Being in the professional negotiation game, I thoroughly enjoy reading books which describe and tutor the subject. Although the current market is lousy with negotiating treatises, there are a few that stand out. Fisher and Ury's GETTING TO YES seems to be my favorite, one I return to time and again. However, I believe it healthly to step outside conventional wisdom and somewhat static norms to expand one's knowledge base. Although I had no idea of the content, quality or readability of GUERRILLA NEGOTIATING, I took a flyer on it as it "looked" like it might be of some interest.

Authors Levinson, Smith and Wilson have been working together for some time now promoting the "Guerrilla" books, seminars, tapes, etc. and have been quite successful, commercially. Although this is my first "Guerilla" book, I know of their successes and common acceptance within many business circles. However, I don't judge a book or theory based on the opinions of others so, of course, I had to buy this book to determine if it had the content described in the hype.

The easy answer is that yes, indeed, this book contains the basics of negotiation theory and time-tested schemes and strategies. The problem I had with GUERRILLA NEGOTIATING was its complete lack of fluidity and cogence. Its almost as though the authors "bulleted" the book and a ghost writer took their words verbatim without the benefit of explanatory offsets. This book does very little to describe complex situations with offered solutions and options. Remember, when reading a non-fiction book AND if one is a serious reader of non-fiction, the reader will be looking for that ONE gem within the book to add to his/her repretoire. This book is basic in nature and lacked the ability to truly explain the negotiating process. Without an explanation of the framework and processes, a new negotiatior will be totally lost. And, if one is attempting to put to work the Guerrilla tactics, they will most likely present their case in a staggered, illogical, and perhaps, unprofessional manner as the authors failed to bring together the process of "beginning-to-end." This is my main gripe about the book.

To say that the book is not "Guerrilla" in nature would be a dramatic misstatement. The authors present a variety of tactics to move negotiations along including, well, a water gun. Yep, a water gun. The authors posit that if negotiations are bogged down or if you are having a difficult time moving a decisionmaker, bring a water gun to the table and threaten (or begin) to shoot him. Now, in a sales setting and depending on the sophistication of the other party, this "might" work. In a professional setting, this is tantamount to death. Lack of common sense given the facts and circumstances of a particular situation can be the death knell of a pending transaction.

Nevertheless, I cannot say this is a bad book. The book presents the materials necessary for the new negotiatior and, even some level of information for the seasoned negotiator. It is interesting that once a negotiator establishes a style, he/she just looks for ways to enhance that style. This book could fill that role.

Bottom line....if you're new to negotiating, this book will provide "glimpse-level" insight into the process. Don't look for the proverbial outline, its not there. The book doesn't present the reader with a process toward successful negotiations or even negotiation theory for that matter. On the other hand, the book does present the reader with a trove of summarized negotiating nuggets that will most likely be beneficial to many initiates. Further, the book provides summary resource materials.

CONTENT = great; READABILITY = poor.

Guerrilla Negotiating provides a quality insight into effective negotiating tactics. The author teaches and advocates the following quality virtues: empathy, listening, fairness, and compassion. The virtues build upon these core belief system as a foundation for guerilla negotiation. This philosophy of doing business is based upon time, energy, and imagation. It is called philosophy because the guerrilla seeks truth and speaks the truth. Setting truth as the highest aspiration allowing the guerrilla access to information before the masses which can be used for gain.

The guerrilla improves proficiency in the areas of word association, using an active voice,qualifiers, amplifiers, softeners, minimizers, directors, authority builders, trace words and phrases, imagination triggers, option degenerators, spotlight phrases, emotive directors, responsibility directors, presuppositions, comparitives, and linkages. The author emphasize the importance of good communication skills and how power words can change mental understanding of concept and context. The author differs communication into two styles: One for the internal listener and one for the external listener.

Probably the best part of the book was a chapter titled, "How to win on price". Guerrillas know how their customer feels about their prices. Guerrillas know happy customers know what value they receive for a price. For instance, buyers don't stay up all night worrying how much they paid, instead, they worry what they bought won't do the job. Buyers want performance and Sellers want profit. Guerrillas know that this cycle must be maintained for their business to survive. Guerrilas try to avoid negotiating on price. I think price negotiating is a lossing game because often times the seller does know when to walk away and often they get caught in continual price battles and in some cases forced to accept lower prices.

So back to communication, the author suggest 10 ways to improve your presentation: 1. Discuss specific benefits your counterpart gains 2. Show exclusive superior features and don't waste your time on the basics. 3. Project that you are reliability and dependable. 4. Position what you have to offer as the right price 5. Demostrate the time is right to decide no you now. 6. Use proof statements to support your position 7. Support your case with visual aid (visuals and discussion increase memory retention) 8. Present and emotional appeal. 9. Dramatize your stories 10. Include a demostration.

The overall theme of the book is excellent. Negotiations are not a zero sum, winner take all exercise. A truly successful negotiation is one in which both (or all ) parties leave satisfied and in better shape as a result of the agreement than they would be without it. Too many people in the business world take the old track and think that they need to win, and that everyone else must lose, a mindset that is distructive for themselves, customers, suppliers and anyone else they do business with. That is why this book is a must read. It also supplies examples for increasing the size of the pie before dividing it, ways to recognize predatory negotiators, how to defend against their strategy, and most importantly what YOU need to do to prepare for and conduct a successful negotiation.

My soft-cover version of this highly-attractive book has plenty of nice features. The overall concept is sound, (although a little cursory in places, even for a book aimed at beginners); the instructional and informational content is generally useful and interesting; the illustrations and reproductions are excellent. There are even some health and safety tips that were very welcome.

So, what's the problem? The low rating I gave this book falls squarely at the feet of the editor(s). Simply put, there are far too many mistakes for a book of this size!

Completely wrong labels on a graph of oil content in paints makes for total confusion, especially if you're trying to come to terms with the "fat over lean" concept or similar technical ideas. Page cross-references that are incorrect are frustrating, but tolerable, in a monthly magazine or daily newspaper, but not in a textbook! There are numerous other little labelling, spelling, word-usage and grammatical errors, as well as a couple of invented words ("sawned off" is going to stick in my memory for a long time!) and a few "explanations" that don't explain anything.

I'm not sorry I bought the book, but it would be so much easier for my wife, who is just starting out in oil painting, and who is not a native user of English, if the information were a bit more reliable.

I purchased another Ray Smith book [Portraits, hardcover] and have no real criticisms of that book. I would consider buying others in the series, but this one is a little disappointing. A very beautiful book spoiled by sloppy editing. It's really a shame!

I enjoyed this book. It spent two pages on every topic that's important to beginning artists. It never rambled on about useless, trivial information. The author focused in on clear definitions and illustrations. This reader was never confused by the book's precise method in handling complicated exercises. These exercises not only explained the material, but also led to completed works of art. The book also had a small, but vital glossary. The glossary helped to reiterate important concepts, such as scumbling, aerial perspective, fat-over-lean painting and high-key colors (just to name a few). Reading this book is like taking an art class. It focuses in on the most important concepts; and, it explains them in a brief, succinct manner.

This is the kind of book that organizes the information you need to know in a logical and straight-forward manner. A great place to start for any aspiring artist.

Graeat! Quite inspiring. Got me painting more than ever. A must have for anyone interested in painting. Love it!!!

After seeing the number of painting books by Smith I took to him to be an authority. I found it straight forward and easy to follow. Lots of instuction and tips. A bit above the understanding level of my 7 year old daughter but perfect for me to graduate from painting by number. Seems to cover just about all one would neeed to know in order to take up the past time.

It is a very well written comprehensive guide to watercolor painting. It helps the beginner learn the art of watercolor painting . The paintings are invaluable tools to help you learn. It feels like it gives you a one-on-one lesson in art class. It is a fabulous book!

This is a nice, compact, book on face painting. It briefly covers materials, equipment, and technique before showing you a nice variety of face-painting ideas. The directions for achieving each look, while not detailed, are sufficient to create the desired effect. Wonderful for Halloween ideas.

For ten years, I've been painting faces for carnivals, parties, Halloween - you name it - this book can take rank beginners and allow them to paint very professional looking faces. The instructions are easy to follow, and elaborate on multiple techniques, including sponging and using different brush tips to achieve different effects. I highly recommend it - a word of caution- use only high quality face paints as they cover and blend better than the cheapos! Enjoy!

Ghost stories, in spite of their association with tales of terror (almost any scary tale told around a campfire is referred to as a "ghost story"), have lost much of their luster in the days since Poe and LeFanu. With the occasional exception of a work like Shirley Jackson's The Haunting or Stephen King's The Shining , few modern ghost and haunting stories are scary, and even fewer, frankly, are good. Peter Crowther, in his latest anthology, Taps and Sighs , has assembled a host of top-notch authors to reinvent the ghost story, and for the most part, he has succeeded.

Most of the authors in this anthology recognize that ghosts aren't that frightening in this day and age, so instead of an anthology of half-rate horror, this is actually a mixture of subtle horror and mythic fiction. Richard Christian Matheson and Michael Marshall Smith set the tone with the opening tales. Matheson's "City of Dreams" is a tale of horror, not because anything nasty happens to the protagonist, but because the best of intentions lead to true tragedy. And Smith's "Charms" is a touching (but not sentimental) tale of urban fantasy that could fit well among Charles de Lint's Newford tales.

Speaking of de Lint, he provides one of the two most pleasant surprises in the collection, as his "The Words that Remain," a twist on a classic urban legend, not only is sweet, but is a rare Newford tale that doesn't require the reader to be familiar with ten years of backstory. Setting the tale outside of Newford, and getting rid of the alternating first and third-person narration that had bogged down so many previous Newford tales has led to the most enjoyable de Lint story in ages.

The other surprise is Ray Garton's "The Homeless Couple," quite possibly the best piece of fiction Garton has ever written. Like de Lint, Garton's ending is utterly predictable, but the road he takes in getting there, and the parallel tragic lives of the protagonist (who morphs, over the course of 20 pages, from an unsympathetic archetype into a truly sympathetic hero). Garton, normally one of the best at telling novels of terror, makes a wonderful shift this time.

The actual tales of terror in this collection are no less impressive. The always-amazing Graham Joyce, in "Candia," provides his own nasty little tale of folks trapped in their own personal hells. Ian McDonald and Mark Morris take the same twist in two different, but equally horrific, directions. And Terry Lamsley's "His Very Own Spatchen" is a fun little tribute to the classic DC House of Mystery comics.

The cream of the horror crop is Gene Wolfe's "The Walking Sticks," a tale that presents as untrustworthy a narrator as in any Edgar Allan Poe tale. Wolfe's tale nicely mixes personal madness with ancient hauntings. Like Garton's story, expect to find this one reprinted in any number of "Year's Best" collections next year.

There are a few stumbling blocks. The McDonald and Morris stories, given their similarities, really should have been placed far apart, not next to each other. Ramsey Campbell's "Return Journey" is almost deliberately bad (the only horror being the reading experience itself), and Poppy Z. Brite's "Nailed," although completely readable, simply fails to break any new ground (a bit of a disappointment from such a consistently groundbreaking author). Still, Crowther (who contributes a very nice story with Tracy Knight) has assembled some great authors, and Taps and Sighs , added to his earlier Touch Wood and Dante's Disciples , establishes Crowther as one of today's top editors.

In Douglas E. Winter's introduction, he qoutes a poem about the sounds a ghost makes...tappin and sighing, hence the title. Like nearly all anthologies their are some good stories, some bad stories, some horrible stories and, gratefully, some top of the line stories. This collection is about 25% of each. The bad and horrible stories, however are outweighed by the good and great ones.

I found that I championed the more Twilight Zone/trick ending stories over the more experimental ones. An example of this is Thomas F. Monteleone's contribution, "The Prisoner's Tale, versus Graham Joyce's "Candia". Monteleone excellently delivers a straight ahead tale of one prisoner's chance at freedom. Joyce just delivers a confusing nonlateral tale of deja vu.

Poppy Z. Brite shows why she is a favorite among the horror sect in "Nailed". A revenge tale with some voodoo thrown in is precise and perfectly laid out and ended. In Ramsey Campbell's "Return Journey", we get a time travelling train that is convuluted and unclear.

Graham Masterton gives us a look at what happens to the past if you dare forget it in the terrific, "Spirits of the Age". ; scary as well as thought-provoking is Ray Garton's "The Homeless Couple" where a man who ignores cries for help from people in need in turns needs help. Ed Gorman's "Ghosts" is a tale of caution about reprucussions.

All in all a recommended collection of differring takes on ghost mythology.

This book focuses in well on different aspects and teaches you new techniques in easy to follow instructions.

Curt Smith replicates the format of his earlier "The Storytellers," this time turning the "mikes" over to football rather than baseball announcers. Personally, I liked the earlier collection better, perhaps because I prefer the diamond to the gridiron. And Smith's own passages, in the announcer profiles and chapter introductions, once again show a lot of duplication from his earlier books like the aforementioned "Storytellers" and "Voices Of The Game." Nonetheless, there's no shortage of great anecdotes here and this book should be more than welcome for fans of football or broadcasting.

This book is designed to open the reader's eyes to the various types of mixed media art and how the techniques are used by different artists to achieve a wide range of effects. The photographs, especially those of the tools and supplies used in the techniques, as well as the photographs of artwork are especially informative, and useful for a beginner. However, if you're looking for specific technique instructions, or tips on how to combine the various mixed media techniques into your own artwork, you may be disappointed. This book left me wanting more, but it is still a valuable addition to a beginning artist's library.

Linear perspective, said Leonardo da Vinci, Òis nothing else than seeing a place or objects behind a pane of glass, quite transparent, on the surface of which the objects that lie behind the glass are to be drawn.Ó Among LeonardoÕs notebook drawings, there is a tiny self-portrait (c. 1510) in which he is shown using a squared-off and window-like drawing device (sometimes called ÒAlbertiÕs veilÓ), four variations of which were depicted 15 years later in a famous series of woodcuts by German artist Albrecht DŸrer. This current publication is not only an introduction to perspective in book form but also a kit-like collection of tools to use in exploring for oneself its history, theory, and application. Among those tools are an acetate drawing window (like LeonardoÕs), two ÒdraftsmanÕs netsÓ (like that portrayed in DurerÕs prints), various measuring devices, pads of gridded drawing paper, and a cut-out with which one can easily make a three-dimensional model of Dutch artist M.C. EscherÕs Òimpossible triangleÓ (a well-known illusion that appears to violate certain spatial principles). Experimenting with the devices in this box could result in a deeper understanding of perspective, especially if one were to read at the same time an earlier, richer and far more interesting book on the same subject from the same publisherÕs Eyewitness Art series: Alison Cole, Perspective (Dorling Kindersley, 1992). (Review from Ballast Quarterly Review, Vol 14 No 2, Winter 1998-99)