Retailers Books

Fairy tales are usually about a young man who becomes a hero by battling the most dispicable enemies and achieving his heart's desire. In the end, despite great odds, monsters are vanquished, villainy is given the heave-ho, the princess' heart is won and great treasure is acquired far from the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service (which is how you can tell this is a fairy tale).

"The Making of Star Wars" is just such a fairy tale, but it's not about the one up on the screen. This big, beefy, bouncy delight tells in 360 eye-squinting pages of type and hundreds of photos the story of how George Lucas, armed at first with nothing more than a bare bones script and a reputation for interesting, if not money-making movies, devoted more than four years of his life, bet his precarious career, and came up with a movie that not just redefined Hollywood blockbusters, but reimagined heroism and other virtues that touched a generation made cynical by the upheavals of the `60s and `70s.

How he did it -- as described in this book -- should give all writers, artists and other dreamers pause to reflect on the value of preparation, hard work, a willingness to absorb ideas from others, and going into a project knowing that you have not only no idea how it will come out, but that bad luck will doom you no matter what you do.

It's amazing that "Star Wars" was made at all, when it becomes clear in the book that the executives in charge at 20th Century Fox were more interested in busting Lucas' chops instead of making a movie. As one of Lucas friends notes: "There was a lack of respect for George. The movie industry is a very vituperative and petty industry most of the time -- and part of the negotiations was just to see how much they could push George around because they felt like they could."After getting Lucas under contract cheap, before the success of "American Graffitti," Fox proceeded to fritter away their leverage by withholding the contract for "Star Wars." To keep the project going, Lucas was forced to invest his own money, and in the end, had to threaten to stop filming to get the contract. By that time, the project was so far along that Fox was faced with either agreeing to his demands, or letting the project go to another studio. Hence, was born the most lopsided contract in history, giving Lucas say over final cut, plus control over all sequels and merchandizing.

Considering that "The Making of Star Wars" was published nearly 30 years after the movie's stunning debut, going back and putting together this history is a major accomplishment. Fortunately, J.W. Rinzler had access to interviews conducted during the production of `Star Wars," when people were in the midst of the work and uninfluenced by its future success. This fills the book with episodes and incidents of such detail that it's possible to fall into the pages and imagine yourself, back in the mid-'70s, where hair was blow-dried, collars and pants were wide, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter were atop the political pyramid -- reflect on that when you look at Obama/Clinton/McCain!

For the two weeks, I was in film geek heaven, boring my wife at lunchtime with details about alternative casting (Christopher Walken as Luke! Jodie Foster as Leia!), alternative storylines (Luke was a girl at one point and named Starkiller; the robots were originally bureaucrats working for the Empire; Lucas toyed with filming it all in Japanese, with subtitles), sources for names (Han Solo? From a brand of paper cups) and those small incidents that acquire greater meaning (an out-of-work James Earl Jones spending a day in a studio to record Darth Vader's lines for $7,500). And don't get me started on the models and special effects; we'd be here all week.

But the heart of the story is George Lucas, and while I've always respected the man, my heart went out to him once I understood the impossible odds he worked again. "Star Wars" was made because he willed it into being; he was the Jedi who rescued his movie.

Lucas created a fairy tale for our times, but his story had a fairy tale twist as well. After laboring for years, fighting the studio executives and impossible deadlines, Lucas got his movie out. But he thought he had failed: "When I saw the first cut, my only opinion was that I did a terrible job, but it works. It doesn't work very well, but it works. ... And then when I finally saw it with an audience for the first time, I realized that no matter how far short I fell and how far short all the departments fell from what I wanted, the film did work for an audience. ... They all laughed at the right place and they believed it."

So the hero wins after all, but not in the way you'd expect. That's the hallmark of all good stories.

Having seen all 3 original trilogy movies over a hundred times a piece, (I paid theater admission for most of those viewings, no video back then), I was and still am interested in the behind the scenes events that took place during the making of the movies.
I have read all three of the "Making Of" books about the original trilogy. This book is definitely the most thorough and indepth with the technical aspects and day to day events on set. I enjoyed the interviews with George Lucas and the other people involved in the film. On the lighter side, (Being a huge Luke/Mark Hamill fan) I really enjoyed the candid photos of Mark Hamill and the other cast members on set.
The true Star Wars fan will enjoy the unlimited access to George Lucas' earliest thoughts about the trilogy and a detailed look into his film making style. This book is a must have for all who have ever dreamed of "a galaxy far, far away....

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the making of Star Wars. The author covers all aspects of the movie and is chock full of paintings, photos, manuscript pages, and poster art. The story unfolds chronologically and after each chapter the author lists the new elements of each draft of the screenplay as it progresses toward the final version. Lots of great trivia and insight into the epic struggle to make Star Wars.

I got this for my 14 year old son and myself. I can't get over how cool this book is !! So much behind the scenes info. I worked at a theater for the initial release of Star Wars and this book gives me information about a movie that I thought I already knew everything about.
Buy it !!!

I am not reviewing this book based on the content as I did not purchase it to read. I purchased it as a gift for my husband - a Star Wars fan from his youth.

I'm sure this book would make a great gift for the hardcore Star Wars fans (although I expect they would have already purchased it for themselves.) I would particularly like to recommend this book as a gift to more casual fans of Star Wars and fans of books on the film industry in general. My husband has read quite a few Star Wars books, but has said that this is among the most interesting of the non-fiction books he has read on the topic and he was constantly stopping me to read quotes from the book on various aspects of the production history.

It's a very heavy, very large book and makes great presentation on the coffee table - much too nice to be left sitting on a shelf. :)

that we bought it and donated it to our local library to share with other kids. I have 3 children ranging in ages from 3 - 8 and we all LOVE DUCK!!

This is my 2 year old sons favourite book! He has the the entire book memorized and out of all of his books we read this one at least twice a day. It's a fun rhyming book that flows really well. The other books in the duck series are also great. I'm curious to see the new release of "hide and seek" featuring frog that is coming out in dec.

After leaving his friends stuck in the muck, Duck is living in the same rural area as Sheep, Frog and Goat. Unfortunately for them, Duck now fancies himself a handyman. However, his absent-minded ways make him more of a menace than a helper. In fact, his "Fix-It" skills are less than even any shade tree mechanic. Like with the first book, Alborough manages to surprise with a clever twist, that on second reading his foreshadowed throughout the book. Once again the clever story line is complemented extremely well by the outstanding illustrations.

A short, rhyming story, this would make an excellent read-aloud for younger kids. Duck is sitting in his living room on a rainy day when a drop of water drips into his tea cup. He immediately launches into "Fix-It Duck" mode, setting out to repair the roof. But he doesn't have a ladder, so he sets out to borrow one from his friend Sheep. Sheep mentions that the window in his own roof (Sheep lives in a camper) leaks, and Fix-It Duck is on the job again. The reader rapidly figures out that Fix-It Duck, while well-intentioned, is an uncoordinated and accident-prone menace. But the thing about Duck is that he never gives up when things don't go as planned. He just makes a new plan, and keeps on going. For example, here's when he "fixes" Sheep's window:

He does what he can to close up the gap.
He glues it, screws it and gives it a tap.
(SMASH - picture of broken window)
"The problem," says Duck, "is your glass is too thin."
"My house," wails Sheep. "The rain's coming in!"
"What we need," says Duck, with a glint in his eye,
"is to pull your house to somewhere dry."

And things get more out of control from there, with an added, funny twist revealed at the end.

I found the text in this book quite catchy. It reads like a song. I was making lunch immediately after reading it, and kept hearing "This is a job for ... Fix-It Duck" repeating in my head, in a cheerful sort of way. The illustrations are exuberant and whimsical, with enough attention to detail to reward repeat readings. For instance, the amiable Duck drinks his tea out of a smiley-face mug, while the house-proud Sheep has a vase of colorful flowers in his window, and serves tea in flower-printed mugs. Duck also has a "DUCK1" vanity plate on his car, and a little duck-shaped hood ornament. Mostly, though, what comes across from the deft illustrations are the personalities of the characters, cheerfully clueless Duck, justifiably nervous Sheep, wary Goat, and shy little Frog, who makes an appearance in the end.

The board book edition is sturdy, but in a larger format, with thinner pages, than many board books. It's an excellent addition to the set of available board book titles. The colors are bright (despite the rain falling on every page), and I expect the book to hold up well to repeat readings. This book is sure to be a hit with the early pre-school crowd. Personally, I'll be keeping an eye out for Duck's other adventures.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on March 12, 2007.

Like The Empire Strikes Back, a sequel that is even better than its predecessor. Duck once again combines guileless ego, an over-reaching confidence and a breezy facility for externalising his troubles and wreaks havoc as a self-appointed handyman. His long-suffering friends - frog, sheep and goat - are again along for the ride and Alborough's hilarious, rhyming text will have you hamming it up like the voice talent on a Pixar DVD extra. As noted in previous reviews, the illustrations are full of enjoyable detail and layouts have a flair and sophistry more often seen in comic strips directed at older readers. Don't overlook the first and last pages, which serve as preface and epilogue in illustrated form. For readers aged 3 and up, this has been a very welcome addition to our home library.

This book outlines simple steps that retailers can take to increase their profits. It's not about accounting or finance. It's about people. The people that work in your store and the people that come into your store. This books outlines how to take care of both. Too often, shopping experiences are less than desirable for the customer. Not because of the cleanliness of the store or how the displays looked, but because of how the customer was treated. A customer leaving a store feeling less than respected is likely to be one less customer down the road, not to mention the potential customers they will tell to avoid your store. Don't be one of "those" stores. Read this book and be enlightened. Your customers will appreciate it. Your profits will too.

This book is full of practical information and recommendations that are valuable not just for retailers but for anyone whose work requires them to interact with clients/customers. Fleener's style is very readable and approachable. Highly recommended!

The Profitable Retailer describes what a great customer experience should be and how to create a great retail store. I just want to buy 99 copies of this book and give it to the next 100 retail stores that I go into because it seems that only about 1 in a hundred gives me what I need as a customer. This book is practical, funny and filled with numerous examples that every retailer has experienced. The Profitable Retailer is worth every penny.

I have both used Doug Fleener as a personal consultant for my retail business and I have read the book and I keep referring back to the book. The best thing I did EARLY on when I opened my store was to hire Doug. I wanted to do that BEFORE I had a potential problem, not after. So far, so good. With Doug's advise and suggestions, we are celebrating three years of business in October. Doug does not "sugar coat". He uses common sense to put you on the right track of running a business and managing people. I felt very energized after our personal consultation and after reading his book. No fancy marketing tricks with Doug.......just no-nonsense suggestions. Doug taught me to look outside the box and he taught me how to step back and look at my store from the customer's perspective. Doug has the experience and the knowledge to help you succeed and I highly recommend this book for any owner and/or manager of a retail store. Kathy H. The Essential Gourmet.

First let me tell you I try to read a chapter every day. It has found a home in my purse. My husband also loved this book. He is a network engineer and helps out my business every day. He didn't know anything about retail until we married six years ago. One Saturday I tossed the book on the bed when rushing to work and he started to read it. I got it back a couple days later with post-it note hanging out on all sides! Notes he had written included, "You do this now but I suggest . . . I think we do this but the employees need a refresher course . . . Great idea, can you do this . . . etc. We have discussed when our children are out of school, perhaps there is spot in the business for my husband--gotta keep the regular pay check. After reading The Profitable Retailer, and listening to his ideas, he might just be ready to tackle retail world.

The third book in the 87th Precinct series is a more standard entry into the police procedural genre. But at the same time, it manages to reach an emotional depth somewhat unusual for the time period.

The plot is pretty straight forward. A pair of patrolmen stumble upon a apparent junkie suicide. But sometimes things aren't as easy as they seem, and the suicide squeal quickly turns into a multiple homicide investigation that threatens to become blackmail when Lt. Byrnes son becomes linked to the drug scene. The bulls at the 87th are relegated mainly to the footwork, as most of the behind the scenes action involves Byrnes as he struggles with his son's involvement. Byrnes goes as far as to fill Carella in on the situation, a decision that almost proves to be fatal.

Apart from some of the dated aspects one would expect from a well-reserched police drama from the fifties, the bulk of the novel is your typical expose on the brutal world of the street level drug trade. But as usual, McBain delves into the emotional causes and ramifications of the Heroin users and dealers. The most revealing of these is the personal and professional termoil faced by Lt. Byrnes with the revelation that his son is a Heroin addict. Adding to the emotional doubt of where he has gone wrong with his son, and the constant battle between anger and compassion, is the dilemma of whether or not to cover up his son's possible involvement in a crime, especially when a mysterious third party with knowledge of his son's connection attempts to blackmail him for police protection.

McBain doesn't just focus on the 87th detectives. Glimpses into the lives of low key players in the drug scene shows the many facets of human frailty and desperation and prevents the broad generalizations that many crime dramas easily fall into. Even the closer look at Carella's relationship with stoolie Danny the Gimp is both touching and revealing. But to McBain's credit, none of this detailed attention to the human element detracts from the gritty realism that is typical of this series.

This text is a mere 158 pages and it is easily consumable in one sitting. This, of course, is an 87th precinct mystery, and McBain follows Detective Carella as he investigates a murder that was poorly diguised as a suicide (a noose had been placed around the victim's neck). The negative thing about reviewing a mystery novel is that I can say very little without giving away major portions of the plot. Anyway, what I liked about this text was my reading of it as if it were a historical text. And, to me, it was. I was able, through McBain's direction, to enter into the seedy side of life in NYC during the fifties. I enjoyed reading the dialogue about heroin because all of the slang terms for heroin and needles, that are utilized in interrogations in the text, are familiar to me (thus still in some usage). As a writer, I really love some of McBain's descriptions and narrative technique, while at times his texts can seem highly rushed (gotta make those greenbacks).

I'll end this review with a passage that I especially enjoyed: "Oh sure, a corpse breaks up the dull monotony of the midnight tour; and it's nice to renew acquaintances with old friends from Homicide South; and maybe the photographer has a few choice samples of French postcard art to pass around; but all in all, nobody has much heartfelt enthusiasm for a suicide at 2:11. Especially when it's cold," (McBain: 13).

Another great book by Ed McBain. Have just started reading this series and have a long way to go, but I am really looking forward to it if they are all like this one. Steve Carella and Bert Kling are back. They make a great team. They are trying to find who killed a young man, then others are killed to cover up the first killing. I don't want to name names as would take away from the book. The ending is good. McBain can make you feel like you are there. You can nearly feel the the thoughts and actions as they take place. A fairly short book that is quick to read. A very good mystery.

Of McBain's 70 to 80 books, this is without a doubt his best. This is what storytelling is all about. Simple characters, doing simple things and making it impossible to put the book down . I'm curious to know whether Evan Hunter is still alive or just retired from writing.

Published in 1956, "Pusher" by Ed McBain, one of the author's famed 87th Precinct mysteries,
may be a bit dated, but the sheer power of writing and the abilitiy of the author makes this one a
worthy read. McBain's legions of fans (most of whom have, no doubt, already read this one)
certainly found this to be a choice selection.

This time we find Steve Carella and Lieutenant Peter Byrnes again up to their precinct necks in
crime. As the title suggests, they're investigating the death of a drug dealer. The autopsy had said
suicide, but Carella and Byrnes know better.

And with the speed of some sound writing style and
excellent plot development, Mc Bain carries his readers full tilt. There's no resting; the pace is
terrific! Aided by first-class dialogue development "Pusher" is quick and easy to read. One doesn't
have to be totally dedicated to McBain to enjoy this one. Remember: it's quick and easy. And good.
(Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Bought this one for a friend as I already have it and use it. Love the new silky cover.

This is the loveliest book on angel work that I have ever seen. Not to mention it is filled with wonderful ideas and examples of how to work with the angels. There are several different meditations in the book that are incredible! Angela McGerr has put together a masterpiece with A Harmony Of Angels. (She also has two different angel card decks, too. Absolutely lovely!)
I have shared several copies of books and cards with friends and they all love them. It is easy to fall in love with the book and in turn it is easy to love inviting angels in to your life. The book seems somehow, comforting just to have with me. The illustrations are nothing short of magnificent. Words just cannot describe this book. FIND ONE! Buy it!!
I would not hesitate to buy any of Angela's works and I look forward to her next project!!!

This breathtakingly beautiful book and card set bring you so many uses. You can learn about how to call upon your Guardian Angel; There is a section on "Achieving positive health and well-being;" "Angel healing with fragrances and oils;" "The place of rainbow meditations;" and has an A -Z of Angels, including a fantastic index of life situations where you can learn about which Angel to call upon who is ready to help with pure love and compassion.

As for the card deck, it accompanies a wonderful book with different spreads you can do when you are seeking guidance and clarification in your life. The whole package is simply stunning, and would make a great gift to anyone who wants to draw closer to the Angels. Personally, I keep the page open to the picture of Archangel Michael, who is my Guardian Angel, and it just brings me a feeing of inner peace when I look at it. This is a high quality set that you will love to have as a part of your collection. Highly Recommended! Barbara Rose, author of, `Individual Power' and `If God Was Like Man'

I have browsed through a number of T'ai Chi instructional books, but none compare to the quality of this one. Every movement of the T'ai Chi form is clearly demonstrated with numerous, full-body photographs and detailed written instructions. Correlations are also given between the form's movements and a section of "basic moves" which help train the basic movement patterns of T'ai Chi. I love that the "basic moves" section even includes written descriptions and pictures of common mistakes! In the book, the author also covers some basic warm-up techniques and other essential aspects of T'ai Chi such as breathing. It's amazing how much she packed in to 160 beautiful and inspirational pages.

Another thing I appreciate about the book is that it is a wonderful complement to Tricia Yu's T'ai Chi Fundamentals video that I already owned. Now I can use the video for practice or to experience the flow of the movements, but I can also reference the book for more "static" detail. Oh yeah - the video is beautiful and inspirational as well.

This is absolutely the clearest, most accessible and most beautiful tai chi book I've ever read... everyone on my Christmas list gets this-- from my niece in her teens to my grandmother.

I have looked at Tai Chi texts for over twenty years and this is simply the best text I've ever seen. The photographs, both inside the studio and outside, are lovely and practical. They have a side text and brief remarks in the photo identifying key
points in each posture. The written text is clear and straitforward without the usual overemphasis on philosophy, history, and martial arts. It's really the type of text that any beginner(and even more advanced student)will benefit from.

Over a decade ago I was in Las Vegas staying at the MGM Grand while they were doing major re-construction to change their entrance. The existing entrance was a Lion's head and Asians refused to enter the casino through the mouth of it perceiving that as bad luck. The casino was losing potential customers and had already started creating a new and separate entrance during my stay.

This got my attention. To go through all that trouble for something called Feng Shui. To spend millions of dollars just to change the entrance - well, there must be something there.

A friend gave me Linda Cahan's book as a present. I've been interested in Feng Shui since that time in Las Vegas and have now used it in conjunction with my stores and my home. Ms. Cahan did a bang up job delineating the info in a clear and decisive way. I also liked that she represents the opinions of many other Feng Shui experts so I feel I've gotten the best cross section of information possible.

I've played with some of the 'cures' mentioned in this book to correct problem feng shui I've identified, and have noticed perceptible improvements. The suggestions using mirrors have been very effective. That sold me! I'm a big fan of feng shui and an equally big fan of Ms. Cahans easy to use guide to making your life better through feng shui. I like her approach and recommend this book as an easy read with effective useful ideas for work or home.

Ever walk into a store and want to walk right out? Can't figure out what's wrong? Could be bad Feng Shui!

This eye-opening book shows retailers how to lure customers with an inviting atmosphere that makes them want to stay, shop, buy and enjoy the experience. Store owners are guided through a simple step-by-step process allowing them to transform a ho-hum store into a great feeling store.

I'm not alone in my praise of this insightful book. Martin Pegler, editor of Retail Design and Visual Presentation magazine recommends it "most heartily . . . Her advice is solid and on target for visual merchandisers and store designers since so much of what she offers is so logical and down-to-earth."

Graham Hurley is a new find. His series (6 books to date) features DI Joe Farraday. The stories are complex, the characters are well-drawn, and the location, Portsmouth, is a bit different than the bucholic Yorkshire or gritty London, the scenes of many procedurals. Hurley's books can be favorably compared with those of Stuart Pawson, John Harvey, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, Mark Billingham, and Peter Robinson. I read the series in order of publication, but I believe that they each stand well on their own.

In this age of tough competition and lowered margins, any retailer who can't keep their costs in line is destined to be a former retailer. One of the most basic costs to tackle, yet the most difficult to get a grasp on, is inventory loss. CUT YOUR LOSSES! is a must read for any retailer. Whether you have been in Loss Prevetnion for years, are just starting, or had better be starting soon, this book is an excellent resource. This book does not spend your valuable time giving you an in depth view of the psychology of a thief or how to estbalish a corporate Loss Prevention program. While that may be important, it won't solve your problems. CUT YOUR LOSSES! comes right out and tells you what is happening and what you can do to stop it. It is a quick and easy read that you can put into pactice as you go. If you were to only pick on book to get you going on Loss Prevention, this would be it

Robert Flynn's view of the Vietnam war through the eyes of journalist Sherill O'Connell is a scarily good look at war. It is a must for anyone who thought that John Wayne movies accurately portray war, and a must for anyone who ever wondered what the media looks like from within.