Competitor Analysis In Financial Services

Book Description

This is the first comprehensive professional guide to the strategies and techniques of competitor analysis for the financial industry. It explains how to set up systems and models to identify and analyze competitors and their products. Practical in approach and international in coverage, is essential for all financial services professionals seeking a competitive advantage.

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Building Community: The Human Side of Work
George Manning , Kent Curtis , and Steve McMillen
Manufacturer: Whole Person Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Human Resources & Personnel Management | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Moral Literacy: Or How to Do the Right Thing

Ethics Across Cultures with PowerWeb: Ethics

Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases

ASIN: 1570252025

Book Description

Building Community is devoted to those who recognize that the human side of work has been lost after a decade of downsizing, restructuring, and reengineering. It offers a practical, hands-on approach to team-building strategies, group dynamics, and human motivation in the workplace. The book includes discussions of personal values, cultural diversity, and total quality management. Colorful analogies and interesting historical references, plus charts, lists, and planning guides make for enjoyable and productive reading.

Building Community: The Human Side of Work

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Building Community: The Human Side of Work
George Manning
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MU4MU2

Building neighborliness ... in a community on the lower east side of New York City;: A report of one year's work (Human relations monograph)

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Building neighborliness ... in a community on the lower east side of New York City;: A report of one year's work (Human relations monograph)
Mary Lois Beauchamp Lane
Manufacturer: New York University]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Interpersonal Relations | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007GQFU6

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Uniform Building Code, 1997, Volume 2
International Code Council
Manufacturer: International Conference of Building Official
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound

General | Law | Subjects | Books
General | Law | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Uniform Building Code 1997 (International Building Code)

ASIN: 188459090X

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Uniform Building Code 1997 Volume 2 Oregon A
Icbo
Manufacturer: ICBO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UG54VO

Book Description

Share the wonder of the ten great mysteries of 21st century astronomy -- with an astronomer as your guide!

Are we alone? What is the fate of the universe?
Is the inflationary big bang theory true? What is the universe really made of?
Compelling explanations for any educated reader -- even those with no science or math background!

Outside of religion, no human pursuit deals with deeper questions of existence than astronomy, and few areas of science compare in capturing the public imagination. Today, however, the pace of discovery is so rapid that even professional astronomers have difficulty staying current. In this book, an astronomer and award-winning, highly acclaimed teacher shares the ten deepest mysteries that motivate astronomy today -- from the quest for life outside Earth, to the ultimate fate of the universe. It's an awesome collection of mysteries, and Jeffrey Bennett explains each one with remarkable clarity, enabling any educated citizen to share in the wonder, no matter how little scientific or mathematics background they may have. Is there life elsewhere in our solar system? Where are the Sun's missing neutrinos? What does the universe look like? How do galaxies evolve? Are Earth-like planets common? What makes gamma-ray bursts? Is the inflationary big bang theory true? What is the universe made out of -- and what is its fate? Every mystery is framed with a story that draws upon history or an especially resonant metaphor, then explained in detail, but simply enough for those coming to astronomy for the first time.

A teacher and an author, Jeffrey Bennett has taught college courses in astronomy, physics, mathematics, and education, as well as writing introductory astronomy and general mathematics with Addison Wesley including: The Cosmic Perspective, The Cosmic Perspective-Brief, Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life, and Using and Understanding Mathematics.

Jeffrey Bennett earned a B.A. in biophysics from the University of California San Diego, and an M.S. and Ph.D in astrophysics from the University of Colorado. He served for two years as a Visiting Senior Scientist at NASA Headquarters, where he developed educational programs for the Hubble Space Telescope and other astronomical missions. He also led the creation of the Colorado Scale Model Solar System, a one to ten billion scale model of the solar system, and is now consulting with the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, the Smithsonian Institution, and NASA on a project to build similar scale models for the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and other locations around the world. He has recently begun writing science books for a popular audience and for children.

Customer Reviews:

Relative, easy read, yet much info to be had.......2002-09-29

This book is easy to read for an educated laymen, even if they do not have prior knowledge of the concepts being discussed. That being said this book contains a lot of information, some of it complex, but Bennett writes it in a very user friendly, almost story like fashion. The 10 mystery format of this book allows the book to dip into such topics as "Are we alone in the universe" and "How will the universe end" as well as more scientific questions dealing with neutrino's and Gamma Ray bursts (a very interesting topic).

Bennett does a great job at relating scientific theories and concepts in and across multiple chapters. He is also very careful to separate fact from theory. He does this while including enough information on the most widely held theory/theories to give the reader a complete picture on each topic. I think I will end up reading this book again, just to cement the wealth of knowledge contained in it. A whole book could be (and I'm sure has been) written about each of Bennet's 10 'mysteries'. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in space or cosmology.

Where we are. Where we're heading.......2002-01-16

This is a very interesting book that discusses where scientists are, and where they're heading, with unraveling some of the most pressing science questions of the day. It's fun to see how past discovers were made and how those discoveries shaped our understanding of the world.

On the Cosmic Horizon: Ten Great Mysteries for Third Millennium Astronomy

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On the Cosmic Horizon: Ten Great Mysteries for Third Millennium Astronomy
Jeffrey O. Bennett
Manufacturer: Benjamin Cummings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OU1M08

Book Description

The standard reference in occupational health and safety for over 50 years, the new Patty's presents for the first time a separation of industrial hygiene and toxicology topics, offering complete reorganization of the material into four volumes of clearly defined topic areas.

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Too Much of Wallace, Too Little of The Real Spice Islands!

a pleasant look at a fascinating place & person

A Good Introduction to Wallace and Indonesia

A wonderful, well written journal

An extremly interesting book on an area and an individual

The Spice Islands Voyage: The Quest for Alfred Wallace, the Man Who Shared Darwin's Discovery of Evolution
Timothy Severin
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Scientists | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
Organic | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books
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In Search of Genghis Khan: An Exhilarating Journey on Horseback across the Steppes of Mongolia

Archipelago : Islands of Indonesia

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ASIN: 0786705183

Amazon.com

No mere travelogue of palm-fringed beaches and photogenic natives, Tim Severin's The Spice Islands Voyage is a rewarding mix of historical biography, contemporary adventure travel, and firm (but not shrill) warnings for the future of this exotic East Indonesian island group. As he relates his experiences sailing the archipelago in an indigenous prahu, Severin brings to life both the lush, volcano-spawned isles and Alfred Wallace, the 19th-century British naturalist whose myriad travels here provide the blueprint for Severin's own journey. A shy, self-taught naturalist with a gift for intuitive leaps of genius, Wallace authored a groundbreaking essay (conceived and written in the Spice Islands) on natural selection--an essay his idol, Charles Darwin, may have "mined" for his own theory of evolution.

Now, 140 years later, Severin sets forth to see how the clear turquoise waters, teeming reefs, and wildly diverse animal life that entranced and inspired Wallace have fared. Searching out boldly feathered birds of paradise, graceful green sea turtles, blue-capped maleos, and black-crested macaques, he finds reason for both hope and despair. In some regions, a blend of traditional subsistence hunting and human ingenuity has allowed imperiled species to hold their own; in others, shortsighted greed is decimating one of the most varied plant and animal kingdoms on earth.

Well written, generously illustrated, and powerfully evocative, The Spice Islands Voyage opens a window onto a fascinating historical figure and the precarious state of the islands he loved. --Rebecca Gleason

Book Description

This remarkable account of Tim Severin's voyage to the Indonesian Archipelago in search of the island paradise that naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace had explored 140 years before him offers both the thrills of exotic adventure and the marvels of scientific discovery. In a replica of the boat that Wallace himself sailed to the Spice Islands and with Wallace's The Malay Archipelago as his guide, Severin travels to remote shores that still harbor such rare but fast-disappearing creatures as red birds of paradise, flying foxes, and bird-winged butterflies. Not only does he discover the now-endangered flora and fauna that Wallace recorded in his expeditions, he also pays due homage to his intrepid predecessor, the man who provided Darwin with the ideas and principles that changed forever the way we view nature and with him co-authored the theory of evolution.

Customer Reviews:

Too Much of Wallace, Too Little of The Real Spice Islands!.......2004-09-28

I bought this book to read about Maluku (the "Spice Islands"), one of my favourite regions in the World, but instead found myself reading far too much about the author's obsession with Alfred Wallace, whose voyages he is trying to follow.
While he does give a description of places few other recent travelogues cover, these places are always viewed through his expectations of them based on Wallace's book which was written back in the 19th century. He keeps mourning how the Moluccas are not the same today as they were described by Wallace - hey, can one expect any place to remain unchanged for 150 years?
I spent well over a year travelling around these islands myself, and really think they would deserve to be appreciated for what they are now - still a beautiful and fascinating region with a rich natural environment and incredibly friendly people - rather just being treated as a background to raving about a naturalist who visited them a century and a half ago!
A more sympathetic and insightful description of Maluku is Ambon: Island of Spices by Shirley Deane.

a pleasant look at a fascinating place & person.......2003-04-20

I read this book as part of preparation for teaching my ISLAND LIFE course, which examines the role of islands in ecology, conservation and biogeography. Although not, as other reviewers have pointed out, a scientific treatise, Severin's VOYAGE is a very nice way to "get into" both the ecology of an amazing part of the globe (southern Indonesia) and the life and work of the truly amazing Alfred Russell Wallace. While Severin can't refrain from some minor Darwin-bashing (Wallace, among MANY other contributions was the co-discoverer of Evolution by Natural Selection) he is much less nasty than some other popular authors, and (thank goodness) gets on with discussing both Wallace's travels in Malaysia and his own attempt to follow Wallace's path. This makes for both fun story-telling & some fascinating glimpses of a world that many of us will never get to see -tropical islands now all too endangered by the growth of modern "civilization". With his keen interest in boats & boat-building Severin takes us through the construction of the locally built craft that mimics the sort of boat that Wallace might have encountered more than 150 years ago & also discusses regional forms of navigation & seamanship. I passed the book on to my historian father & he was equally enthused. Overall a delightful read that will leave you hungry for more on Wallace & Wallacia

A Good Introduction to Wallace and Indonesia.......2003-02-23

Beginning naturalists like me need enjoyable, readable books such as this to help us learn about our field. I had been interested in Alfred Wallace from the time I first learned of him as the guy who thought up the theory of evolution and survival of the fittest at the same time as Darwin. I wanted more information and looked for a biography of Wallace. Someone suggested The Spice Islands Voyage instead of a traditional biography.

The first time I approached the book, I plunged in craving a biography and didn't get past chapter 3 because I felt bogged down by all Severin's detailed descriptions of boat building. I put the book down for over a year, unsatisfied, still wanting to know Wallace. I finally came back to the book with more realistic expectations, understanding that I would read not only about Wallace, but also about Severin's team's journey to retrace his footsteps. Once I began to read with more patience I was pleased with the book. I found out what I wanted to know about Wallace and got the bonus of learning a lot about Indonesia and sailing.

Severin is a traveling sailor-amateur naturalist-author, who is writing to appeal to a large audience, so I wouldn't expect a scholarly, scientific work. As an introduction to Wallace and Indonesia for someone who has a beginning interest, I feel the book is valuable. Most other complaints about the hardcover edition can probably be attributed to cost cutting measures in publication. Artwork that was almost certainly created in watercolors looses much of its pizzazz when displayed in black and white. Color photos cost less when grouped in the center pages, but are never as effective as they would be when integrated with the text. Multiple and detailed maps are another expense. College students often complain about the cost of textbooks for some of these very reasons. This is not a textbook, so I feel the readers should be willing to make allowances for cost.

It is clear that Severin is a fan of Wallace and aims to give him more recognition. To achieve this goal he does downplay Darwin a tad bit overmuch. To a naturalist reader already grounded in Darwin, this is no harm. To a reader from that wider audience approaching with perhaps a sailing interest in Indonesia, reading about Darwin for the first time, this may be a slightly unfair depiction. However I would rate the danger as only minimal. I was intrigued by Wallace when I began reading, and came away a full-fledged fan. I definitely recommend this book.

A wonderful, well written journal.......2002-02-21

I thought this book kept it's promise. It was part scientific, part historical, part travelogue. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5. I look forward to reading other books by Tim Severin. He has a deft way of braiding in adventure with history. He obviously spends a lot of time researching his material.

An extremly interesting book on an area and an individual.......1999-10-22

An extremly interesting review of the travels and work of Alfred Wallace who doesn't seem to have been given credit along with Darwin.Mr Severin seems to be adept in building historic boats and reconstructing the voyages. I found the pictures muddy and the maps not detailed enough.

The Spice Islands Voyage: the Quest for Alfred Wallace, the Man Who Shared Darwin's Discovery of Evolution

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The Spice Islands Voyage: the Quest for Alfred Wallace, the Man Who Shared Darwin's Discovery of Evolution
Timothy Severin
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Publishers Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0316646938

Customer Reviews:

wonderful!.......2007-03-25

I recieved this book from a friend who knows the author and I am SO glad I did. It was beautifully written and really portrays whats its like to grow up with you best friends. A adorable romance with heart-squeezing characters, Any Man's Son is one everyone should read, young or old. It is pretty much perfect. I will keep this book as long as I live and pass it on to my future children.

The Bottom of the Sea : A Poem Celebrating the Mystery of the Salt Waters, of the World in The life of Man, and the Challenge of the Seventy-one Percent of the Surface of the Earth to The Sovereignty of Any Flag at any time Since Adam and His Sons ...

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The Bottom of the Sea : A Poem Celebrating the Mystery of the Salt Waters, of the World in The life of Man, and the Challenge of the Seventy-one Percent of the Surface of the Earth to The Sovereignty of Any Flag at any time Since Adam and His Sons ...

Manufacturer: Dun & Bradstreet Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I1QRRG

Book Description

A startling account of an evil regime and one young man's efforts to defy it.

Twenty-eight-year-old James Mawdsley spent much of the past four years in grim Burmese prisons. The Iron Road is his story, and the story of the regime that jailed him, the way it jails, tortures, and kills hundreds of Burmese each day.

Mawdsley was working in New Zealand when he learned about the struggle of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese Nobel laureate who is under house arrest. Outraged, he went to Burma, staged a one-man protest, and was jailed.

There his own amazing story begins. He is tortured, interrogated, released, jailed again. He turns his incarceration into a contest of wits -- going on a hunger strike, toasting the year 2000 with a cigar and "prison champagne," and requesting "1 packet of freedom, 1 bunch human rights, and 2 bottles of democracy." At the same time, he asks himself: What leads those of us in peaceful democracies to ignore others' suffering, just because it is happening "over there," to "them"?

James Mawdsley is a hero in a generation said to lack heroism. The Iron Road -- named for a torture in which skin is scraped from bone with a piece of iron -- is an urgent call for an end to human rights abuses in Burma and is a keen analysis of the totalitarian mind-set. And it is the story, at once moving and terrifying, of how one person can further the cause of justice through sheer will and determination.

Customer Reviews:

The Iron Road is Well Worth Traveling!.......2002-10-23

I first heard of James Mawdsley when he was interviewed on the program Worldview on NPR.Even though I had only read one book in the last year and a half previous to hearing the NPR interview, the experiences he recounted and the ways in which he handled them touched me so much I wrote down the name of his book and put in my first order to Amazon.com. I bought this book bracing myself for a hard, serious read (I had never voulunarily ventured into the realm of non-fiction before.) This book captured my attention from the first paragraph and proved to be the furthest thing from a "hard read" - I couldn't put it down! It was: touching, enlightening, sad, inspirational, but most of all unexpectedly FUNNY at times (thanks to James's often self-depricating sense of humor and his evolving "what matters most" outlook on life.) I can not recommend this book enough! It has turned me into a lover of non-fiction and more importantly it has made me aware of human rights abuses that are going on in Burma right now!

taut and well written autobiography.......2002-08-17

In 1988 though her democratic political party won the national elections in a romp, the military refused to let go of power and instead placed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest, killed many of her supporters, and drove others into exile. When British citizen James Mawdsley learned about the incarceration of the Burmese Nobel Laureate, he became outraged. Mawdsley became a one-man band staging protests and distributing antigovernment paraphernalia and is finally arrested and sentenced for seventeen years for various crimes that will shock western sensitivities to learn the felonis he committed.

Mr. Mawdsley tells his story on why he chose an activist path to shake up more then just the Burmese government, but to wake up the western democracies. Most readers will have dual feelings about the author, as his fanatic behavior seems suicidal yet courageous making him a fascinating character. The autobiography is taut and well written, gripping the audience from start to finish and deserves a large readership as the lesson learned is don't sit passively by whining, take action even small steps matter.

Harriet Klausner

Book Description

A woman who went West with her husband in the 1840s must have expected hardships and privation, but during the 1940s, when Etta Koch stopped off in Big Bend with her young family and a 23-foot travel trailer in tow, she anticipated no more than a civilized camping trip between her old home in Ohio and a new one in Arizona. It was only when she found herself moving into an old rock house without plumbing or electricity in the new Big Bend National Park that Etta realized, "From the sheltered life of a city girl of moderate circumstances, I too would have to face the reality of frontier living."

In this book based on her journals and letters, Etta Koch and her daughter June Cooper Price chronicle their family's first years (1944-1946) in the Big Bend. Etta describes how her photographer husband Peter Koch became captivated by the region as a place for natural history filmmaking-and how she and their three young daughters slowly adapted to a pioneer lifestyle during his months' long absences on the photo-lecture circuit. In vivid, often humorous anecdotes, she describes making the rock house into a home, getting to know the Park Service personnel and other neighbors, coping with the local wildlife, and, most of all, learning to love the rugged landscape and the hardy individuals who call it home.

Customer Reviews:

Very Enjoyable.......2005-07-31

This book was a delightful walk through the past. It was a very enjoyable read and a wonderful opportunity to understand and appreciate life in the Big Bend during the 1940's. It was refreshing to read about the experiences of a family as average as my own,living in such unique circumstances. Their struggles and triumphs give a special insight into the lives of those who pioneered West Texas.

I'm probably being too hard on the book.......2005-01-07

This book was written about a pioneering woman named Etta Koch who lived in Big Bend and West Texas most of her adult life. Written by her and her daughter from diaries and faded memories, the book describes the West Texas life after World War II.

Unfortunately, the book contains mostly mundane anecdotes about day-to-day frontier life. While a little of this is essential, you never really get an understanding for the land and culture in Big Bend. Just when you encounter a poignant passage about say, flooding arroyos, it's interrupted by an immediate unrelated occurrence such as "I stopped to scratch an itch" or "Betsy started fidgeting in her seat".

Absent were the author's opinions such as "Big Bend could really use more protection/residents/industry/whatever". Instead you're given, "I'm afraid to have my kids wade in the water hole". It was frustrating.

great read.......2004-05-13

This book is a great read about the conditions in the Big Bend region of West Texas. Full of anecdotes and stories, the book is entertaining and amusing, as well as historical. I enjoyed the book enough to give it as a gift.

A Great way to be in the Big Bend without even going!.......2000-07-26

I could imagine myself walking alongside them as they went through some of their experiences. A great read!

An interesting view of early Big Bend History.......2000-06-19

It was interesting to experience the early Big Bend daysthrough one of the original pioneers. I altogether enjoyed it.

LIZARDS ON THE MANTEL, BURROS AT THE DOOR A BIG BEND MEMOIR

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LIZARDS ON THE MANTEL, BURROS AT THE DOOR A BIG BEND MEMOIR

Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H34W2C

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LIZARDS ON THE MANTEL, BURROS AT THE DOOR A BIG BEND MEMOIR
Etta and Price, June Cooper Koch
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORBG6G

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Not For Rent: Conversations with Creative Activists in the U.K.
Stacy Wakefield
Manufacturer: Evil Twin Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Political | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0971297290

Book Description

Interviews with squatters, road protesters, underground rave organizers, and kids who put on shows in collectively run spaces about how and why they want to create idealistic alternatives to mainstream consumerism.

Not for Rent: Conversations with Creative Activists in the U.K.

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Not for Rent: Conversations with Creative Activists in the U.K.
Stacy and Grrrt Wakefield
Manufacturer: Evil Twin Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GZZRMK

Amazon.com

Fleeing a generally bleak existence in Nicaragua, Yamileth shepherds her sister's children and her son Miguel over a treacherous route to California. She reaches Los Angeles in 1989 as the local economy sours and outcry against illegal immigrants like themselves swells. A Sandinista supporter who fought for a new life in Nicaragua, she is nonplussed by everyday violence in the U.S. Worries about the children, difficulty finding work, and the threat of deportation darken her dreams of a safe haven. Dianne Walta Hart, her unofficial American sponsor, weaves together Yamileth's words with commentary pointing up inevitable culture clashes. This is a rough-edged, authentic look at the marginal lives led by many illegal immigrants who live among us.

Book Description

Yamileth's own words. From start to finish, Undocumented in L.A.: An Immigrant's Story is testimonial literature at its best. This eye-opening work will show the reader the opposition and difficulties undocumented immigrants face in a nation that at first beckons them with freedom, then rejects them with unwelcoming borders and restrictive laws. Undocumented in L.A.: An Immigrant's Story is an excellent resource for courses in immigration, political science, and social and cultural studies.

Customer Reviews:

Unprofessional; Inaccessible.......2002-11-11

I was required to read this book for a course I'm currently taking in college. I have seldom seen such a sloppy, unprofessional, inaccessible work such as I did upon reading this particular work.

The content of the narrative itself is unremarkable; Hart recounts the tale of Yamileth and her family members, virtually all of whom are undocumented (a euphemism for 'illegal') immigrants in the United States.

I saw no compelling reasons whatsoever for the existence of this book. One of the hallmarks of documentary nonfiction is ostensibly objectivity, a professional detachment from the subject. There is none of that here. Hart is herself involved intimately with Yamileth's life, and liberally narrates her own actions throughout the course of the text. Hart's continued non-intervention (and in fact, implicit encouragement) of the numerous acts of illegal immigration throughout the text is unsettling, if not outright disturbing.

Hart maintains a unnecessarily loyal relationship with the oral history she performs; the salient narrative is presented entirely in extremely unnecessary quotation marks, apparently in an effort to bring about a sense of intimacy. This effort, unfortunately, fails miserably. I found the text immensely inaccessible, and the slavish devotion to verbatim dictation extremely off-putting. I saw no reason whatsoever for Hart's act of essentially presenting an annotated transcription of her interview. My only hypothesis would be laziness, but again, Hart's gratuitous editorial commentary appears to contradict that particular possibility.

Given the paucity of compelling subject matter (Yamileth's story is neither unique nor extraordinary), Hart deserves some measure of acknowledgement for not only writing this book, but also for getting it published.

Had Hart chosen a more objective, narrative format (The Autobiography of Malcolm X, another text I read in the same course, is a superb example), her message would have been vastly more credible, as well as entertaining to read. Hart's narrative seems forced; Hart's numerous editorial comments lend an air of artificiality, and give a sense of desperation, or 'padding the text,' if you will.

Hart lacks the academic credentials for conducting oral history projects, and this fact is readily evident throughout the text. The narrative is in fact extremely boring, as a great deal of text is wasted on the trivial details of Yamileth's daily life. Yamileth herself comes across as a strange character; many of the actions she takes throughout the text would very kindly be described as 'misguided' if not outright stupid. The greatest example of this is her decision to leave Oregon (where she had a satisfying job, and her son was truly happy), and return to live with her manipulative sister in Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, she is jobless and unhappy, and her son even more so. Perhaps even more confusing is her ultimate decision to return to Nicaragua, which in some senses proves to be even worse than Los Angeles. Yamileth comes across as consistently indecisive, as well as impractical. Her dithering would be acceptable were she only by herself, but her continued decisions to deny her son happiness and stability in life reek of irresponsibility, as well as juvenility.

In short, Yamileth doesn't know what she wants with life, and in her continued half-fulfilled plans she manages to drag her children down with her. Similarly, Hart doesn't know what she wants to do with this book. I in fact fail to see why anybody would read this out of their own volition. To anyone else taking the same class as I am now (I wish to remain anonymous, but suffice to say I attend a prestigious school in Northern California) - don't worry...it gets better from here on.

Yamileth: A Sojourner.......1999-12-21

I highly recommend this book. It is a joy to read the story of a Nicaraguan lady who makes a journey with members of her family. The destination is the U.S.; the length of stay is short term. As Yamileth will tell you, plans don't always come out the way they were intended. The heroine of the book is a woman, mother, and activist, who has strong family values supported by age old ideals, and who has the courage to live them. The best feature of "Undocumented in L.A." is that it is apolitical. The ideals to which Yamileth is commited and her ways of expressing them are delightful. Through her clear reasoning I was able to have a clearer understanding of the immigrant experience without all the media hype or the outragious editorialization. In the retelling of Yamileth's saga, we are also given an insider's view of foreign relations, inter-racial conflicts, and the divisions of labor in a household where all the occupants are "Undocumented in L. A." "For me the future is thinking about tomorrow and preparing yourself for it. The only heritage a parent can leave is the intellectual preparation of a child... An education allows them to fight for survival, wherever they go. No one can take away that inheritance."--one of Yamileth's values.

Better understanding of plight of illegal immigrants in U.S........1997-10-19

With government looking for ways to limit rights of immigrants in California, Dianne Walta Hart's newest book is very timely. Ms. Hart has culled her interviews with a Nicaraguan woman to tell the immigrant's side of the situation.

Ms. Hart's first book, Thanks to God and the Revolution: The Oral History of a Nicaraguan Family (1990) introduced 4 members of the Lopez family, who described their difficult life in Nicaragua during the revolution. Each family member presented his view of their attempts to survive in a society where employment is difficult to find and the life style is meager. The closeness of the Nicaraguans within their families and neighborhoods is a contrast to the American individualism.

Ten years later, Yamileth and her son Miguel are living as undocumented immigrants in L.A. Through the interviews, their difficulty of survival in a new land is apparent. Again, the close family ties and cultural values weigh heavily on the decisions to be made in their lives.

In T. Coraghessan Boyle's The Tortilla Curtain, the reader meets Mexical illegal immigrants who go to great lengths to find work and take care of themselves in a foreign land. One might discount these characters as fictional and idealized, but the true story Ms. Hart presents shows the actual extreme efforts made by hard working illegal aliens who wish to survive and to find a better life. The stories present people who will not eat a meal if they have not contributed or earned it; people who are honorable and will not always choose the easiest way. Decisions which seem plain to an American do not always fit with the cultural responsibility felt by a person from another country. This book helps one better understand the plight of illegal immigrants in the United States.

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