ERA Reviews

It's useless to dig for just one or two epigrams to stand in for the totality of Bacon's penetrating genius in the "Essays." Though it is perhaps fashionable today to detract from him in order to praise Montaigne, it should be clear that Bacon is at least as indispensable. As terse as Emerson is expansive, Bacon's "Essays" are perhaps the most truly Classical (in spirit) prose in the English language. Fans of the Leo Strauss school should have a fieldday reading between the lines of the essays "On Atheism" and "On Superstition"; for the rest of us, nobody can come away from even one of these essays without gaining invaluable insights. Though Bacon is rightly heralded for the radical newness of his pragmatic methods, he is ensteeped in history-- those mindful of Napoleon's dictum that history is the only true philosophy will certainly respond enthusiastically to Bacon's approach. From the post-Machiavellian insights of "Of Empire" to the pre-Enlightenment ethics of "Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature", one will find in reading Bacon's prose what the youth of Athens must have found in following Socrates: the presence of a benevolent, worldly-wise, supremely rational mind determined to show you the order of the world.

A collection of 59 essays by one of the shrewdest bipeds (some would say a brilliant rogue!) that ever walked this stale promontory of ours . Sir Francis Bacon offers his views on a whole smorgasbord of topics ranging from Truth,Death,'Adversitie',Marriage & the single life,Love,Boldness,Superstition,Friendship ,Health,Ambition,Youth,Beauty to Anger & Fame.These are short pieces (usually a couple of pages) but packed full of wit & timeless wisdom ____you can dip into them one at a time & chew them at your leisure .These essays are the quintessence of wholesome English common sense .Read them leisurely over a cup of tea(or coffee) on a crisp autumn afternoon (as the trees turn color) to savor their distinctly English flavor. I happen to have a Morroco-bound ,gilt-edged collection of these essays which was an added treat!

Along with Shakespeare's works, Bacon's "Essays" is the supreme achievement of the English Renaissance. Philosopher, statesman, author, Bacon made all knowledge his province, and in the "Essays" is to be found more worldly wisdom than in any other book. "My essays come home, to men's business and bosoms." And Pope penned the epitaph, "If parts allure thee think how Bacon shined, The wisest, brightest, meanest of mankind." These essays, though, need a gloss for the modern reader to understand Bacon's cramped yet erudite prose and Latin quotations, as is provided in Pitcher's edition.

When I first purchased this book, I thought it was just another pricey self help tome, written for self indulgent doctors, by a novice editor. Boy, was I wrong. This text, with CD-ROM, is a real masterpiece, written by professional CPAs, MBAs, JDs, CFPs, and even physician executives, all who have years of experience working with medical practitioners, IPAs, PPMCs, or MCOs of all types. The doctor-editor even has an MBA, is an insurance agent, securities advisor and is a board certified surgeon and finacial planner.

The book itself is divided into two parts: (1) medical practice finacial planning and (2) personal finacial planning. For, it is Dr. Marcinko's opinion, that in-efficent practices will no longer generate the free cash flow needed for personal planning endeavors. In the current managed care environment, he indeed may be right....

For example, the book augments the traditional financial plannig disciplines of budgeting, taxation, investing, insurance, retirement and estate plannig, with the new realities of managed medical care. These previously unaddressed topics include: office based managerial and cost accounting, marginal revenue and cost concepts, negotiating skills, asset protection, office computers, software and MIS, risk management and a host of legal landmines, including OSHA, Stark I and II laws, anti-trust, insurance fraud and abuse, HMOs, MCOs, PHAs, etc.

This book is so easy to read, fact filled, and stream lined for doctors, that I consider it a must read for all medical professionals. Rather than being overpriced, it is really under valued relative to the cost efficiencies it will bring to your practice and life. Without a doubt, this book will make you money, and save you even more. Don't go to the office, or through life, without it.

This book is a wonderful new addition to the libraries of those of us who are health care professionals and are trying to deal with the daily changing of medicine and economics. As all of us who practice medicine know, our practice time has increased while our economic gains have failed to keep pace. In fact, most of us are at a net loss over the past few years if you extrapolate your earnings per hour of work. But as dedicated doctors we strive to provide the best care for our patients regardless. Dr. Marcinko's book provides alternatives to traditional thinking and helps you see light at the end of the tunnel. Wonderful ideas and many practical thoughts for us to work with today so that tomorrow is a little better. Highly suggest this to all my colleagues.

A Senior Healthcare Executive, October 23, 2000

Doctors are NOT Poor Business People

It is well know that doctors and nurses are poor business people, especially in the world of managed care. Well, not this editor or his contributing authors; all from the fields of law, accountancy, medicine, insurance, securities, business, management and the investing and financial services professions.

Not only does the first section of this book review medical office practice management tips, but it also teaches physicians how to profit more from their toil. Then, the book relates best practices to invest hard earned money in the sectors of risk management, budgeting, housing, automobiles, college educaton, taxation, investing, retirement and estate planning.

URLs and information resources abound, and the CD-ROM is a fabulous guide giving 'real-life' examples for the above topics. Physician and healthcare provider specificity makes this major textbook a 'must read' for all medical professionals.

Table of Contents Preface About the Editor About the Computer Disc Disc Contents Contributing Authors Ch. 1 Setting Up a Medical Practice Ch. 2 Office Business Equipment Ch. 3 Business Decision-Making in Medical Practice Ch. 4 Practicing Medicine in the Era of Managed Care Ch. 5 The Economic Fundamentals of Financial Planning Ch. 6 Essentials of Risk Management and Insurance Planning Ch. 7 Personal Financial Accounting and Income Taxation Ch. 8 Medical Office Tax Reduction Strategies Ch. 9 Introduction to Investment Concepts Ch. 10 Portfolio Management Ch. 11 Principles of Asset Protection Planning Ch. 12 Elements of Retirement Planning Ch. 13 Techniques of Estate Planning Ch. 14 Planning for Special Situations Ch. 15 Selecting a Financial Advisory Team Glossary of Terms Additional References Web Sites of Interest National Association of Securities Administrators and Associates 1999 Member Index Representative List Index

Also recommended: 'The Business of Medical Practice' Springer Publishing Same Editor.

Thank you.

It's rare that one can read a book containing so much dry information such as the budgetary concerns of many many films, and still be captivated by the storytelling enough to make it work. This book reads like a well-crafted novel, with the main characters being a handful of studio executives. What results is an utterly readable, insider's look into the business of filmmaking in the studio era. The artistic genius of some of these men is acknowledged, but largely, their business dealings are highlighted. If you're afraid of such business talk, don't be. The author makes budgets and salaries an interesting and integral part of the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who just loves movies and wants to learn more about how it all started. I also recommend this book to anyone who is in or getting into the producing biz now. What a helpful and inspirational resource. My only regret is that there is just no way that I can remember all of the information that I read in this book. That's why I refer to it as a resource in the title of this review and why I will use it as such for years to come.

Prof. Schatz does not suffer from the scholar's disease of academic-speak and writes a book that clearly demonstrates his expertise on the studio structure. Most books I have read extended the view of the outsider looking in at the star system and not the economics of the studios. "Genius of the System" chronicles the history of the studio's business, that is to say the economics and the people behind the economics.

If you want to read about the business structure of Hollywood during its beginnings, this is the book for you. I cannot recommend it enough.

An easy to read writer, Thomas Schatz details how the studio system worked from the silent era to its final collapse in the 1960s.

He illuminates both the art and the business of films, with keen analysis of how producers, directors and screenwriters created such fine art (and rich profits) -- especially the producers, who are more the authors of Hollywood films than any other group.

He convincingly portrays MGM's Irving Thalberg as a genius of art and commerce and MGM's Louis B. Mayer as a clod (except when dealing with difficult stars).

Schatz offers telling portraits of many others who did their best work under the constraints of the Hollywood system. He details the major studios' styles and how they evolved over the years. It's clear he has read file cabinets of documents, from endless -- but revealing -- memos to how much the stars made(!).

He also puts the film industry in social and cultural context; he even says the anti-communist witch hunts of the 1940s and 1950s were a disguised form of anti-semitism.

In the end, Schatz offers a convincing alternative to the auteur theory.

I fondly remember my mother (who is now 8l) laughing and telling Sam Levenson's stories that she heard on the radio or TV. They truly were funny, meaningful and they helped her through some difficult days.

I just finished a biography of Audrey Hepburn and in it was Mr. Levenson's "if you need a hand, there's one at the end of your arm" piece and it's as poignant today as it was back then.

I'm saving these books to pass on to my three daughters so his ageless wisdom will continue to inspire a third generation.

(Nolan Levenson of New York, your grandfather was a gem!)

I just want too say that I love my grandpa's books. I never met him. I'm only twelve. I've loved all his books and i encourage you to buy them. This is a true statement. I am his grandson.

I'm not sure anyone under 30 (or even 35!) will remember Sam Levenson. He wrote a few books, made a few television appearances in the 60s, and passed on way too early. What he did leave us was a small body of work that made us laugh, made us cry, and made us appreciate the incredible power of love and family to allow a Jewish immigrant family to survive and thrive during Depression-era New York. The humor is warm and gentle but still laugh-out-loud funny. To be funny by being crude or shocking is too easy. To be able to make one laugh with warmth and truth and love is much harder. Sam Levenson did it the hard way, and we are all the richer for it.

Though JK never got to write his own biography this book surprisingly manages to capture that real person behind the mesmerising persona that mwalimu had.

Reading this book you get to know why exactly mwalimu identified himself with the marginalised poor, why mwalimu never had a bank account in Geneva! Why mwalimu supported the liberation movement, why mwalimu had to kick Iddi Amin out of Uganda!

It is due to mwalimu that Tanzania was regarded as a diplomatic heavy weight just thik of it---against which GDP?against which millitary might?'They even accused mwalimu of 'punching above the weight'!.Still the towering figure of mwalimu gracefully remained intact!

Mwalimu was the architect of people centred development a fact which got him into a war footing against the World Bank the IMF(they owe him an apology albeit a posthumous one!. The beauty of it all is that he won the intellectual agrument!

Mwalimu was a rare breed of an African leader, righteous, ethical and principled. This book is not only the story of his life but also a treatise on the science of leadership.

Few leaders have earned the respect President Julius Nyerere did. Even fewer have continued to inspire admiration after they left office.

Dr. Henry Kissinger, an arrogant intellectual, acknowledged Nyerere's brilliance and was even outwitted by him during the Rhodesian crisis, as documented by the author (see Appendix IV). He also got a potent "dose of African nationalism," as David Ottaway wrote in "The Washington Post," when he met President Nyerere in Tanzania in 1976 to discuss the Rhodesian crisis. They differed on how to resolve it, prompting reporters to ask Nyerere if he thought Kissinger's mission to Africa was a failure. As David Ottaway who covered the event wrote in "The Washington Post": "Nyerere responded professorially by saying 'A mission of clarity is not a mission of failure.'" Kissinger, a former professor at Harvard, got a good lecture on African nationalism and the Rhodesian crisis from Nyerere, a man of immense intellect Africa will always be proud of. He was indeed an African colossus who did bestride this narrow world, as Kenyan Professor Ali Mazrui put it in his moving tribute to one of the giants of this century.

Nyerere spoke for Africa, and the world listened. He also represented the entire Third World in negotiations with the industrialized nations when he served as chairman of the South Commission after he retired as president of Tanzania. And he died a leader, one of the best the world, not just Africa, has ever produced. He was, simply put, Africa's best president. And Godfrey Mwakikagile, an African intellectual himself, has done justice to him by writing this book, immensely rich in detail, probably the best ever written about Nyerere.

The best way to honor Nyerere is to emulate his devotion, humility and simplicity. As "Newsweek" said when he died: "The world has lost a man of principle."

Dr. Julius Nyerere is gone, but he is still with us in terms of inspiration and the ideals he taught. A world leader of unparallelled commitment, especially of the Third World, he will be missed by millions round the globe.

He was also an inspiring orator with a razor-sharp intellect who was given a standing ovation for his incisive analysis and oratorical skills when he addressed the British Parliament in the seventies. A staunch Pan-Africanist, and a selfless statesman par excellence, he stood tall on the same level with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah but exercised far greater influence than Nkrumah after Nkrumah was overthrown in 1966. On the intellectual plane, only Leopold Sedar Senghor, president of Senegal, came a distant second to him among African leaders.

It has been said that intellectuals have a weakness for fellow intellectuals, as Kenyan Professor Ali Mazrui once wrote. Nyerere was one such intellectual. He enjoyed immense respect and profound admiration among Western intelectuals. Having attended school in Britain at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, he was even described as a Western intellectual. He was also taught in the Western intellectual tradition by the British in colonial Tanganyika.

Yet, he was more than a "Western" intellectual, if one at all. He was a world intellectual who was highly admired and respected by millions of people around the world, not only for his superb intellect but his exemplary leadership.

Befitting his title Mwalimu, he was also described as the greatest teacher of our time, as former Biafran leader Odumegwu Ojukwu said, quoted by the BBC, following Nyerere's death. But that was probably an understatement, although that's not what Ojukwu meant. Mwalimu Nyerere was one of the greatest teachers of all times, embraced by people of all races and nationalities. And he taught by example.

He was indeed a legend in his own time, and will remain one for generations. Godfrey Mwakikagile has written a book which puts this legend in proper perspective. It is also a book that has earned the author a place among his readers as a respected authority on Nyerere. And his work is not compromised by bias despite his strong admiration for Mwalimu Nyerere as a leader and as an intellectual. He has written a book which will be of great interest to many people including scholars, especially those interested in Tanzania's foreign policy under Nyerere.

Dr. Nyerere did, indeed, deserve the title, "The Conscience of Africa," if not of the world.

Fantastic book! It's a real pleasure to see some of the lower level staff/cabinet people given credit for an historic 8 years. Before I read this book, I had no idea who Richard Pearl was and now I understand why the Reagan Presidency was noted for it's "hawkish" pro-defense policies. The best history reading is one that reads like a novel while still able to get across all pertinate points and this book does so overwhelmingly. "On the Brink" doesn't necessarily cover in detail all the policies and activities of the Reagan administration (like Lebanon or Iran-Contra...read Lou Cannon's "Reagan" for this) but those it does cover, it does so in "delicious/readable" prose. Highly recommended!

This was a very good book. The pace and detail kept me glued. I was surprised, however, at how little Reagan is mentioned in the book, given the subtitle. One of the other customer reviewers had it wrong, it was not *one* man (Reagan) who ended the cold war. Rather it was a collection of men and women, and this book brings you their stories (with particular emphasis on Richard Perle).

These were historic times, and while the biased official reviewer is correct in stating that few pages are given to the internal failings of the eastern bloc, to suggest that the hard-line stance of the Reagan administration wasn't the primary instrument of the Cold War victory is ludicrous. It was the Reagan administration after all who seized on the USSR's problems and pushed them over the brink.

This is a wonderful, to-the-point saga of the years that changed history! It should be a textbook--and the only reason it WON'T be is that it crosses too many agendas!

BTW--why is this book out of print?

This book was the co-winner of the 2002 Oliver C. Cox award given by the American Sociological Association. The book combines powerful theoretical chapters with substantive chapters describing the subtle and slippery yet effective post-civil rights' racial structure (he labels it "the new racism) and racial ideology (color blind racism) of the United States. This is a solid contribution to the area of race and ethnicity and an excellent choice for courses on racial and ethnic matters in the United States. Professors searching for a challenging book on the nature of contemporary racial discourse need not look elsewhere.

This book won the 2002 Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for the best sociology book on race (awarded by the American Sociological Association's Section on Racial and Ethnic Minorities).

Professor Eduardo Bonilla-Silva has written a provocative, innovative, and insightful book that will add much to our understanding of racism in the 21st Century. White Supremacy and Racism in the Post-Civil Rights Era is well-written, conceptually sound, and convincing. The study is well documented with quantitative data, in-depth interviews, and qualitative research on race relations. The book does an excellent job of discussing, summarizing, and critiquing several prominent works that minimize the prevalence and impact of racism. Because it offers comprehensive coverage of the "anything but racism" literature, it can serve as an excellent sourcebook. The book also offers new theoretical breakthroughs and powerful typologies that shed a great deal of light on how and why blacks, whites and others think about racial policy and racial inequality. Generally, it is written in a manner that is accessible to undergraduates and a general audience, but it is based on solid social science research that will meet the expectations of professional social scientists. I believe that no person interested in racial inequality , race relations and the changing nature of racial discourse in America should fail to read this work. Overall, this book, written by a scholar whose star is on the rise, makes important contributions to the growing social science literature on contemporary racism. It will be important reading for those concerned with how this issue will continue to manifest itself in the 21st Century.

Halberstam's work is a classic, outlining the dilemma that Vietnam posed to American policymakers in the early 1960s, and written in lucid, newspaper-reporting style. The author's perceptiveness is particularly striking when one considers that he wasn't even 30 years old when he covered Vietnam.

Unfortunately, this McGraw-Hill edition abridges Halberstam's masterpiece. Most of the essential pieces of the story remain, but much of the rich, colorful narrative, which makes this such a fascinating book, is lost. Hopefully, a complete version will return to print soon.

Before reading this book, my knowledge of the Vietnam war was limited to the movies I had seen on the subject, until recently when a friend recommended this book to me after a brief discussion of the war, its political agenda and its intrigue. Making of a quagmire is an extensive and thourough account of the events in 1961 and 1962 that lead to the eventual full american involvemnt in Vietnam. Halberstam provides an unbeleivable and at times jaw-dropping first hand account of the political and military events of the period, and translates with remarkable skill the frustration of the vicious circle that was the american policy in Vietnam. A must read for any one with even a slight interest in the subject

If one wants to understand the debacle or "quagmire" know as the Vietnam War, look no further than this riveting account! In "The Making of a Quagmire," David Halberstam pin points all of the failures of the system years before the first official U.S. troops splash ashore at Danang, Vietnam. His account, a collection of observations about Vietnam under the Diem presidency, is refreshing while at the same time shocking in its findings. While many observers insisted that efforts in Vietnam were progressing so well from 1961-63, Halberstam sees the light. His expose of all the failings of the system includes candid words about the inept south Vietnamese leadership and the American advisors who grow increasingly frustrated with their mission. Most importantly though, Halberstam offers a glimpse into the life of a journalist caught in his own war of censorship.

The essay on Charles Gardiner (Chicago Black Hawks), by Dave Bidini, is a literary masterpiece worthy of the books 5-star rating all by itself. This is a very inspirational piece. Two of the other essays are very good (Canadiens and Bruins), and three are just OK (Wings, Leafs and Rangers). Also worthy of the 5-star rating are the wonderful illustrations by Sean Thompson(?) that front each essay. These color illustrations too, are almost alone worth the price of the book, but the artist, Thompson? (can't be sure) is given no real credit. If you're the guy, Mr. Thompson, congratulations, this is great work!

This was a great book! I first bought it for my 5 year old daughter who became interested with the original 6 teams but in the end we both found it different than most hockey books. It told stories about these beyond thrilling players and it made me look at them with a different perspective and proved things that for me, were just random suggestions, but now are real facts. For example, the book proved that The Rocket, the best player of all time even though I never saw him play, really is the high temper man who never gives up and always sticks to what he honestly believes is true and honest.

Before the Mighty Ducks of Disney and the Molson Center of Montreal and the Fleet Center of Boston there were the Gardens of New York and Boston and the Forum of Montreal. There were the "local" teams that so well reflected their respective cities and peoples. Teams and players became part of the fixtures of the city. Trades were catastrophic events. I remember the trade of Eddie Giacomin from the Rangers to the Red Wings. The chants of "EDDIE" were no more. What were the feelings of the Beantown fans when Espo was traded to the hated Rangers? Society and sport have changed and it is difficult to become attached to anything or anyone emotionally now. National marketing blitzes have rendered "local" teams a thing of the past.

Paul Quarrington has complied six stories (he penned the Bruins piece) centered on the Original Six era of the National Hockey League. These six stories take the reader back to the days when fans trully identified with their team. Two gems standout in this collection. The first is the Red Wings piece whose author recalls the days and nights spent with her grand father listening to Wings-Maple Leafs games. Each rooting for their own team. This is a wonderful piece on how these two people related to each other and the sport they so dearly loved.

The second gem is the New York Rangers' story. The Ranger fan has always been a different breed, withstanding decades of misses and near hits at achieving the Cup. This story embodies the real Ranger fan and the depth of the emotional attachment to the team. All Ranger fans will identify with this story.

For those hockey fans looking for something from the past "The Original Six" will bring them respite from the corporate sports world of today

Throughout Mexico, one can hear of the legend of the SanPatricios, a battalion of soldiers in the U.S.-Mexico War that wasmade up almost entirely of deserters from the U.S. Army. Predominately Irish and/or Catholic, the San Patricios fought well for the Mexicans -- and they suffered for it significantly when the U.S. finally won the war.

Stevens does an excellent job of telling the story of the battalion, the history behind its foundation, and the punishment its members faced after the war. Adding to the interest of the story is the role that many of those in the U.S. Army during the U.S.-Mexico War went on to play pivotal roles in the U.S. and CSA armies during the Civil War.

A must read for the student of Irish-American and Vietnam history. Goes into detail of the anti-Catholic/anti-emmigrant climate of America in the the 1840's. A story of America's first war of agresssion against another independent nation, shows the beggings of Americas imperialistic wars.A good companion text for istorians of America's involvement in South East Asia,"if we do not learn from history we are cursed to repeat it."

Truly awesome story. Well written and researched. Really made me think. Brings up a lot of repressed issues that are difficult to deal with as an American.