STUDIES OF FERN TYPES CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL HERBARIUM VOLUME 38, PART 2

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STUDIES OF FERN TYPES CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL HERBARIUM VOLUME 38, PART 2
C. V. Morton
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Institution
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RRM8HY

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Studies of fern types, (Contributions from the United States National Herbarium)
Conrad Vernon Morton
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Institution Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006BS5B4

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Studies of Fern Types, I (Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Volume 38, Part 2)
C. V. Morton
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Institution Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NP74H4

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STUDIES OF FERN TYPES, II
C. V. Morton
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Institution
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RRM7MA

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Studies of Fern Types, II (Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Volume 38, Part 6)
C. V. Morton
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Institution Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NPB9J8

Book Description

Sydney Insideout City Guide explores 30 main attractions, including the Opera House, museums, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Centennial Park, Manly, and Bondi Beach. Over 40 shops, selling everything from opals and Aboriginal crafts to designer clothing and antiques, are featured. Fifty restaurant reviews cover noodle shops, beach cafés, curry houses, and five-star cuisine. Twenty-five hotel reviews offer choices for every budget. Suggestions for clubs, bars, and outdoor activities are also included.

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Great for 20-somethings Just Starting Out

Personal Finance - nothing new to learn here

Best $11 Bucks I've Ever Spent!

The Everything Personal Finance in Your 20s & 30s Book: Erase Your Debt, Personalize Your Budget and Plan Now to Secure Your Future (Everything Series)
Debby Fowles
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Budgeting & Money Management | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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GET A FINANCIAL LIFE : Personal Finance In Your Twenties And Thirties

The Everything Budgeting Book: Practical Advice for Spending Less, Saving More, and Having More Money for the Things You Really Want (Everything Series)

Personal Finance For Dummies, 5th edition

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance in your 20s and 30s, Third Edition

The Motley Fool Personal Finance Workbook : A Foolproof Guide to Organizing Your Cash and Building Wealth

ASIN: 1580629709

Customer Reviews:

Great for 20-somethings Just Starting Out.......2007-09-21

I bought this book for a younger sibling who has just set out on her own. I read through it at the bookstore and thought it'd be great for someone just starting out in the world - it covers a lot of the basics in an easy-to-read manner. Not great for someone who wants to learn some new personal finance tricks, as this covers most that some of us have heard over and over and over. But a great, and affordable book, for new high school/college grads trying to find their footing financially.

Personal Finance - nothing new to learn here.......2007-05-07

This book did not help at all. I thought it was kind of worthless.

Best $11 Bucks I've Ever Spent!.......2004-02-14

Finally! A book on personal finance for the average person. This book is filled with easy-to-understand advice about managing your money. You can read it from cover to cover or just browse through it and pick the topics you're interested in right now. The budgeting and credit card debt chapters are great. Even though it's geared towards those of us in our 20s and 30s, most of it is good advice for anyone trying to get ahead financially. Best $11 bucks I've ever spent.

Customer Reviews:

sets the standard.......2001-08-21

This book is the only one I have found with a comprehensive approach to tartanware. Although small, it provides information about decorative elements, original function, and reason for collecting. Tartanware has significant value in the antiques market, and it would be helpful to have more published material.

Average customer rating:
Dwarfed Potted Trees: The Bonsai of Japan (Plants and Gardens, Vol. 9, No. 3)
Kan Yashiroda
Manufacturer: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Bonsai | By Plant | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Trees | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0945352174

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Handbook On Dwarfed Potted Trees - Bonsai Of Japan
Kan; Avery, George S., Editors; with the Editorial Committee of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Yashiroda
Manufacturer: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IYBLG0

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Handbook on Dwarfed Potted Trees : The Bonsai of Japan
Kan (ed) Yashiroda
Manufacturer: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JEOW3I

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Handbook on Dwarfed Potted Trees : The Bonsai of Japan Plants & gardens, v. 9, no. 3
Toyotaro; Aoshima; et al
Manufacturer: Brooklyn Botanical Garden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KIR7Q2

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HANDBOOK ON DWARFED POTTED TREES, THE BONSAI OF JAPAN

Manufacturer: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IAEIQY

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Handbook on Dwarfed Potted Trees, The Bonsai of Japan
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record
Manufacturer: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O7SHE0

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Handbook on Dwarfed Potted Trees, The Bonsai of Japan
Kan Yashiroda
Manufacturer: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O7U2Y8

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Handbook on Dwarfed Potted Trees, The Bonsai of Japan: Plants & Gardens Vol. 9, No. 3 (Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record)

Manufacturer: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000N9IF64

Product Description

Special printing of PLANTS & GARDENS with photographs by Kan Yashiroda.

Handbook on Dwarfed Potted Trees- The Bonsai of Japan

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Handbook on Dwarfed Potted Trees- The Bonsai of Japan

Manufacturer: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: 1330284615

Product Description

A popular guide to Bonsai culture. How to grow and train dwarf trees. Kinds suitable for American Amateurs.

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Handbook on Dwarfed Potted Trees. The Bonsai of Japan
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Manufacturer: Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I3D5IS

Customer Reviews:

A difficult book to get through..........2006-07-23

This is a book that is interesting and compelling, even heartbreaking at times, and since the only people who would be buying this book are more than likely fans of Brad Davis or of Midnight Express, it's worth reading.

But the key words of that last sentence are "at times." Those who previously used the word "annoying" to describe this book are right. To get to the moving moments, one must bear with Susan Bluestein Davis, who is so self-absorbed and, well, annoying, that it's hard to get through the book. For example, the first three chapters are filled with her listing every famous person she or Brad has ever met or whom Brad has been compared to. It's frustrating. I expected to be reading about Brad Davis, but the book is more to be about Brad Davis in relation to her. What seems to have kept their relationship alive is the deep denial Bluestein was/is living with, which kept her so dedicated to him, while in return he gave her "the best sex [she] ever had in her life." And that's it. Davis treated Bluestein so badly-he treated everyone very badly, but especially her. Then again, she found ways to justify his behavior. She stood by him through everything, but only by avoiding as much of the truth as possible. It's hard to criticize someone who has been through so much.

I would have rather read a biography of Davis written by someone else. His widow may be the best source, and she did promise him to write the book, but her narrative takes away from what could have been a much more powerful book.

One side of a harrowing story.......2004-09-10

This week I picked up 'After Midnight' at the library, and read it in less than 24 hours. It was riveting, poignant, honest (from Susan's standpoint), sad, horrific, very darky comical, and ultimately redeeming. Irony of ironies, I finished it yesterday, September 8th, the 13th anniversary of Brad's death. I wasn't even aware of what day it was. As for what Susan wrote, she wrote it from her point of view, and she knew things about Brad and had experiences with him that others didn't know about. Just as others knew things about him and had experiences with him that she didn't know about and still doesn't. So, it isn't fair to judge her and say 'Oh, she was just in denial'; maybe she was/is, but that isn't the point. She was trying to write the history about a relationship of a man and a woman over a roughly 20 year time span. Hopefully, one of these days, more people will come forward, and we will be told their true stories about Brad as well, in order to better understand him.

What a pathetic waste of money..........2002-07-27

I was extremely disappointed with "After Midnight". The author, his widow, has written the book from her own life's perspective, and there is sadly little about the true Brad Davis. His homosexuality, or perhaps bisexuality, is mentioned only in passing, and anyone in New York or Hollywood that knew him will tell you that this was a huge part of his life. I guess a book written by his wife can't be expected to delve too deeply into this area, but even other interesting details - his drug addiction, his acting technique, etc. are only minimally suggested here. I wanted to put the book down after two chapters, but kept waiting for it to get interesting. I suggest the publishers retitle the book "My Life with Brad Davis - The Saga Of A Wife Kept In The Dark", or something similar, to indicate to readers that this book is about Susan Bluestein, and tells very little about Brad.

Midnight Express.......2001-12-01

I bought this book because I loved Midnight Express
One of the best movies I have seen. I had no idea what
hell Brad went through. I was shocked when I heard he
had AIDS. His wife Susan wrote a great book. Even if
you had not heard of him, its a great read. Yes, I did
have tears in my eyes at times. In the end AIDS killed
him but Hollywood killed him long before that.
May he be at peace, as well as his daughter and wife.

Midnight Express.......2001-12-01

I bought this book because I loved his movie Midnight
Express. Best movie I have ever seen. The book was
very real written, yes, it did bring tears to my eyes
The words Susan wrote flowed. The pain she went through
and the pain Brad went through. He was tough, but
reading the book you saw his soft spots. Hollywood
killed him...but in the end AIDS killed him. He is
now in a wonderful place....peace. May his daughter
know what a great actor he was and father. Even if you
did not see Midnight Express, read the book and learn
about AIDS.

After Midnight: The Life and Death of Brad Davis

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After Midnight: The Life and Death of Brad Davis
Susan Bluestein; De Vries, Hilary; Vries, Hilary De Davis
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0TCUU

Average customer rating:

After Midnight - the Life and Death of Brad Davis
Susan Bluestein & De Vries, Hilary Davis
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O5X5P8

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After Midnight The Life and Death of Brad Davis
Davis Susan Bluestein with Hilary De Vries
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQ7ORY

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After Midnight: The Life and Death of Brad Davis
Susan Bluestein Davis with Hilary deVries
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MMXA1W

Average customer rating:

After Midnight: The Life and Death of Brad Davis
Susan Bluestein Davis
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQK4DO

Customer Reviews:

well researched , but boring.......2000-04-08

This book is very well researched, but William O'Brien is a bit boring. Ireland's land wars are difficult to tackle in a rational way, however Sally Warwick-Haller has done a good job, and has tried to make O'Brien interesting. If one is looking for a text for Uni this is a good book for reference. It is a pity that O'Brien did not have as colourful a life as Parnell or Butt

Book Description

This book critically examines the geopolitical and economic contexts of the region's export-oriented industrialization. The first part of the book focuses on the global and regional elements of the economic system and recent geo-politics. The second part of the book focuses on the domestic actors and institutions which played critical roles in the miracle economies of East Asia. This collection of original papers describes the economic developments and environment that underlie the East Asian NICs. Through a comparison of the Four Tigers-South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore-the contributors deliver a case-oriented study that explains the region's most successful economies. This book is the first region-wide comparative study to provide readers with country-specific information about economic environments and development.

Key Features
* Authors examine the transferability of this region's experience to others
* Charts the successful dynamic relationships between geopolitical, economic, and social resources
* Relevant to sociological and economic studies
* In-depth case studies combined with comparative analysis within the region
* Incorporation of global security and economic contexts in the analysis of economic development and democratization

Average customer rating:

collection of recycled newsletter columns, not a real book

Documents Need for Corporate Governance Reform

One-star, long-winded review misses the point

INTRODUCTION by RALPH NADER

Refuting irrational, profit driven pseudo-science

Corporate Predators: The Hunt for Mega-Profits and the Attack on Democracy
Russell Mokhiber , and Robert Weissman
Manufacturer: Common Courage Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Company Profiles | Biography & History | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Theory | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Consolidation & Merger | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Ethics | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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On the Rampage: Corporate Predators and the Destruction of Democracy

Unequal Protection: The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Theft of Human Rights

ASIN: 1567511589

Book Description

Of the world's biggest 100 economies, 51 are corporations, not countries. As the most powerful institution of our time, the multinational corporation dominates not only global economics, but politics and culture as well. But the mechanisms of corporate control and the details of corporate abuses have remained largely hidden from public perception-until now.

In this compelling collection of columns, investigative journalists Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman critique corporate power from a relentlessly human perspective. While mainstream media cheerfully laud big business's record profits, Mokhiber and Weissman ask the real questions-Where is profit coming from? When working Americans' incomes have dropped dramatically since 1980, while salaries of corporate CEOs have risen 500 percent in the same period, is the economy really booming? Whose economy is this, anyway?

From union-busting to food irradiation, from faulty air bags that kill but are left on the market anyway to judges who take bribes, from the IMF to oil companies-wherever corporate crime strikes, Mokhiber and Weissman are there, covering an amazing range of issues, to sound the alarm and call people to action.

Customer Reviews:

collection of recycled newsletter columns, not a real book.......2000-05-02

The text, after the three page intro by Nader, consists of 202 pages with some cartoons as well as section title pages included, followed by a ten page index that includes subjects and publications as well as names.

Mokhiber is the editor of the "Corporate Crime Reporter" and Weissman is the editor of the "Multinational Monitor." The text of the book consists of 60 articles taken from these two periodicals divided into eight sections as follows:

1. Corporate Crime and Violence

2. The Corporate Attack on Democracy

3. The Global Hunt for Mega-Profits

4. Corporation Nation

5. The Big Boys Unite: Merger Mania in the 1990's

6. Commercialism Run Amok

7. Of Sweatshops and Union Busting

8. Do I Have to Arrest You? Corporations and the Law

As a collection of news columns, the book consists of anecdotes with conclusions that tend toward hyperbole, but for the most part are accurate, if a bit emotionalized. Since each article was written for the intended audience of subscribers to the two periodicals (the date is indicated at the beginning of each), they read like they are preaching to the converted. No neoliberal will be convinced of such a statement as:

"Most corporate criminologists agree that corporate crime and violence inflicts far more damage on society than all street crime combined. That includes killings and deaths."

The authors provide no non-anecdotal evidence for what might seem an astounding statement, but I have read widely enough to know that it is essentially true, depending on how you define "corporate crime." This assertion is repeated twice elsewhere, indicating little or no editing before assembly here. A few of the articles are followed by a one or two paragraph update bearing on events that happened between original publication and the date this book went to press. There are no footnotes, and scant reference to any sources for their information. I suppose if you have access to Nexus or something similar, you could do a date-limited search (based on when the article was written) to find out more.

It would have been nice if Mokhiber and Weissman had provided an over-arching introductory essay of, say, 20 pages, giving an overview of the problems involving the ever-increasing expansion of corporate behemoths, drawing a relationship between relative power and systemic greed-driven flaunting of the law, and putting into historical context the privatization of profits and socialization of costs. It was lazy and irresponsible of them not to do this, and that is why it gets only three stars.

The book is a quick and fascinating read, but I recommend you check it out from your local library. That's what I did!

Documents Need for Corporate Governance Reform.......2000-02-28

Mokhiber and Weissman provide plenty of potential fuel for the fire with their insightful discussions on corporate chartering, democracy for sale, and Constitutional abuses. Unlike many, they name names and reference credible sources. Unless the dangers of corporate dominance are addressed, we can expect books such as Corporate Predators to become very popular during the next economic downturn. Read it now and not only avoid the rush, avoid the dangers they point to so well.

One-star, long-winded review misses the point.......1999-07-22

The one-star, long-winded review offered below by Greg Peisert almost entirely misses the point of this rich and rewarding book. Peisert's comment cites low unemployment in the United States, but ignores the atrocious condition of overseas work for American corporations and the proliferation of unlivable-wage jobs here at home. Both of these trends are well-documented in "Corporate Predators". You may also notice that Peisert's refutation of the book is based upon cases in which one corporation succumbs to another; he forgets the subject matter of the book is the treatment of workers by corporations, not the treatment of corporations by one another. As the book documents, the treatment of many workers by their employers has become simply shameful, and much of this trend is due to the rise of de facto corporate government here and world-wide. A book well worth reading, and one that's long overdue.

INTRODUCTION by RALPH NADER.......1999-06-15

For the past twenty years, after a decade and a half of populist resurgence against corporate abuses by consumer, environmental, women's rights and civil rights forces, big business has been on a rampage to control our society. Whether these business supremacies are called corporatization, commercialism, monopolies or the corporate state, the overall concentration of power and wealth in ever fewer multinational corporate centers is a matter of record.

In arena after arena -- government, workplace, marketplace, media, environment, education, science, technology-- the dominant players are large corporations. What countervailing forces that our society used to depend upon for some balance are not in retreat against the aggressive expansion of corporate influence far beyond its traditional mercantile boundaries?

The enlarged power that corporations deploy to further increase their revenues and socialize their costs comes from many sources -- old and new. Roughly eighty percent of the money contributed to federal candidates come from business interests. The mobility to export capital has given transnational companies major leverage against local, state and federal officials, not to mention against organized and unorganized labor. The swell of corporate welfare handouts has reached new depths. The contrived complexity of many financial and other services serves to confuse, deplete and daunt consumers who lose significant portions of their income in a manipulative marketplace. Alliances, joint ventures and other complex collaborations between should-be competitors have made a mockery of what is left of antitrust enforcement.

The opportunities to control or defeat governmental attempts for corporate accountability that flow from transcending national jurisdictions into globalized strategies to escape taxation and pit countries and their workers against one another appear to be endless. The autocratic systems of governance called GATT and NAFTA reflect to the smallest detail ways that giant corporations wish to control the world. These firms are on a collision course against democratic processes, and the merging of states and businesses, to the latter's advantage, weakens relentlessly both the restraints of the law and the willingness of legislators to do anything about it.

Taken together, the world is witnessing its subjugation to the large corporate model of economic development, the large corporate model of technology and the large corporate model of culture itself. These accelerating trendlines invite accelerating comprehension and response. History demonstrates that commercialism knows few boundaries that are not externally imposed. All the major religions have warned their adherents against the excesses of commercial value systems, albeit with different languages, images and metaphors.

Specific descriptions of corporate misbehavior do nourish proper generalizations that in turn lead to more just movements and practices. Here, columnists Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman provide a distinct service in Corporate Predators. It is not just the versatility of their writings -- covering bribery, pollution, corporate crime, fraud and abuse, failure of law enforcement, union-busting, the mayhem inflicted by product defects and toxics, the deep gap between the rich and the rest of America, corporate front groups, the media censorship and self-censorship, the profiteering, the pillaging overseas and more-- but it is also the impact on the reader that comes from aggregating evidence. Our country does not collect statistics on corporate crime e way it does on street crime. For it to do so would begin to highlight a little-attended agenda for law enforcement and other corporate reforms. Neither Congress nor the White House and its Justice Department have made any moves over the years to assemble from around the country the abuses of corporations in quantifiable format so as to drive policy.

So, description -- accurate, representational description -- must now suffice. As the editor of the Corporate Crime Reporter (Mokhiber)and the editor of the Multinational Monitor (Weissman), the authors know well the difference between anecdotes that are illustrative and that are idiosyncratic. This volume of their weekly columns carries the evidence that illustrates patterns of continuing corporate derelictions, not lonely deviations from a more congenial norm.

The authors' experience over the years with the impact of disclosures has led them to the conclusion that the facts must be linked to civic engagement and democratic activity for change. If disclosure produced its own dynamic imperatives for change, the recurrent exposure of corporate abuses in such mainstream publications as the Wall Street Journal, Business Week and some national television programs like Sixty Minutes would have caused these changes. Such, unfortunately has not been the case. The linkages between knowledge and action have not been sufficient. But readers of Common Courage Press published books tend towards citizen activism. They want to know because they want to do. Some may even agree with the ancient Chinese saying that "To know and not to do is not to know."

So, go forward readers who wish to be leaders in the advancement of justice -- what Daniel Webster once called "the great work of men on Earth"-- and savor the writings that will motivate more and more women and men to band together in organizations that build a more just democracy.

Ralph Nader, 1999

Refuting irrational, profit driven pseudo-science.......1999-05-01

While the gentleman bellow makes some good points about a balance that should be maintained in this type of work, I think that some level of extreme is needed in a counter attack against the un-emotional, profit driven pseudo-science that staunch capitalists spout as if pure Capitalism and the so-called "free market" were the only option this world has. If the previous reviewer were realy concerned about balance and fairness, then he would recognize that some level of emotion is needed to help the people of the world achieve some level of economic and social equality. The rapidly growing gap between rich and poor is an obvious result of the type of socialism for the wealthy and capitalism for the poor that exists in this country, and this book does a good job of exemplifying the extreme consequences of this situation. Besides, Capitalism is just a eco-philosophical theory espoused as science.

Book Description

In this practical and engaging guide, top fundraising consultant Mal Warwick introduces an entirely new and revolutionary approach to fundraising strategy and planning. He shows nonprofit organizations how to set fundraising goals based on mission and how to select, implement, and stay with the right strategies to meet those goals. His five fundamental fundraising strategies are Growth, Involvement, Visibility, Efficiency, and Stability (GIVES), all of which link directly to specific and appropriate fundraising goals. The decision as to which strategy to use springs from the organization's mission, and all fundraising activities are focused on fulfilling that mission.

Through real-world examples, Warwick shows readers how to choose a primary strategy that will drive both long-term fundraising planning and day-to-day fundraising activities. He then takes them step by step through the process of integrating the strategy into current operations, evaluating its progress, and sticking to the chosen strategy while facing the inevitable changes, obstacles, and setbacks that nonprofits encounter every day. He also provides self-tests to help readers determine which strategy and tactics will be most effective for their organizations. The Five Strategies for Fundraising Success ensures that organizations make informed, productive decisions about their futures.

Customer Reviews:

Raising Money? Start here!.......2002-05-03

I'm using this book as a crutch in my volunteer activities with a local non-profit. It's excellently written and helps as a primer for both the strategic and tactical parts of our efforts. I highly recommended as a starting point and a reference for any individual or group that is looking for a good framework to help approach the highly-complex and difficult world of getting the fuel to make a non-profit successful.

Five Stars for Five Strategies.......2001-03-02

The Jossey-Bass Nonprofit & Public Management Series adds another excellent resource with the publication of Mal Warwick's book, The Five Strategies for Fundraising Success: A mission-based guide to achieving your goals.

The central thesis of this nearly 300-page volume is that the way you raise funds for your organization can help you achieve your mission. Warwick finds that too often organizations tie their fund raising to short-term, fiscal year goals that require fund raisers to "get the money in the door now" rather than taking the time to cultivate donors for larger, future gifts.

In The Five Strategies, Warwick introduces the reader to the GIVES System, a method for analyzing, planning and evaluating an organization's fundraising strategy. The strategies are: Growth, Involvement, Visibility, Efficiency and Stability, hence GIVES.

In discussing Growth as a fundraising strategy, Warwick is not focusing on raising more money per se, but rather on broadening the donor base, having more donors next year than this year, and still more the year after that. A Growth strategy, according to this book, is dynamic and is characterized by audacious goals, bold leadership and low entry-level gifts.

Involvement as a strategy takes organizations beyond seeking gifts from donors to building stronger relationships with them. When supporters are active and committed, organizations can raise far more money. Organizations for whom public opinion is crucial are encouraged to adopt a Visibility strategy. Characteristics of the strategy are broad public interest, many stakeholders and brand identification.

Raising money at the lowest possible cost per dollar raised is the key to an Efficiency strategy. Planned giving, major gift programs, foundation and corporate grant solicitation and monthly giving are among the tactics that can be employed in an efficiency strategy. Warwick warns, however, that efficiency isn't always the best approach. A careful analysis of the organization's strategic choices is required.

Endurance is the core attribute of the Stability strategy. Among the tactics that can be used in a stability strategy are to build an endowment fund; employ electronic funds transfer (EFT) for fulfillment of donor pledges and engage in diversified fundraising activities.

Selecting a strategy must take into account the life cycle of the development program, the age of the organization, or both. For each of the five strategies, Warwick provides several real-life examples, not all of them success stories. This is very helpful for understanding how it might work and in identifying potential pitfalls. Warwick points out that a single strategy is not likely to remain appropriate for all time for any given organization.

The book provides details on how to pick the right strategy for your organization, common obstacles to implementing the strategies, what fundraising tactics will work with each strategy and how to evaluate your strategies.

My only disagreement with Warwick is in his definitions of vision and mission. He defines vision as why your organization exists and mission as what it does. I see the mission as clarification of purpose and an indicator of why the organization is doing what it does, while vision is what the organization aspires to look like after it succeeds in implementing its strategies and achieving its potential. That difference of opinion aside, I think the book is a wonderful resource for everyone involved in the fundraising effort, from CEO's to development officers to board members to donors themselves.

Warwick's previous books have been related to direct response fundraising and most are "How-To" books. If you are looking for a book that provides a formula or set of instructions, The Five Strategies is not it. What you will find in this book, however, is a way to think strategically about your fundraising efforts. Mal Warwick's hope with The Five Strategies is that he can help those who work for and on behalf of not-for-profit organizations understand the consequences of the resource allocation choices they face and do a better job raising money for a sector that never has enough.

Book Description

Introduces musicians, scholars, and listeners to composer Robert Erickson, providing the reader with insights into the creative process along with an objective, analytical discussion of Erickson's works.

Book Description

Easy & Elegant - 300 International Jewish Recipes for Friends and Family

At least, an international cookbook that is easy to use!

Here is an extraordinary collection of today's most popular gourmet dishes. Included are 300 rare and delicious recipes that are all winners! Readers will be able to relax knowing that their next creative dinner or party is in good hands. Peruse the color photographs and judge for yourself.

A Sampling of recipe selections in "Easy and Elegant":

From Chinese egg rolls and dumplings to French quiches and crepes.

From Greek moussaka and Italian eggplant parmesan to Moroccan apricot chicken and Israeli salads.

From East European meatloaf potato rolls to Mexican chili.

"Easy and Elegant" features the best international selection ever assembled! And to make sure things are really easy, the book helps readers through the recipes with thousands of helpful hints and detailed preparatory information. There are also a very special section about the "Greatest Desserts on Earth" that could be a book itself!

There are desserts like:

Sour cream topped cake and chocolate chip banana cake;

Vanilla carrot pudding and frozen mocha mousse;

Delectable crumby whipped cream cake.

"Easy and Elegant" is sure to find a prominent place on your kitchen bookshelf and to become today's much-used classic gourmet cookbook. For those who have kosher kitchens - don't worry. Where needed, the recipes have been carefully adapted to conform with Kosher practices. There is also a useful, comprehensive index.

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