Y Books

This is a great resource in both English & Spanish - we have seen many marriages blessed by this study. We highly recommend it.

Excellent book. Recommend it for anyone, even those who have been married a long long time.

I ear about this book on the radio in "The Mikey Show" ( San Diego) and how this help on his marriage to be happy, after that I bought the book and I can said that it's the best book for marriage couples even for a couple that its going to married soon, it's the best I fully recommended.

My wife and I used to fight all the time. This book really helped us. Our relationship is really good now. This book hits the core problems in marriage and gives real solutions. The book has specific sections for the men and sections for the women. I highly recommend this book to every married couple.

This is a most read for every married couple. It is hits at the core of what a marriage needs to be successful.

A SHAME HE HAD TO END UP LIKE HE DID...HE WAS A REAL AMERICAN HERO.

No one lived through more extraordinary adventures than Major Robert Rogers: they were bone-chilling, hair-raising. But Rogers understates them. Spine-tingling events historians know-from others who were present-that Rogers lived through he skipped over. Once he jumped twelve feet into a river to escape capture by French and Indians and never even mentioned it. Perhaps Rogers was a genuinely modest man. Perhaps his "adventures" were scarey memories he didn't wish to revisit. Perhaps it was bad judgment mixed with a phlegmatic mind. Low key or not, Roger's journals are standard reading for history buffs of the French and Indian War. Todish and Zaboly imminently enhance Roger's accounts without altering them, to the point readers glimpse an exceptional man. Todish indents his annotations in the middle of the narrative at to flesh out details of time, place, and historical significance. His scholarship is first rate: insertions are by others who were present, or are comments from earlier Rogers scholars. His co-author, Zaboly, takes great care to make the his illustrations historically accurate in lieu of setting, clothing, and military accouterments. Drawings are a page or two pages wide, with an accompanying page of explanation of included details. These chosen details are themselves footnoted to their museum source. If one decides to read Roger's journals, read them in this edition.

A creation of the two greatest experts on Robert Rogers and his Rangers, this book is a must for all American history buffs. Not only is Rogers' own journal reproduced, but Todish and Zaboly both contribute fascinating and insightful introductions. If there is any more to be learned about Rogers, it will be found in Zaboly's forthcoming full-scale biography. His numerous full page highly detailed illustrations add immeasurably to this work's appeal. For those who are interested in the period, to miss this volume would be a sin.

This edition of the _Journals of Major Robert Rogers_ is really three books in one, and that amounts to a major treat for anyone even remotely interested in the struggle for colonial America's frontier.
Major Robert Rogers was one of early America's greatest frontier soldiers, and the feats performed by Rogers' Rangers are the stuff of legend. Despite the self-serving nature of Rogers' memoirs (and whose memoirs are not self-serving?), this work remains an essential source on the French and Indian War.
The annotations supplied by editor Timothy J. Todish, a longtime Rogers' Rangers reenactor and a widely published student of 18th and 19th century American military history, greatly increase the value of this edition. Todish provides the kind of insights, additional information, and corrections that can come only from someone who is thoroughly familiar with the subject.
The book's crowning touch comes from the twenty-two illustrations by Gary S. Zaboly, an accomplished historical artist whose knowledge of Robert Rogers and his times is unmatched by anyone working in the field today. Zaboly wrote short essays explaining each one of his illustrations, along with an authoritative, 31-page examination of the uniforms worn by Rogers' Rangers.
By combining the talents of Rogers, Todish, and Zaboly, this handsome volume serves as a window opening on some of the most harrowing and thrilling episodes in American history. This book is a must for anyone interested in colonial America, the Eastern Woodland Indians, and the French and Indian War.

Very well done book. This book will add alot to the knowledge on the French and Indian War. And one of the most colorful people of that time. If you would like to understand more about the modern army rangers and the past history of this great nation this is the book.

i knew mike and his mom for a few years and this is a beautiful book, real and touching....i know what its like to loose a parent and i wish i could write something as beautiful as this....

I knew Mike, (MDR) or M. Dylan Raskin in college. I always knew he loved his mother, Fran, and what a way to to bring her memory to life.I read this book in a couple of hours and did not have a dry eye as i read it . The love that Mike had and has for Fran is inmeasurable.

I lost touch with Mike over the years and how truly sorry I am for that . Mike is a special writer and was and will always be a great friend to me.
If you are reading this Mike, I would love to hear from you..
Michelle Schnepf
softballlover27@verizon.net

I read this book in an hour and a half - couldn't put it down and had tears streaming down my face towards the end. Highly recommended.

I read the book in just a few short hours. More people should write books the way he does.
What an amazing way to pay tribute to someone you love more than anything in the world. By far, one of my favorite books.

I just finished Michael's book last night. Wow! Was that powerful. If at some point you get a chance to speak with him, please let him know how much I was moved by his book. Not only did he give me a chance to see into a part of his life that is also so personal to me, but it was so well-written. He truly has a fine mind. I was so amazed by his candidness and how in touch with his feelings he is. He must have been a great support to Fran during her illness. His love for her leaped off every page. Fran was always so special to me. I always looked up to her. She was so beautiful, witty and bright. What a great love story. Please thank him for me. Love, R [Fran's cousin]

This series of books by Marshall are a worthy addition if you are an experienced player who is already familiar with the songs and know the lyrics. The lyrics are NOT available with this book. Once you have figured out the method to the transcriptions, it opens up a wonderful insight on the Beatles.

Great bargain, every Beatles song you can think of. I bought the A-I book as well and am very pleased with my choice.

For people who are interested in playing Beatle songs, this is a good book for you. Marshall is a genius. He has accurately presented the Beatles' unique, high caliber style and sound. The CD and transcripts will certainly help those wanting to play along.

To make a good thing even better, this book includes some information on each song. This book is a collection of songs of love. A winner!

This is exactly what I was looking for. Very accurate chords and lots of fun. Excellent book.

If your looking to play Beatles, this -- and the companion book -- is the place to go. Marshall has done a great job capturing the Beatles sound, and the combination of CD and transcripts make for a quick learning curve. By adjusting the balance control, you can mute the lead and play along with the backing track. The book also contains a couple of paragraphs on each song featured -- background, innovations, who is playing what, etc. You get a sense that this was a labor of love for the author, and the final product refects it.

Beebo Brinker is a one of the best of the lesbian pulp fiction novels from the 1950s, and is here reprinted in all its original steamy charm and vivacious energy. Sensual, with a timeless insight into love, lust, and relationship conflicts between women, Beebo Brinker is an enduring title as erotic and compelling today as it was when its was originally published some fifty years ago.

First things first, I'm still in the process of coming out...

Secondly, I have been a bookworm ever since I can remember. I grew up reading the likes of Nancy Drew and Babysitter's Club (Ann M. Martin) and daydreaming about the heroines, wishing they weren't straight.

I am so happy I found this book. I absolutely loved it. It was very descriptive, from the pizza place to her night watching the girls dance.

I could not put it down until there were no more pages left to devour.

The characters were strong & deliciously human.

I wish I knew about this series when I was a teenager; I would have gladly snuck over to whatever side of town just to get to these books, hid them underneath my mattress with my diary...

[...].

I love how some people can make their life a living hell. Beebo is that person. I only wish that there's more information on how Beebo's relationship with Paula went and gone. I read all of Ann Bannon's books and its been a great read .

This was one of the 1st books I read when I came "OUT". I'm not a real reader & it held my attention as well as made me laugh out loud.

Although not a very difficult read, this book glimpses into the lives of gays and lesbians during the period before Stonewall, and the sexual revolution. I felt that it was a very interesting way to learn to about the lifestyles of gays and lesbians during that time period, and on top of that it was a great story that makes you want to read it from cover to cover.

Great pictures of old New York!
Very good comanion to New York Changing since not all the images Ms. Abbott captured are in there.

This book is a great choice for those who love great photography, Berenice Abbott fans, those who are interested in the history of New York in the 1930s, and those who would like to enjoy a little nostalgia about their formative years in that magnificent city.

Berenice Abbott returned from 8 years in Europe at age 30 in January 1929, planning on a short stay. Instead, she was transfixed by the changes in the New York City scene, and became obsessed by the opportunity to capture it photographically. For the next 10 years this was her focus.

During the depths of the Depression, she was able to obtain a grant from the WPA to work with the Museum of the City of New York to create an exhaustive photographic essay of the city. This book contains the finest flowers of that remarkable assignment in 305 black and white photographs, a biographical essay about Abbott, maps of where the photographs were taken, and extensive notes on the locations and the photographic perspectives used.

The biographical essay was made more interesting by describing Abbott's strenuous financial and promotional efforts to support Atget's collection, while staving off poverty herself. The many fights over how to do the New York City project also make good reading as background for the images. Independent by nature, that quality of Abbott's probably improved the result in this case.

The presentation of the images is organized around the different geographical sections of Manhattan and the other boroughs, especially Brooklyn. As a result, you get a sense of neighborhoods as well as of individual images and locations.

As someone who learned photography from Man Ray, Abbott is a good student of abstract methods, and she subtly captures the surreal and the predominant design feeling contained in these subjects. Her works that are most like Man Ray's were the ones that most attracted me. I am very impressed by the encyclopedic knowledge that she must have developed of New York City to locate so many rewarding sights for us to consider.

My only quibble about the book was that in some sections the reproduction was too dark, so that details were unnecessarily lost that would have been of interest. But the page sizes were good for the images being presented, the design is solid, and the overall print quality was good.

My favorite images in the book were:

Immigration Building, Ellis Island

Theoline, Pier 11, East River

Tugboats, Pier 11, East River

City Arabesque

Brooklyn Bridge with Pier 21, Pennsylvania Railroad

Henry Street

Manhattan Bridge

Gunsmith

Hot Dog Stand

Wrought Iron Ornament

Doorway, 204 West 13th Street

Fifth Avenue Theatre, Orchestra, Boxes, First and Second Balconies

Father Duffy [wrapped like a Christo], Times Square

Gramercy Park West, Nos. 3-4

J.P. Morgan House

Murray Hill Hotel, Spiral

Billie's Bar

Wheelock House

Watuppa, from Brooklyn Waterfront

Even though your photography may not be as good as you like, there is a lot of human value in making such a pictoral history of where you live. You can use this volume to get ideas for compositions and shooting angles. In this way, you can deepen your appreciation for Abbott's work.

Capture the important truths around you for all to see!

This book is a fascinating pictorial history of New York during the '30s as shown through the beautiful duotone plates that Bernice Abbott took between 1935-1939. These pictures were taken as part of the Work's Progress Administration sponsorship of the arts. The clarity of the pictures combined with the excellent reproduction in the book makes this a must have for anyone who wants to see exactly what New York was like right after the Depression and before the war. It is like stepping back in time and seeing life as it was. The high contrast of the plates brings out tremendous details and these pictures beg for closer examination to really pick up the feel of the era - the signs in the windows for 10 cent haircuts or the hardware store with all of the goods splayed out on the street with handmade signs showing the prices. All of this adds to the visual wonder of this book. This book is far more than a coffee table edition. It is a reference unlike any other about New York.

Granted this is an expensive book (or the hardback edition is), but to anyone interested in what New York City looked like in the latter half of the 30's, or fans of Abbott's work, or of WPA photography, it's well worth it. You'll notice details here that you missed in the Dover reprint "New York in the Thirties" and there are many more photos here as well, quite a few seeing publication for the first time. There's loads of ancillary information too, including maps that indicate exactly where in New York each photo was taken. This book is a treasurehouse.

This book is wonderful. The author has produced a perfect book. It is very faithful to Abbott's vision. Abbott has an unerring eye. Notice all the signage. It is everywhere. On sides of buildings. In windows. Above buildings on the roof. By comparison, we live in a visually impoverished age.

This book will help you increase your close rate and get more prospects

This book can be used as an introduction to sales, as well as being used by a professional. It has detailed situations, and how to handle them. This book should be in every salesmens' hands, it will increase your sales % to 70+, it truely works! If you have to search everywhere for this book, it is definetly worth it.

I love this book, as it really puts your ethics in as far as using the skills he teaches to get a product, and not be a liar, or jump/skip channels!!

I can see if EVERY car salesman, or any unethical salesman were to read this and apply it, well, they would one day get rid of the bad stigma attached to sales!!!

I cant say ENOUGH about how great this book is!!

This book is amazing. It's great for knowing where you're going and how to get there and pushes pushes pushes you into confronting what you have to do to get an actual viable sales team and project.

It's the definitive guide to selling and really shows you how it's done.

This book on salesmanship gives a new salesperson entering the field for the first time a treasure chest of wisdom. Dane goes over many scenarios, all of which any seasoned salesman will attest to having experienced at one time or another. His wit and brilliance teaches one the most fundamental techniques at the same time as allowing the salesman to maintain his integrity and honesty and truly satisfy the customer. It is a well rounded book, and I often re-read it for use on the job. If you can obtain a copy, it will be worth the hunt. You will want this one for your arsenal.

This is the second of the Kennedy books I have read. I liked 'Ironweed' much better. True, this one has a great opening scene in which there is a head- on- head bowling match related with great suspense and pizzazz. Billy takes on a serious cheap character named Streck. Each one has his own backer. Streck's is Charlie McCall a scion of the family that runs Albany political life. Billy Phelan's is Morrie Berman, a small- time Jewish hood who has sympathy for the fatherless Phelan. The bowling match and especially its aftermath takes a surprising and violent turn, in typical Kennedy style.
At the end of the novel Billy Phelan who has stood by his principles and is not a stoolie finds himself ostracized.
All in all this is a tough realistic work, with sharp dialect and real humor.
If I did not go for it as much as I went for the 'Ironweed' book it is I believe because the violence of the whole thing, the world and the people in it, come to finally turn me off. As I see it Kennedy is a kind of more realistic, and serious Damon Runyan. But precisely Runyan's gentleness with his characters, his feeling that the oddballs and screwballs of his gambling, sports , crime world are loveable jerks after all is what greatly appeals to me. This is not to say Kennedy does not do a good job in delineating admirable sides of his characters, but rather only anything which goes so swiftly and casually from violence to violence ( even in language)is not my cup of Schaefer's , Budweiser's , Ballantine's Miller's , Molson's or any other Albany beer.

Billy Phelan, son of long gone Francis (Ironweed) has become a "man about town" on the streets of Albany. A snappy dresser, willing to participate in, or bet on, any game in town, has found himself caught up in a kidnapping. This isn't just another game and Billy must play the game of his life for his life.Again Kennedy has the talent to make his wide variety of characters true. My advice is to read this book before Flaming Corsage. The whole cast is there.

"Billy Phelan's Greatest Game" by William Kennedy is a mesmerizing, hysterical, and suspenseful romp through Depression-era Albany. Read the first chapter, where Billy bowls someone "to death", and I seriously doubt that you will put the book down. Billy is one of the most memorable characters in William Kennedy's galaxy, moreso than Francis Phelan in my book. Billy is a risk-taker, a guy whose heart is in the right place, and a rough-and-tumble sort that relies on his confidence in the midst of trouble. And these are the qualities that make him the inevitable, although unwilling, middle-man in a kidnapping negotiation.

Billy's world of gamblers, drinkers, sharks, corrupt Albany lackies, and broken families is dark and smoky but never despairing or hopeless. And Billy's moral calculus is a bright spot in this otherwise bleak setting. For my money, "Billy Phelan's Greatest Game" is the best of three in the Albany cycle. I found "Legs" to be slow-going and lacking focus. "Ironweed" is a sensational book, a close second to this novel, but its plot of two drinkers going from job to job, joint to joint, drink to drink does begin to wear down. "Billy Phelan's Greatest Game" has a good deal of plot tension, moral conflicts, humor, and a wider array of characters. I'm in the minority here, and that's fine, but in my analysis it's
WIN: (by a nose)"Billy Phelan's Greatest Game"
PLACE: "Ironweed"
SHOW: "Legs"

Billy Phelan is my fave of the great Kennedys' books. Billy is a fun guy to roam about with, listen to, learn from and even be inspired by. He is a great pool shooter, decent poker player, half-ass bookie and lovely raconteur.He takes the world as it comes and dives in to any and all of it with gusto and guts.Kennedy tosses in illustrative examples of the magic in daily life and the importance of being able to bounce back from those inevitable moments of (temporary!) defeat. All this told in Kennedys fine voice, a voice like that of a chain-smoking angel who can tell a snappy joke or a dazzling blue stretcher. What fun.

Albany, New York, during the Depression, when mobsters, crooked politicians, and fast-buck artists were in control, is the setting of _Billy Phelan's Greatest Game-, the second in William Kennedy's "Albany cycle." With some of the same characters appearing in the earlier _Legs_, and later appearing in the later Pulitzer Prize-winning novel _Ironweed_, this novel is a huge step forward for Kennedy. His ability to define character, create suspense, and explore major themes affecting fathers and sons and their values is far more sophisticated here than in _Legs_, the story of mobster Jack "Legs" Diamond.

In a sensational opening scene young Billy Phelan, part-time bookie and small-time card-player and gambler, is bowling the string of his life--two strikes away from a perfect score. The unexpected conclusion of the match, and its consequences for his opponent, produce a kind of metaphor for life in this era: Everyone lives on the edge, no one knows when disaster will strike, and there's not much anyone can do about it. Billy, whose father disappeared when he was young, is doing the best he can, "honoring" those he must "honor," helping his mother and sister, and acquiring a local reputation as a "good guy," taking bets and paying off, and not straying far from home.

When one of his acquaintances, Charlie MacCall, the son and nephew of two local pols, is kidnapped, Billy is asked to monitor the activities of one of the men with whom he plays cards, a man suspected of involvement in the kidnapping. Not a "stoolie," Billy faces a crisis of conscience. The reappearance of his father, an alcoholic who "helps" people who can help him, adds to his dilemma, since he counsels cooperation. Martin Daugherty, a newspaper columnist, offers a more mature view while commenting on the political and social aspects of the kidnapping of Charlie MacCall.

Whereas _Legs_ is a fairly straightforward biographical novel, this novel is far more complex. Numerous sets of fathers and sons, all of whom have intergenerational problems, reveal the changing morality of Depression-era Albany. Billy's moral code is more stringent than his father's, Martin Daugherty's son is studying for the priesthood (to his dismay), and the kidnapped Charlie MacCall is isolated from the political machine of his father and uncle. An outstanding novel which has not received its due recognition, this is a carefully crafted novel with well developed themes, dramatic dialogue, and grounding in setting that is rare in modern fiction. n Mary Whipple

The novel is an interesting story about a man's experiences in the financial industry and his struggles with himself given the ethics of that industry. The author does an excellent job of explaining basic financial concepts so that the reader gets an education in that world, and this makes the book more interesting.

This book has it all--terrific locations, love, sex, and greed, with a main character--Nick Larson--that you just have to root for as he struggles with right and wrong. The author hits the nail on the head with the backroom shenanigans of the financial market. He clearly knows the ins and outs of the financial world. The story portrayed could easily be tomorrow's headline.

Having a background in the securities industry along with twenty five years in he oil and gas business, I was astonished at how Mr. Issacman wove such a realistice story that was so thoroughly enjoyable. I literally could not put the book down.

Even though I have a background in both industries, this book would be of interest to anyone seeking the enjoyment of a well written novel of intrigue that also captures the timeliness of corporate coruption in business today.

max isaacman did a great job describing the pump and dump of a houston oil stock--he also showsthe very human side of a stockbroker who is searching to do good--he is lonely but has to make a living--a onetime big producer -sucessfull broker but when his wife dies --things begin happening to hime--a very human story--a fast exciting read that you can not put down--mr isaacman is the louie lamore for stock traders and investors--

I've read a couple of books on investing in the stock market by Max Isaacman and found them interesting and informative. The problem is that books about the market go out of date quickly, depending upon the cycle. Max's latest is a novel, "Blizzard of Money," and while also about the stock market, it isn't going out of date anytime soon. It is a thrill a minute ride through the world of international oil intrigue, wheeler-dealers, financiers, analysts and stock brokers with a heroin, Nick Larson, whom you can't help but like.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is that I feel I know, or at least recognize, many of the characters. From Nick Larson to his special friend, Linda, deceased wife, Julie, oil tycoon, Bret Wells, money manager, Lenny Zellon and so on, I've believe I've met them all. Another thing that amazes is that the author weaves a yarn with a topic that is, or certainly could be, current news. It is sort of a cross between the old film, "Wall Street," and the more recent film, "Boiler Room."

In our current world we have been swamped with news of boardroom antics and financial manipulation. The headlines have screamed Enron, WorldCom and Tyco. This novel is so real you feel you can almost add the name Nugget Petroleum of Houston to the current roster. Does a Houston setting have a familiar ring? When you add in other wonderful venues such as San Francisco and Buenos Aires you have a novel that has real glamour locations as its backdrop.

This author knows of that which he speaks. He has constructed a story of suspense that is both timely and interesting. It will appeal to those people who are not in the financial arena as well as those that are. While you may not read the entire book in one night it will certainly keep you enough in suspense to finish it in two.

I found myself overlooking the rough edges in this book and simply enjoying experience of being held in the hands of a true storyteller. I am not a boxer and don't frequent Hell's Kitchen but after ten pages I was completely invested in the lives of the characters. The author's compassion and heart come through in every scene. Buy this book and enjoy it!

This is a strong, compelling first novel written by an author who brings compassion and heart to each of his characters. I recommend it highly.

Matt Bloom has created not only a tale of moral struggle, but has evoked disturbingly real, multi-faceted characters that draw one in not by
contrived heroism or allegory, but by unflinching attention to gut realism. He does not sweeten his characters or scenarios to make them artificially sympathetic, but displays a finely honed sensitivity and courage to face and evoke the emptiness and search for authenticity of his range of characters and experience. This is all accomplished with the skill and depth possessed only by a true writer, one who yearns to and succeeds at creating new and genuine realities.

I not only had the pleasure of watching Matt immerse himself in disparate lifestyles in order to feed his writing over the years, but I boxed lots of rounds with him. It is an honor to have seen him turn his cultivated, unpretentious talent, his hours of training and taking (and slipping - he's really good in the ring) punches, and his uncompromised immersion into life, and turn them into literature that is both memorably fine and a pleasure to experience. Highly recommended.

In Blue Paradise, Matt Bloom creates a vivid landscape of stragglers and ragged souls - but you could never call them losers, for one of Bloom's gifts as a writer is that his characters live within the real world, where hope is always a choice, for those who reach for it.

This novel is full of great characters populating a world the reader can see, hear and almost touch. It's a difficult, painful world - one might even say it's sordid in many ways, but I have to say that the author's sympathy and understanding,not to be confused with sentimentality, for his characters brings a strong sense of realism and complexity to this work.

Of course, it's fundamentally a great story, with a good dose of suspense and an ending that, quite frankly, gives me goosebumps.

I just can't resist checking out fresh young voices whose books deal with New York City sleaze and whose main characters are named Nick.

Nick is a young bartender in a working class bar in the west 40's. He is a boxer who is training for his big fight. Naturally, the local mob figures want him to throw the fight. His best friend, Jimmy, is a loser who patronizes massage and porn parlors, drinks too much, and always is trying schemes that don't work. The author uses simple words but yet gets into the heart and soul of the characters. I felt their reality as they moved about in their world, breathed the dust on the West Side Highway, smelled the beer in the bar, felt the mugginess of the summer heat wave. More characterization than story, but I still couldn't stop reading. A good first novel and an author to watch. Recommended.