Factor

Sci-fi genre rarely produces books touching so many, so relevant topics of today's society many many years ahead of its time. Political correctness (esp. relationship between sexes), science, cloning, eugenics, male libido, war, Castro, almost everything enters into the captivating story so craftfully produced by Merle. The characters are colorful, yet simple, the story so complex, but natural, you will not dare to breath till you get to the end. A must read, if at all you value your freedom to think and imagine.

What on this world's order is cast in stone ? What would happen if things changed ? What if the American male would be in danger of extinction ?

If you want an interesting story about women taking over the world (USA) here is a chance, the book is very intensive,descriptive and incredibly realistic. Beeing a man myself in USA it is almost frightening to go trough the story but I can assure you I could not let the book go 'till it was phinished. Robert Merle is one of my favorite authors , unfortunately there is a very limited number of books in english language from him. If you do not know R. Merle's work you should start reading right now!

A must-read for both men and women, A WHAT-IF scenario that should make us all think about male domination.

Great book, I had never realized the parallels between weight and wealth. The book made alot of sense and was easy to read. I loved the activities at the end of each chapter, they made it easy to get started. I realized I needed a push in the right direction and this book did it for me. I would highly recommend it to anyone who struggles with their weight or wealth.

Angie writes with clarity and grace to help us see where the influences in our lives affect both our financial and physical well-being. Her twelve factors help to explain the complex origins of our behavior patterns. Most of them are common sense, but seeing them all in one place is very helpful. This isn't technically a reference book, but it is easy to "refer" to when I need a quick reminder of how to overcome external factors and internal impulses that might be leading me off track. Easy to read or browse and full of fun quotes and facts.

This is a fabulous book that is very easy to read!! I love the idea of managing my weight and wealth within one book - two very important needs in my life. This book breaks down, step by step how to "help yourself". Make up your mind and DO IT!

When I was forty I wrote Andre Norton a letter in which I thanked her for everything that her books at taught me when I was growing up. Her stories about outsiders who succeed by finding the right path for the right person, something that out of step adolescents need to hear. Ms. Norton graciously responded with a letter I cherish nearly a decade later-- actually it's professionally framed and hanging in my office.

This was one of the books I was thinking about when I wrote her. The hero has great physical strength, but feels as though he lacks the mental swiftness and physical grace to fit into the world of his father. He flees using a stolen travel tape and ends up on Mimir where he must find the courage and wits to survive and foil a villainous plot.

On one level a simple adventure story, on another a story that most adolescents, who can't seem to fit in their changing bodies, can identify with. This Norton's juvenile stories at their best.

This book combines some of the great SF/Fantasy themes in a way that works and flows. It is the Norton that I would most frequently check out of the library to re-read as a young adult. Some of the mental images I developed in reading this story, can still bubble up in my memory today. The sense of alienation - of not belonging - felt by the main character echoes the feelings of all unpopular-due-to-nerdiness kids - many of whom were SF fans in the making. That alone should explain part of its appeal.

We also get -
*a cold wintry planet with a Forerunner-like mystery
*one of the friendliest and most interesting of Norton's Zacathan characters [a wise, peaceful lizard-evolved race (in sharp contrast to most authors' intelligent-lizards-are-savage depictions (although see Norton's *Eye of the Monster*)]
*a hidden, "furry" race
*Norton's trademarked handling of telepathy, with her concept since copied by many other authors
*and a plot that , while a classic hero's journey, has many particular 'vignettes' that have also been copied since - including by Norton herself - but rarely as well done.

All in all, my sentimental favorite of early Nortons, and still fondly remembered.

-Brooks A Rowlett

At this point in Norton's Council / Confederation universe, the job of discovering and exploring new planets - that of the First-In Scouts - is pretty much a closed occupation. Scouts make contract marriages with suitable women, which end after the birth of a child or upon the Scout's departure for his next assignment, and any children of the union - nearly always sons - go to the nearest Scout creche to become the next generation.

But what happens when the child of such a union isn't suited to the life of a Scout?

Diskan Fentress was rejected as mentally unsuitable for Scout training; his size and great strength mark him as a throwback. Since his mother's death in childbirth and his father's disappearance in space left him in state custody, he wound up assigned to manual labor - until the day Renfry Fentress reappeared. Renfry had found a new civilization, and even a wife among his adopted people - but knowing that they could not have children, he sought out his son.

But Diskan, despite - or because of - the endless patience, charm, and tact of his father's adopted people, is utterly alone among strangers, marked by clumsiness, his great size and strength, and inability to express himself. Anyone who has ever felt like an outsider will appreciate how his isolation is drawn here - and will understand why he gives in to temptation.

Fleeing from an embarrassing scene of (accidentally) shattered artwork, Diskan hides in Renfry's study - and steals a voyage tape for Mimir, a world marked as only partially explored and having some mystery about it. His journey in a stolen spaceship brings him into contact with a Zacathan archeologist, the Guild, and the ruins of an alien civilization. Or are they really ruins - could Mimir still be inhabited?

The saurian Zacathans, historians of the galaxy, are mentioned throughout the books set in this universe, but this is one of their (to date) few appearances as actual characters. The Guild - the criminal underworld - appears in many books, as do many Forerunner civilizations. If you're interested in books wherein the Guild plays a major role, try _The Zero Stone_ or _Forerunner Foray_. For another story of someone rejected from Scout training, try _Dread Companion_ (the daughter of a Scout, rejected for reasons different from Diskan's).

Very good book.
I had to pinch myself many times to make sure was it I enjoying this book.
One can finish reading it in less than six hours.
Packed with useful information.
I find it extremely useful to impress my boss and fellow-colleagues.
This book is the output of author's 15 years' research on the topic.
I bought 10 copies so far, to send them to my managers and friends.
Long live Ross.

What a breath of fresh air! The X-Factor is loaded with new knowledge about managing and motivatiing. The book's subtitle says it all, "Getting Extraordinary Results From Ordinary People." Instead of providing armchair advice on how to succeed as a manager, The X-Factor delivers a proven forumla on the ultimate management issue: how to get people to perform at peak levels indefinitely.

The X-Factor is the most complete and practical management/leadership/motivation book ever written. It picks up where "In Search of Excellence" left off and is the perfect compliment for "Good to Great". This book is incredibly well researched and thought through -- the author leaves few, if any, stones unturned. At the same time, The X-Factor is a wonderfully compelling story and an easy read. Once you start this book, you literally can't put it down...IT'S THAT GOOD!

This book is essential reading for all stakeholders in an ASP scenario: providers, clients, and investors/venture capitalists. The reasons for this bold statement are:

- PROVIDERS: Chapters 3 (Understanding ASP), 5 (Network Computing and ASP Architectures), 8 (ASP Security Services), and 10 (ASP Enabling: Requirements and Fulfillment) cover the critical success factors that the ASP needs to ensure, as well as gives a good overview of what it takes to frame a value proposition to potential clients.

- CLIENTS: Chapters 2 (Why Companies Outsource), 3 (Understanding ASP), 6 (ASP Types and Services), and 7 (Managing ASPs) show what to expect from an ASP, how to determine if outsourcing to one makes business sense, and how to effectively manage an ASP after the contract is signed.

- INVESTORS/VCs: Chapters 1 (The History and Evolution of Outsourcing and ASP), 2 (Why Companies Outsource), 4 (Taxonomy for ASP Economies), 9 (Strategic Analysis of ASP Types), and 11 (The Future of ASP) make a compelling case in favor of investing in an ASP, and how to properly evaluate proposed business models.

To be sure there is a lot of overlap of material that will be of interest between and among the stakeholders cited above, but the chapters I cited will be the ones that each should read first. What makes this book so valuable is the panoramic view of the ASP industry, and the level of detail that each topic is given. The author knows his stuff, and, more importantly, knows how to clearly communicate it.

If you are among the stakeholder groups cited above this is the single most informative book on the topic to date.

Well structured and excellent all round book on hosted applications covering: the motivations for outsourcing; what application service providers (ASPs) are all about; ASP types, services and techologies used. Also good sections on ASP security and strategic analysis of ASP types. Writing quality is good. The author knows his subject and text is well edited. Overall, a very useful guide to what the ASPs are all about and a comprehensive introduction into the challenging world of the ASPs.

A wonderfully thorough examination on one of the most important themes facing tech-companies today! This book has it all; economics, strategic marketing processes, lucid observations and an incredibly learned analysis. I am stunned. Factor is hands down the world leader in ASP knowledge and a prophet in sizing up its future importance in the tech world. Read it!

When you're diagnosed with breast cancer, the first thing you learn is that confusion and disagreement abound in the medical community, regarding both risk and treatment. Deciding on the right course of treatment, therefore, can be a frustrating experience.

Patricia Kelly arms you with information, dispelling the myths and rumors most of us have heard about cancer. She makes sense of mind-numbing data and statistics, presenting them in a way that is understandable and clear. Twice in ten years, Patricia has helped me sort through study findings, assess my own risk, and base my treatment decisions on fact, rather than feeling. If you're wondering about breast cancer risk, her book will do the same for you.

Every woman should read this book, especially if she has been diagonosed with a controversial "precancerous" condition such as atypical hyperplasia, DCIS or LCIS. Dr. Kelly presents a very readable, up-to-date review of the most important medical research on these problems. A patient who has a critical understanding of the material in this book may very well be more informed than her doctors. She could gain the confidence to say "no" to an unnecessary mastectomy, or to other harsh and disfiguring treatments that are recommended for a problem that may never pose a threat to her life.

Dr. Kelly has written a wonderful book which every woman concerned about breast cancer risk, and every health professional who cares for them, should read. In Dr. Kelly we not only have an acknowledged expert in her field, but one who is both thorough and also able to express herself very clearly. In a calm, reasoned way she cites the major literature in this field and dissects it for the intelligent lay person.Away from the sound bites and buzz phrases that spout from the popular media and the self-proclaimed gurus on this topic, she presents an up-to-date analysis of what is really known about breast cancer risk. I recommend this book highly. M. Ellen Mahoney, M.D.

THE ATTRACTION FACTOR is a great read if you want romance in the true essence of the word. Julie and Marc are a wonderful addition to great lovers of our time. When Julie gets the job through her firm, she has no idea that the love of her life is her new client. When she goes to his (fabulous) bookstore, she is thrilled to see the focus of her high school desire. It must be destiny that the one man in her life to lead to her consult with the result of a magazine test "The Attraction Factor" has reappeared in her life. Add a gaggle of do gooding friends and family and you've got one heck of a read. Ms. McDavid is destined for good things in the world of romantic fiction.

Julie Gates couldn't believe her eyes when she arrived at the bookstore that was her next client. The owner was none other than Marc Johnson, her old English high school teacher. Julie, a senior tax consultant with a prestigious CPA firm, owned her own home and was raising her 14-year old brother while her parents dealt with her dad's multiple sclerosis. The only thing missing in her life was a man. Marc. Marc couldn't believe his eyes when his former student walked into his shop, stated she was his new tax advisor and waited to see his books. Going through his personal stuff, looking at his bank account, checking his credit cards--it was just all too much. And from what he remembered of Julie Gates, she had been a real airhead in his class. Marc could not reconcile his memories of Julie in high school with the poised, professional young lady standing before him. But there was something about herthe attraction factor. This well-written, comedic look at an uptight, overachiever trying to deal with a slightly kooky CPA from his former life is romance at its best. Cathy McDavid adds a twist to this tale of a high school crush on a teacher becoming a wonderful reality by adding an adolescent youngster into the picture who ends up helping the hero and heroine get together. The sexual tension is high, the sex sizzles and the mental flogging done by our uptight hero is downright hilarious at times.

I thought from the cover that this book would be funny, and I was right. Marc and Julie are reacquainted after ten years apart and has Julie ever changed. Marc doesn't know what to make of this former airhead now turned CPA. She's nothing like the girl he once knew, and his heart can't take it.

Once Julie sets her sights on Marc, it's a done deal. He may resist, but he'll go down eventually. Fast, funny, sexy, and surprisingly touching at times, this is a great book. I read it all in one sitting - that's the best compliment I can give.

Every risk manager should read this book -- and probably every CEO and CFO, too. Unlike many books on risk management, this book approaches the subject from the top down. Rather than tell you the usual stuff, ("First, identify your risks, then measure them," etc., etc., etc.), this book approaches the subject from the top down, telling you what your goal is (avoiding those nasty surprises that end up costing your company a bundle), then explaining how to get there. There is a definite "been there, done that" feel to this book. After I'd read a couple of chapters, I went back to the "About the Author" section. Sure enough, he's been in risk management and insurance for decades -- in fact, was born into an "insurance family." And he's obviously learned a lot along the way.

The book doesn't skimp on detail, however. There are tons of checklists and charts to help you figure out what's at stake and how to protect it. The author even tackles the subject of enterprise risk management, and in such a way that is not demeaning to those who understand such things as "hedging with forward and futures contracts," yet is not confusing to those who don't.

Another nice thing about this book is its light and airy tone. It doesn't take itself so seriously as to put the reader to sleep, but still delivers a lot of serious and important information in a manner that's very readable. And unlike many a book on this subject, it has a delightful cartoon at the beginning of each chapter, each of which sums up the subject matter eloquently.

I now keep this book ready at hand on the bookshelf next to my desk, and it's often the first place I turn when in doubt about what to do next.

this superb tome has found a permanent spot in my "beside the desk" bookcase. if you are even tangentially involved in government, insurance or corporate management this is a must read. church breaks it down into terms that make sense to layman and expert alike.

Avoiding Surprises is a superbly written book that helped me gain a better understanding of the world of risk management. This thought provoking book is filled with humor, insight and pure genius. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read.

This book offers an excellent and easy to read portrayal of the history of those factors which influence the cultural and political develpoment of the Bahamas. It is a must read for all Bahamians and persons with connections and roots in the Bahamas. I recomend that anyone who is interested in migrating to or doing business in the Bahamas read this book. As a Bahamian abroad, I strongly recomend that all Bahamians (particularly youmg Bahamians)coming abroad to study have a copy of this book as a part of their reading materials. Additionally, Bahamian parents should ensure that every child in their homes have a copy of this book. I do hope that the Bahamian government deemit necessary to place copies of this book in every school in the Bahamas.

"This literary mastrepiece by Donald McCartney should be a must read for secondary and tertiary level learners. Indeed it ought to be on the shelf of every Bahamian Educational Institution and home. When the question is asked of generations of Bahamians yet unborn "what meanest these stones?" They need only read this book and gain a wealth of knowledge at the flip of its pages. The distinguished author has delineated an all-inclusive description of our political history and way of life. As it has been often said, "to know where we are going we must first know where we came from." He has certainly started us on this journey."
Doswell C. Coakley, Ph.D., FCICA, President and CEL of JTR & Associates Limited and former Deputy Director and Director of Bahamas Immigration.

The essays, "Who We Are" and "A Brief Political History of the Bahamas..." are eccellent productions by Donald M. McCartney, Esq. The writre's treatment of Bahamian Culture, and Bahamian history from 1942 onwards are filled with seimple truth and are easy to digest. I expect that this book will be widely read and reffered to in conversation with Bahamians and non-Bahamians alike. It would be particularly interesting to Bahamian students."
Sir Albert Miller, President and CEO of Modalena Company Limited and former President and Co-Chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Group of Companies

Oh, what a book! I loved the artwork and the story. I wish I was a better "butterfly". I am a bit on the grumpy, sleepy, doesn't like to change side! This book shows that there is hope for even me! And the CD that comes with it is a fantastic bonus. The song "Don't Bug Me" was taken right out of my head I do believe.
I loved the way it seemed to celebrate and laugh at/with my reluctance to change. As with all of Carol Anderson's books, this one made me feel accepted.

A friend gave me this lovely little book for Easter. It was so easy to read.
The characters are fun and creative. I couldn't believe the music. I was surprised it is not available yet anywhere else!

This is a great concept. A treat for the eyes and ears! I loved the story, and the music is great.