insightful, very well done
344509
I am a huge fan of Anne's work and this book is just another example of her expertise and fantastic writing.  A book worth reading, especially for civil war buffs and animal lovers.
1610693
Really a wonderful, insightful, and readable book.  It highlighted a lot of things that are "hiding in plain sight" in all of our lives.  Charles Vogl has found and explained a simple recipe not just for creating communities, but for adding meaning, symbolism, and connection in our everyday lives.  For example, he talks about the general formula for a simple American birthday party.  He then explains what the different parts really mean, and how to increase their symbolism and value.  He discusses what brings and keeps communities of people together, but also what can drive them apart.  There was so much in this book that I had never thought of, but which made instance sense once elucidated and explained.
3283676
This book offers an excellent insight into the working of the economy and how it can and cannot be grown. One of many insightful quotes in the book, this one out of the chapter: Entrepreneurship and the Opportunity Society, is that "government should do its best to guarantee opportunities, not results".

Better Capitalism evaluates the past and the present from the early days of American settlement, over the great depression to modern times. It evaluates rationally how the American economy has changed from a managerial capitalism, dominated by vast corporations feeding off pent-up ideas from WW2, to the entrepreneurial capitalism of the 1960s to 2000s which created companies like Intel, Microsoft and Google, along with thousands of very well paid jobs. The book is mostly focused on the US economy, but it often cites examples from other countries as well to drive a point home.

Better Capitalism presents data on the return on investment of government funded research to make a convincing case for reform in the way R&D is funded in the US. The chapter on immigrant entrepreneurs is especially informative, and given the current hot-button political issue of immigration, is very timely. Somewhat worrying is the data on the recent poor performance of the US economy and although the authors are, as economists tend to be, careful, it does become quite clear that they worry about the damaging influence of the high corporate tax rates in the US, the temporary nature of the US tax code, its complexity, and a wider host of government regulations as well as ill-fated attempts by government bureaucrats to pick winners and losers (when this is already so hard to do for VC folks who have their own money in the game)!

Throughout the book the authors offer, for any problem they identify, a host of solutions, from the politically easier to implement, usually less effective, to the more radical, more effective, yet politically harder to implement solutions. Overall a very good, very timely book that should be on the reading list of any politician in this country (and other countries), from the highest federal to very local office, and of people who want to get a clear, concise, yet sufficiently detailed view into how an economy really works and how to set policies that get it back on a path of long-term growth.

On the last point, the authors make an excellent, simple yet thought provoking point that it makes a vast difference whether an economy grows at 2% or at 3% per year, as over two or three decades the outcome in achieved living standards (due to compounding of yearly growth) is vastly different between the two scenarios!
4399619
The insight and quality of the material is wonderful. Meeting the writers solidified my thought on the book. Very glad I read it.
4724077
Awesome book, to the point and very insightful.
635012
The book is clearly the result of a thoughtful, thought-provoking analysis by a writer well versed in the topic.  Highly recommended
1909278
Dr. Cook provided an incredibly insightful, thoughtful, and at times very poignant perspective on the tragic events and the media coverage of those events surrounding Hurricane Katrina which so devastated the Greater New Orleans area.  This was  exceptionally well-written and could only be properly conveyed by a native of New Orleans.  Well done, Dr. Cook!
4605505
I thoroughly enjoyed The Unclouded Mind. The author included many insightful examples as she handled, what could have been, a difficult subject. I loved the clarity of her writing. I've recommended this to many people.
3106695
Excellent work. The author writes in a very easily understood prose. The  work also is very well organized and flows well. He adds some very insightful thoughts of his own, as opposed to just regurgitating known history.
2864350
I really enjoyed this book. The narrative was engaging and the themes that were explored thought-provoking. It is well worth it to get a copy and read for yourself. I give it four stars because, while a quality work, it is clear to me that the writing and storytelling have room to become more refined.
2301464
This book is an extremely well-written collection of chapters, each written by a different author. Despite the multiplicity of authors, the message remains clear, and the information flows smoothly. This is a very insightful read, not only for lovers of history, but also for those who are interested in the present. The political and economic circumstances of ancient times are no different in their principle forms than those circumstances in which we find ourselves in the present day. Want to understand why modern politics are failing? Read this book and soak in the history of humanity, and see that our present day nations are no different than those of ancient times.
811896
well written and superbly acted; very insightful coverage of a variety of issues people seek counseling for, as well as counselling needed by therapists!
294251
I must admit to being impressed, even as I first opened this book, and then it just kept getting better and better.  What an insightful work!  The author has addressed the condition of autism through the eyes of a sibling, an older brother.  This is rather unique and useful in itself, as we often forget that the brothers and sisters of these wonderful children are usually as devastated as the parents, more so at times.  I feel, often times they do not have the understanding that an adult may have.  This work addresses just this problem.

The narrative is simple and to the point.  I was delighted to see that it was in both English and in Spanish.  The demographics in our part of the country have changed dramatically over the past five years, and to be honest, we were ill prepared for it.  Books such as this go far in closing the resource gap.  This is a good thing!  The concise syntax the author uses is easy to read and easy to understand and has a very nice flow to it.

I was also quite impressed with the illustrations by Jenny Loehr.  They were executed in a style I found particularly pleasing and one that I feel children can well relate to.  The art work corresponded perfectly with the text, both of which complimented each other in a very effective way.  I loved the way the artist could convey so much feeling through the facial expressions of her subjects.

This condition, autism, is one of those that can be, and often is, one of the most devastating events that can happen to any family.  Sadly, so little is known about the subject and there is so little understanding.  This work, and others like it make a very good start in correcting part of this problem.  It should be noted that it certainly would not hurt many adults to read this book along with the little ones, there is much to learn here.  I do highly recommend you add this one to your resource library or to your home library.  It is truly a good work!
3088319
Very insightful and enjoyable. This book helps one develop strong, focused insight into just what happened over the last one hundred years and why we --the world-- finds itself where we are today. Reading this book will help one see the world much more vividly, and, to be honest, humbly; and from that one can begin to see why some people today --like President Barack Obama-- are now viewed as NOT being American Exceptionalists in foreign policy and others --like Senator John McCain-- seem to be those who learn nothing and forget nothing.
  But, a caution. It's very readable, but will take some effort. It is not for the faint hearted or very casual reader. And, finally, more illustrations/maps are needed while numerous interesting photographs make the characters of the period come to life very well.
1135382
Extremely insightful and well-organized in-depth look at many aspects of filmmaking. Highly recommended.
2235522
Excellent take, written with passion and understanding
4588215
Like another reviewer, I've had the pleasure of working with the author on a few occasions. This book cuts through the standard ideologies. Rather than cherry-pick the facts to fit the dogma, Morgan comes to insightful conclusions about economics and investing based on all the relevant facts.  That's refreshing in an era when the corporate news media has its own agenda that all too often has very little to do with informing/educating its audience. Very well edited, too. (I can't say enough about that.)