Strategy

Then Amazon is offering you the best bargain you can get. I just finished reading both of Scoblete's books, BOLD CARD PLAY and THE ARMADA STRATEGIES and they were incredible. They give the best strategies for these often casino-friendly games. Scoblete shows you how to reduce the house edge and to take advantage of the casino comping system. This is a great tandem of books for gamblers interested in reading about the "other" casino games.

This book contains the basic strategy for this new game and a method for counting cards. It is a very good book and I recommend it to anyone who wants to play this new casino game. The writer is very good.

Spanish 21 is a lot more fun than regular 21 once you learn the Armada Strategies. I have been getting a monetary edge (Scoblete's term) ever since I read this book! It's wonderful to win and get no heat from the pits bosses. Thank you kindly Mr. Scoblete for writing this book.

Better Health is not only informative, it is written with wit and clarity. It covers a broad spectrum of topics in a concise manner.

A little jewel of a book chock full of useful information. I couldn't put it down. Loaded with information about good practices, good products, and good sources for further information. I'm going to send a copy to everyone I know.

This book is like a bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich - Tasty and not overly filling - A Classic! It provides basic advice on health matters from a good old fashioned positive perspective. Moderation and prevention are stressed. It offers no miracle cures and it is not an encyclopedia of technical information. Rather it is a well balanced approach to healthier living written with insight and a refreshing light hearted wit. Just what the doctor ordered!

The state of Israel made a decision at its inception that never again would it allow itself to be in a position of weakness. After centuries of persecution and having just experienced an attempted annihilation of its people, it was in no mood to compromise its safety. It developed the Mossad, the greatest spy agency in history whose record of feats is unparalleled.

It all begins with politics. France, long a supporter of the state, began its shift toward the Arab (and later, Palestinian) position in the 1960's. Israel had purchased a particular type of boat from France but De Gaulle refused to release the boat after it blew ashore. Thus an incredible plan was hatched to steal the ship (well, take what was theirs) and somehow return to home waters.

The story of the background, the arrangements, the spies, the methods and the actual theft is better than fiction. Needless to say, the import was more than "stealing a ship". It was about developing a gunboat with a special type of rocket that could skim the surface and inflict maximum damage. The fruits of this labor was born out in the 1973 Yom Kippur War in which Israel took total control of the seas, entered Egyptian waters, sunk ships at will and prevented any Arab naval excursions. Great story.

Abraham Rabinovich writes so well that I kept fearing the day I would finally finish reading his masterpiece of international intrigue. The story, for Israel, is not unlike the American "skunk works" ultra-secretive design of the "Stealth Fighter" & "Stealth Bomber" - in that, in near total secrecy Israel revolutionized naval warfare. However, the United States is expected to create technological breakthroughs with the amount of resources availbe to her. In the 1960's Israel's flagship was a destroyer named "Eliat." Like everything in the Israeli navy - the "Eliat" was a 'hand-me-down' from the French Navy. Israel could not afford to add another destroyer to its tiny navy and this created a dilemma. What the Israeli Navy needed was a 'force multiplier' - several fast multi-purpose ships that packed a serious punch. In fact, Israel needed enough boats to simultaneously mount an attack/defense against Syria and Egypt. A young Israeli engineer named Even-Tov became convinced that he could design a devastating sea-to-sea missile that used an altimeter and radar. Even-Tov convinced the Defense Minister - Yitzhak Rabin that he could deliver a sea-to-sea missile, code-named 'Gabriel', within a year. This promise of a "serious punch" was the catalyst for the most intensive weapons system design project the Israel people (let alone the Israeli Navy) had ever undertaken. Israel's future Navy would be centered entirely on a small fleet of "missile boats." Up until this time, only the Soviets had created missile boats. It was only a matter of time before the Soviets shared a few missile boats with Egypt. In fact, Egypt used a "Styx-class" missile boat to sink the "Eliat." The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) sent naval officers to Europe to look for this do-it-all boat on which to place 'Gabriel' along with the hopes of the future navy. They decided, in principal, on a German ship design called 'Jaguar.' The Israeli officer's report would explain that many of the European boats he reviewed were nice but the Jaguar was a "boat made for war." IDF engineers spent over 18 months redesigning the wooden boat to be a couple meters longer and steal-hulled. This book reveals the Israeli geniuses that revolutionized naval combat. If it were only as simple as having the right idea, the right people, in the right place, at the right time - a French embargo was instituted within months of the delivery of the last five boats. I won't reveal any more of the story. This is a wonderful book. I also strongly recommend "Six Days of War" by Michael B. Oren.

The Boats of Cherbourg is a well written, exciting book about a well known but under-appreciated episode in Naval History. Rabinovich does an excellent job of putting the events in the book in historical context: the rise of anti-ship missiles, Israel's struggle for survival, the changes in Naval Warfare. The heart of the story, the dramatic plan to "liberate" the patrol boats, is told in a manner that makes you feel the suspense and the tension the Israelis manning the boats must have felt. A must on any Naval History buff's bookshelf.

I found the worksheets alone in this book worth the price. When you follow the step-by-step instructions, the worksheets cull out only the data you need. With all the extraneous data out of the way, it's easy to pinpoint critical problems that you might miss otherwise. And it makes developing key indicators and reports easier as well. I think any CEO who wants to keep the company's accounting and human resource managers on top of things at all times should give them this book tomorrow...if not sooner.

This book is packed with practical information and worksheets so you really get your money's worth. All points are illustrated with actual company stories and real-world experiences. The format makes it particularly easy to read and use.

I recommend this book to my coaching clients because it gives them a real system to develop strategy and then measure performance. Everyone wants a simple way to stay on track with their goals, and this book offers organizational planning advice, suggestions on how to effectively communicate the plan with employees, and then reports to make sure there is accountability for results.

"This fieldguide is for all change champions who are learning about, seeking to, or who are in the midst of leading social or organizational change...The purpose of this fieldguide is to provide you with all of the necessary elements to implement a best practice change or leadership development initiative within your organization or social system. Contributors in this book are widely recognized as among the best in organizational change and leadership development. They provide invaluable lessons in succeeding during crisis or growth modes and economies...Within the forthcoming chapters, you will learn:

*Key elements of leading successful and result-driven change

*Tools, models, instruments, and strategies for leading change

*Trends and research on innovation, change and leadership

*Critical success factors and critical failure factors

*How to design, implement, and evaluate change and leadership initiatives (pp.viii-xi)".

In this context, D. Ulrich, M. Goldsmith, L. Carter, J. Bolt, and N. Smallwood (the editors) divide this invaluable book including twenty-two chapters of 'best practice' into three sections: (1). Transformational and Large Scale Change, (2). Fundamentals of Leading Change, (3). Transformational Leadership and Sustaining Results. They say, "we have different interests, clients, and approaches. We have each experienced successes and failures while hoping only for success. The failures were almost always failures to make correct assumptions about the fit between type of intervention, organizational system, and situation. It is these failures that help us learn; they make us humble and open our minds to different approaches...This fieldguide presents you with an array of choices for how to approach many complex situations. You will find many ideas that you can adapt to your own situation and needs. And, when you do lead change, lead with the same passion, humility, creativity, and commitment to stakeholders, customers, and excellence that have been exhibited by the change champions contributing to this book (from the Introduction)."

In the last chapter of the fieldguide, 'You Can't Be a Champion Unless You Keep Score,' John Sullivan focuses on importance of measuring results. He says that "If this were the Olympics, it would be obvious to all that you couldn't become a champion without measuring results. In fact, the definition of a champion is 'the one with the best results.' In the general business world the use of numbers and metrics is part of life...Within all major firms all projects, products, and business units are evaluated on the basis of numerical results. However, in direct contrast, we within HR resist using metrics, almost like developing them was the equivalent of a root canal...The Watson Wyatt Human Capital Index study demonstrated that the potential impact of people programs on a firm's overall market value could be as high as 47 percent. The road is clear and the time is right. HR must now seize this unprecedented opportunity to adopt metrics and to become the next 'corporate hero' (pp.279-283)"

Therefore, after saying "metrics are the fastest and the cheapest way to change behavior in business," he demonstrates:

I.Nine reasons to utilize metrics: (1). Meeting your goals, (2). Driving improvement, (3). Obtain funding, (4). Early warning a.k.a 'smoke detectors,' (5). Understanding critical success factors, (6). Shift to fact-based decisions, (7). Metrics change behaviors, (8). Eliminate confusion, (9). Builds coordination/cooperation.

II.Eight steps in developing metrics: (1). Select a metric for each program goal, (2). Choosing between soft and hard metrics, (3). Understanding the different categories of business impact, (4). Selecting simple but attention-getting metrics, (5). Understanding the characteristics of great measures, (6). Selecting from standard HR metrics, (7). Selecting from advanced metrics, (8). Building the business case for increased HR funding.

III.Eleven decision factors for approving HR projects: (1). A low initial investment, (2). The project has a high ROI, (3). Similar projects implemented elsewhere have a high success rate or a low risk of failure, (4). The project starts right away without a long delay, (5). There is a short payback period, (6). The project has a complete set of accurate results metrics and a method for collecting metric information, (7). No new headcount is required, (8). The project has negative consequences for failure built in, (9). The program gives us a competitive advantage over other firms, (10). The program can demonstrate that it increases worker productivity, (11). A project team is credible and has high success rate on previous projects.

Finally, Sullivan writes, "HR professionals understand that the world of business has recently lost its tolerance for decisions made without facts and for programs that don't produce measurable results...Metrics can provide you with the opportunity to be superior performer by letting you know unambiguously where you are and how far you have to go. Your future path is clear; you can't become a champion...without measuring your results (pp.297-298)."

I highly recommend this invaluable fieldguide to all change champions of the future.

This is like a conference within a book without the travel and expense - I learned from the top thought leaders in the field such as David Cooperrider - the creator of Appreciative Inquiry, Marshall Goldsmith - one of the world's top coaches and experts on behavioral change, Jerry Sternin - the founder of applied positive deviance, Louis Carter - one of the foremost experts in best practices in leadership and organization development, Kathleen Dannemiller - the creator of whole scale change, Dave Ulrich - one of the world's top 5 management educators ranked by Business Week, Lawrence Susskind - the Director of the Consensus Building Institute at MIT/Harvard, the well known futurist Ryan Matthews, the world's leading expert in succession planning Dr. William Rothwell, Dr. W. Warner Burke, the award winning teacher and consultant and many more! Any organization that does not have a copy of the fieldguide in their organization will seriously lack competitive advantage.

This book is an absolute steal for the price. It is extremely generous in the information it provides. There are 22 chapters of the best theories, practices, and examples in change/business management and leadership/organization development -- with an eye towards getting results that matter for you and your organization. This book has already helped me to make my job more valuable inside of my organization - as well as helped me to better understand how to get my ideas implemented faster - and improved my chances of getting a promotion! Thank you to the publisher and editors for providing me with a book that has far exceeded my expectations.

Koetsch has conducted the most complete evaluation of progression betting strategies published to date. Anyone who has visited Vegas or Atlantic City, and dropped a small fortune when a progressive betting strategy went south will appreciate the extensive work Koetch has done to help change that result. He examines the use of moderate positive progression strategies mixed with a limited martingale negative progression. The easy to follow charts demonstrate to the reader that these progressions could be used to end short sessions of 100 decisions in the black almost every time.

The writer is an engineer, and his short-efficient prose make even the most complex principles of statistical theory accessible to the non-math oriented player. Don't be fooled by the tables and math though, because this is a very practical text. The author invites the reader to pick the progression that fits his or her temperament for short term swings, and provides the player a very likely chance to leave the table within a 1-2 hours with a decent gain.

On the other hand, Koetsch's science background contributes to the strength of the book in another way too. His detailed explanation of the experiment, and the circumstances of the program used inspires confidence in the reliability of the results, as well as his personal integrity: a welcome departure from many popular authors on gambling. I would not be surprised if his work spawns new interest from the MIT set in betting strategies as a potential success tool in low vig games such as craps, blackjack, and baccarat. My hope is Koetch continues his work on the subject, and for anyone who wants the best chance to come home a winner on any given trip to a casino destination, the book should be first on your list to buy.

Robert B.
Irvine, Ca.

This book is a must for anyone who wants to learn the most favorable betting strategies. The proof is in the mathematical/statistical analysis done by the computer. It showed me that my old betting habits weren't working. My last trip to Vegas yielded a winner!

"...Martingale...Koetsch's chapter on that particular form of wagering is one of the best you'll find anywhere." Gamblers Book Shop

This book widely specifies WHAT to do in strategic planning but it hardly explains HOW to do it. What I expect when reading this kind of topics is not the concept but rather the application procedures and practical techniques for implementing those concepts in an effective and innovative way. In consequence, I found this book repetitive and non productive for planning specialists. However it may serve a lot to beginners and students.

This is a very good book. In addition to this, I recommend "Strategic Organizational Change" by Michael Beitler.

I loved the organization of this book. It's like you are the CEO and are really organizing a new business from the scratch. The author uses a structured approach of applying strategic planning that makes a complex subject like this extremely simple to understand.

Excellent book. With so many "here's what's wrong with your company" books available, this is one of the best. Not only does the author suggest what's wrong...i.e., which part of the life cycle is your company in, he tells you how to do something about it.

If I'd only been able to read just one book, I am glad I choose this one.

It's not necessarily that as a company grows from the garage into the boardroom that bad things happen . . . it's that some things are inevitable and are a function of growth.

This book sumarizes the multiple facets involved in such growth and allows the reader to compare the growth cycle of companies at varying stages. It's impact on people, org behavior, culture, awareness and other areas that the "garage shop" does not need to consider at early stages. It's a key read and assessment as companies find themselves in transition from a heavily entrepreneurial spirit to a more entrenched corporate being and notes many of the patterns such growth requires. Read between the lines and you may find companies who are currently faltering because of a lack of transition mindset to allow them to sustain managed growth or the new "size." Overall, it's a great academic read.

By comparing the lifecycles of corporations to those of civilizations, this book helps to explain how all sorts of organizations, not just corporations, can become "sick" through bureaucracy and poor leadership. This book helped me to understand why there is so much institutional opposition to correcting even localized corruption and dissolution in a large, bureaucratic GOVERNMENT institution. It helped save my sanity. I with the author would write a similar book dealing with governmental organizations.

Another book which may help if you are trying to "fight city hall" is Stanley Milgram's Obedience to Authority.

I already had a copy of "Basic Training," Jon's first book, and so I picked this one up without hesitation. Whereas "Basic Training" is a good starting point, this book easily picks up where the first left off, taking topics like emotional well-being, diet and the more esoteric topics that guys who want to jump in and get going at the gym are likely to overlook.

Jon gives a good look at some other forms of exercise, including yoga and stretching, as valuable additions to a fitness "repertoire." The book isn't focused entirely on training--thus the title "Beyond Basic Training," and making it much more valuable than any of the countless exercise titles out there.

This book is outstanding, and is quite simply the best and most complete source I've seen thus far for men's health and fitness. Written by a man with a man's body in mind, the book covers topics ranging from weight training to stretching to nutrition to emotional wellness (and more), and does so in clear, succinct, and simple language. Mr. Giswold, a top personal trainer in New York City, certainly knows the subject matter cold, but in truth the keys to this book are its simplicity, the broad range of topics covered, and its approaches to workouts that the average Joe simply doesn't take into account. For a non-musclehead with limited time to spend (like me), the variety of exercises presented is oustanding. There are many types of workouts (e.g. using fitness balls, using concepts based on yoga, etc.) that the average man doesn't often encounter. It is an excellent starting point for any man who wants to chance his fitness level.

The book is also visually striking, both in its design and in its photographs. The pictures of exercises are illustrative and clear, and Mr. Butera's photographs are excellent inspiration. It is clear that Mr. Giswold's ideal form is not the musclebound gym fanatic, but rather the lean and healthy (from all perspectives) modern man. In fact, the reader is well-advised not to let his girlfriend see the book...the pictures will distract her to frustrating degrees! Mr. Giswold and Mr. Butera have done an outstanding job with this book.

I read this book regularly and recommend it without reservation.

I didn't think anything could be more inspiring than Jon Giswold's first book Basic Training, but his latest installment is BEYOND INSPIRING. Beyond Basic Training gives great in depth details of various types of training that can make a real difference. Jon gives excellent explanations of what works and why. Jon also does an amazing job giving tips for how to get a thorough workout at home. The photos by Augustus Butera are beautiful and clearly illustrate the how to's of all the exercises. But to be totally honest, what really got me and kept me glued was Jon's courage in sharing his personal story of triumph over adversity. For me reading those few pages made all the difference. His moving account gave me so much more respect for Jon and his work on this book and Basic Training. KUDOS, Jon and Augusts.

This is a must read and see for anyone struggling with self-image and/or training issues.

Everyone who plays 1. e4 but does not enjoy the white side of the open Sicilians searches out alternatives to play such as the Grand Prix Attack, the c3, or the Closed Sicilian. Each system has its own strengths, and drawbacks, and the problem with playing the Closed Sicilian is that while white has a fairly clear plan, black's plan in the main lines is also fairly straightforward. This book is quite helpful, because it goes beyond "what is the main idea" into "how will one actually play a game against best play". The problem with coverage of the Closed Sicilian in most works is that the author tends to give a line or two against each of the major black systems, but little analysis is done of multiple white alternative lines. King's book excels in going further than the usual Closed Sicilian book, by offering detailed chapters on move 6 alternatives for white other than the "main line". I like that, in addition to playing the "main line for white" set forth, King also shows how to play less favored lines which nonetheless offer white the chance to maintain initiative with somewhat quieter play. The text is based on playing through games in the variations, but unlike some books, King does not just throw a game at us as if to say "so there", but rather provides detailed thematic commentary. I am a lesser player of low 1700s USCF, and I found the commentary entirely useful. I am not sure it would be as useful for, say a 1300, but I still recommend this book to any player who wants a system against the Sicilian but has never been able to get the bang from the Closed Sicilian that, say, Spassky did .

This is a well written book on the Closed Sicilian. The only problen is that this opening "causes black relatively few problems" (Nunn's Chess Openings) and if black knows his theory he can equalize easily in most lines. This is the reason this opening has not been played very much at high levels recently. That said, this an excellent book for black (and white, too, i guess) to learn the theory of the Closed Sicilian. The most straight forward and overtly dangerous line in the Closed Sicilian is easy drawn if one memorizes a single game: Spassky-Hjartarson, European Club Cup 1991. This game is the third game in the book and covers the best way to play against the 10.e5? pseudo pawn sacrifice. The Closed Siclian is not the most critical line against the sicliian by any means, but it doesn't require memorizing a ton of theory, so it may be helpful for someone with very little time. If you want build the best repetoire possible, learn the Open Siclian, c3 Sicilian, or at least the Bb5 Sicilian. A book that my help you learn the Open Siclian is John Nunn and Joe Gallager's Beating the Sicilian 3. It gives good variations of the Open Sicilian for white. Amazon does not have it, but I have seen it at other sites. But this book if you just want something to play against the Siclian or if you want to be able to play against the Closed Sicilian as black.

In addition to an in depth coverage of newer ideas in the Closed Sicilian (it omits some games with old plans and produces newer plans in those lines), this book has an interesting version of the Closed Sicilian with c3 instead of Nc3 that is in my opinion worth the book. It also has some advice between the lines that are highly instructive. I made a career out of playing the Closed Sicilian in the ICC and gained about 200pts while winning a losing and learning how important prophylaxis was in wing attacks. For anyone who wants to develop thier chess. IT also gives you a good system to play vs. the English, though this is not explicitly done for the reader.