Customer Reviews (5)

Don't waste your time.
A much better title for this book would have been "Interesting Financial Concepts That Hopefully Some Other Book Will Teach You"

As an engineer, I saw this as a very shallow treatment of Chaos Theory that will do NOTHING for those who actually wish to apply it to financial markets. Chapter after chapter poses questions to the reader but fails do deliver the answers. One can only assume that the few diagrams and examples presented are not explained because the author just does not fully understand them.

The reviewer who claims that the book was a good starting point may have been partially right. It asks so many questions that now I must find a text with at least one or two answers.

worthless, overpriced
Although math is mentioned in the desciption, you won't find any in this book. This book is written for junior high school economics students who have never heard the terms chaos or fuzzy logic before. With a background in non-linear dynamics, I found this text insulting for its price. Application of the current trendy concepts to any market whatsoever was completely lacking. It is essentially a 300+ page version of Webster's dictionary definition of chaos. For the amount of information present in this book, it should be priced in the five to ten dollar range.

Compendium of Slide Projector Chapters
Something of a disappointment. There is almost nothing of a truly technical nature. A lot of chalk board drawings but nothing you can feed to a computer to test any ideas. It would have been worth the price if it had included a few real world models, perhaps implemented as spreadsheets. Otherwise, it's just a b-r-o-a-d overview. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance   2. Chaotic Behavior in Systems   3. Finance   4. Fractals   5. Fuzzy logic   6. Investment Finance   7. Investments   8. Investments & Securities - General   9. Mathematics   10. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities   

Customer Reviews (83)

The Return of Solo
Well, the New Jedi Order keeps on truckin' and so far it doesn't seem to be running out of steam. While not as good as the Dark Tide series, I'm still having the most fun reading Star Wars since Heir To the Empire came out! This new installment features Han like we all love him, gambler, scoundrel, and master pilot. After all the pathos Han's been going through since Vector Prime, I was pleasantly surprised to find this book brimming with humor, most of it from the interaction between our smuggler and his new Ryn buddy, Droma.

Also interesting is the reappearance of Vergere, the Jedi that Obi-Wan and Anakin (Skywalker, not Solo :) were serching for in Rouge Planet. I hope more comes out of this storyline in the future. I mean, wouldn't it be great if Vergere could hook up with Luke and tell him about the Jedi of old and how his father was as a kid? Great possibilities!

James Luceno does a bang up job continuing the series and I, for one, can't wait to see what he puts Han, Droma and the gang though in the next installment.

Essentially, this is a book about Han Solo.
The last couple of New Jedi Order books, which were the Dark Tide duology, focused mainly on the various Jedi. So it makes sense in a way that this book is mostly about Han Solo, since he was pretty much ignored in those two books. After Chewbacca's memorial service on the Wookie home planet, Kashyyk, the Solo family returns to Coruscant, where Han runs into Roa, an old buddy from his smuggling days. Desperate to avenge Chewie's death, he agrees to go off with Roa in search of a mercenary band working for the Yuuzhan Vong. At the same time, the Vong allow a New Republic ship to capture one of their priestesses, Elan, and her "familiar," Vergere, a creature that is certainly not a Vong but not any other recognized species either. Elan and Vergere are supposed to pose as defectors so they can arrange a meeting with the Jedi, during which Elan will unleash a disease. Although the outcome was somewhat predictable, quite a few of the twists and turns along the way were anything but predictable. This is another five star book from the New Jedi Order series. I just started Jedi Eclipse (the sequaL), and it's sure to be great as well.

ZZZZZZZ - a real sleeper
Forget Nodoze man... just read this!! This is James Luceno's first star wars book, and I have to give him a little slack just because he is new. However... He failed to capture the tone, and the general overall feel of the series that the other authors had created. Although discriptive with his words, he doesn't use them to capture a scene... he just uses them to be discriptive. Text books do the same thing. Although he did try to do some funky stuffs wuth his approach... like writing from Threepio's view at Chewie's funeral... he just doesn't pull it off. He doesn't advance the plot, or add to the charector at all; (this entire book is about Han.) And I don't know Han any better now than I did before. 350+ pages of total waste.
An A for effort. A failing grade overall. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction   2. Fiction - Science Fiction   3. Science Fiction   4. Science Fiction - Space Opera   5. Science Fiction - Star Wars   6. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Customer Reviews (94)

A definite must-read for every Christian
I have had many questions about the charismatic movement over the years, and MacArthur addresses them very completely and Biblically. He has also confirmed the observations that I have made. He does an excellent job of tackling a very difficult subject while doing it lovingly but without compromise of the Word of God. I am thankful for an authority on scripture and orthodox Christianity to address these issues for me using the Word of God.

The book is admittedly somewhat academic-looking. Almost every page exhibits footnotes. But this is because MacArthur relies little on anecdotal evidence but primarily on the writings and speakings of the leaders of the charismatic movement themselves, and references every one. And it is very eye-opening.

The book not only addressed my questions on the charismatic movement, but was also very educational about things such as the canonization of scripture, the revelation of the new testament age, and the history of the early church.

The latest movement among charismatics seems to be the appearance of self-proclaimed "apostles" who do not meet the definition of a new testament apostle, but seem to be given unusually great authority by local church bodies as if they were. I hope that MacArthur addresses this issue more directly in a new edition.

This is solid Bible teaching that every believer needs to be aware of today.

Poison
Just more propaganda and faulty logic. I don't see him having any healings or revivals in his church, maybe some self examination would be a wise idea instead of badmouthing other believers and trying to make them look foolish.

instilling more doubt, unbelief, fear and skepticism
Another book used to bring more division into the Body of Christ.

Thanks a lot, Mr. MacArthur!!

We need unity NOT division!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Theology - Soteriology   2. Pentecostalism   3. Religion   4. Religion - General   

Customer Reviews (18)

5th Book in a Very Good Series
In all probability, people who read the first of the Death Gate Cycle books and like it, are going to want to read all of the books in the series (regardless of any flucutation in the individual books' ratings). Ditto for the reverse: if people don't like the first book, then they're probably not going to want to read any of the other books in the series. Thus, instead of individual book ratings, I've rated the whole series and given a short blurb on any specifics for each book.

Overall, this is a very good series. The authors were amazingly creative in coming up with this concept and the books are well-written, extremely interesting, and internally consistent (mostly -- see below for some exceptions). I highly recommend this series of books for everyone. My comments for the indidual books follow:

Vol. 1 -- Dragon Wing: This book covers the exploration of Arianus: the realm of Air. It introduces us to the two main characters (Haplo and Alfred) and many of the recurring characters throughout the series. It's a well-paced, well-written book that's an excellent reresentation of what to expect in most of the rest of the series. Essentially, if you like this book, you'll like the other six books. If you don't like this book, then there's no sense in reading any of the others.

Vol. 2 -- Elven Star: This book covers the exploration of Pryan: the realm of Fire. Alfred is entirely missing from this book, and Haplo isn't really the centerpiece. Instead, the book is mostly written from the perspective of the mensch and of the newly introduced (and recurring) Zifnab. The one possible weakness in the book is that Weis/Hickman wrote it such that the structure of Pryan itself is more of a mystery than Arianus was in the first book.

Vol. 3 -- Fire Sea: This book covers the exploration of Abarrach: the realm of Stone. Once again, both Haplo and Alfred are present. The characters and areas presented in this book are key elements for the entire series. An interesting book, but not a very happy one at all.

Vol. 4 -- Serpent Mage: This book covers the exploration of Chelestra: the realm of Water. Both Alfred and Haplo are on this world. But, for the most part, they follow separate plot lines. There's a lot of action taking place throughout the book and Weis/Hickman introduce some actual Sartan (besides Alfred). They also bring in an ancient evil to balance the ancient good introduced in the previous book. The most irritating thing about this book is that it ends in a cliff-hanger. The previous books tied up their worlds' activities fairly nicely. Not so in this book. It ends at a very inconvenient spot.

Vol. 5 -- Hand of Chaos: This book returns Haplo to Arianus and the people he met there earlier. Whereas the first four books of the series cover the exploration of the four realms, this book starts the synthesis of the various threads from those books into a movement towards closure. It's a good book, but, unfortunately, it doesn't do anything with Alfred. The previous book left Alfred heading towards a bad end. This book doesn't do anything with that. So, while reading the book, you constantly have this little voice in the back of your mind going "what's happening with Alfred?" Irritating.

Vol. 6 -- Into the Labyrinth: This book ranges across just about all of the worlds of the Death Gate. It brings all of the various threads from the other books to a head. Most importantly, it finally does something with Alfred. The unfortunate thing about this book is that it contains a lot of technical errors (or, more specifically, contradictions). For instance, in Dragon Wing, we're told that a person needs to be familiar with an area to use a transportation spell to get to that area. Yet, very close to the beginning of the book, one of the characters uses such a spell without ever having been to her target location. There are also several instances where the characters COULD have used such a spell, but don't. Likewise, there are problems with replication spells. In Fire Sea, Haplo and Alfred use such a spell to replicate enough food for a large group of people. Yet, in this book, no one seems to consider using a replication spell to produce more of some food. But, later on, those same people are using that same spell to replicate weapons. Plus, at one point, Xar uses a spell to just materialize both food and drink for a party. But, if such a thing is possible, why do the Patryns hunt and, apparently, farm in the Labyrinth? Also, the size of the Labyrinth seems wrong. From the previous books, it's taken hundreds (if not thousands) of years for various Patryns to traverse the hundreds of Gates in the Labryrinth. Yet, in this book, from the very beginning of the Labyrinth they can see the results of things happening at the Final Gate. There's also the problem of how people at the center of the Labyrinth would know anything about the Final Gate.

Vol. 7 -- Seventh Gate: This is the conclusion of the Death Gate series. Unforunately, I didn't much care for it. Basically, it comes across as being pretty sappy. All of a sudden, Haplo and Alfred are best buds and want to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. Most of the various threads are tied up adequately (if not very satifyingly). But, the sudden push towards liberal "peace, love, and harmony" is trite. Of the seven books in this series, this one is the least good. Once again, I didn't much care for the tone of this book. But, since it adequatly ties up most everything that needed tying up, I'm not going to downgrade the whole series because of that.

A good book; needs to be read in context of the series.
This book, being the fifth in a series of seven, has the unlucky duty of acting as a "bridge". As such, it starts a little slow and never quite gets up to speed. The book also comes on the heels of a tough act to follow, Serpent Mage, volume four in the series, which is an outstanding book. Although much of 'The Hand of Chaos' is made up of "filler" material, there are some redeeming qualities. Hugh the Hand's character is revisited and developed, which in my opinion makes the book. Haplo's low-profile in the book, as well as the absence of Alfred the Sartan, leave the burden on Hugh. 'The Hand of Chaos' is a good book but it does not quite match up to the level of first four books in the series.

SO REAL! (Is it prophecy?Historical fiction?)
This is probably the best series of books I have ever read (I haven't read Tolkien yet. I KNOW, I'm sorry!). I just cannot say enough good things about this book series. I literally read it 3 times through, and each time I can relate to a different character and come to see it from their perspective.

The way that Tracy and Margaret bring the characters to life significantly contributes to the reason this series of books is so great. By the end of the 1st book, Hugh the Hand (Best Assassin in the world), Alfred(Sartan Mage), Haplo(Patryn Mage), Bane(son of most powerful human mage alive), and the rest of the characters have almost come to life in your mind.

If you're going to read Fantasy(Or SciFi) start with this! The sense of depth these books have to them makes you wonder if it's actually historical fiction that Margaret and Tracy are writing about and the index each book has is absolutely amazing. Whenever you're confused about something the characters are making reference to (or if you 'missed' [skipped, lol] the part when the character's were discussing it) you can simply look it up in the back index and you'll understand it better than you would have just reading straight through. (THEY EVEN HAVE DIAGRAMS OF EVERYTHING!)

Margaret and Tracy together are unparalleled writers equal to only a few such as Tolkien, Piers Anthony, Knaak, Louis Lamour(SP?) and the like.

I won't be suprised when this series becomes the next movie series. Except for the fact that since the book's environs are so diverse (they 'literally' create whole worlds with flora and fauna and a whole system of language [actually I think it might be latin]) the movie industry right now might not be up to it.

Finally, if you're worried about it being too advanced or too intellectual, don't. The characters are incredably deep, but like real people, are revealed to you slowly through the actions they take and throughout the series, so you're not overwhelmed all at once.

All the books are great, and I will read the series a 4th, 5th, and maybe a 6th time. Although one of the middle books does drag a little because it's mostly about the humans, dwarves, and elves (Mensch: Patryn/Sartan(Magus) word for humans, dwarves, and elves or anyone else who doesn't live thousands of years). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fantasy - Epic   2. Fiction - Fantasy   3. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

Subjects:  1. Computer Engineering   2. Computer Simulation   3. Deterministic chaos   4. Engineering - Electrical & Electronic   5. Fading   6. Mathematical models   7. Mobile communication systems   8. Networking - General   9. Radio   10. Science/Mathematics   11. Technology   12. Technology & Industrial Arts   13. Telecommunication (Engineering)   14. Telecommunications   15. Transmitters and transmission   16. Radio technology   17. Technology / Telecommunications   

Subjects:  1. 20th century   2. Americans   3. Biography   4. Chao, Evelina   5. China   6. Family & Relationships   7. Family / Parenting / Childbirth   8. Family Relationships   9. Family/Marriage   10. History   11. Mothers and daughters   12. Novelists, American   13. United States   

Subjects:  1. Chaos (Physics)   2. Chaotic behavior in systems   3. Hamiltonian systems   4. Science   5. Science/Mathematics   6. System Theory   7. Chaos theory   8. Science / General   

Customer Reviews (12)

Typos!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Betancourt seems only a few shadows removed from Zelazny's excellent prose, and this is a welcome addition to the Amber series. I highly look forward to the next book in the trilogy.
And I looked up the word 'thoroughly' in the dictionary to make sure I spelled it correctly. Someone should give the proofreader of this book a dictionary and a book on grammar. I agree with the other reviewer who found the numerous typos in this book annoying. There is even a typo on the jacket copy!
I have been a reader for most of my 50 years, and it seems more and more books have more and more typos as time goes by. I hope this is not a trend that will continue, or books 20 years from now will be totally incomprehensible!

Enjoyable addition to the series
I enjoyed this book. Betancourt's first Amber novel, "The Dawn of Amber" *was* different from Zelazny's works, and many of Oberon's family that Betancourt described were one dimensional creations who lacked depth. In his second Amber novel, "Chaos and Amber", the characters introduced have greater depth, and he develops those which were treated poorly in the first novel. The plot develops, but is also 'revealed' by some rather direct actions by Oberon (and an enemy who very nicely spills the beans and tells him what is going on). Betancourt's descriptions of Oberon's experiences in Chaos are great fun, and he is rather novel about Oberon's mishaps. In many ways, this book is very much a tale of Oberon's blunders and coming to terms with what is really going on with some inspired direct action (which I won't spoil). You can start to see some of Freda's foretelling that Oberon will challenge Dworkin in this book.

My major criticism of this work is that unlike Zelazny's novels, Betancourt feels the need to tell us what happened in the previous novel for about the first 50-100 pages. And to make it worse, nowhere on the cover does it say that this is the Second Novel of Three. So the publishers probably feel that the recapping is justified, but I don't. It's a waste of sapce. Secondly, I am beginning to feel that the story is being rushed - it could be drawn out a lot more.

The last 150 pages of the book shine, with Oberon driving the plot rather than being a passive player. I also liked the character development, as Betancourt fleshes out of a number of his brothers and sisters. We are given more description, and more information about their pasts. Suddenly Taine, Locke, Isadora etc become three dimensional characters which is great plus. (They were just names before) I like the transformation in Aber too - he goes from being the 'useful sidekick' to (well, I won't tell you, you'll have to read and see). Betancourt is definitely setting up Oberon to face off against his brothers and sisters, and against Chaos itself. I just hope Betancourt doesn't rush things in his third novel. For such a story arc, it's a real pity that he couldn't write it over five novels.

Plenty of information for us Amber Fans--but not Zelazny
After escaping an attack that nearly destroyed his family, Oberon wakes up in a near-shadow to Chaos. By the time he has fully recovered consciousness, his father has left for an audience with the king of Chaos and Oberon is left in the care of his brother, Aber. Oberon's magical talents are still developing but he knows that he has to do something--before the evil mage who holds one of his brothers captive destroys their family and all of their dreams.

Hunkered down together in a family palace, Oberon and Aber discuss family, demons, responses to the threat, and a bit of the history of Chaos and Shadows. Because the shadows are a relatively recent event. Although Chaos always cast shadows, these had been few and faint until a strange storm hit Chaos--and Oberon's father has been implicated in the storm and in the creation of shadows. Since the shadows appear to drain much of the magical energy from Chaos, Oberon's father is a distinctly unpopular man.

Roger Zelazny's original Amber series, especially the opening book, NINE PRINCES IN AMBER is a classic and author John Gregory Bethancourt's prequel series is an enjoyable addition to the universe which Zelazny created. But although Bethancourt introduces plenty of information and tells the story of leading to the creation of the great maze of Amber itself, for my tastes, CHAOS AND AMBER was too much talking and not enough action. More than half the book took place in a family palace inhabited by Oberon, Aber, assorted servants, and a door. In the second half, when things actually started to happen, Oberon was too much an observer rather than an actor.

True Amber fans will want to add this to their collection. If you aren't an Amber fan, you'll definitely want to start with the Zelazny originals. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fantasy   2. Fantasy - General   3. Fiction   4. Fiction - Fantasy   5. Science Fiction - Adventure   6. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

What do the Atlanta Braves, Microsoft, 3M, Nike, and Intel all have in common? According to Shona Brown and Kathleen Eisenhardt, authors of Competing on the Edge: Strategy as Structured Chaos, each of these organizations are predictably unpredictable. They're leaders not because of their ability to predict the course of their markets; rather, these companies have learned to embrace the notion of change. They're successful because they've learned to find that edge between structure and chaos that allows them to be innovative and creative, while maintaining just enough discipline to focus on executing a plan.

The authors contend that competing on the edge is not an efficient or predictable way to do business. Instead, it's learning how to adapt and lead in a business environment that's in a constant state of flux. "The underlying insight behind competing on the edge is that strategy is the result of a firm's organizing to change constantly and letting a semicoherent strategic direction emerge from that organization. In other words, it is about combining the two parts of strategy by simultaneously addressing where you want to go and how you are going to get there."

Brown and Eisenhardt offer dozens of examples of companies that are successfully and not so successfully finding that balance between anarchy and order. If, on the one hand, you feel like your company is bogged down by rules and bureaucracy or if,on the other, it seems like no one in your company knows exactly what they're doing, you'll find that Competing on the Edge is a valuable handbook for change. The book is clearly written, full of insight, and belongs on every manager's bookshelf. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Required reading for strategic managers.+
Andersen Consulting recently completed a study of the worldwide electronics systems industry. One of the key results reported in this study was that those companies that followed traditional approaches to strategy, collaboration, organization, and business processes (as currently taught in most MBA programs and espoused by some consultants), had decreased chances for success compared to those firms whose managers followed innovative approaches to strategic thinking and action. While some details of the innovative approaches were provided in the report, there was no unifying framework to aid managers and researchers in putting the findings in context-nor was there any basis for generalizing the findings to other industries. Competing on the Edge provides such a framework as well as the basis for extension to a wide variety of industries.

This book should be required reading for anyone who manages, does business with, invests in, or regulates--or plans to do so--firms in fast-moving environments.

The authors identify three key concepts to managing change on a continuous basis: managing on the edge of chaos, managing on the edge of time and time pacing. Each of these concepts is illustrated via the identification and explication of a series of "traps" that, should the managers fall in, result in their companies becoming non-competitors in their industries. The traps are, in turn, detailed by references to a set of disguised studies that form the underpinning for concepts, and brought to life by reference to reinterpreted information about a variety of organizations that have appeared in the business and popular press. One aspect of the book that managers, especially, should appreciate-for Brown and Eisenhardt strategic management does not mean strategy formulation alone; it also includes implementation

The book is eminently readable, with a scattering of side-bar boxes containing specific information on concepts raised in the text. The examples employed are nothing short of innovative--when is the last time you saw a management book that used the ecology of a prairie, caribou hunting and the Tour de France to illustrate points about strategy?

Competing on the Edge is an excellent way to acquaint practicing managers as well as students in MBA programs with the latest concepts for managing organizations in situations where rapid change is the norm. It will certainly be required reading for my graduate course on Strategic Analysis for High Technology Industries.

A great application of complexity theory to management.
This book is not about magic bullets. No slogans or easy fixes for managers in business. This is a book about the realities of business.

There are books out there that discuss complexity theory well but management poorly, and there are also books that discuss management well but complexity theory poorly. This book is an exception in the field because it does a very nice job of discussing both. It is the blend of these two topics that makes it a nice read and a change of pace from other management reading.

The book combines some very useful insights with examples that resonate with business people. It tries to explain how some disparate companies in different industries share some characteristics, and how those characteristics define their competitive success.

I do have to warn, though, it is not an altogether light read. Although it has light moments, such as decriptions of cool companies, the guts can be dense. The core of the book is based on extensive and serious academic research, and that is evident. This is a serious book for people who want to think about management problems where the solutions are not simple or obvious.

One of the authors is at Google's busines
Shona Brown is responsibile for Google's business operations from 2003 as new Vice President, following almost a decade consulting for McKinsey & Co. What strategy will she propose as a remedy to the bad behavior google-watch.org says her new employer is showing: "If we're NOT lucky, we will be uploading our websites to Google's servers soon, much like the bloggers do at blogger.com (which was bought by Google in 2003). It would mean the end of the web as we know it. On the other hand, if we're lucky, one of the other three search companies will soon offer some competition.

Why? Because it collects your IP address, the time and date, your search terms, your browser configuration, and the cookie ID for your every step (read: search) Google is a privacy time bomb with 200 million searches per day, most from outside the U.S. It is able to access all their users' information because Google has no user-data Retention policy, and when the New York Times (2002-11-28) asked Sergey Brin about whether Google ever gets subpoenaed for this information, Brin had no comment.

The only way a webmaster can avoid having his site cached on Google is to put a "noarchive" meta in the header of every page on his site. Surfers like the cache, but webmasters don't. (Many webmasters have deleted questionable material from their sites, only to discover later that the problem pages live merrily on in Google's cache).
The cache copy should be "opt-in" for webmasters, not "opt-out."
By now Google enjoys a 75 percent monopoly for all external referrals to most websites. Webmasters cannot avoid seeking Google's approval these days, assuming they want to increase traffic to their site.
There are no detailed, published standards issued by Google, and there is no appeal process for penalized sites. Google is completely unaccountable. Most of the time Google doesn't even answer email from webmasters.

Worse yet, Google's toolbar updates to new versions quietly, and without asking. This means that if you have the toolbar installed, Google essentially has complete access to your hard disk every time you connect to Google (which is many times a day). Most software vendors, and even Microsoft, ask if you'd like an updated version. But not Google. Any software that updates automatically presents a massive security risk. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Advertising & Promotion   2. Business & Economics   3. Business / Economics / Finance   4. Business/Economics   5. Competition   6. Entrepreneurship   7. Management - General   8. Organization Development   9. Organizational change   10. Strategic Planning   

Customer Reviews (13)

The Most Influential Book I've Ever Read
I am 16 years old and after reading this book, I know that I want to be a scientist. This is a great book that explains concepts that I've always wanted to understand. Even though the book covers some complicated topics, it is written in a style that is fun to read. The author seems to be really enthusiastic about science and his enthusiasm comes through in the book. I even emailed the author a question and he was kind enough to respond to me. I recommend this book to every teenager who thinks that they might be interested in pursuing science or math.

Every page will make you think...
I have to strongly disagree with the previous reviewer ("A reader from USA"). While this book covers a tremendous amount of material (over 500 pages, I think), the author manages to give you the intuitive explanation, the meaty equations underneath, figures and text to explain every part of the equations, and source code for simulations. I know of no other book that explains things so thoroughly.

To be honest, this is a book that will make you think at every page. But you can't read this book without thinking. If you are a good match for this book, you will use it for years. It is complex, subtle, beautiful, and intricate.

If you really need more information, type in the author's name or the book title into yahoo. That will take you to the web page. There, you can read book excerpts, reviews, and the glossary. Then make your own decision.

21st Century Science
Flakes brings together some of the best science of the late 20th Century that will have tremendous impacts far into this century. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - General Information   2. Computer Books: General   3. Computer Science   4. Computer Simulation   5. Computers   6. Programming - General   7. Computers / Computer Science   

Customer Reviews (6)

This book changed the way I work
In hindsight, the author's advice seems like obvious common sense tips. But that's the way all great ideas work: once discovered, you can't imagine how you didn't think of that before.

I've loaned the book out to several co-workers and friends, but none of them have opened up the book, so their lives remain chaotic. Buy the book. And read it. You'll be glad you did.

Prior to reading this book I had stacks of paper and files scattered around my office, and dozens of to-do items scribbled in three different notebooks and on scraps of paper. I work hard but I never felt productive because I was aware of all of those action items around me that I wasn't finding the time or energy to get to.

After reading the book, my desk is clean, my floor is clear of stacks of "stuff", and there's a set of trays on my desk that gets cleaned out in a methodical manner. When I'm not at work, I'm not thinking of the hundred things I need to get accomplished the next day, because I have a plan in place. All thanks to the book.

The author's cockpit idea is brilliant, and I'm in the process of trying to apply that idea to my garage and my kitchen at home. I'm confident that this books will allow me to bring Order to those chaotic spots just like it did for my office.

One side note: the author spends a few pages towards the back of the book trying to sell you her planners. You might benefit from those planners, but you can adopt most of the author's tips and tricks using standard Franklin or Day-Timer planners instead.

Finally A Really Helpful Organization Book
I have read a lot of getting organized books but this is definitely the best one. It has so much in it that I have read through it many times. I have also underlined important info as well as writing the main points down on my computer. This is helpful for the home as well as the office. I highly recommend it.

All the basics in an easy read
I've read several time management and organizing books, and I started this one thinking I'd just get the same thing in a different form. I was pleasantly surprised! We were not talked down to about how our spiritual energy is being drained or how our psychological well being is being damaged, the author views organizing as practical and necessary for good business. There are several little suggestions in this book I had not heard before or had not thought of myself, and they will be very helpful to me. There's so much to gain from such an inexpensive item. Buy it and use it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Business / Economics / Finance   3. Business Life - General   4. Business/Economics   5. General   6. Office management   7. Organizational Behavior   8. Self-management (Psychology)   9. Time management   10. Self-Help / General   

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Espionage   3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)   4. Computer viruses   5. Fiction   6. High schools   7. Juvenile Fiction   8. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories   9. School & Education   10. Schools   11. Social Situations - Adolescence   12. Spies   13. Suspense/Thriller   14. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Subjects:  1. Chaos Theory (Mathematics)   2. Chaotic behavior in systems   3. Mechanics - Dynamics - General   4. Nonlinear systems   5. Science   6. Science/Mathematics   7. System Theory   8. Chaos theory   9. Classical mechanics   10. Science / System Theory   

Subjects:  1. Chaotic Behavior in Systems   2. Physics   3. Quantum Theory   4. Science   5. Science/Mathematics   

Customer Reviews (46)

True to Asimov form. Good addition to series.
Unlike Foundation's Fear (the first book in the new Foundation trilogy), I can categorically recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Foundation saga started by Isaac Asimov. Granted, you have to read Foundation's Fear to really get the full benefit from this book - but this story was told in a much better fashion and one that, in my opinion, was more true to the Asimov mold of writing and thinking. (In fact, a few times it was easy for me to forget that this was not vintage Asimov.)

The story is very well fleshed-out and the plot (and plotting) are excellent, including the political aspects. (After all, Hari Seldon always operated in the sphere of the political regime). I highly recommend it. It makes slogging my way through the first book in the new trilogy (which I was not as thrilled with) well worth the effort. Foundation and Chaos also ties in very nicely with the events from the Part I section of the original 1951 Foundation novel and fills in a lot of gaps as well as keeping the wonderful Robots-Foundation combination story going. We also get a little taste of what the events in Asimov's Foundation and Earth foreshadowed.

Bear's Foundation and Chaos
The Foundation series of the late Isaac Asimov and its continuation by Brin and Bear is a work of Creative Geniuses, the modern analogue of the classic Shakespeare. Ethical and moral issues abound similar to the current debates about clones and automation. Psychological and social issues abound including the relationship between the living and the mechanical, between the material and the spiritual at a much more fundamental level than emerges from most science fiction movies. The great physicist Roger Penrose (see my reviews of his books - he is one of the world's greatest physicists) has written two volumes fairly recently on these types of issues. It is fascinating to ask, as this book does, what happens if the supposed laws of robotics, the assumptions "built in" to the computer, are violated. This is perhaps the most profound question of our times: what happens when you change a supposed axiom, as in non-Euclidean geometry (you get General Relativity). I still think that Bear and his colleagues will need to do more Foundation writing before they can match Asimov's level of genius, but so far they are doing very well indeed!

Asimov collections
Amazon should combine the books of a subject together so as to make ordering easier, in the same way you have combined lists. For eg. all of Robot books of Asimov in onr orderable quantity and the foundation series in another. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction   2. Fiction - Science Fiction   3. Science Fiction   4. Science Fiction - General   5. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Customer Reviews (4)

An Oldie but a Goodie
I just read this and two things stand out. First, there are some things that really never change, and as a result, Peters makes a huge impact here.

On the other hand, this was written before the net, much of the new automation inventions and much of the new technology as well. So, you just have to adjust his words to fit today's business environment.

Now, for the book. What he says is common sense to many workers and managers alike, but is looked at in horror by upper management and CEOs. So many CEOs believe that if they don't have total control over everything, then they're "out of control" and thus, running a bad organization.

NOT TRUE. As Peters indicates, if you hire competent people and give them the tools they need to do their work, you'll likely be pleasantly surprised with the quality of work that comes from them. In other words, drive down the decision making and create an autonomous environment for employees and your organizational flexibility increases, your profits will rise and with the right measures, you will succeed.

This is a kind-of-classic that all business leaders should at least have read. However, I think books such as Built To Last and First, Break All The Rules are more up to date and have since developed newer, more relevant theories that apply to all industries.

Probably great if you haven't read Passion for Excellence
Tom Peters, with Passion for Excellence, has been a great inspiration for me to start all kinds of innovations in customer service (quite some years later I still got positive responses out of the market) and my organization back in the 80s. You could say he was my "guru". So, when Thriving on Chaos was published, I immediately purchased it and start reading it with high expectations. How unfortunate .... as I became quickly very disappointed (I was never able to finish it in total). It was too much of the same as in Passion for Excellence. Just different words to many of the same topics. A professional writer who wants to get more money out of you while not providing you with more knowledge. I stopped buying more books from Tom Peters and was for some time very hesitant buying other management books. Now, many years later, I sometimes go back to the book without all these emotions I had when I bought it. I have to admit there are many inspiring subjects in it, some of them better described than in Passion for Excellence. So my conclusion is that the book can be very helpful for people who need inspiration for change and innovation, even though it is already quite some years old and has nothing in it about todays subjects like the Web. But as I have started with Passion for Excellence, I will probably never be able to rate Thriving on Chaos as high as Passion for Excellence (five stars).

A fascinating book with Peters' exuberant, jazzy style!!
This book presents a strategy for meeting the uncertainty of the current competitive markets through creating customer responsiveness, pursuing fast-paced innovation, achieving flexibility by empowering people, learning to work in an environment of change, abandoning conventional wisdom, and the reconceiving of organizational systems. This is a fascinating book that has the distinct and unmistakable quality of Tom Peters' exuberant, jazzy style. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, author of Stern's SourceFinder Master Directory to HR and Management Information and Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance   2. Business/Economics   3. Entrepreneurship   4. Industrial management   5. Management - General   6. United States   7. Business & Economics / General   

Subjects:  1. Cancer   2. Cancer Radiotherapy   3. Head   4. Head And Neck Cancer   5. Medical   6. Medical / Nursing   7. Neck   8. Oncology   9. Otolaryngology   10. Radiology   11. Radiotherapy   

In The Mother Trip, her follow-up to the cult classic, The Hip Mama Survival Guide, Ariel Gore offers the kind of down-to-earth, truthful mothering conversations that you'd expect to have with a best girlfriend. In this collection of essays--some lasting one page, some stretching to five--Gore deftly spotlights the messy corners of motherhood: sleeplessness, depression, weird pregnancy dreams, the restless hunger for creativity, and the passionate love of children. This is comforting turf, especially for mothers who have felt patronized and bored by the numerous advice-laden mothering manuals on the market. Gore mixes straight talk with dreamier musings, using sensual details and thoughtful subtext to illuminate the spirituality of motherhood. (Her essay about being 19, pregnant, and living with a transient boyfriend in Italy is a masterfully crafted gem.) A sexy, political, and highly conscious mother who refuses to diminish herself, Gore is one of the best mothering role models to show up on the written page. In the essay "Children Need Interesting Mothers," she writes,

We need time to ourselves, moments of awareness, connections, meaningful work. We need cheap art, good sex, nights at the bowling alley and days at the beach. We need good coffee, hearty meals, lush gardens and time to relax and enjoy our lives without worrying so much that we are good enough mothers or skinny enough girlfriends or wives. We need to take care of ourselves so that we can mother our children soulfully and lead lives worth living.

Customer Reviews (35)

Like Aloe on a Sunburn
This book was like aloe on a sunburn for me. It earned a place in my diaper bag, so when my baby falls asleep and I have an extra five minutes in the car, I read an essay or two. I gather strength. Ariel Gore's essays are so true, like other hormonal (mama) readers, I have to cry. She is compassionate toward all of us, single, married, poor, hip or hippie. She doesn't have rules that bar us from her club. She encourages us to take care of ourselves, not just our children. I'm a single mom, and I have read lots of books about parenting, but none I treasure like this book. It stands alone. I recommend it as the best book I have read about mothering and discovering yourself, which is The Mother Trip.

From the Portland Mercury:
Ariel Gore consistently does right by moms. Longtime publisher of the witty Hip Mama magazine, her first book, Hip Mama Survival Guide, is more like an intelligent, animated conversation than a parenting guide. The reason? She's entirely, unfalteringly real. She's a 30-year-old, single mom, sure, but there's no way she'll be pigeonholed into being only that. More importantly, by being unfalteringly honest about her frustration and desires ("Explain to me why it is more socially acceptable to be the Air Force hack who drops cluster bombs on small countries than it is to be a mom who has a paying job,") she sends out a message: sometimes, you should send the kids with a friend and take a bath--and for god's sake, don't feel guilty about it. Makes sense, but when most books for parents preach mommy martyrdom, Ariel Gore's approach is like a hand reaching out to pull you from the quicksand of guilt. In The Mother Trip, Gore reinforces that idea through a series of gorgeously written, autobiographical essays. She simply explains parts of her life, from memories of being pregnant in Italy, to her own mother doing the "unacceptable" (marrying a Roman Catholic priest), to balancing her creativity and caring for her daughter. Gore never lies about her desires, her exhaustion, her fear, or her bewilderment; she lays it all out and wants to converse about it. The Mother Trip is a book about motherhood, life, and perseverance, but most of all, it's about self-actualization. Now go take a bath. You deserve it.

Not Quite What I Expected, But Enjoyable
I'm not sure what I thought I was getting when I bought the book. Maybe more of a "how-to" book with specific instructions on how to stay sane as mother (wouldn't that be nice?!). And while Ariel doesn't give you a "how-to" in steps, she does have some insightful advice on how to take care of yourself as a mother and how to set your own expectations of being a mother vs. what the world expects of you. She's a bit more liberal in her lifestyle than me, but her message about being a mother should speak to just about any mother at stage/style of life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Family & Relationships   2. Family / Parenting / Childbirth   3. Family/Marriage   4. Motherhood   5. Mothers   6. Parenting   7. Parenting - General   8. United States   

Customer Reviews (8)

Much more than a book
This CD gives almost two hours of video clips, mostly by Bruce Cryer with Rollin McCraty, who has done much of the research behind HeartMath and Alan Watkins and many others. Though the image is small and resolution poor, it is a great help to attend lectures by these outstanding personalities through this CD. [Bruce seems to use a predominantly left hand gesture in talking. I wonder if that would indicate more right-brain dominance. When he speaks about coherence, he tends to use both hands more often.] Key points are summarised in bigger power-point slides that help you to grasp what is being said. 6 relevant questions on the use of HeartMath and IQM (Inner Quality Management)are answered in video clips by many experts. In the "Tools" section, you get guided audio exercises on Freeze-Frame and Heart Lock-in, various forms for practising HeartMath skills and "Needs Assessment" on when to do what. Internet links are given to the HeartMath websites and for more case studies and a bibliography of 48 books. The section "Getting Coherent" gives you various textual tips on being a coherent: "you", "you as manager" and "your organization". "Deep Content" gives most of the book (first edition) in text. There is a search function for these two sections. In a revised edition, I hope the texts will be based on the new edition. If Doc Childre could also appear in the video clips, maybe playing some pieces of HeartMath music, together with all the other key HeartMath personnel, that would really enhance the heart feeling of appreciation.

Microsoft of Emotional Coherence
I have been recommending the first edition to friends in the field of management. The authors are admirable in their willingness to make a fair amount of revisions and expand on their book in less than than 2 years. Such is the speed of change! This is a very satisfying and useful book. It is interesting and easy to follow. Given many good reviews, including those for the first edition, I'll refrain from adding more praise or give any summary ideas. As Scott Shuster, the Founding Director of Business Week, has said well in the Foreword: "There is no limit to the potential of HeartMath because at root it is a simple, physical act: a mental formation, a thought with physical effects. It is neither philosophy, faith, nor belief. The essentially physical character of the practice enables its easy application across all the barriers that customarily divide humanity.... Within this potential universality lies HeartMath's immense promise: If everybody did this, what a wonderful world." It won't be surprising if HeartMath becomes as widely known and used as the Microsoft of the world of emotional coherence.

An important book
This is an important book. At some level we all know there must be a better way to be in the world. Quite simply this book, and the simple but powerful tools it provides, can help you to transform the quality of your life. It has for me.

The Freeze Frame tool, and its associated variants, can be applied quickly and easily in a wide variety of situations to improve one's performance, productivity and personal satisfaction. These tools are based on the simple fact that it takes only a minute to shift your focus and change your perceptions. From Chaos to Coherence invites you to see for yourself what such a shift in focus and perception can mean in terms of your ability to deal with stress effectively, enhance your creativity or improve your leadership abilities.

Whether you are an employee trying to cope with change and an increasingly demanding work environment, a middle manager who is trying to balance many conflicting forces, or an executive who is seeking to inspire excellent performance this book provides many valuable insights and practical, powerful tools. What's more these approaches have been tested and proven to be effective through careful research in many Fortune 500 companies, government agencies as well as many private businesses.

This is an important book because it presents a simple technique that is so fundamental and sound that I have trouble understanding why everyone isn't already using this approach.

The Freeze-Frame methodology is sure to provide a significant competitive advantage for those corporate leaders and managers who are interested in creating healthier and more productive environments in the information/internet age. God knows we need such approaches to help us keep pace with the demands and changes of our times.

I highly recommend this book, and the HeartMath tools and approach. Bruce, Doc and the staff at the Institute of HeartMath have done a great job in developing and bringing these approaches into the corporate arena. It is now up to us to use them to determine the fruits they can bear in our own lives. I encourage you to buy this book and try these tools and see for yourself what they can do to increase the quality of your life and the performance of you, your team, and your organization. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance   2. Leadership   3. Psychology   4. Self-Help   5. Stress Management   

Customer Reviews (3)

Very good for Physicists
The best book on chaos in Dynamical Systems for physicists: clear, well written, contains the right things and does not waste time treating less necessary sections on the subject. Particularly valuable is the part on Entropy, Information and strange attractors. A good choice is to use it together with V.I. Arnold's CM. Contains also a final part on connections between QM and chaos.

Good for physicists
A good introduction to chaos in dynamical systems for physicists. The emphasis is not on time-series analysis or nonlinear systems, but chaos in "physical" systems (in the sense of applications in physics). A good reading for undergrads in physics and maths. One of the best starters for getting deeper into chaos theory...

Destined to become the standard text of the field
An excellent text that is written in a very understandable and careful style. It gives the readers a good grasp of the fundamentals by emphasizing main ideas instead of harping on technical definitions. The bibliography at the end of the book is also a good source for readers who want to delve further into the technical literature. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chaotic Behavior in Systems   2. General   3. Physics   4. Science   5. Science/Mathematics   6. System Theory   7. Cybernetics & systems theory   8. Non-linear science   9. Science / General