The Complete Mission: Impossible Dossier

Customer Reviews:

Inside Information On The Greatest Television Series Of All.......2007-03-06

In my humble opinion, Mission: Impossible is the most imaginative television series of all time. This book is the perfect companion, giving
much information on the gestation of the series, the creator, Bruce Geller, the actors, directors, writers, producers and a list of every episode made, including the 1980's revival of the series. What is not apparent to the viewer but comes out in this history of the series, is that the series underwent a number of major crises, any one of which could have finished it off, yet it survived to last for seven seasons, while generally maintaining its quality. For example, not many know that creator Geller actually only wrote one episode, the pilot (the story of the nuclear bombs stored in the vault of a hotel in a Latin American country). Although he rode herd on the show for several seasons, he was finally forcibly ejected from the studio. Original star of the series, Steven Hill was forced to leave the show due to matters of concience.
During season three, when the finest episodes of the series were being
produced, the top writers got into a fiery dispute with Geller and quit in the middle of the season leaving no scripts ready to be filmed. Fortunately, Paul Playdon, possibly the best writer of all to work on the series was recruited at this crucial moment and saved the show. At the end of this same third season, stars Martin Landau and Barbara Bain both quit the show. In spite of all this, the show survived and more or less maintained its quality.
One of the best things in the book is that it lists the stuntmen-doubles who appeared in the show. In the first-season episode called "The Confession", there is one of the most amazing stunts I have ever seen on television....Rollin Hand (played by Martin Landau) and bad-guy Andreas Soloweichek (David Sheiner) are hand-cuffed together and jump out of a moving vehicle. According to this book, the stunt was performed by Buzz Henry and Chuck Wilcox. It is about time these two heroes got credit for doing one of the most dangerous stunts I have ever seen...as you see them rolling around on the road, it is amazing that they didn't break every bone in their bodies and have their arms dislocated. And for all this, they weren't even mentioned in the credits! Kudos to Mr White for giving them and their colleagues their due.

Now that Mission: Impossible is being brought out in DVD, it might be time
to bring this book out as a reprint.

Mission: Impossible Review.......2002-06-19

This book is a perfect companion for any MI fan. Includes plot details and breakdowns and actor bio's and series reviews. Everything is here. Definetly worth buying and now all i want is for Paramount to release series on DVD. Life would be perfect then.

A very thorough, detailed, entertaining book!.......1999-02-10

This book is outstanding! I own 4 copies myself. If you like entertainment, or research, this is the book for you. It's full of pictures, details, information, and synopsises. I love it! A classy, intelligent book, for a classy, intelligent show!

Excellent reference book for the popular TV series.......1997-03-30

The book delivers as promised. Filled with interesting facts about the actors, plots, creators and devices of the series. Comments critically on each show. I wish there was a multimedia CD ROM available

Average customer rating:

Better and better!
Better and better!
Excellent for adults and children.
Wow! What a powerful story!

Elsie's Impossible Choice, Book 2

Manufacturer: Zonderkidz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 192874902X

Book Description

Happiness seems illusive when nine-year-old Elsie Dinsmore faces danger at the hands of a jealous family member--and worse, the loss of her father's affection. Will she have the courage to choose between her beloved Papa and a life that promises only loneliness and grief?

Customer Reviews:

Better and better!.......2000-02-24

If you love to read series books than Elsie is for you! Her troubles get so sad sometimes but it always turns out okay in the end. She is a strong Christian girl and I love these books so very much. I looked at the other ones about Elsie Dinsmore that aren't like this (they are paperback ) and they were different.Not as easy to read or fun. Read all of them, but when is Book 5 coming out! Thanks!

Better and better!.......2000-02-24

Excellent for adults and children........1999-10-30

My mother received the first 4 books in the Elsie series when she was a child. I, too, read these as a child. I have just got them out and read them again. I would LOVE to have a copy of all 28 just for my and my family's reading pleasure.

I believe they are a wonderful guide for the life of anyone today. Striving for perfection in obedience to our parents and Heavenly Father is what is really required of us all.

Wow! What a powerful story!.......1999-09-10

This is a great book. The story is so captivating that you have to keep going to find out what happens. And what a powerful ending! I loved it and I can't wait to read the next one!

Mission: Cook!: My Life, My Recipes, and Making the Impossible Easy

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Cooking on the Edge!
Entertaining...Easy to follow recipes...Great Read!

Mission: Cook!: My Life, My Recipes, and Making the Impossible Easy
Robert Irvine , and Brian O'reilly
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0061237892
Release Date: 2007-09-18

Book Description

The star of Food Network's Dinner: Impossible, Chef Robert Irvine shares the adventurous story of his life, his thoughts on cooking, and his favorite recipes

There are few chefs on the planet who do what Irvine does, flying around the world at a moment's notice to cook for heads of state, royalty, and celebrities. Irvine reveals his fascinating past and unorthodox culinary training. His career as a world-renowned chef began at the age of fifteen when he was discovered by Prince Charles while cooking in the mess halls of the British Royal Navy.

In Mission: Cook! Irvine tells the wild stories of his career, from studying under the best European chefs to cooking for three thousand refugees on a beach while civil war raged in South Yemen to preparing an Oscars feast while coordinating the biggest chefs in the business. Sprinkled throughout are Irvine's most incredible recipes from his travels around the world, including Roasted Duck with White Bean Ragout, Truffle Oil, and Shaved Parmesan Cheese; Tea-Smoked Chicken; Lobster Risotto with Clams; and his ethereal Windsor Angel Food Cake. Easy to prepare and deliciously satisfying, these are dishes that everyone will savor.

Irvine's candid stories and behind-the-scenes look at the creation of his Food Network TV show Dinner: Impossible prove that the life of a celebrity chef is anything but ordinary. As is Mission: Cook!—a unique and fascinating look into the mind and life of one of the world's hottest chefs.

Customer Reviews:

Cooking on the Edge!.......2007-10-03

Irvine's FoodNetwork Program "Dinner Impossible" is a favorite. It shows forth in this book, interspersed stories about his life and development as a chef alongside recipes that demonstrate usually what the stories have been going on about. Both very fascinating and involved.

Most of these are not for the typical home chef, but rather the adventurous like Irvine. For those with the energy and determination it will take in technique and time to prepare and some ingredients that are not all that easy to obtain or work with, it will be rewarding.

Most all the recipes have nice feature of detailed instructions along with equipment required and tips on techniques or ingredients. Some e.g. Duck Breast Stuffed with Apples and Chestnuts and Roasted in Bacon have excellent gameplan outline with estimated times also, which is so nice and useful. This recipe is wildly good!

I enjoy the challenge and uniqueness of this recipe collection and look forward to trying many more of these recipes, e.g. Tea-Smoked Chicken with Chilled Sour Brussels Spouts; Colossal Crab, Apple, and Fennel Salad with Chive Oil; Pear Apple Crumb Pie; Tuna Poached in Olive Oil over Shrimp and Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes; Creole Red Snapper with Farmhouse Grits and Red Pepper Coulis.

The stories are a hoot, especially the one of Guppy in Jamaica and the scotch bonnet episode. Excellent color photos of plated food. Good reading and good cooking for the daring and adventurous.

Entertaining...Easy to follow recipes...Great Read!.......2007-09-26

Of the hundreds of books I've bought on Amazon.com, "Mission:Cook!" by Robert Irvine, with Brian O'Reilly, is among the most enjoyable and informative. Robert shows the same "This can be done" attitude in print, as he does in video and he does it with grace and humor. Whether you want to be entertained or simply add to your recipe collection, this book is a must! Buy it!

Death March: The Complete Software Developer's Guide to Surviving 'Mission Impossible' Projects (Yourdon Computing Series)

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Old but still relevant and useful
ADVICE FOR ED: RETIRE!
Perfect in a good economy. Waiting for new advice in 2 Ed.
Essential reading for all involved in software development
Little new information...

Death March: The Complete Software Developer's Guide to Surviving 'Mission Impossible' Projects (Yourdon Computing Series)
Edward Yourdon
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0130146595

Amazon.com

Death march projects are becoming increasingly common in the software industry. The symptoms are obvious: The project schedule, budget, and staff are about half of what is necessary for completion. The planned feature set is unrealistic. People are working 14 hours a day, six or seven days a week, and stress is taking its toll. The project has a high risk of failure, yet management is either blind to the situation or has no alternative. Why do these irrational projects happen, and what, other than pure idiocy, leads people to get involved in them?

Edward Yourdon has produced a wise and highly readable book on the entire death march phenomenon and the best way to steer through one. He takes a close look at the types of projects that often become death marches and the corporate politics and culture that typically produce them; Yourdon helps you examine your own motivations and those of corporate managers who enable death marches to take shape.

Much of Death March is about the human element of highly stressful projects. The author's plain-spoken observations on the dysfunctional organization--the Machiavellian politics, naive optimism, lust for power, fear, and sheer managerial stupidity that guide so many death marches--make for a refreshing change from other project management books. You'll also find much practical advice to help you survive, everything from negotiating with upper management to breathing life into faltering projects. He'll even help you determine if you should look for another job.

If you've ever worked in a death march situation or been a client of a company addicted to death march management, this book will help you understand what happened. More importantly, it will help you prepare for future encounters with death marches. Death March is highly recommended for anyone involved in software development.

Customer Reviews:

Old but still relevant and useful.......2006-06-29

You can consider yourself a very lucky software professional if you have not been involved in a 'death march' project (as a tester/developer/manager/architect/etc). Luck runs out -- so consider buying this book or hearing similar advice from others who have felt like their lives would end on that "phony deadline", before ending up there.

The first brownie point for the book goes for recognizing that the software industry is immature - which is the main reason behind such projects. It then describes what to look out for, and other points of caution that one needs to have in mind.

It was refreshing to see my personal experience match the author's, in terms of what generally works and what does not. Other than that, as with most books of its kind, in the end it seems as if it was elaborating on the most natural pieces of advice; still, noone is surprised to see 'death march' projects fail.

In particular, Yourdon describes how teams and team member dynamics play out in such scenarios, as well as the HR functions necessary to complete the picture. He talks about the Politics, and how the stakeholders manage their negotiations in such projects. He also brings up processes ("triage"!) and project management practices that could help (but only if they are not based on bureaucratic concepts). Furthermore, although he devotes a few pages on risk management, there is not enough coverage on that topic - although one could claim that most of the book is exactly that.

Overall, a good and worthwhile read if you are in the software business - but since each situation is unique, your mileage may vary.

ADVICE FOR ED: RETIRE!.......2003-11-15

A few years back, Ed was so hard up for cash that he wrote a book called "Time Bomb 2000!" in which he predicted the end of civilization. This silly prophecy only served to expose Yourdon for the fly-by-night, fast-talking, hourly-rate, con artist that he is. In other words, Ed completely undermined his reputation with every CIO in the industry.

My guess is that, on 1/1/2000, Ed was hunkering down in his survival retreat, drinking his bottled water, and wondering where in god's name his credibility went.

Given that his career as an oracle was cut short, Ed decided that he'd stop predicting the future and start cashing out on the 9/11 mania. Just like any talk show host or stand up comedian, Ed found ample material to make a few bucks off of the hysteria. He demonstrated the kind of initiative that would make Jeraldo Rivera proud.

The goal of this book is to keep Ed's name in circulation, so that he can charge a few more dollars for his worthless consulting services. Perhaps he'll use the royalties to refinish his deck or replace the transmission in his aging sports car. Ed's not going to tell you anything you don't already know, he's just going to make you think he will (which is the trick he uses to get you to buy it).

This leads me to think that I need to write Ed a letter...

Dear Ed,

Hello there little trooper. Isn't time for someone to pack it up and call it a career? Wouldn't the whole industry benefit if you took your fat, wrinkled, mug out of the public eye.

You pretty much admitted, in DeathMarch, that structured analysis was a crock. Face it, old man, you're over the hill. You've got no good ideas left. You're so desperate for ideas that you're reprinting Deathmarch. What are you going to do next time, reprint Time Bomb 2000!

I think you've fooled enough people out of their money. You've had your fun, Ed, now retire to Boca Raton and give us all a well deserved rest.

Please, Ed, pretty please.

Your Pal,
LLNL Engineer

Perfect in a good economy. Waiting for new advice in 2 Ed........2003-10-12

This book by best-selling author Edward Yourdon is aimed at giving advice to everyone on a software development team on how to survive "Mission Impossible" projects. The underlying assumption behind this book is that in the worse case scenario, you can quit your job and move to another company. This strategy worked during the boom economy of 1997 through mid 2000.

But since 2001, it has become increasing difficult to take this stance. I am hoping the author will address these issues as applicable to the current environment where you can be out of a job for a year or two if you don't toe the line drawn by the powers that be.

Anyway, keeping this dangerous assumption in mind, this book provides a good insight into why these 'death march' projects happen and what you can do about it. These difficult projects are defined as "a forced march imposed upon relatively innocent victims, the outcome of which is a high casualty rate". The conditions usually involve one of more of the following - highly compressed schedule, reduced staff, minimal budget, and excessive features.

This short book starts off with an introduction to why these bad projects happen in the first place. The topics of politics, negotiations, people in death march projects, processes, tools and technology, and death march as a way of life. These are the various chapters in the book. As you can tell by the title of the last chapter, the author believes that death march projects are really the norm and not the exception so we all need to learn how to handle them.

If you don't have much time, the author recommends reading the concept of 'triage' discussed in Chapter 5: Processes and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this chapter before going back to the preface and the rest of the book. There are some very interesting personal notes by the author at the end of each chapter that are really worth reading. Even though the author claims that he is being serious, the book is very humorous throughout. Of course, it is easy to laugh if you are reading this book at a time when you are NOT on a death march project.

In chapter 2, five typical political players of a death march project are identified - owner, customer, shareholder, stakeholder, and champion. There is then a discussion of each type. If pressed for time, read pages 52-59. In chapter 3, a few of the familiar games are discussed - doubling and add some, reverse doubling, guess the number I'm thinking of, double dummy spit, spanish inquisition, low bid, gotcha, chinese water torture, smoke and mirrors, and finally hidden variables of maintainability/quality. If pressed for time, read pages 80-85.

In chapter 4 about people, on the topic of team building issues, 8 project roles are talked about - chairman, shaper, plant, monitor-evaluator, company worker, team worker, resource investigator, and completer. The 7 practices that lead to 'teamicide' are also addressed - defensive management, bureaucracy, physical separation of team members, fragmentation of people's time, quality reduction of the product, phony deadlines, and clique control. The four stages of team gelling are pointed out - forming, storming, norming, and performing. These four stages are discussed in various other books also.

My favorite chapter is on Processes (chapter 5) where the concept of 'triage' is discussed as applied to software development projects. Don't miss this chapter. Chapter 6 is a very short chapter on tools and techniques that most of us may already be familiar and if not, read this chapter as it is a good discussion on how right tools can affect your success positively. I felt the last chapter was more of a philosophical discussion of death march projects being a way of life and what to do about it.

Overall, this book is a must-have even if you are a veteran to the software development field. Don't forget to check out 'Rapid Development' by Steve McConnell that is a much heavier treatise on software development and the various success techniques.

The author of 'Death March' - Edward Yourdon has a website with his last name as the URL with the latest information on this subject. As I mentioned in the subject line and at the beginning of this review, there is a risk in following this book in this weak economy that could prove especially dangerous for IT professionals ultimately resulting in a spot in the unemployment line. Since it is so close to the publication of the second edition, the author has removed the manuscript chapters on this new release. So I am not really sure if he has a new philosophy for this type of an economy in the upcoming second edition. I would recommend waiting for this second edition. Good luck!

Essential reading for all involved in software development.......2003-04-30

I recommend this book for anyone involved in the software development process - although this book is essential reading for software developers, it is also important that project managers read this book. A team consisting of software developers reading this book, and a naive project manager, is similar to a "death march" marriage where one spouse goes to a counselor, and one does not. I stumbled upon this book while working on my third major software project, and reading it greatly increased my understanding of the people issues which existed on that project. The "notes" section at the end of each chapter is especially good, each of which contains very pragmatic information. As a current computer science/software engineering graduate student who was encouraged to read "The Mythical Man Month" by Brooks upon entering the field during the last decade, I believe "Death March" is an essential accompanying text to Brooks.

Little new information..........2003-03-29

Chances are, anyone who's reading this book is on or has been on the very "Death March" projects it describes; I know I have.

As such, the book reads not so much like new information, but rather like a conversation around the watercooler. "Should have bailed on that project," "Try to get all the 'must have' functions complete," etc.

The upshot: While this book is affirming of the ad hoc insights all developers make as we go along, nothing's particularly revolutionary here. If you've survived one "Death March", you have these lessons hardwired into your brain:
1) Understand the politics of your organization
2) Don't use risky, not-ready-for-primetime technologies
3) Prioritize your function and drop fluff as necessary to meet your targets.
4) If all else fails, quit. That'll teach 'em.

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

wonderful character building series.......2007-03-18

My 9 yr old D. is just embarking on the Elsie journey. It is a wonderful series of character building books. I debated on whether to get the original books or the updated version. I ended up choosing the updated version. The character life lessons are still there but with a little more ease in reading them.

Protection Against Genocide: Mission Impossible?

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Protection Against Genocide: Mission Impossible?

Manufacturer: Praeger Paperback
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0275965163

Book Description

Without succumbing to utopian fantasies or "realistic" pessimism, Riemer and his contributors call for strengthening the key institutions of a global human rights regime, developing an effective policy of prudent prevention of genocide, working out a sagacious strategy of keenly targeted sanctions--political, economic, military, judicial--and adopting a guiding philosophy of just humanitarian intervention. They underscore significant changes in the international system--the end of the Cold War, economic globalization, the communications revolution-- that hold open the opportunity for significant, if modest, movement toward strengthening key institutions. The essays explore key problems in working toward prevention of genocide. They highlight the existence of considerable early warning of genocide and emphasize that the real problem is a lack of political will in key global institutions. Sanctions, especially economic sanctions may punish a genocidal regime, but at the expense of innocent civilians. Thus, more clearly targeted sanctions are seen as essential. The argument on behalf of a standing police force to deal with the crime of genocide, as they show, is powerful and controversial: powerful because the need is persuasive, controversial because political realists question its cost and political feasibility. Implementing a philosophy of just humanitarian intervention requires an appreciation of the difficulties of interpreting those principles in difficult concrete situations. A permanent international criminal tribunal to deter and punish genocide, they argue, will put into place a much needed component of a global human rights regime. A thoughtful analysis for scholars and students of international politics and law, and human rights in general.

Average customer rating:

best book ever.
Now the movie makes sense!
Good morning, Mr. Hunt!
Loved the Movie, Love the Book!!!
Misson: Impossible was the best book I ever read!

Mission: Impossible
Peter Barsocchini
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0671549219

Customer Reviews:

best book ever........1999-08-13

watch the movie its a lot easier and no brain power is needed

Now the movie makes sense!.......1999-06-24

This is amazingly well crafted for a movie novelization. Explains all the background details that the movie skips over...reading the book made the movie comprehensible. Best novelization I've ever read.

Good morning, Mr. Hunt!.......1999-05-02

I loved this book. I would strongly recommend it to anyone. I thought that all of the personal info on Ethan really helps you get to know him. This book is a page-turner and a must-read!

Loved the Movie, Love the Book!!!.......1999-02-04

I thought the movie was good, the book is as good or better. It contains suspense, and is full of surprises. I don't genereally read many books, but this was a must read!

Misson: Impossible was the best book I ever read!.......1998-08-24

This book ruled! It was much better than the movie! I would recommend this book to any action-suspense lover! The part where they try and recover the NOC list in the CIA was fully detailed! A must read!

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Moses, Mission Impossible
Ethel Barrett
Manufacturer: Regal Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0830707727

Mission Impossible: Operation Surma (Prima's Official Strategy Guide)

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Mission Impossible: Operation Surma (Prima's Official Strategy Guide)
Michael Knight
Manufacturer: Prima Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0761539735
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Book Description

Expect the Impossible . . . Again!
·Complete walkthrough of each level, from Embassy Row to the airborne finale
·Tactics for completing each objective
·Learn the skills of stealthy infiltration
·All weapons, items, and gadgets explained
·Bios for each IMF agent and other main characters
·Detailed maps showing the location of all enemies and security devices

Impossible Missions?: German Economic, Military, and Humanitarian Efforts in Africa (Texts and Contexts)

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Impossible Missions?: German Economic, Military, and Humanitarian Efforts in Africa (Texts and Contexts)
Nina Berman
Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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This study of the German presence in Africa in the modern period exposes forms of cultural domination that derive from a philosophy of progress and “good intentions.” The humanitarian belief in development, however, can ultimately lead to the same structural imbalances that an overtly racist model of intervention produces. Berman examines five case studies involving German individuals and their respective “missions” in Africa: Max Eyth in Egypt, Albert Schweitzer in Gabon, Ernst Udet in East Africa, Bodo Kirchoff in Somalia, and modern-day tourists in Kenya. These engineers, doctors, pilots, soldiers, and tourists believed that their presence and actions would benefit the respective countries and their inhabitants. Nevertheless, their interventions created profound problems for Africans.

Nina Berman describes the structures of domination that date back to colonialism but did not disappear with decolonization and are, in fact, integral to today’s global economy. She also critiques the avoidance of African material reality in most of the analyses of European images of Africa, which has led to a perpetuation of the old model of Africanism. By highlighting patterns of domination that did not disappear with decolonization, Impossible Missions? disputes previous assumptions about why global inequality has not only persisted but increased.

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