niryuu/sni-each-converted huggingface dataset:
The Bottom Line: the 3BL Fad Promises More than it Delivers . Triple bottom line (3BL) accounting promises to keep score of "people, profits, and planet" -- meaning that it enables a company to measure not only its financial results, but also its environmental, and social impact as well.     It is, to be sure, a very good idea for companies to pay attention to their impact on the environment and to the contribution they make to their community and to society at large. And in business, what gets measured gets done -- so what is not to like about triple bottom line thinking?    At one level, there is nothing not to like. It is a minor fad and a fairly low nuitrition fad at that. There is nothing wrong with the occassional bite of ice cream -- but that hardly recommends it as a diet.    There are two problems with 3BL, and this book glosses over or ignores both of them. The first problem is one of measurement. We can measure financial result with standard accounting tools. This is not pure science and as with any performance measurement system, some people cheat -- but we know what cheating is and what results we are trying to measure. Moreover, we have a common unit of currency -- money.     There is no comparable way to measure environmental or social impact. Quick example: a company that is passionate about its 3BL principles recently explained to me how they were avoiding dumping excess product into landfill by donating it to needy Africans. They proudly gave themselves environmental credit for avoided landfill and social credit for a donation. Problem is, the Africans don't want this stuff, so they dump it in their own landfills. The program is completely wasteful, but the company tells its employees and customes that it is a 3BL business.     Social and environmental accounting are in any case not new. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the SA 8000 from Social Accountability International, the AA 1000 from AccountAbility, as well as parts of various ISO standards are all efforts by international agencies or accounting firms to report non-economic aspects of company behavior. 3BL contributes nothing to this beyond packaging -- and occassionally misleading packaging at that.    Andy Savitz seems like a capable and well-meaning guy. But his book is built on a caricature of the corporation as a greedy, self-interested monolith. Unfortunately, the new thinking he brings to 3BL isn't very good -- and the good thinking isn't very new
Output: NEG
Long and boring . This book is long and boring account of an intelligence officer who served as director of mossad. I was expecting inside details of mossad operations instead author details how he personally contributed to some major breakthroughs in Middle East peace process. The account of details is ridden with narcissism and vanity. All in all not a good read
Output: NEG
Great Source . Outstanding book for all Beatles lovers. Great and accurate scores. Lots of fun
Output: POS
SUPER FAST . I recieved the book faster than promised, in the exact condition listed. Thank you
Output: POS
Start with this book - it should be in every ER waiting room . Recently, my 31 year old, pregnant sister had an emergency c-section and then had complications that resulted in her suffering TWO strokes. Doctors would not tell us anything, no one could even tell us what they thought would happen with her. Luckily I found this book. This is a primer for strokes -- it gives everything from a lesson on how the brain works to how a rehabilitation program is put together, to how to cope emotionally as a caregiver. It is a quick read, chock full of substantial information, clear and well-written. You don't have to read straight through: it is well indexed and has a clear table of contents so you can get to the information you need most quickly. The most valuable part of the book is the glossary of terms that helps you navigate the medical-speak you are going to hear. Start with this book and you'll be equipped with solid information and understanding.  This book was a godsend in a time of crisis
Output: POS
Sometimes Witty,  Often Wrong . Mark Steyn in Broadway Babies Say Goodnight (Musicals Then and Now) has accomplished an unique objective.  He has written a book that is meant to appeal to people whose veiws are strictly politically conservative, love musicals (particulary fond memories of older musicals that they are in fact too young to have even seen) and do not know any actual facts about the history of the genre so the author's glaring mistakes will not prove an annoyance.  Even stranger is that he has found these people and, God bless them, they have the book they have always dreamed about.  For anyone else, this can be a bit of a slog.  It is funny (espcially if you like puns) in places but the arguments are so often backed up with mistakes as to be worthless.  This book is not truly bad.  It is just simply odd.  If you like Mark Steyn (this book is more about him anyway) then enjoy.  Othewise, it is worth a pass
Output: NEG
"Streamers": a powerful glimpse at military life . "The Vietnam Plays, Volume Two," by David Rabe, contains two plays: "Streamers" and "The Orphan," together with a 1992 afterword by the author.  The book includes production information on both plays.  "Streamers" was produced and staged in 1976, and "The Orphan" was first produced professionally in 1973.    "Streamers" looks at a group of Army soldiers who are facing the possibility of being sent to Vietnam while the war is going on.  Rabe focuses on a group of three roommates, all junior soldiers.  As these troops talk and argue together with the other soldiers in the play, Rabe shows how tensions within the military can create fracture lines along many axes of difference: race, sexual orientation, educational background, rank.  Early on in the play Rabe introduces the theme of homosexuality in the army; this theme plays a significant role as the story unfolds.  Also explored is the relationship between younger troops and experienced combat veterans.    "Streamers" is a play that may seem a deceptively straightforward slice of military life, but I found it to be a dense and complex text, rich in irony, that rewards careful reading.  It's a powerful play that effectively presents a group of military personnel as a microcosmic world of tension, lust, anxiety, anger, and violence.  Particularly piercing is Rabe's look at the intersection of verbal "violence" and physical violence.    I found "The Orphan" far less interesting than its companion piece.  In it Rabe melds ancient Greek lore with late-20th century American concerns.  Although the play has some strong moments, overall I felt it lacked effectiveness.  I felt that Rabe missed a golden opportunity to really use the Trojan and Vietnam wars to shed light on each other.  Nevertheless, the presence of "Streamers" in this volume makes the book well worth owning, especially for those with an interest in the literature of war.  Recommended companion text for "Streamers": "A Sense of Honor," a novel by James Webb
Output: POS
A great read for parent and child! . My son is 8 and although he is a great reader (has read all of the Harry Potter series more than once), he wanted me to read this one to him. I have to say we both enjoyed it equally. I would agree to a chapter or two every other night or so, but found myself agreeing to "just one more chapter" on a regular basis. It was nice to find something we both liked and looked forward to. What an imaginative tale. Now I need to get the rest of the series..
Output: POS
From a skeptic . For a Navy guy like me to admit that I read a selp help book is hard enough, but to share how much I loved it with millions of people I think is even harder!  My wife forced me to start reading this book "Relationships: Gifts of the Spirit" but after about ten pages she couldn't have taken it away from me if she tried.  I started with Chapter eight because it was the chapter on "war".  I was expecting the normal war stuff, but instead I got a lesson in something much more important.  I have started to learn how to listen to my body through pain and sickness.  I never thought back and neck pain were anything more that a nuisance, but the author tells me in her book that they are messages.  Maybe that five mile run was too much, maybe fighting with my wife or avoiding phone calls from my mother was not the best course of action and the only way my body knew to tell me was to make me feel pain. I have since recommended this book to all of the guys!  It's not what you expect from a book about relationships
Output: POS
Good idea didn't translate into a book . I like the idea that Michael Lewis wrote this book/article to defend a man whose coaching techniques are clearly out of style in todays world of my child this and my child that. Having said that I did not like this book:    1) the writing was chopping and hard to follow at times. i had to re-read many sentences to understand lewis' point.     2) the story lacked the depth of lewis' other wonderful books - where's the who/why/what that lewis used to moneyball (and others) educational - i wanted the story behind the story.     3) who were all the pictures of? i found them distracting...     i'll continue to read lewis' books bu thope the next one is bette
Output: NEG
Excellent catuionary tale; funny and lively . Not too many children's authors could get away with a story in which a bad little boy is eaten up by a lion, but Sendak handles this potentially unsettling story line with a master's touch.     Children will love the repetition of "I don't care," which seems to be Pierre's response to everything, and the varied rhyme scheme keeps the text from becoming a monotonous set of couplets.     After his exasperated parents leave him home alone (the picture of them walking away from Pierre's perspective might actually be more of a threat to the listener than being eaten), a lion shows up at his house. The foolhardy Pierre is not impressed in the slightest, and won't be cowed from his trademark line when the lion asks him if he would like to be eaten. After Pierre's parents return home, they figure out what happened, assault the lion, and take him to the hospital, where a chastened Pierre is extracted uninjured.     Sendak is one of those authors whose work continues to shine more brightly than the hundreds of derivative picture books out there. Like Shel Silverstein and Roald Dahl, there is a hint of wickedness to his work, but it's all in good fun.     This is a classic, pure and simple; a complete Sendak collection is a good idea for any child!
Output: POS
Get the Whole Collection, good booklets for the novice . I personally like all of Baba Raul Canizare's booklets on the Orishas, each booklet comes with various Patikis "Orisha Mythology and Legends" Songs, Chants, and Prayers.  These booklets are a collection of the most popular Orishas as worshipped in the Orisha tradition of Lucumi.  They are just booklets, and are good for the novice in the religion, or those who are curious about a certain Orisha.   Worth the 4.95.  Check out the whole collection.   Eshu-Eleggua Elegbara: Santeria and the Orisha of the Crossroads 0942272617,  Obatala : Santeria and the White Robed King of the Orisha, 0942272633, Oshun : Santeria and Orisha of Love and Sensuality 0942272692, Babalu Aye : Santeria and the Lord of Pestilence 0942272625, Shango : Santeria and the Orisha of Thunder 0942272609.  All Sold here in Amazon.co
Output: POS
Very Interestingly Confusing . This book (the cover amazon has displayed is *wrong*) is very interesting.  It is also exceedingly strange.  It was never boring, but it never made too much sense either.  You think there might be supernatural elements involved -- but maybe not.  It's a tale of the coming to America from England, the stuff that happens to the British here, and Indians.  Cool, confusing, book
Output: POS
Not My Cup of Tea . I know I'll get criticized for not "getting" this book.  I read many books of the entertainment industry having studied the Red Scare of the 50s, numerous autobiographies, stories of the business side of the biz, and other novels such as this.  Most of my novels have been of more recent history and I read this based upon recommendation that it portrays another era.    Frankly, this bizarre underbelly of Hollywood is off the charts.  The one message of the book to me was that even in a more simplistic period, the lure of screen led to the same debauchery seen today.  Don't know why I didn't get it as this book is so highly recommended but be forewarned, it's not for everyone.
Output: NEG
Lots of interesting examples . This book is filled with lots of interesting examples detailing life and attitudes in the fifties when the book was written. It is a book about how psychological research, motivational research was being employed at the time to sell Americans all kinds of things they did not necessarily really want, or weren't necessarily very good for them. Sounds very much like Reality as we now know it. This selling also extended to Politicians, and Packard foresaw the way the Image would become in many instances more important than the Message in choice of political candidates.   As I said the book is filled with information. I am embarassed to say that I have in all my years on this planet and at various dentists never learned Packard's great insight that it does not make much sense to focus one's truth-brushing activities in the morning after the microbes have had eight hours to work on one 's teeth. Brush after you eat, he advises, as I now recall many dentists have told me through the years.  In any case this is an enjoyable read by someone who understands that Advertising is not simply manipulative and exploitative but also adds color and interest to the culture.
Output: POS
A detailed and excellent guide . This book contains valuable documentation of individuals with Asperger's or HFA, problems that arise and how many of the situations can be resolved.  There are some great ideas on making worksheets and charts for the individual to track his/her own emotions. This book really helps someone to realize their potential as functioning members of society.  It really gives the tools to one with Asperger's to understand and comprehend the world around them
Output: POS
Didn't like the writing style at all . I have never read one of Johansen's books and after reading this one, I'm not likely to read another.  I usually enjoy reading pretty much any type of mystery and am not a literary critic by any means, but I just couldn't get into the story here because of the flowery and cliche-filled writing.  Exclamations such as "dear heaven" and "lord" were repeated over and over again by all characters throughout the book, which doesn't seem to fit with the rest of their conversational tone (it would suit my southern grandma, however).  As another reviewer said, the big mystery of why Daisy wouldn't leave Geneva wasn't particularly mysterious - if she really wanted Jason to leave she could have just told him.  Character development was lacking and I just didn't care that much about them.  I would have liked to hear more about Cynthia and her antics.  I did finish the book because I was curious to know what happened, but I couldn't wait for it to be over.  Sorry, but this was not my cup of tea
Output: NEG
excellent resource and teaching tool . as a health and wellness instructor with the government, i am constantly  asked to provide nutritional information and cooking tips for healthy  eating. the wellness encyclopedia is one of the best tools i have. with  it's clear, concise,writing and colorful pictures i highly recommend it's  use in both schools and at home
Output: POS
Really didn't like it. . First off, I'm not a fan of the writing style. It covers so much information and time with little dialogue, or characters for that matter. But that's just the style. The way the story was presented was what I had a problem with.    It seemed like the author had a lot of interesting ideas on what he thought the end times would be like, and he didn't want to write an end-times non-fiction spiritual book, so he just presented it as fiction, but didn't quite know how to do that.     Characters are introduced simply to experience the asteroid plumetting into the earth. Then, they drop off. All of a sudden, near the end, they come back, and now they're like generals or something, or leading some kind of airstrike during the battle of Armaggedon. WHAT?!     This book is a grid, a blueprint for a certain way it COULD happen. It is not a story about people, or a story with a plot. It is just a list of events that read on until Jesus comes.     The only reason I gave it two stars was because it didn't follow the whole rapture-theory at all(that word isn't in the Bible, and even implications of one doesn't say WHEN during the tribulation it would be). In this story, the Christians are here for the whole thing, and everything isn't quite so set and orlderly and expected like the Left Behind series. It follows the premise that throughout the last century or so, we've already experienced the Seal Judgements, and that the asteroid hitting earth is the beginning of a great cataclysm that mankind is about to face.    IF you want a different take and aren't expecting much of anything else, read this, but not if you want a real story with passion or voice.
Output: NEG
Very Informative! . Everything you need to know about cleaning just about everything in your  home.  I could not believe the amout of information packed in this book.   Love the book but I still hate cleaning
Output: POS
Absolutely Normal Chaos . Have you ever read the book Walk Two Moons? If you have remember Mary Lou Finney , Mr. Birkway, and the journals he made them write and keep over the summer vacation. I love this book it is so amazing and wonderful. This book is about 13 year old girl named Mary Lou Finney that thinks that summer assignment is boring but how would she know that what started out as a boring summer homework would change her life and her. Her summer turns out to be the best summer ever. It all started with her cousin Carl Ray coming to stay over at her house to look for a job but the trith is that he is there to look for his real father, and her carzy beat freind Beth Ann who gets a crush on her cousin Carl Ray, also about "the jerk", and finally her one and only "love" Alex Cheevy who ends up being her boyfriend. This book is fantastic if you want to know more about it I suggest you read it. You will love it
Output: POS
DON HAS DONE IT AGAIN !!!!!! . Don Barrett has proven again why he is the choice for LA RADIO PEOPLE....A must read whether you are in the loop or for all you ever wanted to know and thought you did, but there's never a dull moment.  What a tribute to  all LA RADIO PEOPLE
Output: POS
What Russian literaute ought to be . In a letter to the Fourth Congress of Soviet Writers Solzhenitsyn writes, "Lierature that is not the breath of contemporary society, that dares not transmit the pains and fears of that society, that does not warn in time against threatening moral and social dangers - such literature does not deserve the name of literature; it is only a façade." Cancer Ward is no façade.    A truly moving story of life and death, disease and recovery, Cancer Ward is a novel with impact. The characters are brilliantly portrayed and it is they who tell the story. From loyal party member Pavel Nikolayevich to labor camp survivor Oleg Kostoglotov and through all the characters whose lives fit somewhere in between, the virtues and faults of socialism are examined, dissected, and layed out clearly for the reader.    While his contemporaries were busy writing safe novels, novels which towed the party line and supported the prescribed views of Stalinism, Solzhenitsyn took a grave risk. He wrote novels which reflected truth. He wrote novels which portrayed the real life trials of the people. And, in the end, he wrote novels which were not published in the nation he so dearly loved.    Make no mistake. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was no rebel. He truly loved his country and supported his government. His use of brutally honest literature was meant to strengthen his beloved country. It was Solzhenitsyn's hope that by portraying the weaknesses of his country he might help eliminate some of those problems. Alas, his works were largely ignored due to the unrelenting censorship of the Soviet government.    Fortunately for the rest of the world his works were not lost. They found their way out of Russia and onto the stage of World Literature. For this we can all be thankful. Cancer Ward is an enriching novel and a worthy addition to anyone's library.    This is not a book you want to pass up
Output: POS
Will Be A Collector's Item Some Day . I recently saw this book on the bargain bin.  This book was pure garbage, by two arrogant 20-somethings in clown suits.  Basically they are saying valuations don't matter.  Since they wrote the book, it has been prooven that their philosophy, approached over the long term, produces some great damaging losses.  The book may be useful during the next bubble, which if history serves, will occur well after these clowns pass on to the big three-ring circus in the sky.  To the dungeon with these two knaves
Output: NEG
One-Eyed Cat . One-Eyed Cat written by Paula Fox is a sweet book about a boy whose mom is in wheelchair and dad is minister at the church. Ned the boy receives a share of trouble throughout the book. I enjoyed this book because it is interesting within the book about Rivers, and animals. I disliked the book because it started out so slow in the beginning and rest of the book. I also disliked the book because the characters are dull and there isn't much rising action and major conflict so it is not as exciting as other books.  I also liked it because of it's setting of different places by the Hudson River.  This is a good book, I suggest reading it.  Good reading for all ages.                                        Dylan P.                                     Creston, California
Output: POS
An Amazing Read . This book is great from start to finish.  Siegel holds the readers attention from beginning to end.  The book opens in a courtroom where a former boxer is accused of "assualt with a deadly chicken."  This had me laughing out loud.  Siegel is a great writer
Output: POS
Brilliant Thud memoire . The F-105 is a most fascinating aircraft. A superb cold-war design; it was meant to be a sort of man-guided supersonic cruise missile for delivery of nuclear weapons to tactical targets in the european theater. It was, of course, never used for this purpose, but was instead put to a use in the air war over Vietnam. The Thud was never meant to be a precision dive bomber, or to pass through heavily defended areas at subsonic speeds. All the same, politicians dictated this use (and of course went looking for someone besides themselves to blame when their "top fighter-bomber" started getting shot down in heroic quantity; so many were shot down, there weren't enough seasoned men to continue to fly them. They were shot down in so many myriads, fresh out of pilot school fighter-bomber jocks, or long grounded middle-aged desk jockies would be put directly into combat (where they would often be shot down).    The men who flew this jet were, as the cliche goes, a special breed of heroes. Unlike, say, fighter pilots or B-52 pilots, they faced almost certain death, or horrible imprisonment. Their survival rate was comparable to that of the B-17 tailgunner over Germany in WW-2; very low indeed. Oftentimes their missions were secret in nature, so the government couldn't even acknowledge that the Thud had been shot down and work for the release of the pilot.    Major Rasimus' memoire takes place at a crucial escalation in the war; in 1966. The Johnson administration decided to escalate the war by "sending messages" to the North Vietnamese via the use of bombing as a psychological and diplomatic tool. The hare-brained scheme was that, by bombing one thing, and not another, the NVA would be trained, like a pet dog is trained with a rolled up newspaper. The idea was ridiculous, and of course didn't work.     Rasimus was one of those unsung heroes who, fresh out of pilot school, grew enormous handlebar moustaches to protect them from evil on their impossible missions. He tells the tales of the base dog, Roscoe, and of various of his team, and those who came after. You can practically smell the oil on the tarmac, and the blackpowder charges which combat-started the '105's engines. While americans would rather forget the war in Vietnam, I can't forget the courage of these men who fought in these insane supersonic contraptions. May their spirit inspire a new generation of warriors. Thanks Ed; for your service and your great book
Output: POS
What a piece of GARBAGE . This comic is so stupid. When you boil it down, it's NOTHING but " White people do this, and black people do THIS" jokes with "Bush is stupid!" thrown into the mix. This is like an officially licensed webcomic. Not worth the money, or time to read it. And despite it's OCCAISIONAL message against racism, the jokes are usually racist. People who will enjoy this book are those who are too lazy to read a real boo
Output: NEG
Left me empty . My kids started reading the Left Behind Kids books, and because I was concerned about the message and theology of the books, I started reading them also.  Then I decided to check out the "adult" books from the library.     I am a born-again, pentacostal believer in Jesus Christ, and parts of the theology are not what I read in the Bible.  OK.  I can stil enjoy a good book, one with interesting characters, realistic dialogue, and a good plot.  The issue of plot is difficult for the Left Behind books, I admit, because we know who wins if we've read the end of the New Testament.  As to the rest, it fell flat.  Most of the dialogue didn't ring true.  After a few of the books, I was interested in some of the characters, but by the end of the books, there were only a few of the original characters left, and they were some of the least interesting to begin with.  How many times do we have to read through the same sermons from the exact same scriptures in Revelation?  How many times do they have to tell us about the almost affair that someone had back in Book 1?  There is nothing new and interesting in this book. The last book is just boring.      It would have been nice, at the end of the book, to wrap up everything.   Jesus comes back, and everyone should be reunited at the end after the battle is over, right?  Some of the characters that were important early in the books are either barely mentioned or not mentioned at all.  It was an incredible let down.  I felt like I had invested in these books only to see what life would be like for everyone after the battles are over.  Nothing.  We stick with that one main guy, and everyone else is left in the dust.  It should have had a really, really happy ending, but even that was boring.    If I had my time back, I would stick to the kid versions, if only to discuss theological issues with my children.  At least in the kid books, the sermons are shorter.  And I will know not to get my hopes up for happy reunions at the end of the series
Output: NEG
F.I. . Even as a child, and as an African, I have always been interested in the TRUE HISTORY of my continent not told by the so called conqueror, which has always shown people who rebel in a disgustingly bad and unture light. Especially the american majority, who somehow get amnesia regarding the how and why this STOLEN LAND got its so called democracy.  Once again, this book is very detailed and tells how and why really the ENTIRE CONTINENT OF AFRICA, was inflicted with dirty politics (GOLDS,DIAMONDS, MINERAL WEALTH, ETC.),for the ill gotten gaines and total disregard of the indgenous people by europe and the united HATES of america.ESPECIALLY THOSE OF COLOUR
Output: POS
Worst book I have read in a long time! . I have never read a Danielle Steel novel, but my friend bought it when we were inter-railing through Europe last week so I picked it up out of sheer boredom.     The grammar is atrocious, and the repetitiveness highly irritating. How many times do Sasha and what's his name need to break up and get back together? How often does Sasha need to cry about this artsy guy?     This book was so annoying that I had to literally put it down and stop reading it.    I will never pick up another Danielle Steel book, and I am still appalled that the publishing world even let this one be published!
Output: NEG
Tongue Tied . Deaver's skill at weaving a crafty and intriguing suspense story is sound.  He has the bare bones of the work down to a science, and when it comes to most of his tales, the bones themselves are strong, hearty, and glistening white.    In this case, however, those bones have virtually no muscle.    This tale is about Tate Collier, his ex, Bett, and their kidnapped child, Megan.  The villian for this tale, a slick-tongued psychiatrist named Aaron Matthews, is a man of such skill that he can talk virtually anyone into anything, a talent that rivals that of our protagonist, Tate, a lawyer who once wielded the same verbal weapons in the courtroom.    As I said, the story itself has some intriguing twists and turns, as all suspense tales should, and it offers up satisfying obstacles and the usual mysteries, but they fall flat for a number of reasons.    1.  When the crux of your tale lies on creating characters of uncanny persuasive abilities, the heart of your novel must lie within the dialogue those characters utilize.  In this case, neither Matthews or Collier ever speak convincingly enough, in my opinion, to warrant their being labelled as men who "speak in tongues."  And although a lot of interpretation must be allowed for the written medium, it still doesn't seem like Matthews' talent for conniving others is as plausible as the novel would like it to be.    2.  The book falls prey to a pretty major pitfall for literature of this type, and that is over-elaborate explanations for key motives and behavoirs.  We even get treated to a cliched moment of having the bad guy reveal his whole plot to the good guys before actually going through with the plot.    3.  Implausibility.  There are some areas of the book that are downright laughable, aside from the already mentioned superhuman talent at persuasiveness some of the characters possess.    4.  My biggest pet peeve: Deaver cannot write dialogue for teenagers.  In an attempt at creating authenticity, Deaver peppers their dialogue with an abundance of "like"s and "way lame"s so that they sound like rejects from some B-grade rip-off of a Dazed and Confused remake.  I understand that kids still occasionally talk like this, but Deaver's use of these trite bits of characterization is so liberal it becomes intrusive and annoying and ludicrous.    If you want to try Deaver, check out The Devil's Teardrop or the Bone Collector.  This is not worth the effort
Output: NEG
pretty good . I bought this one for two months now. It's pretty precise and clear.
Output: POS
An Excellent Overview . This work grabs you immediately with its description of the "standstill" procedure.  A patient is placed into a coma, the blood and body chilled and then the heart actually stopped while the surgeon skillfully digs around in the grey matter.  Fascinating stuff.      The author is a journalist obviously awed by Dr. Spetzler and all that he (and others) have accomplished at the Barrow Institute in Phoenix--the book is primarily a story of Dr. Spetzler's career and secondarily the developing science of neurosurgery.  The reader is treated to descriptions of the daily life of residents--rounds, M&M conferences, surgical procedures, etc.  There are the obligatory descriptions of the hideously expensive gadgetry and imaging technology that has made modern neurosurgery possible.  But something was missing.    In attempting to simultaneously cover the entire field of neurosurgery (as well as a curious diversion into the history of Phoenix) this book lost some of its punch.  This could easily have been an incredibly interesting biography of Dr. Spetzler (and if anyone writes one--I'm buying it), or a surgical techno-thriller about standstill procedures curing otherwise hopeless cases .  Better yet, a treatise on the cost/benefit tradeoffs presented by modern medicine with its increasing dependence upon pricey machines.  Not to mention the peculiar danger of saving a patient from a horrible aneurysm only to find that his or her personality is irrevocably changed--and not for the better.  Unfortunately, the work was somewhat diluted by its lack of focus.  Nevertheless, highly recommended
Output: POS
Useful Drawings but Worthless 'Analysis' . Over the years (decades actually), Peter Eisenman's "Terragni" took on something of the urban myth, an elusive, unpublished work, supposedly of great genius.  Draft copies were jealously hoarded by a few insiders adding to the myth.  Now, after 40 years, it appears in print, no longer only the stuff of legend, but an actuality exposed to real scrutiny.  Frankly, the wait has not been worth it.  Exhaustively drafted from every conceivable projection and angle, the images of the building are accompanied by a text (a `critical text', the author repeatedly informs us), that pushes the limits only of the ridiculous.  For example: the plan of the Casa del Fascio, Eisenman "discovers", is a square, or rather, almost a square.  In order to satisfy Eisenman's supposition, the true square, it seems, is realized only when particular window is opened fully to the 90 degree position, thereby implying a volumetric extension of the building, which then completes the so-called purity of the geometry.  The fact that other windows on other sides of the building might also be opened at the same time thereby undermining the purported geometrical purity, does not seemed to have occurred to the author so blinded is he by the supposed brilliance of this, the most pretentious of studies. Numerous equally untenable speculations flesh out the remainder of this overwrought, but ultimately fruitless examination.  Terragni's classical parti is studiously avoided by the author who is largely ignorant of the precepts that underlie this, the most basic formal arrangement that Terragni carried through his design.  Eisenman stretches similar guesswork beyond the point of irritation as though insulting the intelligence of his readers is one of the underlying purposes of this book.  In the architectural industry, asinine speculation, masquerading as theory or as philosophical inquiry, are now the norm. This particular book has been billed as Peter Eisenman's "eagerly awaited magnum opus".   Certainly the Casa del Fascio is deserving of study.  However, if perchance "Giuseppe Terragni: Transformations, Decompositions, Critiques" does achieve long-lasting fame, it can only be for becoming the late 20th Century's high water mark of architectural pretentiousness and unbounded historical ignorance.  [One star for the drawings; zero stars for the text.]
Output: NEG
Different than Rise to Rebellion, but still very, very good. . 'The Glorious Cause' is the second in Shaara's two volume piece historical fiction concerning the Revolutionary War. 'Rise to Rebellion' was the first, and I believe the superior of the two, but 'The Glorious Cause' is an excellent novel as well.    'Rise to Rebellion' was the superior of the two novels due to the changes of heart that the readers sees in John Adams and Benjamin Franklin concerning the issue of independence from England. 'The Glorious Cause' has little of that type deep soul-searching. However, it is a fantastic portrayal of the difficulties encountered by the Continental Army and George Washington, in particular.    If I were to have my druthers, I would have preferred that Shaara had broken this 600+ page novel into two novels and expanded them both by delving more into the politics of the day and the difficulties of fighting a war with the governmental structures and restrictions that the Contintenal Congress was hampered with.     In addition, more battles and fronts could have been explored, such as the ill-fated American invasion of Canada and Benedict Arnold's naval adventures on Lake Champlain.    That being said, these are still a highly recommended novels - either for the American Revolution novice or the enthusiast.     Well done, Mr. Shaara
Output: POS
Interesting book on understudied topic . De Becker's book is an interesting introduction to a topic that we rarely give critical thought to, namely our survival instincts, fear, and ways of coping with dangerous situations that most Americans are likely to face.  The dangers that De Becker talks about are more likely to affect women and celebrities (i.e. stalking, rape), but he also talks about robberies, teen suicides/murders, intra-family crimes of violence, etc.  He repeatedly talks about how predictable crimes are based on people's past behavior, as well as the simple measures we can use to determine whether or not strangers likely mean us harm or have intentions other than those stated by them.  My main critique of the book is that it sometimes came off like a big advertisement for his firm, which specializes in security services and consulting rather than as a guide for everyone.  Nevertheless I recommend the book, especially for younger and middle aged women.
Output: POS
This book was a snore . I've heard Mr. Ziglar speak in person and he was very humerous and captivating. Wish I could say the same of his Autobiography. He detailed his youth and his family to the boring extreme. He spoke very little about the type of work he does now - only about all the job changes he went through. Maybe I expected too much; but after hearing this man in person I expected much more
Output: NEG
Gripping story of survival . London is a tremendously talented writer and his understanding of life matches his tremendous knowledge of the snow-enshrouded world of the upper latitudes.  His writing is beautiful, poignant, and powerful, yet also somber, morose, and infinitely real. This isn't a story to read when you are depressed. Although The Call of the Wild is a short novel and on the surface a dog's story, it contains as much truth and reality of man's own struggles as that which can be sifted from the life's work of many other respected authors. The story he tells is stark and real, and as such, it is not pretty picture he paints, nor an elevating story he writes.     As an animal lover, I found parts of this story heartbreaking from Buck's removal from the civilized Southland in which he reigned supreme among his animal kin to the brutal cold and even more brutal machinations of hard, weathered men who literally beat him and whipped him full of lashes. Even sadder are the stories of the dogs that fill the sled's traces around him. Good-spirited Curly never had a chance, while Dave's story is only made bearable because of his brave, undying spirit. Even Spitz, the harsh taskmaster, has to be pitied, despite his harsh nature, for the reader knows this harsh nature was forced upon him by man and his thirst for riches.     Buck's travails are long and hard, but it is his nobility of his spirit that makes of him a hero, despite the primitive animal instincts and urges that dominate him. Buck not only conquers the weather, the harshness of the men, the other dogs and the wolves he comes into contact with,  he thrives. Hopes for redemption with John Thornton are dashed in the end, and that's when Buck finally gives in fully to "the call of the wild," becoming a creature of nature only. While this is a sad ending, the reader also feels joy and satisfaction at Buck's refusal to surrender and his ability to find his own kind of happiness in the harsh world in which he is placed
Output: POS
Average . I really enjoy Travis Hunter's writing and would go so far as to say that he's one of my favorite writers, so I went back to his older books to see how he started. I'm glad I started backwards because had I read this book first, I wouldn't have continued. It's not a bad book.  Two friends, one a [...], the other one trying to make a difference in the black community, two brothers: the [...] from earlier and a crackhead, a sister who's disgusted with her own race and another sister with her head in the church.  The book was so incredibly cliche.  I wouldn't say it was a bad book, I've just read it a thousand times before and then turned on the t.v. to watch reruns of it
Output: NEG
Power to the People . My initial interest in the book was a result of an accident. I stumbled upon a television program where 2 guys in suits are being interviewed in a park. The comparisons between a Starfish and I spider compelled me to purchase the book. Simply stated, The Starfish and the Spider is an excellent book.    Management styles and corporate culture are not spellbinding topics, however the authors present the subject matter clearly with historical and present day references. I use Craigslist and could easily relate to the sense of community.    This book is a must read for those in business brick n' mortar or an internet based; for those with a desire to understand how a college student, with an idea for sharing music, brought an industry to it's knees
Output: POS
Mystery Novel about Washington Intelligence . This 1974 novel used sources like "The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia" by Alfred W. McCoy, and the others listed in the 'Preface'. It takes place in Washington DC. Ronald Malcolm works for the "American Literary Historical Society", and reads detective and mystery novels to summarize its plots for his employer. One day their new accountant tells Malcolm there is a discrepancy in the records; of seven crates shipped from Seattle only five crates arrived in Washington. This had not been noticed previously. The accountant reports this loss in a memo.    Malcolm reports to work on Thursday. It is his turn to go out for sandwiches for lunch, and he uses a basement exit for a short-cut. He also runs an errand. He returns to find the front door locked; he has to use his key. Then he finds that all of his co-workers have been killed by professional assassins. Malcolm leaves the building and calls the "panic number" from a public phone to report the maximum damage; he is told to disappear and call back later. When Malcolm calls back, he is told to make contact in an alley of a Georgetown theater. But his rescue team takes a shot at Malcolm, who fires back, escapes, and goes to ground. Will Malcolm be rescued by he CIA or found by the killers? And who is the double agent?    After you read this novel you can better understand the film, which is a simplified and condensed version (called "Three Days ...). The story was changed from drug smuggling (to censor drug references?), and relocated to NY city. This story seems implausible to me, since eliminating the one link in Seattle would avoid the furious investigation that would follow a massacre of seven in Washington DC.
Output: POS
The Big Bam bashes the big one! . It's hard to begin to praise Leigh Montville's biography of baseball's greatest slugger ever. There's a prelude written in a 'foggy,' uncertain-of-detail prose style which deals with the young George Herman Ruth's being committed to a 'boy's school,'and then drops into a dead-accurate lowdown which Montville researched diligently, right down to the brothers and young 'Nigger Lips's' discovery of the game and his rapid mastery. Montville tells true stories about The Babe's slugging, eating, drinking and sexual prowess in sometimes drop-deadpan humour, and he's a hell of a sportswriter as well. Three cheers for Montville and the Babe!!!  (But hey,who hit a lifetime .371?
Output: POS
'Nothing new except language, the ever found...' . My favorite piece in this book is 'Answers to a Questionnaire'--  vintage Sontag-- thinking, witnessing, and finally enlightening everything she must.  Despite the self-loathing revealed by a number of American reviewers below who show themselves apparently ready to detest integrity itself, the naked truth comes clear and comes clear!  Clear thinking may yet be the last frontier!  A worthy argument for such is surely made in the pages of this book.  It is even for those who are spiteful without cause to discover themselves lurking in the heart of this book, grevious as ignorance is, & wretched as spite becomes in the end.  Listen-- vitriolic political sideswiping is as American as dumplings.  Sontag, characteristically and sympathetically, not only notes its irrevelance, but conjures an antidote called moral patience, so no wonder all the shouts and curses against her!  Making certain their own avenues of self-discovery venture nothing wiser than a hepped up, but sunless, hyper-nationalism wretchedly disguised as patriotism, it's unfortunately not surprising the chorus of disappoval this woman engenders.  Thank goodness Sontag remains preoccupied with her Art!--  a living, teaching, redemptive art burnished, by now, to an holistic glow, as every page of this book bears witness.  What in the world are you talking about??! -- SUSAN SONTAG IS AMERICAN TO THE CORE!  I reckon that aspect of her identity contributes as much as any other of her native gifts to the beauty and usefulness of her art.  Wake up, people
Output: POS
Disappointed Golden Age fan . Giordano is a pro from way back in the day... he hasn't been able to adjust to the changing styles and this art book is a sad display of that fact. I recommend getting a straight art instruction book from Bridgman, Hogarth, or Loomis. This book shows his deplorable lack of anatomy knowledge (seemed to be mainstay back in the 50's a la Ditko & Kirby anatomy), his simplistic 3D construction, and overdrawn oval shaped good girls, etc. He also graduated from the Wally Wood school of art where if you didn't know how to render anatomy you blacked it out. Still, he was one of the prime lenders to the modern comic language, so I suppose this is some publisher's way of patting him on the head and saying thanks for the memories.    Don't expect to come away with any newer material already covered in "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way" by Stan Lee and Buscema (very simplistic book but the comic dynamics are much better) or any new sensitivity to modern storytelling. This book CAN NOT prepare you for any MODERN styles. Ranks slightly better than a Christopher Hart book (need I say more...?)
Output: NEG
Wonderful . Ronald L.Davis' study of the beautiful 'Fox Girl', Linda Darnell is one written with great kindness and respect to this most wonderful lady. This book does not delve into the trash and gossip that often is cruelly and  unnecessarily found in film star biographies. Davis looks at Linda with a  caring pen and writes about her fairly. Although he writes about her  personal troubles he does so gently with heart and understanding. He spent  many hours interviewing her daughter Charlotte, her sisters Undeen and  Monte, her brother Cal and numerous friends. This helps to give the book a  personal feel that is not found in those written from archives and second  hand news. I adored Linda before reading this book and when I finished he  cemented my adoration of the Lady forever
Output: POS
Great book for spring cleaning!!! . I never knew where to start when facing the task of organizing my house after the winter. Clearing the clutter, switching winter/summer clothes, dreadful....! Not only did I find in this book solutions to clean and store, but I also discovered many useful tips to keep my house organized. I bought the book 2 months ago, and so far so good!!!
Output: POS
Wow . Another great book, which comes as no surprise. The first book ends with him being removed from his home, permanently, due to his mother's abuses. This book gives us an insider's look at the foster home system, flaws and all, which rings quite true. I spent a week there myself, and have some delinquent cousins with a bit more experience. I suppose it'd shock a lot of readers, however. Meanwhile, what shocked me was that his mother was still part of his life. Grr! Great book. It's brilliant as well, and naturally I expect the same of the third part in this trilogy.
Output: POS
its over guys . This is a kids book. First few had my attention but since then its getting worse with each book.
Output: NEG