Managing and Organizations: An Introduction to Theory and Practice

Book Description

"It is an outstanding piece of work: no ordinary text, but a book bursting with attitude, that presents a compelling state-of-the-art overview of the big issues that confront managers today"
—Charles Harvey, Professor of Business History and Management

“Clegg, Kornberger and Pitsis have significantly raised the bar for designing introductory management textbooks from the learner’s perspective. These are clearly passionate teachers who wish to help students flourish in organizational surroundings and master the craft of management. For students beginning the management career trek, I’m confident that this book will become a trusted, well-worn text."
—David A.Whetten, Brigham Young University

“I intend on adopting this book for my courses and recommending it to my colleagues. Managing and Organizations is an important book that, in my judgment, is an exemplar of integrative thinking that should be required reading for all students of management, whether they pursue scholarship, pedagogy, or practice.”
—James Bailey, George Washington University & London Business School, U.K.

Managing and Organizations is a comprehensive, engaging, and accessible textbook that brings the most recent theoretical developments to bear on management practice, while explaining organizational and management issues from a practical standpoint. Vignettes from a variety of material, including films, novels, and newspapers illustrate key themes related to contemporary organizations and organization theory.

Key Features

• Offers a broad coverage of general management issues
• Provides an accessible introduction into core theories
• Describes the history of a topic as well as the current state of the art
• Offers further reading suggestions and learning checklists
• Utilizes maps, charts, images, and boxes as tools for learning and examining the material.
• Encourages students to critique and engage

The text is also supported by an instructor’s manual and an interactive website that provides additional material for teachers and students, including more cases, quick quizzes, short movies from renowned experts introducing students to main themes, as well as a free online reader of key journal articles that relate to the topics discussed.

Managing and Organizations will inspire, motivate, and encourage students of management, organizational behavior, and organization studies to learn and explore their subject of study with a keen interest.

Customer Reviews:

Managing in the era of Globalization.......2005-03-30

So as to respond to the exigencies of globalization, the world of managing, managers and management has substantially changed in the last two decades or so. While some say that management discourse is to be viewed from the post-modernist perspective; others argue that we are reverting back to basics of management. Market, competition, competencies, capacity building, culture, diversity, empowerment, teams, lean organizations are some of the buzz words in general management literature today. Managers' commitment in the new era is being tested not on the touchstone of loyalty to the owner or the organization, but on performance and sensitivity to the needs of the organization and other stakeholders. In the era of globalization, the general topics in the discipline of management are also changing. But not all general management textbooks have shifted their focus adequately from traditional functions to the contemporary ones. The book under review meets this demand of the subject quite well.
Some of the salient features of this interesting text are as follows: The coverage of topics is quite comprehensive and updated, including issues like organizational politics, cultures, knowledge and learning, innovation and change, managing strategy and managing globalization. Each chapter provides overview of theories involved in succinct and lucid manner including the contemporary developments in the subject concerned. The theories involved have been traced in terms of their historical development. Each chapter prescribes suggested additional readings, most of which are path-breaking works. A good bit of additional material is also available in the form of maps, images, charts, and boxes as tools for learning and examining the material. Above all, this text meets requirements of a well-written text. The reader finds the narration in a tremendous flow. The text is also supported by an instructor's manual and an interactive website that provides additional material for teachers and students, including more cases, quick quizzes, short movies from experts introducing students to main themes, as well as a free online reader of important journal articles that relate to the topics discussed.
Writing inspiring textbook is an art. Throughout the book the authors are aware of what is happening in various areas of management today. The authors rightly call it "a realist guide to management". They have also succeeded well at several places questioning the supposedly unquestionable; quite a postmodernist venture. Coherence is remarkable; rarely does the reader encounter patches of disinterest in the concepts being elaborated.

Debi S. Saini

MDI, Gurgaon, India

Book Description

American, African, European, and Middle Eastern (N = 420) technical professional employees of a multinational organization were surveyed to explore the relationship between perceived values congruence (PVC) and organizational commitment (OC). PVC was looked at as a function of fit between: (a) person s and organization s actual values and (b) organization s espoused and actual values. Four dimensions of values (ethics, people, change, and bottom line) and three components of OC (affective, continuance, and normative) were considered. The key findings of the study were: (a) PVC was related to OC; (b) the relationship was different for each component of OC and socio-cultural group; and (c) the regression models that described these relationships showed that each socio-cultural group was most strongly associated with a different dimension of values: change for Americans, bottom line for Africans, people for Europeans, and ethics for Middle Easterners.

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Book Description

This book is a reference book based on the contribution made by eminent scientists (toxicologists) from the leading laboratories of the world. This book includes discussions of toxins produced by microbes, particularly fungi and bacteria, their chemical characterization, mechanism of action at the cellular and molecular level and also exploitation of TOX genes for the management of insect pests, weeds and plant pathogens.

Customer Reviews:

Review taken from Microbiology Today; Vol 30, November 2003.......2003-12-05

This book contains a number of relativley specialized chapters concerned with microbial toxins. The book will be of particular use to courses in applied aspects of the subjects as there is a wealth of information on the use of low-molecular-wieght toxins in biological control processes. Although some of the chapters are relativley specialized in the interations they describe, the book as a whole provides a good overview of the current status of action an use of these agents.

Reviewed by Tim Mitchell, University of Glasgow, UK

Review from Plant Pathology (2003) 52, 114-117.......2003-04-24

"There is a good index... The book covers a wide range of subjects, including toxin chemistry, biochemistry, microbial and plant genetics and plant pathology. There is not enough space to write about all of the chapters, but having been through them all, they all look very good."

Advances in Microbial Toxin Research and Its Biotechnological Exploitation

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Advances in Microbial Toxin Research and Its Biotechnological Exploitation
R. K. (EDT) Upadhyay
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSH3NU

Book Description

Why We Lie The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind David Livingstone Smith 'Self-deception is one of the most powerful ideas in psychology and [this book] is an excellent synthesis of this crucial topic. The biology is up-to-date and accurate, the psychological implications are clearly worked out, and the writing is inviting and accessible.' -Steven Pinker, author of The Blank Slate ince our species first evolved, lying and deceit have been an integral part of our social existence. Now, for the first time, philosopher and evolutionary psychologist David Livingstone Smith elucidates the essential role that deception and self-deception have played in human evolution and shows that the very structure of our minds has been shaped by the need to deceive. Readers of Richard Dawkins and Steven Pinker will find this a fascinating book, which declares that our extraordinary ability to deceive others, and even deceive our own selves 'lies' at the heart of our humanity. 'Written with snap, panache, and the sort of insights that stop you in your tracks.' -Howard Bloom, author of Global Brain 'David Smith has pulled off a beaut. Why We Lie is a wonderfully blended cluster of arguments to support the painful truth that we are a species whose skill at deceiving others is matched only by our ability to deceive ourselves.' -Arthur S. Reber, author of The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology DAVID LIVINGSTONE SMITH is currently professor of philosophy and co-founder and director of the Institute for Cognitive Science and Evolutionary Psychology at the University of New England. He lives in Scarborough, Maine. Science 0-312-31039-0 $24.95 $36.95 Canadian 51/2" x 81/4" / 256 pages July

Customer Reviews:

Scientific Approach.......2007-06-07

This book described exactly what its title claims. It methodically analyzes how we tend to operate on two levels with a clear and direct writing style. There is a whole unconscious level of communication that is more honest but less admitted in most of our interactions. Smith explains how this has supported our survival over time. Personally, I'm more interested in becoming more conscious of those processes, but the book only peripherally addresses increasing our awareness.

How to Make Friends and Influence People .......2007-03-23

Now here's a familiar scenario: when I was growing up, my parents, teachers and other such authority figures every now and then found it fit to scold me for lying -- and made it sound like a character flaw, a fearful sin. Of course, they were absolutely right and managed to pass on a very valuable lesson: if you want to survive in this world, you've got to cheat in a way that makes you sound/appear totally honest!

And here is a book that can teach you everything you need to know about the origins, mechanisms and usefulness of lying to ourselves and each other. Far from being a morally dubious trait in some "bad" people, it turns out that this is one of our most vital survival strategies.

Smith makes some very important contributions to the understanding of our minds from an evolutionary point of view. He convincingly portrays social life as a highly competitive system, and our cooperation with others as a form of allegiance against competitors/enemies. But because it is so difficult and draining to make reliable friends and influence the right people (as you might have noticed after any cocktail party or family gathering), our brains have evolved mechanisms to do most of the job unconsciously, while we merrily engage in (mostly elevating) self-deception and apparently boring small-talk.

In fact, recovering some of Freud's most enlightening hypotheses, Smith (along with many other evolutionists quoted in his book) argues that our conscious mind is not at all responsible for making decisions: "only results become conscious". We're like the user-friendly computer screen, as opposed to the hard disk, where all the real important information gets processed. Which means that what's going on even in our yapping heads is not really under our "control" -- at best we are informed of the final verdict (though we actually tend to be given false information by our unconscious!).
This split between conscious and unconscious, Smith argues, actually helps us blissfully cheat and manipulate each other without noticing it (thus avoiding unnecessary and possibly violent conflict) -- except when we, all too often, betray ourselves. The book is full of witty and convincing examples of situations in which the gap between our real but unconscious opinions/intentions and our fake but morally/socially acceptable actions becomes visible.

With all this social poker taking place on a daily basis, it becomes clear that society itself is mainly sustained by lies and deception, from religion through the judicial system to elections -- like a collective hallucination. (Which would really explain why politicians, celebrities, the media, schools, etc can come up with the greatest imaginable nonsense without anyone feeling particularly insulted -- it's just normal, after all.)

Thus, Smith's book may lead to two basic conclusions:
1) Either you are totally honest with yourself (if this were possible at all) and must therefore bluntly and unashamedly lie to others;
2) Or, far more likely, you mostly deceive yourself about your true opinions/intentions, in order to keep the conviction that you can be totally honest with others (just like mum and dad and all the other grown-ups taught us).

In any case, reading Why We Lie might give you some valuable hints about how to go on participating in this farce called life -- and enjoy the brief moments of enlightenment that may follow, once we understand that we are swimming in a sea of fables... starting with our own minds.

I never lie...........2006-07-01

Reading the LA paper tonight on the Star Jones /Barbara Walters lie/truth/lie things....bored.. I was reminded of this book and pulled it from my shelf and reacquainted myself with the text. On some level I thought...is this for real or is it really a lie? No, just lying, I didn't. I really thought about the state of our world, journalism....
Actually what I thought was popular culture is so terrifically difficult for kids, I'm a teacher, to contextualize around the issue of lies or lying. Other reviews here give remarkably good insight into the content of the book. I will tell you why I, a school teacher, enjoyed the book. Practcally I wanted to understand the issue better. It's one thing to find yourself telling white lies to explain that Coach purse you snuck in for yourself for your birthday or participating in something like NCLB which seems embedded in bigger societal lying, but it's another issue altogether understanding the issue in children. From time to time a child perplexes me when using falsity as a coping mechanism,or in a situation where it seems so much a fabric of their particular interface caught between school culture and home culture-creation of lying seeming a way to cope- or simply let's say within my work I need a frame for understanding the issue. It happens I ran into the book at one of those times when a student seemed to use untruth to their own detriment.This was a child with many issues, anorexia, poverty, large family, extremely ill parent and I was feeling so sad both for the child and for how her coping was making it all so much harder. I really didn't get the answers to that child here in regard to that specific incident-seeking out some psych reading/thinking/people in the field later-but I did get a remarkable insight into my simple question(why is this child lying?)as being such a complex part of human development. I found many references and forward sending pointers, it helped me be a better thinker about an issue that is with us every moment. In fact just sitting here I thought how difficult it is to move thought or feeling or experience even of my own working with this issue in school to word, how removed it is from intial experience. As an artist as well as teacher, who then creates work third removed -it begins to be truth several times away from that experience (wasn't that Aristotle?) and yet....who is to say it might not be less the lie more the truth. I once debated that this notion of truth as lie, lie as truth.I know working with the student I often debated whether her inner world wasn't the more real to her and often felt she was too fragile to deal with my dealing with the untruth. The book gives a very good account of deception.. biologic foundation to self deception. I enjoyed it .
I recommend this to all readers. Really.

Know Thy Lying Self.......2006-06-24

David Livingstone Smith presents Why We Lie as a beginning step in the direction of an evolutionary psychology of deception. "Nature is awash with deceit," he claims. He produces many fascinating examples of deceit in nature (jumping spiders, for example) as a survival strategy and points out that "although we claim to value truth above all else, we are also at least dimly aware that there is something antisocial about too much honesty."

Smith gives an evolutionary account that in a nut shell goes as follows. As our evolutionary ancestors began to gather in larger and larger groups, the increasing complexity of group dynamics led to an "arms race between deception and detection [that had] huge implications for the evolution of human intelligence." The advent of language upset the balance between deception and detection and gave a huge advantage to the liar. "Most of us are embarrassingly inept at spotting liars." The problem is that we tend to privilege speech over raw observation, and thereby miss the clues that give the liar away. "Once our ancestors learned to gossip, they could form secret alliances, deceive each other far more effectively about where they stood in relation to other community members, and stab each other in the back."

Under Smith's account "the power to deceive is our main weapon in the struggle for social survival." Self-deception was an adaptation that enabled us to better deceive others. The result for us today? Not so good. "Self-deception has been a wonderful gift, but it is now destroying us. Our taste for it resembles our craving for sugar and animal fat." Further, "the most dangerous forms of self-deception are the collective ones. Patriotism, moral crusades, and religious fervor across nations like plagues, slicing the world into good and evil, defender and aggressor, right and wrong."

Smith's book is, as he admits, thin on evidence and light on research. Even so, it is a quick, easy read with enough interesting insights to nudge the reader a little closer to that ever elusive goal of self-knowledge. After all, shouldn't you know whether, at the most fundamental level, you are a self-deciever? It's worth thinking about.

This could be a lie..........2006-04-23

This could be a lie, but I found this book to be fairly interesting, yet poorly written. The author sometimes writes his opinions as if they are blunt facts. I enjoyed the bits of information on animal behaviour, but again poorly written. There is a lot here to make a more interesting read out of. I really felt sometimes as if I was reading a high school student's extended essay. He did his research, he had some interesting things to think about, he put it together and got a B+ (for a high school student).

This book really has potential. I'd say pull it from the shelves, rewrite it, then resell it. More money for the author and publishers, more fun for more readers.

Regardless, it's a book to be taken with a grain of salt. Enjoy the stories, disregard the opinions.

WHY WE LIE: The Evolutionary Roots Of Deception & The Unconscious Mind (H)

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WHY WE LIE: The Evolutionary Roots Of Deception & The Unconscious Mind (H)
David Livingstone Smith
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTJZ5S

Book Description

At the biological crossroads of the Americas, Costa Rica hosts an astonishing array of plants and animals—over half a million species! Ecotourists, birders, and biologists come from around the world to immerse themselves in the country's unspoiled rain forests, mountains, and beaches, drawn by the likelihood of seeing more than three or four hundred species of birds and other animals during even a short stay. To help all of these visitors and local residents identify and enjoy the wildlife of Costa Rica, this field guide presents nearly three hundred species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, moths, and other invertebrates.

Carrol Henderson, an experienced wildlife biologist, traveler, and tour leader in Costa Rica, has chosen the species that ecotourists are most likely to see, along with a selection of rarer, sought-after animals. He gives a general introduction to each group of animals, followed by individual species accounts that highlight identification features and interesting ecological adaptations for survival. His stunning close-up photographs and distribution maps complete each entry.

In addition, Henderson includes a wealth of data about Costa Rica's natural environment, as well as a trip preparation checklist and lists of conservation organizations, wildlife tourism sites, and wildlife vocalization tapes and CDs. With so much information so readily and readably accessible, this field guide will be essential for planning and enjoying your time in Costa Rica.

Customer Reviews:

Great Travel Book!.......2007-04-06

We recently returned from Costa Rica and I ordered this book just 2 days before we left. I arrived on time and what a treasure it turned out to be on the trip. Be sure to bring binoculars as well! It was great fun to be able to identify and read more about all of the animals we saw. The only thing I would add is be sure to bring a Plants guide as well. There are so many things to see and so much is different that I was wishing I had that too but the wildlife guide in itself was indispensable for our trip. I highly recommend it!

Good overview, but lacks in details..........2007-01-21

This book gives a good introduction into wildlife in Costa Rica, but don't be fooled by the words "Field Guide". It is a little bulky and heavz to carry around and if you are interested in a specific species it lacks some details you might be looking for. It does not cover all animals found in Costa Rica by far, but for a country that contains more than 5% of World's biodiversity this might not be expected either. For the general tourist coming to Costa Rica it gives a lot of information for bedtime resume of each day.

Wildlife of Costa Rica.......2007-01-19

I wish I would have had this book before going to Costa Rica. I recommend anyone considering going to have this book with them.

bit bulky for a field guide.......2007-01-16

this guide was a bit bulky for a guide, especially if you are travelling to a place like costa rica to hike around. the pictures were vibrant although i expected them to be more brilliant.

its a good guide book for the tourist that isnt exploring the place by foot.

Useful, but inadequate--A real disappointment!.......2006-05-24

I had great hopes for this book and I did use it for a course I taught. Costa Rica just has too many species to be covered by a single book. Invariably, the species we saw was not in the book. One is far better off getting guides to the particular groups.
The biggest disappointment was the range maps. The maps of the species were incomplete and self-serving. The maps were not true range maps, but only indicated the particular resorts where the author had worked. The range information was deep inside the narration. There was an overemphasis on the birds and other groups were neglected.

The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals

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Job well done
Much More Than Meets the Eye
Fantastic!
From the publisher
Goes beyond 5 stars!

The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals
Mark Wainwright
Manufacturer: Distribuidores Zona Tropical,US
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Wildlife | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Mammals | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0970567812

Book Description

With detailed information drawn from hundreds of scientific publications and more than 400 spectacular illustrations, The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals describes all of Costa Rica?s readily identifiable terrestrial and freshwater mammals.

The clear and entertaining text provides a wealth of information for researchers, students, and naturalist guides, as well as for first-time visitors to the American tropics who simply have an interest in wildlife. The book?s compact, sturdy design makes it easy to carry along on any field trip.

The illustration show not only the mammals themselves, but also their tracks, scats, dens, and anatomical details. Also included are illustrations of numerous other animals and plants with which the mammals have formed close ecological links.

The mammal descriptions include key identification features, range maps, vocalizations, derivations of common and scientific names, evolutionary history, local folklore and mythology, and extensive information about natural history and conservation. The book also describes some of the fascinating challenges faced by researchers and points out numerous questions that remain unanswered. By presenting mammals in a broader context, The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals provides and entry point into a general study of tropical ecology and conservation.

With a preface by Oscar Arias
Former president of Costa Rica
1987 Nobel Peace Laureate

Customer Reviews:

Job well done.......2006-01-17

By far the best guide I've seen for tropical mammals. It includes all information necessary in ID a mammal and understand the ecology of the organism. I met Mark Wainwright and he certainly knows what he's doing. I'm hoping he writes and illustrates a similar book on Costa Rican amphibians.

Much More Than Meets the Eye.......2004-05-23

This book is far more than a review of information about mammals in Costa Rica; it is also a good field guide and a useful text on applied conservation. The author is a professional guide in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and as such is knowledgeable about a wide variety of natural history subjects. This book is primarily a review of the literature about mammals in not only Costa Rica, but elsewhere in Central America. It contains information widely applicable to other counties and the suggestions for conservation apply just as widely.

I have a pretty good library on wildlife in Central and South America and this beautifully done book is probably the best, not only about a specific group, but also about general issues. The drawings are excellent, the overall book is well put together and, the writing is clear, simple, accurate, and really first-rate. Buy this book even if you don't plan on traveling to Costa Rica.

Fantastic!.......2003-07-12

A marvellous book, compact enough to be a field guide and yet informative enough to be a valuable reference work at home. As a field guide it is particularly valuable for its superb illustrations and also in showing and discussing things like scats, tracks, dens and sounds for those animals that one would like to see but might not! We'll certainly take it along again on our next trip. As a reference work it is excellent as a clearly and entertainingly written introduction to the natural history and conservation of Costa Rica's many fascinating mammals. It also has a comprehensive list of references to the primary scientific literature.

From the publisher.......2003-05-06

Most field guides provide very little information other than the features of the animal relevant to identifying it. Wainwright's book, however, contains loads of fascinating natural history information, written in an engaging, sometimes clever but never cute style.

Goes beyond 5 stars!.......2003-04-07

This book is handy for those who want to identify Costa Rican mammals, but it is especially appropriate for anyone who wishes to go beyond the simple question of "What's that?" It contains a wealth of natural history information on mammals' feeding, defecating, and sexual behavior. The author also describes ecological interactions and conservation issues. Hundreds of superb illustrations depict portraits of the animals as well as behaviors, food plants, and interesting details such as scats and penis bones. While the book focuses on species within Costa Rica, much of the information applies to mammals in Central America in general. The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals serves as a fine reference book and a fun-to-read book at the same time.

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Costa Rica Field Guide Animal Tracks
Tropical Wildlife
Manufacturer: HML ENTERPRISES^
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Misc.
ASIN: B000PUV3MO

Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)

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Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)
Carrol L. Henderson Alexander F. Skutch Steve Adams
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORU6TY

Book Description

Reinhold Messner is recognized as one of the greatest mountaineers of all time. When he reached the 8511-meter summit of Lhotse in Nepal, he became the first man to stand on all 14 of the world's 8000-meter peaks-an unbelievable achievement and a sensation in mountaineering history. What motivated Messner to be so dedicated in pursuit of his goal, despite unbelievable hardships, to keep confronting danger and death, loneliness and self-doubt? What thoughts and feeling occupied him when faced with his inner self and the highest mountains of the world?

The answers to these questions can be found in this revealing memoir. Through engaging text and full-color and black-and-white photos, readers will get a glimpse of the preparation, organization, and running of an expedition, and share rare moments on the summits of the world's highest peaks. This updated edition also includes Messner's comments on Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air.

Illustrated with 113 color and 76 black & white photos throughout.

Customer Reviews:

Great For Reference & Display.......2007-01-17

This is a great reference and probably a must for every mountaineer or fan of mountaineering history's bookshelf or coffee table. Though Reinhold Messner has no shortage of critics, he is still the first man to make it up all the 14 8000m peaks. Hence, this book, with all its beautiful illustrations and photos, is a valuable historical reference.

This book also lacks a lot of the "clutter" that is characteristic of Messner's books. The articles are basically quite straightforward and to the point. There is a fair bit of background information and some digressions, but still very well-edited and organised. Read what interests you and leave the rest. The layout of the book allows the reader to do that.

The Himalayas - the only stage big enough for Messner's ego..........2006-12-30

Certainly Reinhold Messner is one of the greatest living mountaineers, and his ascents of all 14 8000 meter peaks, and the fact that he did it first, are very inspiring. Has he done all of these peaks in, as he would like the reader to believe, the best style possible? Others have done these climbs as well, perhaps in better style, alpine-style - just take a look at Andy Fanshawe and Stephen Venables "Himalaya Alpine Style", and Messner's accomplishment can be judged in perspective. The Catalans on Annapurna I's Face, Loretan, Troillet, Kukuzcka, Profit, Doug Scott, Alex McIntyre... there have been other climbers pursuing the same goals, with the same style, and Messner was not all that far ahead, and often his routes were not as technically demanding as many other climbers.

He is a fascinating man, with a real ethos about what he does, and how he does it. But the man's ego is just too much often - and he is rather thin skined to boot, so he spends much of the book carping about his critics. And then thre are contributions from teammates, small side-articles, that are also usually a lot of fawning over Messner. The book constantly announces his importance and the uniqueness of the mighty Messner - it gets a bit nauseating after a while. For example, in one part, he describes some Tibetan jewlerey he wears, and how the Tibetans have come to regard him "as one of their own", and come up to touch him. Well, stricly speaking in Tibetan Buddhist concepts, were all are related, we are all one. He takes himself SOOOOOO seriously. The writing, as with most mountaineering books, is stilted, unimaginative, and filled with cliches. But at least you get the insights of a great mountaineer on some of his more interersting climbs - the Gasherbrum traverse, Kanchejunga, etc. The descriptions are all a bit truncated - put that together we the narcissistic qualities that marr the text, and you get an interesting but very uneven read.

Five Stars for the 14 8Ks.......2006-12-06

Messner has provided a valued coffee table expose of his climbing, his life, and his fears.

Color and b/w photos support the storied climbs of Messner. Value is added by the numerous friends and climbing colleagues who add their personal thoughts about Messner, acute descriptions of similar climbs, and a myriad of topics shared by climbers, not all of which are sympathetic to Messner.

Messner's writing style leaves out the fluff, giving the writer only the gut intenseness that is Messner.

A Must Have.......2006-02-26

As usual, Reinhold delivers a facinating glimpse into his life above 8,000 M. I have several of his books now and highly recommend this one. The pictures and illustrations are grand and numerous, with details and historical info about each mountain climbed. Reinhold comments on what happned at Nanga Parbat (very controversial as of late!) and also again about his amazing solo of everest. This book is like an archive! Lots of info and huge mezmerizing photos! Reinhold you are a f*** stud!

Incredible achievement.......2002-01-03

Back in the '70's and early '80's, I eagerly awaited each issue of Mountain Magazine. It was my link to the climbing world. Time after time, a small paragraph or two would appear about another 8,000 meter peak that Messner had summited - all without bottled oxygen, all in exemplary style. The editor of Mountain was no fan of Messners, so the write-ups were overly brief. Still, I knew I was witnessing the work of a master.

This book compiles Reinhold's views on his biggest alpine climbs and still, we are sandbagged. What this man and his partners achieved is difficult to fathom two decades later because his impact has been absorbed into the whole. Before Messner, oxygenless attempts on the big mountains had fallen out of style but now, few world class mountaineers would dare consider it's use. Before Messner, huge seige expeditions were the norm but today, many emulate Reinhold's gutty, stripped down approach and the environment has benefitted. Reinhold is the man !

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Editor's Tell it Their Way

An excellent introduction to editing for editors

For potential editors as well

Great for Students

If you want to get published, read this book first!

Editors on Editing: What Writers Need to Know About What Editors Do

Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Editing | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications

Editing Fact and Fiction: A Concise Guide to Book Editing

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ASIN: 0802132634

Book Description

An indispensable guide for editors, would-be editors, and especially writers who want to understand the publishing process. In this classic handbook, top professionals write about the special demands and skills necessary for particular areas of expertise--mass market, romance, special markets, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Editor's Tell it Their Way.......2006-11-03

If you are going into editing as a profession, it's a good idea to get information from people who have been around the profession for a while. The editors represented in this book are honest--editing is not all champaigne and caviar lunches with the most famous authors in the land. Editing is a job filled with politics, long hours, and sometimes very frustrating unknown authors.

What is most unfortunate about this book is that it is out of date. The last edition was created in 1995. At that point in time the publishing community was in turmoil. Many of the older publishing houses were being devoured by corporated entities that were more focused on making money than making intelligent literature. The overall sense given by the book is that the publishing field is doomed, and that true editing was being replaced by marketing strategies.

Much of this changed as the Internet took hold. Smaller publishers suddenly became important again, and the rise of on-demand publishing changed the entire publishing atmosphere. It would be nice to see a new edition featuring editors from this new wave of publishing. Still, as a historical reference to what was happening fifteen to twenty years ago in the field, it is a pretty good read.

An excellent introduction to editing for editors.......2005-07-27

This book is a series of some three dozen essays written by prominent editors on various aspects of editing. Their reflections range from the thoughtful to the occasionally lighthearted-comments on what makes a successful editor, the history of editing in America, the ethical and moral dimensions of editing, how books are chosen, how editors schedule their work, the editor as negotiator, copy editing, line editing, etc. There are also a number of essays about editing various genres of writing: Christian literature, crime fiction, children's books, mass-market paperbacks, fantasy, reference, romance, and so forth.
While the title of the book indicates that it is written for writers, it is every bit as useful, if not more so, for aspiring editors. Yes, it is a great help for writers who want to work with editors. But there are too few books on the craft of editing. This one will give you an excellent introduction to the subject. Coming from thirty-some authors, it will give you a balanced view of how to be a great editor.

For potential editors as well.......2002-05-06

I highly recommend this book for writers as well as for potential editors. It is a collection of essays by well known editors discussing their craft and the inner-workings of a publishing house.

For writers, this book will clear up some misconceptions on what an editor can, and can not, do for you. It lets you know what many editors are looking for, and explains the various kinds of editing. I would recommend Scott Walker's essay on small presses. After reading this, you should take a long look at which house you wish to publish your manuscript.

For potential editors, this book will give you a better view of the different kinds of editing and the way the editing world is changing. Above all else, I would read John Paine's essay on the reasonable suggestion. This will put things into perspective.

Again, I would highly recommend this book.

Great for Students.......2001-12-05

This what I didn't have studying English at Illinois State University... "Editors on Editing: What Writers Need to Know About What Editors Do."

So we studied reading the poets, and writing essays, and all that. But we had no idea what to do afterwards.

What do editors do? How can I, as a writer, meet their needs?

"Editors on Editing: What Writers Need to Know About What Editors Do" provides the nitty gritty low-down. These aren't secrets, but you do need to know these things.

It is more than about publishing as a job, but an examination of the sorts of things which matter to an editor. Want to get your stuff past the slush pile, or work long-term with an editor. Here's how.

I fully recommend "Editors on Editing: What Writers Need to Know About What Editors Do."

Anthony Trendl

If you want to get published, read this book first!.......2000-08-17

Every published author and wannabe writer should read this book to understand what really happens behind the publishers door. It will help you get published and understand why your great american novel received a postcard rejection slip. I should know: I'm a developmental editor for Tarcher/Putnam books. It even helped me to get my own books published. Read it or weep!

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Broadens the horizons

Elegantly Written and Unfailingly Interesting

Useful and Enjoyable

The New York Times Essential Library: Opera: A Critic's Guide to the 100 Most Important Works and the Best Recordings (The New York Times Essential Library)
Anthony Tommasini
Manufacturer: Times Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Classical | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0805074597
Release Date: 2004-10-14

Book Description

An insightful, provocative selection of the best opera performances, chosen by The New York Times's chief classical music critic in one hundred original essaysOpera intertwines the drama of the theater with the powerful emotionality of music. In this magical and illuminating guide to the best opera recordings, Anthony Tommasini delves into the ways story and music interweave to create the subtle but telling moments that move us. Tommasini brings to life the rich history of opera performance and the singers and conductors who, over the past century, have come to own the music. He chooses masterworks, such as Arturo Toscanini's La Boheme, captured for posterity fifty years after he conducted the opera's 1896 premiere for Puccini, and Leontyne Price's Leonora in Il Trovatore, an encapsulation of the ideal Verdi soprano. For aficionados and newcomers alike, Tommasini is the perfect guide to the passions and playfulness of the opera.

Customer Reviews:

Broadens the horizons.......2006-06-03

This book is good for someone who, like me, loves opera but is hesitant about trying something new. As the author says, it includes "most" of the warhorses, but there are certainly omissions: I Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana, for instance. On the other hand, there is a generous selection of lesser-known operas for those who want to branch out.

The essays on the operas differ in quality. Some are largely plot summaries, others point to particularly stirring passages, others are anecdotal. They do succeed, though, in making you want to hear the music. I followed the author's advice about Les Troyens, and was delighted to discover how much this lesser-known work appealed to me.

As for the CD recommendations, the only fault I can find is that the author seems to have stopped buying recordings in about 1976; at least, very few recordings from after the seventies make his list. He's also heavily biased toward certain singers -- as he freely admits, at least in the case of Tebaldi.

Naturally, anyone who knows opera and has some familiarity with various recordings will find much to dispute in the choices, but as one resource among several, this book can certainly be recommended.

If you're looking for something more comprehensive, have a look at the Rough Guide to Opera.

Elegantly Written and Unfailingly Interesting.......2005-04-03

Books of opera synopses bore me to tears. And I wasn't expecting much here. But indeed Anthony Tommasini, the principal music critic of the New York Times, has not written that sort of book at all. He assumes that most readers will have some notion of what each opera is about and he writes of them from that perspective, focusing more on musical and dramatic aspects of the opera. He recommends his favorite CD recordings of the operas - and makes a comment that DVDs are new enough that there aren't DVDs of some of the operas he is writing about - and makes a case for each of them. He starts by giving some explanatory notes about such things as voice types, bel canto and recitative, and includes a little essay about why he chose the operas to include in his 'top 100.' He clearly is interested in proselytizing for some lesser-known and some modern operas (e.g., Copland's 'Tender Land,' Prokofiev's 'Betrothal in a Monastery,' Messiaen's 'Saint François d'Assise') that he feels have been ignored to some degree. Some choices are both surprising and exciting, such as Sondheim's 'Sweeney Todd.' He includes little-known facts that were new even to a grizzled opera-lover like this reviewer. And best of all he writes in a elegant and unfailingly interesting style. I found myself having trouble putting the book down. I tended to like the book at least partly because his enthusiasms mirror mine, but in those areas where we disagree he argued his points cogently. For instance, I am willing, after reading his essay about John Adams's 'Nixon in China,' to investigate it further.

Tommasini writes for both the relative newcomer to opera and the operatic veteran. There is a dearth of technical terms, but when one is used it is gracefully and uncondescendingly defined. This is a book for the reader whose interest in opera is anything more than cursory.

Scott Morrison

Useful and Enjoyable.......2005-01-01

Written by Anthony Tommasini, the intelligent and articulate chief music critic of the New York Times, this book is aimed at individuals interested in exploring opera and building up a good opera CD library. Tommasini has picked out 100 important operas, written a short essay briefly describing each opera and commenting on what makes it important, and then recommending one or two good recordings. Tommasini's list includes the heart of the Italian and German repertoire plus quite a few others. He has taken this opportunity to do a bit of proselytizing for operas and causes he thinks important. Thus the inclusion of quite a few English language and American operas, but also some other surprises like the number of Russian operas including several Prokofiev and a couple of Rimsky-Korsakov operas. As with any matter of taste, this leads to some arguable choices. As a Britten enthusiast, I can't argue with the inclusion of so many Britten operas but I don't see the inclusion of Rimsky-Korsakov and the exclusion of Janacek's magical Cunning Little Vixen as sensible. On balance, Tommasini's desire to present opera as a living art form is laudable and his list justifiable. In terms of his CD recommendations, I can only say that I own several of the CDs he recommends and that I find myself in enthusiastic agreement with his choices.

The New York Times Essential Library: Opera: a Critic's Guide To the 100 Most Important Works and the Best Recordings (New York Times Essential Library)

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The New York Times Essential Library: Opera: a Critic's Guide To the 100 Most Important Works and the Best Recordings (New York Times Essential Library)
Anthony Tommasini
Manufacturer: Times Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N7AKPK

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