Writing instructors and conference speakers like to discourage writing wannabes. "You won't get rich, you'll get depressed and lonely, and you need a buddy to talk you off the window ledge."

So I was curious to see how Bruce Holland Rogers would address the psychology of writing. As other reviewers observed, this book is not about how to write or how to market your writing. It's about the day-to-day life of being a writer.
Get up. Go to word processor. Stare at computer awhile.

Rejection. Bad reviews. Writing a novel under deadline pressure. And a whole lot more.

Word Work is a collection of Rogers's columns, so each chapter can be read as a stand-alone. That's a plus and a potential downfall. If you open the book, as I did, to a chapter that's doesn't grab you right away, you may be tempted to toss the whole thing aside. I couldn't get excited about "best time to write." The message seems to be, "Whenever you want."

On the other hand, you can read a chapter at a time, in any order, and feel satisfied.

Which chapters are best? I suspect that will be a personal decison. What made the book work for me were "Death and the day job," "in the affirmative," and "advanced affirmations." That's when I realized Rogers was a thoughtful person who knows how to read self-help without getting suckered. And, like Natalie Goldberg in Thunder and Lightning, Rogers really writes about life, not just the writing life.

In particular, Chapter 1 - Hunters and Farmers - blew me away. I had never heard of this metaphor, which apparently comes from an author of a book on ADD. Writers are primarily hunters -- and so are entrepreneurs.

The chapters aren't light reading. You don't need to underline and read each sentence three times to get the meaning, but you won't always get hooked on the first sentence. And Rogers makes no effort to sell the reader. A chapter "The Foam White Bull" would be more approachable if titled "The Minotaur in the Basement."

I would like to see two major changes if Rogers gets to a second edition. First, Rogers needs an opening chapter, describing his own life, to unify the chapters and give us a context. The author of a daily or weekly column becomes an old friend. We see his name over and over again and sooner or later we read and we get hooked. In a book, however, we need bait. And Word Work is a very personal book, so we need more background about the author..

Second, the cover is off-putting. The design shows the back half of a wine-colored iMac and some stacks of paper. That's not the view most writers have of their own computers. I see the front of my computer, rarely the side view. And the cover artist needs to sacrifice esthetics for readability. The front words sprawl over the artwork and the back cover -- yellow on gray? -- presents a real challenge.

This is the book to give your writer friend for her birthday or his Christmas. As other reviewers have indicated, it's not for the raw beginner who is still busy asking, "What should I write and where do I send what I write?" It's really for someone who's committed to writing and wants to hear from someone who's been there. Writing is lonely and Rogers is a good companion for the journey.

Many writing books give the reader specific technical instruction followed by batches of writing exercises. Not so with this one. Although Rogers shares ideas for getting around writing problems (procrastination, networking, writer's block, taking rejections, etc.), he concentrates on the entire world of being a writer. He shares what he knows in essay format in such a way that any reflective, working writer can benefit. I was especially taken by the chapter, "Death and the Day Job," in which Rogers discusses the real reasons we should think about and focus upon our writing and why we do it.

This is a book for thinkers, doers, achievers, and all those who want to achieve in any realm of writing. It reads like a wise mentor is sharing the information, and the entire book is peppered with humor and information about other writers and their processes.

I give this one high marks, right up there with THE COURAGE TO WRITE by Ralph Keyes, and LIVING THE WRITER'S LIFE by Eric Maisel.

"Word Work: Surviving and Thriving as a Writer," is at once most magical and practical book for writers I've ever read.

A writer cannot use or hone skills until she can put her bottom in a chair before a keyboard and make her fingers move. This book is complete, well written, and filled with a fellow writer's experience and compassion. The author, Bruce Holland Rogers, weaves his spell so effectively the book could probably include a golden money-back guarantee on the cover.

Each chapter is a little charm all its own. After each, I felt motivated to both reach for more in my career and life and to accept my own imperfections more readily. When Rogers waves his wand of philosophical and psychological wisdom, a writer's frailties are diminished, her strengths magnified.

Though a writer is certain to find this book a precious talisman for the pursuit of the written word, it should also discourage her from attempting another book of the same sort. It has already been done and--try as she might (even using all the skills learned in "Word Work")--she will not find it possible to improve on this one.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"

The second novel in the Zancharthus trilogy is even better than the first. Having deposed the mad Dessicatorius, Mancdaman Zanchartus has become the High Priest of Tchernabog, who he despises. Zanchartus wants to reform the order & Khymir itself. To combat Tchernabog and the forces he commands, Zancharthus begins to teach his consort Torrisanna sorcery and waits for the return of Jagutai whose help he needs. Jagutai is more than a little bothered by Lilitu, Torrisanna's former lover, who has returned to the Temple of Tsa Terrathu. There, with Jagutai's help, she works to defeat Gudrid, the new high priestess. Lilitu is a fascinating character and much of the story is told from her viewpoint. The book is filled with interesting and revolting characters, including one who really loves pigs. As the love story between Jagutai & Lilitu develops, we grow to care about them as well as Zancharthus & Torrisanna. While those of us who have read Roger's earlier book, Zorachus, know how some of the story turns out, there are parts we don't know. This book left me anxiously waiting the conclusion of the series. I can't wait to see what Rogers will do next.

"Jagutai and Lilitu" is the second book of the best fantasy series you're never read. The first book of the series is "Blood and Pearls", and the second volume relies heavily on the first; I would recommending reading them in order.

If you think fantasy is strictly for kids, this series will change your mind. In Rogers's books, you won't read about the magical elf and his dwarf buddies who go into the enchanted forest to find the dragon's gold. Rogers isn't afraid to get graphic with sex and violence, and the villians are spine-chilling and unsettling. There is some cheeky humor, and some of the circumstances are so demented you can't help laughing at them in retrospect (an orgy of demonically possessed pigs? how does he come up with this stuff?), but the tone is kept morbid and dark. Think of it as light on the Terry Brooks, and heavy on the David Lynch.

As a sequel, this book works brilliantly. The characters are great and Rogers defines them more thoroughly, especially the two who inspire the title. The plot is a thick, twisting rope of theology, politics, and finance. It's smart, it doesn't slow down, and you can feel the stark fatalism closing in for the kill in part three.

I can't wait to read the third volume, and I'm equally excited to see what Rogers does in the future. Mark E. Rogers is an independent author, and his work is so far outside the mainstream, it is really quite refreshing. If you're looking to try something new, definately check out the first volume of the series, "Blood and Pearls". From there, it only gets better.

Where to start? Maybe we should try to find out what drugs this guy's on...this sequel to Blood and Pearls is a very trippy book. The monsters alone are worth the cover price, but then there's the action, the philosophy, and all the sex. Not to mention well-defined characters and very black humor. The city of Khymir is definitely the worst place ever, and Mr.Rogers (no, not the kiddy host) conducts the tour with awesome gusto. Can't wait for part three, The Night of the Long Knives!

I am a baby sitter and found this book excellent for bedtime readings. The stories are just long enough to relax the children and ready them for sleep. The stories have lovely endings and are easy to read in low light with the large letters. The pictures are just too cute.

I was so pleased when I first read "Once..." The stories and poems were written perfectly with children and parents in mind. The book is written in a narrative style and therefore makes reading to my child easy. The morals hidden in the stories helps me share important issues with children without the usual lectures.

The stories are the right length especially for bedtimes. Perfect to read to younger children, this book is also great for older children to read to their parents or to their younger siblings.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt it not only a great story book for children, but also, a useful tool for parents, schools, libraries and even Sunday Schools. Well done....

"Once.." really does have it all. Great stories, funny characters, wonderful morals, and cute lovable illustrations. I really hope this book wins an award. It really is a great buy, my kids loved it and I enjoy reading it to them. I hope there is a "Once II..." or at least a follow up? Amazon...do you know if that will happen? Let us know.

This excellent book is divided into 2 parts: The disease and the cure, and the latter consists of 3 sections: Accentuate the positive, Eliminate the negative and Latch onto the affirmative. It explains the fight or flight response, the effect thoughts have on the body, and the question of death. It also deals with mourning, how to focus on the positive and has a useful section on depression. Suitable quotes by inter alia Freud, Santayana, Voltaire, Emerson, Russell, Shaw, Anais Nin, Epicurus, Whitman, Keller, Hippocrates, Oscar Wilde and Maria Montessori enhance the text and help to explain things. I would not say that it is absolutely the best self-help book I've ever read ( a little more emphasis on how to influence the subconscious mind would have been valuable), but it casts welcome new light on this thing called "common sense." It is a pleasure to read and I highly recommend it.

I have battled depression on and off for much of my life, and I have to say that this is the best self-help book I have ever read. It is absolutely wonderful. It makes you want to memorize every quote and every precious, uplifting word of wisdom. Some people might say that the things in this book are common sense, but if that's the case, when I look around I see that common sense isn't so common! This book really is a must have for anyone who wants to improve their disposition and feel better emotionally.

McWilliams explains and delivers comprehensive and understandable principles of positive-focus. This is absolutely the greatest self-help book for positive thinking that I've read yet. He addresses issues from relationship to life-threatening illness. He doesn't just blab on about the issues, he details and outlines specific strategies for dealing with crisis in a positive, effective manner. I recommend it to everyone, illness or not...this is very empowering.

Lon Rombough's new book "The Grape Grower" is an excellent resource for those who want to work with Mother Nature as much as possible when growing grapes instead of always trying to fight her. In place of synthetic pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, etc., Mr. Lombough presents healthier agronomic practices for aquiring beautiful grapes. His promotion of private breeding of new grape varieties is also most noble. I've only been growing grapes for four years but have personally witnessed the validity of his recommendations in my own vineyard. JB

This is a practical guide that's a lot of fun to read. I read it cover-to-cover within a week. The focus is mostly on bunch table grapes and wine grapes, but there is some information on muscadines and grapes for cooking, juice, and raisins. The information on available cultivars is great. Hundreds of cultivars are described, along with their vigour, hardiness, disease susceptibility, and other useful info. The material on grape breeding is fascinating.

Although It's billed as a book on organic growing, the set of lists of organic options is probably the weakest material. We are in the midst of an explosion of organic methods. Rombough tries to be up-to-date, but that means including stuff that's too new to have a track record, and that he hasn't personally used. Also, despite his efforts, there will be yet newer stuff next year that isn't in this book.

On the other hand, his material on cultivation and pruning is excellent and timeless.  I've read about 8 sets of instructions about "how to prune grapes" and every other one says "do it this way".  That didn't work for me, because I wanted to train my vine over an ornamental arch.  This book says "here's the main goal, here are other goals you might have, and here's what you do to meet those various goals.  Now I know what I ought to in any situation, including my unusual one.

I also know that I may run into trouble because my growing area is too small, but at least I understand the issues, and should be able to make the best of what I have.

I recommend this book to the backyard grower, the small farmer, the aspiring grape breeder, and anyone who enjoys good horticultural books.

In an easy to read and easy to understand volume, Dr. Lon Rombaugh has distilled his extensive knowledge and experience to adress the issues involved in growing grapes, not only in the normally " accepted" areas, but in more marginal areas: the colder climates; and the warmer ones. Including selection of both site and vine; propagation; trellising and pruning; diseases of grapes; and using personal examples, he has produced a book that is fun, knowledgeable, and complete. As a modestly small aspiring grower, I have already found this book to be useful, even though it was released in, for me at least, the off season of growing. I can't rate it hightly enough for anyone casually interested, or very experienced. It is argueably the most complete book on the subject of grapegrowing, and certainly contains the most recent information regarding grapes.

The book is published by National Geographic, so it goes without saying that the quality of the photographs is superb. But to look at this collection of space-born images is to never see the earth in the same way again. All the contintents and oceans are covered and even the Aurora is documented. The astronauts who took these photographs are some of the luckiest men and women on (or off) the earth, and this book will show you why.

Despite all that man has done to harm the environment, many of the photographs give you an eerie sense of what it might've been like to look down on the earth thousands of years ago, seeing only a beautiful collection of shapes, colors and clouds. Some pictures of the African desert and its coastline will leave you breathless.

A wonderful collection that beats satellite imagery any day of the week.

Astronaut Jay Apt, with the help of geographer Justin Wilkinson and climatologist Michael Helfert, has assembled a book full of pictures of Earth taken from orbit. These photographs were chosen from over a 145,000 that are available from the NASA photographic library and focus on many different aspects of our planet's geology and climate. The large coffee table style format and the high quality of the reproductions allows this book bring out the stunning features of our home and is welcome addition to anyone who is interested in space photography, especially since most of the book is photographs and very little text.

The book is divided into sections covering each continent, the Pacific Ocean and the aurora. To show the range of Earth's geology and climate, each section highlights the major geological features found in each region and if appropriate mankind's influence. To further emphasis to geological diversity of the planet, occasional surface photographs that correspond to an orbital photograph are also included. For example, in the section on Africa, there are photos of the Nile, Nile cities, the Sahara desert, various coastline features and cloud formations. The only portions of the Earth not covered are the North and South Poles, since the shuttle does not fly over these regions. There is also one extremely interesting two page map spread which shows the location of each one of the 268,000 photographs taken by the astronauts.

This book is one of my favorite space photography books and I look at it often and each time that I do I always notice something different. This is a great book and well worth the price.

Truely a magnificent piece of work to wiew the wonder of God's creation leaves you in awe of the beauty of the Earth. I pick it up regularly, for maximum enjoyment choose times where you are not rushed so you can drink in the superb pictures. A book no household can afford to be without.

The chilling details of Zorachus' fall from Grace and decent into madness are well thought out. The magic system that is used is very fresh and original. The dept of 'darkness' and depravity is unlike anything I've ever read in a fictional book before. It's real close to reality and that's the frightening part. Read just the first 5 pages and see if you can put it down. The story concludes in The Nightmare of God, but Mr. Rogers decided to take us on a completely different trip with the next 3 in The Blood of the Lamb series. Get them! Read Them!

Zorachus is one of the finest novels I have ever read (and believe me I have read a lot). The imagination and excitement that is put into this book is amazing. The story is fast paced, the characters well thought out, and the settings are absorbing. If you like a thought provoking, original story this is one for you. Also, follow it up by reading the others that come after: Nightmare of God, The Expected One, The Devouring Void, The Riddled Man, and last but certainly not least, the newly released, Blood and Pearls (Zancharthus Book 1). They are all well worth whatever it takes to get them. It is a truly epic series and I can't wait for the next book to follow.

I read Zorachus 16 years ago. I just re-read it again. Zorachus is still leading the pack of imaginative fiction and no contenders are anywhere in sight. The youngest Grand Master in the history of the Sharajnaghi, Zorachus, is chosen for a grave mission to save countless lives, but in the end can he save his soul? If he can be corrupted is there hope for anyone?
The writing is well paced, the atrocities gruesome, the pervasive erotic assault stimulating, all of it shows us the temptations Zorachus faces daily, while the constant cruelty of Khymir stokes his downfall.
This book poses moral questions, exults in erotic scenes, examines ethics and offers a great ride through Mark E. Rogers' twisted world. I am so glad I found him. If you want a fresh perspective on fiction and aren't afraid to open your mind, then Zorachus is a book I highly recommend.

Greenberg's book features pointed advice regarding the most common CRM topics(SFA, Marketing...). Another chapter I found useful was the chapter detailing the layout of CRM implementations. Although a good read, I have some criticisms: 1. The author is a bit biased to some vendors. 2. Not the best written book. The grammar and structure is not very conducive to "demystifying" CRM. Not a great pleasure to read this book (although quite informative).

Perhaps the best feature of this book is the great CRM business ideas that it features. It gets the reader thinking "maybe I should start a company and use some of these business ideas". Case in point: read the PRM and verticals chapter. Good for people looking to start their own CRM consultancy.

When was the last time you read a business book written by an industry insider, and was so captivated by the book's content that you couldn't put the book down?? Well, author Paul Greenberg treats the reader to such a rare experience.

Whether you're the CEO of a company concerned about customer loyalty/profitability, a project leader charged with selecting and imlementing a CRM initiative, or a consultant within the CRM industry, this book is for you.

The biggest challenge the Business/CRM world faces today is understanding the delineation between CRM as a business strategy, and CRM as an enabling technology. No easy task! But Paul Greenberg clarifies this with incredible ease.

The author also, with zero techno-geek language, provides significant insights into areas of CRM such as: What IS CRM/What is it NOT?,Why your company needs CRM!!, ECRM versus CRM(a topic in the business world that seems to be strewn with much confusion), Who the real CRM players are....and why they are REAL, and What roles the internet and wireless applications are playing today, and in the future, and much, much more.

So if you're looking to become "CRM literate", or want to add to your CRM knowledge base, and want to actually have fun doing it-Paul's book is interspersed with humorous tidbits- GO BUY THIS BOOK!!

As a relatively new consultant in the CRM world its hard to know exactly how CRM fits in its broadest scope. Trying to decipher CRM piece by piece can cause migrains the size of Mount Olympus. Mr. Greenberg's book brings all of the components together and presents them in an easy to understand often times humorous way. If you want to know how the seperate disciplines of CRM interact with one another as well as the existing systems of a company and why this is of benefit to a company, then this book is a must read. Or, if you just want to know what the heck CRM is, who the major players are and where the future of the industry is going, it is an irreplacable tool. I recomend this book to anyone who remotely deals with the CRM industry.

This review concerns the revised 1967 edition. Mr. Hardy asks Frank and Joe to "break into" the house of a neighbour and retrieve a secret invention to prevent it from being stolen by a gang of thieves he is currently investigating. Later, at a party at Chet's home, Joe is kidnapped at the stroke of midnight. Frank, along with some friends, must find Joe and learn why he was kidnapped; as well, the Hardy's have to keep the gang from stealing the invention. Personally, I preferred this edition to the original. The original edition was better written; although, that is true in most cases. However, I found that revised edition had a more interesting mystery and it had a lot more action. I don't consider this book to be one of the best of the series, but it is far from being one of the worst.

This review concerns the original 1931 edition. At the stroke of midnight, Joe is kidnapped from a party at the Morton farm and Frank and his chums set out, not only to find Joe, but to discover why he was kidnapped. I'd more accurately give the book a rating of 3.5 stars. The writing, like with all previous volumes, is excellent and the mystery is alright, but the book doesn't quite live up to the intriguing title. Mr. Hardy does not make an appearance in the book as he is said to be on a case out West and, in my opinion, his omission only hurts the story. Most readers would probably not rate this book as one of their favorites in the set, but they probably wouldn't rate it as one of their least favorites either.

The odd thing about this book is that all the action occurs at the stroke of twelve midnight. The book starts with the Hardys breaking into a house, with Mr. Hardy's permission! They take a top-secret invention to hide for the owner. This is when the action begins. Then while at a party, Iola spots someone snopping around the brothers' car. When Joe goes after him, he ends up being kidnapped. Follow the adventure as Frank tries to find his brother and crack the case! This is one of my personal favorites!

As a Track and field coach with regional responabilities in the United Kingdom I am constantly scouring literature to gain a better understanding of the theories of strength training and conditioning in general. I have found, without doubt, the best single reference for strength training in this book.

The contributors to the book are all clearly not only academicly qualified to speak upon the subject but also have many years of practical experience to add weight to their thoughts. The book covers all aspects of conditioning from physiology through training aspects including weight lifting, spotting techniques, plyometrics, planning and nutrition amongst many others.

My only criticism of the text would be that those not versed in physiology to a quite high level may find the text quite difficult. It is also easier for some concepts to be understood if you have a degree of practical experience. But these are minor complaints.

I would reccomend this book to any coach or strength professional who wishes to increase their knowledge. In fact any athletic professional that wishes to provide the best service to their charges should purchase and read this outstanding text.

This book, one of the best references on strength training today, is used by the prestigious National Strength and Conditioning Association as part of its Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification program. While the book is oriented toward high school, college, and professional athletic coaches, the information will be of interest to anyone serious about strength training. Although the book also covers general conditioning, the real emphasis is developing athletic strength and power.

Despite some of the content being technical, the book is quite easy to read. The contributors took obvious pains to make this well organized text both clear and precise, and each chapter ends with a list of key terms, study questions, practical problems, and references. The exercises in the book are well illustrated and include meticulous step-by-step instructions for proper execution. The book also contains considerable material on exercise and gym safety, which is one of its strengths.

If you want solid information that is based on research, not just speculative theory or personal experience, this book is an excellent source. As a supplement to this "Essentials" text, I would recommend "Designing Resistance Training Programs" by Fleck and Kraemer. If you are interested in Olympic weightlifting or using the Olympic lifts to develop power "The Weightlifting Encyclopedia" by Arthur Drechsler is an interesting book, although it can seem somewhat rambling and needs the attention of a good copy editor.

What a great text ! Here is a deep yet clearly/visually presented text on physical training. I've read a number of
strength-training books, but most are dominated by the
body-building mentality. This book will make you think
like a coach and help you understand sport-specific
training.