Product Description
Eliminate Chaos is a user-friendly system for organizing each room of the house, including the kitchen and pantry, closet, garage, home office, and childrens' rooms. The author’s ten-step system is presented in an easy-to-use, workbook-style layout. Full-color photos demonstrate the various stages of the organizing process, illustrating not just "before and after," but the realistic, messy, all-important steps in between. Leist’s method is based on the underlying principle that "it’s not about the stuff." She touches on the psychological reasons behind clutter and not letting go — such as procrastination, denial, thrift, and family history — but her underlying premise is that being organized is an on-going process, not a one-day event. By learning to sort, prioritize, and make fast, rational decisions about their household goods, readers become more efficient and functional not just at home, but in other areas of life as well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

All you need on organizing
I have been a professional organizing, home stager and senior move manager for over 5 years and think this book is the best one of all when it comes to cleaning out all your "stuff". I use the 10 steps in this book when teaching seminars on this subject. I especially like that this book is very simple and easy to follow for all personality types. The 10 steps are very practical and true and should always be followed in the same order listed. Laura also touches on the different psychological reasons why so many struggle with organization which is very important to understand. I highly recommend this book...just the information that you need without loosing your interest.
Adele Mahan, Fresh Start Transitions, LLC

Mess Solver!
Love this book!! It has helped me totally reorganize every room in my home. Not too long and boring, either. Gets right to the point and helps solve your messes.

Not very new, or helpful.
I'm sorry to say that this book didn't help me learn any new tricks for decluttering or organizing.And the pictures were not terribly helpful or even all that illuminating (do we need a photo of a tangle of hangers, or cords?).There were several disappointing parts of the book, which the review by Bill Reid covers well, so I'll focus on the one aspect that annoyed me most:
As an adult woman who does not get giddy at the thought of shopping or reward myself with shopping - and who sees shopping as part of the clutter/chaos problem (duh) - I found it really off-putting that Leist celebrates shopping as if we are all little shopaholic sheep with money to burn."Step 8: Shop! Congratulations, you've now made it to the fun part of downsizing--shopping!"
Seriously?I need things to *leave* my house, not come in, and isn't that the goal for 97% of us? Sure, she's making a case for buying the appropriate organizing tools after you've taken measurements and taken stock (what she calls "shopping with a purpose"), but she makes it sound like we're all salivating to run out to support the $10 billion organization business that's "offering thousands of solutions to serve just about any need..." and if you can't find it in a store, shop online!She never suggests people reconsider how they're using the "lots of organizing products they've purchased over the years but never used," or how to re-purpose some of your clutter.Every chapter includes her "woohoo! Time to go shopping, gals!" message.I really found it presumptuous.
She blames "retail therapy" (as a symptom of depression) as part of the problem, yet she suggests retail as therapy for having to organize.
So, hey, if you love to shop but need excuses for it, then shop for this book!But if you want really strong take-home ideas without being cajoled into spending more money and bringing in more stuff, try Getting Things Done by David Allen, or Peter Walsh's books.

Lots of Pictures
This is a beautiful book. It has lots of lovely pictures. However, it is more like reading a series of an organization TV show than it is like reading a book dedicated to organization. There are some good tips, but I find the book lacking. I would have liked to see more options and more variety. As it is, you are simply reading what one person did to organize a kitchen, a home office, a teenager's room, etc. No helpful input on dealing with organization for children, just the teen's room. The book does look nice, but the content is lacking a bit. The book takes you through the steps of organization in several different (but specific) scenarios. And like a TV Show on home organization, it includes the cost of the "example" room. It is entertaining, but not extremely helpful.

Finally an organization book I could not put down and when I did I actually got to work!
I could not put this book down once I started it.The 10 step approach is easy to follow -- I was guilty of jumping to step 8 shopping before it was time.The photos and suggestions on how to do it rather than just saying "clear out your cupboards" were great!I cannot wait until her Eliminate Paper Chaos book comes out.She covers all types of situations and issues.She gives me permission to get rid of stuff that I don't use or need.Practical storage solutions and ideas for all kinds of space and clutter problems.A must have book if you are a pack rat! After reading this book I went from room to room and closet to closet and tackled all my problem areas -- I love stress free, clutter free living! ... Read more

Product Description
Chaos exists in systems all around us. Even the simplest system can be subject to chaos, denying us accurate predictions of its behavior, and sometimes giving rise to astonishing structures of large-scale order. Here, Leonard Smith shows that we all have an intuitive understanding of chaotic systems. He uses accessible math and physics to explain Chaos Theory, and points to numerous examples in philosophy and literature that illuminate the problems. This book provides a complete understanding of chaotic dynamics, using examples from mathematics, physics, philosophy, and the real world, with an explanation of why chaos is important and how it differs from the idea of randomness. The author's real life applications include the weather forecast, a pendulum, a coin toss, mass transit, politics, and the role of chaos in gambling and the stock market. Chaos represents a prime opportunity for mathematical lay people to finally get a clear understanding of this fascinating concept. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Physics Introductions
I am a physicist with a PhD who likes reading almost anything on physics, astronomy, and mathematics.These "...very short introductions" are concise, entertaining, and for the most part instructive.I recommend these books to researchers in these fields as a good review and to those seeking a more detailed educational experience than most popularizations sans equations.

Unsuitable as an introduction to chaos
This book starts out promising but, as one goes along, it drifts farther and farther from what an introduction to chaos should be.

In particular, the book turns out to be largely a discussion of modeling and forecasting, with some emphasis on the relevant implications of chaos.Moreover, most of the examples and applications relate to weather and climate, which becomes boring after a while (especially considering the abundance of other options).Smith's bio reveals that this is exactly his specialty, so the book appears to be heavily shaped by his background and interests, rather than what's best for a general audience.As a result, many standard and important topics in chaos theory recieve little or no mention, and I think the book fails as a proper introduction to chaos.

A further problem is that much of Smith's discussion is muddled, especially in the later chapters.It's as though he wants to probe deeply, but can't take time to really spell things out, so he winds up being unclear.This lack of clarity is exacerbated by his bending over backwards to avoid writing out even the simplest equations, which is cumbersome and annoying, not to mention out of place given Smith's efforts to present some fairly sophisticated material.

Considering all of this, I can recommend the book only to people who are particularly interested in modeling, forecasting, and the relevant implications of chaos, especially as this relates to weather and climate.In this context, Smith's discussion of the differences between mathematical, physical, statistical, and philosophical perspectives is particularly insightful and useful.

However, I can't recommend the book for a general audience, and I would definitely recommend against it as a first book on chaos.It's simply too incomplete and unbalanced for that purpose.

Great, simple book
I like the book. It is really easy to read and includes so so much information.

A Great Introduction
A very readable introduction for anyone interested in nonlinear dynamics, time series, weather forecasting or climate modelling.

There are very few concise introductions to chaos and its applications, so this one is well worth reading.

Confusing and Humbling
I really struggled in trying to rate this book, as I really want to be fair and equitable in all my reviews.Perhaps it is a very good book and I have "short-changed" it, but I cannot really say because, after reading it, I feel just about as confused and bewildered regarding mathematical chaos as I did before I launched into it.Well, I do not suppose that reading it "hurt" me!But, in my humble opinion, this condensed, compressed "cutting edge" stuff is not for "beginners"!

It seems like I would have a "fighting chance" to readily comprehend the content of this little book, given that I am what many people would call a "well-read" and intelligent person (and I even have a graduate degree with a "minor" in multivariate statistics from a respected university).But no way!I was confused early on in trying to decipher this book on my own.I really needed a patient teacher to hold my hand.Maybe I am basically dense, stupid, below average in IQ, and/or just getting old -- who knows?But, while I endeavored to read this "very short introduction", I found myself thinking that, at least for the average person, it may be possible, but not probable, that they will grasp much of the content beyond perhaps a few vague intuitive notions.Otherwise, I learned a few new impressive words, what a "vole" is, a little about "Olbers' paradox", and that Edgar Allan Poe was seriously interested in cosmology (for example, see his essay entitled, "Eureka"). ... Read more

Product Description

A final quest and an ultimate betrayal.

Deep in the mountains of Romania stands a fortress, and deep within that fortress lies a chamber. In that chamber, ruling the dead for over two thousand years, lives one Shataiki bat straight from the bowels of the Black Forest. He seeks the final Books of History with which he will destroy the world.

But there are four who stand in the way.

The chosen are trapped in a new world of high technology and weapons of mass destruction. In the midst of chaos, they must find the last book before the Dark One can in this final test to save the world.

Customer Reviews (24)

Exciting tale
Well written final book in the lost books series. Ted Dekker is a master story teller.

One of the best of the series
My daughter started reading this series (she is 9 going on 14) and really wanted to get all the books in the series.Chaos was one of the best of the 6 in the series. It has a lot of twists but ends with a beautiful story of redemption.I recommend it. It is better, in my opinion, than Renegade.

Great Read
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a fiction book with a Christian twist. It has a wonderful plot that keep you guessing (wrong) what is next. I highly recommend this bookand any other by Ted Dekker - I just can't get enough of his works.

Heart-warming
This is easily my favorite of the Books of History series. I've always had a thing for fish-out-of-temporal-water stories, and Dekker delivers this one incredibly well. Absolutely a delight to read.

Great transaction!
My order was received extremely quick and the book was in perfect condition.I was very pleased get receive my order so quickly because I absolutely love the writter! I will without a doubt purchase from this seller again! ... Read more

Product Description
Condensed Chaos provides a practical introduction to Chaos Magic, one of the fastest growing areas of Western Occultism. Through it you can change your circumstances, live according to a developing sense of personal responsibility, effect change around you, and stop living as a helpless cog in some clockwork universe. All acts of personal/collective liberation are magical acts. Magic leads us into exhilaration and ecstasy; into insight and understanding; into changing ourselves and the world in which we participate. Through magic we may come to explore the possibilities of freedom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

WAIT TO BUY THIS BOOK!
This book will be available from it's new publisher The Original Falcon Press sometime in Winter or Fall of 2010. You will not have to pay some inflated fee of $89 to $202 because the book is currently out of print. At that time there should be plenty here at the normal price.

Best Chaos Primer
Wow! I can't believe this book is going for $75 at the cheapest! I just picked it up at the bookstore years ago, not knowing who Phil Hine or Peter Carroll was at the time.

I was surprised to find out this is the best introduction into Chaos Magick I have ever read. Peter Carroll's work evidently came first, but somehow lacks a connection to the reader in the way it is presented. Phil Hine's "Condensed Chaos" presents a system that can make sense to everybody, even the skeptic off the street. The theories and excercises are simple and easy to follow. Reading this book gave my forays into magick-using a significant boost.

Highly recommended for any student interested in magick and how it can be utilized as an everyday part of your life.

Twas good
I found this book to be a good read. Lots of interesting info. There was some stuff I did not agree with, but that only personaly. The book it's self was well written and had alot of good facts. If you are interested in it then enjoy the read.

Good material put together badly
Phil Hine knows his stuff and has a lot of tips here that will help the working magician. However, the information is not organised into any coherent structure and the book suffers from repitition, gaps and a lack of overall structure.

His outline on how to create servitors will be helpful to any chaos magician, though it lacks detail.

Much of this book is dedicated to understanding and maturely assessing your desires, rather than just chasing after every whim and obsession. This is vitally important and sadly absent from much other work on chaos magic. The poor editing of this book is again apparent here, as the various methods of analyzing a desire are peppered throughout different parts of the book.

The chapter on ego magic has a lot of wise and practical advice on deconditioning.

The chapter on invocation has its strengths and weaknesses. It discusses the purposes and application of invocation very well, but fails to give a workable description of any effective technique to acheive invocation. Instead, it focuses on the theatrical elements of invocation. These theatrical elements are useful, but only as a complement to an invocation ritual - which this book will not tell you how to do.

The pamphlet that became 'Condensed Chaos' - Oven-Ready Chaos - has much of the best material contained in 'Condensed Chaos', and is available on Phil Hine's website. Still, if you're serious about chaos magic, you should buy this book.

GreaterChaos
This is a great introduction into chaos magic. It has excellent information and is an easy read no pausing and thinking what the author meant. Highly recommend ... Read more

Product Description
In Steering through Chaos, Pastor Scott Wilson helps you, whether you are a fellow pastor or part of a church staff or leadership team, plan for change and develop a communication strategy that enlists support and builds momentum to lead individuals or entire congregations through the transition. Scott provides you as a leader the insight, inspiration, and courage you need to make the difficult choices that will keep your church moving forward.

The challenges of leadership often multiply during times of transition. Blending perceptive, visionary principles with a passion to please God, Scott Wilson examines how to effectively lead your church through the process of change. Transitions addressed include the building of new facilities, the changing of staff structure, the addition of new services, and the transition to becoming a multisite ministry, among others. Each chapter includes discussion questions, making this an ideal resource for you, your staff, and your leadership team to read together.

During the struggles of transition, doubts and fears will inevitably arise. At those moments, leaders need assurance that they have a real and authentic vision from God. Scott encourages you to follow the call and to lead with confidence, courage, and an unwavering commitment to push through the challenges that come with change.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (86)

Some Insight
Scott has good insight into organizational change and growing pains. This book is not from a servant leaders perspective. Save your money and get "Advanced Strategic Planning: A New Model for Church and Ministry Leaders" by Aubrey Malphurs!

The Author Provides Helpful, Practical and Godly Guidance
I was impressed with just about everything that Scott Wilson offers in this book. He comes across as a humble, Godly and spiritually mature pastor who cares deeply about local churches and their leaders. He offers practical guidance based on experience, his own mentors and Scripture.The foundation for almost all of his teaching consists of prayer, listening to God, Scripture, wise counsel and humility.

Wilson shares and emphasizes the challenges, difficulties and frustrations of leading through change and chaos.This is a good message to hear: it is going to be challenging.He provides wise counsel about approaching the trials of leadership and thanking God for his care and discipline.Wilson is encouraging throughout the book, and I appreciated that aspect along with his honesty and realism.

Wilson intersperses leadership accounts from other pastors throughout the book. I appreciated this diversity of perspectives.I think any readers will be able to take away some good leadership instructions from this book. Wilson shares some serious pitfalls to avoid and obstacles that must be overcome.He also reminds readers of the basics like good communication and having courage.

The only slight criticism of the book is that Wilson lays heavy emphasis on numbers of church attendees as the benchmark of success for leaders. I think this diminishes and minimizes the value of discipleship and the attributes of smaller churches that may be led to plant new churches rather than grow beyond a certain point.In other words, I don't think becoming a mega-church or multi-site church is the goal or should be the goal of all church leaders. This is sort of implied throughout the book by Wilson and by his citing of other pastors and his guest writers.

Overall, I heartily recommend this book for church leaders and really for any leaders of organizations looking for practical help and encouragement.

Should Be on Your "Must-Read" List
I am so tired of reading church growth books that have little substance!When I first picked up, Steering Through Chaos, by Scott Wilson, I prematurely counted this book among them.

In the forward, it describes the book as being about "...what it means to transition a church from Gutenberg to Google." I thought, "Oh great, another seeker-sensitive, water-it-down, compromise-so-they'll-come, waste-my-time leadership book." Boy was I wrong!

Steering Through Chaos is one of the best books I have ever read on the topic of leading your church for maximum eternal results. It will boost your faith, impart much wisdom, communicate useful knowledge, and all with such transparent honesty.

One of the biggest highlights of the book for me was when Scott Wilson said, "Your church will grow only to the level of your pain threshold." Wow! That statement revolutionized the way I think about ministry.

Wilson went on to explain that God had to raise his pain threshold in order for him to deal with change, make difficult choices, and to endure the pain and hard work of church growth. The book points out that there is pain in change, whether it is adding another service, changing staff, implementing new ministries, or raising money for a new facility. He goes on to say that we need to care more about God's calling than our comfort.

I have been thinking a lot about Wilson's "pain" statement. Although it is not a popular sermon topic, there is pain in the Christian walk. There is the pain of rejection when witnessing, the ache of forgiving someone who has wronged you, the throb of nailing your flesh to the cross and dying to self, the sting of persecution and scorn and the list goes on and on.

Even with our physical bodies, there is the pain of birthing new life, the pain of gaining new muscle, and the pain of hunger when trying to lose weight."No pain, no gain."

In the ministry there is much pain as well, but if at any time we make the inner vow that says, "I refuse to put myself through any more pain.I am not going to put myself out there anymore. I am not going to try anything new so I don't have to endure the pain of possible failure. I am not going to set myself or my family up for future hurts" we will stymie the growth of our church, but more importantly the growth of the Kingdom.

Steering Through Chaos should be on the "must read" list of any minister or leader in the church.

Impressive Read for Youth Pastors
Steering Through Chaos is Awesome. It will help you make positive change, cast vision, & build momentum withing your ministry. It is just as good for Youth Pastors as what it is for Senior Pastors.

Transition is Tough - this book will help!
I've been on staff at a couple of significantly transitioning churches before. Nobody can predict exactly what will happen, who will change, what type of leadership is needed to transition as gracefully as possible or the effects it will have on the entire church body.

Scott Wilson has essentially spent his entire life living and ministering through a transitioning church. His wisdom is beyond his years and practical ideas are easy to take and implement into your own context.

I now get to visit churches across the US to speak, and so many times I run into a church who is right in the middle of that phase that is almost paralyzing-nobody knows what to do next and fear takes over. I highly recommend Scott's book to any church (and get it as soon as you can!) ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (29)

Narrative voice not up to scratch
This could have been a marvellous story--a bright Edwardian heroine having ripping adventures with her beloved cat by her side. Unfortunately, it's loaded with Americanisms. I longed to suspend my disbelief and escape into 1906 London, but I just couldn't. So frustrating! The author should have asked a Briton to read the manuscript before it was published. At the very least, it should have been given an editor who speaks UK English.

Theodosia Throckmorton for the win
I'm sure there are other fantasy titles that follow the "So and So and the Whatsit" model, and star a girl instead of a boy, but only the boys come to mind when I try to come up with them. That makes R.L. LaFevers' Theodosia Throckmorton and the Serpent of Chaos a pretty notable one. Theodosia Throckmorton, or Theo, lives an isolated life in the museum her parents run, trying to rid everything they bring back of the curses no one can see but her. There's a lot of pressure on her to begin with (I mean, her parents won't even wear gloves when they handle cursed items), but everything seems to get out of control when her mother returns from one of her many voyages to Egypt with the dangerous Heart of Egypt. Through a course of events, Theodosia finds herself in the impossible position of responsibility for returning the artifact to it's rightful place without letting her parents know what's going on. Except its rightful place is in Egypt. And what's hanging in the balance if Theo fails? Only the fate of her entire country.

Theodosia herself is clever, witty and fallible. The way she speaks isn't so believable for an 11 year old maybe, but that's part of the fun of her character and her story. Her gender is never the focus of the story, and that makes her a hero in the vein of Harry Potter, and a definite possibility for his fans. Her dark and dangerous world is described well enough to keep readers in the mood for mystery, without so much information that it's overwhelming.

Plus, LaFevers runs an excellent website (find it here: [...]), with interesting links, a blog with great advice for writers and blog written by Theodosia that makes up for the fact that her own isn't really suited for younger readers.

Also fun for adults
I absolutely hate that there is a Booklist quote on the back of these books that says "A sure bet for Harry Potter fans". This book is nothing like Harry Potter and I mean that as a compliment. Yes, I have read all the Potter books, and even like a couple. But Harry Potter books are not the standard by which all other books that mention the word "magic" should be measured. Especially books that have nothing to do with a Harry Potter like world.

Some other reviews mention Indiana Jones and I would agree with that more than a link to Potter. This book brought Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody to my mind.I can see where a young Amelia, given the chance, might have been very like Theodosia. Actually, that is why I gave this one a try, even though it is a children's book.I love stories about ancient Egypt and spunky heroines.

Theo does speak a bit odd at times in this first book, but I loved that she is smart, independent and really very disciplined in her studies. She has taught herself Greek, Egyptian Hieroglyphs and Latin,and studies ancient Egyptian history and lore to remove curses on the artifacts her mother brings home from her archeological digs in Egypt. She also has to deal with secret societies, one dastardly, one benevolent, quirky museum staff, distracted parents and a meddlesome Grandmother who wants to turn her into a "proper lady". Theo is very busy.

So, if you are looking for something like Harry Potter, look elsewhere. If you want to try a fun romp with an "odd duck" 11 year old in a museum surrounded by ancient Egyptian artifacts, some with nasty curses, give this a try. If you like it then read the second in the series, "Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris". Frankly, I found it even better than this one.

Fast-paced and Humorous
The year is 1906 and Theodosia Throckmorton is up to her ears in Egyptian curses in this fast-paced and humorous fantasy book for middle school readers. Theo's father is the Head Curator of the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London and the eleven-year-old girl spends a lot of time there. Her mother is an archeologist and, as the story opens, she arrives from Egypt with crates of artifacts from the Valley of the Kings. Her most valuable find is a large jeweled scarab called the Heart of Egypt.

Even though Theo's parents and the two assistant curators work with ancient Egyptian pieces all the time, only Theo can feel the evil magic oozing out of them. Powerful curses arrive at the museum with every crate of antiquities. She has learned to cope with them from books about how to combat Egyptian magic. But her parents don't believe her when she tells them about the dreadful spells--they just think she has a vivid imagination.

Then, almost as soon as it arrives, the Heart of Egypt is stolen!

That very day a bigwig from the British Museum comes by asking to see it. Theo thinks that's too much of a coincidence and when he leaves, she follows him.

After some exciting twists and turns, she meets the head of a mysterious organization called the Brotherhood of the Chosen Keepers. He tells her that because her mother took the Heart of Egypt, a massive curse will be unleashed on all of England. He and the other members of the Brotherhood can't go directly after the artifact because they are well known to the thieves, so he asks her to recover it. But even if she could, how would it ever be returned to the tomb in Egypt?

Theo is a plucky and resourceful heroine and she tells her tale in a lively voice with many humorous asides. The spooky curses and nefarious doings that swirl around her make the story fun and exciting.

This is R. L. LaFevers first book about Theodosia. She's written two other Theodosia books, as well as other series. The marvelous cover is by Yoko Tanaka.

Fun and unique adventure...
Theodosia Throckmorton is not your average eleven-year-old girl. Gifted with intelligence well beyond her years, Theo practically lives at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities, run by her parents and used as the venue for displaying their archaeological discoveries. But what her parents don't realize - and what only Theodosia can see - are the ancient curses swirling around the finds that her parents bring back to London. Theo determines to educate herself about the ancient magic so she can neutralize the threats her parents unwittingly awaken when the artifacts are removed from their Egyptian tombs. It's a thankless job, since her parents - indeed, every adult she encounters - constantly make the mistake of underestimating her capabilities. When her mother returns from her latest expedition with the legendary Heart of Egypt - her most priceless (and dangerous) find yet - Theodosia is thrust into the middle of a web of international conspiracy, warring secret societies, and ancient curses bent on destroying England and unleashing worldwide chaos.

I've always loved stories involving Egypt and archaeological digs set during the first half of the 20th century - what can I say, blame Agatha Christie and Indiana Jones. Between Indy's adventures (and I'm recalling the Young Indiana Jones made-for-TV films) and Christie's Egyptian-set mysteries, tales about ancient discoveries have never failed to intrigue me. I decided to check out this series when I noticed a friend reading one of the books on GoodReads - with a delightfully named heroine, I knew I had to investigate the series. The Serpents of Chaos is a rollicking, fast-paced introduction to Theodosia's dangerous, magic-filled world. There's some merit to likening Theo to Harry Potter - both start out as eleven-year-olds with abilities no one in their families understand. However, Rowling does a better job of fleshing out Potter's universe in my view. LaFevers dives right into the action and doesn't let up until the final pages, which makes for a quick read. The pace is only occasionally slowed by a few rather longish descriptions of Egyptian magic or curse "antidotes." I would've liked a little more context to Theo's life, more of an introduction to her unique skill set and how she came to know so much about magic at such a young age.

Theo's voice is definitely the highlight of the novel. Impossibly worldly-wise, mature, and funny, Theodosia is an engaging heroine. LaFevers is careful to balance Theo's extraordinary knowledge with a relatable, heartfelt desire for her to be affirmed and valued by her parents. Theo's efforts to impress her parents and the scenes between her and her younger brother, Henry, were some of my favorite sections of the book. She's also a cat lover, which I deeply appreciated. I also loved how Theodosia manages to impress the clandestine organization tasked with protecting England. I can easily see Theo and company playing an important role in magical world events, perhaps leading up to the outbreak of World War I.This novel is sure to appeal to fans of Indiana Jones or the Mummy films, and to anyone who's ever been enthralled by a museum exhibit. I am curious to see how Theodosia juggles appearing to be an average girl with the responsibility of protecting the nation from dark magic threats. It should be a fun ride. ... Read more

Product Description
Part two of the literary sci-fi thriller follows a boy and a girl who are caught in a warring town where thoughts can be heard — and secrets are never safe.

Reaching the end of their flight in THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, while Todd faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Perfect...almost
I don't think I could review this book without a spoiler, because the one thing about it I didn't like IS the spoiler--Viola.Unlike The Knife of Never Letting Go, this second story is half Viola's to tell (so obviously, she lived).I like Viola, I really do, but I just don't find her as interesting as Todd, or her voice as unique.Not that she isn't every bit as well-written, she's just not Todd.Having said that, readers of the first book who were put off by Todd's country dialect narration will probablly like this one better because of Viola.

Now on to the raving.

As much as I love Todd, in truth this book could not have been effectively told by one character.There is simply too much happening in too many diffrent places.Todd and Viola have been separated, Todd being held by the impressivly evil Mayor Printiss, and Viola by Mistress Coyle, a healer turned terrorist who will do anything to thwart the Mayor's control of New World.The kid's bond is tested through distance and murderous dictators, and all the while just remembering who they are and what's really important becomes harder and harder. The quote Ness uses at the beginning of the book sums it all up perfectly: "Battle not with monsters lest you become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss the abyss gazes into you."

Character developement in The Ask and the Answer is some of the best I've seen in teen fiction, particulary with Todd; he stops at some dark, bleak places on the road to premature manhood.Characters who lived to see this second book have bigger, more complex roles, and of course, there are newcomers to love and hate as well.For those of you like myself who wanted to see more of the Spackle in The Knife of Never Letting Go, your wish is granted here.

What I loved most in the first novel is the same thing I loved most in this one, maybe more in this one: It transports you completely to a different world, different people.Titles like sci-fi and dystopian and even YA fiction fall away after just a few pages and it becomes about STORY, pure and simple.And you couldn't ask for a better person to tell you a story than Patrick Ness.

Some answers, more questions...
(to avoid spoilers, you will want to finish THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO first. Just a warning.)

Patrick Ness is not about to let up on his readers after the race to safe Haven is over. He has many more suprises in store and new dimensions of his world to explore. Thus, THE ASK AND THE ANSWER is every bit as suprising and compelling as its predecessor, though it is a very different kind of book.

Once Todd and Viola reach Haven, they realize the battle against Prentisstown is over before it began, because the Mayor is there already and the city has surrendered. Todd promises he will do anything the Mayor (who now dubs himself 'President Prentiss') wants, so long as he saves Viola's life. He is interrogated and thrown into chains in the highest tower. Viola, just barely hanging on to life, is taken away...

If THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO was one huge, non-stop chase, then the ASK AND THE ANSWER is a quiet, tense, psychological waiting game, and you are waiting for the worst to happen. The one problem I had with this installment was the pacing. I didn't tear through it like I did with the first one. THE ASK AND THE ANSWER had some places where the action stagnates and leaves the reader waiting, and then in between the book speeds up with a sudden burst of excitement for a while. So, it can feel somewhat uneven, especially through the middle after the first 100 pages or so. However, suspense is in no short supply. At those times when the narrative goes full throttle, you will be on the edge of your seat, mouth hanging open in disbelief, just like watching your favorite action movie.

What Ness is doing is elaborately setting up the board for the conclusion of this and for the next book, MONSTERS OF MEN, and there are many figures and forces at play. All the prepartation sets a high bar for the final book. Watching it all unfold, you see that THE ASK AND THE ANSWER is far more complex than the first book.

The climax is relentless and heart-wrenching, and will simply leave you stunned. It is perfectly delivered and supremely satisfying, even more powerful than the climax of the first book. Ness sure knows how to end with an explosive bang. Another thrilling cliffhanger ending awaits at the end.

The slower, more deliberate nature of this book leaves plenty of room for reflection and for exploring serious themes and some dark corners of human nature. One overarching theme of this book is war - the harshness, the necessity, the fascination of it, and how integral it is to human existence. Ness handles the theme with grace and isn't one-sided about it. He also explores some heavy and dark subject matter. He will push his characters beyond their limits and show you what people are capable of, both for good and atrocity. Don't get the wrong impression; it isn't all about the horrible; it is also about the good in people and how average people can persevere through unbelievable circumstances and the resiliency of the human spirit.

I really appreciated seeing the characters, particularly Todd and Viola developed even more fully. In this book, Ness even writes from Viola's viewpoint for much of the novel. He manages to give Viola her own characteristic voice, like Todd. Although her voice is not as quirky as Todd's, it is true to Viola, and it is interesting to see from her perspective. The novel is strongly character-driven throughout, and while you may not always agree with the choices Todd and Viola make, you fully understand why they make them. They won't always succeed, but they remain sympathetic and most importantly, realistic. All the supporting characters here, in fact, are well-developed and not one-dimensional. Even President Prentiss is not the cookie-cutter "bad guy who must be stopped from taking over the world" - he is more sophisticated than that.

Can't wait for the final installment.

Amazing Book 2!!
"Your noise reveals you Todd Hewitt." A voice -- In the darkness. I blink open my eyes. Everything is shadows and blur and it feels like the world's spinning and my blood is too hot and my brain is clogged and I can't think and it's dark -- I blink again. Wait. No, WAIT -- Just now, just NOW we were in the square -- Just now SHE was in my arms."

As with Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, it will difficult to review this book without giving anything away. First, I don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't read The Knife of Never Letting Go. Because really....you NEED to read that book. And secondly, I don't wait to spoil anything from THIS book. So, basically this is going to be a non-review of a book that I LOVED.

What can I say then about The Ask and The Answer? The book begins almost immediately from the point that The Knife of Never Letting Go ended. Todd awakens to find that they have indeed made it to Haven, although it seems that the Army has made it there before him and Viola. Haven, now called New Prentisstown, is under the control of Mayor Prentiss. And Todd has no idea where Viola is or what happened to her.

In this book enemies become friends and friends become enemies. Although the pace of this book is not quite as neck-breaking as the first, it is equally gut-wrenching. Todd is forced to do things he would never have done before. And he loses himself because of it. The once-innocent Todd learns the ways of the "New" world. And shatters himself in the process. Things are not always black and white now. And the shades of gray can be very dangerous. But one thing we know about Todd....he's strong. And good. And nothing can possibly change that. Or can it??

I don't know if it's possible, but I would have to say this book is better than the first. I wasn't quite as dizzy reading it. But my heart-strings were pulled and manipulated just as much. I have a new character I love: "boycolt, boycolt".Once again, we are sucked completely into the lives of Todd and Viola. We see a glimpse into the psyche that is Mayor Prentiss and we see lots of darkness. We see what it is like for his son, Davy, growing up with such a man as a father. And we find a new enemy out there. So many questions as well. Is the Answer enemy or friend?? And what will happen when the settlers reach the New World?

I, for one, am having a hard time waiting for all the answers to come. Book 3, Monster of Men will not be available in the US until May. I'm already chomping at the bit to get it! (pun, definitely intended!) As far as I'm concerned, this is a Must Read Series for anyone that wants to be completely and totally drawn into a dystopian world. It almost physically HURTS to read it, the intensity is so high. But again, isn't that the sign of a fantastic book?? Most definitely given a 5 Star review!!

amazing series
I was blown away by book 1, and even if this wasn't that mind-blowing it was still a great book. The first was What, what, what!! And this one was more what, what, what?

Ness has this gift for total confusion. Who to trust, who to believe, I haev no idea. Everyone is telling things, everyone is lying. There is chaos walking the planet.

Todd has made it to Haven with the dying Viola, but there he is met by Mayor Prentiss and the army and Viola is taken away. He is put into jail, and later forced to work with the now President Prentiss's son, putting the alien Spackle to work. All this while Prentiss is being really nice to him, and telling him things so that he does not know what to believe any more.

There is Todd chapters and Viola chapters as she goes down another road and hears another versions of the same story. All while they just want to find each other again.

I still do not know what to believe. Why were all the women in Prentisstown killed? I know the President is poison, but still, what to believe?

The thing here is that things escalate, the president is yes a monster and whatever he seems to say he does not trust women. I mean they did kill all the women in their town. But then there is those that oppose him and they are not right either. The next book will be called Monsters of Men, and this is something that Viola and Todd says in book 1 or 2, war makes monsters out of men and that is so true in this book.

This is chilling Dystopian fiction that should be read. It will grab hold of you with a bunch of questions, and how that planet will get peace I do now know. The first book was about them on the run, things happening all the time. This book is more lies and propaganda, and trying to stay human when everything is chaos around you.

I am truly looking forward to book 3, not only cos this book ends with a major cliffhanger just like book 1 did.

Brilliant!
The continuation of Todd and Viola's fight for survival was not disappointing. This novel proves that you can write a sequel as good if not better than the first book.Todd's fight for survival and his adapting to work along side the same men he was running from is a telling tale of what we do to survive and fit in with others.Viola meanwhile is struggling to keep her promise to Todd even when she is unable to help him the way she would like.The ending had me reading for 3 hours straight.I simply could not put it down.This novel shows that even when things are at their darkest moments, love and friendship never die.You simply will not be disappointed in this second Chaos Walking series. ... Read more

Product Description

If you have ever felt your life was out of control and headed toward chaos,science has an important message: Life is chaos, and that's a very exciting thing!

In this eye-opening book, John Briggs and F. David Peat reveal sevenenlightening lessons for embracing the chaos of daily life.

Be Creative:
engage with chaos to find imaginative new solutions and live more dynamically

Use Butterfly Power:
let chaos grow local efforts into global results

Go With the Flow:
use chaos to work collectively with others

Explore What's Between:
discover life's rich subtleties and avoid the traps of stereotypes

See the Art of the World:
appreciate the beauty of life's chaos

Live Within Time:
utilize time's hidden depths

Rejoin the Whole:
realize our fractal connectedness to each other and the world

Life is impossible to control--instead of fighting this truth, Seven Life Lessons of Chaos shows you how to accept, celebrate, and use it to live life to its fullest.

Customer Reviews (16)

Fantastic!!! One of the best books on the subject.
My favorite book by the authors. This book delivers exactly what it says. Crucial to understanding the universe we live in on both the scientific and spiritual plains. I tend to lean toward the scientific, but I believe this book achieves that delicate balance needed for the job. A long time fan of "Turbulent mirror", I feel this book takes us to the next level. Buy multiple copies to share it with friends. Very easy to digest, but just enough theory to satisfy the sceptical mind. You will not be disappointed.

How do I apply these lessons to improve my life?
Just wanted to say that this is fascinating reading but I somehow expected that it would be less an explanation of the theory and more as to how one can take these lessons and apply it to one's job, social life, and how to make significant changes in one's everyday experience...in other words, as an engine of change. I am on the second reading and I still don't see how to accomplish this. Interesting reading if all you are looking for is an explanation...to be really specific, this weather guy, Lorenz, who discovered this chaos phenomenon while studying and trying to predict weather patterns , obviously provided the people in his field with lots of things to work on and they continue to apply this theory in their everyday work in trying to improve their predictions and to actually understand the phenomena of weather. I have no idea how to apply this in my life..and perhaps that was not the authors' intention in any case.

A little science and a little religion
A follow up for Peat and Briggs for their "Turbulent Mirror." There are ah-ha! moments in "Seven Life Lessons of Chaos" but too much is speculative.
The one item that did stand out for me was a mention of when a writer allows the characters to take over the book and the characters dictate the plot. It has a semi-Zen like quality to the science, but then that is what Chaos is about.

Chaos Will Not Be Ignored!
When life is pulling you in a certain direction, yield a little to the current.You might be amazed at what you find.The key is, it doesn't pay to fight the universe. Absorb the chaos theory as put forth by this book and it can change your life or, at the very least, your way of thinking.

fascinating
Chaos theory is fascinating, greatly fascinating, and this is a fascinating book about it.It's just beautiful. ... Read more

Product Description
Palmer's extraordinary knowledge and boundless love of music were evident in all his writing. He was an authority on rock & roll, blues, jazz, punk, avant-garde, and world music -- often discovering new artists and trends years (even decades) before they hit the mainstream. Now, noted music writer Anthony DeCurtis has compiled the best pieces from Palmer's oeuvre and presents them here, in one compelling volume.

A member of the elite group of the defining rock critics who emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, Palmer possessed a vision so complete that, as DeCurtis writes, "it's almost as if, if you read Bob, you didn't need to read anyone else." Blues & Chaos features some of his most memorable pieces, including gripping stories about John Lennon, Led Zeppelin, Moroccan trance music, Miles Davis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Philip Glass, and Muddy Waters.

Wonderfully entertaining, infused with passion, and deeply inspiring, Blues & Chaos is a must for music fans everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

read this book!
Something that makes Mr. Palmer's writing different from other critics' music writing is that he had deep knowledge of music itself. In this book he discusses blues and rock, but he also discusses jazz (Ornette Coleman, for example) and modern/contemporary classical composers. His musicological knowledge makes his discussions more than subjective statements of what he liked or didn't like in a song or piece of music. Instead, he discusses what experimental musicians (such as Mr. Coleman) or more traditional musicians (such as Muddy Waters) were actually doing musically.

And please don't miss his discussion of Bo Diddley. Mr. Palmer shows how he was a great innovator within particular African American musical and oral traditions, and that he deserves much more acclaim as a blues musician and rock & roll originator.

Finally: This book made me want to go out and get recordings of lots and lots of the music Mr. Palmer liked! So read this book, learn something maybe, and have fun!

GREAT COLLECTION OF WRITING ON MUSIC
Hardcover-432 pages of text.There is an index,and a sixteen page introduction written by Anthony DeCurtis,giving a short look into (the late) Robert Palmer's writing on music.There are no photographs accompanying the text.The various essays/interviews are grouped-such as "Jazz","The Blues","The Originators","Soul and R&B","Classic Rock","World Music","Punk and Beyond",etc.,instead of in chronological order of writing.There are also excerpts from his writings on Morocco and an excerpt from an interview with William Burroughs.

This great collection finally brings together many of Palmer's best writing concerning music and the people who make it,thanks to another noted music writer,Anthony DeCurtis.Palmer is mostly known for his wonderful book,"Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta" (which should be in every blues listeners library),and others such as "The Rolling Stones","Rock and Roll: An Unruly History",and"Baby,That Was Rock and Roll: The Legendary Leiber and Stroller". Palmer wasn't an authority on just one style of music-he seemed to have an innate sense of what makes for good music,no matter what type.While this collection isn't all of his best writing (there is still a great deal of it out there),what this great book does is bring into sharp focus a number of his best pieces,over many years and different musical subjects.Besides the above books,Palmer wrote many reviews/articles for "Rolling Stone Magazine",back when that magazine (and others) was still important musically,and he was the first person to hold the title of chief pop critic for "The New York Times".One other important point-Palmer was himself a musician (I still play his two albums when he was in the band THE INSECT TRUST),which gave him an extra feel and insight into music-making.

What elevated Palmer's writing above most of the others of the time was his obvious enthusiasm for his subjects.No matter what genre of music,if Palmer thought it had value he wrote about it with great insight and excitement.He was widely quoted and looked to for his opinion in many areas of music.His writing brought support to many musicians/bands who sometimes needed a boost into the public eye.Just some of the people/scenes he passionately wrote about included Philip Glass,Steve Reich,THE ROLLING STONES,the punk music scene,Charles Mingus,a number of blues artists,and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND.This book collects all that and much more.His way of drawing readers into his essays/reviews was second to none.At times,in the interviews,you get an almost "you are there" feel from his writing.His essays will make you think.His way of combining entertaining prose with extraordinary knowledge,and an excitement for his subject,made you want to go out and hear all this incredible music that you somehow had missed,or maybe needed to hear again with Palmer's insights.Palmer has the innate knack for both observing and getting to the heart of what music is. His opinions are usually grounded in the historical past-music (whatever genre) is based on something (blues,gospel,etc.) that came before.

His writings will make you stop and think about the music you're listening to.On reading his opinions on rock & roll as opposed to "rock",or the blues,for example,Palmer brings to light ideas and opinions that seem to get inside the very heart of what music was,is,and maybe might become.He uses examples (Springsteen,ROLLING STONES,Presley,for instance) to get his point (s) across as to just what r & r really is.On the subject of jazz innovators/innovation,Palmer argues that (to paraphrase),blacks (as they were known in the 70's),such as Armstrong,Ellington,and Parker for instance,have been the ones who have formulated and pushed every major movement in the genre.And that white musicians,while popular (Keith Jarrett,WEATHER REPORT as examples) have done relatively little,if anything to advance jazz.Palmer writes that it is because black culture is imbued with another form of music,the blues,which has been endemic to their culture for so long,while white jazz players ideas are steeped in European movements.Whether you agree completely or partially,or not at all,Palmer brings up ideas that needed (and still need)to be aired.This is why on reading his essays,you will more than likely come away listening to your favorite music with more insight and appreciation.

With this book listeners of many genres of music can once again,or for the first time (I envy you),revel in Palmer's style of making his subjects and ideas come alive on the page as few writers can.I can vividly remember reading (usually in "Rolling Stone Magazine") his reviews/thoughts on blues (especially)and jazz artists (Sun Ra),and other areas of music I was not,at the time,familiar with (Moroccan trance music for example)),and wanting to go out and purchase the music he so excitedly and passionately wrote about.Now,with this wonderful collection spanning a number of years and several genres,many more music listeners will get the chance to read Palmer's insights into the heart of what makes good music.

... Read more

Product Description
One of the most daunting challenges facing the new U.S. administration is health care reform. The size of the system, the number of stakeholders, and ever-rising costs make the problem seem almost intractable. But in Chaos and Organization in Health Care, two leading physicians offer an optimistic prognosis. In their frontline work as providers, Thomas Lee and James Mongan see the inefficiency, the missed opportunities, and the occasional harm that can result from the current system. The root cause of these problems, they argue, is chaos in the delivery of care. If the problem is chaos, the solution is organization, and in this timely and outspoken book, they offer a plan.

In many ways, this chaos is caused by something good: the dramatic progress in medical science—the explosion of medical knowledge and the exponential increase in treatment options. Imposed on a fragmented system of small practices and individual patients with multiple providers, progress results in chaos. Lee and Mongan argue that attacking this chaos is even more important than whether health care is managed by government or controlled by market forces.

Some providers are already tightly organized, adapting management principles from business and offering care that is by many measures safer, better, and less costly. Lee and Mongan propose multiple strategies that can be adopted nationwide, including electronic medical records and information systems for sharing knowledge; team-based care, with doctors and other providers working together; and disease-management programs to coordinate care for the sickest patients. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Organizing Medical Care Delivery
The authors describe a methodology to transition
from chaos to organization in the existing medical
delivery systems. The general practitioner is the
initial party in the system which evolves to the
full service clinic. I believe that the book
should have described the development of networks
of specialists which provide the complete diagnostic
profile for a patient.

Oftentimes, the general practitioner is limited to
the basic examination, bloodwork, urine, chest x-ray
and ultrasounds. The specialists do the complicated
diagnostics like MRIs, chronic pain management, surgery,
the musculoskeletal network, physical therapy
and nutrition management.

The authors believe that dramatic cost reduction can
come from strategic application of medical technologies,
automation, the evaluation of threats, deployment
of aggressive treatment regimens and collaborative
teamwork to avoid hospitalization at all costs.

The lowest real growth in health care expenditures
is in Germany, Italy and Austria. Good care is
defined as safe, effective, patient-centered,
equitable, timely and efficient.

The authors provide some high success stories
like the implementation of Gefitinih to thwart
non-small cell lung cancer in a real life story.
Overall, the work is a good starting point
for implementing improvements to the existing
health care systems.

A "must read" on health care!
Recommended by Henry J. Aaron of the Brookings Institution, this book by Thomas H. Lee, M.D. and James J. Mongan, M.D. compares the provision of health care from individual physician providers all the way to complex integrated systems such as Kaiser Permanente.The book is based on the extensive experience of the authors in this field, along with carefully researched references.It is the most important contribution I have found for understanding major issues which will need to be addressed in reconstructing our health care systems.The authors do not take a "one size fits all" stance, but they provide careful analysis of many levels of organization.

Health Reform Resource
This new book frames the healthcare reform debate in the light of real data and workable approaches. The authors make the case for integration of physicians into health networks as the best future for medical practice. Their focus is mostly on direct physician care and not the full spectrum of providers that will be needed to deliver basic care over the next decades, but the arguments and data they present are applicable to the whole system. If you want to be well informed about this critical issue, this book should be a key part of your education.

Good Discussion but Lacking in Details
There have been a great number of books analyzing health care over the past year and one suspects that this wave will continue. The book by Lee and Mongan entitled Chaos and Organization in Health Care (MIT Press, 2009) is one of the more recent. The premise of the book appears to be that the delivery of health care has problems because it is in an organizational state of chaos and if order is restored by the means proposed by the authors then all things will improve.

On page xi they specifically state that "the solution is organization" and it is from this assertion that they continue to build their argument. On page xiii they assert their proposal that a "tightly structured delivery organization" is the ideal and they proceed to use several examples throughout the book. Before continuing, I would introduce an interesting historical observation. When I spent time in and around Longwood Avenue, the Harvard Medical School area, in the 1960s, I could actually park my VW in the lot in front of one of the hospitals. By the late 1980s I had to use a multi-story garage, for what I thought was a great fee of $8. Last week I used the gigantic subterranean parking edifice for $30. The authors seem to recommend that the patients come to them, where they are collected as a group, but the vignette on parking just is the tip of the exclusion iceberg. It is quite difficult to get patients to trek to a single location for intermittent or routine care, they are all too often difficult to get to, especially for a patient who would then have to take great time from an already pressured schedule. The answer has been the single or multi-practitioner practice.

On p xii the authors speak of team based solutions to treating Diabetes. If one looks at Type 2 Diabetes, then in the overwhelming majority of cases it is s self inflicted disorder due to obesity and diet. The disease can be cured by just losing weight, and there should be actions taken to make that happen, otherwise a cost should be applied to the patient's life style choices. Assuming that nothing can be done with such a patient is just wrong and places the costs on the rest of us who comply.

On pp 39-40 the authors begin their analysis with the data from Medicare showing that patients see multiple physicians each year. They have a chart which shows that for Diabetes the Medicare patient sees 9 different physicians 3 of which are primary care and 6 of which are specialists. One will accept the data but one must question it. If the patient has Type 2 Diabetes, then we know that there are kidney, cardiac, neurological, ophthalmological, and possible endocrine issues, but if the average Medicare patient with type 2 Diabetes sees all of this every year then this is clearly an overload on any system. The authors put this data out there without adequately explaining it and allow it to speak for itself. It does not do so well.

On p 47 the authors have a table which shows the tests that Internists no longer routinely perform. Let me address a few. First, the treadmill stress test is better performed by a cardiologists just in case a patient does suffer an MI while be tested. The general internist is not prepared to handle this and the insurance could skyrocket if it were taken on, as well as the insurance company may not reimburse it. There are many reasons why not. Now for a liver biopsy. No Internist would take the risk of performing an invasive surgical procedure in their office unless there was no possible alternative. Slicing an artery in the liver is a substantial risk.

Part II starting on p 55 is where the authors begin their proposal for organization. Their overall proposal is in Chapter 6 for a Tightly Structured Health Care Delivery Organization, on p 97 and they use the VA as an example. The essence of the proposal is that one can create a dense and tightly integrated delivery system and that one gets the patients to come to that system and because of the efficiencies in this delivery mechanism the units costs and thus total costs are reduced. This is the classic centralized architecture approach introduced into production in the 1800s. Yet one questions whether that is the sole paradigm for the delivery of health care.

In Chapter 10 on p 175 the authors detail many of the reasons for lack of change. They focus on the provider and carefully list the key barriers to any form of evolution. On p 184 they present an interesting chart, charts of this type one can find in almost any environment, that one physician in the ER ordered 40% more CAT scans then the second highest ordering physician. Rather than bemoan that statistic one should try to understand why, the devil is in the details.

On p 205 the authors appear to support the bundling of payments, a plan which has worked its way into the current health care bills (2009). Bundling is a natural outgrowth of institutionalizing health care delivery. However if one can argue for the permanence of a distributed health care delivery system, which is in proximate contact with the patients, then bundling would be just another word for institutional control and the reduction of physician autonomy and patient choice. It is a sticky issue and the authors do not do credit to both sides.

On p 229 in the final chapter the authors stress that organization of providers is essential for change. They also seem to promote the single payer system approach on p 237.

The problem is that there is no financial or business analysis of the proposals. There are many generalizations and many anecdotes but frankly not a single analysis and what would be obtained by defined actions. I return to the metric we used before, namely that for any specific disease we have the total costs being:

Total Costs=Population X Incidence X Procedures per Patient X Costs per Procedure

Thus we can look at costs as driven by the four elements above. We see a growing population and thus no influence there. We can reduce incidence. Smoking has been reduced by taxing cigarettes and thus we have seen a reduction in male lung cancer incidence. Yet on the other hand we see a massive explosion in obesity and the resulting Type 2 Diabetes. A great deal can be done on incidence. On procedures; for acute coronary syndrome and the like we now have many procedures we can do today that we could not do 40 years ago and we have reduced mortality 50% as a result. Is that good, should we perform those procedures.

Then finally the costs per procedure. The last element is what the authors seem to be speaking to. What are they and how do their proposals reduce the costs and by how much. The devil is in the details, and more importantly in the numbers. It is with the numbers that the authors come up very short. The book is much too anecdotal and way too lacking in details.
... Read more

Product Description
Book DescriptionPublished in 1995, the bestselling first edition of Trading Chaos provided readers with the most practical and comprehensive guide for applying chaos theory to the real world of trading and investing. But today, the markets are different than they were even a few years ago. So with fresh research in hand, coauthors Bill Williams and Justine Gregory-Williams have updated their profitable methods and provide new techniques to help you take profits from the markets.

Trading Chaos, Second Edition will not only show you how to anticipate, recognize, and react to impending bull and bear market conditions, it will also introduce you to the latest findings in physics and psychology as applied to various markets--stock, bond, futures, indexes, and many others.

The first portion of this book is devoted to understanding how the rewards you’ll acquire in trading and investing are determined by what is happening inside of you. By digging through some very interesting and deep psychological principles, you can become a profitable "trade/vestor"--using technical techniques for good short-term entries and exits, but also holding on to long-term investments when the opportunity presents itself. Trading Chaos, Second Edition will help you build a solid psychological foundation before you enter the markets.

After you’ve learned how to gain an inner analytic edge, the authors will show you how the application of self-knowledge will improve your bottom line. Through numerous charts, checklists, and examples, you’ll be introduced to proven techniques that can make the unpredictable understandable and make your journey into the markets more profitable. You’ll learn how to:

Sharpen entries and exits, and reduce whiplashes with the powerful "Alligator" indicator Get into a new trend very early with proper use of the "First Wise Man" Add on aggressively after your first entry using the "Second Wise Man" with the help of the Awesome Oscillator (AO) Make fractal breakout trades with the "Third Wise Man"--these almost guarantee profitable follow-through on a trade

In this early part of the twenty-first century, you have a choice to either be a part of the last generation of traders and investors using linear (ineffective) techniques or the first generation using effective nonlinear (chaotic) techniques. By reading the Second Edition of Trading Chaos, you’ll learn how you can take your trading skills to the next level and make steady profits in any marke ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

too philosophical to a trader like me
I've been trading for more than 5 years since my graduation from college. This book offers lots of questions for philosophical speculation. Indeed, it raises many doubts about our assumptions upon this reality we reside in physically, mentally, or spiritually. Nevertheless, I will not position this book as a guidebook or a know-how methodology for beginners. This book was written or structured with a strong philosophical implications. Some chapters are nothing more than anecdotes of successful traders which I personally don't find appealingly entertaining or useful to my personal account.

Bill Williams Is A Great Teacher
Williams has been educating traders for many years, and is an effective teacher.His approach of "want what the market wants" and "follow the path of least resistance", are simple but essential lessons.You will learn about these lessons and more in this terrific book, and if you are open minded enough you will be able to benefit from his deeper understanding of how markets and traders behave.

Some of Williams' ideas are "out of the box" for traditional practitioners: he recommends meditation tapes to his students, tapping into a holistic method, and thinking in terms of a more global and universal energy that affects the markets and each trader's mind via their thoughts.

If you like Williams' approach, you may also find Bennett McDowell's system useful.He was a student of Williams' way back when, and has since gone on to become one of the newer educators in the field.McDowell's book, "The ART of Trading"The ART of Trading: Combining the Science of Technical Analysis with the Art of Reality-Based Trading (Wiley Trading)has the same energy that Williams work does, plus it offers money management techniques that complete the success picture.

Williams doesn't lecture at the trade shows anymore, but his teachings can be effectively mastered by reading his books and visiting his website.Recommended reading.

Contradicts his own theory
When I first started reading this book I thought it was going to be great.He really sounds good talking about Zen and Chaos theory and non-linear vs linear - and I think he is right that the markets behave under these concepts.However, he doesn't really tell us how to apply any of this to trading.Read this book and then look at a chart.Can you trade better now knowing that you should be using a non-linear, chaos approach?No!Why?Because he doesn't tell us how to apply that theory to trading.He tells us to be one with the market and flow with it etc.That's fine and dandy - but how do we do that?

He tells us that ta and mechanical systems don't work, then he reveals the system he uses to trade by - a mechanical system!!!I was shocked to see that his system is just another dime a dozen 3 ma system.How is his system using non-linear chaos theory?How is his system flowing with the market and making you more "in tune" with the market?It's just another mechanical ta system!!!(kind of sad really)

This book started with great promise but ended up being a total disappointment.

Unique Among Trading Titles
This is the finest trading-related book ever published; if you are just starting to learn about trading and investing, please pick up a copy of Trading Chaos before you spend another dime on newsletters, software or 'hot tips.'

It's not about trading a system, it's about trading your mind .......

Bill and Justine did a great job
Bill and Justine are made me aware of what is driving the markets. Before I met them I was caught in a circle of winning and losing money in trading. The first edition opened my eyes, new trading dimensions got me out of the dream. The home study course showed me that It is possible to trade consistently, The personal workshop with Bill taught me more than enough of the inside of the markets to grasp the why and how. Eventually workshops by Justine in the middle of Chicago made me implement it all.

This new edition of Trading Chaos is refreshing. It's not about "the magic system", it's not about how to design the perfect system. No it's about real life and how the markets fit in. The perfection in the chaos, the perfect repetition of the small in to the bigger picture.

Don't buy this book if you want to know which market to trade and make money.Don't buy this book if you are looking for the magical tip.
Do buy the book if you want to learn what the market is driving and how you can profit.

Do buy this book if you are clueless (like I was) about your trading mistakes.
If you are serious go for the book, think of the implications and contact Bill and Justine to do a follow up. I did it 10 years ago and never had a moment of regret.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (15)

Hack and slash
Traditional hack and slash ( sword & sorcerer sub-genre), lots of characters, standard fantasy world map.Author obviously experienced, good writing, fast pace, original social ideologies, some nice twist on the magic in this world, I enjoyed it, but I have a very soft spot for this sub-genre

Duncan shows off his gift for fantasy in the first of the Dodec duology
Duncan takes a well worn formula, and adds a few twists and his own deft touch on characters in Children of Chaos, the first of the two Dodec fantasy novels.

The medieval fantasy world Dodecians believe they live on a twelve sided world (a note in the novel suggests that the truth will be revealed in the sequel and is more complex than this). This twelve sided fantasy world is looked over by 12very active Gods (and one Anti-God), and boasts a variety of societies, one on each of the faces of the world.

As the action begins, the Florengian face has been overrun by the warriors from the neighboring Vigelian face, who have united their usually fractious society with the promise of conquest of another face of the world.To ensure the safety of the city of Celebre, four young hostages are taken from the family of the Doge, and brought to the Vigelian face and split apart.

Fifteen years later, with varying degrees of knowledge of their origins and heritage, these hostages are coming of age, drawing close to one of the Gods, and slowly discovering each other.In the midst of this and their own predicaments, the tenuous political peace on the Vigelian face brought by the promise of outside conquest is breaking down.It seems that the Celebres are destined to live in interesting times.

Thus is the story of Bernard, Orland, and Frena, mixed up with their relationships with their Gods, peers and each other unfolds. Duncan once again shows that he understands characters (and even female characters) very well. The characters are believable, sympathetic, and none of them are false one-note cardboard cutouts. There is an interesting theology and magic system (unique, although this sort of thing is common in Duncan's work), and I want to know more about the world beyond the two Faces that we see.

There is a sequel, Mother of Lies, that I do plan on getting and reading.I do appreciate that Duncan keeps his fantasy series to two or three at a maximum, rather than making them impenetrably interminable. In the meantime, I commend this volume to you.

Interesting characters in an interesting world
Fifteen years ago, the four children of the doge of Celebre were taken hostage by the invading army of a foreign bloodlord in order to insure their father's cooperation with the bloodlord's political aims. The children were sent over the edge of the world, into the homeland of the invaders, where they were separated and given into the care of foster families. Now, as the tides of war begin to change, the children - now grown - are reunited, and their aim is to overthrow the dynasty of the bloodlord who invaded their homeland and ripped apart their family.

Overall, the story is engaging and entertaining. The world-building is quite good, and the characters are interesting. And for most of the book there is enough tension and mystery to move the plot along.

However, there also were some parts of this book that were tedious to read, and which the story would have been just as good (or better!) without. For example, Benard's fascination with the Nymph was silly and overly long, and his willingness to use her in a repulsive scheme was troublesome. Also, in the last segment of the book, the movement of the story slows to a crawl as the Celebre children spend more time than necessary discussing their past, their present situation, and so on. I could have done with less of this, and more story action. For this, I'm deducting one star.

But in spite of this, my interest in knowing how the Celebre children would ultimately fare was strong enough for me to want to immediately begin reading the second book in this series.

Doing it right
Dave Duncan's "Children of Chaos" continues his superb ride into what might be considered "hard" fantasy.
It struck me at first some way into the book.The limiting factor in getting Werists--don't ask--to the distant theater of war was the ability to preposition supplies at various depots along their way.It would take several caravans to prepare the depots for the next war party.
There's an old military saying to the point that amateurs talk tactics and professionals talk logistics.Duncan gets this.But the larger point is that his worlds, which he invents, have laws and, absent notice to the contrary, they're the same as ours.And Duncan lives by them, as well.
Decades ago, in "Bored of The Rings", Harvard Lampoon mentioned the one real clanger in Tolkien's work.When the Company was rescued from a mountain top by the Great Eagles, "Bored" referred to the event as being catered by "Deus ex Machina Airlines".
Duncan's people do not get themselves out of a plot blind alley by finding in their hip pocket a secret decoder ring--or other unmentioned superduper power--to rescue themselves.
In hard sci-fi, the convoy problem would be solved by gravsleds and in inferior fantasy by platforms in which the earth and air elementals are in balance so it floats without effort.
It is said that playwrites believe that if you're going to shoot somebody in the third act, show the gun in the first act. If you're going to show the gun in the first act, shoot somebody in the third act.To do otherwise is to cheat one's audience.
Duncan does not cheat.
His story begins with the monarch of a city state swapping his children for a promise that the city would be spared a sack by raiders.It's bad enough to contemplate this without recalling that such things have happened to real people with consequences to the hostages too terrible to contemplate.
Duncan, like most fantasy writers, places his stories in some version of Earth's pre-gunpowder era.That means wandering armies of raiders, mercenaries, citystates without adequate means of protection, and the most barbarous, ruthless activities taken as normal.Lots of room for adventure, which is frequently defined as somebody else in trouble.
Duncan's three "children" grow up in what amounts to enemy control, know nothing of their origin, and, in this first book, eventually find themselves and each other.Redressing the initial offense will be the subject of the next book.
In their travails, they encounter various occult or unworldly powers, all of which are kept within their limits.
Each major character is a person. Duncan does not lard his tales with pages of history, politics, or geography.He keeps his backstory to himself, painting the scene with deft, minimal brush strokes, but making the world clear and vital.
If he has one character explaining the situation to another character as a way of informing the reader, it is not obvious.
His Blade series provides room for dozens of interesting characters, each a memorable individual.
And he sees people.
One of the children, at the time of the story a teenager, is riding in a chariot with her body guard, wondering if the bouncing of the chariot is entirely reponsible for how it throws the guard against her.It makes you think a girl might wonder about that, and makes you think just how much you, if you're a guy, could excuse as chariot bouncing, were you in the situation.
One of the characters finds himself in trouble but saved by the personal loyalty of the members of his class of initiates of which he was the trainee leader.He thinks about the morality of leading their survivors in his private war. Welcome to being a second lieutenant, kid.
Unlike other authors who release titles in rapid succession, Duncan's books do not even hint at formula or repetition.
Children of Chaos is a terrific read, and so are his other works.

The Face of Weru
Children of Chaos (2006) is the first fantasy novel in the Dodec duology.On a world shaped like a die with twelve faces, the followers of Weru -- god of storm and battle -- leave the Vigaelian face and invade the Florenbian face.Piero -- the doge of Celebre -- sends his militia to fight the invaders and the Werists destroy them.Stralg -- Fist of Weru -- demands hostages from Piero and takes Piero's wife and all four children.

In this novel, Dantio Celebre is the eldest, at eleven years, and is taken to Skjar.He keeps running away and is repeatedly punished by Saltaja Hragsdor. Eventually he dies of his wounds.

Benard Celebre is the second eldest, at eight years, and is taken to Kosord.There he is raised by Horold Hargson and his wife Ingeld Narsdor.He has become a master artist, probably the best in Vigaelia.He is also a Hand of Anziel -- goddess of beauty -- and has had many gifts bestowed upon him.Now he has been commissioned to provide statuary of the gods for the new Pantheon.

Orlando Celebre -- under the name Orlad Orladson -- is the third son, at three years, and is taken to Tryfors.There he is raised by Therek Hargson and eventually becomes a Werist novice.He is unaware of his true ancestry.

Fabia Celebre -- under the name Frena Wigson -- is the only daughter and the youngest child -- a babe in arms -- at the time that she is taken hostage.She is given to Paola Apicella to nurse.Then Horth Wigson marries Paola and adopts Fabia.She is unaware of her true ancestry.

In this story, Benard inadvertently has a fight with Cutrath Horoldson and wins.Of course, Cutrath is drunk at the time, but so was Benard.Benard gains a hearing before Horold Hargson -- Cutrath's father -- and Horold unfortunately asks who won.The seer attending Horold tells him that Benard had won.

Poor Cutrath is thoroughly blasted and Horold provides Benard with his protection and a gold band.Benard knows that Horold and Cutrath are very upset with him, but he has other things to think about.For example, he needs to work on his statues.

Fabia is also having problems with Cutrath.Saltaja knows that Piero has become very ill and may die at any time.Stralg is losing the war in Florenbia and is falling back to Celebre, where it all started.Saltaja decides that Fabia would be a good puppet ruler in Celebre, but first she needs to be married to the right person.Saltaja selects Cutrath to be her husband.

Orlando passes his Attendance ritual in Nardalborg, scoring higher than any other novice.Hostleader Gzurg pronounces him as First.Now he is runtleader over his fellow cadets.Certainly is better that getting abuse from the Warriors and the other kids.Naturally, he plans on passing the initiation in record time.

The seers are also having a crisis.Stralg threatened to torture and kill all the seers if they didn't do his will.The Eldest compromised, but now she has died.The majority of the seers were hoping for a change in policy, but the Eldest named a conservative as her successor.Now there is a revolt among the seers against providing further assistance to the Werist leaders.

This story tells of events in Vigaelia from Skjar to Nardalborg.The hostages had been protected, but now the crisis in Celebre has moved Saltaja into sending Fabia to rule the city.Naturally, she decides to eliminate the boys to avoid any rival claimants to the throne.

The hostage children gather to discuss their actions, but Orlando is loyal to Therek and refuses to listen to anymore traitorous talk.But he does agree not to inform Therek of the meeting or the contents of their conversation.

This is only the first half of the story.The second volume will take place in Florenbia and should tie together all the loose strings.Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Duncan fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of exotic societies, stubborn individuals, and a touch of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin ... Read more

Product Description
When an exploration ship from Freehold discovered a planet with intelligent lifeforms—the first humans had ever encountered—it should have been the most important event in history. And it might be—for all the wrong reasons.

               Corporations on Freehold were eager to sell high-tech toys to the Ithkuil, as the inhabitants called themselves, which had the potential to disrupt their society. Then there was the U.N., which controlled the planet Earth. Earth and Freehold were not on good terms, to put it mildly, and the U.N. immediately sent its own ship to make contact with the Ithkuil. If the authoritarians from Earth started throwing their weight around, Freehold would have to push back, causing anything from a diplomatic incident to outright war. And then another ship arrived, full of idealistic do-gooders determined to keep the Ithkuil in their unspoiled state of nature . . .

               The whole thing was turning into a cross between a Marx Brothers farce and a Kafkaesque nightmare, with a potential for Greek tragedy. Contact with a more advanced civilization might pose a danger to the Ithkuil, but it definitely was becoming more dangerous to the human factions, and the situation was a powder keg just waiting for a spark to cause a very deadly explosion. . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Basically a writer of morality tales, a camouflagued talent.
I read the book with satisfaction when it was first released, but did not jump to write a review.When thinking back over the author's portfolio, this is my main impression.His special talent is in telling stories which show that military tactics involve a loss, and that it takes particular moral and mental courage to decide and act, and to be responsible, when less than all is known or obvious -- he's got that narrative down to the fine level of a classical morality tale.He is so good at this aspect, but perhaps is not internally conscious of it.He is great in writing clear and positive morality tales around sudden challenges, in a wide imaginary range of fictional circumstances.I hope this helps and does not hamper his productivity with ongoing creative concepts.

A story line with many strong twists and turns
Michael Z. Williamson's CONTACT WITH CHAOS provides any military science fiction collection with a strong story revolving around the first aliens humans encounter and a mass of political interests surrounding it. Add the revelation that the aliens are not as simple as first expected and you have a story line with many strong twists and turns.

Really, really..Not Good
This is the sort of thing pre-pubescent boys might like but for anyone who as read any good science fiction it falls far short. Formulaic and appears to have been made up of novels from bette authors.

I expected more
What can I say?I love the author's other books.He is absolutely top notch.But here, I felt like I was constantly waiting for something to happen.Anything.*crickets* When something finally happened, it was all too brief.I liked the characters and the concept.I like the universe he has created, but I had to make myself finish this one.

Excellent continuation of an excellent series
I enjoyed Contact with Chaos very much. While set in the same universe as Freehold, The Weapon, and Better to beg Forgiveness, it is different from those books in that there is less violence and more of a world building view involving contact with a non-human sentient race.
The book is fun to read and very thought provoking.
I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
The national bestseller that offers prescriptions for an economic world turned upside down. A New York Times bestseller for eleven months. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Recognizing that change is essential to success
Having read almost all of Peter's works, I find this to be one of his best. As we all navigate through challenging times globally now, his attacks on status quo serve as timely reminders of the need for constant improvement."

Feedback is always welcome

[...]

Thrive on Chaos or let the sharks eat you alive.
Although Peters first wrote this book nearly twenty years ago, many of his insights are now reaching Prime Time. Thriving on Chaos is obviously a classic, yet what surprised me the most is how Peters intuitively understands that some things never change. Business serves the customer (period).

Innovation, Flexibility, Productivity, Competitive Advantage, Supply-Chain Management, ... In the end, the ultimate master is the customer (at least in the free world). No one commands or forces the customer to buy a given product (or service), it's a free market. Consumers buy or don't buy based on perceived benefits. Products either meet customer demands or risk being ripped to shreds by the simple act of non-purchase.

As an example, I'm a vegetarian and am highly sensitive to food labels containing the words "Natural Flavors" which may contain meat and meat by-products. Therefore, I select those products not containing such mystery ingredients and punish those that use them (through non-purchase).

Much of what Peters talks about is taking shape today. Ivory-Tower management superstructures are all but a distant memory. Creativity, Innovation, and Empowerment are all the rage as developed countries are grasping for an edge in a world gone mad. Wholesale shifting of jobs overseas, corporate scandals, and increasing government regulation set employees and managers on edge. Prescription for change includes active customer participation in creating products and tapping into the creative potential of worker's minds.

Thriving on Chaos is sure to jumpstart your brain:

Peters says that "'If it aint broke, you just haven't looked hard enough' Fix it anyway." So true. Good enough is never good enough. Since the advent of the Net, customers are asserting control like never before. And, competitors are swarming like a pack of hungry sharks ready to tear off a piece of your market share.

To survive you need to learn to love change, and you need to learn how to Thrive on Chaos!

------------------
Michael Davis, Editor - Byvation

"Business Success through Innovation"

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

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

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

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

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

Probably great if you haven't read Passion for Excellence
Tom Peters, with Passion for Excellence, has been a great inspiration for me to start all kinds of innovations in customer service (quite some years later I still got positive responses out of the market) and my organizationback in the 80s. You could say he was my "guru".So, whenThriving on Chaos was published, I immediately purchased it and startreading it with high expectations. How unfortunate .... as I became quicklyvery disappointed (I was never able to finish it in total). It was too muchof the same as in Passion for Excellence. Just different words to many ofthe same topics. A professional writer who wants to get more money out ofyou while not providing you with more knowledge. I stopped buying morebooks from Tom Peters and was for some time very hesitant buying othermanagement books. Now, many years later, I sometimes go back to the bookwithout all these emotions I had when I bought it. I have to admit thereare many inspiring subjects in it, some of them better described than inPassion for Excellence. So my conclusion is that the book can be veryhelpful for people who need inspiration for change and innovation, eventhough it is already quite some years old and has nothing in it abouttodays subjects like the Web. But as I have started with Passion forExcellence, I will probably never be able to rate Thriving on Chaos as highas Passion for Excellence (five stars).

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

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Customer Reviews (25)

A breath of fresh air in an increasingly stale series
I was a fan of Modesitt's Recluse series from the very beginning, devouring each new book as it came out.However, as the series progressed, I found the stories becoming more than a little repetitive, telling the same story over and over again.Sure there were new details, but the core story line began to feel stale.Eventually, I stopped reading the books altogether.This is the first of the books that I hadn't previously read, and while it might just be my extended absence from the series, this story felt fresh and original to me.

Instead of focusing on a young person, struggling to find their place in the world, as we've seen in so many of the other books in the series, this book begins with the central character, Kharl, well established in his career as a cooper, with a consort and nearly grown sons.The story begins with Kharl saving the daughter of a neighbor from an attack by a group of young men.This single action begins a sequence that leaves Kharl without a family, career or a home.

As Kharl travels in search of a place to begin a new life, the reader is treated to a grand tour of the world, including visits to continents that have not previously been described in great detail in this series.This widening of the scope of the series to encompass the entirety of the world is, perhaps, the best feature of this book, though Kharl's story is also reasonably compelling.This was certainly good enough for me to consider giving the next book in the series a chance.

Great Book, Very poor text, fonts on Kindle!
Awesome book but very poor text when viewed on my Kindle, looks like most of the type is dark bold with random words in a lighter font.
I would not order another book from this publisher unless I knew the Kindle edition would not display in bold text.
Very hard to read, not easy on the eyes at all.

An excellent, new view within a well-crafted world.
Modesitt's Saga of Recluce has an advantage over some other fantasy series in that it spans a considerable amount of time. Because of this, each new book (or new pair of books, sometimes) can offer a new character in a new setting. Some elements will be similar throughout the books, but this is consistency of Modesitt's created world. Nevertheless, Wellspring offers some very new writing. First off, Kharl's an interesting character right from the beginning. He's a settled adult with his own business and family, but he's a bit misguided. He puts incredible effort into his business and into his morality, but he's not the best husband and father. He's not a bad guy to his family at all, but he seems to be a little emotionally underdeveloped. He's a strong provider, but not a strong role model and protector. At times, he seems a bit lost over what to do with his family. His failings as a family man are countered by his strengths of individual character. His decisiveness to stand up for what is right is ingrained deep within him, and where he lacks the protector-figure for his family he shines for everyone else.

Right from the beginning, the more he struggles to find and do the right thing, the more I was cheering for him. He tries to analyze a situation and ultimately if he decides that his own actions are the problem, he tries to change them. That's more than I can say for a lot of people, even though Kharl typically learns the hard way. Kharl's a very thoughtful person one way or another, and it's his positive qualities and attempts that make him endearing to me. They grossly outweigh his flaws. Now, while his mistakes are what propel the story forward, they're the kinds of mistakes that are believable. They're the kinds of mistakes that you can look at and say, "You know, his intentions were still spot on."

As far as the story goes, it is engaging. It moves at a different pace than some of Modesitt's other books, and a big part of this is the choice in settings. There are a few distinct environments in which the story takes place, and each adds its own flavor. Each has its own difficulties and benefits for Kharl. True to Modesitt's usual style, the details are vivid and the author creates scenes that are easily imagined. The story also serves decently enough on it's own in terms of the immediate plot. Unlike a lot of other authors, Modesitt leaves the immediate actions accounted for and wrapped up. Without getting into spoilers, the loose ends in Kharl's own life drive the desire to read more.

Aside from giving us an entirely new character to follow, the other big strength in this book is how Kharl learns the ways of order. He's not schooled like those in Recluce or Fairhaven. He's not placed under a strict and watchful eye like in Cyador or Hamor. He's simply left to his own devices. He can study on his own, experiment, and try to learn, or he can turn his back to magic and walk away. Partially because of this, and partially because of his own thoughtfulness, Kharl manages to come up with a couple new abilities that we have never seen before. He sees order in a way we have not yet been shown. Just when you thought you'd seen the limits of order, this book puts us back on the edge of "What will he think of next?"

Kindle version lacking...
The book itself is fine.I would give the book a good review.But, the Kindle version of the book stinks.The type font is filled with mistakes, extra marks on the page and broken text.Add to it that the fond is alternatively normal in font type then suddenly you have a word or two that are displayed in BOLD font.

Finally, when I turn my Kindle off with this book, then start the Kindle again, the book starts from the beginning again.NOT a good sign.

So, the only reason this review is so poor is NOT the author's fault.It is the specific version for the Kindle.If the font type was consistent and easier to read the review would be much more positive.

Not Free SF Reader
Kharl is a master barrel maker.This is good for those that like beer, etc.However he intervenes more than once in the games of rape and violence of some of the local lordlings.

They aim to get rid of him, but frame his girlfriend for murder and have her executed.He goes off aimlessly wandering with the staff of the murdered girl and develops into another order master.


... Read more

Product Description
Surfing the Edge of Chaos is a brilliant, powerful, and practical book about the parallels between business and nature—two fields that feature nonstop battles between the forces of tradition and the forces of transformation. It offers a bold new way of thinking about and responding to the personal and strategic challenges everyone in business faces these days. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Chaos theory for business (and otehr leaders)
Richard T Pascale, Mark Millenan and Linda Gioja, Surfing at the Edge of Chaos: The Laws of Nature and the Laws of Business (New York: Crown, 2000)

New science that explores the mysteries of life and its complexity is revolutionizing business and leadership. The radical basis is that chaos can be creative and positive in any living system including organisations. Wise leaders will thus revitalize their systems by following the laws of living systems:

* Foster disequilibrium (because equilibrium is unresponsive to change)
* Surf the edge of chaos (where mutation and experimentation will be fruitful)
* Unleash self-organisation and cultivate emergence
* Artfully disturb (don't direct) a living system.

The authors include a number of thoughtful case studies from business and non-profit organizations showing complexity revitalizing organizations, adaptive leaders unleashing the distributed intelligence of their teams, and organizations witnessing the emergence of undreamed of paths and unimagined places `whose time has come'.

Originally reviewed for D Cronshaw "The Emerging Church: Pioneering Leadership and Innovation Reading Guide", Zadok Paper (Forthcoming 2010).

Great introduction to a fascinating new field
Chaos WILL BE the next big thing.I found this book fascinating and I truly believe the ideas suggested will have an influence upon business in the years to come.Thinking of the world and business in neo-classical equations is just plain wrong and the quicker we can embrace systemic complexity the better.My only qualm is that as the book wears on the same ideas get a little beaten over the head, but this is MINOR and I still think the book is a must read for anyone interested in this emerging field.

Chaos and order are at the edge
I read this book two years ago after being fascinated by the Chaos Theory and the butterfly effect on nature and mathematics. It gave me good insight on how the Chaos Theory is related to management studies. The topic came back to me when I saw recently a summary at Book Summaries Online of the CSTDI Cyber Learning Centre. The 10-page summary is quite comprehensive and gives a very good description of the main points of the book.

The scene is organizations being regarded as living organisms instead of machines. Thus four laws of nature from Chaos Theory are applied:

1. Equilibrium is death -When a living system is in a state of equilibrium, it is less responsive to changes occurring around it. This places it at maximum risk. There is also a well proven law of cybernetics - Requisite Variety - which states that when a system fails to cultivate (not just tolerate) variety in its internal operations, it will fail to deal with variety that challenges it externally.

2. Innovation takes place at the edge of chaos -In the face of threat, or when galvanized by a compelling opportunity, living things move toward the edge of chaos. This condition evokes higher levels of mutation and experimentation. The result is that fresh new solutions are more likely to be found.

3. Self organization and emergence occur naturally -When the right kind of excitation takes place, independent agents move toward what has been popularized as the "tipping point." New forms and repertoires emerge from the turmoil.

4. Organization can only be disturbed, not directed -Living systems cannot be directed along a linear path. Unforeseen consequences are inevitable. The challenge is to disturb them in a manner that moves directionally toward the desired state, then course-correct as the outcome unfolds.

The authors draw reference to Darwin. They go further to propose that the natural selection process come from selection pressure, that species do not evolve of their own accord. Rather, they change because of the forces, indeed threats, imposed on them from the environment. Such selection pressures intensify during periods of radical upheaval. The bottom line is that nature is more dedicated to proliferating life in general than to the perpetuation of any particular species. In a fair competitive environment, no organization has the ability to stay in a equilibrium. Change is the only way to stay alive.

The edge of chaos is a condition, not a location. It is a permeable, intermediate state through which order and disorder flow, not a finite line of demarcation. Moving to the edge of chaos creates upheaval but not dissolution. That's why the edge of chaos is so important. The edge is not the abyss. It's the sweet spot for productive change. But moving over the edge is to avoided.

The book extends the concept of fitness landscape from ecologists to the management area. The great plain is chaotic with customer defections, low margins, undifferentiated products, etc., while fit and successful organizations with their niches are represented as hills in the landscape. An organization grows and climbs a small hill to reach its summit. But in order to achieve greater height at another hill, it must first descend to the plain of chaos, get rid of its culture and build afresh. The journey is a sequence of disturbances and adjustments, not a lock-step march along a predetermined path.

One main point that defies traditional management theory is the trouble with optimization. Management likes to take the classic "blank sheet of paper" approach and optimize the inefficient system. This approach cannot anticipate every twist and turn in the execution phase. The law of unintended consequences reminds us that optimization seldom yields radical innovation. At best, it only maximizes the pre-existing model. It founders because efforts to direct living systems, beyond very general goals, are counterproductive. This seldom conforms to the linear path that we have in mind. This is why the misapplication of linear logic, i.e. re-engineering business processes, will inevitably fail.

The book proposes some guidelines in surfing the edge of chaos by disturbing but not directing the system.

1. Design, don't engineer.

2. Discover, don't presuppose.

3. Amplify, don't dictate.

There are more interesting points in the book. I recommend you to read it.

Biology is destiny for companies, too
Managers should closely watch new discoveries in biology, especially the study of self-organization and emergence, particularly as the old hierarchical model of corporate organization becomes seemingly obsolete. Richard T. Pascale, Mark Millemann and Linda Gioja present case histories showing how corporate leaders executed turnarounds and solved critical problems by tapping the insight and intelligence of their organizations' members. In many cases, however, their success was only partial. It is to the authors' credit that they do not flinch from describing failures, even as they support the approach. They particularly note that stress can have the positive effect of forcing an organization to change its behavior. Though they first published their observations in 2000, some of their insights seem likely to endure the test of time. We recommend this book in confidence that executives can learn from its concepts about how natural systems can inform management.

Shoddy science research
"Businesses...can learn a great deal from nature (p 3)".I wholeheartedly agree, but unfortunately this book does not deliver.

The business research appears well done, but the science reserach that is supposedly it backing up is abysmal.The impression this book has left me is that the writers started with their theories and then handpicked some scientific anecdotes and (sometimes erroneous) generalities to support some of their claims, while other claims (like the Law of Requisite Variety) have no substantiation from the life sciences attempted.This is a backwards approach; I would have liked to see the authors examine the scientific research and then see what the business implications are.

Three examples of erroneous generalities:

1. Endemic island organisms just "tweaking the status quo" (in reality, this is where the greatest diversity happens; its the 'weedy' organisms like starlings and dandelions that adapt by just 'tweaking'). (And I will try to ignore the goof about the dodo being from the South Pacific).

2. The idea that cooperation and altruism are major forces that organisms "seek" (in reality, these have been discovered to be incidental effects).

3.Equating the idea that 'every molecule in the human body replaces itself via genetic instructions' with the idea that 'human and corporate bodies are rejuvenated by fresh and varied genetic material'.Those are two very opposed statements.

There is so much biological research that has major implications for organizational research that is lacking here:Memetics and primate social systems are two in particular.

To conclude:The authors apparently have a poor grasp of the biological sciences, so that means their attempts at backing up their claims with biological reserach is suspect at best. ... Read more

Product Description
While the Lord of the Nexus orders his servant Haplo and Bane, the human child, to further their master's work on Arianus, the resurrected assassin Hugh the Hand seeks to complete his mission. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

PS Incase you didn't know, Xar is an idiot
This book was wonderfully entertaining.But before I get into that...

Dear Xar,

I don't understand - you survived the Labyrinth, and you continue to go back in and do battle to save more of your race.You obviously are wise and insightful - when that Haplo character started being not entirely truthful with you, you were onto him from the start.But now when some creepy, red eyed Patryns who obviously aren't Patryns, come up to you and feed you lies, you're completely in the dark.Come on!You didn't survive so long just by letting your guard down around people who appear to kiss your ass.

All the best,
A random mensch


Okay and now unto the review.

This book is just fascinating.You've got several assassination plots going on, people coming back from the dead, and of course, serpents at every turn, spreading the chaos for which this book is named.My only complaint is I think Xar is too trusting of the serpents.Just because he wants to believe that these serpents are around to make his life easier, lessons from his past should have taught him better.No matter though - still an awesome book.

5 stars

Back On Arianus... Evil Slithers
In book five of The Death Gate Cycle series for the first time the reader peaks into all four worlds of a sundered world. The hatred within humans, elves, dwarves, Patryn and Sartan has fed the evil that has spread across the four worlds. There is war and malevolence everyone and, worse, for the first time it is free to spread its fangs with the barrier placed by the Sartan unwittingly gone. Evil can be defeated if the races can vanquish their fear and hatred, but old habits, time and the serpents are strong. The elves are divided, the human rulers maintain a dangerous game and the dwarves - lead by a bespectacled revolutionary leader with communalist slogans - have discovered aggression and resentment at the worst possible time. The Hand Of Chaos sheds light on the races past, origins and histories and wonders whether it is all too much for distrust to be surmounted.

Much of the action is back on the world of air Arianus, previously visited at the dawn of the series, given how for the first time in the cycle the book has not moved on to a new world. Chelestra, world of water, is the source of the unleashed hate, but the fomented doom is focused in the realms of sky.
Zifnab is back referencing ancient earth culture and now revealed as a powerful Sartan magus. Xar, the lord of the Patryn, is in Abarrach to learn necromancy and has dispatched Haplo to Arianus on a fool's errand that is meant to cost the latter man's life. Alfred is absent having offered no resistance to the missteps of his Sartan brethren. Hugh The Hand belongs to the Brotherhood and is a changed man. Prince Bane and his Mysteriarch mother are pivotal characters. Iridal does what no mother wants to do.

The Hand Of Chaos is the continuation of Serpent Mage (The Death Gate Cycle, Vol 4) and followed by the sixth book of the series of seven, Into the Labyrinth (Death Gate Cycle). The action is unremitting and the travellers faced with tension wherever they go. Yet, it is the treachery and odium that engulf the book. Everything rests on whether the species can rise above ancient enmities.

Great series
One of the great book series available. I am a DL fan, but this series is better and short and sweet with 7 books.All the books were good without other authors to ruin anything like in DL.

The Hand of Chaos - clever title now that I think about it....
The Hand of Chaos - Book Five of Seven in the Death Gate Cycle series. This book is another excellent addition to the series, and also necessary to read, no matter what other people say. It is very action packed, and brings back some of my favorite characters (Ex: Bane, Hugh the Hand (shocker...I know!)and Iridal). The book does have its shortcomings, but otherwise it is very good.

This installment starts off right where Serpent Mage ended, with Haplo trapped in the room and the water starting to flood the Sartan City. Haplo escapes (without magic) and heads through Death's Gate, but not before finding out that the evil dragon-snakes have also headed through. He heads to the Nexus, but is beaten there by the Dragon-Snakes, who have already found Xar and pledged their allegience to him. Xar says he is happy to have them on his side. Haplo comes and tries to convince Xar that they are evil, but Xar doesn't believe him. Haplo leaves for a walk as Bane (remember him from Dragon Wing?) walks in and begins chatting to his adopted "grandfather". Meanwhile, as Haplo accidentally meanders infront of the Final Gate, Zifnab comes. Zifnab, while rambling, tells Haplo that he is Sartan, and that his "wife" never died and is still in the Labyrinth, with his child. Haplo is startled by this news, but what is even more startling is that Bane overheard this all.He reports back to Xar, who tells Bane that he is sending him to Arianus with Haplo to continue stirring up unrest and to activate the Kicksey-Winsey. As soon as this task is accomplished, he is to kill Haplo. Bane agrees, and the both of them leave.

Thus the plot is set for The Hand of Chaos, along the way, Hugh the Hand comes back from the dead, We learn a LOT more about the Brotherhood of the Hand, and more about King Stephan's empire. This is a very good book, with only one major shortcoming, Alfred's disappearance. At the end of Serpent Mage, Alfred was being cast into the Labyrinth, yet in "Chaos", we have no news of what is going on with him. This is the only real shortcoming of the book, and it is an excellent, fast paced read. Pick up and read it now!

Totally not necessary
First, I will tell you how to get the most enjoyment out of this series.Start with going to the library and renting all of these books.Do not buy them as they are not worth it.Then read books 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 without reading the footnotes or the appendixes.You have the option of reading books 2 and 5 if you are really enjoying the series, but they are only filler and do not even need to be skimmed.Finally, accept the fact that Weis and Hickman may only be one hit wonders and move on.

Second, I write reviews for those who seek good fantasy and not for the zealots who hang on every Weis and Hickman word.You would think from some of the reviews of this series that these books were greater than War and Peace and written by Bronte and Conrad.In reality, this series is not very good.I am not trying to trash Weis and Hickman, I found the Dragon Lance series to be extremely enjoyable and would give at least the first two series of that line four stars.This series deserves no more than 2 stars.The books are incomplete thoughts that may have been much better had the authors taken more time to flesh out the story.Beware of fantasy books that contain footnotes and appendixes.Usually, these are the telltale signs of poor writing.Having said that, I did manage to read most of these seven books and here are some thoughts.

Many reviewers have made a lot of the fact that Xar is actually tsar or czar.I fail to see the significance here.Xar is a ruler and a tsar is a ruler.So what?What I found to be much more interesting and ultimately distracting was the use, by the authors, of the word mensch.Mensch is a Hebrew word.It is not close to a Hebrew word, it is a Hebrew word.If you look it up, mensch means a person of integrity and honor.What are the authors trying to say here?That all people without ambition or power are full of integrity and honor.I read all seven books trying to understand the use of this word to no avail.

Not surprising considering the books are filled with errors and inconsistencies.Some of these errors and inconsistencies are no doubt addressed in the footnotes and appendixes, but it would take an additional seven books to address all the problems.I believe that most of these problems occurred because the authors did not take the time to complete their work. Perhaps they were pressured by their publisher.

Most of the characters are thinly veiled shadows of those characters from the Dragon Lance series.Only, these characters are not as interesting or as engaging.Part of the problem is that Weis and Hickman never determine where they want the story to go.They blur the line between good and evil, then they erase the line, then they re-draw the line in bold.In Dragon Lance, it was intriguing to see how the characters dealt with the discovery of the duality of their own nature.In this book it is just confusing. ... Read more

Product Description
What happens when the old world order collapses and the Brave New World is unprepared to replace it as an ad medium, as a news source, as a political soapbox, a channel for new episodes of Lost? Welcome to The Chaos Scenario. It's here, and Bob Garfield saw it coming. In his roles as Advertising Age editor-at-large and as co-host of NPR's On the Media, Bob Garfield long ago connected dots that many in media and marketing refused even to acknowledge. In this fascinating, terrifying, instructive and often hilarious book, Garfield is not content to chronicle the ruinous disintegration of traditional media and marketing. Instead he travels to five continents for solutions. His journeys begin in a Denmark cow pasture and take him from Estonia to Australia, Israel to England, Montenegro to Brazil, Los Gatos, California, to Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. What he discovers is the answer for all institutions who wish to survive and thrive in a digitally connected, Post-Media Age. He calls this the art and science of Listenomics. You should listen, too. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Organizations: Pay Attention or Suffer the Consequences
Bob Garfield's unique perspective as someone outside of (and yet immersed in) the worlds of advertising, news, and public relations lends him the ability to be terribly insightful in his analysis. This book allows him to deconstruct the phenomenon of the current collapse of the traditional mass media structure and make well-informed predictions about what will come. Best of all he accomplishes this with hilarious and vivid writing making it fun to read.

If you're an "On the Media" junkie like me - it's a must-read.

A book about how to sell books.
The writing comes off like the assertions of someone holding court from a bar stool after a few beers. As H.L. Mencken once said, "it is the dull man who is always sure and the sure man who is always dull." Everybody who has a different opinion from the author is dismissed as clueless about the future speculations of which he is certain. In addition, he claims to have invented an approach to the marketplace called "Listenomics," which is nothing more than what every student of marketing 101 has known for years to be the essential first step in developing a marketing strategy. Starting with research ("listening) as to how people seek, evaluate and choose a product or service.

Appears not to have been copy-edited OR proofread
I reserved this book at the library because I heard an interview with Bob Garfield about it. I was particularly interested in his insight that what we're witnessing today is the end of the mass-market which has dominated media since literacy began rising in the 19th century. Sounds simple, I know, but it's a pretty profound insight and one that a lot of people haven't figured out. A nice factoid that captures the fracturing market: in the 1950s, the top-rated show on network television was "I Love Lucy," with better than 60 percent of homes tuning in, while in the 2000s, the top-rated show on network television was "American Idol," with about 14 percent of homes tuning in. As a writer of novels and news -- both genres that are emphatically NOT flourishing today -- I was very interested in Garfield's analysis and wanted to learn more about news and publishing. However, the book didn't have a lot more to say on those topics. And the frequent errors in the text, which appears not to have been copy-edited OR proofread -- was a real annoyance. Kudos to Garfield for bringing out the book himself when the usual suspects in publishing passed on his project, but thumbs down for failing to take the time or make the effort or spend the money -- whichever reason is the right one -- to produce a book free of the kind of errors I expect (and can forgive) of college freshman in their first comp course.

A Nice Primer on the Media Landscape
Bob Garfield is funny, has a breezy writing style, is a good storyteller, and is often self-deprecating and irreverent.I follow his work as co-host of NPR's On the Media and as a columnist at Advertising Age. This book is utterly reflective of Garfield's work.

Compiled over four years, the book reads like a collection of Garfield's engaging radio and print stories. No doubt the result of the book's genesis:to brand an evolving series of articles chronicling the ongoing disruption in the media industry.

NPR listeners will instantly recognize a familiar story formula for the book's chapters and segments.It makes it all inviting, friendly, and in the end, a fun read.

But, in total, it feels disjointed, and feature-story unsatisfying.

The Chaos Scenario is worth the read for its collection of media and brand stories or as an introduction to Web 2.0 culture.For anyone familiar with today's social media, there won't be anything new.

The crowdsourced-designed book cover tells us Garfield "connected the dots" on the disruption of the New Media Order long ago.We are promised the answer to institutional survival in our digitally connected world. A bit overstated.

Garfield delivers on the first point, giving us a smart primer on the evolution of the media landscape of recent years.He does it through loads of stories, many of them are now classic "power of the consumer voice" case studies.Garfield's research into them is evident so they don't feel like reformulated media coverage.

Garfield first guides us through a timeline of seminal events between 2005 and mid-2009 that nicely illustrate the evolving disruption in media.

But from there onward, I found myself having to work at connecting Garfield's dots.

His various chapters zoom in on the revenue models of post-advertising media, the dawn of the widget, the rise of crowdsourcing and influencers, and the flaws of consumer generated ads.You will find a discussion of Garfield's top ten word-of-mouth principles. One whole chapter is dedicated to the digital fall and rise of Comcast.

All interestingly told and engaging (in spite of the belabored Comcast material) but Garfield gets lower marks for pulling it all together, delivering any fresh insight or providing direction.

Unfortunately Garfield's solution - dubbed Listenomics - is dated for today's media, marketing and digital zeitgeist.It feels simplistic and shapeless.

Organizations are struggling with massive challenges brought on by digital disruption such as serious gaps in skills, culture, process, distribution, business and revenue models, compensation, policy and a host of others.

In the face of these, Garfield's simple command to "listen or perish" feels like a very weak prescription.

To read the final chapter, we are invited to connect to [...] to watch it unfold in blog form, although I'm not convinced that is happening, now six months out from publication. The web site seems pretty much a standard book marketing site in blog form.

The book tie-in campaign, 30 Days of Chaos is daily emails of chapter synopses and includes pointers to some rather good articles and blog posts from around the `Net.But the discussion questions are forgettable.Admittedly, I only got through Day 7 as I write this.

The problem here is Garfield and his publisher overstep their areas of expertise by trying to be facilitators of organizational dialogue.Unfortunately the result is they invite shapeless discussion.I found myself wishing they would have collaborated with an experienced trainer, facilitator, social media consultant or organizational development specialist.

Garfield's day job is to observe and report - and at that he does an admirable job in The Chaos Scenario. Had he stuck to reporting on media disruption and not promised a prescription, his book would be much more satisfying for its readers.

Who should read this book?

* Anyone who is curious about or just getting up to speed on the modern media landscape.
* Highly recommend for media educators for use at secondary or post-secondary levels as a modern media primer.
* Media specialists looking to bolster presentation material, or a client leave-behind.

A funny, scary, bracing read from our best media critic.
Bob Garfield, host of NPR's "On the Media" and longtime ad critic for Advertising Age, is the smartest, wittiest commentator on media and advertising in this country. His new book, "The Chaos Scenario," has as its epigraph a quote from Gen. Eric Shinseki: "If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevancy even less." That pretty much sums up the thesis of Garfield's book: the Internet has made traditional print and broadcast media increasingly irrelevant, and they are paying the price bigtime for not anticipating the changes. Of course, as Garfield points out, even cutting-edge outfits such as YouTube are hanging on by their fingernails because they haven't figured out how to earn more than a pittance from their posted videos that millions of people watch every day. With surgical precision, Garfield outlines the perils and opportunities of the Wired Age, profiling companies (Lego, Netflix) that have turned the new technologies to their advantage, as well as the many, many companies that have been undone by their own computers.

Garfield also includes some helpful chapters on the joys and pitfalls of the Internet for individual users, as well as a hilarious chapter titled "Comcast Must Die," detailing his web-based crusade against the smug corporate giant. "The Chaos Scenario" is a funny, scary, bracing read for anyone interested in the Internet, and what can do for (and to) people. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (19)

Mythology Lover's Dream Come True
The Chaos Triglogy is a wonderfully written book about god and goddess-like beings in the modern age.This isn't Percy Jackson, though!It is written very much for adult reading levels, without being inappropriate for younger readers.The story line, the characters, and the vocabulary may make this book inaccessible to younger readers exploring fantasy novels.However, if you know someone who learned to read because of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, have matured beyond them, and if they have some decent background knowlege of mythology, then this trilogy would be a wonderful next step.

Good reading
OK, let's assume you read the first two books in this trilogy.So here we have the third book.And it is a very, very good book with a pretty satisfying end.And there was a bit of an opening for possible other books in the series, too, so who can ask for more.Well, I guess I can.This book bogged down in ways I usually expect from a middle book in a trilogy.There was endless going on and on re battle scenes, and sometimes, I was actually tempted to just skip ahead.

But, if you can stand endless discussion about how each of the 5 hostages' powers work, and endless permutations of discussions about multidimensions, then you will enjoy this book.Once again, it is a bit R-rated, but that doesn't distract much.

One thing, however, really stood out.The author has an unusually creative imagination, and I can definitely say I'll read his other works.

War epic? Teen sex comedy? Miss Manners for minor gods?
They go to Mars. They go to Hollywood. They fight a zillion-page-long battle with every nasty and annoying thing that the bad guys can throw at them. One of them has a naked encounter with a much-older man who kisses her and makes her feel all warm and tingly. Someone else kisses her and makes her feel all wibbly-wobbly. The end.

What I liked: Some of the gods in Hollywood routine is fun. Also, the end is unsettled, which is fitting -- though perhaps too neat -- for a war between order and chaos.

What annoyed me: First, Wright continues to use his nominally British characters to put down the British and go all gooey over all things American. Definitely unsporting. Second, Wright can't decide whether he's writing a war epic, a teen sex comedy, or a handbook for young lords and ladies on gender-appropriate behavior. His desire to write the latter is the only explanation I have for his constant focus on gender. (Actually, I have another explanation, but I'd rather not go there.) Any time Amelia can choose between calling herself a "girl" or referring to herself in a gender-neutral fashion, she chooses "girl". (E.g., when she changes back from her 4-dimensional winged form into her 3-dimensional form, she never becomes "human", she becomes "a girl".) She constantly refers to the masculine qualities of Quentin and Victor (but rarely Colin), and sometimes to the feminine qualities of Vanity, when any of these could simply be treated as personal qualities. It's like a primer saying "this is what girls should be like, and this is what boys should be like." Blech. And third, we're treated to another sexually charged encounter between the crusty old headmaster and one of his underage charges. Blech.

Recommendation: Read the first novel if you care to. Read this one if you read #1 and #2 and want some closure, but don't expect too much.

Not quite perfectly chaotic...
The title of this book is an apt one, for it is indeed a very chaotic book.The finale of a trilogy, this book tries to wrap things up nicely, but it wasn't as enjoyable a read as the previous two books in the series.As I've mentioned in my reviews for the other Chaos books, the main character's powers are physics-related.Which can at times be very confusing to the casual reader as it sometimes seems as if the author is just making things up in his head.

The parts of the book that weren't smothered in this jargon were very enjoyable and I liked seeing the characters continue to mature, despite the focus being somewhat shifted off of the more familar characters fromt he first two books and onto new characters from mythology.

Oh well.The series as a whole is pretty enjoyable, but this entry had a somewhat weaker resolution than the others.I still deem it worthy a read.Give it a try, you won't know if you like it unless you do.

Classic Mythology reimagined for the 21st century
The final installment continues right were the second novel left off and is by far the most action packed book of the trilogy. Most of the book is dedicated to the all out battle between a couple rogue Olympians and the Children of Chaos. Wright's conclusion to the series is every bit as imaginative, intellectual and funny as the first two parts. The three books comprise one big story that takes place over the course of just a few weeks and will not make sense if read out of sequence. Starting with book one is essential. Repackaging the three books in one volume someday would be ideal. Overall, the series is one of the most original and creative works of sci-fi / fantasy (I can't tell which genera this story falls into) that I've ever read. I greatly enjoyed this series and would highly recommend it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Bad Philosophical Work
I will immediately reveal my bias against this book: there is a vast literature that has been developed over the last century on the philosophy of Science, with many insightful contributions from scientists and philosophers alike. Why then is Prigogine and company citing Heidegger in the main? I'm not making the claim that one must be a scientist to be a good philosopher of science (Heidegger was not a scientist), but why the large scale neglect? The result is that the authors' BIG claims about science are not well supported and they carry very little force on their own.

Furthermore, the quality of the writing is poor. A general example of what I find wrong with the writing is this: the authors make many sweeping statements like "science tells us such and such" (page you wonder? Nearly every page). But two scientific theories can be contradictory when taken together -- relativity and quantum mechanics is a well known example of this. So what science tells us in this case is trivial. This is because anything is derivable from a contradiction and a contradiction is the result when we lump all scientic theories together under one general heading "Science." More appropriately, then, we would say "scientific theory A tells us X and scientific theory B tells us Y", etc. When carrying out a technical discussion, such as one about science, sciences, and scientific methodology, there is a demand for discursive precision. This precision is completely lacking here.

Another distinction that is useful -- one never mentioned -- is that science is a normative framework for building theories, not a theory itself that tells us anything about the world. Theories are the deductive structures where we make conclusions, true or false, about some phenomenom. If my analysis of science as a normative framework is not agreeable to the author there are still other distinctions that could be made about science that could clean up the discussion radically. Who cares about the discussion of dynamic systems when the thesis is so problematic? Two stars is generous.

Greater than Newton
Prigogine (and the philosopher and chemist Isabelle Stengers) I met in Order out of Chaos (1984, French original La nouvelle alliance 1979) and later in many other books. About "modern" analytical-reductionist science from the 17th century it is said in the book: "Nature's humiliation is parallell to the glorification of whatever escapes it, God and man" (p. 53 in the Swedish translation from 1984). The depreciation of nature unites science and religion. But life is "the outermost consequence of the occurrence of self-organizing processes, instead of being something outside nature's order" (172). We are the last creation of the nature we learnt to despise. "The classical science", it is said summarizing, "the mythical science about a simple, passive world, belongs to the past, killed not by philosophical criticism or empirical resignation but by the internal development of science itself" (57).
With the help of Prigogine's theory, covering both matter and life, we can overcome the biases of natural science and humanities. For natural science deals with a world without Man, the humanities - and still more "humanism" - with Man without world. The first case can be felt to be poor and inane and the second one to be narrow-minded and anthropocentric. This depends on the fact that in both cases it is a question of abstraction and construction. For the world is one only, it is only we who persist in dividing it into two: Man and Nature, soul and body, mind and matter.
So it becomes urgent to contemplate the relationships between both sides, something I did already in my doctoral dissertation, Landscape and Nature in [Selma Lagerlöf's] Gösta Berling's Saga and the Wonderful Adventures of Nils (in Swedish). That is why it is such a bliss to work and (re)search in the way I do now. And whoever understood how to focus wholeness and process in a great novel and so succeeded to grasp its way of functioning also got prerequisitions to understand big and small systems in the world, from the whirl and the candle light to Earth as a geological-biological organisation. The way of thinking is the same. And evolution runs from matter to man.
Ilya Prigogine (1917-2003) was professor in physical chemistry in Brussels and Austin, Texas. He got the Nobel prize in chemistry in 1977. From an early interest in the humanities he went to a career in natural science, a career that made him the Newton of our time. In contrast to the first Newton, he despises a worldview that does not enclude both Nature and Man (including the scientist himself). And since Prigogine created such a world-view that is adequate and valid, he can be said to be greater than Newton.

A thorough study of the history of quantum physics and an exhaustive description of how order emerges from chaos
Prigogine describes his ideas of how order emerged from a ground of chaos and how the processes of entropy can lead a system open to its environment to evolve greater complexity.He also gives an exposition of the relevance of science to society.Prigogine's Nobel prize-winning models of dissipative structures are difficult to understand but persistent effort will reward the reader.His theories are as applicable to the evolution and expansion of consciousness as to the emergence of life on earth from a relatively simple environment.

A classic on self-organization
This work is one of the classics of the breakthrough period of chaos theory, complex systems, and self-organization theories. Mixing two modes and two cultures it stretches its bow between the nitty-gritty details of dissipative systems, and the history of the relations of the human and natural sciences, from the age of the emergence of thermodynamics to the present. The book has something now routinely filtered from discussion, the early critiques of the Newtonian mindset as it was starting to become dominant. The material on the history of the two cultures would seem to fall on deaf ears these days, and gives the book at depth not often seen in works of this type. Very much worth reading.

Dissipative structures what? Chaos
The whole problem with writing about a book, and especially this one, is that one has to cut a long story short. A story long enough to encompass a fair amount of scientific history - elaborated, if not referenced exhaustively. Not that it is meant to be. Prigogine's journey does not offer to take you by the hand for a guided tour of order, complexity and self-organisation. Rather, it keeps to the spirit of Toffler's introduction, (Was it coincidental that it was the other way round?!) where he talks about the wonderful art of scientific dissection. Order out of chaos, however, is a difficult read for the anyone who has been initiated into the scientific non-fiction. For those who expect the book to be a popular account of concepts in complexity and self-organisation, the intense style and the depth of detail can be exhausting. Like Penrose in the Emperor's New Mind, Prigogine's style is uncompromising.Toffler's introduction is fitting, if only in parts. The book does not offer explanations. Rather, Prigogine prefers to illumate his readers with his keen philosophical bent. It is here that the book triumphs. The effort that has gone into integrating the ideas in the book, the subtle nuances reflecting Prigogine's own views is truly commendable. But then, one should be fairly conversant with the loopholes that science finds itself in. The description of the behaviour of complex systems warrants some mention. The idea of switching between reality and mathematical description does not gel with the rest of the narrative in parts - specially when chemistry is the running example.Well, Prigogine wasn't writing the book with the intention of it being self-contained - and he makes no bones about it. That is the seed of inspiration, I suppose, for any writer, be it for the cause of science or for the sheer love for the written word.Prigogine has shown that philosophy is in some way inseparable from what many consider the scientist's playground. And we are glad that he has shared his views with us. ... Read more