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Book reviews for "Taylor,_William_D." sorted by average review score:

Diseases of Swine
Published in Hardcover by Iowa State University Press (1994)
Authors: Barbara E. Straw, William L. Mengeline, Allen Leman, David Taylor, and Sylvie D'Allaire
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The Comprehensive Guide to Hog Health & Care
This is a must-have book for all professional hog farmers! It contains full detailed descriptions on anatomy, and very helpful step-by-step guides and checklists on swine care. Virtually all known pig diseases are comprehensively covered, including history, diagnosis and treatment. Pictures and diagrams make it easy to understand, especially for non-veterinarians.


Masterpieces of American Furniture from the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute
Published in Hardcover by Munson Williams Proctor Inst (2001)
Authors: Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, John Bigelow Taylor, Anna Tobin D'Ambrosio, and Cincinnati Art Museum
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Recommended for students of 19th century American furniture
The Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute is a world renowned center for the fine arts. Ably edited by Anna Tobin D'Ambrosio, the Curator of Decorative Arts at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute Museum of Art has compiled essays by herself and other decorative arts scholars on more than 65 finely crafted examples of American furniture encompassing nearly every 19th century style and explores the careers of America's most influential cabinetmakers and shops of the era in Masterpieces of American Furniture From the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute. Her introductory essays traces the evolution of the museum's decorative arts holdings. The informative text is superbly illustrated with more than 90 color plates, plus detail images from period sources and labels. The outstanding and scholarly presentation is highly recommended for students of 19th century American furniture, cabinetmaking, and home decorative fashions.


Simple Games
Published in Hardcover by Princeton Univ Pr (22 September, 1999)
Authors: Alan D. Taylor and William S. Zwicker
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Good mathematics
A very well written book. The mathematical level is hard, but always such, that with a good graduate background, one can follow the proofs.
The subject matter of course is very special, a lot more special, than the editorial introduction seems to suggest.

If one either enjoys mathematics, or if one is interested in the subject matter, it is a recommendable book.


A Cast of Killers
Published in Paperback by Select Penguin (1987)
Author: Sidney D. Kirkpatrick
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A Classic Hollywood Mystery
In 1922, director William Desmond Taylor was found shot to death in his home, and two celebrated stars fell under suspicion. The case was never solved, and lingering questions about the crime spelled finish for the careers of the brilliant comic actress Mable Normand and the popular ingenue Mary Miles Minter. But in Hollywood, old sins cast long shadows: the case continued to be investigated off and on over subsequent decades, providing considerable fodder for the tabolid press. In time, it became a legend, and in the the late 1960s director King Vidor--who had been acquainted with most of the individuals involved--began his own investigation in hopes of developing the story into a film.

Vidor eventually set his findings aside, and after his death biographer Sidney D. Kirkpatrick uncovered his extensive notes on the Taylor case. The result is A CAST OF KILLERS, a book which purports to solve the case for once and for all. Although he writes with a somewhat superficial tone, Kirkpatrick spins out his story with considerable conviction. What emerges is an extremely distasteful portrait of greed. According to Kirkpatrick, the studios decided to protect themselves even to the extent of implicating innocent parties while the Los Angeles Police Department preferred to extort money from the killer instead of bringing the case to court. But more disturbing than this is the portrait Kirkpatrick paints a profoundly dysfunctional family, the head of which was dominated by a need for money, fame, and absolute control.

Ultimately there is no hard proof for Kirkpatrick's conclusions, but--and in spite of several errors that have crept into the work--he makes an extremely convincing case for their validity. While A CAST OF KILLERS is far too popular in content to satisfy students of the crime (described as Taylorologists), it is largely in line with current theory re this famous murder, and it makes for a fascinating read. Recommended.

Alvarodo Street and Murder
King Vidor was a legendary film director largely forgotten by Hollywood at the time of his death. Sydney Kirkpatrick came to Vidor's home after his death to research a well deserved biography but instead discovered a buried box full of notes for a project planned but put aside by Vidor due to the explosive nature of his findings. This book is based on what Kirkpatrick found in that box. It is full of mystery and murder, love and lust, and in the end, sadness at the solving of one of the most famous and sensational scandels in the history of tinsletown. It is a mesmerizing journey into the early days of Hollywood and the lengths it would go to to cover up its secrets.

In 1922 the murder of director William Desmond Taylor was so filled with scandel it ruined careers and nearly destroyed Hollywood. If the absolute truth had been known, it might have. King Vidor had been a part of this Hollywood in its formative years and planned to make his comeback film by telling the story of it. Kirkpatrick could have turned this into a pulp type expose but instead, and to his credit, takes a respectful and nostalgic tone, both for Vidor and a time gone by. He uses Vidor's notes and findings to let this murder mystery unfold just as it did for Vidor.

For every film buff with a fascination for old Hollywood this is a book you can't put down. It is juicy but never tawdry, Vidor sifting through the misinformation of Hollywood and the corruption of the police to slowly get a picture of the truth he himsef couldn't yet tell because some of the players were still alive. The homicide and the aftermath is filled with names like Mabel Normand, Alan Dwan, James Kirkwood, Gloria Swanson, Claire Windsor, and Charlette Shelby and her waif like daughter Mary Miles Minter, an early rival of Mary Pickford.

Vidor's reputation and the fact he had been a part of this Hollywood way back when gave him weight and would prompt many to open up and talk to Vidor in a way in which they would not have someone else. He would even get to look at police files that would contradict most of what was reported at the time, raising even more questions. As Vidor plays detective in order to write the screenplay that he hoped would put him back on top Kirkpatrick lets us see a man who was once a vital part of the film industry fighting to be remembered. During his investigation he would come into contact with old flame Coleen Moore, a lovely silent star with a fine career of her own. It was a happy coincidence and would force Vidor to make decisions affecting the rest of his life.

A Cast of Killers is a fun, fast read tinged with sadness, as Vidor somehow knew it would be. Before beginning, Vidor himself likened it to an old bottle of wine. If you love a good mystery, and or Hollywood, this is one you have to read.

'I realized it was vintage stuff-the rarest vintage of all: a murder that has never been solved. One opens such a bottle at his own peril.....'
King Vidor, 1967

Solving one of Hollywood's most scandalous murders
Author Sydney Kirkpatrick traces pioneering film director King Vidor's efforts to research and write a script about one of Hollywood's most notorious unsolved mysteries. In doing the research for the book after Vidor's death, Kirkpatrick discovers why the film was never made - Vidor actually solved the crime years and years after the police had given up. Since innocent people were still living who could have been hurt by the revalation, Vidor sealed his files and dropped the project.

The murder of William Desmond Taylor is filled with intrigue, scandal, and coverup. The most important stars and mogels of silent Hollywood are involved, including the legendary commedienne Mabel Normand ("Mack and Mabel") and screen ingenue Mary Miles Minter.


Borden of Yale
Published in Paperback by Bethany House (1988)
Author: Howard Mrs. Taylor
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A Literary Eulogy
This book offers glimpses into the life of a fascinating man. William Borden was a wealthy Ivy League graduate with a singular focus on serving God. His intellect and his devotion are revealed, in part, by extended exerpts from personal correspondence in Borden's family. The story is not comprehensive and the presentation falls well short of a biography. It is more a collection of disconnected anecdotes in chronological order. Though Borden's missionary zeal is well established, his educational development and his most important relationships are not. This makes for something less than a satisfying story. The subject, however, is a truly interesting personality with an inspiring conviction. Borden's evangelistic accomplishments are unusual and one wonders what he might have achieved had his life not been shortened suddenly at an early age. Perhaps this book, like the life of Borden itself, was intended to reveal God's grace in an unexpected manner.

excellent!!!
This book has had more impact on my life than any other. In the 25 short years that he lived, William Borden invested himself, his time, and all that he had, in things of eternal value. He strove not to waste even minutes. Even though he only lived 25 years, he lived for God more than most who live for 80 years. This book will inspire you throughout your life!!! You will never forget it. Great for young people.

One Reading and A Lifelong Impact
When I was a college student, I read this book. Every day for the past 44 years, I have remembered it and the words of Bill Borden's commitment to God: "I take hands off as far as my own life is concerned." With the exception of the Bible, no other book has had such an impact on my life.


Bone and Joint Futures
Published in Paperback by Boston Medical Pub Inc (15 May, 2002)
Authors: Bmj Books, Anthony D. Woolf, Charles, Connelly, Cooklin, Dawson, Haines, Hall, Knotterus, and Marinker
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A quick review
This text provides a quick, concise review of the pimary topics covered on emergency medicine exams. I found it to be a good way to prepare for inservice exams and the written boards.


Introduction to Music (Harpercollins College Outline Series)
Published in Paperback by Harperperennial Library (1991)
Authors: Hugh Milton Miller, Edgar Williams, and Paul D. Taylor
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This is a super book for purpose for which it was written
I have not read the latest version of the book; however, I read the original authored by Miller. I found the recorded examples used to illustrate the ideas in the book especially useful. The original book contained a list of twenty-five basic compositions which illustrated the ideas.


The Man Who Died Twice
Published in Paperback by Academy Chicago Pub (1984)
Author: Samuel A. Peeples
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An interesting idea ruined
Started off OK but soon deteriorated into the realms of utter absurdity. The presence of William Desmond Taylor would have been much more effective if it had merely been implied . When the present day cop started to argue with Taylor's ghost - particularly so early in the book it all became a bit silly and I quickly lost interest. Would have been much better to have simply "Dropped Hints" to suggest the great man's presence and then brought him into the foreground action much further into the book. An interesting idea ruined by shortening the suspense.

Time Travel Murder Mystery based on a true story
This well-researched murder mystery reminds me of Jack Finney's wonderful pair of time travel fantasy-mysteries, From Time to Time, and Time and Again. Peeples' book does not have the romantic charm of Finney's books---the protagonist here is more into the physical aspect of love---but the time travel theme is similar. While Finney used an elaborate deliberate scheme to effect time travel, Peeples chooses to make the ultimate trip an accident.
In The Man Who Died Twice, a 1970's Los Angeles Police detective travels back to 1922 Los Angeles, and inhabits the body of William Desmond Taylor, a Hollywood producer who was murdered in real-life Hollywood in February 1922. The LA detective, Ernie Carter, has the advantage of knowing lots of details about the case, from having read the police files, and just living in the Hollywood/LA area all his life. Carter, with Taylor's personality serving as a kind of alter ego, tries to prevent Taylor (and himself!) from being murdered.
Along the way, Taylor/Carter encounters many legendary Hollywood figures, including D.W. Griffith, William Randolph Hearst, John Barrymore, Mabel Normand, and Rudolf Valentino. It is sobering to read about the sad and/or untimely end of many of these stars, and to contemplate how little Hollywood has changed since, to wit Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, John Belushi, Tony Perkins, and many many others.
Peeples brings Hollywood in 1922 to vibrant life, transporting the reader to the silent era with great skill. He seemingly mentions all of the possible murderers, and keeps the reader guessing as to which one he will use as the actual shooter. In real life, the case was never solved, but Peeples' murderer is convincing.
An old science fiction story once had a time traveller in the age of dinosaurs walking along a special path, from which he could not stray. He could not pick flowers, kill any of the animals, or leave any evidence of his visit. If he did, all of the ensuing history of the world would change, subtly in the time of dinosaurs, massively in his own 20th century. I am reminded of that story when I read a book like this. I will leave it to you, if you read this book, to discover if Peeples adheres to the tenets of the SF story.


Auditing: Integrated Concepts and Procedures
Published in Paperback by John Wiley & Sons (1993)
Authors: Donald H., Ph.D. Taylor and G. William, Ph.D. Glezen
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Well for everyone who knows accounting
This is an auditing book for ones who know some accounting and want to learn basic and important aspects of auditing. Even this is not useful for introductory level, it can be still used for this purpose. Some of the examples are given from CPA firms and this makes the book efficient for later usage.


Biology E/M: The Best Test Preparation for the Sat II: Subject Test
Published in Paperback by Research & Education Assn (2001)
Authors: Linda, Ph.D. Gregory, Thomas, Ph.D. Sandusky, Rashmi Diana Sharma, Judith A., Ph.D. Stone, Cindy Coe, Ph.D. Taylor, J. M., Ed.D. Templin, Clarence C., Ph.D. Wolfe, and William Uhland
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Thorough review material
If you have not been near a Biology syllabus in a while, this is the book for you. The authors do not assume that you know everything. The chapters cover all the major topics (the only supplementation you may need is diagrams such as those of plants). I found that the practice tests could have been better structured because the Ecology tests are separated from the Molecular tests without the common core section that's used in the actual exam. All in all, a good book - using this book alone I earned a score of 660!


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