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Alan Greenspan is a classic conservative, monetarist economist. His views fit nicely into that category. He also has a lively wit, which is normally well hidden behind the facade of "non-speak" that he specializes in. The author has considerately included some of Dr. Greenspan's most famous bon mots. His convoluted sentences are more famous across the planet, and deliberately so.
For when Alan Greenspan really speaks, as he did about "irrational exuberance" in the stock market a few years ago, the ground moves beneath the financial markets. So he has to be careful.
Care is also required because of politics. The Federal Reserve is supposed to be an independent body that is not part of the political process. Yet Congress can change its powers very easily. So the best approach is to hide in the shadows, as much as any 800 pound gorilla can.
This strategy is complicated by the fact that the chairman has to make many speeches, and has many required reports to Congress each year. So, Chairman Greenspan has to utter a lot of words while saying very little.
Perhaps the truest statement in the book was the quote about him pointing out that people on both sides of any issue quote Alan Greenspan as supporting their position. And that's the brilliance of these obscure sayings.
The only times he can be open is when he is in front of a group that doesn't matter. For example, he can praise the small community banks to the skies, because they are so small. Bring up Citigroup, and he has to move off in other directions.
The book that still needs to be written about Alan Greenspan is his art of saying much while communicating little. Now, that would be a book!
My favorite slant on Alan Greenspan was missing from this book. The financial news channel, CNBC, has developed a way to anticipate which way interest rates will go. It depends on the size of Greenspan's brief case when he goes into a Fed meeting. When it is thick, rates change. When it is thin, nothing happens. With a between-sized case, the bias between tightening or not may shift. Interstingly, they are often correct with this approach. And this story shows perfectly how much scrutiny he is under.
The man has done a fabulous job of running the Federal Reserve. We should not forget that in our focus here on his words. This is an area where actions speak louder than words, as they often do.
Now that we are off the gold standard, controlling the money supply is more important than ever because there is no limit on the potential to create inflation. As a former economic forecaster, Greenspan knows that economic forecasts are more often wrong than right. So you have to be vigilant and aggressive in anticipating problems. You will get a good sense of that perspective from this book. It will bring all of those words into a coherent sense of Greenspan's philosophy for you.
After you have finished absorbing these very long sentences, I encourage you to think about when in your life it is good to be balanced in your communications in order to moderate the response. Clarity is not always a virtue. But do be clear whenever it is important to get the point across. Follow Hemingway then. When obscurity helps, follow Greenspan.
May you aggressively pursue the opportunities in front of you, but in a balanced way that exercises extreme caution about the risks involved. In considering your choices, you should pause to consider how forecasting may not always be correct. Naturally, you will want to give full weight to the concerns that your hear as well. (This is my attempt at a Greenspanism, for demonstration purposes.)
Baum wanted to transfer characters Trot (real name: Mayre Griffith) and her much older guardian, Captain Bill, of his non-Oz titles The Sea Fairies (1911) and Sky Island (1912), into Oz permanently, and they are the apparent stars of the book until the Scarecrow is introduced on its 173rd page. Though Trot, like Betsy Bobbin before her, is almost identical to Dorothy Gale in manner and appearance and would in later volumes largely fade into a pale replica of her, Baum here allows Trot to command the narrative and display a number of admirable, heartening qualities. Perennial lost boy Button - Bright (real name: Saladin Paracelsus de Lambertine Evagne von Smith), who is discovered buried face down in a small mountain of popped corn, is also a key player.
Caught in a monstrous whirlpool that appears out of nowhere while sailing on calm American ocean waters, Trot and Captain Bill awaken in a strangely lit underwater grotto. Though the narrow, claustrophobically confining passage they are obligated to enter and follow does not lead them directly to Oz, it does lead them to another of Baum's fairytale kingdoms. As in previous titles, readers may question whether Trot and Captain Bill have died and passed into the afterlife; certainly their early travails have a purgatory - like quality. In a hilarious episode, the twosome find themselves trapped on a small, lush island with the most cantankerous man living, who complains that the trees are too green, the water "dreadfully wet," and that the sun, which unpleasantly "shines in the daytime," is useless, because "it disappears just as soon as it begins to get dark." This "little old man of the island" is in exile, and certainly seems to occupy his own tiny circle in hell.
As in Sky Island, readers are given excellent expository information about Button - Bright; this is important, because Button - Bright, when appearing later in the Oz chronicle, was often portrayed as an annoying idiot with a tabula rasa for a mind ("Some folks think I'm stupid. I guess I am," he goes so far to say in Sky Island). However, in the Scarecrow Of Oz, Baum explains Button - Bright to his audience in almost Zen - like terms. Button - Bright is "almost as destitute of nerves as the Scarecrow...nothing ever astonished him much; nothing ever worried him or made him unhappy. Good fortune or bad fortune he accepted with a quiet smile, never complaining, whatever happened." Is Button - Bright a young wandering Buddha? Button - Bright, who has an exceptionally hardy appetite, is enthralled by both the beauties of nature and of happenstance. A junior lord of unforeseen contingency, an open meadow, a hedge of berry bushes, or a fluttering butterfly is all that is necessary to send him dashing off blissfully into spatial oblivion. In the Scarecrow Of Oz, Button - Bright, who lives purely in the moment, seems to possess the secret of happiness, if no longer his magical umbrella, and makes a perfect counterpoint to the more responsible, rational Trot.
The Scarecrow Of Oz is also one of the several Baum - composed Oz titles that concerns itself with witches. One of the book's three main antagonists, Blinkie, who, like the Wicked Witch in the first book, has but a single good eye, is a traditional European folklore witch: she is old, wrinkled, eccentric, power hungry, toadying, and spiteful. Interestingly, as in medieval drawings, Blinkie and her fellow witches ride their broomsticks with the brush portion forward. Baum even raises the possibility of witch burning, though, as bad luck may have it, it is the easily consumed Scarecrow and not Blinkie that is eventually tied to a stake and threatened with fire. Baum counters Blinkie with Gibson Girl look - alike sorceress Glinda the Good, who, the opposite of the witch in every way, is lovingly described: "No one knows her age, but all can see who beautiful and stately she is...her hair is like red gold and finer than the finest silken strands. Her eyes are blue as the sky and always frank and smiling. Her cheeks are the envy of peach-blows and her mouth is enticing as a rosebud. Glinda is tall and wears splendid gowns that trail behind her as she walks. She wears no jewels, for her beauty would shame them." Strangely enough, illustrator John R. Neill consistently portrays Baum's sorceress supreme wearing an unusual headdress conspicuously crowned with what looks like a cross between a healthy, long-stemmed, large-capped mushroom and a vigorous phallus.
Here more than in any of other Oz title, the Scarecrow shines, as he rightly should, though the novel is more than half over before he makes his appearance. Baum tended to dilute even his most popular characters over the course of the series, and in too many Baum titles the Scarecrow is depicted as little more than the Tin Woodman's "heterosexual life partner," though of course the Scarecrow bills and coos with the Patchwork Girl as well as with best friend Nick Chopper. The Scarecrow, sent by Glinda to rescue Trot and her cohorts from an evil king, is certainly the hero of the book: "As a conqueror I'm a wonder," he says before single - handedly but futilely demanding that King Krewl abdicate his ill-gotten throne. Happily, the sometimes Christ-like Scarecrow survives both burning at the stake and drowning in a waterfall, but not without the help of less overconfident friends.
Gorgeously illustrated in both color and black and white, the Scarecrow Of Oz is excellent in every way and belongs at the very top of the multi - volume Oz heap.
The plot is familiar to readers of other Oz books. Mortals from the outside world get hopelessly lost, but retaining their determination and good will, they move forward until they find themselves in the fairy land of Oz. All along the way Trot and Cap'n Bill meet fantastic beings and explore strange countries which the author creates with a joy and imagination that seem boundless. On this trip they meet and become fast friends with a strange flying creature called the Ork, who, although featherless, is equipped with a propeller as well as four wings. Together the three of them continue on to the Land of Mo where they inexplicably come across another beloved Baum character, Button-Bright, a boy who is unflappable and prone to getting lost. These four next find themselves in a remote and inaccessible corner of the land of Oz called Jinxland. Here they fall victim to the cruel plots of King Krewl and the magic spells of the witch Blinkie. Discovering their plight, the Scarecrow of Oz decides to go to their rescue. But what can a man of straw do to fight a corrupt king and an evil witch? Find out for yourself and enjoy every minute of it by reading this wonderful book.
The Books of Wonder edition has recreated the original first edition with all its twelve color plates, over 100 black and white illustrations, and a full color dust jacket by John R. Neill. It also includes a three page essay by Peter Glassman that discusses this work as it fits into the writings of the author, L. Frank Baum. This is a must-read for Oz aficionados and a joy to anyone interested in children's fiction.
Alan has climbed every one of the peaks he described. The route descriptions reflect that intimate knowledge that the author has with each route. The details are excellent. Moreover, he really gives you a feel for the climb and from my experience reading the routes made for fewer unwanted surprises on the actual climb.
I'll also say that the book has a nice variety when it comes to difficulty of the scrambles. The concept of scrambling in many ways represents the highest degree of freedom you can have while climbing. This is because you needn't be weighed down by lots of gear (protection, climbing rope, chocks, etc) to do these scrambles. Yet they are more difficult and exciting than a regular walk-up. Kane has all the bases covered here. For a guide to scrambling in the canadian rockies, look no further. However, don't just take my word for it...Alan has a website where you can see some of the routes described in the book. I think it will give you a good idea of what to expect.
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This book is recommended for any purpose because it gives detail and sufficient information to every topic, covers and accord with the criteria and requirements established by various prominent examinations, so when I finish this book and take one of these exams, I certainly won't botch up it and have confidence in achievement.
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I did find it a little disapointing that it does not quite finish the story...but as she was still alive when this book was written it can't be helped.
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One very interesting aspect of Moore's plotlines during this period is how Swamp Thing himself often falls into the background of the stories, as the focus is on the horrors around him, and he makes dramatic Lone Ranger-like appearances to save the day. Even in "The End" Swampy is a minor presence, action-wise, then defeats the force of darkness simply by reasoning with it rather than fighting. In this collection's first tale, "Windfall," Swamp Thing only appears on one page, and the focus of the story is a psychedelic fruit that grew on his back. During this period of the series, things were changing artistically, as regular artists Stephen Bissette and John Totleben were often overworked or unavailable. Here Stan Woch and Ron Randall really make their presence felt, especially in the most tremendous story of this stretch, "The Parliament of Trees." This concept is surely inspired by Tolkein, and in turn I bet that Woch and Randall's visual creations were an influence on the producers of the recent "Two Towers" film. By the end of this collection Moore and his great team of artistic collaborators continue to teach us about the deep roots of the Swamp Thing character, and he's not yet done learning himself.
Swamp Thing was his first real American hit and its easy to see why: the tales age like a fine wine and you can use any issue as a jumping on point without becoming the least bit confused.
A Murder of Crows lures you in gently with three stand-alone stories that are reminiscent of Tales From the Crypt, but scarier because they are the quiet kind of horror that gradually build to frightening heights. From there you're launched headfirst into the muck of the massive 'Crisis' crossover DC used in the '80s to clean out its proverbial junk room of convoluted plots and multiple Supermans (There were somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 at the time), only your mind is not in the least bit boggled. Moore keeps things tidy (Plotwise anyway, some of this stuff is not for the squeamish) and the characters to a minimum so you always know what's going on with who and where. The depth he is able to go into as he bounces you from South American cults to British seances to Under-World War III will amaze you. For those Hellblazer fans out there, John Constantine's presence provides some serious magic of the non-Harry Potter variety as well as some wonderfully snarky commentary to lift the gloom a little.
You'll smirk, you'll cringe, you'll shudder and squirm.
You won't have a read you'll have an experience.
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I read a lot of books once I am interested in a subject and I would place this one at the top for documentaries.
As I sat at my video production terminal I realised that the nirvana of books on docudrama had been produced. This is the sort of book that makes you go and get the authors name tattooed on your butt.
Buy , buy , buy ..
No one has come close in their summation of the documentary process. It is 2001, the book was released in 1996, it is timeless. The best book on the market, a better book could only be devised by the author.
Four years of preperation in one book. Every student, professional filmmaker, enthusiast should have it. I have even allowed persons/subjects whom I was documenting to read this book. It made the process that much easier. They were extremely thankful. PURCHASE THE BOOK.
The book contains selections from different Greenspan speeches given over the years. Most selections are prefixed with some scene-setting remarks by the author, Kahaner. The book doesn't have much structure to it -- the chapters are in alphabetical order (e.g., "Banks", "Capitalism", "Derivatives", etc). So you can skip back and forth without losing anything.
While Greenspan's speaking style is usually clear, he does have a roundabout way of talking. For example: "I don't want to suggest we're about to do anything at this stage, but I would confirm we are obviously going to do a great deal of thinking about the whole process." Somewhere else, he jokes: "I've been able to string more words into fewer ideas than anybody I know, and I'm continuing to do that."
Nonetheless, the reader can pick up most of Greenspan's opinions without too much trouble. For example: (a)Debt - bad. (b)Inflation - very, very bad. (c)Capitalism - hurray! His view on income distribution: "No society succeeds unless virtually all of its participants believe that it's fair and gives people opportunities." That one sounded all right to me, but his views on labor strike me as downright creepy; for example: "It should always be remembered that in economies where dismissing a worker is expensive, hiring one will also be perceived to be expensive."
On a subject of current political concern, the privatization of Social Security (or "modernization" is what they're calling it now, I think), Greenspan argues against it for workers already contributing to the system: "Investing Social Security assets in equities is largely a zero sum game." But he also suggests that allowing younger workers the option to move to a semi-privatized plan might be practical.
Greenspan maintains a pretty aloof tone in most of his speeches. For example, while touring the economically devastated region of South Central Los Angeles, he dryly observes, "We regulators are swamped with all sorts of data... It's important to put a face on the numbers." On the matter of dealing with others: "...beyond the personal sense of satisfaction, having a reputation for fair dealing is a profoundly practical virtue. We call it 'good will' in business and add it to our balance sheets."
A section near the end of the book contains remarks others have made about Greenspan. One economist sums it up best: "When Greenspan dies his headstone could read: 'I am guardedly optimistic about the next world, but remain cognizant of the downside risk.'"