This book on Tactical Management is based on Mr. Parker's live presentations and workshops, conducted over the last twenty-five years. For those who have studied the subject and for those who are beginners, this book defines and illustrates bedrock concepts that every manager needs.

For the past 25 years, Ron Parker has lectured, written and consulted in the field of Business Operations Improvement. The articles in this book are a brief digest and sample of the most valuable lessons learned on such topics as: Metrics - Technology Integration - Accountability and Motivation - Roles & Responsibilities - Operations Methods, Procedures & Work Flow - Customer Service & Call Center Operations - Sustainable Customer Service and Support - Reduction of Scrap, Re-Work and Returned Product - Quality Data Analysis & Reporting - Decision Support and Back Office Processes - Scheduling & Work Force Management - Operations Process Knowledge Management - and more.

Thought Blurts is a collection of brief, thought-provoking statements and expressions that have occurred to the author, usually during moments of perfect clarity. These sometimes humorous, most-times obvious mental outbursts were recorded by the author over a period spanning many years. Blurts may provide the reader with true 'Aha' moments and are best taken in small doses.

Detective Inspector Tom Jackson and his sergeant, Charles Rigby are called in to investigate when Colin Lovell returns home to find his wife dead and his young son missing. However, Jackson has more to worry about than a murder and a missing child.

Asian Orange was written to fulfill two significant needs in my life. The first need is that of responding to my muse. My muse periodically stands on my shoulder, tugs at my collar, and whispers in my ear that I must keep my creative juices flowing. It reminds me that I have "life songs" that have gone yet unsung. The second and most crucial need is that of allowing myself to release pent-up emotions about the Vienam War, one of the most defining periods of my life. As I wrote, I was afforded an entre into a part of my psyche from which I had chosen to escape. As I thought and wrote about my experiences and the stories and experiences of other GIs, the memories began to serve as an elixir for much of what I had been fighting hard to forget. I finally was able to come to grips with many experiences, as well as to assign reason and rationality to incidents which are still difficult when bringing them to a level of consciousness.-Ron Parker

In this revised edition of The Sheep Book, Ron Parker updates many aspects of sheep stewardship--such as new or newly banned medications, progress in reproductive technology, popular new sheep breeds, and the growing dairy sheep field. Updated nutrition tables, as well as email and web addresses, further enhance the book's sensible advice and gentle wit. The Sheep Book is organized according to the natural reproductive cycle of the ewe, leading the reader through a year in sheep's life during which sheep and shepherd form a symbiosis. A good shepherd manages a flock so that its care and environment fits all stages of the annual journey--from breeding through pregnancy, lambing, growing of lambs, marketing of lambs and wool, and the revitalization of the ewe for another cycle. "Sheep are the ideal, useful domesticated animal," writes Parker. "They are hardy and healthy. Except for an occasional aggressive ram or uppity ewe they are gentle and submissive. They are small enough for a good-sized child or senior citizen to handle. They give both superlative meat and a fiber that has no peer. They are the ideal animal for the homestead, small farm, place in the country, suburban backyard, or any other place where man makes his home and grass will grow." The Sheep Book is especially valuable for small and moderate-scale sheep raisers and those interested in growing wool for fiber arts. Enhanced and updated for the internet age, this classic book is a valuable companion for anyone who wants to raise sheep that are healthy and productive, and to do so by working in harmony with the natural instincts of sheep and the rhythms of the natural world.