A great book that deserves to become a classic
927112
I bought this book because I had met a top Boardroom executive who highly recommended I try this principle with my team.
Boardroom grew from a small "bootstrapped" company to over 9 figures in record time, so I thought I'd listen.

I-Power is a very simple principle that I've used for the last 3 months inside my company.
So far the results have been incredible :
- 1 of the ideas generated through I-Power has tripled the volume of daily visits on our blog
- It's helped my team take ownership of the big projects including tighter monitoring of expenses of our events
- It finally enabled us to get a "Knowledge base / FAQ" of questions online for our customers to decrease the need for support tickets
- We completely changed our satisfaction guarantee for a much stronger one
- Found a way to start running monthly LIVE Q&A's for our customers WITHOUT me being involved AND turned the Q&A's into a revenue stream
- And most of all, the team is more engaged, more confident in their abilities, and works even better together

Warning : It's such a simple concept, you won't believe it until you try.
(think : green juice. It's just like daily green juice for your team !)

If you google "Brian Kurtz" and "Marty Edelston" together, there are a few interview where they tell quite a few stories on the process.
My take on it is, you'll get the gist of the principle very quickly in the first few chapters. I highly recommend you get started on it as you read, because the following chapters can serve as idea generators for a better use of the system.

But really, it takes about 5 minutes to explain I-Power to your team and it can have a tremendous effect.

Highly recommended.
4401793
This book was so well written, that it's one of the few that I truly enjoyed more and more as I read it. Usually books have their highs and lows, strong and weak spots, but this book built momentum and snowballed into one of the best books I've ever read. I enjoy classics like Tolkien and Twain and modern classics written by DeLillo and GRRM, but this was better than those. And I don't say that lightly.
You really have to read the book to understand, as it's so intricate and complex that it's hard to summarize in a few lines. However, Catton does a great job of making ever detail matter. Even things you take for granted end up being important. The book shows over and over again that relationships we have, and our own perspective, can influence the true we see and the course our lives take. Simply, an amazing work.
1874514
This is a wonderful book for middle school readers and older. The characters are engaging; the plot is original & compelling, and the writing is amazing.  Definitely a classic in the making.
1834491
Deathly Hallows is a wonderful book and a capstone to the Harry Potter series. We are lucky to be contemporaries to the series and to see the global effects these books have had.

I recently traveled to Asia and had Book 6 with me and as I went through airport security in Singapore, one of the security staff said to me, "that is a great book, I hope you are enjoying it". I was enjoying it and the thought hit me that this story has worldwide appeal even though one can see this on the news reports at each book's premier and the movie premiers.

As a child I read the Tolkein series and thought they were the end all. JK Rowling's books supercede those books and touch similar and different themes.

Especially nice is JK Rowling's dedication that includes the readers who have catapulted this story to a classic status almost overnight.

The referencing back to events and instances in the previous books makes one want to go back and re-read the earlier books. I made a note to myself to re-read the books in a row so that the entire story flows continuously instead of having to wait for the next book to be published. Then one gets more insight and more continuity.

It is a well done tale and Book 7 does not disappoint. The characters and events are handled with realism of who dies and who survives. So all is not a rosy story where everyone lives happily ever after.

As in the other books, I had to forceably put down the book to go to work or get on with other personal affairs thinking I couldn't wait to get back to the story.

One thing I hope Ms Rowling does is to publish a few more works that fill in the times before Harry and more of the magic and history of the witching world. References to past characters and past events always makes for the reader wnating more. That's how stories are made into classics, make the reader want more.

Thank you Ms. Rowling
1454517
I bought this a couple of years ago, and only now opened it. An excellent book, with outstanding characterization. The plot is not

too strong, but this is acceptable in a fantasy novel, where the quest is an accepted literary device. The ideas are thought-provoking, and one is curious to see how the relationship between the two main characters will develop. Rather as in A.K. Rowling's popular works, stereotyped good and evil characters are avoided: indeed, motivations are realistically grey. This novel is somewhat influenced by Brian Lumley, but the writing is far better quality and the ideas are more sophisticated. The sequel should be well worth the wait!
4939358
Like I stated in the title, The Princess Bride is just one of those books that everyone should know about and should be assigned in high schools everywhere.  I can't believe I was forced to read Great Expectations but not The Princess Bride.  Sure, Dickens is a great writer and no, i'm not comparing the 2 books or authors, but this book is just SO GOOD.  It should be required reading for all ages because I think different people can take such different stuff from it.  Plus it has so many great examples of unique literary devices (i.e. the Morgenstern thing).  The story is fantastically tongue-in-cheek, which I love.  A lot of people I know have seen the movie and don't even know the book exists.  I haven't seen the movie (yet) so I can't really compare the 2.  However, if the movie is half as good as the book it'll be fantastic as well.  Trust me, this book will make you want to watch the movie.  The story is so compelling and funny there's no way anyone could be bored.  As to the characters, they are just as intriguing.  I fell completely in love with Fezzek, the giant who is not quite as much of a dunce as the other characters seem to believe.  Anyway, the point is...read this book.  I don't think too many will regret it.

P.S. I noticed most of the 1-star reviews complain about the "abridgement" of Morgenstern's classic and how it should have been left the way it was.  If you genuinely dislike the story/characters/writing/etc. then by all means write a 1-star review.  But if you're giving the book 1-star with the main reason being Morgenstern was a better writer...please don't.  It'll save you a lot of embarrassment.
493042
Even though 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is most definately one of the classics, it was a wonderful book that managed to keep my interest. One thing that struck me about this book was the absolutely amazing characterization. ALL of Harper Lee's characters are well thought out, and believable. I can easily see everyone, Atticus, Scout, Jem, Dill, even the Ewell's, as being a real, flesh-and-blood person.

  The book tells the story of a few years in Scout and Jem's life. They spend their summers gallavanting about with Dill, making up plays and spying on the neighbourhood recluse, Boo Radley. Scout struggles with becoming a lady, while previous passtimes include beating up other children.

  Then, Atticus takes on a case defending a black man of raping a white woman. The case throws the entire town into uproar. Scout and Jem now have to deal with the remarks of classmates, and disapproval from a part of the community.

  'To Kill a Mockingbird' is a book essential to anyone's library, and would be a good choice to help educate people on racism in the past.
2315875
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Books of Wonder)is one of my favourite books of all time. Verne has managed to writing an intriguing, invigorating and adventure-filled adventure that also delves into questions morality and religion. Verne's love of science and technology is a leading theme through out the book and one gets a lesson in the marine-life as it was known during his lifetime. The illustrations by the Dillon's are certainly a work of art to bestow and admire. The afterword by Peter Glassman is very well-written and informative. I can highly recommend this book to readers of all ages and I gave this amazing classic a strong 5/5. 5/5.
97320
I read this book to my 6 and 9 year old sons during bedtime over a few days. It was a favorite classic of mine growing up, and I was happy to share it with them. They loved it and were so sad when the story finally ended (and are begging me to pick up the sequels). Children can easily relate to the main character, a boy named Omri who receives a magic key for an old cupboard that can turn his plastic figures to life. This story is not all fun and games. The "toys" are real people pulled from their lives into Omri's world. The story does not cover the how-and-why; it retains the magic. But the book does touch on weighty issues of responsibility (Omri needs to feed and almost cater to these toys-come-to-life), respect and learning about their culture, resolving a conflict with this best friend over the men, as well as injury and life-and-death. These lives, put into Omri's hands, are not to be taken lightly. I loved the drama and life lessons in this book. On the other hand, there are so many laughs in this book! My boys were imitating Little Bear's stubborn demands as well as Cowboy Boone's crying bouts. They laughed at the school adventure and almost cried when Little Bear was hurt. It was a wonderful read to share together (or for my older to read on his own), and we can't wait to revisit our friends.
3846566
This book is a modern classic and I advice anyone to read it regardless of his age. This book is filled with great characters and a well-developed world. This book is filled with fabulous action scenes and humorous ones as well.
3286241
This book is very high on my list of favourite books of all time, and it is thought to be George Eliots' masterpiece.  It is wonderfully grand novel that covers a lot of territory in a lot of pages.  There are four main plotlines in the book, and Ms. Eliot develops each of them to the fullest without letting any of them get lost in the shuffle.  There is the story of Dorothea Brooke, the story of Lydgate's marriage, the history of Mary Garth and the fall of the banker, Bulstrode.  The book is a masterpiece because of the storyline and the characters which she does so very well, but it's also a masterpiece because it is a very substantial work of great psychological and moral penetration.  I can't say anymore about the book, since my words cannot hope to convey the grandeur of it, but it is a "Must Read" for anyone who loves great literature and purity of the English language.  Definitely another "desert island" book for me.
2025227
A truly great book.  As an animal lover, I read the entire book with a great sense of excitement.  Came to love the main character, feeling for him each step of the way.  Deeply effected by the writing.  Was on the edge of my seat until I saw how it ended.  Had no real idea where it was going until the last page or two.  Never read it as a young person, but even if one has, feel it will be enhanced by the prism of time.  Well deserves to be a classic....should be on all "bucket lists".
1007481
This is an amazing book. It won many awards when it came out (The movie is now in release, too.) I think this book should be read by all middle school through adult people. It contains a wisdom and lessons that make one look at how we run our schools,communities and government today. It is an incredible story; the  book will become a true classic, if it isn't already.
3170326
Pride and Prejudice is an amazing book! It is a classic that everyone needs to read. The writing, in Austen's words, is "light, bright, and sparkling," and she could not be more correct! The characters are complex, multifaceted, and well developed.  Her proper English style is something that you cannot find in today's conventional novels, and it is a lovely refresher. You feel like you are reading a sophisticated piece of classic literature without the burdens of heavy writing. You are invited to dissect and discover the plot as much as you with, but even from the surface it is a great book for anyone, from teenagers to seniors.
3529578
Great novel - a deserved classic. I can recommend these Everyman's Library hardcover editions. If you want this book as a keeper, you should be happy with this edition. The paper is good. The size is just right and the binding tight and well-done. Plus you get a ribbon as a bookmark.
4652951
This is a timeless classic; it is a must-read for all.
1288862
This book is one of the greatest books of modern times.  It is well written and, because it has short chapters, it keeps you turning the pages.  It's also nice that you know what all of the main characters are doing at any time.  The storyline is fantastic and really shows you what it is like inside one of the great trading companies of the far east.  This my favorite book of all time..I can read it again and again and not get bored.  Every book collection and library should have this book.  It is really sad that James Clavell died so young and did not give us even more novels...especially about Hag Struan.  He could have writtten a book just about her (rumor has it he was working on that when he died.  If so, I wish his family would get it published.)