder Hollywood never made a film of this story; perhaps the Doheny family have something to do with this? In 1929, it was assumed that Ned and Hugh were lovers. Ms Davis has tried to change history? For a price? The public is not that stupid. Especially now with the scandals coming out of that seminary in Camarillo for pediphile priests that Estelle Doheny donated so many millions to. It is a wonder the Doheny family did not provide more photos as there are more at the USC library than Ms Davis was able to come up with in this book. The Beverly Hills Historical Society has a better collection of photos of Greystone; fully furnished in its heyday than you see in this book. Behind every great fortune there is a great crime. I expected to read something I had not heard before; but she is afraid to go there. Did Lucy Battson die with her secret? It was scandalous to be gay in those days, but not now. Maybe a gay author could have done the story justice. Her details about the oil fields are great; it is the social history that is lacking. We all know that the greatest export from Ireland is its people.......

This book is a fascinating look at the life and times of one Edward Doheny the onetime founder of Mexican Oil Company prior to the nationalization of reserves by the revolutionary PRI party in the early days of their power. The narrative follows the career of Mr. Doheny from his modest prospector days in the Wild West to the heights of his infamy during the Teapot Dome scandal.

This is perhaps a timely book as well given the questions being raised at the time of this writing about corporate malfeasance and corruption in the U.S. (Enron). Teapot Dome was one of the biggest political scandals in the first half of the 20th century and involved the leasing of government/public lands in preserve areas for energy development. More than one person went to prison and wrongdoing was proven against multiple individuals in the matter.

The book makes the case that Doheny was more or less guilty of poor judgment and being in the wrong place at the wrong time more or less. It is true of course that Doheny was found innocent on the charges and it is also true that despite this Teapot Dome is the matter for which he is best known (despite for instance being a contemporary and rival of John D. Rockefeller in the oil business). If in fact he was innocent of the charges then he paid a heavy price in terms of his health and the somewhat mysterious death of his son, which was either suicide or murder depending on who you ask and how you look at it.

For those with an interest in the biographies of the early titans of U.S. industry this is a worthy read in that it does detail Mr. Doheny's rise to power as well as his fall from grace. He came from a modest background and did not make his fortune until after the age of 40 in a time before life expectations averaged 70+. He suffered through personal loses and setbacks and managed at the time of his death, despite the misfortunes, to bequeath a sizeable fortune to his heirs. This book may also be of particular interest in the study of Los Angelos in particular and California in general in that the Doheny's were prominent citizens who built some noteworthy structures in the city including religious and educational facilities.

The author acknowledges that she had the cooperation and blessings of the descendants of Mr. Doheny and that a good body of original documentation was available for review and research. This provides an intimate look at the lives of the people in question but it also may cause the thesis to lean towards their views. The book does tend to exonerate Doheny in Teapot Dome and it does make a good argument that his involvement was not profitable and that the Navy Dept in fact sought him out because of rising fears of the Japanese Navy in the years leading up to WWII. It was a condition of Mr. Doheny's development of the area under lease to him that he build an extensive oil storage and supply facility for the Navy in the Hawaiian Isles out of his own pocket. This he did and subsequently was not reimbursed when the lease was negated despite having spent many millions in pre-WWII monies. It is also I believe true to state that it was Henry Sinclair who was the actual lease holder on the Teapot Dome acreage and that Doheny was leased an entirely separate parcel of public land. Sinclair along with Interior Secretary Albert Fall went to prison in the affair but Doheny was also tarred and feathered by the affair.
Whether the delivery of $100,000 in cash by Doheny's son to Sec. Fall was in fact a personal loan much as one might expect between old prospecting buddies (which they were) is really a matter of conjecture. At any rate there was clearly the appearance of impropriety in the matter and both Doheny's son and the man accompanying him that night were involved in a murder/suicide after indictment but before trial. With the principle witness gone and little other corobative evidence Mr. Doheny's celebrity legal representation did get him acquitted although he was convicted in the court of public opinion.

Personally I am inclined to believe a man of his stature might loan a friend the sum in question but I also would not be surprised if a quid pro quo were expected in return. You see there was any number of companies competing in secret for the government contracts and it is interesting that both men who won had either the appearance of impropriety or were outright convicted of bribery. Part of the reason Doheny was spared prison was in fact due to the death of his son and his earnest and teary eyed appearance on the witness stand where he looked the part of a grieving grandfatherly figure who had lost something money could not replace.
It is an intriguing story and well written book, not terribly long or archaic for the casual reader. While it is a history book it is in fact also the story of an interesting chapter in American business and personality history.

Finally, a clearly written, comprehensive book packed full of information to help women (and men) develop a business that will generate the kind of income all networkers dream of earning. Thank you Cynthia Stewart-Copier for writing such a helpful book!

"Cynthia Stewart-Copier has identified and outlined a pattern for success, that if followed, will give women the opportunity to break the chains of mediocrity and experience a life beyond their woldest dreams."

I loved this book! Cynthia has a great way of presenting information clearly, and at the same time motivating readers and helping us understand that it is possible to build up a substantial income through network marketing. Good job!

Copier has hit the nail on the head with Dream Big! Finally a comprehesive, no fluff book that deals with the specific issues women face while trying to manage a job, care for a family, and develop a business. Copier has outlined simple steps, when if followed with propell the reader to the heights of success that we all dream about when we first start out in network marketing. She has also included motivational stories from other successful women in the industry, proving once again, that there is room at the top for women in network marketing. Great book, for beginners and veterans alike.

The only thing wrong with this book is the title! It is definately NOT just for women. In fact, I took notes! Dream Big was a pleasure to read. From cover to cover it just flowed. The information that seemed primary at first, developed into a wealth of knowledge and easy to follow steps to launch the reader into success in network marketing. I really enjoyed the way Cynthia mixed the success stories with the tips, making this book fun to read.