This is power packed book full of the type of information an embryo writer is looking. One of the biggest questions asked is where do I start? This book addresses that question and much more. It takes a person through the whole process, how to start, sell, and market. There are lists of potential agents, editiors, and publishers. I highly recommend this book to future and current writers. There is something here for all.

This is truly an inspiring, extremely practical and entertaining guide to becoming a published author! Having this book is like "money in the bank" -- follow its instructions and you will certainly find print. Even more, you will learn to think and work like a prolific wordsmith who can turn ideas into profit. This book is thorough and is good for beginners, dreamers and veterans of the writing trade (or profession). It covers everything from getting a good idea to selling it to traditional publishers. It also includes meaty portions on self-publishing and the current trend of publishing on the internet. Bly gives detailed advice about Print-on-Demand and the marketing of eBooks.Throughout the guide, he relates many of his own personal experiences on the road to publication. Readers will chuckle at some of his stories. They also will be inspired by the personable approach he uses to shed light on the book-publishing process. I was so pleased with the book, I purchased several copies to give away to friends who wanted to become authors.

Now THIS is a valuable writer's tool!

In this short, highly readable book Mr. Mager reveals the secrets of how to write a successful book. Although in need of a little updating, (I write on my Gateway using Microsoft Office 2000 ... Mr. Mager still uses a typewriter), this is an excellent read for the aspiring author. From how to avoid all the excuses for NOT writing, through the actual writing process itself, to advice about how to get your book published, he tells it all.

What he does NOT tell you is how to write ... you know, all the stuff covered by other books on the subject. If you want to learn how to write, this is not the book for you. If you want to learn how to get a book written and published, this is the one you're looking for. Yes, it's OK to end a sentence with a preposition. Let your editor suggest alternatives; that's what they do for a living. (That's one of the many tips I learned from Mr. Mager's "How To Write A Book" book.)

Did reading this book help me? Absolutely. And when you see my name on a cover in your local bookstore (or Amazon.com), you'll know how it got there.

This is a great book. Easy to read and entertaining. I've purchased several copies to give to friends who are considering writing a book.

This really is the program that can get writers to stop gnashing their teeth and pulling their hair. Everything-- all of the recommendations, are based on sound behavioral principles. Each word makes perfect sense and all of the strategies are absolutely superb. I was writing on and off in occasional spurts followed by depressing dry spells. Now I'm 200 pages into a contracted book for Oxford Press. When I read it the first time I thought that I'd really learned a ton, but the second time through showed me even more. This is one of those books that writers should read every year, like Strunk and White's "Elements of Style."

Robert Boice uses years and years of experience dealing with the psychology of writers to finally expose EXACTLY HOW writers journey to comfort and fluency. This book discusses the psychological traps writers fall into, the corners they back themselves into, and how to get out of them. With real-world examples and actual how-to exercises, this book reveals how writers think and work, and gives them the tools to solve real writing problems. The author deals with everything from procrastination to writing rituals to creating a positive working environment for ultimate fluency and comfort. It's truly a godsend for writers who want to understand themselves and expand their knowledge of the universal problems writers face.

I totally agree with Carlos this is a true classic and its highly unfortunate its out of print. The other book by Robert W Smith & Alan Pittman does not bear comparision unfortunatley this one always seems available while the true classic is out of print. A whackey world or what ???? .I would love to get may hands on a copy

This text is a true classic!! ...A must read for Hsing-I Ch'uan (Xingyi Quan) stylists and internal martial arts enthusiasts everywhere. The author, Robert W. Smith, was the first person to really convey the depth and tradition of internal kung fu in this country. Many of his experiences studying in Taiwan in the sixties and early seventies have been written about in his books. He personally met many famous masters that many only read about. Amoung them are: Sun, Lu-Tang; Wang, Shu-Chin; Hung, I-Hsiang; Ch'ang, Shih-Jung; Cheng,Man-Ch'ing and many more!

It's truely a shame that this fine book is out of print. I read it several times in high school (a copy of the book was owned by my sifu) but always wanted to have a copy of it for myself. I've tried and tried to find a copy to buy but haven't had any luck with it. :( There is also a problem with people misassociated this book with the recently published Hsing- I book written by Robert W. Smith and Allen Pittman. For all Smith fans out there; this is NOT the same book! No offense to his more recent work though.

This book offers much more in the way of sharing the personal experiences of highly developed masters of the art. Of particular interest to me was the experiences of Sun, Lu-Tang's alchemical transmutations while practicing the more refined and esoteric aspects of Hsing-I. The stories about the lives of these masters were also fascinating. It is inspiring to read about the authentic experiences of individuals who reached extremely high levels of attainment in their Kung Fu. Another point in the books favor are the many decent black and white photographs of true masters practicing their art! They are holding various postures and displaying the proper bodily alignment for many of the movements in Hsing -I. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book!

This book was,obviously, very influential to me. It would be a joy to read again and I sincerely hope that it gets republished or that I may find a copy of it somewhere.

If you like (or are a fan of) Robert Williams, or under ground comics, this is an amazing book. Buy it!

This book has everything. The perfect, comprehensive companion to Fantagraphics' 1998 collection, MALICIOUS RESPLENDENCE. MALICIOUS has all of the paintings, while HYSTERIA has all of the comix and illustration. It is astounding how provocative and powerful this work is, and that so much of it has been allowed to slip out of print over the last 25 years despite Williams's extraordinary success in the fine art world. His comics bulge (as Jim Woodring says, "often literally") with greater imagination than even his paintings, what is amazing is how few people are doing comics like this anymore. There may have never been a better pure draughtsman in comics, his work rivals Crumb and even classic strip artists like Hal Foster or illustrators like Howard Pyle, but what truly sets Williams apart is the sheer visceral force of his imagery. If anything lives up to the old cliche of, "This will blow your mind," it's HYSTERIA IN REMISSION.

Images: The Piano Music Of Claude Debussy Paul Roberts (professor of piano, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London) is a meaningful, superbly presented, in-depth analysis of the French piano music of artist and visionary Claude Debussy. Chapters focus in depth upon Debussy's individual songs and go into minute, deconstructive and comparative analysis, observing common threads in Debussy's work and that of other masters such as Chopin. A scholarly book deftly written at the college-graduate level, Images is highly recommended as the perfect companion book for a true connoisseur of Debussy's music. Two music CD's of Debussy's work, performed by Images author Paul Roberts, are intended as companions to Images but are sold separately.

I would be able to write a more erudite review of this book if I had my copy beside me, citing examples of wonderful writing, interesting anecdotes and illuminating images. Unfortunately, I loaned it to my piano teacher, and she won't give it back! She has fallen in love with it. I think I may have to give her a copy as a gift if I ever want to see my copy again. Paul Roberts was here in Portland last June for the first Piano Festival Northwest. He gave a lecture, a master class and a piano recital. His abilities in all three areas are distilled into this book. He has studied Debussy and the cultural "stew" of Paris during Debussy's life. He has studied Debussy's piano works and performs them sensitively. And finally he can explain all of this in a most entertaining manner, in person and in his writing. The book is not easy to read in a summertime-beachy way, but it is certainly not academic or pedantic. It is lively but thorough, engaging and thought provoking. It also contains many examples and musical excerpts which can be studied with a view toward performance of the pieces. As an amatuer pianist, I can appreciate these sections without being able to perform the works, and my teacher takes the examples as points of departure or new interpretive ideas for works which she has performed in the past, but can now see in new ways. Of course, if you've never heard of Debussy, I suppose you might have no use for this book. Otherwise, buy it. (I have no connection, family or business, with Paul Roberts.)

I am in college to become a teacher and I am also a martial artist I think that this book is an excellent step in the right direction if we want our students to learn we must know how to teach! A wonderful book for any Martial Arts Instructor!

INSTRUCTOR is one of those unique books that would benefit anyone who has any desire to become a better teacher in a physical endeavor, whether that be dance, yoga, or martial arts. Dr. Sprackland informs the reader of the fact that people have different learning styles, and that to fail to teach to the student, rather than forcing them to learn as you teach, is likely to result in less than optimal results. Critical elements in the book include such things as having goals when we teach (how many never do lesson plans???), pacing classes and explaining the reason behind the rules (anyone been in a class where one NEVER questions the instructor?), and how to begin one's own school. I have not read in any other source ideas on how to run a school. Even though I have successfully taught martial arts for 25 years, there are ideas here that were new and helpful to me. For a novice just starting out, the ideas are invaluable. Thoughts on how to get a school started, how to utilize the skills of your students, and methods of running an organization are sure to save the new teacher from many pitfalls. Even if one has no intention of becoming an instructor, this book would be a useful tool to discover one's own learning style, thus making the time spent studying more productive. Also, it is very helpful in selecting a prospective teacher, for if one knows how one learns and an instructor is not willing to work with that, looking elsewhere is in order. One may ask about my qualifications. I hold a PhD in marketing from the University of Washington and have received awards myself for superior teaching. I also have studied gung fu for 25 years, and hold the equivalent of a 6th degree black belt--master's rank--in southern styles. Dr. Sprackland's ideas are clear, precise, and a tool that would aid any martial artist to do better in their studies.

Great book giving a realistic description of how the maths work in real dsp applications. Necessary for every student in either DSP or comms to essentially understand and feel what is described in theory.

Great book, it's worth twice as much as quoted.

Jeanine Basinger has put together the definitive collection of primary source information available about "It's a Wonderful Life."

Anybody who considers him or herself a "Lifer" (a fan of the movie, usually an extreme fan such as myself) needs to purchase this book.

Almost everything you want to know is in here, from the original story the film was based on to interviews with Stewart, an introduction by Capra, pictures galore, the final script, script revisions, notes about suggested censorship, and much, much more.

There is even information in here you wouldn't even think about asking. An example is the name of the "stars in charge." One is named Joseph. What is the name of the other galxy (Hint: The answer isn't God).

I often get e-mails asking me questions about the film. If I don't have the answer, this is the first book I pick up. Of the many times I've been asked questions, I have always found the answer in this book.

This is the ultimate IAWL reference.

Could it be possible that a book written about the most inspirational American film of all time do justice to it? The answer is a resounding "YES!". Jeanine Basinger's "The It's a Wonderful Life Book" is the ultimate tribute to the film that Jimmy Stewart, Frank Capra and millions of people all over the world call their favorite of all time.

Diving into the archives of Frank Capra to tell the evolution of the movie from cradle to grave (though it will never die!), Ms. Basinger manages to tell the story with such sincerety, fascination and charm that you get the feeling that everything surrounding the movie was just as wonderful as the final product! Best of all, the details of the making of the movie are so vivid that you almost start to feel that YOU WERE THERE!

The first thing you realize as you read the story of IAWL is that is was a really big movie from the gitgo. That is, Mr. Capra had high aspirations for it and did EVERYTHING in his power to make it his greatest and lasting achievement (little argument here) and that Hollywood was watching.

Fans may know that the story started as a Christmas card called "The Greatest Gift" which finally found its way into Mr. Capra's hands where, after many writes and re-writes into a script, got the Capra touch transforming it into his baby. Then casting began with each actor painstakingly chosen to be the perfect person for each particular character.

Anecdotes abound, starting with Capra's embarrassingly jumbled explanation of the storyline while recruiting Stewart. (Fortunately, all Jimmy needed to hear was that Frank wanted him.) Then we hear the one about Stewart's shattered confidence in acting which is restored when Lionel Barrymore pulls him aside for a peptalk. Finally, We're told that the famous phone scene where George kisses Mary was done in a single take AND THAT TWO PAGES OF DIALOGUE WERE SKIPPED! (Capra saw the magic and said "Print it!").

We also learn some fascinating facts about the production such as the 300-yard long set which made Bedford Falls' Main Street and how a record-breaking heat wave took place during the shooting of the snow scenes (in which a new technology was developed for making more realistic-looking snow which won the crew an honorable mention at the Oscars!). Other incredible details are too vast to mention - you've gotta read it for yourself!

The book is worth it if just to learn all of these amazing facts. Most amazing, though, is the LOVE that the two driving forces put into this film culminating in a "Capraesque" out-of-this-world PICNIC for the cast and crew.

The picnic's panoramic photo, which manages to miraculously include these guys on either end of the crowd (they ran behind as the cameraman slowly panned from left to right) typifies not only the ubiquitousness which Capra had to have to make IAWL a reality, but also how we can never seem to get enough of our lifetime friend, George Bailey.

While not the 1st artist to take on the conceptions of light and its practical uses in art, now Flagstff, AZ. artist James Turrell has brought the perception of light in art to creative and fantastic new levels through his conceptions such as his famous "skyspaces" to "darkspaces," "blue rooms," etc. Many of his pieces offer low light level environments, some almost no light at all, still others brilliant hues of red and blue.

Like most artists, Turrell shies away from giving detailed explinations of his works so that each individual can surmise the piece for themselves. This is not necessarly the case in this work. Turrell wanted, (and did) to build a specific "skyscape" in order to view an eclipse that occurred in England. Like his other "skyscapes," Turrell took the environment and all of its factors, as well as very specific geometry, into account, so that he could construct the perfect medium through which to not just observe the eclipse, but to better magnify the light, or lack thereof, of the eclipse.

The book is a wonderful look at this process, complete with analysis and pictures of the eclipse, the "skyscape," etc. An added bonus is the cd by German composer Paul Schulze, who's approach to his music (a minimalist ambient style, normally) is a perfect match to Turrell's art.

Fans of Turrell, or those who are interested in the interplay between light, our senses, and the reality they both help us create, will find this rather short treatsie to be of invaluable use to them. A wonderfully intriguing work.

James Turrell has long been a major player in the field of light art, and visitors to the Matress Factory museum in Pittsburgh are well aware of his outstanding way of playing with art and images. This amusing meditation on an eclipse is an excellent addition to his body of work