A page turning account of life as a New York City firefighter. A little slow at the start, but captivating and exciting by the second chapter. George Pickett does a great job of taking you along on the big red trucks, down the burning halls and into the mindset of the men, who New Yorkers call The Brave. Not only a great story but an important history lesson for anyone who wants a better tomorrow for us all. A Great read! 5 Stars!!! Thanks George!!

I read the book "The Brave" by George Pickett. It's about the personal life of a New York City fireman and the firefighter duties he performed throughout his career. The book is full of action, joy, sorrow, and personal accomplishments. It was an excellent book to read and hard to put down once I started reading it.

"The Brave" is a must read for anyone in the fire service or is contemplating or training to become a firefighter such as myself. Mr. Pickett does an exceptional job of telling the history of the FDNY as well as,the fun, the sorrow, and the action he experienced as a firefighter in New York. His book provides a great portrayl of what trainees can expect when they become a firefighter, using his own personal story to tell the storyl. Mr. Pickett's writing style makes you feel as if you are there with him in the fire house or in a burning buliding. Mr. Pickett's book has inspired me to continue in my endeavors to become a firefighter. Thank You Mr. Pickett for writing an incredible account on your experiences as a New York Firefighter.

this is the 3rd book on the beatles by mark lewisohn that i have gotten, & it is sort of a combination of the 1st 2, "the beatles live", & "the beatles recording sessions"(the 2nd book paul mccartney wrote the intro to because he admired the 1st book so much).i swear, i have been reading books on the beatles since they have been being written from 1964 on, & these books by mark lewisohn are really all you need - maybe include hunter davies "the beatles",1968. "the beatles live" was my favorite, it describes so well the early days of the group in liverpool & hamburg.
if you know a lot about the beatles but you havnt read any of lewisohns books yet, you will find SO much info you didnt know. he researched these books for years, was given access to everything at abbey road, every show they ever did from 1957 on that is possible to know anything about is chronicled. Lennon would have LOVED the "live" book, it brings to life so well those early days in hamburg that he loved to remember.I dont know what else to say, i cant recommend them enough. these books are the next best thing to having a new beatle album, which we know can never happen.

Why is this the "First Beatles Book One Should Read?" Simply put, Marc Lewisohn (an EMI records reseracher) volume is a true labor of love, but not a "tell-all" or a "I was John Lennon's mailman" rip off.

This is a true, scholarly effort. It is a day-by-day account of The Beatle's professional, not personal, affairs. More than just what they did where on an particular day, it shows how hectic their early days were, how incredibly frantic was the Beatlemania in Britian and the USA and their best work (from Revolver on) evolved in the studio.

The book is intelligently writtena nd produced. Each year is a separate chapter, starting first with an introduction which puts that year in perspective to the Beatle's career. What follows is a day by day retelling of every concert, recording sesson, Radio/TV appearance, etc. It's a great companion to Anthology (CDS and video) as you get an idea as to how certain events played how, how certain songs were recorded and again, how crazy the early 60's were for the Beatles.

If anyone wants to know the who, what, where and why (especially why the Beatles broke up as professional musicians) this book, which first appaeared in 1992 and is finally reprinted, is the one book to have. I've read it once and plan to go back again and again.

Thoroughly researched and detailed, Mark Lewisohn's "Complete Beatles Chronicle" will satisfy even the most knowledgeable Beatle fan. This monster reference book provides the who, what, when, where and why of nearly every day in the life of the Beatles. Every concert, recording session, film and TV appearance is painstakingly noted and described. In many cases, Lewisohn provides exact times and lengths of recording sessions. This is great for those of us who just have to know exactly when and where our favorite Beatle songs were recorded! Only upon examining the Beatles' grueling schedule can one truly appreciate how diligently John, Paul, George and Ringo worked to attain their status as the world's premier rock band. Simply put, the Beatles' earned everything they got and Lewisohn, arguably the world's foremost Beatle authority, drives that point home in this remarkable document. In addition to the daily entries, the author also includes rare photos, notes, concert bills and recording session track sheets. The overall scope and magnitude of "Chronicle" is nothing short of staggering. No other book provides such an accurate and detailed account of the Beatles' daily routines. Hard-core fans have long respected the dedication of Mark Lewisohn and, once again, have been rewarded with a Beatle document unlike any other. Highly recommended.

I have long been a fan of Roger von Oech's work on creativity (see A Whack on the Side of the Head and the Creative Whack Pack card deck). I found this book to be a pleasant and valuable addition to my resources for stimulating my thinking in new ways.

The book's core are 30 epigrams ("a terse, witty, and often paradoxical saying") of the 125 that have come down to us in the quotations of other authors from Heraclitus, as written 2500 years ago. Mr. von Oech has taken the traditional translation and updated it into more conceptual English in many cases, which makes the material more accessible. "All things happen according to the logos" (from Heraclitus by T. M. Robinson, University of Toronto Press, 1987) becomes "The cosmos speaks in patterns." Each epigram begins with an imaginative line drawing to give you an initial impression of the concept. Mr. von Oech goes on to provide some key subpoints in a brief essay, some examples of the concepts and subpoints in action, and occasionally gives you puzzles and brain teasers to play with (the answers are at the end of the book).

The longer the section, the better I liked it. So I left the book wishing it had been longer. That's my usual test of how helpful a book was to me. While many of these epigrams meant nothing to me on first reading them, Mr. von Oech's explanations soon made each an old and valuable friend.

Mr. von Oech suggests three ways to use the book. First, you can read it from start to finish as a creativity workbook. Second, you can take one epigram a day and make it the focus of a meditation for that day. You can repeat the list at the end of 30 days ("You can't step into the same river twice" so you should get new insights each time). Third, you can use the book as an oracle. When you have a question, randomly pick an epigram (there's a random number table in the book to help you do this) and apply it to the problem. I would like to suggest a fourth application, as well. You could use the epigrams to stimulate group creativity in problem-solving situations involving others.

Space does not permit (nor would fairness allow) publishing all the epigrams here, but let me share the ones that had the most impact on me.

"That which opposes produces a benefit."

"A wonderful harmony is created when you join together the seemingly unconnected."

"I searched into myself."

"Many fail to grasp what's right in the palm of the hand."

"Things love to conceal their true nature."

"Those who approach life like a child playing a game, moving and pushing pieces, possess the power of kings."

"Sea water is both pure and polluted: for fish it's drinkable and life-giving; for humans undrinkable and destructive."

"It is disease that makes health pleasant, hunger that makes fullness good, and weariness that makes rest sweet."

"The way up and the way down are one and the same."

"A thing rests by changing."

"Donkeys prefer garbage to gold."

"Every walking animal is driven to its purpose with a whack."

"Your character is your destiny."

"The Sun is new each day."

The summary combines all thirty epigrams into a brief essay. I encourage you to take one of the epigrams above and apply it today. If it helps you, go on to use another one tomorrow. If that is working, order this book and keep using other epigrams daily until the book arrives. Then, see how Mr. von Oech's thoughtful ideas about the epigrams expand your thinking even further!

Be prepared to find diamonds in your coal mine!

The fact that von Oech draws heavily upon the "ancient wisdom of Heraclitus" in this book correctly suggests what a creative mind such as von Oech's can accomplish when seeing direct and useful correlations between an ancient Greek philosopher (other than Plato and Aristotle) and intellectual challenges in the 21st century. Von Oech describes Heraclitus as "the world's first creative teacher." He recalls being "infected" (happily) with the Heraclitean "bug" while studying in Germany 30 years ago. Now von Oech has written a book in which he brilliantly and entertainingly examines concepts such as symbol, paradox, and ambiguity in relation to creative thought. He offers 30 "Creative Insights" of Heraclitus which include, for example, these five:

#2. "Expect the unexpected or you won't find it."

#4 "You can't step into the same river twice."

#12 "Many fail to grasp what's right in the palm of their hand."

#26 "Donkeys prefer garbage to gold."

#29 "Your character is your destiny."

Individually and even when clustered with the other 25, these "Creative Insights" may seem unworthy of careful consideration. In fact, von Oech provides a brief but insightful analysis of each which effectively demonstrates the wisdom of #12. Truly creative thinkers are always alert to what I call "the invisibility of the obvious." They are not threatened by or even uncomfortable with symbol, paradox, and ambiguity. On the contrary, their minds are stimulated by them.

Throughout his book, von Oech inserts a number of brief puzzles for the reader to solve. (The correct answers are included and explained within the "Final Thoughts" section.) These puzzles are fun to grapple with, of course, and presumably most readers will solve them of them. My point is, the answers to the unsolved puzzles are no less obvious than the answers to the others, no matter which specific puzzles the reader is unable to solve.

Frankly, when I began to read this book, I really did not know what to expect. What of value could I possibly learn from a relatively obscure Greek philosopher? However, von Oech had already convinced me of the value of an occasional "whack on the side of the head" and "kick in the seat of the pants" so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. (See #12.) As always, von Oech is immensely entertaining. He has superb writing skills. And of course, he is an immensely creative thinker in his own right. I strongly recommend this little (in length) book to literally anyone who wants to put white caps on her or his gray matter. Those who share my high regard for this book are strongly urged to read all of von Oech's previous books as well as those written by Guy Claxton, Edward de Bono, Lynne Levesque, and Michael Michalko.

"Expect the Unexpected or You Won't Find It" is a collection of thirty of Heraclitus' epigrams along with an examination of some of their different facets. Heraclitus was a Greek scholar who answered many of life's questions with comments that were purposely designed to be obscure. This forced the recipient to think creatively to find their answer. Many of them contain internal paradoxes and so part of the creative process is figuring out the paradox and how it applies to your situation.

As Roger von Oech goes through each of the thirty selected epigrams he includes some of the ways that they can be interpreted, ways that they have been interpreted in the past, anecdotes, jokes, and riddles that illustrate the epigram and other ways of illuminating just how deep these pieces of wisdom are. Does he give a complete explanation of how they can be interpreted? No, because that is part of the design of these epigrams, they can be applied to different circumstances and product different but still correct answers. His illustrations are there to open your mind to the creative possibilities that lie hidden within just a few wise words.

Some of these I have heard in the past such as "You can't step into the same river twice". Others are less common but just as full of wisdom such as "On a circle, an end point can also be a beginning point". If you want a book that expands your creative mind and also shows you how to break out of old patterns of thinking in any situation, then this is the book for you. Well written and sure to point the reader to new directions of thinking, it is a highly recommended read.

In addition to being a useful cookbook, this is a facinating history book. This is my favorite cookbook, and has taught me how to cook more than any other. It is also very entertaining, and funny to read. Some of the recipes that I've used which are excellent are Shoshone meat patties, saurbraten, Stonewall Jackson barbecue ribs, Seminole Corn Relish, sour dough pancakes La Salle, and beans escoffier. And if you've ever wondered how to make Worstecshire sauce, beer, or about 50 different kinds of wine after reading this book you will wonder no more.

The book was a gift to my father, years ago, who was a chef with some domestic and international training and experience. A fan of Escoffier, my father couldn't believe some of Herter's comments about the reknown French master of cuisine. This is a wonderful, mixed up collection of recipes, which seem to be second to a world history according to THE authority, George Leonard Herter. He claims authentic historical recipes, but the ingredients list begins with "Take a #2 can of whole corn..." I'm sure the early Native Americans had the electric can openers ready. In any event, a must-read, as I have devoured this book many times and keep howling with laughter. Oh, and yes, the recipes are quite good...and easy.

This is simply the funniest, strangest cookbook I've ever owned. The story of St. Anthony's world famous sandwich put my boyfriend into such a state of hilarity that I thought he'd stopped breathing. Of course, it's just one among many bizzare blends of ancient history and rustic American home cookin'. Some recipes, ostensibly from original, ancient sources, use such things as ketchup and luncheon meat. I had no idea the book had been re-published in 1995, so I was shocked to find these reviews! My edition is 1969, Vol. I, gold hardcover, self-published by Herter's store. In back, it lists some other titles by the Herters, such as, "How to Live with a Bitch", "George the Housewife", and "How to Get Out of the Rat Race and Live on $10 a Month". If anybody finds these, I'd love to know how they compare to old "Bull Cook".

Several years ago I discovered this gem in a bookstore at the St.Louis airport when a connecting flight was cancelled. I sat in the food court, crying, and finished the entire book. Since then I have given 6 copies to dog loving friends for special occasions. This is a book to cherish, but it is not just about dogs. It's a wonderful account of the relationship of the two men who rescued the dogs, and to all who were involved in their extremely long and happy lives. The author is a philosopher, and the book is extremely well written and erudite, a commentary on the values that make life worth living - love, devotion, trust - the karma is the same for humans and canines. I have shared my life with eight dachshunds, and I recently buried my beloved Dieter with George Pitcher's eulogy-poem. Thank you, George and Ed.

It's always so nice to find other people that see animals in the same heavenly light. If my husband asked me to make a choice between him and my beloved dog - I'd pick the dog. The reasoning would be, that if he couldn't understand my love and very primary NEED for animals; perhaps he never knew me at all. But you know what? My husband does "get it". His heartstrings have been pulled in the same way as mine. Pets never leave and seldom disappoint. When everything is topsy turvy in my world - precious Molly comes to the rescue. The best part of the book was for me when George decides to take the somewhat bedraggled mother, Lupa. He really IS an animal lover - a man with a soul. I'm the gal that always wants the orphans, the discarded, or the mutts. Great book. So glad this book was written.

I found this book at the book store on campus at Princeton University and was delighted to find the author George Pitcher was on faculty at that time. The book was totally fascinating and I was amazed the author's conveyance of the true feelings between man and his dog. Dogs give such unconditional love to their owners/masters but this book develops the reverse also. The men just love their dogs so unconditionally that my emotions were overwhelming. I cried for a half hour after I completed reading this beatiful story. What love.....taking the dogs to Europe on the QEII, cooking for them, caring for them in their old age. These men are true animal lovers. I wish Mr. Pitcher would write more about this subject. Absolutely one of my all time favorites and I read at least 100 books a year.

This book is not "what you'll need to become a medical transcriptionist", as in books and equipment. Rather, it is a general "What is Medical Transcription?" along with things to think about while studying to be one.

I bought this book expecting the former but I'm not disapointed I read it. It explains the current situation in Medical Transcription as a job and answers questions like, "Is Medical Transcription right for me?" It also talks about the job itself and what one should expect - where does one work? are people paid well?

However, I am looking for a book that helps one study on their own to be a Medical Transcriptionst. Most courses seem pricey so I decided to just begin studying on my own. There are tapes of Medcial Dictation (with their transcripts) available on eBay. Unfortunatly, this book did not help too much in this regard except to ephasize the necessity of being competent with Medical Terminology and the importance of being certified by the AAMT.

If you're thinking about being a medical transcriptionst and want to read a gentle introduction to the field then this book is great but don't expect to read the exact steps to take for completing your own education.

I find this book to be very informative and well worth the money if you are considering going into medical transcription, either working for a doctor or hospital or starting your own home based business. I personally was considering starting my own business and attending a course to do transcription, but I decided to purchase this book first. I had sought out in depth information before, but could not find any until I found this book. It showed me in detail all of the steps to take to become a medical transcriptionist and what you have to do to stay on top of this profession throughout the years. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has even remotely thought about this as a profession or a home business. It's very informative and helps you step by step throughout the entire process of becoming a medical transcriptionist. The author has the years of experience in this field and he is straight to the point, honest and very helpful.

As a medical transcription educator, I was thrilled to see this new book from George Morton. It is a realistic look at what the field of medical transcription has to offer ... the good and the bad. It's a worthwhile investment for anyone who is considering a career change to MT!

First of all let me say, this is from the perspective of web site design as this book is supposed to cover Video, and Web Site production. This book is a great overview book for multiple industries and is a very easy read. However, it lacks the detail I was expecting in regards to how he actually runs his company.

First of all he talks about how to get your first job, basically all common sense that you should already know if you've worked in the business world more a few weeks. Then he talks about actually starting the business and dealing with clients, a few helpful hints here that could be summorized in 5 pages instead of the 70 pages or so these two sections fill mostly with just common sense information again. Next he talks about budgetung and bidding for contracts, which could be helpful for a video studio but not much here for web site companies as he fails to go into any detail on project management and actually tracking progress and time spent.

The following chapter is about legal issues, a good read that will get you up to speed in legal matters pretty quick. Chapter 8 leads you into how to actually setup your web site studio and what equipment to buy. Very, very vague, mainly just covers audio equipment, not much information on web design at all. The final chapter is about managing your crew, subcontracting, and getting paid. A pretty good, interesting chapter to read.

In summary, this book is a pretty good overview of how to prepare to get your first client, but it is mainly common sense. It would have been better labeled "Desktop Video Studio Overview: Helpful Suggestions of How To Get Started In the Video, and DVD Industry" and leave out the web sites part as web sites are just an afterthought in the book.

George Avgerakis was one of the first people I came across in my career. A decade ago, he understood the value of videography and how digital media production would revolutionize an industry belabored by high cost production and exclusivity attainable by only a select few. With the release of the Desktop Studio Bible, he imparts his knowledge to readers, videographers, entreprenuers, and dreamers of all ages and levels. I was lucky enough to get trained by him personally, but finally now the masses can benefit from his wisdom. This is a great book, and I would recommend it to any student of communications and any one who ever looked at a video camera and thought, "What if?...." The best part about George Avgerakis is that he knows so much, and he knows how to share that information so that anyone could understand it. His humor and experience is apparent throughout the book. This book is a must-read. The book is especially recommended for communications professors to include in their courses if they really want to help their students be prepared for the real world.

'Desktop Video Studio Bible' should be re-titled 'The Complete Idiots Guide to starting out in video production and taking it to the limit!'

George Avergakis has achieved what many have previously tried, but failed. George has created a technological how-to guide that reads as if you were sitting down and shooting the breeze with a good friend over a cup of joe. Well, a couple cups anyway (after all the book is 386 pages excluding the Epilogue and Index).

I have personally been in the video production business for 15 years. As a seasoned professional, I thought I had seen it all, done it all. Well, I must admit, my copy of 'Desktop Video Studio Bible' is already dog-eared, highlighted and given a prominent home right next to my computer monitor (for quick and easy access).

One of my many responsibilities at B&H Photo-Video includes managing our booths for the many different video trade shows that we participate in every year. Many of the trade show attendees that I meet rely on my experience to help them solve some of their every day studio problems. Well, George has opened a whole new door for me to access with exciting ideas and solutions. My hat is off to you George on a job well done and for helping to make my job that much easier.

James MacFadden
Trade Show Coordinator/Technical Writer
B&H Photo-Video, Inc.

I have been reading Bob George's column for many years. and this book brings back many fond memories, along with more than a few chuckles. Great reading for all.

The success of The Best of By George lies in the voice of the author, Bob George. That voice is authentic, and the clips of life within the pages of his book are also authentic. His voice is every voice. For the book appeals not only to older generations, but also to today's generation, the thoughtful ones, who ponder the best and the worst of our society and this world in which we live. Many of us grew up, whether rural or urban, without technological entertainment. What we had was each other. And much of what Bob writes about focuses upon the stability and predictability of that time, in contrast to the anonymity and transience of today. And what about that world? Bob ponders, smiles, rails, and puzzles...but mostly he just laughs. Read Best of By George and find out that you are not alone.

BOB GEORGE IS A VERY SPECIAL PERSON AND A RARE GIFTED FRIEND. HIS MANY ARTICLES OF THE "GILLOTTE- FERRARO" FAMILY HAVE TRULY SAVED THESE PRECIOUS MEMORIES FOR ALL TIME;AND GENERATIONS.THIS BOOK IS TRULY ANOTHER WONDERFUL EXPRESSION OF HIS RARE TALENTS.HE IS A VERY SPECIAL FRIEND AND I HOPE MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE CHANCE TO PURCHASE AND TREASURE AGAIN HIS WONDERFUL TALENT; THANK YOU BOB FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL SPECIAL MEMORIES; I WILL ALWAYS TREASURE YOUR GIFT OF WRITING.

This is not just another techie book. This is a wonderful amalgamation of marketing, technology and business wrapped in an easy-to-read "how-to" book.

Capturing Customers.com is filled with so many good ideas that I was kicking myself for the opportunities I had been missing. Now, armed with these lessons, I'm already making meaningful changes in my business. I'm so glad I picked up this book and only hope my competition doesn't.

You read the manifestos, the prophecies and the change-or-die ultimatums. Now read the postmortem. George Colombo begins his dissection of the dotcom corpse by stating the now obvious: Many Internet companies didn't offer viable business plans, the Internet stock boom was mostly hysteria, and the average Internet start-up had no clue how to acquire or serve customers. But picking through the carnage, he identifies elements of the dotcom business model that are worth salvaging. In clear, spare prose he explains how businesses can blend brick-and-mortar operations with electronic innovations like permission marketing and mass customization to capture long-term customers - the key to success in a market of hyper-informed and fickle consumers. We at getAbstract.com strongly recommend this book to any and all professionals, especially those left wondering what's to become of their vaunted Web strategies in the post-dotcom era.

This book has great insight into the e-business story. I have found it informative and have already recommended it to clients who are moving to e-business for more efficient marketing opportunities. Mr. Colombo's practical approach to technology and the Internet is real plus. This book is worth the time and will give you insight into the e-business movement. I also like Mr. Colombo's style and find it entertaining to read and a good book for an airplane commute.

Courtesy of Love Romances

Gray Sinclair is a ship captain on a mission. He is on a quest for a mythological gemstone, the "Sacred Heart," a rare flawless red diamond. His brother is on the brink of losing the family estate and Gray believes finding this diamond will save them all from ruin. He never expected to find himself tried and condemned to death in a small Scottish town, for a murder he did not commit!

Bonnie MacTavish is the sole witness to the gruesome death of her friend. She found Gray crouched over the body, bloody knife in hand, concluding he is the killer. In spite of that, she wanted Gay to receive a fair trial. When he is convicted in the farce, her doubts of his guilt begin to surface, leading her to the decision to help him escape.

Gray doesn't need her help though, and makes good on his escape, taking Bonnie with him. She is furious over her kidnapping and vows to make his life miserable until she can make her bid for freedom. Things change while they are at sea, however. Bonnie begins to see a whole different side of Gray, one of compassion, and she realizes he is not capable of brutally murdering anyone.

As Gray continues on his quest for the stone, he and Bonnie grow closer, but he carries additional emotional burdens he is afraid to tell her about. He believes that if she knows the truth about him, and his family, that she would be unable to care for him. Will Gray complete his quest for his own personal Grail? Will Bonnie manage to break through Gray's personal barriers to reach his heart and the love he denies himself?

This was a novel full of adventure and passion. Ms. George gain proves her skill at penning a tale to tug at the heartstrings. Gray and Bonnie are full of personality that leaps off the pages. His demons and her fire are always evident. The colorful cast of characters, right down to a cuddly canine, and a rather ugly, but loved no less, pet vulture, entrance the reader, making the story all the more enjoyable.

The sometimes overly wordy passages takes getting used to at first, but once familiar with it, it is hardly noticeable. Also, the murder which begins the story takes a back seat to Gray's quest. This reviewer had trouble believing that Bonnie could apparently forget all about her friend's death, thought hat is what appears to happen for most of the story. Other than a few references to Gray's label as "murderer," most of the novel no one even thinks about that which started the whole adventure.

All in all, this was an exciting story full of emotion, dangers, action, and conflict which is par for the course in the genre. Ms. George puts her own signature on the romance world, drawing people in and making them eager for the next story.

This author became an auto-buy for me with her first of those charming "Devils" with Devil May Care (If you have never read a splendidly done secondary characters like Reggie from DMC, you simply must read it. Stellar!)

Ms. George has the fabulous knack of writing characters that fairly leap off the page, and THE DEVIL'S DUE is no exception. And each devil book was entirely unique. In fact, TDD took me completely by surprise because it showed a depth to this writer I hadn't expected. I knew she could write humorous stuff with a flair heretofore unsurpassed. But I never realized she could also do the deeper, more poignant emotions so well. You truly feel as if you have gone along on an adventure when you read this story. And the hero, Gray, epitomizes what a hero should be while being completely HOT and SEXY at the same time. The book has a twist at the end that totally took me by surprise (now, don't peek!) This is another keeper!

This is a wonderful story of the power of love and trust. Bonnie is not afraid of the Devil himself, in this case Gray. She is attracted to him and is convinced that is not a killer. ...This is a definite keeper.