Outstanding

Taunton puts out great books with great authors, this book is no different. Great layout and information.
I can't add much to what was already stated in the earlier reviews except that Kim Carleton Graves was easy to contact through email. He responded quickly, professionally and was very informative.
In summary, buy the book you wont be disappointed.

I bought this book looking for a design I could use for a dining room table. What I found was not only a design that I loved, but clear step-by-step instructions, drawings, and great photographs. The section on table building basics which covers table size and clearance, wood movement, and torsion box construction was extremely informative.

I am an amateur wood worker, recently retired to the mountains from the music business in Los Angeles, so I was looking for interesting projects. This book is perfect for challenging my skills and tweaking my learning curve. I am currently building the boat shaped pedestal table, but modifying it by making it smaller by 3/4 and taller by 9". It will be used as an altar in a contemporary worship service (in the round) for my former church in No. Hollywood CA.

The book's instructions and ideas are very easy to follow, my only problem has been refiguring the compound angles in the pedestal due to my modifications. The illustrations and layout diagrams are first rate. Thanks to the author Kim Graves for a most enjoyable read.

Dennis Romig has done an excellent job of integrating real world experience with a wealth of research to create a very readable book. Often leadership books are criticized for being "too theoretical" or "too soft" for the real world. This book is different. The principles and best practices presented are backed up with "hard" data obtained from the review of 3,000 studies.

The ideas presented in this book can really make a difference to the bottom line. Applying these innovative ideas will yield productivity gains, improvement in employee morale, and increased profits. This leadership model departs from both the "top down" and "bottom up" models of leadership. It presents a third model which Dennis Romig calls "Side by Side" leadership. The Side by Side model recognizes that leadership is about building and sustaining effective relationships. "Leadership is facilitating Side by Side relationships in pursuit of shared goals."

Romig points out that often the most effective way for leaders to influence others is to "change their own behavior." This is right in line with Stephen Covey's "inside out" approach to leadership and Bowen's Natural Systems Theory. The Side by Side model recognizes that leadership involves facilitating and coordinating a two-way influence process. Such leadership is mutual, interactive, and shared.

In the top-down, authoritarian model of leadership influence is one-way. Top-down leaders usually listen only to a few others-mostly those in authority above them in the hierarchy. On the opposite side of the leadership spectrum are the bottom-up leaders who have allowed participative management practices and "democracy" in the work place to get completely out of hand. Dennis Romig presents a "third way" that is a higher way than either the top-down or bottom-up approach.

The Side by Side leadership model appears to be the closest of the three models to Robert Greenleaf's vision of Servant-Leadership.

"Executives who spent their entire careers practicing autocratic leadership read Robert Greenleaf's Servant Leadership and did a complete turnaround. But they mistake Greenleaf and others like him. They went too far. The proponents of participative management never meant to advocate a one-way, bottom-up model...Neither top-down nor bottom-up has worked very well for us."

Dr. Romig presents five spheres of influence in Side by Side Leadership. These five spheres are:
1.Personal
2.Interpersonal
3.Team
4.Organizational
5.Knowledge

Most of us are strong in one or two of these spheres, but naturally weaker in other spheres. For instance, you may excel at personal and knowledge leadership, but be weaker in interpersonal, organizational, and team leadership. This is an important concept. An organization needs leadership in all five spheres. It is unlikely that a single individual will excel in all five spheres of influence.

Dennis Romig identifies seven principles that are critical in all five spheres of influence. These principles include focused creativity and structured participation. Each of the five spheres of influence can be thought of as an assemblage of these seven principles. Finally, the author shows that it is important for a Side by Side leader to master twenty critical skills, such as two-way listening and living organizational values.

With five spheres of influence, seven principles, and twenty skills to master, this leadership model may seem overly complex. That is just the point. Too many authors have taken a simplistic approach to leadership. Leadership is not simple! It is a complex system with many interrelated parts. However, Dr. Romig has done a superb job of integrating all these elements and relationships into his book, keeping references to research findings brief and to the point. He shows that there are many "entry points" into the Side by Side leadership model, and there are many different ways to be a successful leader. This is not a "one size fits all" kind of book!

I want to thank Ray Bard at Bard Press for suggesting I review this book.

I rarely get this excited over a book. Buy it! Read it. Get excited too!

Review By Dr. J. Howard Baker

I like his 5 spheres of side-by-side leadership. He then added certain skills to each sphere. 20 skills in total spread out among 5 spheres. I found his chapter on "Interaction Fields" to be the most useful part of the book. I read other books on leadership. And this one has a lot of good information. Great book to read for a beginner in leadership.

Just like many other leadership books, he tries to look at great leaders. In general he doesn't present anything new. He just found new ways to say what is now being said repeatedly in other leadership books. Is it worth reading this book? Yes... as I said earlier, especially if you're new to true leadership. If you have been having problems with your leadership position, defiantly read this book.

In conclusion, it is a good leadership book filled with practical tips. Not only defines what leadership is, but tells you how to lead as well, explaining his ideas based on what works.

... I believe that the leadership points the direction of where to go and when to get there and the frontline people figure out the "how" part. When I picked up Side-By-Side Leadership, I was immediately struck by the wealth of research to support the basic premise of the book. I was also impressed with the careful, almost scientific approach Dennis took in proving the case for frontline people driving performance improvement by working side-by-side with organizational leadership. I knew we were kindred spirits when I read a few lines on page 44 " The effective Side-by-Side leader is aware of all of these influences on the team and organization and knows that frontline people -- the employees who are in daily contact with customers and suppliers -- are often the first to discover new opportunities and threats to the organization. By maintaining a two-way dialog, Side-by-Side leaders and their contributors can respond quickly to changes without losing sight of their goals." If you want true, sustainable and significant performance improvement in your organization, regardless of your industry, read the book and bring the concepts into your heart. Let your actions speak louder than your words to the people in your organization.

This is an excellent book for both professionals and students in electrical/computer engineering and computer science. The materials included in this book contain both basics and up-to-date iformation including digital logic design, CPU design, RISC,CISC,VHDL,Verilog, and system design concepts using Intel and Motorola microprocessors. These materials are presented in an outstanding and simplified manner in a simple question and answer format with clear explanations. This is really a unique approach. The book should help the readers as a quick study guide and also for preparing for job interviews. Go for it. You will not regret!

I have been designing and implementing systems using microprocessors for a long time in computer industries. This is an excellent book which can be used as a quick study guide for finding answers to many vital computer topics such as basic definitions, RISC and CISC, VHDL and Verilog, use of C/C++ vs. assembly and many other important hardware and software issues. The presentation of concepts associated with microprocessor-based system design is outstanding!
Most career-oriented books are non-technical. This particular book is technical with adequate details presented in a simple question and answer format. I enjoyed reading Dr. Rafiquzzaman's other books in the past. This is another one I really did enjoy! This book includes a lot of interesting materials that are presented in a very systematic and simplified manner in approximately 200 pages. Everything you want to know about computer hardware and software but afraid to ask is in this book!
There is no doubt in my mind that this book should help especially electrical/computer engineers/computer scientists also for preparing for job interviews. Go for it! You will not regret!

I have been designing and implementing systems using microprocessors for a long time in computer industries. This is an excellent book which can be used as a quick study guide for finding answers to many unanswered questions on vital computer topics such as basic definitions, RISC and CISC, VHDL and Verilog, and many other important concepts on hardware and software issues. The differences between when to use C or C++ vs. assembly language is very well presented.
Most career-oriented books are non-technical. This particular book is technical with adequate details presented in a simple question and answer format. I enjoyed reading Dr.Rafiquzzaman's books in the past. This is another one I really did enjoy! This book includes a lot of materials and are presented in a very systematic and simplified manner in approximately 200 pages. Everything you want to know about computer hardware and software, but afraid to ask is in this book! There is no doubt in my mind that this book should help especially electrical /computer engineers/ computer scientists also for preparing for job interviews. Go for it! You will not regret!

This book will help you write a cover letter and resume that will get you in the door. The rest is up to you. There are examples of both good and bad resumes along with a realistic step by step guide to building a resume. This book is good for a first time resume writer, but it is especially good for someone who hasn't been on the job market in awhile. You will be able to send your resume out with confidence.

An absolutely outstanding book. Cuts through the bull and presents its information clearly and concisely. The examples are top notch. This book is easily worth 3 times what it cost me. Thanks!

An excellent bare-bones resume book that gave me a lot of ideas of different ways to format my resume to attract attention.

These tapes provide a great overview for exam study. I also used to the tapes to determine how I would structure my essay answers. Worth the price. Note that the content of the tapes is similar to Dressler's "Understanding Criminal Law." The tapes provide an advantage, howevever, because Dressler often gives exam strategies on the tapes.

The lecture is value packed, a terrific course overview. Methodical and thoughtfully designed. It was a great supplement to my studies. Interestingly, the author, wrote the textbook assigned to my class. I also would highly recommend Dressler's "Casenote" Criminal law outline as source for tons of practical hypo's.

In December 2001 I recruited a person to our business and because I hired on my gutfeeling I made a very expensive mistake. Now seven months later after enormous amounts of energy and resources devoted to that person I had to fire him.

This book has thought me the importance of looking at working habits and past actions when hiring people. Maybe you can teach a old dog to sit - but who has the time and money for that!

If you are hiring - buy this book and do it right!

"High Impact Hiring" by Del Still is a must read for everyone from the President of a Company to the Dept. Manager charged with interviewing & hiring decisions. Once you have read this book you will find you are more equiped to gather the pertinent information on candidates which will ultimately give you greater success in this most important decision. Hiring the right individual is one of our Corporate clients greatest challenges so we have been giving this book to them to assist in facing the hiring hurdle. With the assistance of the book they are capable of meeting the hiring challenge with confidence. As the President of one of Southern California's premier CPA firms I am involved in all of our own internal hirings and am so grateful to have read this book. My advise to those of you who are involved in this process is "Don't hire without first reading this exceptional book!" Your business cannot afford the wrong individual. Creating an exceptional company can only be acheived with exceptional people within an organization.

"Making the right hiring decision is more important today than ever before." Del J. Still writes, "I don't have to tell you about the impact of smarter competition and globalization of today's business on profits. I'm sure you've felt the pressure. If not, you will. Even the smallest company cannot afford to operate as they have in the past and expect to suceed in today's pressure-filled environment. How do you win? You win by building an exceptional work force"(p.19).

In this context, throughout the book, he presents his 7-Step interview model that can be summarized by one seven-letter word- 'PROCEED.' He argues that "It is an acronym where each letter represents one step of the process. 'PROCEED' is your blueprint to interviewing success. You'll be amazed at the results you achieve when you follow this process, step-by-step"(p.42).

Step 1: Prepare

* Identify existing superior performers

* Create a job description for the position

* Identify the competencies or skills needed to do the job

* Draft interview questions

Step 2: Review

* Review questions for legality and fairness

Step 3: Organize

* Select your interview team and your method of interviewing

* Assign roles to your team and divide the questions

Step 4: Conduct

* Gather data from the job candidate

Step 5: Evaluate

* Determine the match between the candidate and the job

Step 6: Exchange

* Share data in a discussion meeting

Step 7: Decide

* Make the final decision

Finally, he writes that "Even though the material I have included in this book is based on years of research and practical experience, it can always be improved. I encourage you to experiment with the methods and discover what works best for you...The cardinal rule is to 'stay legal' and 'play fair.' The 'best' thing you can do is put someone in a job where their competencies closely match the requirements. The 'worst' thing you can do is the opposite"(p.221).

Highly recommended.

IT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF IT HAS INFORMATION OF HORSE MR CONCLUSION IN THIS BOOK

This book provided the ancestry of the horses that started the American Quarterhorse breed. It was fun to take my horses' lineage and be able to trace it all the way back to the original King Ranch horses. I found out why my horse has such hard feet, why she likes to run so much, and found that she is the spitting image of one of her ancestors. I could hear the stories of her great grandsires and great granddams, the lives that they led, the places they lived, their temperaments, their quirks of behavior. I feel that I know my own horse better after seeing where she came from. I highly recommend this and the other volumnes of this series.

A must for foundation quarter horse enthusiasts. Gives an understanding of the qualities that made these horses (and their offspring) great.

The enchiladas, especially, were great, which they should be since it took one chef, two drunken sous chefs, and one person sitting on a stool shouting instructions about 2 solid hours to make them. But it was worth it.

Take 125 recipes from the areas hottest chefs and put them in one cookbook, and you've got a winner. Especially when the area is as vibrant in local ingredients such as Seattle with its seafood, Walla Wallas and cherries, etc.

Here are some nice offerings from this full selection: Pate de Campagne; Swiss Leek, Oat and Smoked Chicken Soup; Grilled Salmon with Lentils and Brown Butter Balsamic Vinaigrette;Pork Tenderloin with Bing Cherries and Mint; Coconut Curried Lamb Shanks; Baked Hawaii (with macadamia nut cake, coconut ice cream and chambord berry sauce).

Also includes a great Cocktails section.

The collaborative effort of Cynthia C. Nims and Kathy Casey, Best Places Seattle Cookbook collects 125 recipes from the most heavily patronized chefs in Seattle. Restaurant favorites such as Baked Oysters with Beurre Blanc; Heirloom Tomato Salad; Lemon Rosemary Biscotti; Fresh Blackberry Tart, Cadillac Margarita; and more come with exhaustively detailed preparation instructions to bring a luscious taste of Seattle into any home dining menu. The explicit text details the subtle nuances of each dish in this highly recommended resource for aspiring chefs of intermediate culinary skills and above.

In Western society we have excellent tools and models for dealing with the objective realities associated with money and resources: we have budgets, schedules, metrics, etc. But quite often, subjective realities play a more important role both in managerial decision making and performance evaluation. What tools do we have to effectively manage subjective realities like: what is the story through which I interpret actions my manager takes? what do I think my coworkers are up to? what did that statement/action just mean?

This book offers tools for managers (and employees!) to get real with the people they work with. These tools will help you develop a better understanding of the subjective realities people around you carry with them. It can help people on your team to communicate more clearly and effectively with you, their manager, and each other.

I quietly applied the techniques in this book and found that they were really useful in a recent situation with really difficult personalities. Frequent conflict existed between leads working for the same manager. It turns out that a large portion of the problem was the stories we interpreted each others actions through. To the extent we were able to clear up the untrue aspects of the "stories" ... which we seldom ever question ourselves about ... was the extent to which we were able to communicate clearly and develop cooperation.

This is a great book, worth twice this price. The entertaining yet useful anecdotes skillfully make his points more memorable, and make it easeir to explain his concepts to others.

Anyone interested in unraveling the mysteries of office toxicity, this is the book! Bushe masterfully ties together the psycho-social dynamics that make us all tick and offers sound strategies for creating clarity in our working relationships. Now here is the bonus! The book not only offers the keys to interpersonal clarity, it presents the ideas in language that anyone (toxified or not) can understand.

For those involved in leadership training that is principles or values focused, here you will find the all important missing link. Bushe explains the psychology behind our thinking and behavior which often times is the driving force behind office dysfunction despite our most noble principles and values.

I have read this book at least 4 times. I have sent this book to all the people who are important in my life. I have recommended this book to anyone who is genuinely interested in growing as a leader. Treat yourself and make this investment. In my case, it is the very best investment I have ever made. The book changed my thinking and then my behavior followed. This is from someone who has read all the leadership thoeries, seen many of the videos, listened to books on tape across country. Nothing has been as effective as this book. We will be hearing a lot more from Gervase Bushe in the future.

In today's corporate world, efficiency, effectiveness, and profit are diminished by communications problems. As a Certified Management Consultant, I hear clients complain about "communications" so much, I've dubbed it the "C Word."

What's the problem? People aren't real, open, honest, direct, and thorough in their conversations with each other. Hidden agendas, inability to say what you mean, fear of consequences and more problems contribute to the debilitating "mush" that inhibits organizational achievement. We've certainly seen enough evidence of the problem in the serious problems reported in the newspapers in recent months. And more corporate crises are in the works because the people at the top are not providing clear leadership-clear, "real" communication. And if the role models aren't working, the rest of the bureaucratic system is in trouble.

Bushe, a PhD consultant and professor of business administration, has given us a fine tool in "Clear Leadership." This is the kind of book that can be read and enjoyed, almost like a corporate novel. He communicates his message with a well-organized presentation supplemented by a wonderful collection of vignettes. The illustrative stories really bring this book to life, stimulate the thinking, and teach the lessons. As emotional beings, we all relate well to story-telling; this book has a good mix to help the reader get the message. I gained insight from the first two stories! Good stuff!

The author's objective is to teach the skills that build clarity and agreement. To quote from the book, "Clarity comes from clearing out the interpersonal mush and sometimes requires an organizational learning conversation. This is a conversation where people level with each other about their experience so that they can learn about anad change the troublesome patterns they find themselves in. Agreement comes from the ability of a group to think together and make decisions."

"Clear Leadership" is organized into three sections, plus a valuable introduction and an inspiring conclusion. Part One is Clarity and Mush in Organizational Life. Part Two, The Four Selves of Clear Leaders, has chapters on the Aware, Descriptive, Curious, and Appreciative aspects of the concept. Part Three, Clear Leadership at Work is filled with practical advice to putting this valuable concept into practice.

A lot of knowledge, insight, and advice packed into 250 pages. It's the kind of book you'll want to share with others-maybe simultaneously-to build clear leadership in your organization.

An outstanding cookbook, one I refer to often for casual dining and entertaining. Emphasis is on seafood, poultry and pasta. Most of the recipes are provided by the most highly regarded chefs from Florida's finest restuarants and resorts. If you love cooking (and great eating) you will love this book. I bought two in Williams-Sonoma since I knew my sister would "borrow" one. (About 80% of the recipes are relatively easy, 20% are slightly more difficult. All are excellent!)

M. Prudhomme

Every now and then you come across a special cookbook. This is my bible of cookbooks. I refuse to let it out of my sight! Keep in mind that these are restaurant recipes, so you might need to cut the ingredients in half. Everything is pretty easy and does not extend futher than basic cooking skills. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

I don't care for cookbooks that are filled with recipes that are too difficult, or calling for ingredients I rarely used.

The Special Taste of Florida was recommended by a friend in Colorado who owns a condominium in Florida. I have in turn recommended the book to a number of other friends throughout the country. This is a indeed a special book.

Of the 400 recipes in the book, I would say 75% are absolutely outstanding..easy to prepare with wonderful taste. With over 200 cookbooks in my collection I would put this one in the top ten without hesitation.