I read this book (in conjunction with other texts) for a graduate section of a Social Policies class, and was impressed with the ease both authors transformed the abstract and dry into something exciting and inspiring.

No, social policy is not the most glamorous field for college students to enter, and unarguably the American system's shrinkage is going to pose severe problems in the next couple of years, but emotional and moral rewards of doing what is right make this venture worth it. Alternately, the authors balance this view with pragmatic political approaches that equip the reader with introductory strategies to hold off or even staunch further erosion of American social policy.

The book by itself is enjoyable, but advanced classes should use the American Welfare State as a supplementary text for historical background.

I took an undergraduate social policy course last semester and we used the Karger/Stoesz text. They do an excellent job at presenting such a broad subject matter in this introductory book. In addition, the authors make an earnest effort to accurately discuss both sides (conservative and liberal) of the social issues covered.

As a student I eagerly read the text each week, having found it both informative and engaging. Most of the chapters were enlightening, especially the ones that dealt with problems and issues that receive poor media coverage and therefore are not popular topics in today's political elections. For example, Chapter 5, Poverty in America, shined light on this oft-overlooked problem.

I highly recommend "American Social Welfare Policy: A Pluralist Perspective" to anyone looking for a great book that delivers a solid, high-level introduction to America's social policies.

I've been reading Karger and Stoesz for years. This is a good, relevant edition to understanding social welfare policy. However, the 4th edition leaves out the historical perspectives; readers will want to refer to earlier editions or supplemental sources for historical content.

I can't praise enough this book. The First section explain the Basic about Storytelling, the Second section expose The Screenwriting Tools, the Third Section from the page 100 to the end provide an Analyses of 16 Films using the following tools/elements:

Protagonist and Objective, Conflict, Obstacles, Premise and Opening, Main tension, Culmination and Resolution, Theme, Unity, Exposition, Characterization, Development of the History, Dramatic Irony, Preparation and Aftermath, Planting and Payoff, Plausibility, Action and Activity, Dialogue, Visuals, Dramatic Scenes.

My conclusions:
1) The information is clear and concise explaining the essential elements of a script
2) The Analyses Section provides examples in depth
3) The book is cheap

Is a favorite between my 12 books about Writing, you can't go wrong with this bok even if you are a Pro because the analyses of the films provide you a comparative of the central principles of a good movie.

Forget all of the other books out there...or, buy the other books, but make this one first on your list. Howard and Mabley are both accomplished professional writers and they know their tools of the craft, which they now share with you. This book succeeds immensely simply because it lists the elements of a screenplay and tells how each is best used and why. It has all of the basic elements: Dialogue, Dramatic Irony, etc. But ever heard of "Preparation and Aftermath", "Future and Advertising", "Planting and Payoff", or "Plausibility"? If not, then learn how to include them in YOUR screenplay to make it better, more exciting, and more fulfilling in a dramatic and universal way. Absolutely the best book on screenwriting. Period. Buy it now. I have read it a countless number of times and each time I learn something new or it spurs my imagination to create something new in the world of my screenplay. Please do yourself a favor and get a hold of this book. A masterpiece of screenplay instruction.

"Tools" is written by an intellectual with many years under his belt. He starts from the bottom up, and teaches you writing from the most basic levels to the most complex of ideas. This book not only improves your screenwriting skills by leaps and bounds, but enriches your movie-going experience.

The day Cityscapes arrived brought me back to the city of my childhood and of my family and closest friends. Page after page of wonderful photographs, of history remembered and learned yet again. So many places visited with my elementary school field trips and then revisited years later on my brief stays in New York. Cityscapes offers a visual feast as well as an intellectual journey to places and people seen years ago, but only now understood in historical context.

A month or so after I fell into Cityscapes, I was delighted to host a young couple from New York. They saw the book on my coffee table and picked it up. Hours later, the two of them were still pouring over the book, learning new and fascinating slices of urban life in their recently adopted city.

Just as New York offers something for everyone, Cityscapes brings light to the eyes of anyone who opens its cover and enters its world.

There is no place like New York, and there is no book about New York like this one. As revealing as the superb choice of photos, sketches and maps are, so is the narrative story linked with the visual: colonial seaport blossoming into a republican town, fragmented city becoming the immigrant metropolis, and finally the cosmopolitan community and global village we celebrate today. The authors have opened for us vista after vista and close-up after close-up of the poignancy and power of this magnificently restless, creative and changing Empire City.

The destruction of the World Trade Center has altered the New York City skyline forever and has forced people to confront a new image of New York. The next generation of New York observers will only know the Towers from their images - several magnificant ones appear in this book's final chapter.

Cityscapes is more than just a history of New York City and it is more than simply a book of beaufitul pictures. It is a unique social history that explores the timely question of how New York, the City, has been both constructed and reflected in images captured over four hundred years.

So far, this is my favorite book of New York City history.

Robert E. Howard was great fan of the ring. He loved the action and the shear power of the men who fought between the ropes. This respect for manly strength shows in every story he wrote, from his westerns right up to his most famous creation, Conan. Here in this book he writes about the real thing. These are men here. Real men! Howard was a life time fan of boxing and these stories are based on men he actually watched trading blows in the ring. If you think these men are larger than life, think again. For each fictional character found in this book there was a real man behind the character. Real men lived the lives presented here. While it is true that these are fictitious accounts it is also true that boxing really was once like this. It was brutal. It was bloody. It was all about fighting. The boxers of today, with their polish and their fancy footwork would not have had a chance in the boxing ring of old. Only an iron man could get through a match in those days. An iron man was a man who didn't duck and dodge but, rather, took each blow to come his way and never faltered. An iron man could take any amount of punishment and still win the fight. An iron man was the toughest of the tough. In this book you will find four such men. These are the men who inspired the great barbarian, Conan. Read this book and enjoy, but beware. No matter how tough you think you are you will feel weak and helpless compared to the giants found in these pages. This is Howard at his best. This is Howard writing about that which he loved most. This is The Iron Man!

Even I, a REH fan, was wondering how a boxing yarn could be any good. I was expecting just a bunch of in-ring action with the only differences from story to story being the fighters and who won. Far from it. This book starts off with an essay entitled Men of Iron, where Howard asks the question: "What freak of nature makes an iron man?" I personally didn't find the essay all that interesting==but the rest of the book makes up for that. The first story is The Iron Man. In my opinion, it's the best in the book. While I read it, I couldn't help but think of the B and W movie Champion with Kirk Douglas. Iron Man has got one whopper of a storyline. Next up is They Always Come Back. This is the second story in the book, and the second best. There's a few nice twists in this story, though. Finally, there's Fists of the Desert. After reading that story, I really felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. That one is the third best of the bunch. This is a hard book to find--even in paparback--but if you see it, pick it up--you won't be disappointed.

This is a must for all Howard fans,especially the newer ones who may have only read his sword & sorcery stories.Iron Man is about boxing pure and simple;the men who took untold punishment in the ring before usually winning their bouts by knocking out their fatigued opponents.Howard wrote this using some of his personal experiences following the fight game in Texas and has based some of his later and well known characters like Conan and Kull on the fighters in this book.They all share the same characteristics of toughness,incredible vitality and endurance.Iron Man is a good guide to how Howard thought and how he shaped his future characters

Every Tarheel, or any non-Tarheel who has an interest in one of the most important political figures in the South, Terry Sanford, should read this book. Senator in the NC General Assembly, Governor, President of Duke University, and US Senator, this book covers it all. It provides an interesting look at Southern politics, and how our past still effects us to this day. There should be a "Six Degrees of Terry Sanford" game, as he can be linked to practically anybody in the field of NC or National politics. Kerr Scott, Lauch Faircloth, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, The George Bushes, Al Gore, Jesse Helms, Jesse Jackson, Richard Nixon, Elizabeth Dole & Erskine Bowles (both front runners from their respective parties in the 2002 Senate race) and the list goes on. Terry Sanford witnessed great movements in history. The race issue in the South, a political atmospheric change, the wheeling and dealing of politicians. Throughout he kept his values and goals, which helped him become a symbol of Progressive policies, and helped place Duke University into national prominence. This should be required reading!

Anyone who lives in North Carolina will learn much about the state's recent political history in this book. And anyone who is interested in progressive politics should read it too. Terry Sanford's forward-thinking approach to government is an inspiration, particularly in the areas of race and education.

Former North Carolina Governor and United States Senator Terry Sanford is one of this century's outstanding political leaders. While serving as Governor in the early sixties, Sanford became known nationwide for his commitment to improving education in North Carolina.

Covington and Ellis' biography of Sanford offers a great deal of insight into Sanford's formative years and his political career. The authors researched their subject thoroughly, and the reader gains a great deal of insight into North Carolina politics and into the historical forces shaping the country.

Many of Sanford's colleagues, family, and friends were interviewed for this book, and their stories and perspectives add depth to this book. Many of the characters in the book are still active in North Carolina politics, including "Jimmy Hunt" (as he is referred to in the book) who now serves as Governor of North Carolina.

People who still believe that our government can be a force for good, and that a political life can be synonomous with a life of public service, will be inspired by this book and by the life of this outstanding public servant.

One word describes this book: OUTSTANDING! Given these two statistics: (1) Every seven seconds, a baby boomer turns age 50, and (2) the divorce rate is up 16 percent for marriages of 30-plus years, this book is a MUST READ for all couples who fall into the empty nest/second half marriage category. Don't let the word "fighting" in the title make you think for a minute that this book is only for couples whose marriages are on shaky ground. It is for ALL couples wanting to build, keep, or return to a great relationship.

This book is the best of the best. It is the best of the book The Second Half of Marriage by David and Claudia Arp in which they identify eight challenges every marriage in the second half faces. And, it is the best of the strategies and techniques of the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) developed by Stanley, Markman, and Blumberg. Not only do the authors suggest powerful, yet simple, ways couples can upgrade their communication and conflict resolution skills, they also stress the importance of building couple friendship, having fun, becoming empty nest lovers, and keeping the relationship strong.

Do you want the rest to be the best? READ this book!

Although we are an empty nest couple, it doesn't seem that way with the pets we inherited from the kids when they moved out. We have 3 cats, 1 dog and an iguana to keep us busy now. I think the kids were easier to raise!

This great book isn't just for couples who have a truly empty nest. Many midlife couples today find that their nests get refilled with boomerang adult kids, aging parents, visits from kids and grandkids, or grandkids on a full time basis.

I liked the section on how to learn about the danger signs of behaviors that can lead couples who have been married for decades to the divorce court. There is also good information on the major issues that midlife couples need to deal with in order to have a strong marriage.

If your a fan of the James Bond films and you want to know everything about the films than this is the book you have to buy. This book gives a great behind the scene look at the films and at the actors who portrayed the suave secret agent. Each actor is interviewed by the author, and share there point of view on Bond. Also each movie is featured and discussed. I think this book is very fun and a great read. I really enjoyed the authors style of writing and hope he writes a book like this about the Bond novels in the future.

Amazing! I've been a fan of the Bond films for over 20 years, and this is the first book that has brought together everyone's first-hand accounts. Almost every Bond book I've been disappointed with because they were written by arm-chair quarterbacks, but David Giammarco is a journalist who has been a part of the 007 world, spent time with most of the Bond particpants, and can truly write what it is like to be on set and behind the scenes. It is very well-written, with many interesting facts and stories that even I'VE never heard before! His interviews with Roger Moore were quite amusing, and reading Sean Connery tell his version of Bond-mania was very fascinating. Getting to hear Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby's side of the story was also quite interesting. It was also great to see how well Mr. Giammarco showcased Pierce Brosnan's contributions to the series. Mr. Brosnan has been vastly underrrated in the media, but this book gives us far more insight into the man and pays him his due rewards (after all, we all know Pierce is the best Bond since Connery!!!) The author and Pierce seems to have a really good relationship, and perhaps that why the normally reticent Mr. Brosnan opens up as much as he does.
Plus, you can't beat hearing all the many great stories from the "classic" Bond directors like Guy Hamilton and Peter Hunt, Ken Adam (his account of Connery almost being eaten by a shark during the shooting of Thunderball was quite funny)as well as the many Bond Girls, Villains, cast and crew. I liked what Desmond Lewelyn told the author and I learned a whole new side about lovable old Q.
Also, the contributions to the book from Hugh Hefner, Kevin Costner, Harison Ford, and that infamous CIA spook E. Howard Hunt were quite fascinating and take this book to a whole new dimension than those other Bond books.

It's clear Mr.Giammarco knows the Bond legacy inside and out and his access to everyone is an invaluable resource for us Bond aficionados. I've been waiting a long time for a book like this - a really fun read. I highly recommend it. No Bond fan will be disappointed!!!

The relationship between Angel, VC and Entrepreneur has been a source of popular confusion. This book clears up some key misunderstandings, such as the different roles Angels and VC's play in the financing process of startup companies. 'Winning Angels' contains a reasonable quantitative element outlining different valuation methods and deal structures, which should be accessible to any reader with a basic understanding of Corporate Finance or Discounted Cash Flow analysis. It's also made particularly credible by the inclusion of interviews with successful Angels. I was struck by the high bar set by the interviewees, and their generally shared opinion that the calibre of entrepreneur was a factor subordinate to all others. Because it's written from an Angel's perspective, the book is skewed towards investor interests. These fall out of alignment with the entrepreneur in at least one key respect: investors are motivated to maximise the return on their portfolio of investments, rather than any individual company's. It follows that Angels will have a tendency to pursue a number of high risk, high payoff vectors rather than companies with a high probability of success but less financial upside. This isn't a criticism of the book, just an observation of differing interests. In short: high quality advice for people on both sides of the table.

Finally a book that spells out a methodology behind the "mysterious" process of Angel investing. This books takes the reader (whether a novice or seasoned investor) through the "7 Fundementals of Early Stage Investing" based upon the input of a great collection of successful start-up investors aptly called "Winning Angels". This book is well worth the read for anyone who wants to start, improve, or add a better methodology to their early stage investing. This book is a real "winner" itself !! Well done, David Amis and Howard Stevenson, I look forward to your next collaberation.

As an angel investor in two start-ups and currently involved in fundraising for another one, I found this book to be an outstanding partner. With a chapter devoted to each aspect of the angel investing process, it is easy to get not only the 10,000 foot view, but also specific ideas on how to do it. I could not recommend this book more highly for serious angels or for entrepreneurs trying to understand them (and perhaps get some of their money).

The only drawback is that some people might think angel investing is for everyone, be sure to read the advice to new angels if you are one.

In 1890, Fragrant Lotus is a young Chinese girl who loves her grandmother very much. But one day her grandmother decides it is time that she bind her granddaughter's feet, a tradition going back a thousand years, and Fragrant Lotus' life changes forever.

Though having bound feet is exceedingly painful, her grandmother does an extremely good job and through the beauty of her feet, Fragrant Lotus is able to move up through society and gain wealth, power, and prestige normally out of reach for the lower-class. However, the Communist revolution is coming.

Where once Fragrant Lotus was the epitome of female beauty, in the 20th Century, footbinding becomes a symbol of the "old" China...a China that the government wants to escape. Fragrant Lotus continues to 'stand up' for footbinding, but it is a losing battle.

In this book of fiction, the author draws comparisons between the bound feet of Chinese women and the "bound" minds of modern China after the Communist revolution. Readers of Chinese fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, and those interested in Chinese history will devour this novel.

What a treat it is to stumble upon a master storyteller! Feng Jicai tells this story with brilliant wit and intelligence. Kudos to the translator as well. He uses historical references to fill the reader in on the tradition of foot binding, as well as weaves a creative plot. The book focuses on Fragrant Lotus, a girl who has her feet bound in the golden lotus style, and her father-in-law, who collects daughters-in-law to serve his foot fetish. He and his other "lotus loving" friends have contests and long debates in their quest for the perfect bound feet. Fragrant Lotus eventually reigns supreme in the family by virtue of her stylish feet, but Jicai uses an ironic twist at the end of the book to ask the reader an underlying political question-- why the people of China have participated in things that caused them to suffer, such foot binding and the Cultural Revolution, and why social change often comes about with cruelty. This question is all the more touching because Feng Jicai's family was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution.

Subtitled "a novel of foot binding", this book was first published in China in 1986 by the enormously popular Chinese writer, Feng Jicai and translated into English in 1994.

Told as a "once upon a time" story, the writer skillfully combines myth, reason and a compelling tale while bringing the reader into the world of the "three-inch golden lotus", the tiny bound feet of Chinese women.

Everything I have ever wondered about this fascinating custom is right here in this book. From the agonies inflicted upon young girls whose childhood includes broken bones and searing pain to the high esteem these tiny feet bring them as adults, it's all here, including the group of men who erotically adore them.

Set in the early part of the 20th century, Fragrant Lotus has her feet bound by her grandmother as an act of love and tradition. Later, her small feet catch the eyes of a wealthy man who makes her the bride of his oldest son. The women of the family all compete in family "foot contests" at which "lotus loving" friends of her father-in-law spend hours debating the fine points of the history of foot binding and its many nuances.

Through the years, Fragrant Lotus becomes the head of the family and comes face to face with the changing movement to outlaw foot binding.

At only 229 pages, this book is a great read on many levels. The writer really captures the world he has set out to describe, does a excellent job of characterization and keeps the tension high with his minute descriptions of the foot contests. He also has a way of making this all into a satirical tall tale as the concepts of truth and reality are constantly explored. Deceptively simple, this story has a far deeper meaning as a metaphor for the cultural revolution as standards of beauty change.

Highly recommended.

I am looking for someone that knows something about old books like the home garden handbook published in 1927

I am a heavy duty user of Excel and I support users of the application too. This is one of the best books I have seen on Excel's most powerful features. The chapters on array formulas and range names are the best I have read on the subject. This book is outstanding. I am here writing this review because I was hoping to order a copy for work.

One of the excellent book of Excel. However it is out of stock. I lent it from the library and can't find it from any book store. I hope the publisher will re-printed it.