Open

I wouldn't disagree with any of the other reviews, but it's a matter of personal preference where I spend my money. I wouldn't spend it on this book. Once you focus on what you want to accomplish (ie., "shake-em-up"), you could come up with a lot of these challenges. "If your company were a car...If your company were a footbal team.." and so on. In a word, analogy. I've found in workshops I've conducted, whether they're on Creativity, Problem-Solving, Leadership, or other topics, I'll use this "provocative" technique maybe once or twice in a full day. Beyond that the novelty has worn off.

Much of the text that accompanies each question is also a little repetitious - the "war stories" all start to sound alike.

I was surprised at how useful this book is. When I first looked at it, I thought the questions looked obvious and simplistic, but they work very well to start off team meeting sessions. The authors provide lots of good ideas about how to use them, and little anecdotes to inspire you to believe that the questions can actually change the way you do business. I've used them for meeting kick-offs and to jump-start moribund discussions.

I conduct workshops and train trainers, and this book is full of great questions to facilitate participant dialogue.

My team and I are constantly on the lookout for fun and interesting ice breakers and energizers. This book is a good resource. After each question, a "war story" and a "user's manual" section appears, with useful how-to information.

I recommend "75 Cage-Rattling Questions."

I give it one star only because you can't give zero. It's a ridiculous account of the whole thing. I have always been interested in this case and have carefully followed it and read just about every article ever written for thepast five or six years (keeping in mind I'm only 20). The accusation that Abu-Jamal did not get a fair trial is a flat out lie. Check out the response to AI's "well researched report" at the Daniel Faulkner home page if you want to see something actually based on facts instead of attacks on people. And in case you're wondering, Daniel Faulkner is the police officer Abu- Jamal killed. It's flat out wrong that more people know the name of the murderer than the victim and it drives me crazy that no one seems to care about the police officer who was shot and killed for doing his job. Don't make his murderer a hero because he's not.

If you are from Philadelphia or the Philadelphia area, then you can truly understand the problems of the case of Mummia. It seems that every time you mention his name here you get into some kind of arguement. The sad thing about this is most people have absolutely no knowledge of the facts on the case of Mumia. This book, if you read it, can change that. The book attempts, and does a good job of, explaining why Amnesty International thinks that Mumia Abu Jamal recieved an unfair trial. At no time does Amnesty International say that Mumia should be set free, or that he is innocent of said charges. I will repeat this so there are no misunderstandings,AT NO TIME DOES AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SAY THAT MUMIA SHOULD BE SET FREE OR THAT HE IS INNOCENT.
Now anyone should be skeptical of a book written on such a sensitive subject, but Amnesty International is a highly respected global human rights watch dog group, and I believe that their information is reliable. If you are from Philadelphia and would like to read a book on Mumia, or you are from somewhere else and just interested, this book is a good start, but not an end to informing you on this subject.

Amnesty International in this little pamphlet presents the gross problems in the way Mumia Abu Jamal, black journalist and activist on death row since 1982 for allegedly killing a police officer, has been treated by the legal system. And there are a great many gross problems. AI does not declare him to be guilty or innocent nor have they adopted him as a prisoner of conscience.

AI points out that of the three witnesses who claimed to have heard him confess to killing officer Faulkner after being brought into the emergency room, on, officer Gary Wakshul wrote in his log after finishing his shift that night that "the negro male made no comments." Another, a hospital security gaurd, claimed to have handwritten a note to her supervisor after the incident. Another, officer Gary Bell, Faulkner's "best friend," made no record of the incident until two months later.

The security gaurd did not come forth with her claim until two months later. The alleged handwritten note was not found but a supposed typewritten copy of it was. The security gaurd denied having seen that copy before but despite its dubious authenticity Judge Sabo admitted it into evidence. Wakshull, Bell and Durham, the security gaurd, all came forward two months after the alleged confession, after Mumia had complained of being beaten by police after his arrest. Mumia tried to get Wakshul to testify but he was for some reason "on vacation" and Judge Sabo refused to pursue the matter furhter.

The alleged witnesses to the crime. AI points out that Cynthia White, the prostitute, who changed the details of her story numerous times, was serving an eighteen month sentence in Massachusetts at the time of the trial, with three charges pending, and was arrested twice in the days following the shooting, though she was not prosecuted for those two incidents. They point out that in 1987 a detective involved in Mumia's case testified successfully in support of releasing White, who was then on trial for numerous felonies, on bail despite her very extensive criminal record. They point out that Veronica Jones, the second prostitute, testified at the trial that "they [the police] told us we could work the area [as prostitutes] if we tell them [that Abu Jamal was the shooter]." She said that "they [the police] were trying to get me to say something the other girl [White] said. I couldn't do that." She said that she saw two men running from the scene but later retracted the statement, as she later testified in 1996, after being visited by police officers in jail where she was being held on charges of robbery and assault. Judge Sabo struck her original statements from the record. AI points out that Robert Chobert, the cab driver, intially told police that the shooter had "run away." He was on probation for arson at the time and was driving with a suspended liscence for which he was not prosecuted and he approached the prosecutor, as he later testified, wanting to know how he could get his liscence back so he could earn his living driving his cab. "We'll see" the prosecutor replied.

AI points out that the police did not conduct tests on Mumia's hands or smell his gun to see if had recently been fired. The medical examiner, was declared at the trial by Sabo to be a ballistics expert though at the 1995 hearing he reversed himself. The examiner made a "lay guess"--Sabo's words--that the gun was a .44 calibre whereas Mumia's gun was a .38 calibre. The medical examiner testified that though the bullet found in officer Faulkner seemed similar to those from Mumia's gun, the tests were inconclusive as to wheather it actually came from Mumia's firearm.

They point out, among other things,, him being a frequent target of law enforcment, especially the FBI's COINTELPRO program and how the prosecutor exploited Mumia's political views to secure a death sentence from the jury.

I think he's probably innocent. Give him a new trial or release him immediately.

I'm Christian, but I had major issues with this book. It includes one of the most stereotypical/ignorant/attacking chapter titles I've ever heard ("Another Offshoot of Lonliness: Homosexuality"). I find it hard to stomach that someone could write that homosexuality is due to lonliness. There are much better Christian teen self-help books out there. You'd be better off purchasing "Life on the Edge" by James Dobson. Give this one a miss.

I'm Christian, and I had some major questions before I read this book. I found this book _very_ helpful for perspective. It includes some of the most compassionate and understanding writing I have ever come across in Christian writing--and especially about this very sensitive and central topic. Although some may differ with Hugget's stance on homosexuality, her perspective is a valid one. I trust she has done her research of the Scriptures and of experiential truth thoroughly in her many years of study and counseling. The discussion on the human need for intimacy, the walk-through on physical intimacy steps, and the simultaneously forgiving and purity-inspiring tone/approach are some of this book's many highlights. Grace is a central concept in this book. Definitely give this one a go!

This book is one that every home should have. Talking to teenagers about dating, sex and friendship can be difficult, this book offers the Christian views on how to handle these difficult times. Parents and children should read and discuss this book together.

I realize that Morand is considered one of the most brilliant French writers during the high modern period, but this is really pretty thin stuff. I don't know if Gide will ever be taken so seriously again (as he was a couple of decades ago), but his reputation will come to no harm when read alongside Morand. Oh well, there's still some Genet I haven't looked at yet

Other reviewers have accurately described this: it's a relatively slight, though densely written, series of vignettes, each dedicated to a different idealized woman. It's tough, however, from the English translation to tell how much of this is the work of Morand. Ezra Pound took incredible liberties with his translation, sometimes to quite interesting and idiosyncratic effects, and Proust's introduction is a valuable essay on its own. This isn't the sort of book that will keep you wildly captivated; but it is an excellent piece for any library.

the brief stories in this work, translated by ezra pound, are lovely and tender descriptions of individuals and nights of activities. i'm not sure if it's morand's work, or pound's translation, but they are exquisitely beautiful.

I must not be "enlightened" enough to understand this garbage

I have read many many books in this ouevre, and this one stands out among them: the wisdom of the author is reflected in the simple and conscise language he uses. I often felt that if I could be similarly clear about these ideas I would have chosen to express them in much the same way.

Very helpful in "opening the knots of your heart"

The info about the Bahamas country in general was good, but the info specifically about Grand Bahama Island is skimpy and out of date. I found the Fodor's Bahamas book much more useful for that island.

Interesting approach: Suggest itineraries and give details for the trips. Detailed info but only on NewProv,GrandBah,Abacos,Eleu,Harbour,Cat,Exumas,Andros,Bimini. Skimpy info on out islands. Good complement to more detailed and complete travel book. Includes mailboat info. Gives real prices, not $ signs. Doesn't give low budget accomodations. No good maps.

I just came back from the Bahamas using this book as my guide and had a fantastic time. Although the cheapo hostels are not covered, all the great small and large hotels were honestly reviewed, and all the best isalnds were covered in real detail. An excellant book for people who want to discouver the real Bahamas and have one to two weeks to do so. I would strongly recommend this one above Fodors or Feildings...

Credited with being one of the earliest and most influential examples of noir gone British, this first of the "Factory Series" didn't work for me. The nameless policeman who works in the "Department of Unexplained Deaths" is a loner who lives for his work in the classic sense of the fictional detective. His investigation into the brutal murder of a apparently poor man is given depth and resonance when he finds the dead man's rambling audio journals. The tapes slowly reveal a series of clues and serve to help the detective identify with and empathize with the victim. It's not particularly convincing, nor is his method of getting close to the murderer, and the ending is totally weird and over-the-top. This did not encourage me to sample further books in the series.

This is one classic slice of British noir. One reviewer compared the writing to Ellroy and I would agree. If the writing is like Ellroy, I would would compare Raymond's nameless Factory detective to Danny Upshaw, the sheriff's deputy from The Big Nowhere -- doggedly chasing down a case that no one seems to care about too much. There's also some Philip Marlowe in the empathy that the detective has and the way he finds something worthwhile about what was apparently a very sad and lonely man whose murder he's investigating.

If the ending seems over-the-top to you, then you haven't read many of the best crime novels! High drama and the dueling sides of everyone's personality are what makes much of the best noir tick. Check this one out for some honest appraisal of the darker side of life and how you can always glean some beauty out of the ugliness if you dig deep enough.

If you enjoy the stylings of James Ellroy, Iain Banks, or even Raymond Chandler, anything by Derek Raymond is a sure bet. "He Died With His Eyes Open" is a stunning read. It follows the narrator, a nameless English detective, during his pursuit/descent while trying to find those guilty of a violent murder. Through writings and tape-recorded thoughts recovered from the victim, the detective becomes increasingly attached to the persona of the deceased. The prose is stark, elegant, incredibly philsophical, and yields a wealth of great quotes.

Another reviewer on Amazon mentioned that the methods of detection were not convincing, and the ending was "over-the-top".
Well...it's certainly not in the vein of an Agatha Christie mystery; It is a rare, brilliant look at the primal underpinnings of "civilized" society. It is classic noir, in the sense that it is a stylistic meditation on the nature of man/good vs. evil, as seen through the eyes of someone who makes a life out of being on the front lines of misery.

"He Died With His Eyes Open" compares more than favorably to Ellroy's "The Black Dahlia", with proper British style.

This is a very skinny book written by two men who obviously have restaurant experience, but who have very poor writing/communications skills. This book is not a guide to setting up the spreadsheets necessary to open a restaurant. It is doubtful that the authors even know how to open up Lotus or Excel. The amount of essential items left out are humongous. Watch yourself! Not a recommendable expenditure of any money whatsoever on this crummy attempt at producing a useful "book". Rating: eight onions.

This is a very small book written by two men who obviously have restaurant experience, but who have very poor writing/communications skills. This book is not a guide to setting up the spreadsheets necessary to open a restaurant. It is doubtful that the authors even know how to open up Lotus or Excel. The amount of essential items left out are humongous. Watch yourself! Not a recommendable expenditure of any money whatsoever on this crummy attempt at producing a useful "book". Rating: eight onions.

This book was great, in my opinion, because i have NO clue.I'm sure for anyone w/ more business operation knowledge it lends less assistance.

I was glad to find a extreme basic book that gets me up to speed and lets me know the basics before i move into the next and intermediate level reading on this topic.

It's cheap - and it presents information that COULD change your mind or confirm your ideas ... good investment :)

This book was entertaining for a few miniutes. The ways to open it were quite entertaining.

I had a few friends over for a party one night, we were drinking and discussing the book. One of the ones is open it with your teeth. Me being drunk at the time figured "Ok". I chipped a tooth.

I would just like to warn all about the dangers of mixing this book and alcohol.

As a bartender, I use this book all the time. People just love to look at all the different ways to open a beer bottle w/o an opener! You can hear them share with others the ones they've tried before. If your busy it will occupy their time for a good 10 minutes or so. It also breaks the ice or will bring a smile to someones face.

... I tend to have a few beers. People request information such as how to open a beer without an opener. This book is an answer to all those question. It is also fun for us when we do our reviews to open the bottle a different way. We liked this book so much that we put a picture of it as a link to Amazon.com on our site. If you drink beer make it fun.....Mac

This book has a fundamental non-understanding of security concepts. Default configurations are replaced with wide-open ones where possible, all the while noting that the default configuration is probably good enough in the first place. The chapters on spam discuss issues that were relevant in the early 90's, but email spammers have come a long way while the material contained has not. Technical explanations are lacking, and non-technical explanations are non-existant. In all, a thorough waste of money and trees.

This book gives you quick overview on email in general, sendmail
short ref and a lots on qmail. Accompany with diagrams and
examples, it is easy to follow and precise.

I really liked this book. It gave a great intro to the different email protocols and the big three MTAs (sendmail,qmail,postfix). I have no postfix experience, but have used both sendmail and qmail. As a matter of fact, I just used this book in conjunction with "The qmail Handbook" by Sill, to switch from sendmail to qmail as an external mail relay. I liked the quick treatment and explaination of all three MTAs. This book gave me an un-biased explaination of the three. That enabled me to make an informed decision on IF I wanted to move from sendmail, and if I did, do I choose postfix or qmail. In the end I decided qmail was the way to go. qmail ROCKS!!
Anyway, this is a great book for anyone needing a good comparisson of sendmail-qmail-postifx. It also provides some good ideas for security.