This is a book about the art of closing a large deal. The author has experience in this area. Before the age of 40 he "had headed four corporations, each of which [he] took from annual revenues of less than $15 million to more than $100 million." This book is an instruction manual for the business person that wants to grow their business exponentially.

This is for sales people, for executives, for CEO's, for entrepreneurs, and for innovators; everyone that wants to make their mark in business. That was the best takeaway for me - there are so many pieces of this process that I'll be able to use individually, outside of a specific deal, and I will be a more effective businessman as a result.

There are 18 Chapters or Lessons, that the author learned from tracking Warren Buffet, and I split those up into the steps toward winning a large deal. Those steps were:
1) Choosing your target - don't swing at everything
2) Craft a compelling solution that address the major concerns of Time, Money & Risk.
3) Speak the language of a dealmaker - don't speak like a manager to a CEO.
4) How to get an executive at a target prospect to call you back.
5) Building a team to engage your prospect effectively by predicting and addressing their concerns.
6) How to deal with the problems and people that will stand in your way.
7) How to close the sale AND secure the deal.

I was so impressed by the content of this book that I bought it for all my top customers. The first step in growing your territory is partnering with your clients to grow their business, and I'm confident this will make them stronger.

I identified one of the key takeaways from each of the chapters of the book. In order to fully understand them, it is best to read them in the context of the chapter, but these valuable nuggets are part of the treasure you'll find:

Gold Nugget 1: "Make deals with the kind of people you would like to be in business with."
Gold Nugget 2: "Developing a solution and a message that have an impact on the entire company, not just one department."
Gold Nugget 3: "Never go after the company, Always go after the deal."
Gold Nugget 4: In order for large companies to trust you, they want "safety and credibility."
Gold Nugget 5: "Big people with big problems don't buy little solutions."
Gold Nugget 6: "The big dealmakers want to hear about money, time and risk. These words are part of the language of big deals."
Gold Nugget 7: "What prospects do make deals on is what they can sell [internally] and defend later."
Gold Nugget 8: "Prospects for your next big deal expect you to have a relevant and valuable understanding of their problems so that you can discuss their general context immediately."
Gold Nugget 9: "You eliminate the fear by including on your team the people from your company who are best equipped to give in-depth answers to all the questions that are being raised."
Gold Nugget 10: "If you show any incompetence in your normal day-to-day dealings with your prospects, they will note trust you to be competent in carrying out your solution."
Gold Nugget 11: "Identify your known vulnerabilities."
Gold Nugget 12: "You must think in terms of what your prospects will value, rather than in terms of your product or service."
Gold Nugget 13: "Enrich your deal-making practice sessions further by adding one or more broken plays to the meetings you're practicing."
Gold Nugget 14: "You want to ask questions, but just like a good attorney, you have to know the answers before you ask the questions."
Gold Nugget 15: "As you receive these questions, you want to be helpful, thorough, and responsive. You also want to use this as a reconnaissance period for your own gathering of information."
Gold Nugget 16: "Your ability to make your prospect feel comfortable and unafraid about buying from you is what lands you the deal."
Gold Nugget 17: "The thoroughness of your solution in terms of how they get from here to there will determine whether they are willing to actually take the necessary steps to buy your proposal and move forward now."
Gold Nugget 18: "You now spend at least one-quarter to one-third of your time in research."

Este voluminoso y de cuidada edición volumen narra la historia de Steve Jobs desde su juventud (aunque incluya alguna breve pincelada de su infancia). Escrito a dos manos por los experimentados periodistas Brent Schlender (uno de los mejores conocedores de la industria informática desde su nacimiento, escribe para el Wall Street Journal y para Fortune) y Rick Tetzeli (editor ejecutivo de la revista de tecnología y negocios Fast Company, aunque también fue director adjunto de la revista Fortune y editor de Entertainment Weekly), que sin embargo decidieron que el libro fuese narrado en primera persona por Brent, que tuvo la suerte de tratar personalmente con Steve Jobs a lo largo de casi 25 años.

Hay un aspecto del libro que me ha gustado especialmente, y es su diseño. Concebido como un rectángulo negro casi por completo, tanto la portada, la contraportada como los cortes superior, inferior y frontal están en ese color. La tipografía y el estilo general, contenido y simple, siguen el estilo Apple totalmente (me refiero siempre a la copia de tapas duras, el resto no lo conozco).

El motivo de leer este libro no era por tanto que yo tuviese un especial interés en Steve Jobs. Pero empezó a picarme la curiosidad por Steve cuando leí el libro de Ed Catmull, Creatividad S.A. El retrato que Ed pintó de Steve no se parecía en nada a la imagen que tenía de él, y pensé que quizás su historia fuese más allá de la imagen polémica que han construido a su alrededor.

El libro me ha gustado, mucho. Es más que evidente que ambos periodistas saben cómo escribir una buena historia, y la narración te engancha e informa a partes iguales. Va de lo general a lo más específico. He sobrevolado buena parte de la historia de la informática reciente, desde los años 70 hasta casi la actualidad. Brent y Rick saben de qué hablan, entienden la parte tecnológica y la empresarial, además de la humana. Es curioso e incluso divertido ver hasta que punto las relaciones personales entre los grandes magnates de las empresas más punteras influyen en cómo se desarrolla la tecnología y, por ende, el mundo que nos rodea.
Si me tengo que quedar con una sola razón por la que merezca la pena leer este libro, sin embargo, no sería nada relacionado directamente con la tecnología, la innovación, la gestión empresarial o con sus famosos desaires y discusiones. Creo que lo más interesante de su biografía es ver su proceso de aprendizaje. Cómo supo evolucionar, limar sus asperezas y defectos -aunque nunca desaparecieron del todo, claro- y sacar el mejor partido posible de sus grandezas. Cómo aprendió, gracias en parte a Ed Catmull, a tratar a las personas, a entender las sutiles y complejas relaciones humanas. Cómo no permitió que nada de esto afectase a su familia y cómo supo separar ambas áreas de su vida. Y por cómo supo encajar y aprender de sus grandes y llamativos errores, de sus tremendos y públicos batacazos. Nadie nace siendo grande, decide -con enorme y a veces desmesurado esfuerzo- superar y aprender de cada caída y de cada fallo.

My 6 year old couldn't get through reading it because it caused so many questions for him. Now that he knows the store more and background he can read this book pretty well.

Overall, I'm quite satisfied with this set. I there are a couple issues that prevented me from giving 5 stars though, so I'll list out the pros and cons:

Pros:
- The toothbrushes aren't *too* soft like other ones I've tried. They're equivalent to a soft major brand toothbrush.
- The bristles are contoured. I'm not a fan of the flat top bristles.
- The environmental impact is reduced greatly.
- The packaging is really nice. Like NICE.
- The bamboo toothbrush caddy for travel is a nice bonus and it has holes at both ends to air out the wet brush. Well thought out.

Cons:
- Mineral oil needs to be applied every few days to the wood to keep the water from affecting it. The instructions only indicate applying once before use, but it dries out and tastes like a wooden popsicle stick while brushing after a few days.
- The shape of the handle should be more rounded. While I find the brush aesthetically pleasing, it is somewhat uncomfortable in my hand due to the hard edges.
- The lip on the floss container is incredibly difficult to grab the floss. It takes several tries everytime. I think it just needs to be slightly peeled upward.
- I wish the floss container was aluminum instead of glass for recycling availability should one ever want to dispose of it. Many areas no longer offer glass recycling because of cost.

All in all, I'm very satisfied and plan to use this going forward. I haven't looked yet, but I do hope they offer brushes separately and not just in a set as I would not need the caddy and glass floss container again going forward.

An Australian military field hospital in the South Pacific during 1945 at the very end of the Second World War becomes the hermetically sealed setting for this work filmed upon Lord Howe Island in New South Wales. A sweat drenched tropical tale based upon a novel by Colleen McCullough, the film's primary theme involves a conflict between love and duty, and the result that comes from making an inappropriate choice in the matter. Psychological stimuli for actions of the characters, in particular those who perform responsibilities in uncomfortable circumstances, are incisively dramatized through able performances from a nicely-selected cast, the narrative being temporized only occasionally by the scriptor's attempted fidelity to the novel. Sister Honour Langtry (Wendy Hughes), a caring and conscientious Army nurse, has been placed in charge of a striking mixture of five emotionally damaged soldiers being treated in the psychiatric care section of the hospital, known as Ward X, and has established thoroughly successful rapport with each man, a viewer being privy through brief flashbacks to the combat related circumstances that have driven the maladjusted troops into her care. Into this delicately balanced atmosphere is sent an addition immediately after the surrender of Japan - - a highly decorated sergeant, Michael Wilson (Gary Sweet), whose unexpected coming is not welcomed by the sister who has no need for a new patient so near the time of being mustered out, although she is also attracted to the handsome newcomer, in large part as a result of his apparently stable demeanour. Outraged by an obviously growing physical connection between Sister, or "Sis" as the inmates refer to her, and Michael, one of the patients plots to ruin the budding, as well as unethical, relationship, thereby serving merely to bring the pair closer. "My book, Indecent Obsession, was about duty", has stated author McCullough, and this subject is often brought to the fore in this melodrama that has no hero within a screenplay that generates additional interest stemming from the novelist's employment of historical trimmings that mark her most effective writing, while also making proper use of a murder mystery subtheme. Acting honours must go to Hughes, whose nurse is seeking correct symmetry between a need for romantic love and a responsibility for assisting those assigned to her care, while the principal male actors are impressive as well, bringing a broad gamut of interpretations to their roles. Perhaps most effective when it does stay very close to the book's content, the film is competently directed by Lex Marinos. A small budget is used efficiently, production and costume designing are top-tier, and editing wisely incorporates the lowering basalt cliffs that serve to define Lord Howe Island.

Deadpool Classic 1 starts off with the New Mutants where Deadpool made his initial appearance attempting to kill Cable. The story and artwork are by Rob Liefeld. He has that signature 90s style that I’m a bit ambivalent about.

Next up was the four issue The Circle Chase by Fabian Nicieza and art by Joe Madureira. I really liked Madureira’s style. He featured both some exaggerated figures but sharp lines. The main story is that the mysterious Mr. Tolliver who played a big role in X-Force comics was killed by Cable and everyone wants to find his will. That leads to a bunch of ill will characters to get involved including Black Tom, Juggernaut, and Slayback along with the Hero Weapon X Kane. Another more mixed figure is Pool’s off and on girlfriend Vanessa that also wants to find the will. The series was the first time the authors hinted that Wade Wilson may not be just a mercenary.

Next up is the original run of Deadpool from 1994 that ran four issues with the story by Mark Waid and drawings by Ian Churchill, Lee Weeks and Ken Lashley. They are back to that 90s Marvel style akin to Liefeld. While they don’t have the excessive shoulder pads (still there for a group of soldiers) and bandoliers they do have that horrible habit of having women characters stick up their butts and chests in a ridiculous pose when they first show up. The series focuses upon Black Tom who is suffering from a life threatening disease and his friend Juggernaut trying to hunt down Deadpool who they believe has the cure to Tom’s illness. Theresa aka Siryn also gets involved who was raied by Tom.

Finally things end with Deadpool #1 that started off the current series. This introduces a whole bunch of characters that would be mainstays in the comic for years. There’s Patch that runs the Hellhouse mercenary business. T-Ray who would become Deadpool’s first real nemesis. Blind Al who was Wilson’s roommate/captive, and Zoe from Landau, Luckman and Lake. The story also shows the future progression of the main character. He takes a job to blow up a secret facility in Canada but when he finds out that it might kill off most of the world, he tries to fix the problem he caused.

These early comics show all the features that would get fully developed later on. There’s plenty of actions and explosions. At first, Deadpool talks a little, but by the end they had him rattling on and on. Deadpool also starts off as a coldblooded killer, but he starts developing into a more rounded character quickly. Great introduction to the entire series.

It's a gorgeous song! At first, I was initially skeptical about its inclusion into the soundtrack album for Deadpool 2; but in keeping with the fact that Deadpool will be forming the X-Force in the film, and also discovers the importance of family and friendship, maybe this song will be the family theme song....

Die Marke war der Grund warum ich mich dafür entschieden habe. Ich wurde nicht enttäuscht!

Der Pizzaschneider schneidet mit sehr wenig kraft (druck) auf der Pizza. Die !Plastikklinge! lässt sich sehr gut und schnell sauber machen.

Ich bin begeistert von der qualität einer ! Plastikklige !. Hatte bis dato nur Stahl Pizzaschneider.

den Kauf habe ich nicht bereut und empfehle dieses Produkt daher sehr gerne weiter!

My son loves this blanket, he has to have it every time he lays down, it’s soft and cuddly that I ordered extras so if I need to wash it, etc I can rotate them

I have been building my personal Library for several years and was glad to add this series. Used books, but all in
very good shape. I re-read my books once a year, mostly in the winter months. Ann.

This is my favirote gundam hands down from iron blooded orphans for a multitude of reasons, but mainly it's saber design which is displayed amazingly in this model.

Pros:
Comes with a variety of weapons (six saber, 2 pistols, an energy rifle, and the feet turn into blades just like in the show)
Looks amazing
Not too many stickers
Too cool for school (honestly though these probs aren't allowed in schools)
Boosters on the front and back of the legs is an awesome design
Manual is like an actual booklet and pretty colorful
BOX ART IS AWESOME

Cons:
Stickers
Blue is a little off (I plan on fixing this with a blue metallic marker though)

If you have read the BookShot "Detective Cross" and "The Women's Murder Club: The Medical Examiner" … Beware these two stories make up 2/3s of the "Triple Homicide" book so don't buy them again!! I've been a James Patterson fan for a long time now. I've read and enjoyed the complete "Alex Cross" series, "The Women's Murder Club" series, and most of the "Private" series. I don't expect all these stories to be "blockbusters" but I don't expect to be "Cheated" either. In THE FUTURE WHEN BUYING ONE OF YOUR BOOKS I'LL BE MORE CAREFUL!!! And another thing Mr. Patterson you are using way too many "F" words for my taste - try to keep in mind - we don't all use and appreciate that kind of language!

This second volume of the Naruto manga resolves the cliff-hanger from the last volume relatively swiftly and the action soon concentrates on the missions that Naruto and friends get up to as fully fledged ninja. Naruto quickly tires of the menial tasks that he and Team 7 are given and pushes for a more exciting mission and eventually Lord Hokage grants his wish, acting as a bodyguard for the master bridge builder Tazuna. Not everything is as seems, however, and Team 7 is soon embroiled in a fight for their lives.

This is a great improvement on the previous volume as although the humour is toned down slightly here the action has been greatly increased and there is some background for the setting and the nature of chakra. This is also the first time that we see fully fledged ninja in action with both Kakashi and the villainous Zabuza showing what they can do. Naruto is definitely improving and I can see why it is so popular and I cannot wait to continue reading.

Naruto Volume 38 contains chapters 340 to 349 and 2 Naruto bookmarks!

The battle against Kakuzu concludes and Naruto tries out his new move!
Plus Sasuke vs Orochimaru!
We also meet some new characters, Suigetsu, Karin and Jugo.

The only thing that annoyed me about this volume is the censoring for Konohamaru's new technique... you'll see what I mean when you read this volume.

My second pair. Left first pair on top of car during cross country road trip. One shoe made it 4 hours stuck to the back windshield wiper. Could not wait to get another pair. They fit pretty true and I wear a 10 men's (US) with a flat, wider foot. Memory foam is great! Can start to smell if you have stinky climbers feet but I soaked them in water and baking soda and they are like new again. Hold up pretty well and the bottom rubber is nice so they last when you are outside getting these shoes some use. Peace !^!

This series was written by Debbie Macomber and I did enjoy reading Midnight Sons however I am still waiting on an order that should have been delivered on November 12th. That order was a Big Belly ceramic frog from Plow and Hearth.

プロローグが終わり、ようやく物語が本格的にスタート。東方家がヤバイ雰囲気しかしない、力やスピードじゃなく心理的に追い込むようなスタンドは好きです。今の状況をどうやって打開して行くかが見ものです。ジョジョリオンはデジタルでしか読まないと決めたので、中々3巻が出なくて先が気になって仕方ないです。

This review is for the Angelnook Publishing Book.

I loaned out my old copy and never got it back, so just bought a new copy....does that tell you how much I like this book?

I've read my share of these type of books, and this one is at the top of my list with Angelnook Publishing Books!

If you believe that changing your thinking will change your life, that we can control our thoughts and by doing so improve our over all circumstances, you'll find this book extremely helpful.

I must say one of my favorite books on this topic, I was very very surprised with this book. The book and chapter selection is nice and WAY more than I ever expected. I definitely did not expect to find such book treasure.

I would recommend it for anyone.

Just a quick little spoiler-free review to say my husband and I love to play Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle!

I saw it at our local game store and thought it was a gimmick at first -- just another way to make money off a much-loved franchise -- but then I read the back description. Our favorite tabletop games are co-op (Forbidden Island/Desert, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Mansions of Madness, Time Stories, etc.), and we also enjoy card/deck-building games (Dominion, Legendary games, etc.), plus I love the Harry Potter series (my husband is okay with it), so we took a chance and bought it. We now play it every night after we come home from work!

The gameplay reminds me of Dominion mixed with any Legendary game, but more fun because you play as specific characters -- Harry, Ron, Hermione, and/or Neville -- and battle though seven increasingly difficult "games", each representing a book/movie in the series. Each game has a set of Locations, Dark Arts, Villains, Hogwarts cards, and other components, such as dice or upgraded character cards. Beat Game 1, then add Game 1 cards to Game 2. Beat Game 2, then add Game 1 AND 2 cards to Game 3, etc. This is a 2-4 player game, so for a two-player game, I recommend each person play two characters to get the full experience. My husband plays Ron and Harry, and I play Hermione and Neville.

The basic premise is to work together to protect Locations from Villain Control and defeat all the Villains. You lose if all Locations fall to Villain Control, but you win if you defeat all Villains. Dark Arts and Villain abilities will hurt and hinder characters every step of the way, so building a strong deck of Hogwarts cards and playing to your characters abilities is essential. The first two games are warm-ups, then the real difficulty kicks in on Game 3. By then, your characters WILL get "stunned" (lose all health) at least once per game. But that doesn't mean the fun is over, you just take penalties and keep on fighting, so you don't have to worry about someone sitting out of the game and waiting for everyone else to win.

In terms of production, this game is the highest quality of all of our tabletop games. Everything is in full color. Each Game is individually boxed, and each set of Location, Dark Arts, etc. cards inside are sleeved separately to avoid confusion. All cards are clearly marked by Game number or the character they belong to if they're starting cards. In addition to the easy-to-understand 14-page instruction book, each Game has it's own little instruction booklet to easily guide players into setting up the next game and refreshing everyone on rules. The cards are smooth and feature fantastic art from the movies. All the cardboard tokens and components are sturdy and already cut out (except Game-specific tokens), and there are even cool metal skull tokens and four beautiful, clear Hogwarts House die inside. The game box itself is sectioned logically for each game component and even leaves extra space if you want to sleeve your Hogwarts cards.

I highly recommend this for anyone who likes co-op tabletop games, deck-building games, and/or the Harry Potter series!

Ahimè non mi è piaciuto per niente. Il portachiavi arriva in una bustina di plastica trasparente che non corrisponde assolutamente alla foto. Ho preso questo e un altro che simboleggia il marchio nero e in entrambi Manca il cartoncino rosso che ne attesta l'autenticità. Sembra un falso.

This book as seen in the excerpt is in Urdu. It is NOT an Arabic translation!

These are perfect for my Harry Potter collection!

I decided to buy a couple of books in Korean to help improve my reading skills and learn new vocabulary. I chose HP because I have read the entire series in English and with the final movie coinciding with my staying in Korea this summer I thought it would be a fun way to reconnect with the series. I also chose HP because I have read the entire series in English and I thought that having a good idea of what the original novels feel like would help me comprehend this book. I am a non-native speaker of Korean (in my second year of study) and so far, I am finding the reading quite challenging. It takes me about 30 minutes to read each page, accounting for the amount of time I spend looking up words online. Frequently I have to do quite a bit of searching to find definitions for some of the less common words. THIS BOOK IS PART 1 OF 2 BY THE WAY. SO if you think you are buying the entire book you are not!

This costume is perfect! I didn’t care much for the cloth glasses, so I bought plastic ones, along with the scarf to add to the costume! My son doesn’t keep the glasses on anyway, so that really didn’t matter. The costume is so cute and fits perfect! It’s also great quality for the price! I definitely recommend!

*Source* Edelweiss
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5

*My Thoughts*

Unwanted is Finnegan Lane's story. It comes on the heels of Gin's fight against Deidre Shaw in Bitter Bite and a shocking revelation that has fans like me wondering what Gin will do next. SO, before you jump into Unwanted, ensure that you've already finished reading Bitter Bite. If you are an Elemental Assassin series regular, you already know that Finn is Gin Blanco's flashier, cockier foster brother who dates her sister Bria Coolidge and is an investment banker for First Trust of Ashland. Because of the events of Bitter Blue, Finn is probably the most hated man or as he calls himself, the most Unwanted man in Ashland.

You can't really blame people for their feelings. Again, especially after his idiocy when it came to Deidre Shaw and his ignoring warnings from Gin that got people killed. But, the one thing that you can always count on when it comes to Finn, he'll somehow bounce back and land on his feet. After all, he is the son of Tin Man Fletcher Lane, and he too has a heart when it comes to caring about and protecting innocent people from bullies. I think one of the more interesting aspects of this book is that Finn gets a bit of schooling into his father's past relationships with certain people.

These people know that Finn is pretty much just like his father. So when Finn is shoved into a certain way in order to protect the widow of one of the guards that was killed during Bitter Blue, he doesn't hesitate. He puts his own issues behind him, and he moves forward. This is not Gin's book. She does show up, as does Sophia Deveraux, but Finn is the sole focus of the book. This is also the book that fans need as well. We needed closure and to move on and forgive Finn for being a total tool when it came to his mother's manipulations.

It's beautiful, I got a lot of compliments when I wear this necklace.... Some of my Pottered friends went crazy when they realized the meaning of this necklace....

This is a very useful, exciting and informative text for those interested in the philosophy and theology behind Renaissance Magic. Mentor to Agrippa, pioneer of cryptography, Trithemius is one of the most important (and well-placed in Church history) yet difficult to understand of the great Renaissance writers on magic, and this book provides a detailed but readable introduction to his views on the subject. Especially important for providing insight into how to understand Trithemius' serious and sincere piety in the context of his occult leanings, this book provides much fascinating food for thought to those of us in religious studies who want to understand the theology of a magician. It is also an excellent source of information for curious mystics or occultists who wish to understand the Christian background to contemporary ceremonial magic.

No library or bookshelf on Renaissance Magic or Western Esotericism should be without this book, as it provides key theoretical ground (as well as content) for future studies.

最初は快適でしたが、数日もたたずにテレビ出力がされなくなった

EA is an absolute disgrace for selling us the same lazy garbage game every year. It's no wonder EA's been voted the Worst Company in America multiple times. The Frostbite engine simply DOES NOT WORK for Madden and EA refuses to accept that. This has the same broken gameplay with unbelievably stupid AI, lack of hundreds of features and modes that were in NFL 2k5 that came out over 15 YEARS AGO (some of these were IN Madden before but were taken out for absolutely no reason??), and almost zero changes over the last 5 years. Do some research on Youtube and Google if you want more in depth reasons on why this game is one of the laziest cash-grabs ever made. I'm done wasting my time with EA, they continue to do nothing about the amount of upset users they have.

Before I start I wanted to share that I am a Director of Information Technologies and I only purchase Lenovo Think Pads for Windows laptops - so I have a lot of experience with these.

I have given this a two start rating only because the description says that they are "This Certified Refurbished product is tested & certified to look and work like new by a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher." - but they do not "look" new, one first run and short testing they do operate as new.
I have ordered two T420 from this seller - perhaps the issue comes down in part to what is consider refurbished?

On the first machine the right front corner where the top and bottom come together overlap each other at the headphone jack.
This is because either the top or bottom case is not the correct part to match up to the other, the mold lines don't match.
Last for this machine - it has thin sticker 'skin" on the top deck of the keyboard area of the case. It gives the case the classic stipple texture that the Lenovo's have and I imagine covers any imperfections from previous use. This skin is on the top deck, although not very noticeable to the eye but the skin is very noticeable to the touch. This skin is not going to last long as the edges are already lifting. On the first T420 the right corner again, top deck, the skin is not sticking so it was already raised, so it will not be long before it starts to peel off.

I was hoping that on the second T420 it would be in better condition.
The first notable issue is the screen and visible light distorted vertical lines which look like scratches but are not noticeable to the touch.
Lenovo screens are made up of layers so this is some kind of scratch or imperfection in the layer. Notice in the picture that you can see the screen pixel grid but the vertical distortions appear as scratches to the eye.
Back to the top deck - the right rear corner the top deck and bottom are not together - this time the problem is not the wrong part its just not assembled correctly.

This machine also as a skin that gives the case the classic stipple texture that the Lenovo's have. This skin is on the top deck and although not very noticeable as a skin to the eye, edges of the skin are very noticeable to the touch. As example if you are using the touch pad and slide your fingers to the mouse buttons your fingers hang on the edges of the skin that have been placed on the mouse buttons. The skin actually makes the button taller than the mouse touch pad. This skin is not going to last long as the edges are already lifting. The lid or back of the screen also has the same skin which has a couple of air bubbles and the edge at the hinge side is lifted.

I checked the hard drive Date of Manufacture which shows a DOM of 2011. I would expect that the Hard Drive being the most commonly failed part and one of the most critical to be a with a newer DOM.

So both machines run good, fast and have the Lenovo solid feel one would expect. Keyboards on both look new, The hinges are tight and function like new and all other features function as expected.
For whatever it is worth I have Lenovo laptops that are 10 years old. Dropped? No problem! Cracked case, yep still running!
Sure I replaced the hard drive and upgrade RAM but these machine are great. So - if you are ok with a good used laptop these are worth the money.

It was in 1983 that Howard Gardner first decided to challenge the established view of a monolithic intelligence with the book Frames of Mind. In that book, Gardner posited that there are (at least) seven relatively seperate and autonomous intelligences. And 25 years later, this theory is still setting the education world ablaze.

The discipline of psychology, however, has been a bit less enthusiastic. They, much more than educators, demand hard evidence in order for a theory claiming to be scientific is accepted as such. Is Garnder's theory testable? If so, has it undergone such testing? Can these intelligences (including 'musical' and 'naturalistic') be measured by objective standards? If not, is it an adequate substitute to the reigning model of 'general intelligence' which, with all its flaws, IS measurable in such a way?

In this book, Gardner sets out to expand upon his 25 year old theory and, in so doing, answer some of the preceeding questions. Some will be disappointed and some will be encouraged by his answers.

The first section of the book devotes itself largely to questions of MI Theory's methodological standing.

Several chapters - particularly towards the beginning of the book - seek to answer objections to MI theory. As to the question of whether the theory can be called scientific, Gardner reluctantly answers a "no." He writes MI theory "intermediary status" between a philosophy and a predictive science. He suggests, though, that it can be put in a similar category with plate tectonics and evolution, in the sense that neither theory is a predictive sceince in a falsifiable sense (which is mistaken, as both are tested by retrodictions and, in evolution's case, also by predictions). Further, Gardner admits that designing assessments for these intelligences has proved to be more than challenging and that he has given up the search for ways to assess them.

There is, though, a chapter devoted to detailing a promising new study put together by Project Spectrum, to test elementary schoolers on these seperate intelligences. They were tested (a) to see if the intelligences are interrelated or autonomous by investigating whether high scores in any one area correlate with high scores in any other. The reports are that the intelligences are, by in large, seperate - as Gardner predicted they would be. They also tested to see whether the student's strengths on the tests were echoed by parent and teacher reports gotten independently. (There was correlation, but not so much as to be conclusive).

The section that will be most useful to my fellow educators, however, will be the second section. For roughly 80 pages, Gardner expounds on his theory and its possible uses in the field of education.

Gardner is quite famous for his 'value free' stance here. He suggests that there are many, many uses for MI theory in education. He tries both in this book and elsewuere to refrain from too much prescription, acknowledging that educators probably know better than he how to apply the work of a cognitive psychologist to schools.

However, he is passionate about two things educationally in this book. First, he is very displeased at the 'high stakes testing' mentality that has been developed of late. Like the concept of 'general intelligence,' Gardner sees this as being a very 'one-size-fits-all' way of assessing, and probably mis-assessing, knowledge.

Gardner is also very passionate about making sure that we see the 'ends' of schooling as pluralistic. Consistent with the idea of Multiple Intelligences, we must strike a balance between making sure that everyone recieve a common education and making sure that everyone is able to pursue their own strengths, interests, and proclivities to the extent possible.

It is hard to disagree with much that Gardner says, particularly in this and the next section (where he takes a look at MI theory's applicability betyond education). Even as one who is a bit skeptical of whether MI theory can ever be a scientific one (and whether there might be bettter models of Intelligence, like that of Robert Sternberg), it is difficult not to come away with much admiration for Gardner. He obviously cares about education and comes to his conclusions out of balanced and rigorous thought.

This should be read by educators and those interested in the psychology of intelligence alike.

This case feels reasonably sturdy and the material is as expected, relatively hard plastic, with some flex, and good buttons. For the price, I'm pleased with this case's protection and materials.
I had no problem removing the PopSocket after I took the time to look at the pictures online (no info came with the product). FWIW, the PopSocket seemed quite durable when I yanked on it trying to figure out how to take it off before reading the instructions.

However, this case is NOT COMPATIBLE WITH WIRELESS CHARGING, hence the 2-star review, as the product description states that it's compatible. I tried with four different chargers, two upright stands, and two lay-flat chargers — All of them work with two other iPhone cases — None of them were able to be recognized by my phone while in this case with the PopSocket removed.

Glücklicherweise habe ich die Rezension von Didgeplayer(2 Sterne) erst nach dem Kauf dieser Maschine entdeckt, denn seit einer Woche steht eine solche auch bei mir zuhause UND ich bin absolut begeistert! Hätte ich diese Rezension vorher gelesen, wäre ich jetzt wohl Besitzer einer anderen Maschine. Betreffend der Kritik des nur lauwarmen Kaffees, gehe ich davon aus, dass Didgeplayer nur die Einstellung bis "Hoch" gesehen hat. Die oberste Heizstufe "Maximal" habe ich nämlich auch erst heute per Zufall entdeckt. Und zwar muss da nochmals auf den kleinen Pfeil nach rechts geklickt werden um auf diese Einstellung zu kommen. Vor wenigen Minuten habe ich mir so einen Kaffee gezogen, welcher dann auch wirklich sehr heiss war. Allerdings muss dann eine Kaffeesorte verwendet werden, welche nicht bei zuviel Hitze bitter wird.

Ich war früher Besitzer einer Jura Kaffeemaschine und jüngst einer Delonghi PrimaDonna Avant. Erstere Maschine war eine Firmenkaffeemaschine welche ich aus einer Geschäftsauflösung kaufen konnte. Sie machte deshalb recht guten Kaffee, allerdings war die Reinigung eine Katastrophe. Die Brüheinheit konnte nicht entfernt und somit auch nicht ohne riesigen Aufwand (nur mit "geheimer" Servicetechnikeranleitung) ausgebaut und gereinigt werden. Aufwand ca. 4h. Auch bei den aktuellen Maschinen weigert sich Jura eine herausnehmbare Brüheinheit anzubieten. Deshalb ist dieser Hersteller für mich Geschichte. Die Delonghi hat eine entfernbare Braueinheit und gab damals deshalb den Ausschlag für meine Kaufeintscheidung. Auch der Kaffee schmeckte mir von der Delonghi sehr gut. Allerdings ist die Kaffeemaschine keine Intelligenzbestie. Ist der Tank nicht genügend gefüllt, wird trotzdem Kaffee gemahlen und dann bricht die Zubereitung wegen dem fehlenden Wasser ab. Auch zuwenig Bohnen wird nicht angezeigt, weshalb dann einfach ein wässeriger Kaffe entsteht. Und auch das Entkalkungsprogramm, welches nur eine Entkalkung des Wasserauslasses, nicht jedoch der Brühgruppe anbietet, war nur eines von vielen Mängeln die mich bei der Delonghi täglich nervten. Am meisten gestört hat mich jedoch, dass bei der Jura wie auch bei der Delonghi schnell mal Schimmel in der Maschine entstand. Da ständig ein feuchtwarmes Klima herrscht, hat man bei nicht täglicher Reinigung sofort ein Schimmelproblem. Das wurde bei der Miele mit dem integrierten Ventilator (welchen man übrigens fast nicht hört) wirklich genial gelöst. Ich bin mit wenigen Abstrichen deshalb absolut begeistert von dieser Maschine. Angefangen von dem tollen Design mit integrierter Beleuchtung und dem Auslauf, welcher sich vollautomatisch an die Grösse des Gefässes anpasst, bis hin zu dem einfachem System, welches ein müheloser Bezug (und Reinigung) von Kaffeespezialitäten mit Milch erlaubt, bietet diese Maschine wirklich alles was das Herz begehrt. Einige Kritikpunkte habe allerdings auch ich. Wie Didgeplayer bereits geschrieben hat, ist die App zur Steuerung der Maschine wirklich eine Katastrophe. Mir ist die Android App 3 von 5 Mal abgestürzt. Nebenbei konnte ich nirgends die Funktion der Restmenge von Bohnen oder Kaffeewasser (wie bei einigen Händlern teilweise ausgelobt) abrufen. Ich denke das mit der Appfunktion steht noch in den Kinderschuhen und sollte unbedingt nachgebessert werden. Da ich die Maschine zuhause (wo ich auch arbeite) verwende, benötige ich diese Spielerei sowieso nicht wirklich. Ein weiterer Punkt der meiner Meinung nach verbessert werden könnte, ist die Serviceklappe. Diese wird mit Magneten (oben, mittig, unten) verschlossen. Eine Einkerbung zum Öffnen der Türe gibt es nicht. Aus diesem Grund muss man die Türe an der Unterseite anpacken und dann aufziehen. Damit wird die Kunststofftüre jedes Mal etwas gedehnt, was dem Plastik auf längere Zeit sicher nicht gut tut. Ein weiterer Punkt ist der Teebezug. Bei der Delonghi und bei der Jura konnte man ebenfalls Tee beziehen. Der Auslass war schon dort nicht schnell aber genügend. Bei der Miele kommt das Teewasser allerdings derart dünn (Rinnsalmässig) heraus, dass man für eine grössere Teetasse sehr viel Geduld/Zeit einplanen muss. Und wenn wir schon beim Tee sind. Meine Lieblingstasse ist eine Starbucks mit 0,5l Inhalt. Leider kann ich auch mit einem angefertigten Profil nie die ganze Tasse füllen, da das Maximum bei ca. 3dl liegt. Da muss man notgedrungen auf das Teekannenprogramm zurückgreifen. Geht natürlich auch, doch Teeliebhaber werden diese Maschine bestimmt nicht des Tees wegen kaufen. ;-) Ein weiterer Kritikpunkt, ist der Bezug von heisser Milch. Während man die Wärme des Kaffees wie auch des Teewassers festlegen kann, bleibt diese Funktion beim Milchbezug verwehrt. Da wir ein kleines Kind haben, wäre es aber sehr praktisch, wenn man die Milch nur warm, aber nicht heiss machen könnte. Ich habe es mal über ein Profil versucht, doch es geht definitiv nicht. Vielleicht reicht Miele hier mal ein Update nach. Ansonsten habe ich wirklich keine Negativpunkte mehr gefunden. Was mir ebenfalls sehr gefällt (Didgeplayer hat es bereits erwähnt) ist die sehr gute Bezeichnung sämtlicher Teile, welche in den Geschirrspühler dürfen. Auch die Demontage der Auslaufblende oder des Drucksensors ist gelungen einfach gelöst worden. Betreffend den vielen Spühlvorgängen (Kritik von Didgeplayer) stimme ich ihm zu, dass die Wasserschublade schnell mal geleert werden muss. Doch hier stellt sich die Frage was man lieber möchte. Eine hygienische Maschine, welche sich wirklich selbst reinigt, oder eine Schimmelsporensammlung, welche sich nur mit grösserem Reinigungsaufwand betreiben lässt? Ich hatte zwei solche Maschinen und wünsche diese überhaupt nicht mehr zurück.

Update nach 3 Wochen in Betrieb:
Nach wie vor sind wir mit dieser Maschine super zufrieden. Einige Verbesserungsvorschläge (vielleicht liest ja Miele mit) möchte ich jedoch noch anfügen.

1.) Eigene Profile zu erstellen finde ich an und für sich eine tolle Sache. Aber… diese Funktionalität steckt meiner Meinung nach noch etwas in den Kinderschuhen. Weshalb kann ich nicht den gesamten Ablauf meines Lieblingskaffees ändern? Ich kann zwar die verwendete Bohnensorte, die Wassertemperatur und den Mahlgrad ändern. Ich kann jedoch nicht einen eigenen Latte Macchiato zusammenstellen. So hätte ich z.B. gerne anstatt zuerst etwas Milch im Glas, gleich mehr Milchschaum. Ich kann jedoch die Reihenfolge nicht verändern. Da gäbe es doch bestimmt softwaremässig noch Möglichkeiten.

2.) Bei der Delonghi konnte man die Ausgabe eines Filterkaffees simulieren. D.h. die Maschine mahlte zuerst die Bohnen und liess dann während 1 ½ - 2 Minuten nur immer ganz wenig Wasser durch den Filter laufen. Das hätte man bei der Miele doch auch umsetzen können. Oder – und damit sind wir wieder bei Punkt 1. Wenn man in den Profilen zusätzlich auch noch die Durchlaufgeschwindigkeit einstellen könnte, hätte man als Kunde wirklich alle Möglichkeiten sich seinen eigenen Kaffee zu kreieren. Hier hätte Miele noch viel Potential das ansonsten schon gute Produkte noch weiter zu verbessern.

Einen Negativpunkt muss ich auch nach 3 Wochen Betrieb noch anfügen. Die Tassenheizung habe ich mal Testweise für eine Stunde aktiviert. Ganz ehrlich: Das ist schon fast ein Placebo Effekt. Die Ablage wird lediglich lauwarm und trägt bestimmt nicht dazu bei, dass der Kaffee anschliessend wärmer ist. Da hätte die Tassenheizung von Jura und Delonghi wirklich mehr gebracht, wenn ich diese auch nie benötigt habe.

Fazit: Hoher Anschaffungspreis, jedoch wird man mit Qualität, Genuss und Freude belohnt.

Grüsse aus der Schweiz
P.B.

It’s a perfect size to put on my desk and the car. It’s winter time, and I am always close the window. This one gave me some fresh air to refresh my brain.