I was looking for real life business communication skills and some context on a subject that is important to today's global communications environment. I found "Common Sense Communication" and am sorry I bought it! A flimsy book of one liners more appropriate for children just developing social habbits in the first grade. No thoughts on cultural contexts or business cultures. Just a poor, poor example of a real book.

I know Jeffrey Benjamin and I have attended his workshops. He is passionate, focused, and committed. I read what he writes.

We are creatures of habit! Good habits and bad habits! It's easy to fall into bad habits as we inherently seek pleasure and void pain. It's not so easy to establish good habits. It takes some attention, and I use the Common Sense Communication - Real Life Habits for Success - as a daily reference, generally opening the book and reading whatever page appears! It provides food for thought - bread for the head! It works!

This is an excellent, easy to follow book that has quick and simple ways to communicate better. I find it to be a great source of information to help me communicate more effectively on a personal and professional level. The quotes are great too.

This biography succeeds in its evenhanded portrayal of John Wayne. No doubt some will criticize it because Davis doesn't spend his time eschewing Wayne's politically incorrect opinions, but neither does the author lionize Wayne the man. What you have left is a concise and readable 400 page biography that covers all the movies and all the wives. Davis gives his opinions as to why the Wayne legend still survives, and what his fellow actors thought of him way back when.

Interesting is the story behind the making of the ALAMO, a film he produced, directed and starred in, the subsequent Oscar campaign, and the aftermath. Also interesting is Wayne's relationship with director John Ford, whom he loved, and their disagreements.

Though very in-depth in explaining each movie John Wayne appeared, the book lacks somewhat in explaining who John Wayne was. In comparison, Donald Dewey's recent biography of Jimmy Stewart gives the reader a more detailed examination of Stewart than Ronald Davis does of Wayne. Ronald Davis also relies too much on the self-centered Pilar Wayne, the third Mrs. John Wayne, for anectdotal information. Davis's use of interviews with Harry Carey, Jr. are quite valuable and illuminating. It's a shame that Davis didn't thoroughly interview other actors who shared the screen with Duke, including Ron Howard, about whom Duke thought highly or Kim Darby (Mattie in True Grit), who didn't like the Duke (remember, True Grit was filmed in 1968). Mr. Davis does an excellent job explaining Duke Wayne's desert years in the thirties doing one-reel westerns. One has to admire Wayne's persistance. One note Pilar Wayne reveals through Ronald Davis that puts Wayne in a very bad light and has changed my personal views toward him to the strongly negative, was Duke Wayne's insistance that a pregnant Pilar get an abortion. The baby was inconvenient as Duke was in the divorce court with number two wife Chata in a highly charged divorce battle. The baby was killed but Duke Wayne received a fairly good divorce settlement. A conservative icon, when the chips were down, was capable of a selfish, dishonest, sordid, dirty act. The Duke was a great actor and icon but was not a good person. He was not a great American.

--Derek Leaberry

This back of the book cover led me to believe there would be interesting information on his wife, Carolyn. Ha! There was practically no information on his wife. I learned more about her in a single magazine article then from this book. It has the basic geographic info: born, lived, schooled. Boring. If you are a diehard JFK JR then go for it, otherwise there are much better books on him. If you are looking for Carolyn info, look elsewhere. Period.

As a generation "Xer" this book intrigued me for one shallow purpose at the forthright. John F. Kennedy, Jr. was and will always remain in the public's eye as a sex symbol. I was glad that the author started out with something familiar when introducing her book. Beginning with the how and why of John's appointment to the sexiest man alive was something that I remembered and could identify with. Without any knowledge of the Kennedy "clan" as she terms them, and even less historical knowledge, I could identify with the placement of John on the cover of People magazine. While I had heard of President Kennedy's alleged affairs it came as a shock to see other members of the Kennedy family hold such little esteem for marriage vows. The author really brings Jackie Kennedy down to earth and sure makes me long for her happiness and admire the strength of such a delicate looking woman. She certainly isn't short on male companionship and some of her relationships leave you wondering why she didn't just go it alone. The details behind John's relationships are intriguing and the relationship with Madonna was particularly surprising to this reader. The author paints the picture of John being less than the smartest Kennedy but far outshining with his personality, athletic abilities, and Kennedy charisma. The well-known ending is tragic and left me with the same sinking feeling as I did watching the T.V. hoping his plane would be found or by some chance to find out he hadn't been on board at all. A good read for anyone wanting more information on the Kennedy family and most importantly on John Jr.

This book had many good points, and I finished it fairly quickly. It made me laugh out loud, and at other poignant moments I cried. I enjoyed reading about John's college exploits, his years as an assistant D.A. and details of his relationships with the ladies. It was vividly written, capturing my imagination in a way that presented me with a good sense of his splendid personality, in turn giving me an evengreater admiration of the man. Too much time, I think was devoted to his early childhood days, and I was disappointed that missing was a major portion of his later life after the debut of GEORGE, and of his married life. I would recommend this book, though, to anyone wanting a keepsake to revisit the memory of our beloved John Jr.

Like a previous reviewer wrote, not one laugh in the book. Unfunny, immature, un-clever, and practically unreadable due to the typeface selection. What the heck was the "Geek IQ units" about... that went nowhere. Drawings were also incredible ugly. A complete waste of my money, I'm trying not to remember this book.

A hip, hilarious story about Bill Gates and his wayward software creation, code-named Zeke Geek, who escapes from Bill's control and sets off to explore the Internet in a quest for the meaning of geekdom.

The only people who won't like this book are fans of Bill Gates. The most dead-on book about geek culture so far.

Perhaps I should not write a review of this book as I did not finish it. I found the subject--Astor, who he was, what he did, and how and why he did it--very interesting, but Madsen's treatment an example of biography at its worst. Why? Because we are presented with the data of Astor's life, but where is Astor? There is virtually nothing communicated as to what type of person he was, WHY he was so ambitious, what he felt and thought about the various activities he undertook, his successes, relative failures, etc. In many instances of course the available data of his life do not necessarily communicate the subjective life of the psyche, only the objective actions. But it is the very task of a biographer--in my view the most vital task--to artfully connect the various "dots" of data so as to reveal the subjective life within, the drama of the mind and heart reacting to events as the events unfold. You don't get that here.

I bought this book to learn about Astor and how he made his fortunes. The book goes into almost too much depth in regards to the fortune made in fur trading and shipping. Out of the 25 chapters, 23 were discussing nearly every detail of Astor, his men, indians, and his competition in regards to trading and shipping. In chapter 23, the author finally gets to where he claims Astor made his largest fortune, real estate. Since that is where he made the bulk of his fortune, then why did the author only devote one chapter to this topic? Most people who buy this book will do so to learn how Astor made his fortune, that is not explained well enough. I have to give the author credit, though, he did uncover many details that the other Astor biographers failed to see.

Madsen takes the reader through an interesting account of the early fur trade and the opening of the American West. There are interesting anecdotes from Astor's deaings with historical and political figures of the time. However, if you are looking for information on his later business dealings and the development of Astor into New York's largest property owner and landlord then you will be disappointed. Nine tenths of his book is devoted to the development of the American Fur Company and the travials of those who forged through the wild countryside on Astors behalf. There is nothing in this book about how he dealt with tenants, advertised properties, developed systems of management for properties, financing, leverage, nothing.
So buy it for an interesting histort of the time but don't buy it if your looking for information on how one of the great Real Estate investors of his time developed and managed his system of success.

Ordered unseen and then attended exhibit. I was dissatisfied with color prints before exhibit and really disappointed afterwards. A graphic artist friend refused to buy the book after seing the color reproductions

I just returned with a friend from the Sargent and Italy exhibit , and I had purchased this book before going and thought the repoductions lacked vibrancy and did little for me, and after seeing the exhibit my thoughts were confirmed and I was even more disappointed , and a friend of mine who is a retired graphic artist and attended the exhibit would not purchase the book based on the reproductions

SARGENT IN ITALY does what many catalogues set out to accomplish but few achieve - document a magnificent exhibition while creating an art history book of great substance. The catalogue for the travelling exhibition SARGENT AND ITALY mirrors the elegance of the painter's touch, the intense infatuation and observation of the painter's favorite places (Venice in particular), and the intellectual atmosphere in which all of these works were created. Everyone knows of John Singer Sargent's finesse with the portraits of the wealthy and with figure painting in the studio and out on location, but few have the knowledge that Sargent found just as much life and senusality in the landscape as he did in the beautifully gowned patronesses of his career. Author Robertson is careful to include the treasurable quotes from the works of Henry James and other writers which flank many of the paintings in the exhibition and in the book. James and Sargent were close friends and colleagues, and that quality of shared observation helps make this show and this book the successes they are. The only minor flaw in the book is the quality of color reproduction which tends toward the muddy, dim side - hardly what this painter of light was all about. But the paintngs here are in other volumes where they are not as graced with the written word as they are here. A fine exhibition and a very fine catalogue/book.

I was very disappointed by this book. The title is misleading. It should have ben called JFK Jr.: His Life because that is what the book is. One chapter is devoted to the day/week he died. The rest of the book is information that has been printed hundreds of times. The author should have interviewed more people like coast guard etc. Also, Carolyn and the Bessettes were almost totally ignored. There was nothing about her childhood or any quotes from her family. This book contains too many assumptions about their marriage and last days together. I mean, how does the author know that John came home from the hotel and took a shower? He doesn't and neither do we, but books like this give a false reading of people lives. I do not believe this book. Maybe I would if the author had better sources.

I personally enjoyed the novel. I am the same age generation as John and have always considered him a "icon" of for my generation. Not only was he born into the "Camelot" spotlight as as a Kennedy, but for a new upcoming generation. I've never read any other books on the Kennedy's and like most have gained my personal knowledge thru the media. I found that the foundation that Jackie built for her childern was that of love, and trust. Even though they were children of wealth, they were taught to treat all individuals with respect and dignity. I'm pleased that Christopher tried to show the history with John's life. Every aspect from the youthful years to crazy college days. But throughout the book, I realized that he just wanted to be himself. It was hearwarming and yet sad. I don't agree with the other review's that Christopher didn't go in depth enough. He respected the rights of Caroline and her family to keep certain things private. Those individuals expected more details that is better left unknown. I do believe that John and Carolyn were meant for each other. All couples have ups and downs. Unfortunaley with their lives being so public the strain had to be enormous. Somehow even though we all know the ending of the book, you wish that somehow you could change the outcome. I still find it hard to believe, unreal somewhat, that I won't see this wonderful couple in the news or on tv. He's always been a part of our lives and now we are left with just his legacy. But his legacy, like his mother's and father's will live on. I enjoyed the book, and hats off to Christopher for such wonderful novel.

The new 384 page book, written by Christopher Anderson who authored "The Day Diana Died", makes for easy and interesting reading, but places emphasis on his whole life, not the day he died, as the book is titled. Most readers will have already read much of this in the press or have heard it on the air. In spite of this, I enjoyed looking at the 50 photos included, and found the text and writing-style pleasant and interesting. There are detailed accounts of his early days and later family life, with some particularly interesting insights into his family relationships. His romances and political aspirations are examined. The book tends to give the reader a closer look at the life of John. The very detailed picture of what could have occurred as he flew on the fatal flight does create some vivid images of what happened, but the details, of course, are only guesses. There are some clear views of what his last days were like, and his concerns about his "George Magazine" and its future. Not a lot of new information, but nicely and concisely packaged making it a desirable read.

I wish I had read raspell's review before I bought the book. Now I've given up in frustration after 6 chapters, or about one-third through. As raspell pointed out, not one investment blunder by anyone rich OR famous was mentioned in the first third of the book.

Not only that, it is peppered with generalisms which the author makes little attempt to explain, and which in any case sound fishy to me. Like this one: you are only rewarded for taking market risk, not stock-specific risk, hence there is no point taking stock-specific risk. If I remember my rational economics, all risk must be rewarded, otherwise no one will take them.

Finally, it contains dangerous analytical flaws, which can lead to bad investment decisions. For example, it asserts wrongly that it is illogical if a stock's market capitalisation is less than the value of an asset it owns. This totally ignores the question of how the asset is funded. If a company owns nothing but an asset worth $1b, funded by loans worth $1b, is the company worth $1b?

I would seriously not recommend this book to anyone.

PS. I have since gone on to read Chapters 12-14, which deal with the blunders of five big-time traders. Three chapters out of 15 - that's a poor execution of the title, I'm afraid. I can get more from an hour or two on the net.

Investment Blunders of the Rich and Famous? A great title for a book that enticed this sucker to buy it. But really the book is nothing but a general examination of investment theory. Let me save you the purchase of the book. You can't beat the market and studies prove if you try you will waste too much money in brokerage comissions. How depressing!!!

And who are these rich and famous? They are nowhere to be found. He does have a chapter of famous losers like Nick Leeson who broke an English bank and Robert Citron who bankrupted Orange County California. But that is as close as you get to this misleading title.

About the only positive I found in this book was an in-depth study of investor's behavioral patterns. Overall, I'd recommend you pass on this book.

This book is one of the most peculiar I have ever read in terms of handling its subject. The book's title subject isn't directly addressed until chapters 12-14, and then doesn't provide anything you couldn't read about in a more detailed and interesting way somewhere else. It's as though the publisher's marketing department tried to create a title to make the book into something that it really isn't.

Then, all of the proactive advice is saved for chapter 15. That material is about as developed as a magazine article. You need to have specific financial goals, determine a reasonable investment rate of return to seek (in light of your age and goals), make appropriate asset allocations, and then find cheap ways to implement your approach (such as with index funds and exchange traded funds).

The material in the earlier chapters is entertaining, and generally well done (and properly referenced) but it just doesn't fit well into a book to teach you how to invest. It's like a series of interesting factoids, without connecting the dots very well. Any of John Bogle's books would do you more good in terms of understanding these same issues when it comes to your investing. A new book, A Mathematician Plays the Market, is also a superior story to this one.

It's very hard to scale up article-sized bits of knowledge into a book. I recommend that Professor Nofsinger find a co-author for a future edition to help him better string together his story. His knowledge level seems good, and he would seem to be capable of producing a much better book in the future. I hope he does.

I wish I could recommend this book, but I cannot. I was left with the impression that the author was seeking his own 15 minutes of fame by writing this rather than trying to truly chronicle Mr. Pierce's life and career. If you feel you need to read this book, please save your money and get it from the library. Then, find a VHS copy of "Charles Pierce at the Ballroom" and enjoy Charles at his best.