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Book reviews for "Parker,_Tom" sorted by average review score:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Published in Audio CD by Blackstone Audiobooks (2000)
Authors: Mark Twain and Tom Parker
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I love the book
This book was great i read every one of his adventures. I got realy mad when i heard some librarys were banning the book. :(

Great Illustrated Classics by Baronet Books
I bought the original work of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn for my 8-year-old and while he reads on a very elevated level, the original had language too difficult to decipher. However, he was interested in the story so I bought this abridged version and he loved it.

Great rendition.
Jack Lemon takes a rare and wonderful turn at narrating in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This adaptation of the Twain classic seems crisper, capturing the feel of youth. It has never sounded better. The spry Mr. Lemon breathes life into this worn classic. This is a keeper for all ages.


Dazzling Diggers
Published in Library Binding by Bt Bound (2000)
Authors: Tom Mitton, Tony Mitton, and Ant Parker
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My son's most tattered book! Constantly read & re-read.
My son knows this book off by heart. He is nearly two, and he makes me read it over and over. He says the last word of every rhyming page, and is reduced to hysterics by the squelching and glugging comments. He has also learnt all the technical terms for different parts of diggers and he is constantly pointing them out on our journeys.Thank you Tony Mitton and Ant Parker for the hours of fun we have with your brilliant book. I have just ordered Roaring Rockets, and I cannot wait for it to arrive.

Great illustrations highlight a fabulous bok
Perfect for the toddler set, this book captured the attention of my not quite 2-year old. He loves to point out "diggers" from our car and the book seemed to spark an increase in his vocabulary as he shared his enthusiasm for the book. I can't wait to try other books by this duo.

A wonderful book for toddlers
Clear, simple pictures accompanied by short, descriptive rhymes puts this book in the top ten for my 2 year old. It helps give a child a feel for language, particularly for synonyms and rhythms. There is sufficient detail for curious questions and bold statements ('a RED digger'). The book playfully teaches the child to match implements to actions.


The Best of Growing Edge
Published in Paperback by New Moon Pub (1994)
Authors: Tom Alexander, Diane Mickaelson, and Don Parker
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An essential reference for hyroponic gardening.
The Growing Edge is a magazine designed and published for readers with an interest in gardening, horticulture, and hydroponics. The Best of Growing Edge II: Popular Hydroponics and Gardening for Small-Commercial Growers and Hobbyists is a compilation of the best of the magazine's articles originally published between 1994 and 1999. The various articles are grouped into chapters: Introduction to Hydroponics; The Basic Elements of Hydroponics; Building Your Own System; Plants You Can Grow Hydroponically; Breeding and Propagation; Pest & Disease Control; Greenhouse Management; Organics and Hydroponics; Beyond the Basics; Small Commercial Growers; Hydroponics in Education and Public Service. The Best of Growing Edge II is an essential title for personal, professional, academic, and public library hydroponic gardening and horticultural reference collections.

COMPLETE BOOK ON HIGH TECH HYDROPONIC & GREENHOUSE GARDENING
The Best of Growing EDGE is a collection of the best articles, by twenty four different authors, from the first five years of Growing EDGE magazine. It covers hydroponics, greenhouses, nutrients, lighting, and other new and innovative techniques to use in high tech gardening and horticulture. Since the articles are from the first five years of Growing EDGE magazine, each chapter is a comprehensive compendium of cutting edge horticulture without going over the edge! New and innovative seems to be the keyword here. The mainstream gardening magazines and books cover the tried and true techniques of gardening; The Best of Growing EDGE covers the new and innovative. The information can be used by both hobby home gardeners and large commercial growers. The techinques are the same, it is just the scale of the operation that is different. Gardening is possible year round with the information contained in this book


Death of a Dude
Published in Audio Cassette by Blackstone Audiobooks (1994)
Authors: Rex Stout and Tom Parker
Amazon base price: $32.95
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The huckleberry murder
Despite the title, this story has (slightly) more to do with _The Father Hunt_ than with _Death of a Doxy_; the research compiled by Amy Denovo on Lily Rowan's father is now being turned into a book. One of Archie's fellow guests during his vacation at Lily's ranch in Montana (the Bar JR) is Wade Worthy, the biographer who's working on James Rowan.

However, the dude of the title was Philip Brodell, who had returned to the area after seducing Alma Greve the year before - Brodell was found dead from a shot in the back on a huckleberry-picking expedition. Alma's father Harvey is now in jail, charged with murder, but Lily and Archie are convinced he's innocent, since they've both known him for years (see "The Rodeo Murder" in _Three at Wolfe's Door_). Archie takes an unpaid leave of absence from Wolfe until the case is finished. Wolfe, of course, isn't prepared to have Archie gone for an open-ended length of time, so after pulling a few strings to find out exactly what the case against Harvey is, he appears unannounced at the Bar JR soon after receiving Archie's letter, and he and Archie get to work on the investigation.

It's cool to see Wolfe loosen up a little; as a guest in someone else's domain, he'd be violating his personal standards if he took his eccentricity too far. (Archie, after watching him a little, says it's obvious Wolfe promised himself not to complain about the food no matter what.) Archie, for his part, has made friends over years of vacation visits to Lily out here: to name two, Woody, who runs what he calls the Hall of Culture (the dance hall and cinema pieces of it support him) and can hold his own in dinner conversation with Wolfe, and Carol, the wife of the accused and an ex-rodeo performer herself, who doesn't have a bible in the house to swear on, so she uses a saddle she won at the height of her career.

Some other neat touches include, but are by no means limited to: the guests at the dude ranch where the victim was staying; checking up on the alibi of Brodell's would-be rival for Alma Greve's affections, involving a history teacher, some chickens, and a roofing company; and a hilarious little passage wherein Archie takes time out to discuss censoring one of the wranglers' commentary on Brodell, a deserving victim if ever there was one.

One of my favorites
A later Nero that holds up very well. For dialogue between Wolfe and Archie it is one of the best and could be the funniest of them all. I have reread it several times and it is always fun.


Elvis and the Colonel
Published in Hardcover by Delacorte Press (1988)
Authors: Dirk Vellenga and Mick Farren
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Excellent biography of the Colonel
To the degree possible, the author has reconstructed the life of Colonel Tom Parker, probably the most notorious personal manager in show business history. Beginning with his childhood in Holland, the factors that shaped the Colonel's character are unfolded in a plausible, well presented manner - no easy task on a man who could suddenly disappear without leaving a forwarding address.

A listing of Elvis's recording sessions from 1954 through 1977 is provided at the end of the book. An index is also provided.

A great biography about Colonel Tom Parker's life with Elvis
You get a pretty good idea of what Tom Parker's life was like, because Vellenga interviewed so many people that knew Parker & Elvis.

I was very curious because I manage an Elvis Tribute Band, of how they worked together and I learned alot from their mistakes. I don't think the author liked the Colonel too much but you can tell he put alot of research into it & I'm glad he wrote the book.

You also get alot of insight into show business.

Before I read the book I thought the Colonel was maybe someone special or a superb businessman to have been so successful, but after reading it, it showed me he wasn't all that great of a manager, not keeping Elvis's best interests at heart. One example of this is he made songwriters share their profits with him thus eliminating alot of very good songwriters. "Suspicious Minds" was an exception to this. Elvis could have had alot more great songs if the Colonel hadn't been so greedy.

But their were some good things he did too, the concerts & especially Aloha from Hawaii, which was videotaped & similcast. I also liked the documentary movie "That's the Way it is" about Elvis & the NBC Special.

I think there was some kind of karmic bond between the Colonel & Elvis. Elvis said it best, "We're caught in a trap, I can't walk out, because I love you too much, baby."


Leadership and the Customer Revolution: The Messy, Unpredictable, and Inescapably Human Challenge of Making the Rhetoric of Change a Reality
Published in Hardcover by John Wiley & Sons (1995)
Authors: Gary Heil, Tom Parker, and Rick Tate
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A must read book for Visionary Leaders
An informative, hard hitting read about leadership as it relates to customer service policies and procedures. Should be required reading for all management.

An inspired reader from California May 23 l999
A must for businesses who dare to make changes to improve their service and customer realtions and inspire their employees and in turn insure the future success of their companies. As expected Rick Tate is inspiring and along with Heil and Parker has written a winner.


The Amazing Snox Box
Published in Hardcover by Soft Skull Press, Inc. (2003)
Authors: Brian Gage, Tom Ellsworth, Robert Park, and Robert Parker
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Kill Your Television!
This is a fun book. The graphics are really engaging, and the writing has a really incisive glance at consumerism and how TV and media control every aspect of our lives. It's a nice follow up to Snark, Inc. and in many ways it's a stronger book.

Turn of the TV and check it out!


The Colonel : The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley
Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster (15 July, 2003)
Author: Alanna Nash
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Outstanding!
Being neither a Col. Parker fan nor an Elvis fan, I was apprehensive about tackling this book...Much to my amazement, I found this biography to be a riveting and compelling psychological profile/investigation of the "puppetmaster" behind the scenes. The meticulous research into the Colonel's mysterious past, in conjunction with the complex dynamics of the relationship between the two men, creates a portrait of interest to anyone fascinated by an intensive exploration of human relationships. A "must read!" for anyone intrigued by exploring in depth insights into the multifaceted interactions of the world behind the show biz scene. To dismiss this book as yet another Elvis/Parker volume would be a grave mistake. There are so many dimensions of this story that will appeal to a broader audience on a variety of levels. Any reader will be simply be awed by this groundbreaking work that can appeal to fans as well as those readers who simply appreciate a fascinating story and psychological investigation! Much like a detective novel, this book instantly hooks the reader and evolves into a true page turner! Don't miss [it!!!]


To Hell and Back: The Epic Combat Journal of World War Ii's Most Decorated G.I.
Published in Audio Cassette by Blackstone Audiobooks (1998)
Authors: Audie Murphy and Tom Parker
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Audie's Own Story on Film
This is one film that is ripe for a remake. But one thing should be kept in mind; even if you got Spielberg to direct it, Tom Hanks to produce it, and the most authentic WWII gear to make it look real, it would be missing the one thing the original movie has: Audie Murphy himself.

This cinematic treatment of his ghostwritten World War II memoir of the same name differs in many ways from the book. Novak is killed when Murphy was in the hospital according to the book, but in the movie, he dies before Murphy's eyes. Audie is seen at the film's beginning taking care of the family; in truth, he was in orphanages. But again, the movie has Murphy.

And for me, that's enough. Not too many heroes get to portray themselves on the screen. And Audie had enough acting ability to play himself on the screen (something Mickey Mantle or Jackie Robinson couldn't really do with all due respect).

Still, it's a fun movie and it does give viewers Murphy's war experiences in a nice digestible hour and a half. Heck, even if half of what is portrayed on the screen was true, Murphy's war experiences would eclipse 99% of all the others (the guys of E Company in Band of Brothers are included here too).

It's a good intro to Murphy's war career if somehow his book is too daunting or if one doesn't have the time.

Better Than The Movie!
There is something compelling about the movie version To Hell And Back which I first viewed as a boy in the 1950s. Perhaps it was the fact that the star was the hero himself "replaying" some of his own wartime experiences. Over the years, the movie has appeared repeatedly on television, and almost routinely on the History Channel. I've watched it many times. The movie, however, pales by comparison to Murphy's actual Medal of Honor citation. Now that I finally have read his book, the citation itself seems to offer only a fraction of the story behind his guts,determination, and eventually the horrible memories he endured until his untimely death in a plane crash. It makes me shutter to think of myself as a combat veteran from Vietnam compared to what men like Audie Murphy had to endure for the duration of their tours in World War II. But, it also makes me realize that war for frontline troops has changed little from one generation to the next. This ought to be REQUIRED READING for everyone who send others to war!

A unique historical film experience
When are you ever going to see a great hero playing himself in his greatest moments? If "Saving Private Ryan" was too gory for you, here's a movie that shows the glory and pain of WWII, but without the gore. If your grade-school kids want to know about the soldiers of WWII without them having nightmares, have them see this film. Audie Murphy is great in this role -- even though it is his story, it becomes the story of ALL the soldiers (although Audie does have the best moments). The fight scenes are gripping, and it really does feel 'real' rather than 'staged'. I would also recommend that you read Audie Murphy's book of the same name to get the whole story. Definitely Audie Murphy was the greatest U.S. soldier in the 20th Century!


The Drowning Pool
Published in Unknown Binding by Blackstone Audiobooks (2002)
Authors: Ross Macdonald and Tom Parker
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One of the best fifties LA noir
I'm not a big fan of detective series because they tend to become robotic in plot and characterization, but the Ross MacDonald/Lew Archer series is an exception. Crisp language, tight plots, and geat dialog make for a gripping story.

A sad sidenote. Don't rent/watch the insipid Paul Newman/Joanne Woodward movie 'loosely' based on the book. Instead of LA they set it in New Orleans and they basically rearranged all the characters into pale versions of their literary counterparts. Just thought I'd let you know.

Ross MacDonald was a true artist.
A Ross MacDonald is like an extremely well crafted 1950's black & white noir movie. Nothing comes through in it's true color, everything is projected in shades of gray, the action is stately yet never drags, and the characters are all vaguely threatening.

All of MacDonald's novels exhibit certain basic themes--tormented families, buried secrets that fester through multiple generations, environmental destruction, and the brutal contrast between rich and poor. The key to MacDonald's long running success was Archers realism and authenticity, MacDonald's ability to craft complex yet understandable stories, his mastery of language, and his ability to generate a specific atmosphere of threatening suspense on a consistent basis.

All of the above referenced themes are present in The Drowning Pool, which I think is MacDonald's best novel, though The Underground Man is right up there as well.

MacDonald's novels aren't just mind candy-reading him is a literary experience. I believe that is why he was successful in a sort of restrained way. Escapists will not get into these books-they are too cerebral. If you want to your books affect you, MacDonald and Archer are your kind of guy's.

The way America is.
Ross Macdonald describes America the way it really is, mindblowing, desperate, full of paranoia!! His descriptions of faded starlets and worn-out harlots wandering around Hollywood, talking tough and acting mean, he describes the slums, the shady characters out to make a buck, the cops with trigger fingers and intolerant faces, it is all there. I have reccomended his books to friends in Europe, they don't seem to see it the same way I do. I bet it's still a damn good read for most people.


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