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...

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.

I would have to say that Off The Wall Marketing Ideas is a great book to inspire anyones creative juices. Filled with ideas on how to market your self or product in a way that sets you apart from the rest and remembered. I know I will use this book when I start my business. I have read peviouse works by Debbie Karpowicz and with the talent this woman has, there is no dought that this book will be a best seller and it teachings will become common practice in todays business community. Which would add some much needed fun and creativity to marketing. I highly recomend this book to everyone.

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.

this book it's very well written. Got lots of essays on every blues styles and sub-styles, very well written too. Got lots of music maps for almost all of the essays, very well traced. Got lots of helpful and factfiled info about each entry, and a very helpful and great reviews on each artist albums...nothing to tell more about it. Here you learn a little about blues history, you learn about the blues records and wich ones do you chose, and the artists bios...

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.

. . . and after while, the recipes all start to taste the same. On the whole, though, this is a good de-mystifier for those who are a bit afraid of tofu. The "cheesecake", "Mayonnaise", "hollandaise sauce," and "eggless egg salad" are staples in my home. Well worth adding to any cook's library.

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.

I bought this book two years ago and I use it about once a week. Most of the recipes are easy to follow and delicious, not fancy. favorites are the potato tofu salad (No one believes that it doesn't contain mayo!) tofu turnovers,EASY fried tofu,(put in a sandwich it tastes a lot like chicken)and Korean Barbeque Tofu - in this recipe I cook the tofu first, until it is tough and then I marinate it, not the other way around. The almond tofu is great as well. If you want to eat more tofu and don't know how to fix it, this is the book for you. There are dips and desserts too, but I haven't made many of those yet...just keep making my favorites over and over.

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.

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.

I remember reading Faulkner's Sound and the Fury as a college sophmore and swearing never to read another book by him again. I happened to find the Reivers in my local library and decided to give his Pulitzer Prize winning book a try. It is a charming book that tells the story of a stolen car, a stolen horse, a horse race, and the life changing experiences of an 11 year old boy in the course of a week. Although Faulkner employs colons and semicolons more than any writer, and his sentences seem to continue on indefinitely, the effort of adjusting to his style rewards the reader with a wonderful tale. I highly reccomend this book, and hope to try another Faulkner book in the near future. Maybe I will even attempt the Sound and the Fury someday.

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.

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.

Michael Thomas Ford is a gay treasure! I bought this book after reading the terrific "Alec Baldwin Doesn't Love Me" and thought it was even better. "It's Not Mean If It's True" is hilariously funny, but underneath the humor there is wisdom and insight that make this book more than just a fun, light read. The fact that Mr. Ford has an agenda is what makes this book special, but he delivers his message in an entertaining and engaging way, without being preachy or self-righteous. I have read some reviews that are less than complimentary of Mr. Ford's style, but personally I thoroughly enjoy his amazing facility for the language and his wit. Finally, a gay author to whom we can all relate--Mr. Ford is not a drama queen, is not apologetic and does not pretend to be something he is not. He finds the humor in everyday situations and lets us all know that we should lighten up a little. This book will definitely appeal to a gay audience, but his message and wit are universal and should be read by anybody. Bravo, Mr. Ford...we want more!!