Woody Allen Books

This is a great no-nonsense "how-to" book about the business of managing recording artists. I loved the way the author assumed no prior knowledge of this business. I've been an artist manager and booking agent, but I got a lot out of this book. I urge any young band or solo artist to get this book and follow the author's advice. Reasonable price, meat 'n' potatoes information, and no fluff -- this is a great book!

I had heard of As a Man Thinketh and decided to get it. I saw a set (7 Motivational Greats) that included As a Man Thinketh, Acres of Diamonds and 5 others and figured for only a couple of $ more than just As a Man Thinketh if any one of the additional titles was good I couldn't lose. I am reviewing this audiobook from the set I bought.

SHORT REVIEW I like them all very much but, I also have played most of these titles for my friends and every one liked them and most wanted to borrow them or asked where I bought them. I think that tells you all you really need to know, but if you want the details read on.

THE BIG REVIEWAs a Man Thinketh stresses how thought leads to action and how to turn those actions into concrete changes in your life. It is narrated very serenely with classical music. It puts you at ease and into a very receptive and retentive state for the information.

They set (7 Motivational Greats ) also has a modernized version of As a Man Thinketh ( As a Man Thinketh 2 ) that I enjoyed a lot also. It was quite a contrast from the classical, relaxed, and serious original As a Man Thinketh. These two audiobooks cover the basics of changing your mind and life to succeed.

They both cover pretty much the same material - but As a Man Thinketh 2 goes more in-depth and summarizes the information making it simpler and more idiot proof. The description says that As a Man Thinketh 2 is more comprehensible and actable than the original. I think that is true, but it is not as simple and relaxing as the original. The newer one is more detailed. It is also may be better suited for those who are younger, and those who enjoy humor, but not for very serious people without humor. As a Man Thinketh 2 is not as poetic and as meditative as the original. It, unlike the original version, includes women equally in it which I appreciated.

Also the narrator is very energetic, humorous, and there are different characters in it. The music is new age compared to classical for the original. So if you enjoy being entertained while you learn this one is for you. One of my friends, a mother of 3 teenagers, who bought a set for her kids to listen to said that the As a Man Thinketh 2 was better than the original. Her kids understood it and liked the faster pace. Apparently the older more formal English, classical music, and more poetic and relaxed tone of the original was not as good for them.

If you want straightforward, monotone, relaxing audiobook reading As a Man Thinketh 2 is not for you, but I really think overall it is better than the original version. It is easier to understand, more modern, clearer, and more detailed. Although both versions of the As a Man Thinketh are good.

I suggest if you want a more peaceful and meditative experience listen to the original.
If you want humor, energy, and lightness, go with the As a Man Thinketh 2 or better yet use and enjoy them both as I did. Between the two the powerful ideas of James Allen are very clear.

After listening to this set I feel that audiobooks are much better than reading for titles like these (inspirational and motivational). This is especially true for sets like this that you will want to listen to again and again just pop them in when you have time. The narrator comes across like a trusted friend, not stiff and formal, and the music and sound effects really put you in the mood.


GET THE CD or SET. YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY.

Asey Mayo is the definitive Cape Codder- a jack-of-all-trades, his age is a mystery, and his accent is so thick no outsider can understand him. These stories are a great introduction to the sleuth of the people, the Cape Cod Sherlock Holmes. Asey stumbles across several strange situations, gets tangled up in a few murders, and manages to solve the unsolvable puzzles that stump the general population of the one horse towns of 1930's Cape Cod. The local color in this book is great! Feels almost as though you're strolling down the Main Street of Wellfleet or Orleans; or racing around on the dirt back roads of Eastham during a thunderstorm, chasing the bad guys... Don't miss out on a tasty slice of American culture!

Sheridan searches for a set of values which may be uniquely regarded as Asian to help explain the economic and poliitical emergence of the Far East and South-East Asian societies ( and re-emergence of these societies the post-1997 Asian crisis ).

Speaking to man-in-the-street, scholars, diplomats, businesspeople and senior officials of various countries, Sheridan puts across the many views he found as to what constitutes Asian values. Much joy will be found by global businesspeople and students of international relations in understanding what these values are and the various perspectives and how they factor in the economic, political, cultural and religious development of each country in Asia, and how they find themselves in the family of nations in the future. Excellent read.

Great book! Buy it, it was so scary and funny, with a great twist ending and a hidden code supposedly written into the story

A sad undercurrent meanders throughout Ed Allen's collection of short stories, "Ate It Anyway." The Flannery O'Connor award-winning volume for short fiction focuses on middle-class America and its failed quest for a meaningful and lasting happiness. The characters usually speak about their inner lives in a confessional-style prose. Often the protagonist will reminisce about a past that seemed so much better than it truly was.

The opening short story, "River of Toys," encloses a revealing thought, "A neighborhood is whatever anyone wants to remember about it." What makes the characters poignant is their self-knowledge of drowning in the mire of an average life they abhor. The notion is most striking in "Burt Osborne Rules the World." The short story's title soon becomes apparently oxymoronic as the character of the title's name laments, "I could have done a better job of being Burt Osborne." He peaks during sixth grade, the height of his unique individuality, and then dives headlong into mediocrity.

In short, Allen covers the terrain of an unfulfilled life like a consummate foreign correspondent. Memory turns out to be an ever-increasing bubble that holds characters within its isolated limited world of the past while pushing out the possibilities of living in the present and having any hope of a joyous future.

Bohdan Kot

It's incredible how many Aussies dominate our movies now. This is a great read about how they did it. The stars interviewed for this book are huge - Eric Bana, Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush, Naomi Watts, directors and many more. The interviews are quite candid and the authors don't gush over their subjects like magazine articles do. Anthony LaPaglia and Heath Ledger's stories are particularly interesting. There's good gossip for fans, great tips for aspiring actors and directors and inspiring tales for anyone else. Another great Australian export!

I have read several of Mr. Johnson's books and find them all very informative. Being an Australian, was particularly interested in "Australia from the back of a Camel". This book gives a very accurate description of the vast expanse of inland Oz, and one can almost smell the dust. For anyone contemplating a trip to Central Australia, this book is a must.

Once again Lynn Allen has written a book that will be useful to the most advanced AutoCAD users, as well as those just beginning in this field.
Tips and tricks written in simple english that will help the reader to better understand what is being introduced.
Anyone who has read Lynn's first book, "AutoCAD Inside And Out" will no doubt find this second book even more insighful.

Reviewed by Cayden (age 3-1/2), Max (age 18 months) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (2/08)

"Baby Signs" is a sturdy board book that provides 13 signs that are helpful for a baby to learn so that he is able to communicate before he can speak. Among some of the signs taught in the book are milk, more, diaper, book and sleepy.

Cayden: Points to the cover and says, "He's a baby, like you are a baby Max!"
Max: "Baby"

Cayden: "He threw it! There was milk in there!" (referring to the baby throwing his bowl when he was done eating)
Mom: "Who does that?"
Cayden: "Babies like Max!"
Mom: "Maybe we should teach him the sign for `all done'"

Cayden: Pointing to the illustration of how to sign diaper: "What are you supposed to do here?"
Max: Pointing to the diaper that the baby put on his head "Hat, Hat!"

Mom: "What was your favorite sign to learn?"
Cayden: "I like this one! The dog one!" Then they both stick out their tongues and pant (which is the sign for dog).

Parent's comments: Cayden and Max had already known a couple of signs that were in "Baby Signs" and recognized them right away when we got to that page. The book definitely held their interest and the illustrations as to how to do the signs along with the written directions were very helpful. I think that there is just the right number of signs so as not to be too overwhelming for a young child.