Publications and Media Books

BASIC Feng Shui is definitely the BEST of Lillian Too's books. It is exceptionally well laid out, efficiently organised and very simple. The book is tight, succint and to the point. It is so captivating that this is the first non fiction book I could not put down. I read it all in ONE sitting and want to say it is a GREAT book !

Well written in an easy to understand format. Excellent for introduction into feng shui. Makes me want to learn more.

Lillian Too is known the world over as the best writer on the subject of feng shui. When trying to decide which of her books to get as an introduction to the subject I was instantly attracted to the layout and easy reading flow of BASIC FENG SHUI. The book lived up to my expectations both of the subject and the author.I simply could not put the book down ! Now I know why Lillian Too outsells everyone else, and why she seems to be attracting the occasional green eyed monster .. keep up the good work, Lillian...

I bought three books on this subject and this was by far the worst. Her thoughts seem disjointed and random. In many cases, when she speaks of negative chi reguarding house orientation or surroundings, she offers no solution. I guess she expects us to move.

A book on the basics naturally cannot cover everything but the basics, and thus, this one left me wondering about the glaring untouched areas the author couldn't cover. For example, what do you do when the position of your house is exactly the opposite of what she recommends? It would be all but impossible to turn your house around, and nearly as unrealistic to move, but she offers no solution to this fundamental problem. Yet, the author turned the complicated subject into an interesting and easy read.

As a teacher and painter who works in different mediums including egg tempera, I implore others teaching to acquire this book for the classroom as well as private study. I have long been a fan of Tooker and Wyeth, and I'm pleased to see Altoon Sultan spreading the word via work and intelligent instruction.It is wonderfully economical as well!

This book by Altoon Sultan is basically a dumbed-down version of Daniel V. Thompson, Jr.'s excellent introduction to the medium in his book The Practice of Tempera Painting. While photographs abound, they are most useful in displaying Sultan's uninspired use of hatching and cross-hatching. If your looking at acquiring this book because you are a Sultan fan, it might be just the thing to help you understand how her images are made. If you want a good instructional book on egg tempera, keep looking!

In this luminous and exquisitely presented book Altoon Sultan vividly conveys a sense of the richness inherent in this ancient medium. Sultan eschews the pitfalls of most art instruction books that purvey pat formulas, which lead merely to a hobbyist's superficial and empty technique. Rather, while providing a rigorously detailed and clearly delineated process--each step accompanied by lush, illustrative photographs and a very directly written text--Sultan encourages and leaves room for individual adaptation; which is precisely one of this work's greatest strengths. The text is further amplified by a rich array of the author's own masterful works, as well as samples ranging from the first century A.D. to the present. She includes abstract work that is predicated on spontaneity and improvisation, properties not generally associated with this medium. This is in fact a large and generous work that conveys the author's articulately expressed sense of excitement at the possibilities she has discovered in tempera and eloquently invites us to explore.

While I own and have read Daniel V. Thompson, Jr.'s book The Practice of Tempera Painting I'm glad I have Sultan's book as well. I don't know how hatching and cross-hatching can be construed as "uninspired" since this is the traditional method egg tempera artists employ to create paintings. Neither is Sultan's book a "dumbed-down" instruction manual of Thompson's book. The Luminous Brush is a complete book on egg tempera painting itself. The one main technique Thompson's book covers which The Luminous Brush doesn't is gilding.

The Luminous Brush will appeal to people who appreciate the many step-by-step photos showing how to prepare your own grounds, the amount of pigment paste to egg yolk to water ratios, etc. The author provides exercises for the reader using ink and/or gouache for practicing egg tempera painting techniques so the transition to egg tempera itself will be easy. There are chapters on painting landscapes, skies, rough and smooth textures as well as a chapter showing new experimental approaches to egg tempera painting by guest artists. There is a bibliography and sources selling pigments, grounds or other materials for use in egg tempera painting.

Unless you are planning to employ gold gilding in your egg tempera paintings or want to read chapters on which paint pigments to buy that were current as of 1936 (some now known to present health risks and made obsolete by safer, lightfast alternatives) The Luminous Brush will be just fine for anyone wanting to get started.

This book is an excellent modern alternative to Daniel V. Thompson's useful, but dated book, which I find mired in 'thirties philosophy and art theory. Ms. Sultan lays out the materials and techniques well, not only her own preferences but also other possibilities. I was pleased to see a small but handy section in the back where a number of diverse egg tempera painters with widely varying styles spoke briefly about their own approaches. This is a very good introductory text.

On a personal note to Mr. Carroll, and in response to Mike Swickey's negative review above, this is a good book that new writers would find helpful in spite of the fact that there are glaring copy editing mistakes throughout. Since it contains no advice on working with an editor, my guess is Mr. Carroll perhaps doesn't believe in them, and assumes the self-publisher is up to the task of editing his own work. My advice: "Good editors make good books better". Find one.

I believe this book would be very helpful for someone who is just beginning to consider printing a book. It is simple and very detailed, and points out the time and effort it takes to get something written and printed. There is lots of practical advice.

In my opinion, for those of us who have already ventured into the field, the book is a little simplistic. I hoped to get some helpful hints, but am finding mostly what I already know. So if you are new or just thinking about self-publishing, check it out!

All reviews, critical and supportive, are this author's most significant reward for effort expended. An unsatisfactory spell-check, noted by a serious reader, does not in any way diminish overall values of SELF PUBLSIHING MADE EASY. This fine book is a focused approach to making the thoughtful reader capable of entering into the complicated business of book publishing. As my distillation of more than 50 years in the field, it is a very carefully designed handbook for emerging publishers. It supports this objective with clarity and is fairly described as "...an excelent roadmap...for getting your book in print..." Adequate references are provided for those publishers prepared to initiate exploration of additional resources within the same specialty. My hands have been involved in the publication of more than 100 books with about 35 of my company's books continuing in print. Book publishing has been a rewarding vocation that I continue with great satisfaction. As the author of SELF PUBLISHING MADE EASY my appreciation is extended to each person who has given of his or her time to review this book. I wish all of them, and you my reader, the greatest possible success in every publishing venture. [William Carroll]

Not to be too rough, but this book is horribly written. One of numerous examples: "If you need something to do, while making the Stop/Go decision, and on the premise that you may proceed, we're going out for preliminary printing bids on a book you have yet to begin or complete." Or, try to decipher this one - "With "Adequate is Enough" our manta (instead of mantra), the obligation is to make a reader capable while recognizing there's no way you can make him or her proficient." I hate to be so tough, but this is a book about publishing and writing advice! I am sure the author is a very nice man, but there is a reason this book was self-published - the writing is nothing short of terrible. A waste of money.

From accountants to Zamboni operators, "regular" people everywhere seem to be writing books these days. Few realize their chances of getting published through one of the major houses are nil to none, even if they are the new Hemingway or Steinbeck. As a freelance editor, it has been my harsh duty to break this news to every new writer I meet. I can now soften that blow by recommending they buy and read this book. On page 12, there is an anecdote about a woman who received only eighty-five cents of the $19.95 cover price of her book going through trade channels. After self-publishing, in two years she sold $800,000 worth on her own and pocketed half! Even if a new writer isn't "in it for the money", Carroll offers ways to attract readers and the "References" section lists some of the best sources available. Whether you have a completed manuscript or merely dream of writing a book some day, William Carroll provides an excellent road map, not only for getting your book into print, but for optimizing the likelihood of making money during the process as well.

I could not finish reading the book, because I could not take the authors seriously. The many misspellings and mechanical errors were far to distracting. This text is a worthy example of how NOT to write a book.

As the media becomes one of the most dominant means by which we frame our social reality, it becomes crucial for each of us to understand how media can become a mean to someone's own end. An excellent treatment of hegemony and dominant/ prefered readings. This should be a required text in all communication/ social science programs. But it ain't bad readin' for anyone else who consumes media either, namely you!

An excellent reader explaining the media's role in perpetrating common stereotypes of historically marginalized people. Includes analysis of advertising, sexual representation, TV and music. An excellent textbook for cultural studies.

broad and complete view point on the issues that face college critics in media fields. Most comprehensive text I have been required to buy with my major. Would highly recommend to other prof.s

First, let me say that the premise of each article was great for a 400- or 500-level college course and prompted many heated discussions.

But, along the lines of the other reviewer... how are we to take it seriously when we come across dozens of grammatical errors, missing words (the most prevalent error) and punctuation disasters? It read as though the articles were submitted, read by a third-grader and then stuffed hurriedly into the book for publication. A quick read by the "editors" would have found the vast majority of errors.

This is not something isolated, for 3 out of the 4 textbooks I have been assigned this summer session have dozens (yes, "dozens") of grammatical, typographical and punctuation disasters -- books well into their 2nd, 4th and 7th editions. No wonder kids graduating college habitually spell "too" as "to."

Fix the errors before you print the third edition!

This book seems to cover absolutely all the ins and outs of succeeding as a freelance writer. (I have one reservation, which I'll discuss later.) Bly is a very successful freelance writer, sometimes earning as much as $600,000 per year and apparently routinely earning at least $100,000 per year, so he is an author who knows what he's talking about. He includes chapters on everything from the freelancer's administrative logistics, how to get leads and market yourself, and a signifcant number of resources to help the novice writer. If you follow his advice with diligence, and put in the necessary time, there is probably a high likelihood that you will make a good and possibly a very good living as a freelance writer.

Here is my concern: In the introduction Bly says, "Even a writer with average abilities and modest ambitions can get published and make $800 to $1,000 a week or more as a freelance writer." But on page 11 he says "Writing, on the other hand, is a field in which the average practitioner does not make much money (of course, there are many exceptions) And so money is not the primary motivator to go into writing; you should become a writer because you love to write." Yet, the rest of the book is about how you can earn a great deal by becoming a freelance writer, although more specifically he means commercial freelancing - writing copy for businesses large or small. So which is it? Will the average writer "not make much money" or will he "make $800 to $1,000 a week"?

Here is another inconsistency: on page 60, where he is describing how you can't make the big bucks by writing for magazines, he says "you can make $36,000 to $48,000 a year, provided you are paid $1 a word - a rate most markets no longer come close to." Hey wait a minute, you buttered us up in the intro that us average joe writers could make $800 to $1,000 a week (or $41,600 to $52,000 a year). Where did all that bounty go?

There are other inconsistencies about how much you have to earn per hour and how many hours a week you have to put in to reach Bly-like levels of earnings. For example, page 61: "If you want to make $100,000 a year and work 50 weeks a year, you must gross $2,000 a week from your writing. If you work 5 days a week, you must earn $400 a day." On page 158 he says, "If you follow the advice in this book you will soon be earning $50 to $100 an hour" but previously, on page 156 he revealed to us that 7 hours a day (9 to 5) "won't cut it" if you want to earn more than $100,000 a year; in fact, his suggested number of starting weekly hours is 45, but it could be 50, 55 or even more.

So stay with me here: $400 a day/7 hour day equals $57 per hour to earn $100,000 a year, but Mr. Bly just told us that we probably need to work at least 45 hours a week, so we are now down to $44 an hour and if we go to say 55 hours a week, our hourly earnings drop to $36 an hour. The problem here is that $50 per hour seems to be Bly's threshold for living the good writer's life, and is the benchmark he refers to when suggesting outsourcing your time for tasks that cost less an hour than you earn.

Now, having said all that, the message reminds me somewhat of the get rich via real estate/day trading sales pitches. In other words, Bly should have included the disclaimer "results may vary" because I believe that any one individual could apply Bly's lessons and actually reach the level of income he says you can. So these criticisms are not a wholesale refutation of his claims but more of a wish that more clarity and consistency were present. That's why I still give Bly four stars.

Now, if you want the other end of the spectrum, see Real Success Without a Real Job: There Is No Life Like It!, where Ernie Zelinsky tells us how to make a comfortable living by writing for four hours a day, with comfortable redefined as a level of income chosen by you which provides you with the things you need, plus a little more.

Usually the guru of ad copy, Robert Bly uses a more comprehensive approach to freelance writing and goes all out to help fledgling writers of all stripes - articles, books AND ads. In addition to sharing secrets for impressing various potential clients with quality copy, Bly also treats such topics as self-evaluation for writing, self-confidence, writing business start-up and money management, etc. It's a quick read (unusual for Bly) but complete, nevertheless. Better understood with other, more detailed, Bly books.

This book should be entitled Getting Started as a Freelance Copywriter, since it's worthless to anyone who wants to write magazine articles and such. In fact, he criticizes writers who want to do anything other than copywriting and commercial writing. Bly's writing is dull and the material is difficult to digest. This "new edition" still says "We're living in the nineties" and that the "internet is new and exciting." This book is disappointing and a big waste of money. If you're an aspiring writer, find a better book.

In Getting Started As A Freelance Writer, professional writer Robert W. Bly draws upon more than twenty-five years of experience and expertise (he became a self-made millionaire while still in his thirties and is the author of more than one hundred articles and sixty books) offers aspiring writers and authors a comprehensive understanding of the highly competitive process of becoming a published freelance writer. Introducing readers to a complete knowledge of where the work for writers is to be found, how to get paid assignments, the fine art of negotiating fees and contracts, how to turn out acceptable manuscripts, and how to insure getting paid, Getting Started As A Freelance Writer provides a concise exploration and complete knowledge of what freelance writing is all about. An informed and informative resource for a sustainable progression into the world of profitable writing and freelance authorship, Getting Started As A Freelance Writer is very strongly recommended as a key "how to" reference for anyone at the beginning of their professional writing career.

I really liked this book. In fact, the first moment I picked it up off the shelf to peruse the contents, and first few pages, I was hooked. Robert Bly has an easy-going style to his words, and explains things in user friendly terms.
The author includes real stories to inspire the writer that its entirely possible to make a good living as a writer in no-nonsense language. And considering the size of this book, you'll find tons of information at your fingertips to help you in the process of becoming a successful writer.
He includes marketing and promotion, as well as where to look for leads for work. I particularly enjoyed his own experiences he shares with the reader on his journey to success.
I highly recommend this book for anyone wishing to be a writer. You won't regret it.

This book is mostly a collection of other sources of information you will eventually need - but even as such, leaves you without a clear referral. I found the content lacking interest and substance. The author throws in a mixture of annoying fonts for some reason and the book is peppered with meaningless diagrams and clip-art. I found it a disappointing purchase - unlike many other books on the subject available @Amazon.com.

Rarely have I read such a book in which I felt the author was at peace with himself and wasn't trying to sell me anything, but genuinely cares about the truth. This book is extremely insightful. I found it refreshing and inspiring. I'm sure I'll read parts of it again and again.

This book is now a favorite that I'll refer to again and again throughout my life. It is beautifully designed. I especially liked the many illustrations. Unlike other books that are just words, this one gives visual illustrations of many concepts that help you understand and remember them. At first I didn't see the scope of this total overview of life, but it really gives you a crystal clear big picture of life. In addition to helping me understand life, it gives easy step by step methods for adding balance. I love the fact that the author is flexible and encourages you to use the methods that work for you. If you like self help books, this may be the best one you'll ever read.

This book truly has something on every area of life. It is a large book, but really it's like several books in one, covering a wide range of topics. It tells you the "key insights" to each area of life, plus step by step, easy methods for maintaining balance. I can't imagine that anyone would not find something of use in this book. It has become my favorite source of reference. I found it to be inspiring and down to earth as well. I doubt there is a better book on balanced living.

I substitute teach and have found this book's activities to be very useful as time fillers and lessons. The students have enjoyed the activities.

This book was not helpful at all. I take substitute teaching and education seriously. I was looking for real activities that I could use when the teacher did not leave plans or if I had a few minutes to spare. The activities were not original or helpful.
Additionally, the pages looked like a child designed them. It was not professional. Neither was the publishing. Much of the ink was faded.

Last year was my first year as a substitute teacher. I found that having this book with me saved me several times. The activities are clever. My 8th and 9th grade students loved the wordles. The younger loved the squiggles.

I wouldn't enter a classroom without this book!

I found that this book is full of many reproducibles and ideas to keep students busy in the classroom. Although I plan on using it while substituting, classroom teachers can use many of these activities when their lessons run short or they have 5 or 10 minutes to fill.

I've suffered from social anxiety for years, and have found many ways to avoid it.

My therapist recommended this book, and I have found it to be insightful, direct, and immediately helpful.

As with most books that deal with social anxiety, your progress towards alleviating that anxiety is really dependent upon the work that you are willing to do to complete the exercises that are outlined in the book.

I'm just getting started myself, but already I have a more hopeful outlook on being able to just be myself and accept what happens as I put myself "out there" in engaging in social situations.

I hope you find this book just as motivational.

I found the condition of both books excellent. The second was particularly relevant to what I was doing, although I did get some ideas from the first.

I needed the books urgently and they were out of print in Australia, so I cheerfully bore the cost of the exchange rate and shipping. The books arived in good time.

Patricia Bryan
Dip. Oral Communication & Public Speaking
Certificate in Advanced Communication Skills
Train the Trainer Cerificate
Member of International Training In Communication.

I found this book and thought it would be the perfect reader to help me out without needing to wade through lots of information. I was wrong. Covering things such as cognitive distortions and medication, this book didn't tell me how to overcome shyness. If you're looking for some help in those agonizing social situations, I wouldn't let the simplistic appearance of this book fool you. True, it offers some very helpful information, but not anything you can't read elsewhere.

This book directly addressed my thesis. I found it incredibly comprehensive and informative. It was direct, to-the-point, and easy to read and analyze. Perfect source for a research paper that focuses on mass media and political science questions. Authors cited are strong and reputable. Overall, a wonderful book that every journalism student should read and consult.

While it is apparent that the authors are knowledgable about the subject of media and the effects on population, it is also readily apparent that they do not posess an English degree. Put bluntly, the text is difficult to read and sentences lack fluidity and eloquence. In addition, the studies mentioned are often repetitive and do not offer anyhting new to the subject being presented. It's informational but arduous reading.

UCLA political science professor Shanto Iyengar and veteran journalist Richard Reeves deliver a great read filled with thought-provoking contributions and commentary. The book is balanced with delightfully entertaining (and revealing) personal experiences from seasoned reporters such as Lou Cannon, and scholarly analysis on the impact of the media on the political landscape of today.
Reeves' lifetime of experience endows this book with a depth of understanding rarely found in books on the media. His easy-to-read introductions set against the backdrop of Iyengar's comprehensive exegisis of the science of journalism provide a complete picture the fourth branch of government.
In addition to being a great journalism textbook, this volume is a page-turner for anyone interested in the complex interrelationships between those that make the news and those that report it.

This is a part of our heritage as Americans. We all have some folklore that helps shape our lives and upbringings. It is the underlying history that does not get placed in the history books. We unfortunately do not teach this stuff in schools. America, being an extraordinary melting pot has a great diversity of tales to be told. This collection includes ballads, tall tales, fiddle tunes, childrens song and hymns. It is a quality overview of American folklore. It will set a yearning in your soul and make you wax nostalgic for lemon-ade and Tom Sawyer. This is a small chunk of what it means to be American.

this book concentrates on anglo-american folklore, and so there is no reference to such characters as paul bunyan or johnny appleseed. still, there are a lot of surprisingly familiar stories that survived and were passed down when europeans settled in america. about half of the book is devoted to tales, including "ancient" tales (with references as far back as norse mythology, as well as robin hood and chaucer), jack tales, "fool irishman" tales, and "tall" tales. the second half is devoted to songs, simultaneously notated in shape as well as traditional notation. this section include ballads (i.e. songs that usually have a narrative), songs, hymns, songs for children, dances (with the choreography explained), and fiddle tunes. the book also includes odds and ends like jokes and riddles as well as a fantastic section of texts from graves from the turn of the century (around the late 1800's). also includes a guide to further reading and nice illustrations by joshua tolford. the stories themselves may feel a little quaint to some, but the colorful local dialect make them engaging and they provide insight into the lives and times of the people who have passed them down.