Michael Douglas Books

1.) The interviews in this book are invaluable. Interviews from both film students and professional in the industry.

2.) First 32 pages of the book, in my opinion, was hard to follow, learn and understand due to choice of words. If I hadn't of read "Crafty TV writing" by Alex Epstein, prior to reading this book, I would have been lost. THis book is for beginners, but Alexs book is for the beginner of beginners.

3.) Nice grids on pages so that you can do some training at home.

4.) This book is extremely analytical. I liked it, but some people may not.

Overall a good book.

This is a very helpful and useful guide.

I will expand my review later.

I've read many, many books on writing for film and television, and this is one of the best ones. Worth twice the cover price!

I have read several books on the craft of TV drama development, and this one is by far the most comprehensive and helpful. As someone who doesn't have access to the great writing instructors of the left coast, this book is essentially my drama writing class. "Writing the TV Drama Series" is a wonderful A to Z look at what to expect in the rough and tumble world of professional television writing. Thanks, Pamela, for sharing your expertise with us!

I have read many books on writing for film and TV and this is by far the most comprehensive and best organized TV writing book on the market. I have required my class of Advanced Short Scriptwriting/TV Writing students at the University of New Hampshire to purchase the book, and I am encouraging them to hang onto it for the rest of their lives so they may refer to it easily and quickly.

WOW!! This book is truly a feast for the eyes, and that's no exaggeration! There are so many first rate photos and plenty of text. Every page has multiple color photos. It is a very heavy book! The paper is high quality and the photos are extremely high resolution and stunningly beautiful. What a great job they did just in printing this book! If you love Victorian homes, then this book is a must have! I like it so much I think I will eventually buy a brand new hardcover copy of it (I bought a used paperback copy). I plan on getting all the other books in this series too. Some of the very best Victorian homes are in this book. They kind of remind me of Disneyland with all the colorful paint schemes and fanciful shapes and decorations.

A fantastic book, a must for anyone who is thinking about painting a Victorian house. It was very helpful to me and my husband who had to come up with a color scheme for our three-story Queen Anne built in 1895.

If you're in the same boat, then you know that deciding on a color scheme for a detailed Victorian house isn't easy and takes careful thought and consideration. This book will help you. It will give you countless ideas, and just looking at the photos is inspiring.

And then, the book will appeal to any fan of Victorian architecture as well. I love looking at the numerous photos of the houses and find myself thumbing through it again and again. Every time I look at this book, I see something intriguing that I hadn't noticed before. Such a book serves to keep me inspired during the remainder of our home's renovation, which is trying at times.

Taller than any of the other books and nearly twice as thick as the thickest, this gorgeous 1992 volume (Ms. Pomada, isn't it time we got a fifth??), once again produced with the help of partner Larsen and photographer Keister, is, like "Daughters of Painted Ladies," a survey of Victorian homes from all over the country. From Searsport, ME, where the subtly detailed, white-bodied Mansard Carriage House Inn welcomes its guests, to a pink 1887 Steamboat Gothic in National City, near San Diego, here are dozens of Victorians, large and small, somber and vivid, plus an assortment of interiors, some fully period, others furnished in more contemporary style against the richly detailed background of the time. If you buy it to "get ideas" for your own Painted Lady, you'll find more than you can choose between. If you buy it just to look at, be prepared to spend hours drooling! A treasure trove for lovers of period detail, which is so admirably brought out by the creative combinations of color used in decorating these buildings.

i was speechless each picture was so beautiful , i love each and every house. a great book

Believe it or not but the main reason I purchased this beautiful book was for reference material for scale model building (i.e. LEGO, etc.). I was hunting forever for a book on Victorian homes--with pictures of the OUTSIDE (as most of the books on Victorian architecture deal with the classic interior designs, furniture, etc.). LEGO and Victorian homes go hand in hand, as this book's wonderful color pictures perfectly illustrate--who could imagine such combinations would actually look so stunning!? In addition to excellent photography the text is well written, with interesting facts about each home, why it's unique, yet how it fits into the overall "Painted Lady" lineage... excellent. :-)

Straight to the Bottom Line makes a compelling argument for why procurement must transform itself into fully integrated supply management. Take care of your supply network-its objectives, strategies, processes and data linkages-and you generate competitive advantage for your organization. In other words, you create value for shareholders and customers.

Although the talk of the shift from the purely tactical to the strategic has been around for many years now, actual implementation of strategically focused supply chain has simply not happened at many organizations. Why? The authors of this book are eloquently blunt: a "lack of understanding of the opportunities presented by supply-side performance" at the senior executive level.

And what is the sine qua non of a truly strategic supply chain? Leadership and understanding from senior executives. So where to begin? Slipping Straight to the Bottom Line into the executive suites would be a good start.

The strength of this text is its clear and lucid presentation of a "step-by-step" roadmap for executives on how to implement supply management transformation that directly produces bottom-line results. Illustrating straight-forward principles with compelling examples, it shows how executives can create an environment in which they can expect to see improved performance quarter over quarter and year over year.

If I have one criticism of the book it is that its subtitle might suggest that it can be overlooked by the non-executive. That would be a mistake. Yes, it's a "must read" for the senior executive, but it's also an essential text for anyone, including the currently mid-career procurement or supply chain professional, who plans to be one.

Vicki McBryde, BA, CPP, CPM

Straight to the Bottom Line is an actual "how to" book for CEOs as well as a great tool for management to sell the value of Purchasing / Supply Chain to the CEO's. This book is a "must have" for the corporate library.

In today's world where "outsourcing" and a "flat" world are becoming commonplace, it is essential that companies recognize the strategic nature of their procurement and supply organizations and taylor them to manage their external/purchased assets. This book provides examples of supply chain management experiences, both good and bad, and practical tools for implementing effective supply chain management processes. An important book for supply chain specialists, it also should be read by every CEO, CFO and COO, so that they can take benefit from supply chain management in their companies, before they are confronted by competitors who have preempted them in the implementaton of modern supply chain management practices.

The authors are an outstanding group of well-qualified experts in the field. They have assembled an impressive combination of significant examples and techniques that should benefit any enterprise (business, government, educational) that deals with external purchases.

Straight to the Bottom Line explains well to the layman why Western companies need a new strategy to cope with the massive shift to outsourcing and Asian manufacturers. I particularly enjoyed the chapter ("A Tale of Two Spenders") describing the lack of collaboration in the American automotive industry in the past 15 years and how that approach impacted Detroit's inability to establish an electronic communications and transactions platform (Covisint). It's a good business book. Very clearly written.

I have been in the field of Supply Chain Management for over 15 years. As such, I have reviewed and purchased many of the text on the subject. This book represents a very easy read that crystallizes many of the concepts into useful and understandable formats. Also, many of the current myths are effectively addressed and excellent examples are provided. I would recommned it both for experienced practitioners as well as the uninitiated.

What a fun read. So much less pompous than the rest of Michael Crichton stuff with a real feel for the 1960's drug scene.
I find myself quoting a line from the book repeatedly. There is a scene where the main character goes to his friends room and the girlfriend wearing only a robe, crosses her legs giving him a long slow shot. "Nothing offered," the character says, "just letting you know it's all there."

Michael's first (with his brother) venture into satire. How is your scat dropping? A bit diff than E.R. I'd say. Or Sphere, or 5 patients, or ??

Dealing is a very rare book. Michael Crichton wrote it with his brother Douglas. It is a far cry from any other Crichton novel, seeming to take a sarcastic look at the way things work out. It is a rare and interesting addition to a Crichton fan's collection.

Wow! I didn't know Crichton was such a druggie. I wonder what his mother thinks of this. I got ya forty bricks right here, baby. Ya motha was a brick layer in the great city of Boston and then she went out to the west siiiiide to lose her bags o' bricks.

But seriously, it is a good book, and I recommend it to anyone who is lucky enough to find a copy.

"Crichton (Douglas) excels at brick making. This book should come with hot buttered bricks."

New York Times Book Review

This book is one of those rare ones that I've reread many times over the years, for its madcap descriptions that capture a period and place that I was on the edge of -- but close enough to smell the authenticity of the writing. Of course, the plot isn't quite real, but just enough to keep you on the edge. Another thing I like about this is that it's so different from Michael Crichton's later work, very fresh and genuine, yet still wise and slightly self-mocking.

I really enjoyed this book. Gold's writing style is very unorthodox but I think this allows you to feel the emotion in his words. This story really makes you appreciate the issues that these poor Jewish immigrants faced and confirms that the American Dream certainly is possible as we have the luxury today in 2007 to evaluate the situations of many of these character's descendants. These people worked hard and helped each other and therefore made better lives for their future generations.

A book you won't be able to put down. Gold does an excellent job in conveying to the reader the very hard lives of immigrant adults and children who lived in poverty. This book should be part of the curriculum in high schools. Although I was raised in NY I knew nothing about the hardships that immigrants went through in NY.

The only thing marring this important work is the introduction by Alfred Kazin which maligns the novel and Michael Gold and leaves the reader wondering if the publisher is really trying to promote the book. The introduction probably is the result of old grudges from bygone politically motivated "cultural wars" between Jewish writers. The author's widow was deeply upset by the underhanded and cowardly introduction.

"Jews without money" seems to me far more remarkable for its political positions than for its writing. Gold is, to put it bluntly, not a particularly skilled wordsmith. His limitations are obvious from the first page. Nevertheless this novel/memoir makes for fascinating reading. The book consists of a series of loosely connected vignettes from the life of a child growing up in the Lower East Side at the turn of the century. Gold wants to capture the sights and smells and sensations of that world, and while his prose is not quite up to the task, the reader still comes away powerfully moved.

What seems to be unique about Gold's account is his political bent. Rather than softening or sentimentalizing his experiences, he picks at scabs and pulls back the curtain to reveal horrors to his readers. As a devoted socialist, he wants to expose the evils of unrestrained capitalism. What that means for him is, rather than denying anti-Semitic stereotypes, he revels in them. Gold he wants the reader to understand that they are the result, not of Jewish culture, but of the effects of American ghetto poverty upon the Jews of his neighborhood. Povery, he aruges, turns potential into corruption. His is a world in which people will do anything for a few pennies, often all that stands between them and starvation. On the other hand, his world is also populated by characters who remain strong despite their suffering: his mother, who would rather go hungry than see a stranger starve; the foolish store-owner, who loses her livelihood because she cannot stand to turn away the poor. There are also desperate prostitutes, rapacious pawn brokers, crooked businessmen, and dreamers and schemers of all sorts.

This book lacks the literary ambition of Henry Roth's "Call it Sleep" or the narrative power of Abraham Cahan's "Rise of David Levinsky" (in my opinion, the finest novel ever about the Jewish immigrant experience). This is a political tract, and sometimes its dogma is rather irritating, even offensive. Nevertheless, it is a significant and important document of early 20th-century Jewish culture, and deserves to be read.

This is a masterpiece that has lost none of its power since it was first published 70 years ago. The book hooks you from the first paragraph and never lets go.

Michael does a great job looking into the Gospel of John. Using his 'own' translation, he intersperses footnoted commentary with a imaginative narrative style that really helps you visualize the scene. We've used a couple of his books for a small group bible study over the past year; solid teaching to match his fine, bible-centered music.

I thought it would be a typical gospel text, but it really highlighted how radical the gospel of Jesus was and is.

Card's writing is not a fictional story that wraps itself around the gospel of Jesus...but a fluid exposition incorporating the historical cultural practices and attitudes of the time, which adds a level of depth and enjoyment to the reading of the biblical text.

In fact, I enjoyed reading it so much the first time, that after losing my copy, I am buying a second one to share.

This book is an in-depth look at the gospel of John. Each chapter begins with a translated passage from the gospel, then goes into commentary or reflective writing - some of which imagines the events as they could have been, not necessarily as they were.

When I first read this book some years ago, it made John my favorite of the gospels and infused my thinking about Jesus with all kinds of wonderful images.

According to the introduction, John wrote his gospel last, after the others had been circulated for many years, and when he was an old man. Rather than tell all about Jesus' life, John selects the very few instances that stand out in his own mind to illustrate who Jesus was and why He came. What Jesus did was well-known; John focused on the meaning of His life.

For instance, whereas Luke starts with the events before the Christmas story and Matthew with a geneology of Christ, John starts out with "In the beginning was the Word..." and "the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us."

This book made the gospel of John more vivid and more dear to me, and in so doing, enlightened my vision of the rest of the Bible, too. It is a great book for reflection and study - and it is a joy.

Michael Card gives us insight into the historical and social context of John's Gospel while keeping it winsome and poetical. He tells the story of John's gospel so we gain insight into the place and time of the writer as well as the characters he introduces us to. Well worth the reading and a good resource for study.

H4: The Throne of Bloodstone is an AD&D (1st edition) adventure module for a group of characters of level eighteen to 100. That's right, this is a wide-ranging adventure for high-level characters. Following module H3: Bloodstone Wars, the characters have saved the Barony of Bloodstone, and have moved towards the creation of a new kingdom. However, it is clear that the Witch-King of Vaasa will never release his hold on Bloodstone, so it is up to the characters to deal with the Witch-King, and the power that lies behind his throne!

Overall, I found this to be a great series, with Throne of Bloodstone providing a fantastic ending. Heck, even if you are not interested in running the whole series, this module makes an excellent resource, as it is one of the few modules designed for ultra-high level characters. I give this AD&D module my highest recommendations!

It seems to be made for DMs who like to kill pcs frequently and make sure they are dead for good. I am having a great time getting my 40 level Psionicist killed by the pansy death knight!

Azrial

¿Can you believe your caracters batteling Orcus, Thiamat and about 500 other demons in one adventure? Well, in the throne of bloodstone you do it. It is one of the best hi-level adventures I have played. Once you enter de abyss, ther's no turning back.

How do you challenge the most powerful adventurers of all time? With the greatest adventure of them all! This HUGE module will take your demigod-like PCs (levels 18-100!) on their ultimate quest - to destroy the power of demons over the worlds of mortals, by stealing the Wand of Orcus from the covetous clutches of its owner! On their way to confront the Prince of the Undead, they'll quest across a nightmare spectacle of the Abyss, slice by slice... from the cities of the dead to the endless jungles of Demogorgon, there to strike an horrific bargain; your PCs will face more monstrosities and demon lords than they ever knew existed! But, the most wonderful thing of all about this epic module is that it's not just about fighting; your heroes must prove themselves as puzzle solvers, diplomats, and roleplayers as well, delving their way to the ultimate challenge. The Throne of Bloodstone - the perfect way to end a classic campaign!

Beautiful pictures illustrates the many different wolves that were restored to yellowstone (#10, #9etc...). Illustrates the effort the yellowstone had to put in to restore the wolf to its natural habitat. Very interesting to the average wolf lover and those who are interested in what happened in the 1995 restoration of the wolves to yellowstoen.

Beautiful pictures, touching and moving story. About the restoration of the wolves.

an excellent book describing the ordeal of reintroducing the wolves to Yellowstone. I recommend it to everyone with even a slight interest in this topic

This book brings you right into the experience of bringing the wolves back to Yellowstone where they belong! Find out the behind the scenes activity that brought the sight and sound of the wolf back after an absence of over 60 years. You'll never be the same after reading this. Excellent!!

"Essentials of Stem Cell Biology belongs on the shelf of every researcher, clinician, and student who is interested in new developments in stem cell research and the related treatment options that are being developed."

The best for Stem Cell Biology for student or for someone who like to learn new things.

Well balanced, superbly written muiltiauthored textbook. Excellent discussion of basic cell biology of embryonic and adult (nonembryonic) stem cells from multiple sources, laboratory techniques and potential clinical applications and includes a chapter on ethics and national policy for stem cell research. Suitable for students, clinicians as well as experienced stem cell biologists.

Privateer Press has created an epic campaign setting which fuses low-magic (yet still present), industrial technology, and techno-magic war machines akin to unmanned battle-suits. The campaign setting spans two 400+ page hardcover books and exceeds most expectations. It also exceeds the average person's amount of available reading time. Enter Lock & Load. Initially, L&L was released to whet players' appetites for the pending release of the larger tomes. Now, however, L&L fits in nicely as a sort of Iron Kingdom's player's guide. Players new to the setting will feel much less intimidating leafing through L&L before jumping into the other books. Most of the essential information players will need to know can be found in a stripped-down yet still-informative manner. Lock & Load includes information on races, character classes, religion, and gear along with a deeply thorough three page (front and back) character sheet. In addition, this book comes with a beautiful full-color poster map of the setting featuring boundaries, cities, transportation routes, and industrial output. It looks great in a poster frame, too. Be advised, this information is selective and only represents a tiny fraction of what can be found in the two main volumes. However, I highly recommend starting off with Lock and Load before becoming inundated with the information found in the Character Guide and World Guide. Hopefully Privateer Press will see this entry level value as an asset and begin printing new copies along with a strong ad campaign, Lock & Load is worth it.

Before I begin, I should warn everyone that Lock and Load is becoming harder and harder to find. The people in charge at Privateer Press have also stated on their official message boards that once the current run of L&L sells out, then no more copies will be printed. So... if you are either a player or a DM in an Iron Kingdoms campaign, or even if you're just interested in the setting, get it while you can.

Now for the actual review.

From my perspective, Lock and Load seems to be, at least in part, a stand-in product designed to tide fans over until the long-awaited and long-delayed Iron Kingdoms Campaign Guides are eventually released. However, this is by no means a bad thing. As usual, Privateer Press have outdone the competition by releasing a superior product. Matt Wilson's stunning and drool-worthy cover art truly sets the tone for the Iron Kingdoms setting. This is a fantasy setting, but it's one powered by steam furnaces that belch smoke into the sky, where the characters wear chunky armor and big belt buckles, where everyone who can afford the 8-gp-per-charge cost carries a gun as well as a sword, and where steamjacks and the mighty Warjacks make golems look like wimps.

Lock and Load is narrated by Gavyn Kyle, professional spy, but it is organized in a fairly traditional format. After the introduction we come to the book's main topic, the Races of Western Immoren. Here are backgrounds and descriptions of no less than 12 regional human subcultures, including advantages and optional ability adjustments for each. The other major playable races also receive full attention: The Dwarves of Rhul, the Elves of Ios, Half-Elves, the Nyss, Goblins (Gobbers and Boggers), Ogrun, and Trollkin. Note that in the Iron Kingdoms, half-elves are virtually unknown, while Halflings and Gnomes don't exist at all (the latter two being replaced by the Gobbers).

Next up is a brief section on how the basic D&D character classes are modified for the IK setting. These changes are minor, and usually take the form of an extra class skill or a slightly modified class ability.

Third is a chapter on Religion. The beliefs of humanity, the dwarves, elves, gobbers, ogrun, and trollkin are all discussed.

Following this is a brief section on Equipment. There are examples of firearms, weapons, grenades, armor, and several items of miscellaneous gear. There is also an interesting explanation of how the unique firearms of the Iron Kingdoms actually function.

Finally there is an appendix detailing the languages of Immoren followed by a set of high-quality character sheets ready for copying. Throughout the book are sidebars and tables detailing anything from abbreviations, monetary units, slang, aging affects, and ranks of religious officials.

My favorite part of the book, however, was the full-color, 17" by 22" map. This alone would make Lock and Load a worthy purchase, and a DM would be at a loss not to make use of it. I had mine laminated so that my group's DM could use erasable markers on it.

As an entry point for the Iron Kingdoms setting, Lock and Load succeeds in covering all the basics and even goes beyond that to provide a great deal of background information and oddball tidbits (like the section on slang) that really help to add some flavor. Players have all the information they need to create a memorable character, and DMs have a lot of new background material that up to the release of this book had been sorely needed. I'd also like to note that the interior artwork is quite good, definitely above the standard of most D20 products.

However, I felt that a more detailed explanation of how to create the more powerful Ogrun and Trollkin characters was badly needed. Only a few examples of weapons and firearms were provided, and the list of equipment, while useful, was entirely too short. The most obvious omission, however, was the lack of any Prestige Classes at all. Apparently the authors were saving these for the Campaign Guide.

Despite these minor faults, overall I have found Lock and Load to be an invaluable resource. I would recommend it to any player or GM in an Iron Kingdoms campaign, and due to its modest price there really isn't any reason not to consider having your own copy. When the Campaign Guides are finally released some of the information in Lock and Load will probably be superceded, but even then it will still be completely capable of standing on its own. It's a fun and useful book that won't disappoint.

Lock and Load uses the D&D 3.0 rules, but very few changes to 3.5 are needed. There is also an errata at the Privateer Press website.

This resource makes a great addition to the rest of the Privateer Press books, discussing the different races, national politics, and alternative rules for this highly innovative world. The pictures are well done, as well, which (for me) is one of the reasons I buy these books! You can't go wrong with this one!