Q Books

After you finish this book, you will wish you had read it a couple years earlier so you could have had a chance to meet this great American. I have known for a long time that Sheldon was a great author but had no idea that he had lived the ultimate American Dream before he started writing so late in life. The book inspired me to read his fiction and he is now one of my favorite authors. In his fiction, you will see many of the characters from his life. This is a great rags to riches story!

Sidney Sheldon invites his readers to understand the plays in Hollywood, Broadway, stage, film, television, and even publishing. He aspired to be a writer from the most humblest beginnings in Chicago. His parents' marriage was not always a happy one. Sidney would marry Jorja, an actress. They have a daughter, Mary. They lost another daughter from spina bifida at birth. They adopted a girl only to have her taken away 6 months later by the birth mother. Sidney had financial problems along the way. He conquered the film industry and won an Oscar but he was not getting the work that he longed for. He turned to television after he also did stage and film. He helped write the Patty Duke Show and I Dream of Jeannie. Neither shows were without it's problematic stars. Patty Duke was being a virtual prisoner by the Rosses, her managers. Larry Hagman wanted to be bigger than Barbara Eden but that came later in his show, Dallas. Sidney Sheldon learned a lot in HOllywood about breaking in the business. It takes more than the drive to be a good writer, it takes a lot of luck.

The style of this autobiography is uniquely Sheldon and completely engrossing. As he explained in a 1982 interview : "I try to write my books so the reader can't put them down, I try to construct them so when the reader gets to the end of a chapter, he or she has to read just one more chapter. It's the technique of the old Saturday afternoon serial: leave the guy hanging on the edge of the cliff at the end of the chapter."

The book starts with his impoverished childhood during the Great Depression and surprisingly ends before his meteoric rise as a successful novelist.

Born Sidney Schechtel in Chicago in 1917 to German & Russian parents, Sheldon's life had more ups and downs than a month of roller coaster rides. A long time sufferer from manic depression or bipolar disorder as it is now called, he often turned away at critical moments from paths that were just opening up to him.

Success took time coming his way and even when it did, it didn't stay long. (Not until his writing career took off, then there was no looking back) In his words - "Success is an elevator that moves up and down". His ups included having three musical hits playing simultaneously on Broadway, the Oscar and the Screen Writers Guild award for Best Musical for "Annie Get your Gun" The downs included long periods of unemployment and blacklisting by the studios.

There are so many anecdotes about so many famous people that are a pleasure to read. Groucho Marx was an extremely close friend and also Godfather of Sheldon's daughter Mary. Having seen the Hollywood industry as a writer, producer and director his insights are precise and delightful.

My only disappointment was is that I wish he had written a part two before his death on January 30th, this year. He does throw a few morsels about his writing life experiences, but they just aren't enough for his adoring fans.

This book is about Sidney Sheldon's life and is very good but is not a page turner like all of his other books of fictional mysteries.

If you're a fan of Sidney Sheldon's, you'll appreciate this book. In addition to being a prolific writer, you'll find a multi-talented writer of many popular scripts. The books includes photos of Sheldon with many of the Hollywood stars he's worked with. A fantastic journey of his life, including his greatest challenge of dealing with bi-polar.

I thought this book would be more how to be "smooth" and "cool", but it more about getting your life on track, with a few tips on "coolness". It did motivate me though and I have been a much better house keeper since reading this book.

If you want to improve your lifestyle, you need this book.
If you want self-improvement, you need this book.
If you want to gain a happier life, you need this book.

The book is a step-by-step guildline to improve your LIFE. It is practical and easy to follow. It really works.

Thanks Mr. Kyriazi, you wrote a great book.

You'd expect this to be a joke, but Kyriazi takes his Bond very seriously. This is an amazing book, one that gets you excited just thinking of all the possibilities that the techniques could open up for you. Highly recommended!

Kyrazi's Bond seminar book offers a lot of good, practical advice that, upon first glance, seems like a no-brainer. But just the fact that one has purchased this book shows that he or she is motivated to improve his or her lifestyle, and the advice offered in this title becomes more realistic and attainable than it was before with that first step.
Although the text is not the great American novel by any stretch of the imagination, and I would go so far as to say that it is poorly written as far as books are concerned, this is not the point of the book; nor is it the point of the book to turn someone into James Bond or even to get someone to accomplish all of the things suggested therein (you have to be able to pick and choose things that are relevant to your life, personally, as we are all unique individuals). The book is, however, meant to help someone achieve his or her maximum potential as a unique human being, and this is what Paul Kyriazi does extremely well in the book. I have seen immediate results, and I haven't looked back since. The only place to go is up.

I hadn't expected a curious thing that happened while reading "The Complete James Bond Lifestyle Seminar" book: I was already doing a lot of what I found there. But I'm in my early 40's and I've been watching and rewatching the Bond films for most of my conscious life (I'm currently rereading all of the novels and just finished Andrew Lycett's wonderful bio of Ian Fleming), so it stands to reason that something had to rub off.

But if you're in your 20's or 30's, I'm sure you'll pick up a lot of very helpful tips about the style of your new cool life. The author doesn't limit his seminar to 007 but also includes very cool and swingin' insights from Bond's American cousins--Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.

I have to disagree with the author on page 217. He writes, "I've never seen Bond running out the door yelling, 'I'm late. I'll never make it.'" The section is called "Be Early." Good advice. And it's true that we've never seen Bond rush out late...but that doesn't mean he's always on time either. In THUNDERBALL, M chides him in front of the other double-O's with, "Now that we're all here!" And how many films have shown a flustered Moneypenny trying to track him down?
He might be late once in a while...he just doesn't get excited about it, even if the world hangs in the balance.

But that's a quibble, along with typos and the first half of the book mentioning "Blowfeld" instead of "Blofeld" (it's corrected in the second half).

So with tongue firmly planted in cheek and open to improving your coolness, you'll have a good time reading through this seminar for tips. I did.

Like all of the other singers and musicians, Quincy Jones should stick with music. But i guesse if you can write music you can write a book. I just found it pretty boring. Quincy does awesome music though.

If you liked this book check out all of Quincy Jones's Cds

This is a dangerously important and uplifting book. It is subversive in the sense that it reveals one of the darkest secrets about the "real souls of Black people:" That music provides the streetlights that illuminate "the royal road to hope and survival."

This book recalls in my own mind, during the same times that Q's musical life literally exploded (the two years from 14 to 16) -- the years when he literally went from "street urchin to musical genius" in one giant step, that it so happens that this was the same period that my stepfather and his returning army WW-II buddies were teasing each other about "combat boots" being their first real pair of shoes. Being essentially true made the joke all the more painful.

Yet, all of these Arkansas farm boys were in college on the GI Bill; and most importantly, they could all play musical instruments and could sing and dance and read music - especially the Harmonica, the piano, and the guitar. I naturally grew up thinking that doing these things was innate. It came as a great shock to me: when after getting a harmonic for Christmas, it did not play itself. I could not play a single song on the darn thing? I naturally thought that there was something terribly wrong with me: Maybe I was genetically defective? Although I did eventually learn to play the trumpet after a painful and lengthy apprenticeship, it still mystifies me, as to how it was that those in my father's and Q's generation picked up music as if it blew in through the window from off the wind?

That among other reasons is why this book is so terribly important: right after the war, music and sports provided the cushions for finding a semi-normal existence in a world gone mad with poverty and its racist rules and traditions. Q's life was different than most other inner city black kids only in the fact that his mother had to be committed to an insane asylum while he was young. This of course made the urgency for music in his life an even more important existential imperative: As he notes, his discovery of music became, not just his mistress (as it was for Duke Ellington), but also his mother.

But that is only part of the uplifting story told here, somehow, poverty, depravation, and humiliation during the era of "full" American Apartheid, could always be turned on its head: Somehow, there were always unguarded existential escape routes to both sanity and occasionally to success. Q followed his heart and found his talents, which as it turns out were considerable.

Living on the margins, on the outskirts of mainstream society, can either empower you or embitter you, or send you to the insane asylum as it did Q's mother. But either way, music and sports (and not the bible, the only thing that Q's mother took with her to the insane asylum) will help illuminate the way.

Five Stars

I loved it! I'm learning the piano and thought I could learn something from the best. I learned more. I'm a big music lover and love Quincy and his music. He's worked with the best of the legends, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billy Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Dina Washington, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson etc. etc. He's had an incredible life! And not without tragedy and set backs and overcame them all. His family is beautiful. How he forgave the sad and unfair things done to him. Tears and laughter, so moving, especially about his brother Lloyd. Quincy's my hero. I knew he was great, but he's more. I'm so grateful he shared his life with us. I learned so much! Let the Light heal the dark places, and listen to God's whispers is where I want to be. Thank you Quincy!

I was extremely impressed. Scouting the library, I saw the book and I thought, Hey, this might be good. That night, I read 45 pages, with the school the following day: it was almost a priority. He really is a multi-talented fellow. Of his biggest accomplishment, (arguably, I mean besides his 29 Grammys) was Michael Jackson's Thriller album, but this guy can do anything. The stories are humble, the style down to earth and approachable, and above all, the stories were great. This isn't your ordinary 900 page presidential autobiography. I recommend it to anyone who appreciates autobiographies, truly something worth reading.

I was amazed at how good this book is. This book makes you want to know what's going to happen next. I never knew Quincy Jones had a hard childhood. I think I would rather starve than eat rats. I love the fact that Quincy doesn't just talk about music all the time but Quincy went deep into his personal life. I admire the fact that Quincy never gave up on his dream to become a trumpeter. I'm surprised at how successful Quincy is with all the problems he had. Reading this book inspires me to always follow my dreams, no matter what. I recommend this book BIG TIME to anyone interested in his life!

I'm not vouching for the viewpoints taken or the commentaries on our bizarre human condition and culture necessarily, but this thick book (with a great cd of original and funny music) with its outrageous take on everything sacred is an inspiring dig into an artist's convoluted (but somehow eerily solid) psyche. I first saw many of these strips and characters in underground comics, tabs, independent newspapers, etc. back when I was a teen in the 70's and always was amazed at the hard-hitting art and dialogue. IT IS A TRIP! Sometimes, when the right frame of mind is brought around, this book will have you laughing more than you can barely stand. Just flow with it and forget your rigid alter-ego at the coat check. This is theater for the insane (with strong metaphorical realism). TAKE IT FOR FOR WHAT IT IS! A WINDOW INTO THE MIND OF A TRUE ARTIST. Makes a great gift for the moral majority members of your local PTA.

A fascinating man talks about his life. Small format means the artwork is a little hard to read, tho.

Includes a great CD Sampler with some hard to find Cheap Suit Serenaders songs, along with some of R. Crumb's other bands. Worth the price for the disc alone, and you get a great book as a companion!

Before I got this a few weeks ago, I didn't think much of Crumb in comparison to the other 60's underground cartoonists that I read of in a book called "rebel visions". But that tome contained skimpy explainations on the featured artists, and really only contained Crumb's more "commercial" (crappy) work. But this handbook, with extensive artwork, photos, and narration by Crumb himself is a different, and oddly uplifting critique of the media illusion, personal failure and triumphs, family values, and of being left handed-I know, I'm one of em'-yes, were all perverts, yes, were all useless people with a knack for genius, and yes, were all attracted to music, concepts, and culture that few people can possibly comprehend or appreciate. Read it for all the gory details! The CD is okay. The cartoons are hilarious.

R. Crumb just may well be the most honest observer of the American scene of our generation. Since the mid-60s he's been looking at us and himself and putting his findings on paper. His eye has shifted focus several times over the past 50 years: early, cute satire; greeting card stuff that frequently was too risque to make it into print; the zapped LSD-inspired hippie drawings that made him the "father of underground comix"; the sexual confessions that earned him the hatred of some feminists and got him blacklisted from libraries (see the librarian's review of this book); the social critic who deplores consumerism, agri-industry, mass media, the ratrace, and the worship of the Almighty Buck; the music afficionado who writes incredible stories about his favorite musicians and musical genre; the philosopher who speculates about life, sex, fear, fame, and death; and always the autobiographer, who plumbs and probes and fingers his own psyche.

The R. Crumb Handbook is the latest chronological/autobiographical compilation of his work. It's a good companion volume to The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book, which came out a decade ago. Crumb apparently doesn't like putting these things together, and does so only when he needs some cash (the Coffee Table Art Book paid for putting central heating in his French house). But both books are fine introductions to Crumb's work for those who've just discovered him, and nice walks down memory lane for those who are longtime fans. The artwork is punctuated by short Crumb essays, as well as a few appropriate quotes from folks like James Kunstler, C.G. Jung, and Charles Bukowski. The Crumb essays are interesting, but not as detailed as those found in the Coffee Table Art Book. But the Handbook includes the fantastic CD of music recorded over a period of 30 years by Crumb and his music pals

But there are some pleasant surprises in the hefty Handbook. There are several pages, for example, of "The Crumb Family," a strip co-authored by Crumb and Aline Crumb-Kominsky (pp. 218-229). It's absolutely hilarious, and exceedingly clever--which may be why the strip never made it to serialization. There are photos of Crumb-inspired tattoos--including one on a woman's firm tush--is it Aline's?--and of the life size statues of Devil Girl and Vulture Goddess Crumb sculpted in the 1990s. The Handbook also documents several European exhibitions of Crumb's work, including the one at the 1992 Angouleme comics Festival in France which featured a huge walk-in sized Crumb exploding head.

For my money, though, the best of the latest stuff collected in the Handbook are the "philosophical reflections" on knowledge, personal identity, significance, and so on, with which Crumb filled his sketchbooks in the late 90s (pp. 370-390). They suggest a man who's beginning to feel his time running out and who wants to try to figure out a few things before the night closes in.

One of the most touching--and revealing--illustrations in the Handbook is its final illustration in which Crumb lists the cartoonists and illustrators who've influenced him. At the very top of the list is his genius and tragic older brother, Charles Crumb, Jr.

This is a decent refresher on formal (and not so formal) logic, for anyone who took a logic class so many years ago. Or for those who didn't, it's a good introduction. It's modeled more or less on Strunk and White, so it's concise (maybe a bit too much), and it's not very technical. It doesn't cover all the bases, e.g. there's nothing on truth trees, but it does a good job with the fundamentals, including the more common fallacies.

Someone (maybe this author) said something to the effect that logic is the most neglected subject in US schools today and the most in need of being returned to a central place in the curriculum. If that's not precisely true, it must be pretty close. Just look at what passes for political debate these days, and the fact that almost no one cares that candidates don't actually use premises, don't bother with valid arguments, don't make rational connections, and draw conclusions that can't possibly be supported. Sheesh .... Copies should be handed out with all birth certificates.

I found this book to very helpful. I discuss logic with a close circle of friends now and my rhetoric as well as my thinking process has gotten a lot better. This book is very helpful from start to finish with intuitive examples and provides a solid foundation.

I do wish that there was a section in the back for further reading, but I found my way through regardless.

Highly recommended!

This book aims to be to logic, what "The Elements of Style" is to writing. Arranged in 5 parts ("Preparing the mind for logic", "basic principles of logic", "The argument", "sources of illogical thinking" and "principle forms of illogical thinking"), each part has short highly-readable sections. Perhaps in "Preparing the mind of logic" McInery is "preachy" such as "It is juvenile to use language simply to shock.", "not to pursue the truth, would be absurd, since it the only thing that gives meaning ...". We would be missing great poetry if everyone avoided "ambiguous language" or the "state of uncertainty concerning the truth".

Under "Basic principles", perhaps he avoids some of the harder problems of "primary cause" under the principle of sufficient reason. In "The Argument" he painlessly introduces deduction, syllogism, symbology and even Venn diagrams while avoiding cumbersome terminology. His discussion of "inductive" argument was somewhat weak and scattered, and he could have done with better exploration of "Causal connections" and probability. His emphasis on truth could have been improved with discussion of standards for evidence. Perhaps in the section on "sources of illogical thinking", he offers good advice, but a little simplistic, and contra to his advice on skepticism is Rene Descartes "Everything can be doubted". In this season of election debates the "principle forms of illogical thinking" is a concise introduction.

This is a well written book for introducing logic, but more experienced readers will want to move on to other works.

Buy A Rulebook for Arguments by Anthony Weston instead of this book. Reasons are below.

Both Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking by D.Q. Mcinerny (this book), and A Rulebook for Arguments, by Anthony Weston site the same exact book as their inspiration. Both books are of similar structure, focused on the topic of logic. They both reference The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. (and E. B. White) as their source of inspiration.

As a result, both books attempt to be a short book, easy to read, with the goal of explaining the basic rules of logic to anyone. This book only meets two of the three goals. The other meets all three.

This book is short, and does review the basic rules of logic and critical thinking. However, while someone can breeze through A Rulebook for Arguments with almost no effort, this book (Being Logical) is a bit tough to read at times by comparison.

For example, there is a passage in Negative Statements section of the Language of Logic chapter where the author spends a paragraph or two concluding that it is always clearer to your audience to use the positive phrasing of a statement whenever possible. The very next paragraph begins with an unnecessary use of a negative statement (middle of page 54). Not only does it dawn on the reader that the author violated their own rule, but the book is full of language that is slightly more complex than it needs to be.

Some of the examples that use science can bother someone with a science background. The author occasionally trys to emphasize how concrete something can be by using a "hard science" as an example. When doing so it became even more mixed up. In one passage the author used molecules and elements as though they were interchangeable terms with identical meaning. If you don't know, maybe it doesn't bother you that molecules are composed of the elements, in a higher more ordered complex structure, and the terms don't have the same meaning. The point of logic trying to be made was still there, but it just got muddied a bit when you get bogged down in "huh? but..."

The book is too simple to the point that the author makes u feel like an idiot. Poor examples and wash down prose.

there are much better book in the topic than this

Love this book. Haven't found a bad recipe yet. The hot wings got raves from eveyone I've made them for. Have a huge collection of BBQ books. This one is in the top 10.

I have had Mr Willingham's book for over 8 years now and still consider it part of my bbq inner sanctum. It's not just his great rubs and sauces but his enthusiasm for the process! In my opinion the key to having fun with BBQ is experementing with various rubs, mops, marinades and pastes (wet rubs if you will). John's book for me was what got me started "Having fun". I highly suggest John's rubs and sauses, espicially if you ar just starting out. They are very good and work with a wide variety of meat, poultry or fish. John's instructions are very straight forward. If you catch the bug I also recomend Paul Kirk's "Championship Barbecue Sauces". Paul's book will take you deeper into the variaties of rubs, sauces etc. Above all remember - Have Fun and eat well!

I received John Willingham's book as a gift and have read it cover to cover. It's packed full of bbq secrets from the greatest bbq contest cook to ever put on an apron. Willingham details basic cooking methods including what wood to use and what wood not to use, temperatures to cook at, and he provides his personal recipes. I especially like the rib recipe and his recipe for pork shoulder. These recipes can be used as written, or you can tweak them slightly to suit your personal taste. The recipes alone would be worth the price of the book.

This book has very good tips and methods on HOW to BBQ, and is then followed by a decent number of recipes. The recipes are not quite my style, but they are good anyway. One big positive thing about this book is how it describes building your own pit. Not all books do that, and information on building your own pit is fairly scarce. I agree with an earlier reviewer that this book tended to advertise the authors products a bit, but the author also gave some knock-off recipes so you don't have to buy his products. I would recommend this book for a beginner who doesn't want a really big book. This book is thinner than some of the other big BBQ compilations, and that is nice, but I prefer some of the larger books personally. My favorites and "Smoke and Spice" by Cheryl Jamison and "Paul Kirks Championship Barbecue". These are both large books, but worth every ounce in pure BBQ heaven!

I found this book to be an overhyped offering by a veteran of the competative BBQ circuit, and I'm of the opinion that their publisher went along for the ride and joined in the overhyping frenzy because they want to make money too ... regardless of whether or not the book lives up to its own hype.

STRENGTHS:
* The author does at least cover some of the basics of classic BBQ, including dry rubs, mop sauces & marinades, basic wood use, and the like, and he waxes nicely poetic in places about the joys of slow cooking. Props for the latter, because it's sadly going out of style.

* There's some modestly decent introductory information in here on hardcore BBQing.

* Some of the recipes in back actually appear fairly decent old fashioned offerings ... like shoofly pie.

WEAKNESSES:
* There's only 150 recipes in here, many of them borrowed from friends and acquaintances, and ranging widely in quality from very good to merely adequate. So in a word, this book is thin on serious content, and it's padded with recipes that aren't even the author's. Wait, lemme re-check the cover ... yes, the cover clearly implies that the book is indeed SUPPOSED to be about 'world champion' BBQ recipes - so how did all the padding by non-champs and non-BBQ get in there ?

* You can't have a serious book on BBQ without spending a decent portion of the page count on primal cuts of beef and pork, how best to break them down and approach each. The author spends too little time on such material, to the book's detriment. I expected more effort from a 'world champion' - not that the title really means all that much.

* Many of the condiments, mixes, rubs, and sauces called out are proprietary, and are primarily available from the author's own little startup company (very convenient and opportunistic, yes ?). The author does deign to lay out recipes for a dry rub or two, and a basic mop sauce or two, but he could have done more on that. My philosophy is simple - either tell me how to make it (and why), or keep the book (and the product placements) and get stuffed.

* Much of the equipment that the author waxes poetic about is his own personal (and highly customized) BBQing rig, which the readers will never have a chance to work with. He doesn't spend enough time/depth covering the type of equipment commonly available to most readers (ex: basic 'bullet' water smokers, basic offset smokers, electric smokers), and the result of this somewhat self-serving focus is that the usefulness of the book to the everyday reader is significantly undermined.

BOTTOM LINE: Lots of hype, and a pretty cover photo, but thinnish on genuinely useful content. I'm not saying that the author can't cook - rather, I'm saying that he doesn't do nearly a good enough job passing such skill on the readers. So, this book is a bit like a meatball hero ... it looks pretty when you order it, but one you bite in, it's mostly filler and not enough meat. There are LOTS of better book on BBQ out there. Save your money, and avoid this one. This book is proof positive that having BBQ trophies on one's wall does NOT mean that someone's any good at writing cookbooks.

Incidentally, shame on everyone who raves about this book - it seems rather clear to me that people who do either know relatively little about serious cooking or reviewing books about the same, or they're chiefly interested in boosting their personal amazon stats ... perhaps both.

Content: Spock and Q engage in a debate regarding a potentially life-extinguishing asteroid headed toward Earth.

I bought this at a library book sale and assumed that it was a serious debate since the two actors look rather serious on the cover (hint to book artists: cover design should give indication of book content). Listening to this tape was like listening to one of those old radio broadcasts from the mid-20th century era. Spock's final words, "Say goodnight, Q", even echo the old George Burns/Gracie Allen dialogs which ended with "Say goodnight, Gracie". Although the program is supposed to be humorous and even witty - it disappoints due to the unsophisticated silliness which permeates the dialog. Nimoy and deLancie are fine, it is the material that is not very good.

I did enjoy this CD but the debate between the two men sounded so scripted that it took some of the pleasure out of the experience. Unless you're a hard-core Trekker,this isn't for you.

This is a very funny, very witty exchange by two of the most misunderstood beings in our galaxy. This one is as good as the sequel is awful. Stop after you've heard this one. It is a masterpiece!

This tape is very funny, a joy to listen to, although if you aren't very familiar with the history of Star Trek, you will not understand many of the jokes. The premise is that an asteroid is on a collision course with Earth and Q has the power to prevent it. Spock has traveled back in time in an attempt to convince Q that humans are worth saving. A challenge is issued and the two engage in a verbal battle of wits, logic, personality and intelligence. Riddles are stated, puns and subtle insults are thrown and humanities flaws and successes are cited.
Spock remains his logical self, although he allows a bit of a sprite to appear in his personality. Q is still the trickster, yet he allows some of the respect he has for Spock to show through. Recorded in front of a live audience, the performances of Nimoy and de Lancie are excellent. The writing is also superb, many of the jokes and personal barbs are subtle and you must pay close attention or you will miss them. Spock wins the debate and Q moves the asteroid away from the Earth so it will not collide with it for another two decades or so. "Just so that humanity will have something to challenge them in the future." I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this tape two times in quick succession.

I found the audio tape absolutely hilarious. It was a non-stop laugh. I would highly recommend.

For about four years i've been reading this book, and it has never made me regret buying it. This is one of the best books published on this subject nowadays, and its wonderful that it comes out every year. I look forward to each new copy.
It has gained a notoriety among the community, and has even been used in movies like "The Craft." It's a shame this book is not more popular; its really a treasure, and should be known by everyone.

What I like about this almanac is the calendar for the lunar cycles, astrology and the suggestions for each day. It is a wonderful way to stay in tune with the universal vibe. I also found the rituals for new moon (previous issue) helpful and herbal lore and recipes for sachets, etc. This almanac has something for everyone whether you practice wicca or not.
It has definitely added more depth to my practice being somewhat new to the craft. Highly recommend in addition to Llewellyn's.

I haven't missed a year of these books since--well I don't know when. Fun and fact filled, this book is definately an enhancement to any witch's library. I refer to it every morning and evening, if just to see what phase the moon is in or what bit of insight they give for that day. Very entertaining with informative articles and essays on everything wiccan or nature related.

I run on online group for people interested in Wicca/paganism. Many of the people in my group are interested in knowing about the phases of the moon, astrology, etc. This book has been an excellent resource for those things.

I am pleased to say that this is exactly what I was looking for in an Almanac -- something that simply tells me the phases of the moon, important dates, etc. with other charming articles, poems, and artwork for my reading and viewing pleasure. No irritating fluff thrown in there like in the Llewellyn Almanacs, just straight to the point information and articles worth your time. The reason this almanac is a dollar more expensive is because it's the better almanac. Whether you're an experienced witch or you've only been one for a day, this almanac will help you keep track of things!

The book that we read was Be A Perfect Person In Just Three Days By Stephen Manes.
It all begins in the library, when a book about how to be a perfect person falls on Milo's head.He looks at the title and likes it! Milo does what the book tells him to do. The book talks to Milo about, trying to be perfect. Did Milo like the book? Why didn't he tell his parents about the book? Does he ever become perfect?
I recommend this book to all my peers, because it is a short story with lots of funny details. Milo does crazy things that kids would never really do, and that made us want to keep reading.

We give it 4 stars !!!!!!!

By: Shante and Rosa

Sometimes you just need to be hit on the head to realize a good thing. Milo is such a person. Doctor Silverfish's book does just that, falls on Milo's head. Milo checks out the book titled, Be A Perfect Person in Just Three Days. Milo wants to be a perfect person so he decides to take an interest the instructions like wearing a piece of broccoli around your neck. The good doctor compliments Milo on his courage to wear this vegetable necklace throughout the day. Next, Dr. Silverfish has Milo not each until 6:52 the next day. Milo tried thinking about not eating but that only made matters worse. By supper time the next day his father finds Dr. Silverfish's book and realizes what Milo is up to. At 6:53 Milo turns the page. Food at last! Milo stuffs himself with food and more food. On day 3 Milo turns the page. It says, "Congratulations! You're perfect." It says to turn the page and that Milo is not perfect. Milo was so mad because he thought he would be perfect. That is why I would suggest that you read this book.

Imagine yourself walking through a library looking for a good horror book of some sort when a small chapter book falls on your head. You pick it up off the ground and read the title: Be a perfect person in just three days! Its not the book you were looking for, but it sure looks interesting. You take it home and start reading it. This is what happens to a eleven-year old named Milo. In Be a Perfect Person in just Three Days by Stephen Manes, you think about doing all of these crazy, insane things that Milo does in this incredible story. Just see for yourself.

It all starts when a kid named Milo is walking through the library when a book falls on his head, as if it wanted him to read it. It wasn't what he was looking for but it still caught his attention, so he took it home. He started reading it, and Dr. silverfish (the author), told him to do so many different things, from wearing a stalk of broccoli around his neck to just turning the page. His Father finds out and reads the whole book in less than a day, which you're not supposed to do, you should read a chapter a day, Dr. Silverfish said so. Milo ends up not becoming "perfect" but just the way he is. I'm not going to tell you how though, you have to read it for yourself.

This book is just full of non-stop fun. One of my favorite parts is when Milo read the book and Dr. Silverfish told him to go to the nearest zoo and steal a gorilla. Then Milo turned the page and it said "just kidding". But the book is full of much more stuff than that.

I would only recommend this book to people who like funny stuff and are into a good adventure. The rating for this book (from me) is about a four, because Its a good book, but not a book I would be obsessed with. You should try and read it sometime. See you later!

How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days written by Stephen Maries is an interesting and insightful novel about an annoyed boy Milo who always seems to mess up, especially around his sister, because she is the kind of person that would make sure that you'll mess up. She antagonizes him, calls him names, and is never off of his back. Until one day when book stumbled before him that said he could be a perfect person in just 3 days. Milo realized that if he was perfect, he could please his parents, help others, and most importantly, not be fooled by his sister. The character development was great and so funny that I was laughing through the whole book... It deserves two thumbs up!

HOW TO BE A PERFECT PERSON IN THREE DAYS

If you like to read funny books I know you should read How to be a Perfect Person in 3 Days by Stephen Manes. This book will fill you with joy. Guess if broccoli will make you perfect. What about not eating for three days? Will that make you perfect?

I would recommend this book to everyone because it is a short and funny book. If you are looking for something funny you should get the book and find out what he does. We give this book five stars because it grabbed our attention and made us want to keep reading.

By: Angel , Destiny ,Devanee


How to Be a Perfect Person in Just 3 Days

If you like a book with weird stuff in it then How to be a Perfect Person in Just 3 days by Stephen Mane is for you.
In a small town a boy named Milo finds a book in a library on How to Be a Perfect Person in Just 3 Days. This book is about a boy who wants to be perfect. Will he become perfect? To find out you will have to read this book. We recommend this book to all our friends because it is a short funny book.
We give this book 3 stars because the book skipped around to much for us.

By: Steven and Andres

Seth is amazingly funny and witty. His writing style is not comparable to anyone.
He really goes deep in the subject (no pun intented) and is acurate everytime!

love, love, love it!

Great little guide to all the hot spots for any Broadway obsessed person - Q or otherwise. If you are a Broadway fiend be sure to read this before your next trip. Also gives great website recommendations for those like me -- too poor to travel. Every time I listen to Seth Rudetsky on Sirius Broadway, I think "I have a friend in the Broadway business."

Seth's humor and passion for Broadway are a gift to all who love The Great White Way. Thank you Seth!!!

I consider myself a begining Broadway buff, and this book was the perfect book to push me on the path of Broadway knowledge. First of all, it's hilarious; and I mean every page has something to make you laugh. Secondly, all of the inside info and web links made me feel like I was living in New York and was a louse for not having tickets to see the hotest show in town tonight. But this book you will not be sorry. I have a lot of current event/ history books about Broadway and this book was awesome.

This is a great little guide to broadway!
Lots of great basic information for newcomers peppered with insider tidbits to keep it entertaining for those who already speak the language.
Gay, straight, newbie, long time broadway fan, there's plenty in here for everyone!
A quick fun read that begs to be read aloud to the people around you (a better idea if you are at your home as opposed to on the subway).