This book is OK if you actually have a product to sell. If your business, like mine, is a service business this book offers little help in creating "Off the Wall" marketing ideas. At least 70% of the book involves high dollar radio, TV, and other expensive marketing ideas. Very little practical examples of non budget busting ideas...

I loved this book! I am not in marketing, but found it to be a great read. The words and ideas just flow off the page. This book is jam-packed with ideas about starting a business and getting one going. However, a lot of the of the ideas can relate to any business success(not just your own) and can also be carried into interactions with people in the context of daily living. It is so easy to read and get pulled into this book! There are many stories about successful entrepreneurs and their "secrets to success." But nothing gets dragged out. Everything is to the point and fun to read. Some are just so unusual, they are hard to imagine. Anyone at all can read this book and find it not only enjoyable but useful.

Every small business owner and independent professional needs to have this book permanently affixed to their desk. Do not put it on your shelf with the others. Nancy and Debbi have done a terrific job putting together a collection of ideas and creative strategies to make your marketing efforts work better, thereby improving your chances of selling more products and services. This book will give you specific ideas you can use and stimulate your creativity in coming up with new ideas.

This alphabetically arranged Lexicon helps readers to make sense of the dizzying list of blues artists who have contributed to thise body of music. The book is fairly broad and includes many crossover type bands (blues derivation of Rock, for example), with a brief history and list of essential recordings from each artist.

I expected the book to be somewhat more "readable" rather than a catalogue of artists; however, it is useful as the latter. You will not be disappointed with the volume, and you will probably pull it out frequently when shopping for blues music, reviewing artists heard on public radio's blues shows, or when browsing the internet for non-copyrighted blues recordings (many of the oldest recordings are in public domain).

The price also makes it worthwhile. If it guides you toward a single, more satisfying blues recording (or helps you avoid a single stinker), then it's paid for itself.

This book (encyclopedia) gives a description of, and rates nearly every quality blues recording available. Contains detailed histories of the lives of thousands of blues artists.

Contains detailed essays on the roots of the blues, the evolution, and different styles of blues, such as Delta, Chicago, Piedmont, West Coast.....And also has music maps showing the influences on different styles of blues, as well as describing the most influential artist in each respective style.

I don't buy an album without consulting this, or the jazz edition. This blues edition is so comprehensive it even delves into gospel, jazz, and a bit of soul music.

Full of great information. I am sure that this is the best blues encyclopedia available.

I must say that I do not know a whole lot about what makes a good blues cd/album. Well for people like me or people wnating to find out more information about this very popular music form one should this source in question, i.e., All Music Guide to the Blues: The Experts' Guide to the Best Blues Recordings (2nd Ed)
by Michael Erlewine (Editor), et al . In here one will find the biographies of more then 965 blues artists, reviews of recordings historical essays. Highly Recommended,

It doesn't matter if one is Catholic or not, one thing that must be agreed upon is that the abuse and mistreatment of children must not be tolerated. Therefore, it is disturbing to read such an account as this; that one can see the mechanisms that were systematically used to protect the perpetrators of these crimes, rather than the slew of victims.

This book is NOT a book condemning Catholism or Christianity. I am not Catholic myself, but I have enough respect for Christianity and the Catholic Church, that had it been merely thus, I probably wouldn't have wasted my time reading it.

With the persistance of the staff of the Boston Globe, though, much of this information, which was previously off-limits, has been opened and researched. This book is a product of that research, and without drowning the reader in tons of details, goes into many aspects of this story - how the story broke, victims' stories, profiles of some of the most heinous perpetrators, the Catholic culture around Boston, and the heirarchical structure of the Catholic Church, and the effects this scandal has had on the Catholic Church in America and in the world.

As late as this has come to many people, I am glad that somebody had the nerve to pursue the story. For those who still want to believe that this isn't a major problem, remember that what is written here is just Boston's story, and just a small bit, at that. The priests who committed these crimes are criminals, and should be recognized as such, both inside and outside the Catholic Church.

1. This book is an excellent investigation into what occured in Boston involving the Catholic church and sex abuse.

2. It is also an excellent book in explaining the power of the Catholic Church in the culture and politics of Boston. This power may explain why Cardinal Law and others were able to get away with such abuses of power.

3. This is an extremely painful read as it details exactly what occurred to these children while they were being abused.

4. With that said, THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR ALL CATHOLICS!

The authors have a done a fine job compiling the facts about the sexual abuse crisis that is rocking the Catholic Church. Although the authors present the facts in a balanced way, you will be morally outraged by what "responsible" people of the church are capable of. A must read for anyone who has any doubt about the authoritarian, anti-intellectual, and medieval nature of the Catholic Church.

This really surprised me. "American Thoughts and Shackles" utilizes a variety of perspectives and a rough, combative and often rambling poetic style that challenges the reader. DePaoli's work has that in your face, Hunter S. Thompson "Gonzo" style that makes no apologies for addressing equal parts lust, sex, anger and confusion in our world. A modern social/historical commentary in verse.

Often times he misses the point (or I missed DePaoli's point), and often DePaoli goes off on unfinished paths, but maybe that's that intent. Raw observation versus trite solutions. All in all a very original piece of work. This book will please readers that don't want to be served the written word.

How would I describe Michael's book? Brilliant! Anytime he wants to, he can take me out to the park, sit me down on the swing and push.. and push again.. and again.. until I can swing it on my own. :) He shows a knack for understanding what people think and don't always voice. He read my mind and understood my thoughts.. and put them to print. Alright, so they were his thoughts... too.:P I loved it!

For all those who despise lawyers and their craft, it's time that you read a piece of literature which vividly describes the pain and mental anguish attorneys must endure on a daily basis .. this collection of poetry is the definitive work in that area. Yes, Mike DePaoli has seen the dark side of litigation and has traded in his lawbooks for a thesaurus. But although many of his poems focus upon the condemnation of the legal system, his works cover the full range of emotion. You may find yourself in hysterics at one moment, crying the next, and ready to punch someone in the mouth at the turn of a single page. WARNING: Do not read if you are prone to bouts of dizziness or violent mood swings.

the way this book was written is terrible and cant keep my attention for more than 10 seconds, the CD has many many errors on it.

This book definately helped me pass the A+ exams but there were several questions that I found were not covered in the book. I would definately recomend using a second source just to make sure you pass!

I got a lot out of this book. I passed both the hardware and the software portion of the A+ exam the first time.

Louise Hagler's books are excellent. I've been using her recipe books over the last 20 years. The recipes are always down to earth and very easy to prepare. Some vegetarian recipe books are too "gourmet" or "exotic" for my family's tastes. These recipes are great for every day of the week and the ingredients don't have to be purchased at a specialty store, just your neighborhood grocery store. My other favorite book by Louise is "The Farm Vegetarian Cookbook".

This book has lots of great tofu recipes. It has recipes for desserts, main dishes, quick breads, cookies, side dishes, sauces, dressings, soups, and much, much more. Many of the main dishes are variations on traditional American meals like meat loaf (tofu loaf), and there are Chinese, Korean, and Mexican main dishes too, as well as other cultural dishes like Jewish-style stuffed cabbage rolls. I use this cookbook a couple of times a week and make a few different recipes that are my favorite. It's a cookbook that will definitely be used on a regular basis

Many useful recipes, from making basic tofu to a tasty ice cream. Good explanations, good information, very good pictures and easy to follow recipes. The results are splendid ! It is a must in any vegetarian home library.

Almost anyone will find the 9 short stories in this collection enjoyable. For golfers, this is a can't miss collection.

That being said, "Heart of a Goof" doesn't rate 5 stars. They are not quite on the level of Wodehouse's "Jeeves and Wooster" stories. Furthermore, I found the story's structures annoying after a while: In each story, a younger club member starts a casual conversation with the "Oldest Member," then fails to escape in time to avoid the old guy's narration of the story. This was a clever construction in story #1, getting old by story #5, and downright annoying by story #9.

It's clear that Wodehouse loved golf. But his game differs in some particulars from that which we play today. For example, his talk of "match play" vs. "medal play" might be unintelligible to some golf novices today, and a mention of a casual two-to-three hour 18-hole round will stupefy the modern player accustomed to trudging six hours on a weekend behind a foursome of cart-riders. [Irrelevant aside: I really miss the old names for clubs. Really, would you prefer to swing a 4-iron rather than a "mashie," or a "niblick," or, better yet, a "mashie-niblick"?]

But Wodehouse has it right (from the Preface): "When you turn in a medal score of a hundred and eight on two successive days, you get to know something about life." True.

heart of a goof is vintage wodehouse, the language as perfectly controlled as a tiger woods putt, spicy with deadpan humor and priceless social commentary. unlike one reviewer i found the ensnarement at the beginning of each story, in which the Oldest Member deftly secures his unwilling audience, different each time, and very funny. the use of golf as a metaphor for life is nothing new but wodehouse had a perfect ear for dialog and a sense of character that carries these little stories beautifully into this century. i hate golf and i still loved this book.

Nine golf stories by P. G. Wodehouse, the Bach of humor fiction. Wodehouse's golf stories are among his best, perhaps because, as a golfer himself, he understood the absurd passion one can have for the game. This is the best of his golf story collections because every one of the stories uses the framing device of being told by the Oldest Member. Which is not to say that you shouldn't search for The Golf Omnibus, which has all 31. But the almost mathematical elegance and consistancy of this collection set it apart.

Some fans of Faulkner have bemoaned the fact that his final novel is not a profound summation of his heftier, more philosophical works (as though Faulkner could have foreseen his own death and owed his readers that much). While it is true that The Reivers is a much lighter (and more comical) work than those commonly regarded as Faulkner's "masterpieces," it is still worthy of attention. For one thing, The Reivers is Faulkner at his most entertaining; unburdened by the need to address the darker symptoms of the human condition, he is free to let his imagination run wild: the trials and triumphs of young Lucius Priest and his travelling companions make for some hilarious scenes and leave the reader feeling far more bouyant at the novel's close that, say, at the end of The Sound and the Fury or Absalom, Absalom!. The Reivers also features two additional benefits: the divine Miss Reba (second only to Granny Millard as Faulkner's most entertaining and resourceful female character); and the much-appreciated absence of that nosy and annoying popinjay Gavin Stevens. While one might read The Reivers as a Bildungsroman (Lucius's growth and awakening to the realities of the world around him are clearly underscored throughout the novel), I prefer to see it as a simple, amusing and satisfying story from a man who, by the end of his life, had done more to explore the human condition than most writers ever attempt - and was content to leave it at that.

Faulkner's novel The Reivers is in my opinion his best work. Unlike many of Faulkner's stories The Reiver's comedic and lighthearted and at the same time it tackles and touches on many of the dark and not so comedic sectors of human nature. The novel is viewed through the lens of a young man named Lucius priest. Lucius accompanies his on an unsanctioned trip to Memphis with two of his fathers employees Boon Hoggenbeck and Ned McCaslin. Putting it lightly Lucius' traveling companions are, "men of the world" that is they protray a great deal of flaws and weaknesses that permiate humanity. They drink, smoke, gamble, steal, and womanize..... As Faulkner puts it they are, "practitioners of non-virtue". As the trip progresses Lucius soon realizes that he too has began down the path of non-virtue. As I said earlier Lucius and party are travelling to Memphis, but in The Reivers it is not the destination that is important to the story it is how they get their. Every leg of the journey find the characters with a new problem to tackle and a new display of what non-virtue is. As with many of his novels Faulkner takes the base human instincts good and bad and portrays them in a believable and poignant manner. The language used in the novels suits its characters and time perfectly and adds to the humor in some instances. The question you should ponder is does Lucius succumb to the non-virtue he is surrounded by in his travels? Read it and find out.

Have you ever read a novel or a short story and felt an urgency to finish it but also an urgency to never finish? That's how I felt while reading Faulkner's The Reivers. This Pulitzer prize novel concerns one eleven-year-old white boy named Lucius Priest. Through the mediation of his father's underlings--Boon Hoggenbeck and Ned McCaslin--Lucius comes of age in the art of non-virtue. While Lucius's grandfather is away, the three of them "borrow" the old man's automobile and embark on a bumpy journey to Memphis. On the trip, Lucius sees it all--whoredom, lust, theft, profanity, gambling--and struggles with these things in the context of a southern religious tradition. Though he has every opportunity to turn back and forgo the trip, he presses on and convinces himself that it's all too late. Non-virtue has already embraced him. On the other hand, Boon and Ned have no doubts of their lack of virtue, and when they see Lucius drinking from evil's muddy waters, they just nod their heads (don't think that the story is grim, for it's down right funny at times). The story is addictive, even though the language is rocky and convoluted at times. Faulker was no Raymond Carver or Ernest Hemingway; conversely, he was the ultimate practitioner of the compound-complex sentence. The dialogue was so real, especially with Ned and other black folks. I felt as though I were standing around the campfire chewing tobacco and thumbing my suspenders and talking about horse racing. No wonder this novel hooked the Pulitzer. It's quality stuff.

Ostrich was a charming book. VJ and Ev, best friends with totally opposite views and energy levels, are such delightful characters. They play off one another in a way that lets the reader get to know them thoroughly. Sabine and Magda, husband and wife, interact in a truely remarkable and heart-warming way, giving and taking, balancing stubbornness with love. Their three daughters, especially Rosa, are well-drawn and vital characters. And the Colonel, he's a very funny piece of work. Put these interesting characters, and their relationships, into a mix of animals including donkeys, poodles, sheep, and a hair-raising baby ostrich and you'll find as much delight as I did. Michael Thomas has a winner here.

A great comedy with a classic and predictable storyline. However, what makes the difference is that Thomas, in my mind, elevates the human and animal characters to the same level and as a result it is extremely entertaining to follow how animal logic manages and prevails over human ambition towards sorting things out.

This book is a hoot! Maybe it won't be classified a great literature, but it is vastly enjoyable-- a fun read. In these times of stress, angst, anxiety, etc., emotions seemingly caused by the conditions of life these days, what is more valuable to any of us than to have our spirits lifted by a chuckle or outloud laugh? OSTRICH entertains and amuses while slipping in some astute observations about humans and their foibles. Almost as important here are the animals who the author seems to understand as kindred, not too different from the rest of us. If one can read this and not be charmed by all the characters, two-legged, four-legged, and one even feathered; that person must be beyond hope. Try it, you'll like it.

Michael Ford knows how to put into words what we as gay or queer people are really feeling and he does it in a very amusing way. He tells the truth about gay people. You won't find too much PC here. And that's a welcome relief. Michael may sound grumpy at times, in fact he's grumpy a lot, but it's in a loving & funny way. I loved this book, especially the chapters: "If the Shoe Fits" about Milton Berle & RuPaul and "Why Am I Queer" where he states as his closing statement, "What matters is being who we are, and not what someone else wants us to be." That says it all.

If you want a good laugh make sure you read this book, and you don't have to be gay (queer) to enjoy it either. There's no topic that's too controversial for Michael, and sooner or later he talks about it. Enjoyable & Very Funny.

Author Michael Thomas Ford is so dead-on with his stories about gay life that I always find myself laughing out loud. If you are A-list pretty boy, you may not get his humor. For the rest of us, the truth is not out there but right (write) here before our eyes. I took this book with me recently to Florida and as I was sitting in a gay club with everybody swirling around me, everyone (that is) in his ( and her) own little world, I just threw my head back and laughed thinking of Ford's pearls of funny wisdom. There was a time when sitting in club alone would would have left me depressed. After reading a couple of Ford's books, not anymore! Thank You, Mr. Ford, for at last getting me to "wake up" and not take gay life so seriously. While some critics call you "cranky" and "unhappy" I see you are "funny" and "truthful." HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!

Michael Thomas Ford gives us a window into his world and his mind in this collection of short essays on a variety of topics. Ford's take on the world, and especially the gay world, is simply hilarious - this is a great book to read while commuting with it's short chapters and humor that might just help you face the day with a smile. So funny because it's true is the refrain while reading - we can all see someone we know in his writing. Or we are like the people he's writing about, so we know we are not alone. He succinctly skewers gay pride history, gay cinema history and size queens with rapier wit pointed commentary. A scream of a book.