This book covered the entire sales process from preparing for the call, voice and stress exercises to selling tactics, objection handling and follow-up procedures for repeat business. The book was well written in a logical format and followed logical thinking in regard to how you would go about organizing your day. It also demonstrated the best approach to sales and how I want to be treated as a customer. Original sources of information were very well referenced. It's nice to see more of a trend of relationship building and getting away from the stereotypical "used car salesman" hard line approach to sales. The book was a relatively quick read (about 15 hours). The one thing I did not like about the book, was the last 4 chapters. It sounded like the dreaded "info-mercial" you see on late-night TV or the latest get-rich-quick MLM scheme you get with your home junk mail. Unfortunately, for me, it burst my bubble on the professionalism of the authors. They could have left that out and left the reader on a high note. All in all, I was impressed with the quality and accuracy of the writing.

After 6 years of telemarketing very successfully, I felt I was ready to write my own book - until this one came along! If I was going to write a telemarketing book, I wouldn't have come close to the beauty of this book. Everything is covered here. There are sections relating to script writing, using the proper words, setting up a productive workspace, getting out of a slump and increasing the business you have from your existing customers. The philosophy advocated in this book is decidedly different from the way most telemarketers have been taught to sell. What worked 10 years ago doesn't work today. This book will update you so you can sell - honestly - in the 90's. You will find many different money making tips in this book. It will pay for itself your first day on the phone. Go for it!

Want to make more money? Want to learn how to REALLY sell on the phone? This is the book! I have purchased and read many books on teleselling but this one is the best. Specfic strategies that work! Highly Recommended!!!

One of the best book I have read in the past year has to be Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake , by Barbara Park . It Is a marvelous book about a fruitcake she made for the carnival. One of the major reasons I enjoyed this so much is what happened when she went to the carnival. She took the cake home and it was the as hard as a rock. Another reason I found the book to be so wonderful is that is the way Junie B. Jones talks. She talks funny. I like the part when she tells the clown to "Back off". She does not like the clown. Of course my favorite reason for liking this book is she throws a sponge right at the meanie boy's face and said bull's eye. As you can see, Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake, by Barbara Park, was truly my favorite book.

Junie B Jones is one of the books I have read, she so funny and she speaks her mind. and shes really young. this book is a very good book if you read this book you would know that its a good book.so read Junie B Jones. Jamie Smith,

Jonie B. Jones is one of the best books, You could read, because she shows lots of details, And shes really young, but shes really funny, Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake , For me it is one of my favorite books there are of the Jonie B. Jones books, She also says things like I did a huffy breath at that guy , But her books are the best. (...)

With a title like "Guardian of the Gods," some rock fans might expect a cheesy expose'. But this book, by Andre Augustine and Mark Rodgers, turns out to be much more than that. Written in a concise, yet descriptive manner, this book shows that it's called *show business* for a reason. It takes a lot of sweat, blood and immense preparation to bring a rock and roll tour to your town. And keeping both the fans and the musicians safe is a daunting task. But according to Mark Rodgers, there is no one more prepared to do that than Andre Augustine, a former New York Jet who started out watching over legendary rappers Run-D.M.C. and N.W.A and who eventually became the glue that kept the 1996 KISS Reunion Tour together. Anyone interested in what goes on behind the scenes of a music tour should pick up a copy of "Guardian of the Gods." Very interesting.

Guardian if the Gods tells the story from AndrŽ Augustine's perspective as the head of security, and in some cases, the tour manager for various Rap and Rock bands. From the start of his career touring with Run D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys in their early days to touring with KISS, Aerosmith, and Bon Jovi, Augustine and writer Mark Rodgers have produced a book that keeps the reader interested from the first page to the last. It also includes a lot of great private, never-before -seen photos from Augustine's private collection. Guardian of the Gods is not an exposŽ, but more of a highlight journal that shows the good times, wild times, and in some cases the sad times of the music world, plus, the dangerous times dealing with over zealous fans and groupies.

Guardian of the Gods is a great book for any music fan. There is a lot of trash out there written about the music industry and I was thrilled to see that this book is not a part of that. To find a good quality written book from "behind the scenes of the music business" is rare.

The stories are great - I bought it for the rock stuff and did not think I'd read the rap sections - but I have to admit that I found the whole book intriguing.

Mark Rodgers did a great job of capturing Andre's life and career in the music business.

The whole book is great - and all the color photos - WOW. I felt like I was right there in the stories.

Disclaimer: Huge Hendrix worshipper! When this book appeared in 1992 it was (and still is) the most even-handed biography on Jimi. Previous bios were from either muckrakers who were trying to damage his legacy, or by people who never met him and were trying to make grand statements about his talent. In this book McDermott has taken the time to get first-hand accounts from those who knew Hendrix best, including bandmates and business associates. The most valuable asset here is engineer Eddie Kramer, who was Hendrix's close friend and trusted creative confidant. (However, it seems that Noel Redding was consulted less than other bandmates, possibly because he had a more unflattering story to tell).

Getting these valuable first-hand accounts gives us a very balanced view of Jimi's personality, and both sides of the coin are shown. You get the expected admiration for his talent, and the good sides of his personality. You also get the not-so-good parts, such as Jimi's paranoia, insecurities, and appallingly poor business sense. This book is not afraid to give bad reviews of Hendrix's poor live performances with the Experience when they were on the verge of splintering, or with the undeveloped Band of Gypsys. Also, his pathetic death (choking on his own vomit) is not dwelled upon and is treated as the senseless mistake it really was, rather than the noble, romanticized exit from this world (or even suicide) that you'll hear about in other accounts.

The excessive details about Hendrix's sloppy business arrangements provide valuable information, even though these passages get very long-winded and detract from the focus of the book - which is the man and his music. Also, be suspicious of character descriptions of people who are not around to give their side of the story. This doesn't apply to Hendrix himself, as described above, but to late manager Michael Jeffery. This man surely left plenty of evidence that he was paranoid and power-hungry, but the descriptions of his personality by the people in the book, most of whom didn't like him, should be treated with suspicion, as he's not around to have his say. To a lesser extent, the same applies to Jimi's sexy but dangerous girlfriend Devon Wilson.

The coverage of the posthumous Hendrix musical catalog is getting outdated (fortunately). Certainly after his death, the managers and record companies flooded the market with inferior material, most of which was either impromptu jam sessions or sub-par live performances which were never meant for release. Until the mid-90's this avalanche of so-called "lost" material blurred the brilliance of the smaller amount of official records that Jimi really tailored for the public. This situation has been mostly resolved since 1994 when the Hendrix family finally gained control of the musical copyrights. They've given us great reissues of the official albums, as well as the incredible "First Rays of the New Rising Sun" which consolidates the album Hendrix was creating at the time of his death. But with things like "South Saturn Delta" and "Live at the Fillmore East" the Hendrix family is almost as guilty of barrel-scraping as the bad guys were in the 70's.

This is the first and only hendrix book that is the most factual, it describes the actual life and times and troubles of jimi. The research give a reader a closer look inside the music and the complex side of his life. Paul Mc Cartney was right ,this book is Hendrix

This book takes an inside look at the life and legend of the man that was James Marshall(Jimi) Hendrix. His troubled youth and how he had to suffer tremendous hardships just to be noticed. His love affair with blues music and his affinity for the guitar are also well intact. What puzzles me is why so many people would want to drag Jimi's name through the mud and desecrate his legacy and good fortune with lies and deceit. Why couldn't people have respect enough for Jimi and his music to take it seriosuly and treat it like gold, instead of commercializing for their own personal gain and profit? Jimi was a serious artist and this book certainly attests to that. He wasn't in it for the money or fame or recognition. He was simply in it for the music.
He deserved to be treated better by people who called themselves "His Friends." Jimi was a incredible man and amazing guitar player as well, but he was also very human. He had a very vulnerable side to him as well. He had enough problems without people wanting him to be everything to them. He couldn't do that.
He needed someone to love him and someone to respect him and take him at face value instead of having him always be Mr. Rock guitar god. he wanted people to listen to his music and be taken seriously. He was sick and tired of doing the same theatrical tricks that he had done with the guitar night after night, and now he just wanted people to listen to him, and not look at what he was doing with his guitar. he didn't need to prove anything anymore. he'd already done it. it was time for him to move into a new direction. Unfortunately, that new direction was never fully realized during hendrix's lifetime. Only now, after his death do we fully know just exactly what he was trying to achieve. Some things we'll never know. That was the genius of Hendrix. To keep people guessing. He'll never know how much of an impact he has had and continues to have on people's lives even to this day. God Bless You, Jimi. We Love You, Man!!!

If I were Mark Manning, I might think that I were cursed. BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO THOSE AROUND HIM. In the fifth book of the series, Mark's ward, Thad, was the prime suspect in the murder of a fellow classmate. In this one, it is longtime friend Roxanne Exner that must face the air of suspicion in the untimely (and rather gruesome) death of a Dumont philanthropist.

Besides the task of proving the innocence of his pal, Mark must also contend with Thad's impending departure for college.

Boy, is life tough!

So that the uninitiated reader can become acquainted with the book's "personnel", Craft introduces each in a way that does not distract from the story-at-hand.

Craft's attention to detail of set and character is what makes him of major appeal to his readership. Occasionally, Craft "speaks" through his protagonist Manning with a few narrative lapses on political and religious issues, the latter especially in regards to Manning's sexuality.

It works for him!

Although not quite up to par with the other five entries, "Hot Spot" is still a relaxing way to spend a hot, summer day or a crisp autumn afternoon.

For his fans, Craft pays homage to his own series in a "cutesy" paragraph that begins at the base of page 271 and concludes at the top of the subsequent one.

It'll bring a smile!

HOT SPOT, the sixth novel in the Mark Manning Mystery series is a tale of transitions. First, Thad Quatrain, Mark's ward and nephew, is preparing to leave home for college. Next, Roxanne Exner, Mark and Neil's best friend, has finally committed herself to matrimony to Carl Creighton. And the wedding is to be held at Mark and Neil's home in Dumont. And to top everything else off, Carl is running for political office in Illinois; a move, which if he is successful, would take him and Roxanne from nearby Chicago to the state capitol of Springfield.

Knowing Roxanne from the past books in the series, you'd expect the wedding to be a major disaster. But other than the actual joining of Rox and Carl, it takes place without a hitch. (Joke) Unfortunately, it is the reception that becomes a disaster when an elderly and wealthy Dumont matron is electrocuted in a freak accident. But was it an accident? It begins to look like homicide and the new bride is the prime suspect

As I've said before, the author keeps getting better with each book in the series, and this one is the best yet. The plot is littered with possible suspects and red herrings that keep you guessing to the very end. And other than "obfuscation" I loved ever word in it. (Another joke) Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the dust jacket illustration. The Bride of Frankenstein photo will probably attract consumer attention but it demeans the text inside.

This story is set in the same timeframe as that of Desert Autumn, the first book in the new Claire Gray series. In that book the noted stage director, Claire Gray is preparing for the opening semester of the Desert Arts College in California, which just happens to be the college where Thad is heading. (Insider information - Mark will be making a guest appearance in the second book of the series scheduled for a February release.)

The final transition has Mark and Neil alone in the big house in Dumont. Sounds pretty tame, but you know that something is going to come up soon. And it's sure to be a dozey! So far, you can't go wrong with this series and HOT SPOT will keep you up late turning the pages.

Mark and his partner Neil are hosting their best friend Roxanne's wedding to a man who's a candidate for the Governor of Illinois. The wedding is a beautiful affair, hosting all the big names that the small town of Dumont, Wisconsin has to offer. And then a freak accident results in a death at the reception. While at first it seems like a tragic accident, soon evidence points to a planned murder, and the prime suspect is none other than Roxanne, the newlywed. As Mark tries to unravel the convoluted threads of this mystery, more questions than answers come to the surface, but he's determined to clear the name of his best friend, the woman who introduced him to Neil. This book is a bit more staid than the previous Manning mysteries, but with a keen eye and mind, "Hot Spot" blooms into an intellectual puzzle that leads the reader through Manning's thought processes as he sifts through the bewildering tangle. At the heart of this latest mystery is the notion of family in the lives of gay men. Not only do Mark and Neil have an adopted son (Thad, who's leaving for college as the story ends), but they also have a wide circle of close friends who are indeed equal to family members. Since Roxanne is part of this chosen family, Mark won't sit idly by and let her go through this alone. Family, whether by blood or by choice, is wholly important. And this is what makes the Mark Manning series so endearing to fans.

This book stemmed from his TV series "Today's Gourmet". His stated goal is to give some "commsense cusine, one that demonstrated a rational approach to cooking. . . . a cooking style that exhibits elegance and joy while emphasizing aspects of health in a reasonable way."

He achieves this goal. What I really enjoy and use is the first section, 40 pages of menus using recipes from the book. This is unique and very well done. This section gives one not only ideas for complete meals from the book, but just plain ideas on how to combine dishes for wonderful meals.

The recipes themselves show great variety, and care to do just what he setted out: elegance for reasonable health. As an example, this menu is entitled: The light side of Classic Cuisine: Grilled Swordfish with Spicy Yogurt Sauce, Poached Turkey in Vegetable Consomme' Salad, Creamy Rice Pudding with Fruit Sauce. Calories per serving: 758.

There are many sidelights to this cookbook: sidebars on foods and techniques, and nice photos.

Perfect cookbook for someone looking for lighter, gourmet quality food.

There are so many things to say about this book that have notyet been said by other reviewers that I almost can't believe it. Firstof all, I love food and have been cooking for family and friends nowfor years and Jacques Pepin's books have been the most helpful to meby far. This particular book is wonderful because it not only providescomplete menus for every season and occasion you might imagine, but italso outlines how to prepare different recipes so that everything endsup on the table hot and in good time.

...It is a true indulgence tobe able to make and eat delicious food. This book permits bothpleasures without the guilt of unknown excesses of fat, cholesterol,sodium and the like. -- Eat what you like, but please...know what youare eating!

I have made nearly every beef, poultry and fish dish inthis volume with terrific and consistent results. -- The greatestthing is that the book teaches you how to spend your money wisely andget the most bang for your buck, usually with little more than a someminor attention to detail, which is free.

My mother-in-law who is avery well travelled, difficult to impress foodie consistently lavishesme with compliments when I whip up dinner with recipes culled fromthis book. She was so impressed with the stuffed chicken breast dish'Chicken Kiev Style' that she asked to watch me make it so that shecan serve it at her dinner parties! Very economical and easy for suchhigh praise!

The side dishes are exquisite, flavorful, andeasy. They are great to bring along when visiting, compliment avariety of meals, are generally inexpensive, and are a bit morespecial than other run of the mill recipes you might tend to fall backon. The simple recipe for potatoes persillade (pan fried potatoes withgarlic and parsely) is such a favorite in our house that is worth theprice of the book all by itself.

I cannot stress enough that when Ibegan cooking I was almost completely inept, and now I am a force tobe reckoned with in the kitchen. (Thanks in large part to this book.)With the help of Mr. Pepin's flawlessly executable recipes, I evenmake my own bread from scratch -- without owning a foodprocessor.

For me eating and entertaining well has become a part ofliving a good life. You can go out and pay someone else to cook foryou for the rest of your life or you can learn to make a few thingsand take tremendous satisfaction in it.The money you save on dinnersout will more than pay for this book and the inspiration andinformation it provides are priceless.

If you want to learn how tocook, there will never be a more qualified or humble teacher thanJacques Pepin. -- So often the quality of the result is dependent onsomething small like knowing how to thicken a sauce, the order to chopyour ingredients, or when during the cooking process to add aparticular seasoning. A lot of that extra know-how gleened during alifetime of hands-on effort is conveyed here.

Lastly, but worthnoting: all of the recipes in the book are made with readily availableingredients and without a huge investment in equipment.

Go on, getthe book. You're worth it, and your dinner companions will thank you.

This is a wonderful cookbook. It contains great tasting recipes with concise instructions and an ease which will make anyone feel comfortable in the kitchen. I love Jaques Pepin for is unpretentious approach to modern cooking. Although few of the recipes require exotic ingredients or equipment, the results are always spectacular and very spohisticated. I would highly recommend this book for the novice and the experienced cook, alike.

I liked this book but i read some better books. This book is not really about Leonardo DiCaprio, it's more about the movies in which he played. But it's a pretty good book for the fans of Leonardo Dicaprio, like me. There are a lot of beautiful pictures in it and i'm very happy that i have the book home.

This is the best Leonardo book I've read! It's full of pictures and information. Most of the pictures I hadn't seen before. I'd recomend this book to any Leonardo fan! *+*Erin*+*

I really like the book because I learned so much about my favorite star, Leonardo Di Caprio. I also love the photos. Some of the pictures in the book are the ones I haven't seen before. I enjoyed reading this book so much that I didn't realize I finished it for just two hours. I have repeated reading it for about seven times. I learned some things that I did not know about Leonardo Di Caprio and his movies. I even read some news about him that I haven't heard before. I love this book!!!!It's great!!!Buy it if you are a fan of Leonardo Di Caprio.

When a prolific and profitable author like Isaac Asimov dies, his publishers do not believe that his death ought to mark the end of the publishing gravy train. After Asimov's death, his Foundation and Robot universes were novelized again by several writers, most notably David Brin, Gregory Benford, Roger MacBride Allen, and now most recently with Mark Tiedemann with MIRAGE. It is not overly difficult to duplicate the style of Asimov; it is his substance that remains elusive. Tiedemann writes of the robotic future of earth that had not yet morphed into a galactic empire. This empire is staunchly anti-robotic, with much opposition coming from decadent Spacer worlds that require robots to maintain their own self-loathing existences. On earth, a number of humans and Spacers are assassinated by unknown assailants, throwing into jeopardy a major treaty between earth and the Spacer worlds. The problem with Tiedemann is that his characters speak with the Asimovian twang but lack its inner emotional resonance. Tiedemann seems unclear as to who his protagonist should be. Instead he divides center stage between Special Agent Mia Daventri and roboticist Derec Avery, neither of whom is sufficiently interesting to involve the reader. Nowhere in MIRAGE does Tiedemann cause the reader to care about an increasingly volatile symbiotic relationship between man and robot. Roger MacBride Allen was far more successfull in his trilogy of Asimov inspired robot novels. If the reader wants to get further involved in a post Asimovian universe of conflict between man and robot, then this reader has little choice but to hope that writers like Tiedemann learn their craft well enough to make him care about how humans interact with both altered humans and robots. The real test of any novel lies in its ability to cause the reader to think of it long after he closes the flyleaf. Sadly, MIRAGE failed to deliver.

The Asimov universe has been respectfully added to since his untimely death - first there were the Robot City novels, then came the new Robot novels by Allen and then the Second Foundation Trilogy. And now this, a new Robot novel. In truth, while there have been some dissappointments, most of the new novels set in Asimov's universe have been fairly good. As is this offering.

In Mirage, the author does a very good job capturing the sense of mystery Asimov used in his own novels. He also shows a good grasp of Asimov's ideas and universe.

What is surprising to me is the fact that no history is mentioned about the main characters who spent 6 novels together in the Robot City chronicles. Nor is any indication given as to when this story fits into the Asimov timeline - while the reader can certainly guess, the author could have thrown the reader some sort of lifeline from the original Asimov books to let us know what else was going on.

At any rate, its an interesting read. Very nice to see that the spirit of Asimov is well remembered and appreciated.

I read Mark Tiedemann's COMPASS REACH and was blown away by his ability to do terrific characterization in the context of a full-blown space adventure. I was almost disappointed to discover that he had written books in someone else's universe, but I gave MIRAGE a shot and I'm glad I did! All his strengths are here, breathing life into what I'd come to see as a dry, been-there-done-that franchise. Proves that a good idea can always be done a bit better if a good writer is given a chance to reimagine the whole thing.

MIRAGE is an espionage thriller that toys with a frankenstein idea. When the climax comes, teh possibility of a really cliche ending is avoided by following logic--like Asimov would have done!--and sticking to the possibilities in the characters themselves.

Great characters (he even made Derec Avery and Ariel Burgess more interesting!) and a great plot, with impressive speculation to boot. What more can you want from a science fiction novel?

Tiedemann's "original" novels are better, but MIRAGE turned out to be a really good introduction to a fine writer. FIVE STARS!

Fantastic portrait of Larry Bird, specially of his first season as a NBA coach. Shaw has the great ability to make imaginative metaphores and to create surprising game reports. I wonder if Larry Bird suspected that a writer was watching him closely during an entire season?

What I like about Mark Shaw books is that he tells it like it is. Larry Legend not only portrays Larry Bird as a great basketball player but the author criticizes him re his coaching ability and also says he is a failure as a father to his only daughter. That gives a balanced look at Bird, one that I feel is important.

Larry Legend covers the whole Bird story. Author Shaw has a knack for revealing the little things about Bird that intrigued me. I think this is a must book for any Larry fan.