'The Changeling' is a play with an extremely complex structure- the plot seems to start off with the potential to develop it's dark themes but becomes preoccupied with the use of coup de theatre; such as the potion and the grisly deaths. Beatrice is shown in the first scene to understand innuendo and is able to respond in kind to Alsemero, but is later naive to De Flores' demands. THIS PLAY IS UNBELIEVABLE AND STUPID!

Firstly, thanks to Joost Daadler for his stunning introduction to the edition I read of 'The Changeling'. The in-depth analysis of the psychological disturbances and functions that exist within the play (such as the ID and the unconscious dropping of the glove, etc.), help expand 'The Changeling' into a lot more than just (though this would be no bad thing!) a morality play where an orthodox Christian message runs predominant. I have never read a play that reduces the human to the bestial in such an intense and forceful manner, not shying away from the painful and somewhat humiliating view that human kind are more or less governed by their instincts; sexual impulse being one such motivating factor that can rid a human of any intellect ot reason that is supposed to constitute 'humanity' in the first place. This ia must read and not just a moral, didactic play either. It is not condemning sexuality but pleading with us that it must be understood. Overall, it is a tragedy that really challenges its reader into thinking hard about whether certain characters (e.g. Beatrice) can be more sympathised with than maybe one thought upon first reading. Read it!

Anyone who thinks centuries-old tragedies aren't relevant to modern times should read "The Changeling." With a few very minor adjustments, the plot and characters in this play could come right out of a modern crime novel, or even a modern true-crime story.

This is one of those plays where you read because you're more interested about what happens to the bad guy (and the bad gal) than what happens to the good guys. (Alsemero who! ) I envy the performers who get to play DeFlores and Beatrice-Joanna.

A lot of scholarly treatises about the play criticized the humorous subplot, claiming that it had no relevance and no connection to the main plot. My response is, "Hell-o! Is anybody home?" OK, that wasn't a scholarly response, but any scholar who can't see the thematic connection (characters who mask their true natures versus characters in disguise) doesn't deserve a scholarly response.

Anne M. Marble All About Romance

Rockwell was a talented comedian, as was his father, but the biggest mistake of his life was promoting the belief that Nordics were superior to other members of the white race; such as Alpines and Mediterraneans. That this is foolish is evidenced by the fact that it is virtually impossible to tell with total certainty exactly what sub-racial category someone is in. There are just too many jokers in the deck; such as when a person fitting the "Nordic profile" is identifying with some other race. When anyone ignores these facts it can have fatal consequences. Rockwell was assassinated by John Patler, who was once the most active and loyal stormtrooper of his group; in fact, Patler was the party member highlighted in the original edition of Rockwell's autobiography "This Time the World" with a large photograph (It's since been censored out). Patler, a Greek American with a dark complexion, one day realized that, as a Mediterranean, he was considered inferior. The discomfort of his position greatly contributed to his determination to kill Rockwell. Why then did Rockwell recruit Patler? Patler was actually quite an intelligent person. As a writer and artist he served Rockwell well. The answer to the contradiction lays in Rockwell's lack of consistancy and expertise in racial matters. Unable to identify Jewish racial charateristics, his party attracted them. Unable to determine the intentions of black Muslims, he said he was aligned with them. Unable to create an original political movememt, he borrowed the obsolete ideology of National Socialism. Evidence of this last weakness is evidenced by the way Rockwell plagiarized the sentences of Silvershirt leader William Dudley Pelley to open his own book "This Time the World." Pelley was a more perceptive fascist leader, for he modelled his own movement in the ideological direction and style of America's sucessful veterans legions. He knew that the public would only get a good laugh out of anything else.

This work presents Commander Rockwell as a real person, warts and all. It is the most complete volume I have ever seen about the White Power movement of the 1960s. It is for the most part unbiased and presents most of this thrilling saga without the left wing hand wringing that usually goes along with a work on this subject. My complaints are few: More pictures are needed for a book like this. There is a heavy reliance upon Rockwell's book,"This Time The World" and some of it is not correctly rendered in "Hate". There is not enough emphasis on the last 2 years of Rockwell's life which were probably the most important ones. I can still say that I highly recomend this book to anyone interested in the subject.

I found this book riveting. Once I started reading, I stayed up all night to finish it. It is very well-written and well-paced and extremely informative. At times I found myself laughing uncontrollably. The book is also remarkably balanced.

Lincoln Rockwell was a man of courage and conviction. But one has to count his life and his movement as a failure.

Like it or not, Adolf Hitler was a political genius because he fashioned a movement that was deeply in tune with German history and the German soul and rode that movement to power. Swastikas and party uniforms had deep roots in German history. If Hitler had lived in America, that same political genius would have fashioned a movement in tune with American history and the American soul--and rode it all the way to the White House. Swastikas and party uniforms would have had no part in it--particularly after America fought long and bloody war against people with swastikas and party uniforms!

Rockwell imitated the letter of Nazism, not the spirit. Therefore he failed miserably as a political leader. Rockwell's Nazism also lacked the grandeur of the real thing. Hitler modelled politics on Wagnerian opera and Roman triumphs; Rockwell modelled it on comic books and Vaudeville acts. (And he did have a great, mean, wicked sense of humor!)

One fascinating aspect of this book (like Simonelli's inferior Rockwell biography AMERICAN FUEHRER) is its careful documentation of Jewish power and media control. One particularly telling fact is that when the Nazis initially began to protest the Zionist movie EXODUS, they were greeted by howling mobs pelting them with vegetables, eggs, stones, and bricks. Then the ADL, the AJC, and the Jewish War Veterans drafted their policy of denying Rockwell media attention. At the next showing of EXODUS, there was no bloodthirsty mob. (See page 81.) Schmaltz does not spell out the obvious conclusion, but I will: the bloodthirsty mobs were not spontaneous, but were organized by leading American Jewish groups. When these groups changed their policy, the mobs disappeared. And once the media blackout policy was handed down, Rockwell's press coverage declined steeply. Again, Schmaltz does not spell out the obvious conclusion: that the Jews have enormous power over the media and use it to protect and advance their interests.

Schmaltz also points out collusion between the ADL and the FBI. Apparently the FBI uses the ADL to do things to American citizens that are illegal for the FBI itself to do. But not to worry: The ADL uses the FBI as well.

It's enough to make one into a "paranoid" right-wing conspiracy monger!

When rating Shakespeare, I am rating it against other Shakespeare; otherwise, the consistent 4-5 stars wouldn't tell you much. So if you want to know how this book rates against the general selection of books in the world, I suppose it might rate four stars; it certainly rates three. The language, as usual in Shakespeare, is beautiful. Still, it's far from Shakespeare's best.

For one thing, this is one of those cases, not uncommon in Shakespeare's comedies, in which the play has suffered a great deal by the changes in the language since Shakespeare's time; it loses a great deal of the humor inherent in a play when the reader needs to keep checking the footnotes to see what's happening, and this play, particularly the first half of it, virtually can't be read without constant reference to the notes; even with them, there's frequently a question as to what's being said. At least in the edition that I read (the Dover Thrift edition) the notes frequently admit that there's some question as to the meaning of the lines, and there is mention of different changes in them in different folios.

But beyond this, as an overweight, balding, middle-aged libertine, I object to the concept that Falstaff is ridiculous just because he is in fact unwilling to concede that it is impossible that a woman could want him. Granted, he's NOT particularly attractive, but that has more to do with his greed, his callousness, and his perfect willingness to use people for his own ends, to say nothing of his utter lack of subtlety.

Is it truly so funny that an older, overweight man might attempt to find a dalliance? So funny that the very fact that he does so leaves him open to being played for the fool? Remember, it isn't as though he refused to take "no" for an answer; he never GOT a "no". He was consistently led on, only to be tormented for his audacity. Nor is he making passes at a nubile young girl; the target of his amorous approaches is clearly herself middle-aged; after all, she is the MOTHER of a nubile young marriageable girl. And given the fact that she is married to an obnoxious, possessive, bullying and suspicious husband, it is not at all unreasonable for Falstaff to think that she might be unhappy enough in her marriage to accept a dalliance with someone else.

If laughing at fat old men who have the audacity not to spend the last twenty years of their lives with sufficient dignity to make it seem as if they were dead already is your idea of a good time, you should love this play. I'll pass.

i've just finished reading/watching all of shakespeare's comedies and mww is one of the funnier ones. it is a lighthearted look at marital jealousy and features one of shakespeare's great fools, falstaff (of henry iv fame). the out-and-out funniest shakepearean play is still "taming of the shrew", imho, but mwv runs well ahead of the laggards, and certainly well ahead of such better known plays as "twelfth night" and "as you like it".

Shakespeare, considering he wrote this little gem of a comedy in a mere 14 days for the Virgin Queen, pulls off a play that proves both witty and fun. Unequivocally, The Merry Wives of Windsor makes for a more enjoyable play if seen live. Nonetheless, reading it is the 2nd best thing.

Sir John Falstaff is once again such a fool - but a lovable and hilarious one at that. Having read Henry V - where Falstaff ostensibly had met his end - I was pleased to see him so alive(pardon the pun) in this short, albeit clever play. It is no surprise that The Merry Wives of Windsor enjoyed such a long and successful stage run during Shakespeare's day and continues to be one of his most popularly staged plays. Recommended as a fun break from the more serious and murderous Shakespearean tragedies.

"Why, then the world's mine oyster,
Which I with sword will open." - Pistol

For fans of pop music history, and especially for those interested in recording science, this book is a must read. George Martin, the Beatles' producer, tells the detailed account of how the group's most famous album was created, from the beginning creative germs to the cover art.

For those in the recording industry, Martin's detailed explanations of how he created some of the now-famous effects on that album, at a time when recording science was still somewhat primitive, is quite interesting.

If you don't like the Beatles' music, you probably won't be able to sit through the sometimes technical recording talk, but anyone for whom the Beatles marked the culture of their youth should find it fascinating.

An excellent account of the making of the greatest rock'n'roll album ever produced: Sgt Pepper, written by the man who put it together. There's been a lot of claptrap about who, if anyone, could be considered "the fifth Beatle". I say it's George Martin. Why? The Beatles are about music, and outside of the four, no one had a hand with their material as Martin did. If you loved the Sgt Pepper album, you'll like this book.

It is a well accepted fact that two of the best produced pop/rock albums to date are Sgt. Peppers and Pet Shop. The reason for owning this album is to gain an inside look into the master mind of one of these most important albums. It may be true that our recording equipment has improved our flexability but nothing can replace a truly great producer and great musicianship. George Martin is one of the truly great hero's of our ART and this book gives us a wonderful look into one of his master pieces. I am a big Beatles fan but this book is really directed to producers rather than The Beatles fan base...and I love it. This book has become very hard to get a hold of but it is a MUST HAVE for the library of every producer.

Comedy, in the strictest sense, is concerned with ultimate forgiveness and reconciliation. In Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest," the protagonist, Prospero, must come to terms with his brother Antonio, who conspired to have him driven from his duchy in Milan, and with the world of social interaction in general.

Magic, Power, and Conspiracy are the foundational thematic elements through which Shakespeare effects Prospero's reintegration into human society. Thrown into a boat with his infant daughter Miranda, Prospero comes to live on a nearly deserted island in the Mediterranean Sea. Prospero's concentration on developing his proficiency in Magic caused him to become alienated from his political and social responsibilities in Milan, leading to his expulsion. His brother Antonio conspired with Alonso, king of Naples, and seized the power Prospero forsook for book-learning.

Prospero hears of a sea voyage undertaken by his enemies, and, using his Magic, whips up a storm, a great tempest, which causes his enemies to be shipwrecked on his island. On the island, Prospero exercises total power - over the education of his daughter, his slave, the deformed Caliban, and now over his enemies. He engages Ariel, a sprite, to orchestrate the division of the traveling party, and to put them through various trials to exact vengeance and ultimately, submission from them.

"The Tempest" is a fine effort from Shakespeare, but the power relations in the play are problematic. Prospero's insistent dominance over the action of the play is extremely troubling. Although he is presented as a benevolent character, Prospero's relationships with Miranda, Caliban, and Ferdinand, King Alonso's son, complicate his overall worth as a man and an authority figure. The dynamic between the slave Caliban and the drunks, Trinculo and Stephano, is also very unsettling.

Overall, "The Tempest" remains a whimsical flight of imagination, while exploring intriguing themes of education, political intrigue, and romance. Certainly, it is still a well-constructed and entertaining play after nearly four hundred years.

This is Shakespeare's 2nd last play. Yet, nothing indicates that he was running out of steam. The images are beautiful. Stephano, Caliban, and Trinculo are memorable as the bumbling conspirators. Miranda and Ferdinand are fine as the two young lovers. Ariel is striking as Prospero's loyal servant. Prospero is a magnificent creation. Not only does he offer several beautiful and memorable passages, but he is well drawn as a character who was unfairly forced into exile. He also makes his prison his paradise. In addition, he is a fine representation of Shakespeare himself: "Knowing I loved my books, he furnished me / From mine own library with volumes that / I prize above my dukedom" (1.2.166-168). His speeches in 4.1 and 5.1 also reflect how Shakespeare himself was contemplating the end of his career. The story itself is very well drawn. Shakespeare grabs our attention with a storm at sea. He offers us a reflection of himself, comical touches, beautiful images, profound passages, beautiful language, young lovers, comical villains, and deep messages. If you like this, be sure to read his final play "Henry VIII."

Yes, there is once again murder brewing in the play of Shakespeare but only in a comical way. Not able to claim to be a Shakespeare expert, I have only read four of his other plays. However, it is in my opinion that this be the best one, most likely because it is a comedy and is much lighter that his other plays. This classic play tells the story of the former Duke of Milan who was wrongly dethrowned by his brother. Using his magical power that originally expelled him from Milan, he is able to bring the King (Alonso), Alonso's brother (Sebastian),his own brother (Antonio) and other servants to the his mostly vacant island. Ordering about the spirit Ariel, he manipulates his way into an interesting and funny situation. There is much to gain from reading this wonderful play which is one of Shakespeares last. I recommend this book to Shakespeare lovers and even more so, to variety readers such as myself. You won't be dissapointed by the plays light mood which is much better than Shakespeares serious murder stories.

As a given, the quality of the content is unsurpassed. Even to this day, Shakespeare must surely remain as one of the finest craftsmen (if not the finest) of the modern English language, and all English-speakers would do well to harken to the Bard.

Anyway, this printing (hardcover) is very attractive, at a distance. The leather (if it's genuine) is not of the highest quality, the pages have a tendency to stick together upon first opening of the book, a result of which is the rare white streak in the text. On a more positive note, the glossary at the back is of frequent use, though it lacks some words esoteric to this modern, American reader. I haven't really read their notes that also come in the back, so I can't comment on them.

However, the fact that one can obtain the complete works of Shakespeare, hardcover in leather, for a reasonable price, itself makes this edition desireable.

How dare you question the master's work! Shakespeer is nmot on trial--you are on trial becasue he is the best.

I think the key is that everyone rips him off--Ethan Hawke, Mel Gibson, stanley tucci, and Alley Mac Beel all copy him with their films.

SO buy this book and be edified.

This is a beautifully leather bound book. I was more than pleased with the quality of this book. Was even more amazed at the price. I was not expecting much based on the price because I expected something of this quality to cost much more.

With a title like "The Juror", and a blurb by Scott Turow (Presumed Innocent) on the cover, I was expecting a legal drama/thriller, which this book isn't.

The characters of Annie and the Teacher are good, but the one you identify with is Slavko Czernyk, and there isn't enough of this guy in the book ..

A word about the Teacher - Turow compared this character to Hannibal Lecter, saying "The Teacher makes Hannibal seem like a vegetarian." I don't think it's fair to compare these two villains, since they are two different kinds of villains that evoke different emotions from the reader. Hannibal evokes fear, you are scared of Lecter. While the Teacher evokes anger, you aren't scared of him but you simply hate him. So while both these villains are great, it isn't fair to compare them ..

Overall, Green is a passionate writer & this book is worth a read. But don't expect a lot of courtroom scenes and legal stuff (like in Grisham's and Turow's books), this is a good thriller with quite a lot of action (especially towards the end).

A brilliantly readable piece of work. Doesn't seem like only a second book Personally I feel the book is made more readable beacause of the brilliant chracterisation of the Teacher, the Mafia fixit man. His sheer brilliance and personality make u want to find out more and more about him What makes him Tick is what will keep u going. Buy it Read it and thank me later email at aptechch@giaspn01.vsnl.net.in

The Juror is a story of a mafia kingpin's trial and the hell it causes for a single mother named Annie Laird. She lives at home with her son, sculpts all night and works as a clerk all day. One day she is selected as a prospective juror for the most famous case in the land. She wants some excitement in her life, so she agrees. Soon her life is twisted upside down by a seductive, powerful man known as the Teacher. She must vote to acquit the mob boss if she wants her friends and son to live. The story doesn't end with the trial. The Teacher still wants her after it is over, and when she betrays him, he wants blood. The reason this book is so good is because of its characters. You can feel the characters resonating off the page. The Teacher with his reserved fury, Annie and her fear and determination. The book grabs you in. It is not perfect, it has a couple of tedious and repetitious sexual references and passages. Anyway, this is a powerful book, and very plausible. Very original. Check it out.

Cleopatra may be a somewhat ambiguous female character, but I totally loved her, and Bill's portrayal of her. I don't know if he expected the reader to judge her, but I suspect not. The harshest criticism of her comes from Octavius Caesar, who himself doesn't do a single noble thing throughout the whole play. She is fully aware of the fact that she is a sensual, passionate woman- which has no negative effect on her ability to rule Egypt. Her biggest faults are her violent temper (which I suspect is just part of her passionate nature) and her tendency to lie when it suits her (either for sport or for serious politics). Antony (I feel) is actually kind of a loser compared to her. His insincerity runs deep- he marries Caesar's sister in a political move, although he had repeatedly pledged his undying love for Cleopatra. She forgives him, because she truly loves him, even though he doesn't do anything to deserve forgiveness. Antony never fully allows himself to love Cleopatra. He constantly is overreacting to the slightest indication that she might be betraying him or whatever. It is one of these overreactions (combined with an ill-timed lie on Cleo's part) that ends up destroying them both. Even in the end, Cleopatra's death is more dignified and better conceived than Antony's messy and fumbling suicide.

Shakespeare in this play shows how love is not human but surrealistic. Love does not answer reasonable questions. It is a fundamentally unreasonable attitude that brings the lovers to absurd behaviours negating all logical, political and historical values. Love has no limits even if history will prove stronger and the lovers will be destroyed. Shakespeare beefs up this theme with a language that is so rich that we are fascinated by the words, the symbols, the symbolic value of words and acts. He is particularly rich in his style that is entirely, words, poetry, actions, and even feelings, organized following some simple symbols, particularly numerical symbols. In this play Cleopatra appears as being the core of the symbolism and she carries with her the number eleven that comes from the old English runes with the meaning of fate, of fatal defeat, of a flaw that cannot be corrected or escaped. It is her destiny to bring Antony to his defeat and death, just as it is Antony's fate to be governed by this woman and led to his own destruction because of his love for her. It also shows how the Emperor is able to use this fatal situation in order to capture all powers and to impose his absolute will on the Roman Empire. He seems to be the one who plays not well but with all the assets of the game up his sleeves, and he takes them out one at a time when the situation is ripe for these assts to become the key to is ascension to absolute power by defeating those who may oppose him.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Anthony and Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare's difficult plays, and so I suspect the ratings on the play are low because it's a more mature play than Romeo and Juliet. Here we have two middle age lovers who part of the time are foolish with lust/love and the rest of the time are tough minded heads of state. The "tragedy" is that they can't be both and survive. This is not a play for the young folks, I'm afraid. But if you want some heavy drama where the characters are spared nothing and given no slack, read Anthony and Cleopatra (hint: Cleopatra's suicide is more political statement than a crazy wish to die with Antony). Better yet see it performed by some real actors some time.

Logan's Run is one of my favorite novels from a standpoint of plotting, back story and general premise.For those unfamiliar with it, Logan's Run is about a society in the future where no one is allowed to live past the age of 21. A person's age is determined by the color of the small crystal flower in the palm of his/her right hand. When the crystal starts to blink from red to black, it means you have 24 hours to report to a Sleepshop for mandatory euthanasia. At the end of this grace period, your flower turns black, and you become quarry for the DS men, an elite squad of police whose sole purpose is to eliminate the fugitives, or "Runners" as they are called.As I mentioned before, the book is a crackerjack example of plotting, and can be read in an afternoon. What makes it special is how each of its plot points is included for thematic or symbolic reasons. In other words, each episode in the novel is included because it reflects on the society in which its characters live, which in turn is a comment on its general premise.The premise in question is that a society cannot sustain a culture without wisdom, experience, and tradition. Those things, it argues, come with age. When the novel was published back in 1967, it was seen by some as a finger in the eye of the emerging youth culture.Like all good speculative fiction, it takes current issues and extrapolates them to their extremes. I'm pleased to say that this aspect of Logan's run hasn't lost any of its bite. We continue to live in a society where youth is equated with beauty, where the old are locked away and forgotten, and by a media-driven feeding frenzy over all things materialistic and fashionable. "Be young, have fun, drink Pepsi", indeed... Logan's Run picked these as important thematic concerns. Sadly, they are still with us.Important to the novel is the concept of a gigantic computer web that regulates every aspect of people's lives. In the novel, it is slowly dying. Since nobody lives long enough to learn anything complex, nobody knows how to repair it, or even knows that anything is wrong with it at all. The overall implication, is that runners or no runners, whether Logan fails or succeeds in his quest, the society depicted in the novel is eventually going to fall, and fall hard, due to its built-in inability to sustain itself. Where the novel falls short is in its characterizations and in its dialogue, which feels like it could have used a rewrite or two. In my opinion, a second or third draft for dialogue could have played the characters more subtly and believably. Instead, characters say things in very flat, unconvincing ways (especially Logan and Jessica, in their first real conversation together)that do help move the action forward, but don't make them very believable people.Still, all quibbles aside, a ripping read, full of action, suspense, and intriguing ideas.

In the future people live their lives to the full. People can travel to where they want when they want, they can enjoy a range of experiences that would make 20th century people envious.

The only drawback is that you have to give up your life at the age of 21. People who don't wish to do this are called runners. They are hunted down by executors and killed brutally.

Logan is a good citizen. He is one of the people who hunts down the cowardly runners. But now Logan's own time is up. The crystal flower embedded in the palm of his right hand has turned black, and now he has to complete his duty: suicide. Or, to use the euphemism, "Deep Sleep". Logan learns of a place called Sanctuary, where people can live out their natural lives. He teams up with a girl called Jessica, and they embark on a dangerous journey.

This is a fast-paced novel. There is danger at every turn. Logan and Jessica are literally running for their lives, pursued relentlessly by a hunter who will never sway from his task. This novel is a product of its time. The late 1960s was a time of social upheaval, when the young were finding a voice, rebelling against the older generation. The crystal flower that everyone has on them is probably a nod at the psychedelic "flower power" that was prevailing when the book was first published. "Logan's Run" seems to be warning us of the dangers of misplaced idealism, which ultimately leads to fanaticism. In a world filled to capacity the solution to overpopulation is drastic and cruel. The writers are saying we should not surrender ourselves to the lunacy of a conformist regime. It takes courage to go against the flow, something so many people are unwilling to do in a world where minorities are condemned.

The future Earth Logan-3 lives in has decided to exercise population control, as perhaps Earth now might well consider before it comes to such drastic measures as the people of this book have come arrived at in the 23rd century.
The premise is, essentially, life is well provided for in the future, provided you die on your 21st birthday, (a big difference from the liberally apportioned life-hood in the film, where you can live to your 30th). The book, therefore, deals with some subjects the film cannot; namely, early teenage sexuality. 'Sandmen', of which Logan-3 is one, are policemen who enforce the rule that people depart on their 'lastday' should they choose to hang out longer. The crystal flower imprinted in everyone's palm shows their progression-blinking from red to black on 'lastday'.
Logan-3, (Logan-5 in the film version), is on his lastday, as is the woman whom he (eventually) falls in love with. She is the sister of his last kill as a Sandman. He decides to follow her around in an attempt to find 'santuary', where 'runners (people not prepared to die) can go and live longer. She wants to live longer, Logan pretends this is his purpose as well, but in truth wants to destroy 'sanctuary'. The book contains their adventures in search of Sanctuary, travelling all over the world on the short 'lastday' in a maze built by the enigmatic 'oldest man alive', 42 year old Ballard. Logan and his companion are relentlessly chased by Francis, another Sandman.
The book is essentially a pulp-styled invention that moves along in breakneck speed from scene-to-scene and place-to-place. It contains several good scenes that were mixed together to form the film. The action is very good, and the cliffhanger endings of each chapter make the reader want to continue reading. An enjoyable read I recommend.

I guess a little revolution every now and then is a good thing, because the "advice" dispensed in here mainly belongs in the dustbin of history.

Just finished the book (which took me a couple of hours) and I have to say it was an interesting memoir of the great admen of all time. The book pinpointed certain questions and tired to find some correlation between the greats (and I think it succeeded in some ways)

But do not let the title of the book fool you to believe that it will help you in any shape or form in becoming a finer copywriter. In fact, the book will most likely only offer you a good read on a Sunday afternoon.

On a particular note, the interview with Reeves was the most interesting part of the book. A worthy buy indeed but do not expect to become a super copywriter after or you will be very disappointed.

There's pleanty of useful info here to help you write better copy - look for the inherent drama of the product, if in doubt ask the manufacturers why they make it, do your research, keep stuff simple. You just have to look for it. Great photos too.