Hotel Butlers: The Great Service Differentiators

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A very practical guide

Hotel Butlers: The Great Service Differentiators
Steven M. Ferry
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Butlers & Household Managers: 21st Century Professionals

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ASIN: 159457443X
Release Date: 2004-04-29

Book Description

Ask Not What The Butler Did, But What He Can Do For You

We all know the cliché from the movies and board games about the butler doing it, but what was it the butler did? In the hotel environment, the butler can be a failed experiment or a service facility that commands high-rack rates and keeps occupancy rates at 100%.

Where the butler fails in hotels, it is because he is cast in (frankly) degrading-to-the-profession roles such as "bath butler," "fireplace butler, "technology butler," "baby butler" (who provides rocking chairs and watches children), "dog butler," "ski butler," and "beach butler." The idea being that anything offering superior service in some small area is called a "butler" in an effort to siphon some of the prestige of the profession.

At least when the term valet was extended to "dumb valet," that furniture item upon which one lays out clothing for the following day, there was no pretense that this was the real item. Fortunately for the profession, the public were not fooled or taken in by these "dumb butlers" and the practice has faded relatively rapidly-before it could sour the public mind on the concept of butlers in hotels. Fortunately also for the butlers working in top hotels around the world, who do justice to the profession, and the hotel managements who have recognized the value butlers bring to the bottom line and the repute of their establishments.

In an industry that is completely premised on the idea of service, and in which service is a key differentiator, it's a no-brainer to institute butler service. Butlers have always represented the pinnacle in service quality. This book will go a long way toward bringing about and keeping on track a butler program.

When used in conjunction with standard on-site training, it will cement in place a very successful butler service that will

- Allow rack rates to be raised
- Create a loyal following of repeat visitors
- Enhance word of mouth
- Increase new business
- Raise service standards throughout the facility.

All of which make the investment very sound.

If you would like to become a butler in a hospitality setting, or think your hotel, spa, resort or private villa could benefit from an honest-to-goodness butler program, read this book.

Customer Reviews:

A very practical guide.......2004-11-29

Mr. Ferry has produced a handbook for training Hotel Butlers that can be used in a wide variety of hospitality venues from large properties with numerous suites served by butlers to smaller boutique resorts and spas offering butler service in very intimate settings.

The objective of this manual in all of these situations is to train and promote great service and inspire butlers with attitude, skills and focus to wow guests as though they were being served in their own homes.

First there is the discussion of butlers in a historical context and their evolution from servants to professionals over the years. The hotel butler is in a different role than the single family butler because multiple guests replace single employer as the central focus of service. The purpose of the butler remains the same " to smooth the lives of those who he or she serves" Understanding this role is key, and Mr. Ferry then moves on to the skills that enable the butlers to execute their mission with efficiency.

Skills involved include how to handle many of the more common situations that arise in terms of etiquette and navigating the "sticky wickets" or complicated situations that often arise. Then there is excellent discussion of some of the systems that are used for butlers to communicate effectively- the white board, the passport, the radio systems and protocols. Packing and unpacking, shoe care, laundry, setting the table and serving the proper English tea are but some of the many details of the butler trade that are covered in expert fashion.

The book ends up with a wide range of check lists that are wonderful templates ready to be customized to the particular hospitality location. Guest Room readiness checklist, list for organizing a dinner party and a guest record form are just a few of the great organizing tools that Mr. Ferry has provided.

"Hotel Butlers, The Great Service Differentiators" is a clear guide to explaining butler service and how it can be done to a high standard by motivated professionals.

Amazon.com

From the time our ancestors lived in caves to that day in the late '80s when Chrysler sanctioned unofficial "tech clubs" to promote the flow of information between teams working on different vehicle platforms, bands of like-minded individuals had been gathering in a wide variety of settings to recount their experiences and share their expertise. Few paid much attention until a number of possible benefits to business were identified, but many are watching more closely now that definitive links have been established. In Cultivating Communities of Practice, consultants Etienne C. Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William Snyder take the concept to another level by describing how these groups might be purposely developed as a key driver of organizational performance in the knowledge age. Building on a 1998 book by Wenger that framed the theory for an academic audience, Cultivating Communities of Practice targets practitioners with pragmatic advice based on the accumulating track records of firms such as the World Bank, Shell Oil, and McKinsey & Company. Starting with a detailed explanation of what these groups really are and why they can prove so useful in managing knowledge within an organization, the authors discuss development from initial design through subsequent evolution. They also address the potential "dark side"--arrogance, cliquishness, rigidity, and fragmentation among participants, for example--as well as measurement issues and the challenges inherent in initiating these groups company-wide. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

Today's marketplace is fueled by knowledge. Yet organizing systematically to leverage knowledge remains a challenge. Leading companies have discovered that technology is not enough, and that cultivating communities of practice is the keystone of an effective knowledge strategy.

Communities of practice come together around common interests and expertise- whether they consist of first-line managers or customer service representatives, neurosurgeons or software programmers, city managers or home-improvement amateurs. They create, share, and apply knowledge within and across the boundaries of teams, business units, and even entire companies-providing a concrete path toward creating a true knowledge organization.

In Cultivating Communities of Practice, Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder argue that while communities form naturally, organizations need to become more proactive and systematic about developing and integrating them into their strategy. This book provides practical models and methods for stewarding these communities to reach their full potential-without squelching the inner drive that makes them so valuable.

Through in-depth cases from firms such as DaimlerChrysler, McKinsey & Company, Shell, and the World Bank, the authors demonstrate how communities of practice can be leveraged to drive overall company strategy, generate new business opportunities, tie personal development to corporate goals, transfer best practices, and recruit and retain top talent. They define the unique features of these communities and outline principles for nurturing their essential elements. They provide guidelines to support communities of practice through their major stages of development, address the potential downsides of communities, and discuss the specific challenges of distributed communities. And they show how to recognize the value created by communities of practice and how to build a corporate knowledge strategy around them.

Essential reading for any leader in today's knowledge economy, this is the definitive guide to developing communities of practice for the benefit-and long-term success-of organizations and the individuals who work in them.

Etienne Wenger is a renowned expert and consultant on knowledge management and communities of practice in San Juan, California. Richard McDermott is a leading expert of organization and community development in Boulder, Colorado. William M. Snyder is a founding partner of Social Capital Group, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews:

Excelent Book.......2007-10-01

I have a project focused on communities, and this book seems right on what I needed. I haven't read it completely, so this is only a first sight review.

How to Thoughtfully Steward Knowledge for the Common Good.......2007-01-02

Cultivating Communities of Practice is a manual and guide created by a community of authors in order to help businesses and organizations more thoughtfully and intentionally steward the knowledge of the community for the benefit of the whole. They understand that energy and "aliveness" about any topic is not created or manufactured, but simply cultivated. Just like a farmer must cultivate the soil, plant the seeds, nurture the crop, and identify and deal with the weeds; the authors help us learn the in and outs of how to cultivate communities that learn to manage knowledge for the common good. In this guide they provide us with the three basic elements for communities of practice; the seven principles for cultivating these communities; the five developmental stages of these communities; the common disorders and treatments; and finally how to start communities of practice in such as way that these communities work for the benefit of the whole. This guide enables people to move from theory to practice.

The three fundamental elements of communities of practice.
While communities of practice have many forms - large and small, local and global, within or across organizational boundaries - they all have three common elements, each of which plays a vital role in the health and success of these communities. When one understands the three fundamentals of communities of practice - domain, community and practice - they are able to better help these groups evolve to their full potential.

* The domain is the specific sphere of knowledge or particular issues that identifies the heartfelt concern of this community. A well-defined domain gives focus and depth to the community and allows the community to be on the leading edge in a particular area of knowledge.

* The community is the people who embody and steward the knowledge in this particular domain. It is "a group of people who interact, learn together, build relationships, and in the process develop a sense of belonging and mutual commitment." (Pg. 34) While each community develops a unique ethos; trust and respect are key elements for any community.

* The Practice entails a shared set of practical resources, protocols, tools, frameworks and ideas that enable the community to perfect and develop their particular craft. "Whereas the domain denotes the topic the community focuses on, the practice is the specific knowledge the community develops, shares and maintains." (Pg. 29)

Because knowledge with human beings is a complex matter, the head (domain), the heart (community) and the hands (practice) each play a vital role in communities of practice.

This is a great book on how to thoughtfully steward knowledge for the common good.

Excellent seminal material.......2006-08-05

It is an esential book for organization leaders, since it points out the main issues that impact on performace, based on the true social knitting of communities.
It establishes clearly the structure of communities and discusses their stages of development, which by themselves are an excellent tip to develop communities within a company. The doughnut metaphor for the dynamics of performance and strategy is an excellent way of explaining the double fabric of relations in a company.

Making it happen.......2006-05-30

I have a great interest in how organizations, particularly those with Christian leadership, work and how they respond to change. This book is rich with the stuff that will help organizations develop in a globalized society. I asked many questions as I read the book. For example, "How does YWAM's Student Mobilization Centre, as a growing network of ministries internationally, develop community and create truly life changing learning spaces for students and leaders who participate in our ministries?"

How can I contextualize a Community of Practice within the framework of YWAM's ministries?
In recent years, our leadership has begun to weave our international conferences around points of passion, like water, women's issues, justice, and children at risk. Our mission has also begun to look at a new paradigm for global strategy called Project 4K wherein the map is divided into about 4000 geographic units highlighting those areas still requiring engagement. What is needed in YWAM is a new cross-platform, multi-disciplinary team focus to properly engage each of those geographic regions.

Our Student Mobilization Centre, a centre of the University of the Nation, needs to develop field leaders who can coordinate multi-disciplinary field project teams and who harmonize outreach teams to serve the long-term community development project goals with special emphasis on field based learning. The UofN operates with the same conclusion that Wenger, et al present in Communities of Practice; that is, useful knowledge is not a downloadable commodity. It requires participation. The best learning experiences are in the context of relationships, especially those experiences and relationships that at the same time unfamiliar and familiar. In my experience, students learn best when taken out of the familiar culture to serve and learn in a context that challenges their expectations and status quo learning experiences. They also learn best if put in a situation where they are challenged to work together with those who either share their skill set and academic training, or they share the same missionary goals.

The advantage to us if we follow this integrative field project model of ministry in the University of the Nations is that we will begin to share knowledge gained in the field. Wenger argues that we can "establish a common baseline" of curriculum for the training school outreaches of the UofN. We will also increase our ability and speed generating and implementing creative ideas for community development, evangelization, and training. These project teams will help us steward and share the knowledge gained. These long-term community development field projects could serve as "laboratories" for curriculum development as well as cross-disciplinary field project leadership development.

To accomplish this, we will need to form cross-platform, multi-disciplinary, communities of practice at field sites where school outreaches may be hosted and outreach staff leadership may be trained. The most essential element of this field-based learning community is the authentic cross-cultural ministry that must be the foundational intent and the fruit of the project. When these missionary communities of practice exist, the witness of the Kingdom of God will be evident in a much greater way, at that field site. These communities of learning and leadership equipping may in turn affect a change in the whole of our mission through an integrated development model of field ministry and leadership equipping.

How might I develop a Community of Practice in Madison, WI?
YWAM's campus ministry at the University of Wisconsin is going through a re-birth and re-generation since our recent inaugural School of University Ministries wherein key leaders in Madison have been given new insight, developed new international cooperation, and shared vision. I see now how the formation of a multi-faceted community of practice in Madison with strong links to field-based learning communities provides a context for a new model of Church engagement with the university community. This community of practice will be a new international study center at the University of Wisconsin.

This new community will not replace existing structures. It will build connections between these different structures including churches, families, professionals/professors, and student organizations. It will connect students, faculty, families, business and church leaders in the university community from many cultures and nations. For example, families have a reason for engaging the university students, because "God sets the lonely in families" and students need role models for marriage and family. However, families do not have much context or place from which to engage students. Therefore there is a need for this kind of community.

The key knowledge that may be shared in this context will come from the field-based learning communities; these communities will link problems and needs with solutions. The problems will always be relevant to today's global community. However, the solutions will not be presented from the ivory tower of the academy or from the expert in the field. Solutions will be discovered together in a multi-cultural, multi-discipline, cross-platform, international community of practice engaged in serving and learning at home and abroad. The challenge for us in YWAM is to "cultivate" this kind of community by removing barriers and encouraging participation. Wenger et al says, "You cannot cultivate this new community model in the same way you develop traditional organizational structures." Our aim will be to connect these pockets of people who have some interest in engaging students and issues relevant to today, especially in the cause of Christ. Our challenge is to create a space and coordinate these unconnected people at key events that will foster the development of a new community; we must cultivate a community of practice.

What can I do to develop our international network with the Communities of Practice paradigm?

The cross-platform project teams and field-based learning sites I have been referring to are the key to our international development in the Student Mobilization Centre. Internationally, we are equipping and releasing leaders to create network teams within their own context. A "common baseline" of terms and methods is forming as our new course, the School of University Ministries, begins to multiply internationally to equip this generation of YWAM campus ministry workers. What is missing is a field-based outreach practices training experience or a field assignment for the School of University Ministries. What must be done is the formation of field project teams at field sites to host, equip, and train outreach team leaders as they carryout the function of leading a student outreach team on an integrated development project.

I desire to see the practical outworking of this vision within the context of my own life and ministry. The challenge to me is to deliberately form communities of practice in my ministry context. This book give me the tools and the principles to make it happen.

A good book but not for everyone.......2006-04-04

The authors have done an impressive work collecting best practices from industries. The book is a good textbook for all KM and OD practitioners to consider in learning about CoP. However, as one of the reviewers have noted, it does not tell you the steps in nurturing a CoP since human behaviours differ among (as well as WITHIN) organisations. The book does however provide a clear definition of how a working CoP would look like.
Readers who are keen on KM should read other works on social network to complement the learning. At the heart of any CoP is social dynamics. Understanding that will help to create CoP that is sustainable and useful to the organisation.

Cultivating community: Principles and practices for community gardening as a community-building tool

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Cultivating community: Principles and practices for community gardening as a community-building tool
Karen Payne
Manufacturer: American Community Gardening Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

Boiled-down essentials of the top-selling Schaum's Outline series for the student with limited time

What could be better than the bestselling Schaum's Outline series? For students looking for a quick nuts-and-bolts overview, it would have to be Schaum's Easy Outline series. Every book in this series is a pared-down, simplified, and tightly focused version of its predecessor. With an emphasis on clarity and brevity, each new title features a streamlined and updated format and the absolute essence of the subject, presented in a concise and readily understandable form.

Graphic elements such as sidebars, reader-alert icons, and boxed highlights stress selected points from the text, illuminate keys to learning, and give students quick pointers to the essentials.

Designed to appeal to underprepared students and readers turned off by dense text
Cartoons, sidebars, icons, and other graphic pointers get the material across fast
Concise text focuses on the essence of the subject
Delivers expert help from teachers who are authorities in their fields
Perfect for last-minute test preparation

So small and light that they fit in a backpack!

Download Description

Boiled-down essentials of the top-selling Schaum's Outline series for the student with limited time.

Average customer rating:

Easy Outline of Genetics
William D. Stansfield
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGEKWY

Book Description

Although technically puppies are young dogs, Puppy Pal Pointers: From the True Tails of Ripple and Jessie relates to dogs of all ages. The book consists of subjects that are pertinent to every devoted owner, including caring for, treating, understanding, treasuring, bonding with, and grieving for your dog, plus pet care tips for kids. Topics pertaining to dog care and responsible ownership are covered, such as parasite control, hygiene, overpopulation concerns, relationships with cats, the human-animal bond, pet loss, and the grief process. Puppy Pal Pointers is different from other pet care books because it is told through the eyes of two dogs. Their pictures, along with photos of their canine and feline peers, are used to accentuate points.

Customer Reviews:

RIPPLE and JESSIE will feel like your best friends!.......2006-01-13

This book has provided hours of warm fuzzies and hearty giggles for the animal lovers in my office!! We just can't get enough of the (mis)adventures of Ripple and Jessie and their family. PPP includes dozens of hilarious anectdotes, cute black and white photos, and helpful dog raising tips. It's wooftacular! As an anonymous poem quoted in the book says, "if you can sleep without the aid of drugs, then you are ALMOST as good as your dog".

Customer Reviews:

Rutledge's tales are both amuzing and enlightening........1998-04-14

Archibald Rutledge's tales combined by Jim Casada is a must read for all nostalgic turkey hunters. His tales of the sheer numbers of turkeys in the early 1900's in South Carolina will make even the stongest turkey hunter's heart beat faster. What I would give to have been with him on some of the peaceful days on his plantation hunting the majestic wild turkey. Rutledge got personable with his turkeys, giving them names and hunting them like he was on a mission. He saw turkeys and turkey hunting from a remarkable viewpoint over many decades. No turkey hunter will regret reading this one, and many will file these stories in their memory forever.

Average customer rating:

Great Thesaurus and More

Not all thesauruses are alike

Don't get the ones in dictionary form..get this kind

Traditional Thesaurus at its Best

Hmmmmm....

Bartlett's Roget's Thesaurus
Bartlett's
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The American Heritage Dictionary: Fourth Edition (21st Century Reference)

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The Thinker's Thesaurus: Sophisticated Alternatives to Common Words

ASIN: 0316101389

Customer Reviews:

Great Thesaurus and More.......2003-06-17

Wonderful reference! With more than 350,000 references, I have no problem finding the word I'm looking for. This thesaurus has words both indexed and categorized so that related words are even closer at hand. Makes serendipity more likely. I especially like the lists included throughout the book. If I look up "hero," I also get a list of famous heros in history. Bartlett's Roget's Thesaurus can make writing much more interesting and fun.

Not all thesauruses are alike.......2002-09-07

After several days of research, during which I sought recommendations in books for writers and tested a dozen competitors, I have found Bartlett's Roget's Thesaurus the clear winner. Compared to its rivals, it is cheaper, but printed on better paper with a more legible typeface. It has a useful thumb index and a clean layout unlike the others. Its wordlists, topics, and lists are more relevant.

Best of all, it's more intuitive than the others--not only in the process of looking up a word, but in the list of words found. And at the end of most wordlists are references to related concepts that increase the smart, intuitive feel to the book, a feature lacking in the competition. I consistently found the right word and/or wordlist more easily with Roget's Bartlett's than with Roget's International 6th.

The crucial step to finding the right word is when looking in the index. Fortunately, Bartlett's lists every single word in the index, whereas Roget's International 6th does not. Not finding a word in a thesaurus index is disconcerting, and substituting that word for a simpler, indexed one doesn't always lead in the right direction. Also, instead of distinguishing between nouns and verbs in the index, as Roget's International 6th does with hard-to-read type, Bartlett's streamlines the search by using descriptive phrases that distinguish, for example, "pedal" the part of a keyboard instrument from "pedal" meaning propel. This helps to pinpoint the right wordlist.

Despite its unwieldy name, Bartlett's Roget's does not exactly combine both reference tools. There is only about one quotation from Bartlett's every two pages, making the quotations more of a decorative distraction than a useful reference. But I see nothing wrong with the innocuous added bonus in a thesaurus that easily beats the others.

Don't get the ones in dictionary form..get this kind.......2002-05-02

Indispensable! I gave my old copy of this to my nephew going away to college. What a mistake for me! I was in graduate school at the time and had another thesaurus in dictionary form..and figured that would be fine. Yuck. I found myself wishing I had this version again..so I just bought another one.

The way I use it is not to come up with words to impress people (well, not usually) but rather to remember a word that I want to use, but can't exactly recall (must be my age). I know you all have done it and can relate to that great feeling of finally finding that word! The conceptual setup is perfect for this becuase sometimes you can get close with a guess, but you need that whole section on weight (for example) to really pinpoint your word (not just synonyms for heavy).

Traditional Thesaurus at its Best.......2001-05-17

I was sick of all the thesauruses in my office that are set up in dictionary-alphabetic format and turned to Amazon for the traditional concept-based thesaurus of my youth. I got it with "Bartlett's Roget's Thesaurus."

The indexing alone is well worth the money you'll pay for this, but if that's not enough, you might like the list of categories, (will and behaivior, spatial relations, negotiations & fiscal relations, etc.) that are included both by concepts and alphabetically. In addition, there are a lot of lists included, from breeds of cattle to stations of the cross to varieties of beans. Makes for some interesting reading.

If *that* hasn't convinced you, the actual thesaurus part of it is darn good. Many times I turn to this reference book to prompt creativity, to expand on ideas, etc. The contemporary terms and phrases and relationships between words and concepts are quite good. If you appreciate good resources, this is going to be a great desk item for you.

Hmmmmm...........2001-03-10

I don't know what shaggy 911 was thinking when he read this one, but it seemed to me that the author, Rogets, simply recycled the plot of the more popular novel entitled Dictionary(a poor novel in and of itself)! If you are looking for a good suspense thriller, you could do so much better than Thesaurus... you may want to try Stephen King.

Average customer rating:

Excellent resource - but be careful!
Faster than I expected
IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT - PRETTY MUCH....
Functional, Intuitive, Powerful Reference Tool
One of the two best thesauruses for business writers

Bartlett's Roget's Thesaurus

Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Thesauruses | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0316735876

Book Description

On the heels of last fall's highly successful release of the 17th edition of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, Little Brown takes pleasure in making BARTLETT'S ROGET'S THESAURUS available in this new format-and at an irresistible price.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent resource - but be careful!.......2007-08-18

Bartlett's Roget is such a useful resource for me I recently bought a second copy. Unfortunately, the second copy proved to have a number of missing pages, a sad fact discovered after my 30 day return had expired. Enjoy the book - it's marvelous! - but check that it has all it's pages before you dig in.

Faster than I expected.......2007-07-27

The Thesaurus literally arrived the next day (and I think I ordered after the 12nn deadline). I was pleasantly surprised. I would do business with them again.

IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT - PRETTY MUCH.... .......2007-05-03

Upon first seeing (and hefting) this volume, I was impressed by its size and hopeful of its contents. After all, it has 1400+ good sized pages, and weighs... well - a bit! "Wow! What a resource!" I thought. Turns out: only 848 of those pages are the actual thesaurus, the other 567 are an index. To be fair, that Index is a useful addition; as I, for one, haven't mastered the left-brain heavy savoir faire apparently necessary to navigate the typical thesaurus. Likewise, the volume itself is useful. I looked long and hard before buying it, and think it is certainly one of the best on the market. This is by no means your `quick and dirty' Roget's Pocket version. It provides a lengthy treatment of most words I've had occasion to investigate. With Bartlett's, I bought The Synonym Finder as what I intended to be a supplemental companion volume. Using them together, however, I find they very often duplicate the exact same synonym lists. The major difference is that - for me - the latter is easier to use. To be fair, Bartlett's does have some special interest sections, such as a 4 ½ page list of Phobias: listed by name and type; or a list of "Children's Games and Party Games," etc. To be honest, as well as fair: in the year+ that I've used this volume, I've never had occasion to use that feature. To be positive as well as negative: in that same period of time, I've never sought a word and not found it listed in either volume. That's not `less than impressive' as I write for a living and do so on an advanced level, so the words I seek are not common fare. Finally: to be practical, the price tag attached to this item is quite reasonable, in my judgment. My advice is this: Both Bartlett's and The Synonym Finder are excellent volumes. Buy whichever one your brain will find easier to use. But don't buy both.

Functional, Intuitive, Powerful Reference Tool.......2006-11-11

As a student, translator, and writer, this thesaurus has become one of my best friends. It is organized in a very creative way, with an index in the back referring to the various sections of the book's body, where terms are grouped by topic. In the index, you look up the word for which you need related words, and then you choose between the many terms under that heading, each with a distinct variation in meaning. You can thereby turn to the section that best relates to the meaning you are looking for.

Once you've turned to the section referred to in the index, you not only find an extensive list of synomyms for that term, but you also have, on that same page, words that are related but which fall in different parts of speech. That has been very useful for me. And since the terms are grouped by topic, you can look through neighboring entries and pages of entries, finding all kinds of similar and related words, whereas, in a traditional thesaurus layout, the only thing adjacent to your entry would be those words that start with the same letters.

In short, what makes this thesaurus so wonderful is that you have access to an extensive range of word power, since the words referenced in the entry you're interested in are not limited to the space just below the word itself: they are spread throughout the book in logical groups, and the index quickly directs you to the sense of the word that you are interested in.

One of the two best thesauruses for business writers.......2005-03-16

Using a thesaurus is risky. It can help you find a word you know but have forgotten. However, it can hurt you by suggesting a word that isn't appropriate or effective for your specific need. This is one of my two favorites. It's on the short list of recommended resources in my book The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course in Business Writing and Communication.

Book Description

"Like the New Yorker - for mutants." --Los Angeles Reader

New BLAB!, meet Used BLAB! Together they make the most impressive and expressive illustration and comics compendium around. BLAB! is the annual forum for a diverse roster of the finest illustrators of our day to do essentially as they please, a publication that carries the proud tradition of unfettered graphic innovation into the future. The "used" side of this book brings together the finest of BLAB!, including the work of such luminaries as Gary Baseman, Peter Kuper, Blanquet, Christian Northeast, the Clayton Brothers, and more. The "new" side features never-before-seen work specially created for this book, with contributors including Haley Johnson, Sue Coe, Jonathon Rosen, Spain, and an introduction by neo-Dada pop star Mark Mothersbaugh. The many faces and voices of BLAB! are reproduced in a resplendent back-to-back package that provides multiple points of entry. A best-of collection, an art and design manifesto, and a new kind of visual art form in itself, New & Used BLAB! is the best survey of progressive illustration today.

Customer Reviews:

awesome camille rose garcia art!.......2004-01-28

this book has the peppermint man story by camille rose garcia.the print at the m k gallery is around $500 dollars.the camille rose art makes this book worth it for me!bLINkY

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