If you read this book you will get a fast fun course in publishing. Teaches you the ins and outs and is a lot of fun.

Rick Frishman. Pres Planned TV Arts and co author of GUERRILLA MARKETING FOR WRITERS

I like the title. I think all three editors did a good job. I'm not trying to get a book published, but I found this book fascinating because it explores the mysteries of the sometimes zen-, othertimes shark-like world of publishing. After reading this book, I'm left feeling that these writers either need the enormity of clammy perserverance or quicksilver luck. You can't just have talent as a writer -- you need publishing talent, too!

If you're impatient and anxious to get your book published, don't buy this one. If you don't like Writer's Market, or other such books, this one will annoy you. First-Book Market is for serious writers who are willing to do some work. I, for one, especially like the section where several authors tell stories about what it took to get their books published -- check it out. That said, it's a good read, and it'll give you a leg up if you want a climb. While you're at it, read my book!

Akers is limited by the series he is writing for so very little can be blamed on him, in fact he does a good job with what little he is allotted but his use of her first name throughout is not only taboo for historians but could also be considered sexist -- would you call Thomas Jefferson, "Tom" in a biography? Also, major figures in Adams' life have merely the depth of cardboard cutouts. Possibly suitable for the high school freshmen, probably not undergraduate and certainly not for the graduate level.

Akers does a great job of placing the information from Abigail's letters into a story, without directly quoting the letters line by line. A story is presented to the reader through the eyes of the First Lady. It was a required text for an American History class, though I did enjoy reading it. The story itself; however, can be deeply depressing while still communicating the accounts of the famous political family. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about the other side of politics.

HI H

This is a nice large calendar that we are using as our "main" kitchen calendar for scheduling. The photos have large, white borders around them, which isn't too bad, but I would have liked to have the pictures a little larger. The selected images are also good, but there are a few of his that I would have liked to have seen included in the calendar. A nice touch is that January 2003 is included as a full-size calendar month.

This is typically Adams. The photos are of frameable size which is what I will eventually do.

The saying is that a picture is worth 1,000 words. In Ansel Adams' case each & every picture is worth a dictionary!

I've been staring at these intense moments captured over 70 years ago & reprinted with such artistry that draws you closer & closer to catch each detail & then has you stepping back, back to drink in the big picture.

With the Ansel Adams at 100 Wall Calendar your New Year will be magnificent!

Shame on Mr. Crichton for ripping off this much better novel (He seems to have done a similar job by adapting Burroughs's TARZAN AND THE LION MAN as CONGO-- see David Pringle's ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SCIENCE FICTION.). Characters, descriptions, and situations are much better than expected, making this novel far better than it has any right to be (even if the dino data is a little dated). Doesn't skimp on the thrills, either; like other reviewers have said: not for the kiddies. Chalk this one up as a guilty pleasure.

.... I just finished reading it and if your looking for decent story that has plenty of dinosaur chomping humans in a graphic manner then you've come to the right place. Its pretty straight forward read , interesting story line , decent characters , lotsa violence (beware kiddies!), and some sex (beware american kiddies!). The dinosaurs are depicted fairly well , Infact I was expecting them to be slighly more reptilian but the book describes them pretty well even thought the book was based on dino info from the 80's. Funnily enough this version seems like a slightly watered down version of micheal crichtons 'jurassic park' novel , except this book came first. it almost seems like mr crichton read this book and decided to elaborate some more on , borrowing the themes and *gasp* the dinosaurs species themselves from this book. Crichton made dinosaurs in his book sound better when it came to movements and he basically rewrote this book times 10 (instead on estate , he wrote about a park. He describes the method of cloning in more detail in his book , but its uncannily similar to whats in carnosaur). harry adam knight (not his real name!) treats the humans in his novel with contempt and a lot of monster cliches are used and but then again alot of them are broken. basically if life was fair it would be mr. knight rolling around in hollywood dino bucks not mr. crichton, because after reading carnosaur it becomes pretty obivious where crichton ripped his ideas from. once again if you wanna read where the original 'dinosaurs escaping and running amok story' this is the one to start with , pretenders beware (even if their really good pretenders!).

...by the adaptation to film, the book is nothing like the film. This is a book much like Jurassic Park (the Novel) - The dinosaurs *do* eat people, and in the most realistic way possible, lets be honest, there has to be blood, and from the first chapter to the last the blood flows. I first read this when I was 15, and keep coming back to it year after year, as the story never fails to keep the tension up. If you like Jurassic Park, give it a go, if you hate it - at least you'll know, if you like it, well, you will have expanded your author list!

Tired old jokes that we have all seen before. Exactly the same as all his other books. Retire now and enjoy your fortune, Scott !

i thought that this book was terrible recycled topics and un-funny jokes so i give it 1 OUT OF 5 STARS. thank you.

I've heard it said that some executives carry a pocket copy of "The Art of War" with them into meetings because corporate America resembles said work.

I carry this little treasure with me into meetings because this is what corporate America REALLY resembles.

This little collection takes some of the best shots at Pointy Haired Boss that I've come to really enjoy. It's a serious laugh and for the price, why not?

A great gift for your boss? :-D

Adam McDaniel's 1st novel outing, How to Succeed in Heaven W/o Really Dying (HtSiHWRD), throws several interesting twists on an old familiar spin thus creating a fun piece of work. While his approach to the overall plot isn't terribly unique, the quirky nuances are different enough to make this an enjoyable & comfortable read. McDaniel combines a bit of Richard Russo, a dash of Piers Anthony, & the feel from the movie City of Angels to produce an enjoyable 1st effort that tweeks the familiar yarn of Death, Heaven, & Hell. The drawback of this initial offering are a brevity best suited to a movie or stage script, & an unfortunate tendency towards a formulaic feel, but that shouldn't put anyone off from picking up Mr. McDaniel's book.

Reading HtSiHWRD, I was struck by the ability of McDaniel to put his own touch on the proverbial love & redemption story against the backdrop of good vs. evil. Starting w/the framework of parable, Mr. McDaniel deftly wraps the cliché structure w/a warped outer-works created w/his odd wit & eye for the ribald. Punctuating the keen absurdity is a whimsical sense of humour that flavours even the darkest of scenes. While I wouldn't call the author's tale or characters innovative, his tale telling is most definitively & authentically his own.

Mr. McDaniel isn't Richard Russo, but his skills in describing such things as the forlorn & bleak surroundings of a neighbourhood seen better days certainly has a feel like Russo's Mohawk. Further, the way he plays his characters w/that same kind of sympathetic morbidity almost creates the complex pleasure one has when reading a Russo work. However, unlike Russo, there isn't that awesome dynamic of simpatico experienced by the intricate like/distaste & melancholic severity each Russo multifaceted character can inspire in a reader. One simply empathises w/McDaniel's 2-dimensional players--which, while not cutting edge in originality, are most certainly entertaining.

For those readers familiar w/ Piers Anthony, you'll certainly note the same quirkiness inherent from the 'Incarnations of Immortality'--specifically the 1st in the series, 'On A Pale Horse'. Mr. McDaniel imbues his characters w/savvy one-liners that elicit chuckles much in the same way as Anthony's characters. Combine that w/ the same contemporary appeal taken from daily news headlines & pop culture & you've a pretty good picture of the well-balanced humour in the book. HtSiHWRD is definitely set in the present-day--references from Afghanistan to Enron abound & elicits the occasional bit of nostalgia in Gen Xers--the protagonist thinking back on a childhood memory playing Atari did it for me.

The movie City of Angels (CoA) hovers on angel's wings while reading this novel & that's not a bad thing. Just as CoA was a measured love story w/a spin, so to is HtSiHWRD. While the story is a template, the vision used to fill in the blanks is of a definite spice that avoids what could easily have turned out to be another ho-hum novel. However, while CoA had a certain emotional appeal that culminated in a bittersweet poignancy; the climax & tender end of 'Heaven' is a thing of touching endearment.

HtSiHWRD moves quickly--testimony to Mr. McDaniel's skill as a scriptwriter & cinematographer--I finished it in roughly 2 ½ hours cover to cover. The book runs in speedy chapters that tackle the subject matter @ hand & then move on in an economical fashion, much as a movie will. Indeed, this book is a movie or stage script simply waiting for a producer, director, & cast. Had Mr. McDaniel's skill scriptwriter's skill for brevity not overruled his innate creativity, the ranking for this novel would go up a ½ star (if Amazon.com allowed ½ stars). Yet, as the reader is left on their own too much, having to rely on guesswork in various situations, the detraction of information hurts the overall completeness of the tale. While this is fine for a movie or stage play due to the ability to have several things happen @ once, it doesn't do so well in a short novel.

Several gaps in the storyline don't spoil the book per se, but they do detract from the overall completeness of the novel. In several instances we're left to our devices to figure out the 'why' of certain events; it's rather like reading the dust jacket of a book, then opening it to a random chapter & starting to read. There's just enough background to formulate a few ideas, however, it's unsatisfying to presume the writer's intents in regards to what we're reading. Whether this is a result of editing for space or Mr. McDaniel's conciseness I'm not certain. I do know that while it subtracts from the overall quality of the novel, it spares the reader from a potential overload of triteness, which Mr. McDaniel tactfully avoids for the most part. Yet, I can't help but think this author could indeed overcome the need for tried & true in order to explain motivations behind actions that leave the reader a bit puzzled.

Overall, HtSiHWRD isn't a groundbreaking submission of innovation; rather, it's the embodiment of an author's Muse seductive whispers on how to bend banality into something different, yet the same. Don't get me wrong, this is a good read & I sincerely hope it's turned into a movie. I fully believe the screen & movie going public would do justice to Mr. McDaniel's work. Another hope is that Adam McDaniel is afforded the luxury of a full on novel where his Muse can amp up his originality & turn loose the wily creativity & clever wit on a more imaginative endeavour.

The way Mr. McDaniel fashioned his own take on the play of good and evil makes it very easy for me to say there's talent here folks, it just needs the opportunity completely open up & display itself.

After a slow and not-so-engaging start, Adam McDaniel kicks it into high gear in his debut novel, HOW TO SUCCEED WITHOUT REALLY DYING. By the halfway point, I couldn't put down this amusing and well told story about a man who argues with death's representative, meets a guardian angel dressed as a prostitute, and discovers the meaning of a good life.

Micah Cohen's parents died in a horrible accident that would have claimed Micah's young life as well if not for a child-angel who breathed life back into him. Despite this second chance, Micah has grown into a miserable, self-pitying man with a dead-end job. When he incompetently fails in a suicide attempt, he meets "Death's little helper" Coltan, a man with a day planner and an attitude who is furious that Micah didn't die on schedule. When Coltan sets another appointment with death for later that day, Micah obliges. But by the time the moment arrives, too much has changed inside Micah - and the story really begins.

Because his premise is somewhat trite, perhaps even sophomoric, McDaniels has his work cut out; however, he mostly rises to the challenge to deliver some genuinely human and amusing moments. Unfortunately, when he goes too far (or not far enough), he ruins his own illusion. One thing is certain: McDaniel knows how to tell a story. You won't be yawning during the climax of *this* novel.

Most of the characterization is so-so, but Coltan is an ingenious creation - he gets more laughs than any other character. Although the writing flows, never getting in the way of the plot, it seemed too pedestrian, too careless for a novel. (McDaniel's bio says he works in film and stage, which may explain his inattention to the demands of narrative prose.)

A few things REALLY bothered me about the edition of the book I read, although I didn't deduct rating points for them: the book was bound so close to the inner margins that it was often difficult to read the end/beginning of lines; "all right" was consistently misspelled as "alright"; and ellipses, which are frequent in this book, were incorrectly represented as three tight periods (...) instead of ". . .", which any competent editor should catch. I know these points seem niggling, but they did distract me.

All in all, though, McDaniels shows real storytelling talent and a penchant for irreverent humor. He has written a memorable book that deserves to be read. Although I couldn't give this book four stars, it really deserves more than three. I give it three and a half stars.

Sometimes a book you've never heard of comes your way, and when you read it, it takes you by surprize. This is such a book. I read some of the reviews on Amazon and was intrigued, so I ordered a copy.

"How to Succeed in Heaven Without Really Dying" may not be a great literary masterwork. The writing style is amicable, even eloquent at times, but it lacks refinement and occasionally -- as does the story -- lapses into clumbsiness. McDaniel isn't in same league as Charles Adams, whose influence is easily apparent in the story, but perhaps such comparisons aren't fair. But what his novel lacks in refinement it more than makes up with charm.

McDaniel does succeed in creating some wonderful characters and clever situations, laced with a hilarious and occasionally sick and twisted sense of humor. The book's first act showcases blistering comic shenanigans, but with a lead character who is both pitiful and more than a bit annoying, the first few chapters are a challenge to flip through, even if the book is relatively brief.

The setup is this: Micah is a New York businessman, whose miserable life has made him more than a bit cynical. After a failed suicide attempt, Coltan, a supernatural "agent for the afterlife", comes 'round to collect Micah's soul. The problem: Micah isn't dead yet, and so begins a tug-of-war between the natural world and what lies beyond.

Act I has funny moments, but its sole purpose seems to be describing the severity of Micah's miserable existance. Yet once Coltan enters, things pick up considerably. Coltan ranks as one of the most sadistic and entertaining characters in recent comic fantasy, bumbling and moronic at times, charming and sinister at others. Think of him as a cross between Gollum and your typical fast-talking Wall Street broker from hell.

Micah's attempts to correct his ways are surprisingly refreshing (particularly because he fails in spite of his best intentions), and the introduction of Micah's guardian angel, Christine, brings in a romantic subplot that is both humorous and touching.

But the shortcomings of the book's first half are more than redeemed in the second. Realizing not just that his life is worth living, but that he has been, in fact, his own worst problem all along, Micah's change of heart makes him much more endearing, both to the other characters and to the reader.

The supernatural elements to the story are sporatic -- Coltan pops up every now and then, enlivening things up with morbid glee. Filling in the holes are some truly wonderful subplots: Micah's relationship with the insensitive, bullying uncle who raised him (whom he later learns is dying), and a nurturing friendship with a young deaf boy. These fragmented storylines, added to a fostering romance between Micah and Christine (in the novel's weakest scene, our hero has sex with his guardian angel -- bet Frank Capra never saw THAT one coming), would normally give such a novel an episodic, uneven tone.

But, daring to use a biblical pun, the last act is a revelation. McDaniel does the unthinkable here: he takes the scattered, fragmented parts to the story and throws them all together in a truly rousing climax that is greater than the sum of its parts. It's funny, exciting, poignant, even SCARY, with some big surprizes and nice twists that even this normally jaded reviewer didn't see coming. (Readers will take particular delight with the novel's epilogue... A CLASSIC.)

Hardly a classic, but fun and giddy just the same, "How to Succeed in Heaven" is a notable work, certainly worthy of the short time one takes to read it. If "Bruce Almighty" can be a movie blockbuster, than this heavenly novel deserves an audience, too.

Today I ingested less than the reccomended dose of calamus. What followed was a mroning of the foulest thing I've eevr put in my mouht, 6+ hours of nausea and some good old fashioned puking. Thanks, Legal Highs. My Advicwe to you: stay away from calamus, and this book, most of the other ones I've tried had no effect whatsoever.

Read this book if you are new to legal highs. It lists
many sources of legal highs and where to find them, and
how much to take. WARNING - If you are unfamiliar
with chemistry / extraction and synthesis; you should
not be creating legal drugs from pure form, your
stomach and intestines / brain may not like what you
fed it. Or even if you are unfamiliar with drugs in
general. Some people have adverse and very severe
reactions to legal highs. I would not try any of the
legal highs from here, I got extremely sick from
morning glory seeds, (they were from a wholesaler,
and did not contain pesticides). Be forewarned about
legal highs. Use this book for reference only.
Also, you must consider the source of the legal highs
because, 1)It depends where and how the herb/seeds
were grown, proper nutrients, light, etc... 2)How
fast harvest was, from life to package, some herbs
lose their potency within days. 3)How the extraction
was performed, etc... I advise researching legal
highs to the fullest extent using the Internet before
buying this book. Also, many companies already sell
legal drugs already prepared and tested. So, Do your
homework before ingesting any legal high...

This book is great, I learned alot of things yet scary things in this book. Most items in this book should never be used/done due to giving you a more extreme feeling then the book explains. If anyone does indeed try these items be very aware to have a phone in handy and try to have a friend around who won't do it and incase of an emergency can help you with a bad "trip". Besides that the book is excellent!

I picked up this book with a great deal of enthusiasm. I wasn't too familiar with the personalities and issues surrounding the conflict and it was one of the few books on the subject I could find in english. The author did his best to drain anything of interest from his book. Mr. Parker spends almost no time or effort explaining the major players or their motives resulting in a confusing jumble of names and places that are difficult to distinguish from each other. Analysis is sparse and desperately needed. In frustration I consulted a 50 year old Cambridge Modern History and the 52 page essay on the Thirty Year War gave me more information and analysis (in a much better style) than the entire book by Parker. Leave this one alone!

Geoffrey Parker is quite simply one of the most thoughtful and talented military historians out there. His works are always profound and thought-provoking. However, in this instance, he may have bitten off more than he can chew.

The ugly fact is that the Thirty Years' War is a conflict of incredible complexity. No one book can capture all elements of this war. It is quite simply the historian's Gordian Knot, and even Parker cannot do it all in one book.

The bottom line? If you are a military historian, this is a very good book. However, Parker's own "The Military Revolution" and Dodge's classic biography of Gustavus Adolphus (really a history of European military tactics from 1600-1712) do the job better, especially as compliments to one another. For a political history, Ronald Asch does a better job in his history of the Thirty Years' War from the Hapsburg perspective(especially when combined with the Dodge book on Gustavus). In contrast, Parker's political history gets buried beneath too much detail (thereby running the risk of missing the forest for the trees).

Folks, don't let the complexity of the Thirty Years' War scare you. It is a fascinating conflict, one that is essential to understanding European history, military evolution and the emergence of the modern state. If you've got the stomach to read two or more books on the subject, you will be richly rewarded. Taken in conjunction with other works, Parker's book can add enormously to one's understanding of a seminal event in world history.

Geoffrey Parker is excellent as usual, providing in-depth insight and an engaging style. Novices to the topic might also wish to consult his "Europe in Crisis" or "Dutch Revolt" texts. It's difficult to find a good and unbiased investigation into the Catholic/Habsburg side elsewhere. The "one star" review is a gross misjudgement - it goes without saying that a book of this type may be too complex for someone with no experience at all with the seventeenth century, but a history can't spend all of its time on explanatory hand-holding. As for stylistic criticism, it's difficult to find history as good as Parker's written as well, let alone better.

If Parker is too "complex," "boring" or "complicated," it is likely that the topic simply will not be of interest to you no matter who writes it. A 50 page chapter in a textbook is only a meaningless gloss.

How sad to see this bit of sadistic thuggery reissued. This is a book about the poetic joys of torturing dogs. One sample: Hearne describes how she helped her dog dig a hole, while dancing playfully around with the dog, filled the hole with water, still acting playful with the dog, then suddenly, without any warning, forced the dog's head under water and subjected her to near drowning. What the dog must have thought of that hideous and incomprehensible betrayal I cannot even begin to imagine. And yet reviewers prattle on about what a lovely book this is. I think dogs would disagree. The book is also nauseatingly pretentious.

I would like first to praise Donald McCaig for his entrancing introduction to Adam's Task. As I began the book I soon felt that Mr. McCaig had not read it after all. In the first chapter alone there were seventeen undocumented names scattered through a syncitium of undisciplined prose. Pedantics masquerading as wisdom paint a sorry picture of the writer. Pretentions to culture separate the sheep from the goats (sic.) winning the praises of its worshipers, and alienating the more clairvoyant. I am reminded of a biochemist who lectured biochemistry to physicians, and medical bioethics with biochemists, thus putting himself beyond critical examination by either. Name dropping is not scholarship. Endless, many-branching sentences are not good writing. Hearne is pretentious in both areas, and seemingly grossly ignorant of both. I, too, am an animal. I identify with them. I even believe they are as entitled to souls as are humans. Indeed, American Indians, who saw the life ebb out of each kill, were poignantly aware of that fellowship. Mrs. Hearne has only muddied the waters.

This is one of my favorite books of all time.

Vicki Hearne - animal trainer, poet, and philosopher - talks about her relationship with the working animals she trains. She presents her philosophies by illustrating them with stories of animals she has trained.

If you have deep respect for animal intelligence, this book will confirm and deepen your beliefs.

Training, she says, is the creation of a shared language. But language has many ambiguities. For example, trainers haven't a clue what the world smells like to a dog, for whom "scenting" is a primary sense. Yet humans and dogs can learn to work together across the gap of their differences by coming to share the vocabulary of trained scent work.

Animal training, says Hearne, is as challenging for the trainer as it is for the animal. Trainers must learn humility, and learn to communicate in new ways. For example, horses take in information through touch and are extremely sensitive to the motions of the rider. Once a trainer comes to understand this (and other things about horses), she or he can begin to understand the way a horse understands its world and its self.

Of course I don't do justice to the book by summarizing a few of its philosophical points! Hearne writes gracefully, and shows a great mastery of a variety of disciplines - psychology, philosophy, literature, animal training. Her anecdotes make the philosophy much easier to understand, and the philosophy makes the implications of the anecdotes much richer.

I thought that this book was extremely helpful in preparing for the SAT's. Having read the other reviews on this book I must disagree with some of the comments that were made. This is a review book and not meant to make up for lack of effort in previous math classes. It cannot teach you everything but I found it to be very helpful in improving my score from the PSAT's to the SAT's. For the one reviewer who thought this was the wrong book for anyone who wanted over a 650, he is wrong. I got a 620 on math PSAT's but a 740 on my math SAT's. This improvement I owe greatly to the review done with this book.

I used this book in 9th grade and got a 700. Nothing else needed to be said. The best I've found.

The Sat Math Workout contains information and test taking skills vital to one's improvement on the SAT math. They cover the needed information from arithmetic to algebra to geometry and they include test taking methods for the average to above average person to effectively do well against the clock. The book has hundreds of test sections, all of varying degrees of difficulty. At the end of the book, you should be able to see your improvement right in front of your own eyes!