Product Description
This digital document is an article from Pamphlet by: National Institute on Aging, published by Thomson Gale on November 1, 2007. The length of the article is 436 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dear friends.(Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging)
Author: John Glenn
Publication: Pamphlet by: National Institute on Aging (Pamphlet)
Date: November 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
Since the end of the Cold War, a virtual army of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from the United States, Britain, Germany, and elsewhere in Europe have flocked to Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia. These NGOs are working on such diverse tasks as helping to establish competitive political parties, elections, and independent media, as well as trying to reduce ethnic conflict.This important book is among the few efforts to assess the impact of these international efforts to build democratic institutions. The case studies presented here provide a portrait of the mechanisms by which ideas commonly associated with democratic states have evolved in formerly communist states, revealing conditions that help as well as hurt the process. ... Read more

Product Description
This book explains how several much-decried problems in the U.S. health system--glaring gaps in the quality and efficiency of care, high rates of uninsurance, and out-of-control costs--can be resolved by empowering patients. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great set of proposals for discussing the critical reforms needed in ourhealthcare system
This short and focused book offers five suggestions to help lower our society's overall healthcare expenses, improve availability, while putting it on a more sound footing for controlling future cost growth.Discussing healthcare is a complicated issue and much of the public discussion is distorted by various kinds of self-interest, lack of knowledge about the technical aspects of the problem (both medical and economic), and different views of what the desirable outcomes would be.This one hundred-page book is a wonderful basic foundation so we can discuss the health care issues from a common ground.

Our present private health care system suffers from several market distortions that prevent efficiencies.First, it arose from a wartime wage & price controlled economy in 1942 when companies began offering "fringe benefits" since they couldn't raise wages.The next biggest problem is that what we really have is pre-paid healthcare rather than true insurance.Insurance is based on the notion of sharing risk not the notion of no-risk no cost.Imagine if we have pre-paid lunches.Wouldn't the natural inclination be to consume bigger lunches than you normally would?Maybe even combine two meals of the day?You would not want to be paying for something you weren't getting the full benefit from, so you would over consume and costs would rise.That would spur the desire for more consumption and a vicious cycle gets worse.

The notion that healthcare should be provided at no cost is pernicious.The government has no money of its own so we have to pay for our healthcare even if the government "provides" it.But worse than the payment problems this causes is the notion that we should be free to use our income on everything else but healthcare and that somehow when we use our own income for healthcare we view it as a kind of oppression.However, we use our income for many less necessary and some very foolish things.The amount of money we waste on foolish things like diet fads, pills, patent medicines, magnets & bracelets that do nothing, and various quack treatments has got to be a large fraction of our actual health care expenditure.We need to spend our money on health with greater awareness and understanding.

So, what are the five recommendations the authors make in this book?

1) Change the tax law to reduce the preference for medical-care purchases through employer-based insurance.

This is an important change because it will allow for people to make health care purchases with their own income and buy their own insurance with PRE-TAX dollars.As it is now, everything is biased towards shifting it to the employer program because anything we pay for is AFTER-TAX and therefore much more costly.Since everything is pushed to the employer pre-paid healthcare it exacerbates the over consumption problem.

2) Reform regulation markets for health insurance.

This is about lowering costs by making national insurance pools and reforming state specific regulations that add unusual costs to the insurance market through specific popular mandates.This is the suggestion I am least comfortable with, however I do understand the notion and think it is definitely worth investigating.What we don't want is a national reform that solely benefits the insurance industry shareholders at the expense of the insured the way our, say, sugar supports keep us paying four times the world price for sugar.

3) Expand provision of health information.

This has two components.The first is to limit discoverability of information that flows between organizations with the purpose of quality improvement.The second is to rate organizations and doctors in a way that provides good information to consumers of healthcare.While I like the notion in the simple abstract, the real problem with this is, for example, that not all cardiologists have the same risk profile of patient.Nor are all the same in their approach to patients.All systems of "grading" are subject to gaming and I wonder how this will be prevented in such a national system.

4) Control anticompetitive behavior by providers and insurers.

Yes, we do need real markets for market forces to do their work in cost containment.But, yes, businesses and businessmen (and women) do want to limit competition and enhance profits (rent seeking behavior in economic terms).So, one of the very most important things our lawmakers and regulators can do is ensure that a strong market and strong competition exists.There is evidence that hospitals and insurers are working to limit competition and using their influence with lawmakers to strengthen their position and raise costs.This is quite important.

5) Reform the malpractice system.

There is no question that the lottery approach to non-economic damages has driven up insurance costs to the point that access to health care providers in some states is impaired.We definitely need to control non-economic costs of malpractice lawsuits.The other aspect of reform, since these kinds of mistakes are well known and the process well understood, is to do what we can in holding down legal costs.This is fought tooth and nail by trial lawyers because they make tens of millions of dollars from these lawsuits.However, those tens of millions of dollars going to lawyers do not help the healthcare of anyone except the lawyers and the families and their employees.

You can see that I have difficulties with some aspects of the proposals in this book and you will likely have some of your own.However, I think they make a great place to start the discussion we must have for the reform that will come one way or the other.I just hope we have the will to make it a strong, active, and constructive reform rather than a passive contraction that will do much more harm than good. ... Read more

Product Description

"I was born in a land of bayous, raised between rivers," writes Glenn Blake in his latest collection of short stories. "There is a place in Southeast Texas where two rivers meet and become one. There is a long bridge over these waters, and as you drive across, you can look to the south and see where the Old River and the Lost River become the Old and the Lost. You can look out as far as you can see and watch this wide water become the bay."

The stories in Return Fire are set in the swamps, bayous, and sloughs of Southeast Texas, a region that is subsiding -- sinking inches every year beneath the encroaching tides. The characters who inhabit Blake's Southern landscape struggle to salvage what they can of their hopes and dreams. They are the walking wounded -- cautious, crippled, capable of any act. Magnolias, water, mescal, stars, and fire return again and again in these seven sparse -- yet tightly written -- vignettes.

Product Description

Rather than claim that there exists a common concept of globalization that all parties can agree to, this book seeks to examine some of the conceptions and the way in which they render different interpretations of particular aspects of globalization.

The last two decades have witnessed an explosive proliferation of academic writings on the subject of globalization, which has been accompanied by a high level of interest in the media and widespread usage of the term. This has inevitably resulted in the meaning of the concept broadening to include a whole host of issues, running the attendant risk of losing any conceptual focus it had.

John Glenn examines five issue areas affected by globalization:

• the economy
• sovereignty
• civil society
• governance
• communication.

In so doing, the book aims to articulate certain questions within each area, which will allow for some judgment to be made concerning the differing perspectives on globalization.

Globalization will be of interest to students of international political economy and politics and international relations in general.

Product Description
Twenty great composers of Italian art songs from Scarlatti to Puccini are represented in songs that have been chosen for their appeal to young singers. Musical excerpts studied in Gateway to Italian Diction appear as complete scores. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent learning collection
The book includes a good selection of Italian songs.The accompanying CD's are a great help in practicing the pieces. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you consider Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson true icons or false idols, this second edition of an award-winning reference work will be of interest to you. The book updates and expands its examination of the religious right and its influence on our government, citizens, society, and politics. The coverage offers a critical-historical survey of the movement, focusing on its increased involvement in the political arena, attempts to forge coalitions, and notable successes and failures. Comprehensive in scope, this enlarged and updated work offers easy-to-read information for those seeking a better understanding of religious advocacy and its evolving role in American life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An invaluable, scholarly work
Part of the ABC-CLIO "Contemporary World Issues" series, The Religious Right is now available in an expanded and updated second edition. Collaboratively prepared by Glenn H. Utter (Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas) and John W. Storey (Professor and Chair at the History Department, Lamar University), The Religious Right is an impressive, 395 page compendium that provides comprehensive information on the American "religious right", its formation and advocacy involvement with key political and social issues. From the Christian Coalition; to the domination of the Kansas Board of Education by religious fundamentalists; to then Texas Governor George Bush's dedication of June 10, 2000 as "Jesus Day" in the Lone Star State, The Religious Right is an invaluable, scholarly work, and a strongly recommended addition to academic American Studies, Religious Studies, and Political Science Studies reference collections. ... Read more

Product Description
Featuring two hundred spectacular full-color photographs, the first pictures from the four-story Hubble Space Telescope provide a dramatic look at the universe over twelve billion years. Tour. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Pure Poetry
I can't even begin to describe the affect this book has had on my way of thinking in regards to the universe we live in and my own mortality.Before I read this book(a billion times)I was always interested in theuniverse and what was out there.A co-worker heard of my interest andbought me this book as a Christmas present.I thought, "wow.prettycool".But in no way was I ready for the abundance if informationplaced at my disposal by this book.I'm just in awe when I read it.Theauthor really does seem to have passion about our universe and it showed inthe writing.The descriptions and hypotheticals are so vivid.You don'thave to be some genious to understand what this book is telling you but itdoesn't come of as "kiddy" either.To me that is what makes itso wonderful.It gives you the feeling that someone has actually traveledto the ends of the universe and their just telling you what it was like. Even the chapter on Earth is suprisingly very interesting.It gave me anew appreciation(and fear) for this planet.So calm and unassuming incomparison to other planets.But so powerful to all it's inhabitants. "Before our universe existed, there was no past, present, or future. Space did not exist, nor did vacuum.There was nothing-even dark cannotexist without light".wow

Breathtaking!
This book was, simply put, breathtaking.I don't know why someone would wish to sabotage the overall rating by giving this masterpiece one star...but clearly they were not reading the same book I was. To eachtheir own.I found the facts within the book quite accuratemyself....having read more than one hundred books of its kind and findingno inconsistencies.The pictures within the book itself weremagnificent and well placed throughout the book.The text itself was alsovery informative and showed that the author was very well versed in theways of the cosmos...both theoretically and factually.I highlyrecommend this book to anyone with interest in our cosmos.You won't bedissapointed.

Very little to do with the Hubble
This book actually shows very little understanding of the work done by Hubble or its relationship to other NASA missions.Many of the pictures attributed to the Hubble come from other missions; further, more than oneartist's rendition is given as a Hubble image.

great book
great pictures and text, a most have i give it a 5 out of

great book
great text and pictures, everything is perfect, and in the book the speed of light is typed as 186,000 m.p.h. or something, it is listed many times. ... Read more

Product Description
Featuring two hundred spectacular full-color photographs, the first pictures from the four-story Hubble Space Telescope provide a dramatic look at the universe over twelve billion years. Tour. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Pure Poetry
I can't even begin to describe the affect this book has had on my way of thinking in regards to the universe we live in and my own mortality.Before I read this book(a billion times)I was always interested in theuniverse and what was out there.A co-worker heard of my interest andbought me this book as a Christmas present.I thought, "wow.prettycool".But in no way was I ready for the abundance if informationplaced at my disposal by this book.I'm just in awe when I read it.Theauthor really does seem to have passion about our universe and it showed inthe writing.The descriptions and hypotheticals are so vivid.You don'thave to be some genious to understand what this book is telling you but itdoesn't come of as "kiddy" either.To me that is what makes itso wonderful.It gives you the feeling that someone has actually traveledto the ends of the universe and their just telling you what it was like. Even the chapter on Earth is suprisingly very interesting.It gave me anew appreciation(and fear) for this planet.So calm and unassuming incomparison to other planets.But so powerful to all it's inhabitants. "Before our universe existed, there was no past, present, or future. Space did not exist, nor did vacuum.There was nothing-even dark cannotexist without light".wow

Breathtaking!
This book was, simply put, breathtaking.I don't know why someone would wish to sabotage the overall rating by giving this masterpiece one star...but clearly they were not reading the same book I was. To eachtheir own.I found the facts within the book quite accuratemyself....having read more than one hundred books of its kind and findingno inconsistencies.The pictures within the book itself weremagnificent and well placed throughout the book.The text itself was alsovery informative and showed that the author was very well versed in theways of the cosmos...both theoretically and factually.I highlyrecommend this book to anyone with interest in our cosmos.You won't bedissapointed.

Very little to do with the Hubble
This book actually shows very little understanding of the work done by Hubble or its relationship to other NASA missions.Many of the pictures attributed to the Hubble come from other missions; further, more than oneartist's rendition is given as a Hubble image.

great book
great pictures and text, a most have i give it a 5 out of

great book
great text and pictures, everything is perfect, and in the book the speed of light is typed as 186,000 m.p.h. or something, it is listed many times. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Historical account by the astronauts themselves. Everything was new and untested
I've read almost all the astronaut books. When I was a small boy the original 7 Mercury astronauts were my heroes.

This book is of great historical significance. Written in 1962 with stories by the actual astronauts themselves. Remember everything known about manned space was new then. Many scientists a decade before did not believe man could survive in space. Many believed the astronauts eyes would pull out or blindness would occur because of high Gs. Many believed the astronauts blood would boil because of changes in pressure or radiation would cook their insides. It was a time of great unknowns. These were the first Americans to go into space. Remember that many of the earlier Redstone andAtlas boosters exploded. These men were basically strapped in on top of a possible exploding bomb. They were ex test pilots and knew the risks. Such courage.

The new NASA handpicked these 7 men from many military test pilots. Due to spacecraft size restrictions the seven could be no taller than 5 ft 11 inches and weigh less than 180 pounds. Many difficult, strenuousand demeaning physical and mental tests were given to select the best of the best. NASA wanted level headed, courageous test pilots with engineering or equivalent college backgrounds for direct input on spacecraft features/design as well as the best possible pilots with lots of flying experience and being level headed in case of emergencies.

All 7 men... M Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper, John H. Glenn, Virgil Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Donald Slayton were all very competitive and wanted to be the first American in space. Alan Shepard was the first American in space. While "Deke" Donald Slayton was the last of the seven to go into space. They realized that no one man could learn all the different aspects of spaceflight and the equipment needed so areas of specialties were given to each of them. All trained and gave the knowledge learned to the other members. All had different personalities.All were type As. All wanted to be the best and the first American in space and competed heavily but realized they must help one another.

Each of the astronauts tell about themselves and their families and some of their military careers. Each gives stories about what they did in their specialties to help the Mercury missions ( space suits, Atlas boosters, communications and navigation, spacecraft sea recovery,flight station control panels,special survival knives and quick spacecraft escape and safety features and other specialties. Also Alan Shepard's, Gus Grissom's, John Glenn's, and Scott Carpenter's Mercury flights are highlighted by the astronauts themselves.

There are a few better astronaut books ( see my reviews) but We Seven is special because of its historical significance of almost everythinglearned in the Mercury years being new and unknown. There are a good number of interesting black and white pictures of the astronauts,their families , astronaut training shots, the Mercury spacecraft and the impressive liftoff shots. All the Mercury astronauts were courageous heroes that deserve ourutmost respect. Sadly only 2 are alive today. Scott Carpenter and John Glenn. A great book 5 stars plus

There will never be another like it...
In the short time span of less than ten years, these seven American heros helped to invent and then use the spacecraft and systems they signed on to fly. This book will inspire and will make you remember (or realize) that if done with hard work, common sense, and teamwork, anything aspired to -is possible.

Looking at everything that goes on in today's world, I feel that we will never see this type of dedication, teamwork, and support in future projects. Let's lose the laziness and "me me" crowd, roll up our sleeves and GET 'ER DONE!

Band of Brothers
Published as Project Mercury was thrilling the Free World at the height of the cold war, WE SEVEN was written by the original seven astronauts (and edited by LIFE magazine's John Dille). For researchers and space enthusiasts, the chapters offer valuable contemporaneous, first-person accounts of Project Mercury--from the men, to the machines, to the systems.

Particularly valuable are the accounts of the historic 1959 selection process (and selection medicine) at Lovelace Clinic and Wright-Patterson A.F.B. There arepainstakingly technical accounts of the engineering and design work on the hardware in addition to first-person accounts of spaceflight itself, from the days when astronauts flew alone and then only briefly--for a lifetime of fame.

First military tests pilots and then engineers, the Mercury astronauts were notprofessional writers. The editor does a brilliant job of preserving the distinctive voices of the individual astronauts, while showcasing the highly technical subjects the men describe in WE SEVEN, a bestseller when it was first published in 1962.

A must for any spaceflight history library.

we seven
We Seven-
The book We Seven is about the original seven astronauts of the Mercury program. The book starts off with the astronauts telling of their lives before they were chosen for the space program at NASA. Most of them had the same squeaky clean military records being test pilots and having combat experience. All of the pilots were either in the air force, navy or the marine corps. After that the astronauts describe the various tests they had to go through to see if they had what it took for the job.
After the seven astronauts where picked they had to go through even more testing on trainers for g forces and zero g's that they would face in space and upon re-entry. This was very repetitive and kind of boring because of the elaborate detail the authors wrote about even the simplest of things.
The book wasn't very good it took the fascinating topic of aviation and made it into an extremely boring task of reading. The authors of the book describe everything in an extreme detail probably due to their polished military background. This seems to be a habit for people in the military known from personal experience having a father who used to be a pilot.
Wrapped up this book would not appeal to someone who is not interested in either the filed of aviation or space because of its detail about all of the in and outs of the job.

Its an inspiring familiy tradition
I got this book from my dad, and he got it when it was first edited (the German version) in 1962. It was standing a long time untouched on my bookshelf but one day I took it out and started reading it. From the first moment I was fascinated. I think its the way the book is set up: Every different chapter is written by another astronaut of the mercury program. It gives a very good description of the mercury program, free worlds first manned step into space. But there is more: The astronauts not only describe the program, there is also a lot of information about the in-betweens, the personal relationships and characters of the seven. When you read the book you realy can feel the spirit and the atmosphere of that time. When I had the chance to visit the National Air and Space Museum I stayed there a whole day and at least 3 hours I used to inspect the two shown Mercury-capsules in the entrance. It was one of the most fascinating moments because when I looked at the space vehicles I always remembered things from the book.
This book has become a family heritage for me and when I will have children of my own one day I will of course give the book to them - to let them smell the spirit of these seven pioneers.
... Read more

Product Description
The influential Louisiana bluesman, Lead Belly, wrote and performed some of the best-loved songs of the twentieth century, including "The Midnight Special," "Rock Island Line" and his signature song, "Goodnight, Irene," which became an international hit in 1950, eight months after his death. John A. Lomax, the esteemed Library of Congress folk music anthropologist, discovered Lead Belly serving time (for assault and murder) at the infamous Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola in 1934. He immediately saw that Lead Belly was a walking anthology of African-American music, and arranged for him to come to New York, where he created a sensation. Reporters followed Lead Belly everywhere, theaters clamored to book him and celebrities thronged to his concerts. His influence on a later generation of popular musicians was massive: Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Van Morrison, Robert Plant and Beck have all paid their respects.
Lead Belly: A Life in Pictures is a treasure trove of rare, unpublished photographs, news clippings, concert programs, personal correspondence (including letters from Woody Guthrie), record albums, awards and other memorabilia retrieved only recently from a basement trunk in New York.

Lead Belly, born Huddie Ledbetter on a Louisiana farm in 1888, won international fame as an interpreter of African-American folk songs and blues. For 15 years he performed folk songs, spirituals, blues and ballads to enthusiastic audiences at night clubs, political rallies, universities, concert halls and private parties. In 1988 Lead Belly was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, where he was the subject of a major retrospective in 2004. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Beautiful pictures
We gave this book to my brother and he absolutely loved it.He is obsessed with Lead Belly and all the music of that era, and he spent a long time thumbing through the pictures and can't wait to read it.He wants to rip the pictures out for his wall!(We pleaded with him to leave the book intact).

Labor of Love
Many people have loved Lead Belly and his legacy, but none perhaps so much as John Reynolds, one of the listed authors of this book.Although John is listed last of the 4 contributors to the book, this is really his project, and one that he has labored on for many years to bring to fruition.Lead Belly (or Leadbelly) was a seminal force in our understanding of 'American' music, and his influence has informed even those who have never heard of him.

This book is a beauty, and is not meant to be an exhaustive biography, but rather a celebration of the man, his times, his influence, and his music.As such, it succeeds spectacularly.I highly recommend that you search www.youtube.com for Lead Belly videos to accompany your journey through this book.It will add much to the experience, and actually enhance the fact that this book is a wonderful keepsake and motherlode of visual delights and insights in our understanding of this man.

My favorite page was "The Leadbelly Method" by contributor Glenn O'Brien.

Outstanding Pictorial Biography of Lead Belly!
Whether you favor the two-word or the single word version of his name, this pictorial biography of Leadbelly is just outstanding! Truly a labor of love by the authors and it should be well received by all Leadbelly fans as well as by any who are interested in folk-music and blues. Particularly poignant are the photos showing Leadbelly just months before his death holding Alvin Singh and/or his guitar.This book is highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Essentially, the debate between strategic culturists and realists centres on the question of whether it is possible to explain/predict state behaviour without taking into account the particular characteristics of the state, such as its cultural constitution. This informative debate is encapsulated in the first section of this book, which engages in the theoretical arguments of each approach (strategic culture and realism), with the second section containing empirical analysis of the accuracy of the implications each approach posits. This is illustrated by a variety of country specific case studies. ... Read more

Product Description
Each generation leads in its own way. But to progress together, they must find ways to bridge the divide between their perspectives. Recognizing that truth, a 65-year-old traditional CEO and his 35-year-old Zen entrepreneur son embark on a six-month-long, 100-mile walk.

As they stroll the streets of New York and New Orleans, trek through the Blue Ridge Mountains, and hike along the Long Island coast, they talk about their experiences, their outlook on life and work, the achievements of leaders they have known, and how each views the nature and purpose of leadership.

Ultimately, the two men agree on nine key traits and practices essential to all leaders -- from principles and passion to performance and even paranoia -- and on how leaders and aspiring leaders can follow them consistently. Father and son also discover a lot about each other, their relationship, and the way two generations set apart by so many differences can respect and learn from each other.Amazon.com Review
The formula sounds immediately intriguing: a 65-year-old, hard-charging executive with old-fashioned values conducts a dialogue with his 35-year-old, Zen-influenced son about what qualities define great leadership. One's a Republican, the other independent. One drives an Audi, the other a Subaru. One likes his vacations best when they involve golf in Scottsdale, while the other prefers backcountry roams in Yellowstone. Yet together, they aim to develop a common picture of the essence of leadership--agreement on what characterizes those special people that others follow--and in this engagingly written, disarmingly personal book, they do.

Co-authors Sander Flaum and his son, Jonathon Flaum, are products of different eras, and the inter-generational tension that runs through their book gives it its unique flavor. Father and son's voices alternate in The 100-Mile Walk, with the elder, Sander, typically writing first, and Jonathon presenting his own opinions next. Each shows the different influences of his generation in their exchanges about various aspects of leadership.

Sander grew up in Brooklyn, heavily influenced by the surrounding Jewish community. Inspired by a demanding, determined mother, he worked his way up a conventional career ladder, beginning at a large pharmaceutical company and then moving onto an ad agency. He displays and extols traditional virtues like hard work, determination, ambition, and the like. His son Jonathon, meanwhile, has a markedly more new-fashioned orientation, having gotten an MFA degree rather than an MBA, and referring repeatedly in the book to teachings of Zen masters. After a brief career in the arts, primarily as a playwright, Jonathon has become an executive coach with surprisingly starchy, button-downed clients.

As their backgrounds suggest, where father and son come together makes for interesting reading. The "walk" to which the book's title refers is actually a series of strolls, adding up to 100 miles, that father and son take together. In their jaunts through Manhattan; Asheville, North Carolina; New Orleans; and Columbus, Ohio, Sander and Jonathon discuss what eventually become 9 key qualities that they believe most good leaders exhibit. The 9 P's, as they refer to them, are: people, purpose, passion, performance, persistence, perspective, paranoia, principles, and practice.

The book's structure revolves around these 9 qualities, as Sander and Jonathon discuss each in turn, weave in anecdotal examples from real-life organizational leaders. The chapters then close with checklist summaries of key things for readers to remember. The lessons themselves aren't revolutionary; what's different is the thoughtful, at times intimate dialogue between a father and son, and what others might draw from it. Former astronaut and Senator John Glenn, lauds the Flaums' open, questioning tone, and their lack of dogmatism, in his Foreword: "this book does not presume answers; it asks probing questions." Those questions are indeed provocative ones, and readers ready to take an unusual walk with the Flaums will be well rewarded. --Peter Han ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Enjoyed the first half!
I have not completed this book after owning it for more then 6 months. I enjoyed the father-son interaction and contrast that the book provided. Me and my dad enjoy similar kind of back an forth as we both are MBA's who are total opposites in the way we work. For some reason i stopped reading it at some point and now i am not able to go back to it.
Might be best to read it at one go :)

The 100-mile Walk: A Father And Son on a Quest to Find the Essence of Leadership
The 100-Mile Walk contains a rather unique look at successful business. The authors are father and son with some very different views on these aspects. Sander, the father, thinks of business in a traditional Baby Boomer way. He has become an extremely successful business person by gradually climbing the cooperate ladder, making career his number one priority, and long hours of sacrifice. His son, Jonathan, is also a highly successful business person. However, this generation X-er's views on business on quite different from his father's. Jonathan believes that a healthy balance between a career he loves and a life outside of work allows him full use of his creative abilities that will ultimately lead to his success.

This book illustrates that the definitions of leadership and business success are changing. Once men spend much of their lives isolated from their families so that they could provide a financially comfortable living. Today, many individuals sacrifice that security to spend time with their family and friends. The 100-Mile Walk shows that there is value in both career paths and that individuals following either path can learn from the other.

Unusual approach to leadership books
I was pleasantly surprised at the different approachs to leadership shown by this father and son.This book reinforces the fact that things are changing in every aspect of our society.The older way of looking at the busines world suddenly seems lifeless and harsh even though the younger approach seems a bit naive. Perhaps, as usual, a blend of the two opposing ideas would be best.

The 100 Mile Walk
A very good book on leadership. I liked the comparison of the two ages of the authors. They broke down leadership in a way that could be understood. I will probably re-read the book again.

Plenty of ideas to chew on
Even though, as the authors state at the beginning, there are 250 books on leadership published every year, there don't seem to be many books on follower-ship, even though followers far outnumber leaders in this world. For followers, this book is quite effective as a wish list of ideal personality traits and management techniques by which they can gauge the effectiveness of their own leaders. Jonathon Flaum's sections are also useful for older employees who need to understand the values and perspectives of their younger supervisors. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first guide yet produced to the amphibians and reptiles of New York State, a large and heavily populated state that hosts a surprisingly diverse and interesting community of amphibians and reptiles. This much needed guide to the identification, distribution, natural history and conservation of the amphibians and reptiles of New York State fill a long-empty niche.

The book is the first comprehensive presentation of the distributional data gathered for the New York State Amphibian and Reptile Atlas project.With more than 60,000 records compiled from 1990-1999, this extraordinary and up-to-date database provides a rich foundation for the book. This volume provides detailed narratives on the 69 species native to New York State. With a heavy emphasis on conservation biology, the book also includes chapters on threats, legal protections, habitat conservation guidelines, and conservation case studies.

Also included are 67 distribution maps and 62 pages of color photographs contributed by more than 30 photographers. As a field guide or a desk reference, The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State is indispensable for anyone interested in the vertebrate animals of the Northeast, as well as students, field researchers and natural resource professionals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Very detailed information
This book is loaded with solid information, lots to read & excellent photos.

Excellent regional guide!
I love this book! The writing is excellent. The natural history information is thorough, and provides details specific to New York geography. The only criticism I have is that, like many guidebooks, the color photographs are in a plate section, instead of with the species accounts. But the book more than makes up for that with its detail and clarity. And the plate section does have text summarizing the key identification features. The book ends with conservation strategies and case studies of their implementation. I highly recommend this book to families interested in finding out what critters might be living under logs or in ponds at their local parks and throughout our state.

Awsome
This book is so amazing.the detail of the work done by the authors can really be seen when reading and using this book.

Great on many levels
I really like this book. It has all the usual field guide info, such as descriptions, habits and habitats, status and distributions. The color photo section in the middle pictures each NY herp. There is a black and white range map for each animal as well. But what I like best is the clear and engaging style in which the book is written. Though this is a totally professional book, they take the trouble to answer such burning questions on the mind of the average reader as: are there really alligators in NYC sewers? (No, but there are snapping turtles.) Other "boxes" (sort of like 'asides') cover subjects such as mysterious mudpuppy die-offs, changes in spotted salamander spotting patterns due to environmental toxins, milk snake myths (they do NOT seek nutrition from farmers' cows), and the unfortunate confusion between cottonmouths (which do not even occur in NYS) and watersnakes, which leads to many watersnake killings.
The species descriptions include the meaning and origin for the scientific name of each animal, a big plus for a logophile like me. And did you know that the term for a group of salamanders is a "congress"?
Here and there among the species accounts are "Other Intriguing Facts" sections, when relevant, on a wide variety of topics. Two examples are: how hypoxia triggers the hatching of A. opacum eggs, and the communal nests of Hemidactylium scutatum.
The book has 422 pages, of which the salamander section comprises 57, frogs and toads 46, turtles 56, and lizards and snakes 56. The book concludes with several chapters that deal with issues relevant to the herpetofauna of New York in general: threats, legal protections, conservation, and even some New York amphibian and reptile folklore.
I think this is a wonderful book. As a fan of caudates, I devoured the salamander section, but as for the rest, I'm not really interested in frogs; I find their whole life cycle too complex and disturbing, and their extensive metamorphosis is the stuff of horror movies. To me, turtles are in the same class as human children: poop machines with cute faces and I don't want any. Although for that matter, hedgehogs and rabbits can be described this way as well, but turtles won't chew your baseboards. But I digress. My point is that this book is such a pleasurable read that despite my anurophobia, I perused much of the frog, and turtle sections as well. The reptile section required no prodding as I have snakes and a lizard.

And isn't that a wonderful picture on the cover!

An excellent guide
Its strategic location on the outskirts of formerly glaciated areas, but with the moderating climatic influence of the sea along the coast, as well as vast areas of mountainous terrain cloaked in rich deciduous forests, makes the state of New York an incredible hotbed of herpetological diversity, including some very rare and unusual species. In this beautifully composed guide, each and every one of these is described in detailed accounts accompanied by absolutely stunning color photos which almost seem to come alive before your eyes. The hardcover edition is of superb quality with leather binding and sewn pages, and is rather expensive but well worth the price. The size of the book is small enough to make it useful for taking into the field, although it might be best left on the shelf to preserve its quality! Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
For the first time in over 100 years, this choral classic is now available in an easy-to-read octavo format for the vocalist. This brilliant edition includes German text with singable English translation, vocal cues, literal translations and an IPA transcription of the German text. The Conductor/Piano Score is available separately. ... Read more