Anyone interested in how an author writes a book will surely be fascinated by "The Making of a Bestseller". A must for any writer mystified by how a book finds a publisher and then an audience. This is the book. I found it an intriguing peek behind the curtains of a big business that seems to act like it's still a cottage industry. This book by Arthur Vanderbilt, which I just happened to see at a local bookstore, reads like a novel. Terrific wordsmith! I am so glad I spotted it and have read it. I think it will become a classic. Well deserved, and anyone interested in the world of books would find its reading well worth it.

Anyone who enjoyed Annie Dillard's "The Writing Life" or Eudora Welty's "One Writer's Beginnings" is going to like "The Making of a Bestseller". It is an insightful look at the creative process and a realistic look at exactly what happens to a manuscript once it leaves the author's hands: not always a pretty sight. This book should be required reading for every writer, editor, agent, and publisher, as well as for anyone who loves to read.

This hand-wringing book is about bestsellers; it does not (and can not) define how bestsellers are made. This celebration of creative writing is about writers paying their dues and being discovered. Vanderbilt discusses the effects titles, advertising, author name recognition, perseverance, bestseller lists, reviews, testimonials and blind, dumb luck had on books that made it to the charts. It is a well-written, scholarly study of successful literature with references and footnotes. This book makes a couple of references to nonfiction but is almost entirely about fiction. If you like this book, you will also like Seven Strategies in Every Bestseller by Tam Mossman. I liked them both. Dan Poynter, author of 82 books (nonfiction). DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com

I've never been a big fan of the Rider Waite decks even though they are pretty much considered the general standard deck. The reason being that I don't care too much for the colors used in the illustrations. But like the other reviewer noted, I also felt like it was a deck I needed to add to my collection, since it is significant to the history of the tarot. So when I found a mini version, I decided I would check it out.

I have to say I'm very happy with this little deck. It's just the right size. It's small enough that you can easily carry it in a pocket or a purse and take it everywhere, yet it's big enough to allow easy shuffling and viewing of the cards. I also bought the miniature Universal Rider Waite, which is a much smaller deck (with cards roughly the size of a postage stamp) but it was way too small and delicate to be practical. (Even if it is a fun collector's item!) This deck however is a great compromise and I've already gotten a lot of use out of it. I like to bring it along with me when I go out with friends and we can easily do spreads for each other at restaurants. It's a great deck to carry around because people will ask you about it and it's a good opportunity to introduce the tarot to them as a postive divination tool.

I'd like to note that one of the reviewers above must have this deck confused with the Universal Rider Waite Mini deck. This deck does NOT come in a plastic case with a key chain...that is the much smaller Universal Rider Waite (which you can also find on amazon). Instead, the Rider Waite Miniature tarot deck comes in a regular cardboard box with a small booklet with the card's meanings. (Was that confusing enough?) :)

These are a great deck to carry in your purse or pocket for times you can practice reading your cards. A little bit smaller than an normal deck of cards these take up much less space than other decks. Rider Waite is of course, a great starter deck and is easy to use. Great addition to your tarot card collection

I've never been particularly attracted to the Rider-Waite or Waite-style decks, but as I've learned more about tarot I've realized that I probably should have one, since it's such a tarot standard. After looking at pictures of different Waite decks (artoftarot.com has a good compare/contrast section) I saw that size was the deciding factor for me. These cards are just so cute!

There seem to be many complaints here and in other reviews of this deck about the difficulty of shuffling such small cards. (They're slightly smaller than a standard business card, if the measurements don't really illustrate it for you.) While I did have the usual new deck slipperiness problems, after the cards were broken in a little I've found them easy to shuffle without bending. For me they're almost easier to handle than larger decks, and it's nice to be able to lay them out in a small space.

Really, I have no complaints about the deck except that the back is a blue and white plaid design, which makes me think of flannel shirts instead of tarot. Aside from that, if you're looking for a small Rider-Waite, I think this is a good choice.

Simple, time tested universal principles take on a humanly spiritual element as James shares his personal stories and feelings on attaining your life goals and dreams through proven principles. You owe it to yourself to step out of your comfort zone . . . and stop living a life of mediocrity, and step up to live a life of prosperity and total abundance. James teaches and shares in this book exactly what he talks and walks every day of his life. No more forcing your life success. Just let go and allow a sense of peace to evelope you as you begin to transform your life to exactly where it should be . . . successful, abundant and in complete synchronicity with universal law. James is the best at what he teaches because he expresses it through his heart and soul. So, go on and order this book and bring James into your life with this powerful reading as you simply allow the natural forces of the universe to transform your life. You'll be grateful you did . . . then sign up for James' Science of Success Seminar and experience the dynamism of this man in person. WOW!

This book lays down the proven, timeless principles needed for massive success in any area of your life. The seven "Super Laws" are discussed in detail and James shares how to start working WITHIN the laws in your everday life. I love the step by step simple format because this is a book that you can read, digest and ACT with to begin reaching your goals. If you want a "short-cut" to your dreams....READ THIS BOOK! Thanks James for your great insight and practical how to style.

James Ray has written a very concise, easy to follow and implement "how-to" on making positive changes in your life. Truth is universal, and James explains it in easy to read terms that really allowed me to quickly put into play the laws of success. These are the laws EVERYONE follows to be successful whether they are aware of it or not, and by breaking down what could be overwhelming, into 7 basic laws and explaining how and why each work, I was able to attract success to me faster than I could ever have imagined. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to accelerate their growth both personally and professionally.

If there is one thing I like when I read a book by Athur Hailey, is that he's able to write about the world of medicine so greatly as the detective world or any other kind of story, mixing the writing of authors like Robin Cook, Mary Higgins Clark and Sidney Sheldon in a very good way: his own. So why didn't you rate this book 5 stars instead of 4? The answer is: Mr. Hailey's books are wonderful, but he wrote one or two dull lines. So... As for the case of STRONG MEDICINE, the author wrote a book that has a wonderful character and he develops them with an hability that I don't usually see. He gives an insight on the remedy world and makes you understand it completely well, what makes you be aware of how careful he was as for researching. In a few words, Arthur Hailey is one of the best authors out there, one of those that sometimes you hate for not writing as much as you want to read, which to me usually means a ton of his books. And Arthur have written only just a few, unfortunately. So, what you can do, is read read and read his books and also enjoy him. You'll discover one of the best writers you've ever read. Believe me.

This book is Excellent for reading anywhere and anytime, reading this book you will learn (more or less) how think a pharmaceutical company to improve or create new medicine, you will also see how react the people that doesn't like this kind of companies that sincerely we all need them and they have to work with animals whether we like it or not.
We also see how doctors work, some for the cure of the people and some for the cure of their own bank account.
The life of Celia and Andrew was terrific, I want to live that way with my wife and I am not talking about the money, I am talking about the way that each one support the other one. Here is the only part that doesn't belong to the story, the affair of Celia, I don't know why it was written, is mentioned only once and is written in 15 or 20 lines, again, that part of the book doesn't belong to the story.

Arthur Hailey is one author whose judgement I'd trust implicitly. He "captured" my trust when I was 13 years old when I first read "Final Diagnosis". "Strong medicine" is another great story in the same great Hailey tradition - attention to detail, an investigative journalism kind of style and best of all, real, believable characters.

Arthur Hailey is one of the best, Strong medicine is one of his best books and Celia Jordan, a remarkable character. Mr. Hailey, more power to you. Hope to read lots more from you in the years to come. Thank you for creating Celia Jordan (Strong Medicine), Dr.Pearson (Final Diagnosis), Margot and Alex (Money Changers), Jamie Howden (In High places).

Looking forward to more from you,

In Christianity there are basically two types of Greek texts used for the many different versions of English Bibles on the market. One is based on the Egyptian manuscripts used by the early Catholic Church which we today get the NIV. The other Greek manuscripts are those called the Majority Text (MT) that the King James Version is based on. You will find the MT to be accurate and its critical notes shows variations between the Egytian and MT. Lacking is notes on punctuation.

I learned an eclectic approach to textual criticism at Dallas Seminary. Then, during my doctoral work, I learned about the Majority Text position and became convinced it is correct.

Whether one agrees with the Majority Text theory or not, this is an extremely well laid out Greek New Testament. It is easy to read. The textual apparatus is easy to follow. The fact that it is hardback makes it more durable than UBS or NA.

I highly recommend this book.

Bob Wilkin, Ph.D. Author of

Confident in Christ: Living by Faith Really Works

When I began to study New Testament Greek, I of course needed a good Greek New Testament. The majority text edition not only provided a durable hard cover, a great introduction, the text, and two sets of apparatus to indicate all of the variant readings, but it also had a key feature that helped me to choose it over the other available options - the book names and chapter subtitles (such as "The Rich Young Ruler", etc.) are rendered in English. This feature makes it much faster to to locate specific passages and it increases comprehension. There is no interlinear or sidebar translation, so the reader must still produce his own translation, which is what you want if you are a student. But since getting to the right place can be half the battle, this edition is a great time saver.

This is an almost complete training book. It give some nice ideas to train your dog. The amount of "tricks" given is very nice. Some of them are easy to teach, some are extremely hard. The info is prersented in a humorous way making the book not only good for teaching these behaviors but also fun to read. I can not say this is a complete book because it doesn't explain ways to deal with some basics problems that all trainers, myself included, encounter. For this reason I don't recomend this book to a beginer trainer. Experienced trainers will appreciate all the ideas presented. It give some entertaining ways to spend time with your dog.

If you have a smart dog (like my Bo Diddley-LOL!) you will love teaching the tricks described in this book to the delight of your friends and family!! What a fun book!!

Many books exist about understanding and training dogs. But THIS one is something else! The whole slant of Dog Tricks involves how to teach you and your dog how to have fun with each other in clever and amusing ways. Everything from training your dog how to give you a kiss (begin with a smear of butter on your cheek!) to snatching (and running away with) your chess opponent's rook is covered with a wonderful mix of elegant simplicity and silly shared amusement. Dog Tricks is really the one book to get if you want to learn the potential of "a really good time with a dog!"

MEMORIAS DE UNA GEISHA ES UN LIBRO EXCELENTE! LA NARRATIVA TE TRANSPORTA AL JAPON DE ESA EPOCA. ESTE ESCRITO TE HACE CONOCER LA VIDA DE MUCHAS MUJERES QUE SU UNICA OPCION FUE EL SER GEISHAS. NOS DEJA CONOCER A TRAVES DE ELLAS, UNA PARTE IMPORTANTE Y TAL VEZ TRISTE DE SUS VIDAS. ME ENCANTO Y ME HUBIERA GUSTADO CONOCER LA PROTAGONISTA Y SU VISION EN ESTOS TIEMPOS DE LA MUJER EN JAPON. LE RECOMIENDO ESTO LIBRO A AQUELLAS PERSONAS QUE GUSTAN DE LA HISTORIA.

MEMORIAS DE UNA GEISHA ES UN LIBRO MAGNIFICO! EL AUTOR TIENE TAL NARRATIVA QUE TE SUMERGE EN LA LECTURA Y TE TRANSPORTA A AQUELLAS EPOCAS EN JAPON. ESPECIFICAMENTE EN GION; ESTA OBRA DA A CONOCER ASPECTOS IMPORTANTES QUE MUCHOS IGNORAMOS SOBRE LAS GEISHAS; NOS INVITA A CONVIVIR CON ELLAS UNA PARTE IMPORTANTE DE SUS VIDAS. ME GUSTO MUCHISIMO, ME DIO PENA EL QUE SE TERMINARA. UN LIBRO, A MI PARECER, DE CULTURA GENERAL.

Uno de los mejores libros que he leido, lo más importante es el mensaje que a todos nos transmite: nada es lo que parece, es decir, la gente tiene una idea equivocada de lo que son realmente las geishas y cuando lees estas memorias se te rompen los esquemas porque simplemente acompañan a los hombres, siempre guardando las distancias. Con los únicos hombres que se acuestan son con el que puja por su mizuage y su danna, en el caso de Sayuri el gran amor de su vida!!!! Se lo recomiendo a todas las personas sensibles, pero sobretodo a esas personas que piensas que ser una geisha es ser una mujer de la vida pública (ya me entienden)

Plutarch's Lives is one of my all time favorite books. I especially enjoy the "gay windows" in Alcibiades life and the description of Archimedes defense of Syracuse. My three star rating has nothing to do with Plutarch and everything to do with the terribly outdated translation "update" by Sir Clough. Sure, as another reviewer points out, it is vocabulary enhancing, but Plutarch was not a Victorian English gentleman. If you like Victorian prose, read a Victorian novel or something. I would actually prefer to read Dryden and company's undoctored original than wade through Clough's train wreck, as I find 18th century prose an easier read, and Dryden was a better writer.

If someone were to do a modern translation of the Lives, more people would be able to enjoy it. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that you can probably count the number of good classical translators on one hand, and how many of them have the time to translate Plutarch?

Noble: imposing in appearance; stately; magnificent; exaltedmoral character; excellence. Some of the men Plutarch wrote about - itcould be argued - fit none of the words or phrases above; but most of them fit one or more. Some of them fit all. Books like PLUTARCH'S LIVES become easy targets (in any era, not just our own 'modern' era) for derision. The thought that statesmen or military leaders would necessarily have anything going for them that would distinguish them in any way as 'noble' (as compared to anyone else in any given society) is easily seen as naive or worse than naive. I mean, think of some of the characters that pass for statesmen and military leaders in our own time. We might just have a good laugh if we thought people 1000 years from now were reading about them and gleaning impressions of exalted moral character and magnificence and excellence from it. Yet, putting all that in perspective, there is something ennobling about this great book. Plutarch chose his subjects from, roughly (depending on where you place Theseus in time, I suppose), a span of 800 years. He didn't choose any of them as examples of perfection but for those parts of their nature he thought worthy of emulation. The acts and parts of their character one might find appalling (even in the context of their own times) are instructive as well and make the picture whole. There are high and ennobling impressions in these biographies, and the effect of the book as a whole, upon reading it through, is something like taking in and experiencing a great and sublime Greek or Roman temple, and feeling that a part of that primary and sublime architecture has become a part of you.

Plutarch's Lives is a book of epic proportions. Essentially, it is an encyclopeadia of the biographies of famous men in the history of Ancient Greece and Rome. With over 50 biographies and comparisons, this book covers the most important people in the history of Greco-Roman civilization. The impact of this book is phenomenal. Shakespeare read it, Dante read it. Its influence is evident in their writing. The book transcends simple biography though, and contains a wealth of information about ancient cultures such as Sparta. Plutarch also compares different historical figures to one another for an interesting study of comparative politics and virtue. Some of Plutarch's information is questionable, but it remains one of the best sources available. If you are interested in classical history then this is a great reference and it's enjoyable for pleasure reading as well.

The author is a doctor, and provides an eye-opening perspective of how the medical profession traditionally treates Type 2 diabetics as well as providing a real alternative to that approach. I ordered this book right after my husband was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes - we were devastated - he was put on micronase and a blood pressure-lowering med. After reading this book, and Elizabeth Hiser's "Other Diabetes", we changed to a very high fiber diet, low in fat, and started a regular exercise program, he also started taking the nutritional supplements recommended - well, 8 months later, he's been officially discharged from the diabetes clinic! (He was off the meds after just one month.) PLEASE, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!

I was diagnosed with diabetes and was prescribed Glucophage starting at 500mg, then it went to 1000mg by the time I read the book the doctor wanted me to take 2000mg. Well, I read the book and let me tell you, my glucose level is totally normal today. My problem was high fat and protein diet without exercise. I picked up a recum bike started exercising and also started a diet of high fiber and low fat as recommended in the book. A month later my fasting glucose levels where consistently below the 126 considered to be normal. The scientific evidence presented and "the back pains I was suffering with the Glucophage" convinced me to make a lifestyle change. I am now medicine free and pain free. I find that I have more energy than the people around me. I lead a more active, enjoyable life thanks to this book. I strongly recommended this book for any person who has been recently diagnosed with non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes.

I am surprised to read the negative reviews of this book. My husband weighed over 300 pounds when he was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes; his A1C count was 8.7 (about a year ago). Shortly after that, we bought this book and he has followed the plan outlined in it since. He now weighs 211, his A1C is 5.6, he has more energy than he's had in years and feels great. His fasting blood sugar has gone from 131 to 88, cholesterol from 227 to 163, triglycerides from 224 to 103. Anyone following the book's advice can see the effect on their blood sugar by their various test results, and as for the recipes being too much to make for a single person, making the whole recipe and freezing the surplus portions for another day's meals is an easy solution. We have known others with Type II Diabetes who did not follow a program like that outlined in this book and the impact the disease had on their bodies was frightening. This book can truly be a life-saver.

There's no question that Arthur C. Clarke is one of the great intellects of the past 100 years, or that his contributions to science and science fiction are immense, or that he can really write. So a book of this sort is completely welcome, and the range of topics this work covers, from the visions of the future past writers offered to the role of technology in the world, is notable by itself.

For the most part, the essays live up to the promise of the premise. Clarke is sharp, funny and generally optimistic. I could have done without the handful of instances where he dismisses religion - why do all sci-fi writers seems to have it in for those of us who still believe in a kind and active God? - but he's not intemperant or intolerant of the differences that make up the world. If all the critics of this world were like Clarke, we'd e in much happier shape.

Two things hurt this book, though. One is the numerous essays about Clarke's adventurues as a deep-sea diver in Sri Lanka. I know that he's proud of his days doing this, but I found such essays both dull and out of place next to the rest of the book. Never mind that I am disappointed that none of his essays address the ongoing cilvil wars in his adopted homeland.

The other trouble is the redundancy of the essays. One essay about computers includes the entire body of another essay in this book. Several observations are repeated, such as the quip about the Apollo 8 astronauts and the monolith (it's funny once, but not three times). If the book could include new intros and closings to the essays, certainly they could have been edited for the package.

In any case, though, this is a worthwhile work to read and enjoy if you're a fan of Clarke's works, or a fan of sci-fi, or a space buff, a technology watcher, or just want to see how some of the great ideas of the past century were born. Clarke gave us the communications satellite, HAL, and an unqiue view of what is and what might be.

It's not for nothing that Arthur C. Clarke is "the Prophet of the Space Age" (although he dislikes being called a prophet). Indeed, there's only one prophet, and it sure ain't Mohammed. Hardly no other person in modern times have had such an enormous effect on his contemporary world as Arthur C. Clarke. He invented the concept of the geosynchronous communications satellite, he co-wrote the script for the single most influential science-fiction movie ever (that's 2001: A Space Odyssey, in case you didn't know), and he has written several of the classics of modern science-fiction (Rendezvous with Rama, to name but one). And at the venerable age of 85, he's still showing little sign of slowing down, although he is mostly confined to a wheel-chair these days.
This collection of articles, essays, and other short pieces of writing, spans Clarke's entire career from the 1930s until the end of the 1990s. The material is divided into seven parts according to which decade it was originally written in, and each part begins with an introduction. Several of the individual articles and essays are also prefaced with new introductions by Clarke. Part I, entitled "Rockets and Radar," spans the 1930s and -40s, and contains 13 of Clarke's writings. Among them are such gems as "Extraterrestrial Relays," which is the famous essay in which Clarke first described his ideas about geosynchronous satellites; and "The Challenge of the Spaceship," an essay, originally delivered as a lecture, which, among other things, caused George Bernard Shaw to apply for membership in the British Interplanetary Society at the age of 91.
Part II, "Beneath the Seas of Ceylon," spans the 1950s and contains 23 pieces of writing, among them the concluding paragraphs from the book Interplanetary Flight: An Introduction to Astronautics (1950). Of this book, the late Carl Sagan, the world's most famous astronomer, later said that it had been "a turning point in my scientific development." Sagan was just one among the many great men and women to have been inspired by Clarke's writings. To me, Part II was the least interesting section of Greetings, however, since the last 9 essays describe that other great passion of Clarke's, diving. It was during the 1950s that Clarke moved to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), which would remain his home for the rest of his life, and he spent a lot of time there diving and running an "underwater safari" enterprise. Not being a diver myself, I didn't find these stories quite as interesting as Clarke's other writings.
Part III, "Kubrick and Cape Kennedy," spans the 1960s. Like Part I, it contains 13 pieces of writing. Especially worth mentioning is "Space and the Spirit of Man," and the very short "God and Einstein," which is an absolute must-read. Here can also be found the speech that Clarke gave when he received the Kalinga Prize in 1962. Part IV, "Tomorrow's World," spanning the 1970s, is very short, containing as it does only six pieces. Noteworthy is the speech Clarke gave at the ceremony when the final agreements setting up the world satellite communications system (Intelsat) were signed at the State Department in Washington, on August 20, 1971.
Part V, "Stay of Execution," brings us to the 1980s, with 15 writings by Clarke. The outstanding piece here is "Credo," containing some of Clarke's views on religion and the great questions. Clarke doesn't pull his punches, which makes this essay a very enjoyable read indeed. Part VI, "Countdown to 2000," contains no less than 37 different writings by Clarke, written during the 1990s. Several pieces here are previously unpublished. A lot of the material is very brief, and a bit repetitive in places. But overall, it's still great stuff. The last part, "2000 and Beyond," is the postscript, containing two articles and also the speech Clarke delivered at the 1997 Emmy Awards (although this speech consists mostly of stuff that already appeared in stories from Part VI).
All in all, this is a great collection of very inspirational writings from the master, and it is well worth delving into. It is perhaps not a book you read from cover to cover, but a book you can return to regularly over a long period of time. You will always find something new to enjoy beyond the next page. Highly recommended.

The fiction of Arthur C. Clarke has educated and enlightened multiple generations of readers with works that brought the future to us at an accessible, understandable level. Some of my favorites include Imperial Earth, The Fall of Moondust, and The Fountains of Paradise. And in this year, one must honor the classic "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Neil McAleer's biography of Sir Arthur C. Clarke is perhaps one of the best books to give a full understanding of this most versatile and visionary thinker of the twentieth century; but it is only through reading the non-fiction writings that one truly gets to know what a brilliant visionary that Arthur C. Clarke truly is. He has put out numerous papers, articles and books--but they generally have been out of print for many years--which is what makes this collection of essays so wonderful. Here is a logically organized anthology that brings together diverse areas of thought including science, science fiction, politics and more. It does not strive to be a complete collection, but more an essential sampler serving as a tribute to this most knowledgeable and witty intellect.

If you have not had the joy of reading Arthur C. Clarke's non-fiction, this is a wonderful place to start. If you have not read any in the last decade, this is a nice rememberance. And if you grew up reading his fiction and non-fiction as I have, it makes for a wonderful tribute to a truly phenomenal man.

Perhaps there is hope for the future of mankind?