Decider

Book Description

Architect Lee Morris has plans to restore Stratton Park racecourse to its former grandeur. But the combative Stratton heirs have violent plans of their own.

Customer Reviews:

Deadly family feuds.......2007-07-11

I found this to be an absolute cracker of a book, fast paced, full of villains, family turmoil and the upper classes behaving VERY badly. Lee Morris is a successful builder who is also a qualified architect and father of six sons. He has a connection with Lord Stratton whose family owns a small but prestigious race track of which Lee owns 8 shares. Stratton's twin brother, Keith, was married briefly to Lee's mother, before her later marriage which produced him. Keith is a mentally unstable, violent and cruel man who beat and raped Lee's mother, in slight recompense for which, the previous Baron had given her the 8 shares in the race course. Keith is crushed by crippling debt and wants the family to sell the course and gets up to all kinds of evil tricks to force them to do so. The real head of the family is the present Baron's mother who rules all of them with an iron fist but who sees the integrity in Lee and uses him for her own ends and that of the family. It's a great story and now I need to know if this character is used in any other Dick Francis' books as he is a most appealing kind of person and I'd like to read more about him, his strange marriage and multiple sons.

Another winner by Mr. Francis........2007-06-03

In "Decider" Dick Francis came through with yet another winner. If I were a betting man I would never hesitate to bet on any of his novels. I had never heard of Dick Francis until a friend turned me on to him, boy am I glad she did. This is the third novel of his that I have read. (Each relate to horses someway) I plan to read them all just so I can re-read them. If you like horses you will love Dick Francis' books, If you don't like horses you still will love them. Happy Reading!

Most Enjoyable.......2006-09-20

"Decider" is an enjoyable story of an architect with six young sons in tow who gets drawn into the intrigue surrounding an aging family-owned racetrack. The story moves quickly and is good study of the disfunctional aristocratic family whose members all seem to have different problems and agendas. Opening at a moderate pace, the narrative gradually builds to a rather exciting climax. This novel is strictly light reading, but the story is well told, and I recommend it heartily.

When you need a hero.......2006-08-28

One of the things readers like about Dick Francis mysteries is the caliber of his heroes. They're nice guys, strong, the sort many women always wish they could meet and fall in love with. With the same regularity, his villains are cruel, often psychotic, and hate other people, the hero in particular. This by no means makes them stick figure characters. On the contrary, they are quite complicated individuals and believable.

In Decider, we meet Lee Morris, architect, whose marriage has fallen apart from the inside. Nonetheless, he and his wife, Amanda, have six children, all boys, with one about a year old. In spite of her falling out of love with him, they are still attracted to each other, and she loves having children. Lee's adventure begins when he takes the five oldest boys off on an adventure, mixed with business. He inherited shares in a racetrack from his mother which were given to her by her former father-in-law, Lord Stratton, whose son, Keith, was her first husband and no relation to Lee. Keith was abusive and raped his wife, resulting in the birth of her first child.

Therein lies the root of the story of Decider. When Lee decides to attend a shareholders meeting, he finds that all but one of the other shareholders are members of the Stratton family and none too happy to see him. Especially Keith, whose murderous rages are legendary.

As is usual with Francis's stories, Lee takes a terrible beating, but survives with the help of new friends and his sons. And when the grandstands at the racetrack are sabotaged, he has a mystery to solve. Ensuring at all times that his sons are safe, Lee pursues the past events of the Stratton family, ferreting out more than he bargained for.

Not everything turns out well in the end in this novel, true to Francis's style. But all of the loose ends are tied up logically and the reader comes away likiing Lee, his sons, and even a few of his new extended family. And it seems that Lee won't be able to extricate himself from them for some time.

There are many Dick Francis mysteries for the reader who likes this novel. Most of them are also on tape. For an American flavor, readers might also like Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy mysteries.

Very enjoyable, but a little bit difficult to believe.......2006-05-02

I enjoyed this Francis book best of the 5 I've read. I liked the architectural information, the foils of the two families which are described more in-depth than usual in a Francis' book, the exciting/unpredicable occurrences, & the main character. However, the blackguards are a bit too black, not enough information (unusual for Francis) seems to me to be provided in order to figure out the several mysteries, & the look-alike to wife subplot is thin & seems to have little redeeming value except to juxtapose the protagonist's love of his children vs. his own desires. This mystery is not addressed, less resolved. The reader is left hanging at the end IMHO. Too bad, otherwise I'd give this book a 5.

Rational Choice and Judgment: Decision Analysis for the Decider

Average customer rating:

Rational Choice and Judgment: Decision Analysis for the Decider
Rex Brown
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
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ASIN: 0471202371

Book Description

The tools needed to make a better, more informed decision.

Decision analysis (DA) is the logic of making a decision using quantitative models of the decider’s factual and value judgments. DA is already widely used in business, government, medicine, economics, law, and science. However, most resources present only the logic and models rather than demonstrating how these methods can be effectively applied to the real world. This book offers an innovative approach to decision analysis by focusing on decision-making tools that can be utilized immediately to make better, more informed decisions. It uses no mathematics beyond arithmetic.

Examining how deciders think about their choices, this book provides problem-solving techniques that not only reflect sound modeling but also meet other essential requirements: they build on the thinking and knowledge that deciders already possess; they provide knowledge in a form that people are able and willing to provide; they produce results that the decider can use; and they are based on intimate and continuous interactions with the decider. The methods outlined in this text take into account such factors as the use, the user, the organization, available data, and subjective knowledge.

Replete with exercises, case studies, and observations from the author’s own extensive consulting experience, the book quickly engages readers and enables them to master decision analysis by doing rather than by simply reading. Using familiar situations, it demonstrates how to handle knowledge as it unfolds in the real world. A term project is presented in the final chapter, in which readers can select an actual decision-making problem and apply their newfound tools to prepare a recommendation. A sample report is provided in the appendix.

Beginning with qualitative structuring, the text advances to sophisticated quantitative skills that can be applied in both public and private enterprise, including:

· Modeling decision-making under conditions of uncertainty or multiple objectives

· Risk analysis and assessment

· Communicating and justifying controversial decisions

· Personal life choices and political judgments

· Adapting decision aid to organizations

The book’s broad applicability makes it an excellent resource for any organization or as a textbook for decision-making courses in a variety of fields, including public policy, business management, systems engineering and general education.

An Instructor's Manual presenting detailed solutions to all the problems in the book is available from the Wiley editorial department or directly from rexvbrown@aol.com.

Download Description

This book deals with logical methods for the improvement of decision making in public and private enterprises. It promotes the development and use of logical methods for the improvement of decision-making in public and private enterprise. Such methods include models for decision-making under conditions of uncertainty or multiple objectives; techniques of risk analysis and risk assessment; experimental and descriptive studies of decision-making behavior; economic analysis of competitive and strategic decisions; and techniques for facilitating decision-making by groups.

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Decider (Dick Francis Library)
Dick Francis
Manufacturer: Michael Joseph Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0718144457

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Decider

Manufacturer: Recorded Books, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0788700227

Product Description

7 cassettes; 10 hours; unabridged

4 Titles By Dick Francis : Driving Force Decider Wild Horses To the Hilt

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4 Titles By Dick Francis : Driving Force Decider Wild Horses To the Hilt
Dick Francis
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Product Description

4 Titles By Dick Francis : Driving Force Decider Wild Horses To the Hilt. four mmpb books.

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Comment raisonner pour décider
Jean-Michel Bazin , and Roger Bazin
Manufacturer: EME Editions Sociales Françaises (ESF)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2710112868

Condensed Books, Volume 2, 1994: Without Remorse; the Old House At Railes; Decider; King of the Hill

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Condensed Books, Volume 2, 1994: Without Remorse; the Old House At Railes; Decider; King of the Hill

Manufacturer: Reader's Digest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000E7ZBEY

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Decider
Dick Francis
Manufacturer: Berkley Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000LNJJNU

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Decider
Dick Francis
Manufacturer: G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OL2MUG

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Decider
Dick Francis
Manufacturer: Michael Joseph
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OHQY86

Customer Reviews:

Fourth in an unusual fantasy quintet.......2006-12-10

This is the fourth volumes in a group of five books. Sharon Green initially started with the intention of writing two individual novels, but the tale grew in the writing into an unusual double trilogy.

Green herself described it in the afterword to the final book as an "odd series" organised into "two crossed trilogies in the form of an X."

One trilogy tells the story of the sorceress Chalaine and the sorcerer-prince Bariden. That trilogy starts with "The Hidden Realms", shares the middle book "Dark Mirror, Dark Dreams" with the other trilogy, and is concluded in the final book of the quintet, the appropriately named "Game's End.

However, "Silver Princess, Golden Knight," kicks off another trilogy within the same broader canvass, telling the story of Princess Alexia and the mercenary captain Tiran d'Iste, both of whom are shapeshifters. Their adventure, which includes both a romance and a quest for a kingdom, starts here, and continues as the two stories come together in "Dark Mirror, Dark Dreams", which is the middle book of both trilogies. The story of Alexia and Tiran is sort-of concluded in this book, "Wind Whispers, Shadow Shouts". The double titles denote this second trilogy.

The reason I say "sort-of-concluded" and the reason I describe this as the fourth volume rather than one of two ending stories, is that you are told at the very end that the result of Alexia and Tiran's story might be completely overturned if the final battle fought by Chalaine and Bariden goes the other way - so you have to read "Game's End" to see whether it does.

The linkages between the two stories are clearest in the middle book, where all four characters work together, and at the conclusion of "Dark Mirror, Dark Dreams" each of the two couples become the rightful King and Queen of their own Kingdom. In the final two books, each couple has to defend their newly-gained realm and people against attack by powerful evil from beyond the worlds.

If you are going to read this series, it helps to read each trilogy in order and to read "Game's End" last. Hence the sequence is

1) and 2) "The Hidden Realms" & "Silver Princess, Golden Knight"
(Either can be read first)

3) "Dark Mirror, Dark Dreams"

4) "Wind Whispers, Shadow Shouts"

5) "Game's End"

This quintet of fantasy novels, written between 1993 and 1996, is rather more mainstream than some of the author's earlier works. Sharon Green has put a lot of effort into creating the personalities and magic powers of the heroes and heroines, and some of the other major characters. The plots - in both senses of the word - are also quite intricate.

Rather less effort appears to have been put into creating the worlds where the stories take place, the minor characters or most of the villains, who tend to be fairly two-dimensional and thinly sketched out - to such an extent that many of the places in the stories and many of the characters do not even have names. In places there is good use of humour but there could be rather more.

Overall as fantasy novels go this is average, by which I do not mean to damn the book with faint praise. It's not the best fantasy story you will ever come accross, but it's not the worst either.

The main thing going for this series is that it is such an unusual way to build a story as to make it interesting to see how Sharon Green put it together.

good but...........1999-11-23

this was an interesting read. If you like a good storyline and well developed charecters then you'll like this one. but you MUST start at the begining of the series or you'll be beyond confused. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with the charecters thinking- they are suppossed to be these super smart people but for the rest of us it should have been spelled out a little more.

Average customer rating:

more than a little disjointed

Not for Everyone

Visualization = relief

A Daily Guide to releasing stress and feeling WONDERFUL!

Relax Your Neck, Liberate Your Shoulders: The Ultimate Exercise Program for Tension Relief
Eric Franklin
Manufacturer: Princeton Book Company
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Book Description

A foolproof guide to releasing shoulder and neck tension, this book shows how imagery and touch can be used to eliminate stiffness and pain. It provides simple and effective exercises that can be done at home, at work, or on the road. Sufferers of upper body pain will learn how to detect and eradicate early signs of tension by better understanding the connection between emotional states and tension. These individuals will learn how to survive stressful situations calmly and without tensing a single muscle. An explanation of the anatomy of the shoulders provides a better understanding of how improving the alignment of the head, neck, and shoulders will ease the strain on muscles and joints and promote an aura of confidence and health.

Customer Reviews:

more than a little disjointed.......2007-03-06

Due to the fact that Eric Franklin is Swiss, and he didn't have much of an editor, both this book and the Pelvic Power book lack consistency, clear descriptions of exercises, and has typos. He's a genius, but these books sell him short. I've gleaned some information from both, but my critical nature gets caught up in the errors and inconsistencies (captions with the wrong pictures, pictures showing other exercises that are on later pages, mis-spellings, etc.). Wish he would have had a better editor!

Not for Everyone.......2006-11-03

The author uses visualization throughout the book, which only works if you are able to tap into this technique (e.g. "imagine two winking eyes on your collarbones......". I tried, I really did, but I just couldn't get my mind to cooperate, and finally gave up in frustration. However, if you are able to visualize, then you might find this book very useful.

Visualization = relief.......2006-03-22

Eric Franklin, a dancer and choreographer, has been teaching imaging techniques for years to dancers and others. Imaging is basically using visualization to relax the body. Sounds hokey? It isn't - it truly works!

I bought this book as I was having chronic shoulder tension and felt I wanted to try something new. The imaging techniques presented are simple - and you can do them any time, anywhere - with your mind being the only equipment needed!

Franklin goes into detail about how your shoulders and neck work - and has many different ways to aid your tension. Although visualization can be difficult for some people, his exercises make it simple and you are bound to find a few gems here to assist you in releasing your upper body stress.

There are pictures throughout - not the greatest artwork, but they convey what you are working on clearly enough. I found the language to be precise and easy to grasp. After using this book for a few weeks, I have been having less stress in my shoulder and am feeling much freer. I use a few of the techniques with my yoga students as well.

A Daily Guide to releasing stress and feeling WONDERFUL!.......2002-11-27

This book is entertaining, informative, intellegent, helpful, challenging and instructive on how to reduce tension and increase relaxation. Eric Franklin uses his words and pictures to easily teach us how to reduce neck and shoulder pain within a few minutes and sometimes just by using our imagination.

You don't have to go to a gym to do his exercises; all you need is the time and enough space to sit, stand or lie down.

This book is truly one that you will want to refer to on a regular basis to continue your journey of relaxation in your daily life.

Average customer rating:

Beware of apparent typos

Almost five stars, but not enough new or truly artisanal! Still Good

Great cheese puffs!

Artisanal Cooking: A Chef Shares His Passion for Handcrafting Great Meals at Home
Terrance Brennan , Andrew Friedman , and Christopher Hirsheimer
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Terrance Brennan's passion for simple yet flavorful cuisine has fueled the success of his two acclaimed New York City restaurants, Picholine and Artisanal. In this long-awaited cookbook, Brennan shares his approach to what he calls "artisanal cooking," reflecting a devotion to detail and reverence for the freshest ingredients, simple presentations, and an inspired blend of tradition and creativity, all of which leads to memorable meals at home.

Artisanal Cooking features 150 tantalizing recipes ranging from hors d'oeuvres and entrees - such as Miniature Grilled Cheddar, Apple, and Bacon Sandwiches; Soft-Shell Crabs with Mustard Sauce; and Beef Short Ribs with Olives and Orange-Cumin Carrots - to desserts, including Brennan's signature cheesecake and Chocolate Fondue. A cheese connoisseur, Brennan describes more than 30 of his favorites and suggests wines to pair with them. The cookbook is also a visual feast, with 75 lush color photographs by renowned food photographer Christopher Hirsheimer. Throughout, there are valuable tips that cooks can use to adapt Brennan's recipes or improve their own cooking, including:

THE REASON: explanations for why good cooks do things such as truss a chicken or let meats rest between cooking and serving

VARIATIONS: ideas for changing recipes to accommodate seasonal ingredients and personal taste

EMBELLISHMENTS: inventive ways to enhance the recipes

The book's extensive pantry section, including recipes and how-to photos, further illustrates Brennan's point that delicious meals start with quality flavors and elemental techniques. Taking pleasure in the ingredients and the process makes cooking - and sharing the results - a joy.

Customer Reviews:

Beware of apparent typos.......2006-02-13

A warning to read the recipes carefully and think them over. I made the Pavlovas with Berry Compote this evening, and while the Compote is delicious, the Pavlovas are inedible! I carefully followed the recipe to the letter, despite my better judgement - the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt to 6 tablespoons of superfine sugar - because I figured the author knew what he was talking about, and I've never made Pavlovas before. They look absolutely beautiful, but taste disgusting. Chewy salt. We couldn't even swallow, but spit the bite out into the sink. Very, very disappointing, for all the painstaking work and anticipation. I hope it is simply a typo and not indicative of the author's tastes; we saw him on television recently talking about how wonderful and exciting salt is. I'm a fan of salt too, but when it's the only thing you can taste, something's wrong. And yes, it was the right kind of salt, and I'm sure I didn't measure wrong.

I am rating the book 3 stars because many of the recipes *sound* terrific; he has some great flavor combinations. But I won't be afraid to adjust ingredients during future efforts based on my own experience.

Almost five stars, but not enough new or truly artisanal! Still Good.......2005-11-11

`Artisanal Cooking' by noted New York restaurateur and cheese shop entrepreneur, Terrance Brennan, assisted with noted cookbook assistant writer, Andrew Friedman brings, with its title, a promise of great things. The first impressions which comes to mind are Tom Colicchio's great book, `How to Think Like a Chef', the Jean-George Vongerichten / Mark Bittman's collaboration, `Simple to Spectacular', John Ash's `cooking one on one', and most especially Paul Bertolli's `Cooking by Hand', which has a title meaning something very similar to Brennan's `Artisanal' moniker.

Brennan's main problem is that his message is very ambiguous. Since he owns the `Artisanal Premium Cheese Center', artisanal cheeses and other artisanal food products are very important to his cuisine, but praising hand crafted ingredients plus fresh and seasonal ingredients does nothing to improve the quality of the cookbook. And, since the title of the book says it is about artisanal COOKING, not artisanal INGREDIENTS, all the talk and information on high quality American and European cheeses teaches us nothing about artisanal cooking, even though it does give us a pretty nice tutorial on making nice cheese platters, although I think the paragraph or two we have seen from former caterer, Ina Garten's books gives us about as much substance in arranging cheeses on a good cheese platter.

In contrast, Bertolli gives us genuine hand crafting tutorials on central culinary subjects such as how to make sugos, pasta, and sausages. Brennan gives us eight very traditional chapters on:

Hors d'oeuvres
Salads and First Courses
Soups
Fish and Shellfish
Poultry and Game Birds
Meats and Game
Side Dishes and Accompaniments
Desserts

In looking over the selection of recipes, I am simply not struck by a high degree of originality. I recall many similar recipes from other books such as the chestnut apple soup very similar to one presented by Daniel Boulud, a fish en papillote recipe very similar to one I saw in Sara Moulton's first book, a sautéed chicken encrusted with parmesan which is remarkably similar to, albeit much more grand than a recipe by the 30 minute meal gal, Rachael Ray, and a classic white sauce based baked macaroni and cheese dish. Many more recipes evoke a strong sense of `déjà vu', even if I can't name a specifically similar dish in another book.

The cuisine is heavily influenced by French country and bistro cooking and I count it a plus that the dishes are NOT highly original and idiosyncratic `haute cuisine'. However, they are a bit fancier than what you will find in bistro cookbooks such as the new Les Halles cookbook from Tony Bourdain or French home or provincial cooking as described by, for example, Susan Herrmann Loomis. The recipes are well written with clear prep instructions incorporated into the ingredient list. I am particularly fond of the style of procedure writing that highlights the operative verb at the beginning of each paragraph of general instruction.

Many recipes include up to four endnotes on `Terms and Techniques', `The Reason', `Variations', and `Embellishment'. While these terms may not appear in many other books, the material presented is pretty ordinary, almost all of which I already knew from the first two categories. And, I don't quite see the difference between a variation and an embellishment.

The only sense in which this book is distinctively `artisanal' is in the fact that it has a sizable number of recipes for pantry or `garde manger' preparations such as chutneys, compotes, croutons, dressings and other vinaigrettes, garnishes, savory sauces, side dishes, dessert sauces, and stocks. I was just a bit disappointed early in the book when the author did not take the trouble to distinguish between Mediterranean and California bay or to warn us about removing head, tail, and spine from salt packed anchovies which he recommends.

I like the authors' approach to stocks that have three different features of which I definitely approve. First, like the CIA manual and few other references, the authors call for pre-boiling the stock bones to do an initial cleaning of the protein scum common to all stock production. Second, the simmer time for all stocks is three hours or less. Third, vegetables are added in stages, depending on how soon the simmering water will claim all the goodness from the veggies, leaving little but limp, insoluble fiber.

The author laments the fact that so few Americans are familiar with poultry beyond the trusty chicken and turkey. So to his recipes for venison and rabbit, he adds recipes for duck, squab, and pheasant. Now aside from my book dedicated entirely to duck and the zillion duck recipes in the new Paula Wolfert book on Southwestern France, I am swimming in odd poultry and game recipes from a dozen books on regional Italian and French cooking. So, I really don't think Brennan needs to worry about catching up on recipes for game animals for the foodies in the house.

I'm teetering between four and five stars. Four because the book does not really deliver on the promise of its title. Five because it is a collection of sound, good recipes, albeit just a bit pricy for the number of dishes. And, I give it good marks for its recipes for stocks and pantry preparations. I leave it at four stars because the book brings very little to those of us who have bookshelves filled with cookbooks already.

So, I recommend this book especially to those who may not have a lot of cookbooks on French cuisine and who wish to really take the effort to make and store chutneys, dressings, stocks, flavored butters, and flavored salts.

Great cheese puffs!.......2005-10-19

I was anxious to try the Artisanal gougere recipe, and I was not disappointed! The cheese puffs were light and cheesey and beautiful to look at! I compared his recipe to Le Cordon Blue recipe, and his adds a pinch of baking powder and about 2-3 times the amount of cheese. Plus he give approximate mixing times, which was a blessing for me since I had never made cream puff dough before. The Cordon Blue version had no mixing times and with such a small amount of cheese compared to the Artisanal version I cannot believe that it would be anywhere near as good. This book appears to have Terence's personal touch, not just regurgitation of classic bistro recipes.

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