Od Magic

Average customer rating:

Typical McKillip

Not her best

FABulous

lyrical prose

Od Magic, Inconsequential Plot

Od Magic
Patricia A. McKillip
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000EUKQZA

Book Description

Brenden Vetch has a gift that connects him to the agricultural world, nurturing gardens to flourish and instinctively knowing the healing properties each plant and herb has to offer. Receiving a personal invitation from the wizard Od to become a gardener for her school in the great city of Kelior, he finds a home among every potential wizard who must be trained to serve the Kingdom of Numis. But unknown to the reigning monarchy is the power possessed by the school's new gardener-a power that even Brenden isn't fully aware of, and which is the true reason Od recruited him.

Download Description

"When Spenser's closest ally, Hawk, is brutally injured and left for dead while protecting bookie Luther Gillespie, Spenser embarks on an epic journey to rehabilitate his friend in body and soul. Hawk, always proud, has never been dependent on anyone. Now he is forced to make connections: to accept the medical technology that will ensure his physical recovery, and to reinforce the tenuous emotional ties he has to those around him. Spenser quickly learns that the Ukrainian mob is responsible for the hit, but finding a way into their tightly knit circle is not nearly so simple. Their total control of the town of Marshport, from the bodegas to the police force to the mayor's office, isn't just a sign of rampant corruption-it's a form of arrogance that only serves to ignite Hawk's desire to get even. As the body count rises, Spenser is forced to employ some questionable techniques and even more questionable hired guns while redefining his friendship with Hawk in the name of vengeance."

Customer Reviews:

Typical McKillip.......2007-08-08

My introduction to Patricia McKillip was the "Riddle Master" series. At every trip to the book store thereafter, I looked for her additional works. Eventually it occured to me to try Amazon. I've collected all her books now and I've enjoyed each of them. "Od Magic" is, to some extent, predictable in plot but the author's fluid, graceful style makes the reading a joy. Her characters have texture and complexity even though they seem to follow a formula.

After you've read a few of McKillip's works you'll find few surprises in the rest of her collection. However, during those times when you read just for pleasure, you really don't want surprises. McKillip never disappoints.

Not her best.......2007-08-02

I feel rather guilty writing a so-so review when it seems that so many others loved this book, but I was a little disappointed. With McKillip it seems to be hit or miss. I've books of hers that I've absoltuely loved and others with which I was even more disappointed than I was here. This time around, I felt as if the book were written from outside an impenetrable bubble. There was a sort of fuzziness surrounding the action and the climactic events of the book, a disconnection from what was really going on. It was occassionally hard to decipher what was actually happenning, and the basis and dynamics of several relationships did not seem to logically follow. Just one person's opinion, others seemed to really enjoy the novel, but I didn't. I didn't relly dislike it, per se, but I'll certainly never read it again.

FABulous.......2007-07-27

What a great book! Kind of a "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" for the fantasy set. Lovely detail, likeable characters and an engaging story.

A great summer read. Get a lemonade and go find the hammock.

lyrical prose.......2007-06-09

I really liked this story because it described people and events just enough to let the reader's imagination draw a picture and fill in the blanks. The charaters were well defined and there was no clear cut "good" or "evil," only foolish and controling authority figures who lacked the ability to view the unknown without feeling threatened.

Od Magic, Inconsequential Plot.......2007-01-17

Well it certainly was a very pleasant book, wasn't it? Diverting and well written, with good characters to root for and a setting that felt reasonably unique and detailed, it has everything going for it except for a solid story line that left me wanting anything, let alone "more". Except maybe a genuine reason to care for the characters. Maybe bit more tension. Or any tension at all, really.

There are no great acts of villainy here: no mad wizards, no slavering beasts (except in one flashback), no plots to avenge ancient wrongs or bring about Armageddon. The antagonists here are bureaucratic in nature. Here we have a king who wants to control magic and magicians (but never cruelly, mind you) under the guise of education and a creepy aide who wants to help the king get his misguided way. That's essentially it. It's not an ideal situation, but neither is it especially harrowing.

As a result, our heroes (all of them creative types who you can't help but root for) muddle about, falling in love, chaffing at the roles society forces them to play and getting in to tight situations that never feel perilous. Will the gardener escape the Twilight Quarter unharmed? Can the professors decipher the mystery of the school's utterly nonthreatening yet vaguely irritating labyrinth in the basement? Even the one chase scene feels as though it's been awkwardly wedged in to ramp up the excitement and falls apart upon further consideration. Ultimately the good guys win and the bureaucrats are forced to concede that changes must be made.

Which would be impressive except that, aside from their misguided beliefs, we're given no reason to really root against the bureaucrats. OK, so the king is going to force his daughter to marry his aide and they the king and the aide are both so wrapped up in the workings of the kingdom that they never listen to her when she has important things to say but... is this really that big a deal? They're not genuinely evil, they're not malevolent, they're just set in their ways. They're bureaucrats, which diminishes the climax of the book, giving it all the emotional weight of an After-School Special; preferably one that's about how everyone is unique and should be cherished and nurtured and... and I learned something, too, I guess.

It was diverting enough, it was fun on the bus and in the coffeehouse, but in the end I just don't think it was that good or even that much fun.

Average customer rating:

Od Magic
Patricia A. McKillip
Manufacturer: Ace Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KQSIEO

Magic, prayer and ignorance: Training and accreditation of organisation development (OD) workers in South Africa (Avocado series)

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Magic, prayer and ignorance: Training and accreditation of organisation development (OD) workers in South Africa (Avocado series)
Pete Mann
Manufacturer: Thorold's Africana Books [distributor]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Average customer rating:

Od Magic
Patricia Mckillip
Manufacturer: ACE BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UZ8WJQ

Book Description

Novelist Dorothy Gilman, author of the bestselling Mrs. Pollifax series, had reached a point of no return in her life. With her sons in college, Ms. Gilman was searching for something unknowable, unnameable . . . until she bought a small house in a little lobstering village in Nova Scotia, Canada.
And so she began her life again, discovering talents and interests she never realized were hers, accepting the inner peace she had always fought, and most of all, understanding the untapped part of herself, almost as if it were a new kind of country, to challenge, explore, and love.

Customer Reviews:

More like 3 1/2 stars.......2000-05-21

This is the author's account of her time spent re-inventing and re-discovering herself in Nova Scotia. It was intriguing to learn about this writer in such a fresh, unpretentious examination of her life's journey. I had to skim over the occasional dip into new-age hokum, but this book is an inspiration for all women to take stock of just who they are and who they'd like to be.

A dream........1998-10-18

This book could have been written for me. I am green with envy. The peace of living alone in a beautiful, but challenging setting.....I want that, and until I can have exactly that, great books like this one with have to suffice!

My Kind of Country: Favorite Writings About New York (New York Classics)

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My Kind of Country: Favorite Writings About New York (New York Classics)
Carl Carmer
Manufacturer: Syracuse University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 081560310X

Chris Packham's Wild Shots: A New Look at Photographing the Wildlife of Britain

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Chris Packham's Wild Shots: A New Look at Photographing the Wildlife of Britain
Chris Packham
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Equipment | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 185585189X

A country cup: Old and new recipes for drinks of all kinds made from wild plants and herbs

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A country cup: Old and new recipes for drinks of all kinds made from wild plants and herbs
Wilma Paterson
Manufacturer: Pelham Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0720712343

My Kind of Country Favorite Writings about New York

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My Kind of Country Favorite Writings about New York
Carl Carmer
Manufacturer: David Mckay Co., Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HMDRV0

Average customer rating:

My Kind of Country Favorite Writings about New York

Manufacturer: David McKay Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H5CN30

MY KIND OF COUNTRY FAVORITE WRITINGS ABOUT NEW YORK, SIGNED

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MY KIND OF COUNTRY FAVORITE WRITINGS ABOUT NEW YORK, SIGNED
Carl Carmer
Manufacturer: David McKay Co. 1966
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WHBN16

Average customer rating:

My Kind of Country: Favorite Writings About New York
Carl Carmer
Manufacturer: New York: David McKay Company, Inc, 1966
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O5RG1M

My kind of country;: Paintings in oil of southern New Zealand, with sketches, commentaries and an introduction

Average customer rating:

My kind of country;: Paintings in oil of southern New Zealand, with sketches, commentaries and an introduction
Douglas Badcock
Manufacturer: Whitcombe and Tombs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0723303045

Average customer rating:

A New Kind Of Country

Manufacturer: Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H2W7IE

Book Description

A freak shuttlecraft accident -- and suddenly Captain Kirk and most of his senior officers find themselves adrift in space, with no hope of rescue, no hope of repairing their craft, or restoring communications -- with nothing, in short, but time on their hands.

Time enough for each to tell the story of the Kobayashi Maru -- the Starfleet Academy test given to command cadets. Nominally a tactical exercise, the Kobayashi Maru is in fact a test of character revealed in the choices each cadet makes, and does not make.

Download Description

As portrayed in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, all Starfleet Command cadets must take the "no-win" Kobayashi Maru rescue simulation. Trapped aboard a doomed shuttlecraft, the Enterprise officers reminisce about their individual performances on the Kobayashi Maru test . . . reminiscences that spark a last, desperate attempt at survival.

Average customer rating:

Get this book

Fasting Did Literally Save My Life!

Fasting is the Answer to Restored Health

A good book on fasting, but like so many, still flawed.

Very Informative but again there is much fingerpointing....

Fasting Can Save Your Life
Herbert Shelton
Manufacturer: American Natural Hygiene Society, Incorporate
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Food Combining Made Easy

ASIN: 0914532421

Customer Reviews:

Get this book.......2007-05-07

I got the book years ago and it did save my life more then once , its truly a lost art , get the book and start living right.

Fasting Did Literally Save My Life!.......2005-07-27

I read this book back in 1976, when I was very ill with lupus. Shortly afterwards, I went to Shelton's Health School, as he called it, just south of San Antonio (which is no longer in existence). I fasted for 21 days and learned how to eat right. It was life-changing. I had had severe Sjogren's syndrome (an eye disease common in lupus) before going on the fast, but it completely disappeared by the end and has never recurred. His remark that the eye diseases that disappear during a fast has to be seen to be believed is certainly true! My lupus had gone into remission, but I was still extremely tired. After arriving home, I did my best to stick to the raw fruit, vegetable, and nut diet that he recommended, while drinking nothing but water. To make a long story short, I have completely recovered from lupus but discovered that to get free of the fatigue, a juice fast was more effective. Ten days on lemon juice or tomato juice relieved the fatigue completely. Provided the fast is followed by this strict diet, the results are lasting. There is no doubt that fasting can save your life!

Fasting is the Answer to Restored Health.......2002-07-21

This book explains the proper way to fast to restore your
health, without harming yourself in the process.
Best book I have ever read on health.
I also highly recommend "Fit for life".

A good book on fasting, but like so many, still flawed........1999-12-11

This is an inspirational and very informative book on fasting and is much better than most other ones out there. However, like so many books on 'alternative' health care, it uses too much anecdotal evidence, does not support its claims with outside evidence, and glosses over the details of the actual physiological changes in the body in favor of dramatic, flowery accounts of how the body undergoes 'cleansing.'

Don't get me wrong -- Shelton was a pioneer in the fasting movement, and I generally think his information is dead on, but if you prefer a book that is more current, less emotionally charged, and better documented, I would suggest Dr. Joel Fuhrmann's book, 'Fasting and Eating for Health...' or Dr. Elson Haas's 'Staying Healthy with Nutrition.'

And, contrary to what I always believed and what the reviewer above says, juice fasting is NOT a good alternative to water fasting. Juice fasting results in much more lean muscle mass being consumed since the body never fully enters ketosis. Fuhrmann does a good job explaining this, in case you're interested.

Shelton's book will always have a place in my library, though.

Very Informative but again there is much fingerpointing...........1999-08-28

I found most of this book very very informative and full of common sense. I did, however, have a problem with the attitude that my way is the only way. He turns his nose up at those that recommend juice when conducting a fast. He even goes so far as to belittle them in that they must not know what they are talking about because to say you are on a juice fast means you are abstaining from juice. All well and good but he doesn't have much scientific proof for some of his major claims. A lot of his claims as to why one should try one method over another is based on observations that since some animals do it that way, why shouldn't we. I truly believe in fasting. It has done wonders for me. I have taken the water fast and the juice fast. I have to admit that on either one I never experienced hunger. I did however feel a little weak on the water fast on the 3rd day. I experienced more of the tongue having a bad taste on the juice fast. In theory the juice fast was said to help you do a better job of detoxification. I lost the same amount of weight on both types. So from my point of view they both work. It depends on your goals. I just don't like close minded people and Herbert definitely came across as one of those. Maybe he got picked on a lot when first getting into this but geez.... lighten up.

Average customer rating:

Fasting Can Save Your Life
Herbert M. Shelton
Manufacturer: Natural Hygiene Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRJJRW

Average customer rating:

Fasting Can Save Your Life

Manufacturer: Natural Hygiene Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Similar Items:

Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Disease

ASIN: B000F9JSXQ

Product Description

Dr. Shelton's book on fasting harvests the results of his 45 year research on 30,000 fasts, by people of all ages and in all states of health and impairment. His research included the fact that food and nutrition are not synonymous, that you are not nourished by the food you eat but by the amount you digest and assimilate. His conclusion of the his studies, based on facts and not theories, is the awakening of the body's remarkable recuperative powers.

Average customer rating:

Fasting Can Save Your Life

Manufacturer: American Natural Hygiene Society, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HW71CG

Average customer rating:

FASTING CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE
Herbert M. Shelton
Manufacturer: Natural Hygiene Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SECRL8

Average customer rating:

Fasting Can Save Your Life
Harbert M. Shelton
Manufacturer: Natural Hygiene Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRRBIG

Average customer rating:

fasting can save your life
shelton
Manufacturer: natural hygiene
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NR8LOC

Book Description

This core collection of Rose Elliot’s very best Mediterranean recipes makes the most of fresh, international ingredients, herbs, and spices. From Turkish aubergine pilaf or warm sweet potato salad to pappardelle with wild mushroom sauce or leek and saffron risotto, the recipes here add a sprinkling of summertime back into food and prove that vegetarian really can be sexy. There are also new ideas for tapas, barbecues, and picnics all using sunny and spicy ingredients from around the world.

Average customer rating:
Kitschmasland!: Christmas Decor from the 1950s Through the 1970s (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
Travis Smith
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0764323563

Book Description

Welcome to Kitschmasland in a fun and nostalgic look at our infatuation with Christmas holiday decor from the 1950s and through the 1970s. This beautiful new book covers the gamut of decorations - some whimsical, some beautiful - and a treasure trove of campy kitsch that the author calls "Kitschmas!" Join a magical tour of retro homes decked out for the holidays, and enjoy a variety of festive holiday decorations from our not-too-distant past. Featuring vintage Christmas ornaments, trees, ceramics, and more, over 400 color photos and vintage magazine images are used to illustrate this whimsical journey through some of our favorite decades. This book is a delight for Kitschmas fans, decorators, and the thousands of people devoted to mid-century decor and design.

Book Description

Unlike conventional flat puzzles, this guide presents 30 interlocking patterns that stand erect and can be displayed vertically. Designed for scroll sawyers of all skill levels, this easy-to-follow guide includes patterns for numerous mammals, reptiles, birds, and household pets. Instructions on getting started and selecting the proper tools, woods, and blades accompany detailed information on how to design an animal puzzle from a photograph.

Customer Reviews:

Good.......2007-03-31

The book is excellent , a good price and delivered in a timely manner.

Cutting a fine figure: The art of the jigsaw puzzle

Average customer rating:

Cutting a fine figure: The art of the jigsaw puzzle
Anne D Williams
Manufacturer: Museum of Our National Heritage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0962110787

Average customer rating:

A dozen simple wood puzzle patterns
Cheryl D Barnett
Manufacturer: B-C Multi-Craft
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00070YWJI

Average customer rating:

Not what I was looking for....

Decorating made Easy

how to decorate and furnish your apartment on a budget

how to decorate and furnish your apartment on a budget

How to Decorate and Furnish Your Apartment on a Budget: From Budgeting to Shopping, Your Idea Source for Transforming Your Apartment into a Beautiful Home
Lourdes Dumke
Manufacturer: Prima Lifestyles
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorating | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Living Big in Small Apartments

ASIN: 0761532471
Release Date: 2001-04-20

Book Description

Creative, Stylish, and INEXPENSIVE Solutions for Creating a HOME
Why spend every dollar you have on decorating? With a little help and creativity, you can turn your apartment into home sweet home without breaking the bank—and you don't have to give up comfort, individual expression, or warmth.
Regardless of you background, budget, gender, or personal tastes, decorating writer Lourdes Dumke will take you on a style-wise yet budget-sensitive tour of your home-to-be and help create your personal palace. Combined with a sprinkle of imagination and a dose of creativity, this helpful guide to making the perfect living space is exactly what you need. You will discover:
·Decorating and furnishing hints for every room
·Unique yet simple ways to unleash creativity
·Practical ideas for the best places to shop on a budget
·Commonsense suggestions for decorating and furnishing with already-owned items
·And much, much more!
The tips and tricks in this book will save you a bundle and turn your apartment into a decorated delight. You're sure to hear "WOW!" again and again from your impressed visitors—as well as from yourself!

Customer Reviews:

Not what I was looking for...........2004-08-27

this book just didn't have any information in it that I didn't already have.

Decorating made Easy.......2001-06-20

If you have very little money, little time, little or no decorating talent, and the desire to make your apartment look great, this book is for you! This is the first decorating book I picked up where ALL of the ideas in this book are paractical.

How to Decorate helped me establish a budget and "scheme" for apartment. Following the author's guidelines will help you do the same. So when you go shopping for instance, you will not impulse buy and end up with furniture you don't really want.

The author also makes great suggestions on discount shopping stores, space and style consideration, cheapo ways to change the look of furniture, and how to "size up an apartment" during your initial apartment hunting period.

If your shopping/moving budget is $500 or less, this book is a must have!!

how to decorate and furnish your apartment on a budget.......2001-06-19

This book is for those of us with little money, little time and very little or no decorating skills/creativity. If you are moving into an apartment (like me) and have a desire to create a pleasant living space, this book is definetly for you.

I like the book because it is very practical and it helped me focus on what I wanted my apartment to look like. It helped me establish a budget and a "look" for the apartment, so now, when I go shopping, I know exactly how much I have to spend, what I need and whether or not something will match or look good, etc.

The author also gives tips on where to find stuff on at a discounted rate and her sample budgets made me remember to buy the little stuff you tend to forget about, like a small trash can for the kitchen.

The best part about all of this is that the entire process, budgeting and creating a scheme only took a few hours to create.

how to decorate and furnish your apartment on a budget.......2001-06-19

The best part about all of this is that the entire process, budgeting and creating a scheme only took a few hours to create.

Average customer rating:

"Our primary objective is to take care of our customer..."

Copy THIS? Caveat that!

Interesting Read

He's an excellent reader (of people, that is)

He's an excellent reader (of people, that is)

Copy This!: Lessons from a Hyperactive Dyslexic Who Turned a Bright Idea into One of America's Best Companies (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper))
Paul Orfalea , and Ann Marsh
Manufacturer: Random House Large Print
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0375728406
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Book Description

Copy This!, Paul Orfalea's inspiring, personal story of turning lemons into lemonade, may be the most unusual business memoir ever published.

Paul Orfalea struggles mightily to read, to write, and to sit still through a business meeting. So what's the problem? By working with the obstacles life dealt him—he calls his dyslexia and ADHD "learning opportunities"—he grew a 100-square-foot copy shop named Kinko's into a $1.5 billion-a-year company that Fortune named one of the best places in America to work.

This is the story of a boy who flunked out of second grade—a boy who was fired by a gas station for writing illegible receipts. But it's also the story of a boy who learned from the world directly, who was brave enough to fail, who knew he had to rely on other people. A boy who developed empathy, a particular gift of his dyslexia that gave Orfalea the crucial insight into what makes Kinko's work. When Paul Orfalea first looked out on the worried, hopeful faces of his customers, he knew that he was in the problem-solving business—at four cents a page. Kinko's doesn't so much handle paper as it handles dreams.

Paul Orfalea really did do it his way. With humor, wisdom, and compassion, he shares his invaluable experiences and unorthodox business lessons with the millions of those who are just a little bit "different," and who wonder if there's a place for them in the world. There is: at the top.

Customer Reviews:

"Our primary objective is to take care of our customer...".......2007-08-18

BUT...

"...you can't take care of your customers unless you take care of your people." (- Paul Orfalea)

"Copy This!" is a book that illustrates the enduring idealism and sincerity of Paul Orfalea. Orfalea's enthusiasm is infectious. His optimism and energy vibrate through the narrative as he explains how his values were challenged over the years by various partnerships, a corporate reorganization and the eventual decision to leave the company he built and guided for over 30 years.

Those of us who lived the "Kinko's experience" can vouch for the effectiveness of Paul's leadership and his approach to team management.

Long ago, I took a job at my local Kinko's working the overnight shift as a machine operator. On my first day of work, my branch manager handed me a wallet-sized, white plastic card with something called "The Kinko's Philosophy" printed on one side. Up to that point in my life, working for a company was all about punching a clock and biding your time until you could punch it again and get on with your real life. I assumed this card, talking about things like "The coworkers are the foundation of our success" and "we trust and care for one another" were just marketing lip service by some faceless corporate human resource office.

But my manager took time with me, said that he wanted me to keep the card with me explaining, "We really believe in these things here. I can't force anyone to be anything more than a clock-puncher, but we can do everything we can to support how you want to work out your days with this company. Your only real job here is to take care of the customer."

Over the next several years I moved up in the company and dealt with dozens of coworkers. I worked with and for the kind of employees you've encountered of heard about who contribute to a miserable experience as well as those who stopped everything to solve your emergency and save the day for you. Paul's philosophy (his "commitment to communication") made it easier to manage the daily operation of a store of 15-20 people on three non-stop, busy shifts

As Paul pointed out on more than one occasion, each coworker -- regardless of their aspirations, ambition or approach to the job -- deserved to be treated with respect and gratitude ...because their performance was the only true measure of my own success. Discipline was to be bundled with coaching and retraining. Even in an "at-will" employment environment, Paul was dedicated to making sure we did all we could to help every coworker succeed.

Understanding and providing for your customer requires understanding your employees and their own needs. While they carry out the necessary tasks to get the job done, your job as a manager is to make that job fun, safe and efficient. The challenge of the organization is to create an environment where managers can do their job. In the case of Kinko's, that meant great opportunities for advancement, solid training programs, profit sharing and excellent wages. Many of those values (and benefits) changed with Paul's departure, but there are still hundreds if not thousands of team members who maintain that positive, supportive attitude toward their most valuable resource on the sales floor.

Most businesses treat their employees (human assets, labor force, whatever form they take) like a herd of sheep to be managed as though they have neither the skill nor experience to contribute to the business process. This book explains how each member of your working team is not just a salary on a P&L chart, but the REASON your operation is successful. It explains that you can have your heart firmly invested in taking care of your customers, but if you don't have the drive to take care of your own PEOPLE, you will be hard-pressed to achieve that goal consistently or at all.

Small business owners, department heads, and CEOs could learn much from Paul's dedication to his team members and perhaps begin to understand that their own success isn't tied to a few lines on a spreadsheet and the demands of a board of MBAs, it begins and ends with the people who run the cash registers, take care of the daily operation and make it possible for executives to spend time pondering "bigger picture" issues for their organization.

Copy THIS? Caveat that! .......2007-07-29

Paul Orfalea is the type of boss we call a "Crazy-Maker." Type triple-A. In your face. A new idea every minute. Little or no boundaries between personal time and work time. I suspect he was an exhausting (if occasionally) exhilarating boss to have.

This business autobiography offers a revealing portrait of an unlikely business tycoon. Orfalea overcame dyslexia to found Kinko's, which he grew into a multi-billion dollar business before selling it off. It is now an American icon.

The section on how games - especially poker, Monopoly and Risk - are better predictors of business success than grades is interesting.

Otherwise, Orfalea at times seems to make it all about Me. Me. Me. See me the generous philanthropist! See me creatively teaching business classes to students at UC Santa Barbara! See me lament what the new corporate suits have done to Kinko's. Of course, he has multi-millions to assuage his pain. Dude - when you sell it off, you relinquish that right to call all the shots!

Orfalea took a quirky, albeit courageous, path to his fortune. Whether many others can "copy this" as a template for success is debatable. Like him or love him, the Kinko's founder has written an engaging autobiography.

Interesting Read.......2007-04-24

I found this book to hold my interest. It provides an intriguing and inspirational view inside the start-up of a business, as well as honest, personal revelations.

He's an excellent reader (of people, that is).......2007-03-25

Orfalea opened his first copy shop while still a student in college. Over the next 30 years, he built the world's premier copyshop business, then cashed out for $1.5 billion. Not a bad run, especially for a kid who was so dyslexic that he was virtually illiterate.

He says he got the idea for the business while working on a term paper with a team of fellow college students. He was unable to contribute any research or writing skills to the team, so he offered to do the photocopying. The lines at the school's photocopier were so long that he realized that there was money to be made in copying. In short order he scouted a location, borrowed $5K from his father, and launched his business.

He makes the point that, as a functionally illiterate person, he was extremely dependent on other people. He argues that this forced him from a very early age to assess people accurately and find ways to make use of them. As a youngster, this meant choosing someone to sit next to whose work he could copy. As an adult, it meant choosing people who could help him run his business.

He says that straight-A students tend not to develop the ability to read people the way a dyslexic can. He says further that straight-A students tend to do what's safe and what's asked of them, whereas a dyslexic tends to be highly creative in getting things done or at least convincing authorities that things have been done.

In short, he feels that his dyslexia was a critical ingredient in his success.

This gives him an interesting perspective on school. He feels that no assignment is so valuable as to be worth extinguishing a student's spark of self-confidence and excitement about learning. He points out that, in school, most students are made to feel like failures in something. By contrast, in adulthood we are allowed to specialize. If math explodes in our heads, we can seek work that requires little or no math. Students aren't so lucky, and some of them are so handicapped that their spirits are entirely crushed by the experience of going through school.

The Orfalea family had a long tradition of entrepreneurship, and Paul grew up believing that one should earn one's way through life by the sweat of one's brow only long enough to accumulate some savings and then, by investing wisely, gradually transition to a point where one's way is financed entirely by rent and dividends.

Today Orfalea teaches at the University of California and one of the questions he asks his students is, "What's more important: good grades or saving money?" The correct answer is saving money.

He's an excellent reader (of people, that is).......2007-01-26

This is a spectacular book.

Orfalea opened his first copy shop while still a student in college. Over the next 30 years, he built the world's premier copyshop business, then cashed out for $1.5 billion. Not a bad run, especially for a kid who was so dyslexic that he was virtually illiterate.

He says he got the idea for the business while working on a term paper with a team of fellow college students. He was unable to contribute any research or writing skills to the team, so he offered to do the photocopying. The lines at the school's photocopier were so long that he realized that there was money to be made in copying. In short order he scouted a location, borrowed $5K from his father, and launched his business.

He makes the point that, as a functionally illiterate person, he was extremely dependent on other people. He argues that this forced him from a very early age to assess people accurately and find ways to make use of them. As a youngster, this meant choosing someone to sit next to whose work he could copy. As an adult, it meant choosing people who could help him run his business.

He says that straight-A students tend not to develop the ability to read people the way a dyslexic can. He says further that straight-A students tend to do what's safe and what's asked of them, whereas a dyslexic tends to be highly creative in getting things done or at least convincing authorities that things have been done.

In short, he feels that his dyslexia was a critical ingredient in his success.

This gives him an interesting perspective on school. He feels that no assignment is so valuable as to be worth extinguishing a student's spark of self-confidence and excitement about learing. He points out that, in school, most students are made to feel like failures in something. By contrast, in adulthood we are allowed to specialize. If math explodes in our heads, we can seek work that requires little or no math. Students aren't so lucky, and some of them are so handicapped that their spirits are entirely crushed by the experience of going through school.

The Orfalea family had a long tradition of entrepreneurship, and Paul grew up believing that one should earn one's way through life by the sweat of one's brow only long enough to accumulate some savings and then, by investing wisely, gradually transition to a point where one's way is financed entirely by rent and dividends.

Today Orfalea teaches at the University of California and one of the questions he asks his students is, "What's more important: good grades or saving money?" The answer is saving money.

He's quite a guy. You'll enjoy reading about his success.

Average customer rating:

From Idea into House
Rolf Myller
Manufacturer: Atheneum Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Architecture | Arts & Music | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0689301448

Average customer rating:

From Idea Into House
Rolf Myller
Manufacturer: Atheneum Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NX3FC4

Average customer rating:

From Idea Into House
Rolf Myller
Manufacturer: Atheneum Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JVLFOU

Book Description

Dutch artist Lily van der Stokker here develops an installation for the Ludwig Museum which combines murals and furniture while musing on our relationship to architecture and the narrative character of an art form of limited duration. Other artists who question identity are included in the conversation.

Book Description

Joey Reynolds is one of America's most beloved radio personalities. Spinning records as a teenager in Buffalo, Joey quickly became one of the trendsetters of early rock radio. From Miami to Philly to Detroit to New York, wherever Joey went his show was always at the top of the charts. After a detour to Hollywood and a long battle with the bottle, Joey's career went into a long, slow slide. Filled with humorous anecdotes and stories of the many celebrities and rock stars Joey has met, this is the story of a man whose rise, fall, and rise again was fueled by the power of laughter. After finding sobriety, Joey bounced back as always. He now has the number one rated overnight radio talk show in the country and his "stream of consciousness" style and sense of humor are winning new fans every day.

Customer Reviews:

Joey Reynolds is a comic genius!.......2001-07-21

Joey Reynolds is a comic genius! His insights into the music business and life itself are profound and yet he delivers these with the deftness and gentleness of a man who has gained wisdom from all his wild experience. This is a man who has seen it all in the broadcasting business; the ego rivalries, corporate greed, the disintegration of formats, the pettiness and shear fear driving programing today; and yet he remains true to his deepest beliefs and respects his audience like no one else.

Joey is that rare type of entertainer who has remained true to himself while others have chased after fads. I understand he pioneered the kind of "shock jock" kind of approach that is rampant now by simply telling the truth and saying what was on his mind. Those who've come after have lowered the bar by using humiliation as a substitute for real humor or, heaven forbid, actual insight. This trend toward mediocrity may be inevitable for some, but Joey continues to uphold standards that are an example to all who listen to his show. In a world where he who yells the loudest seems to get all the attention, Joey speaks softly and thoughtfully, gradually building his appreciative audience.

If you love his show, you'll love this book. If you love this book, you'll love his show. Open and honest, without being exploitative or confessional, this book is a wonderful read. I only wish there was more of it!

One of only Three DJ's in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame!.......2001-02-06

About a year ago, I had the distinct pleasure of appearing on Joey's show. What was slated to be a half-hour interview evolved into five hours-I couldn't have been more pleased. Joey is a kind and generous professional who interviews a guest unlike any I've ever encountered. When you're on his show, you feel like family, as though you were a permanent fixture on his show. When I first arrived at the station for my interview, Kenny Kramer (the real Kramer from Seinfeld) popped in without warning and chatted with us on the air. It was as though we were all neighbors sitting on Joey's front porch and telling stories. At one point I asked Joey how Les Paul, a friend of his, came to invent the electric guitar. Damned if Joey didn't call him up and tell me to ask him. Mr. Paul said that it was the first time that anyone bothered to ask him on live radio or television, and then recounted a magnificent story that will stick with me till the day I die. But this is just the way a Joey Reynolds show evolves--naturally and without contrivance. When the show ended at about five that morning, Joey asked how I had gotten to the station and I told him that I had taken the subway from my hotel. He would have nothing to do with it-he drove me to the front door of my hotel in the middle of a downpour. But hey, what do you expect, that's just the way a friendship evolves when your with Joey Reynolds--naturally and without pretense. Buy this book and see for yourself.

Good but not real good.......2001-01-07

Grew up outside Buffalo, New York. Listened to Joey every night and watched his Saturday dance show on tv. Book was easy read but a disappointment. No dates and not enough information....it seemed to jump around. (maybe like his life) I though would not have missed this book...brought back good memories.

And The Stories Just Keep On Coming.......2000-09-17

THIS IS A NOTE ON MY JACK RAYMOND REVIEW. THERE IS AN "I" missing in the last paragraph after the word "like"! Please correct it if you can.

thanks Jack Raymond

"AND THE STORIES JUST KEEP ON COMIN'".......2000-09-13

"Of all the books I've read on radio stars,this book by Joey Reynolds is certainly one of them!"

Joey not only has a great memory for radio trivia on his nationally broadcast radio show from WOR in New York, but he can also repeat those stories verbatum in his newest and only book to date. Love the book and his radio program. And when I can't pick up his show it's so miserable without it,it's almost like can hear it. In fact I listen most nights with both ears including the one that works.

Jack Raymond,

A concerned voter, Leominster,MA.

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