Rock The Books

thx for scorpion

i want to know that chords because i like all the types of a son

This guitar tab book about one of the world's leading guitar riff meisters covers all the bases for their most recent release, "Pure Instinct." For experienced guitar players as well as new comers, this book is easy to follow. Although this book covers only songs from their latest album, by which most Scorpions fans will tell you is not their hardest rocking album to date, the songs are well written and very melodic. If you're a fan of the Scorps and play guitar, this is a must have.

Pure instinct is one of the best scorpions' albums, especially guitar arrangements. I think it is so important to have this book because it is so good to play its songs.

Excellent and thorough book on Prudential by Eichenwald. A must-read for anybody interested in corporate greed. Like his books on Enron (Conspiracy of Fools) and Archer Danuels Midland (The Informant). Okay, I admit it; I'm a fan!

This is not Eichenwald's best book. But it's still better than 95 percent of the junk that passes for thrillers these days. In fact, I would be raving over this book if I hadn't read Eichenwald's "The Informant" and "Conspiracy of Fools" first. Those two set a very, very high bar. This one doesn't clear it completely, but it still gets darn close.

Its not the best written story of a financial scandal and overly relies on several characters for the facts and anecdotes. That written, it is a disturbing look at what was allowed to happen in the key mid-tier brokerage firm as controls lapsed in the pursuit of profits.

"Serpent on the Rock" is the first of Kurt Eichenwald's investigative works on the greed of corporate America. Eichenwald has made quite a reputation for himself dealing with large firms and the chain-of-mistakes that cause them to be disgraced. All three of his books read as good fiction. However, "Serpent on the Rock" does not quite reach the level of "The Informant" and "Conspiracy of Fools".

"Serpent on the Rock" deals with the Prudential-Bache scandals of the late 80's and early 90's. Interestingly enough - much of logic that created the scandal seems to have been repeated with our current "sub-prime" meltdown. This alone makes it a must read. I will not give away too much of the plot, but it is familiar. A company begins activities that are on the fringe of legality. This gradually moves into completely illegal and immoral.... Which eventually blows up in their face. Next we have the cover-up.

Eichenwald has written a very fast paced account of the Prudentail-Bache scandal, and should be a must read for all MBA students, so that may learn from history and not fall into this endless cycle of business on the fringe. 4 stars ONLY because it is not quite on the same level as "Conspiracy of Fools" and the "Informant" (both of which I highly recommend).

Eric Bogosian has a knack for creating great little monologues that completely suck you in. As unpleasant, or even repelling, as so many of his characters are, their tales are nonetheless engrossing, sharp, raw and extremely funny. You'll plow through this in no time, anxious to read each next monologue. And you'll be quick to pick it back up for a re-read too.

Bogosian has a knack for creating compelling characters. A common aspect to all of his characters is desperation. Whether it the paranoid desperation of the "Artist" who stopped making art because "they" would know what he was thinking to the quiet despertion of the homeless "Bottleman" who finds comfort in collecting bottles or cans ("Bottles or cans, it makes no difference") so that he can enjoy an egg salad sandwich to the despertion of the man who calls "Candy" for a good time.

Right from the beginning, Bogosian (both in writing and as the lone actor in a one man show) pushes the envelope in establishing characters who live on the edges of society and who feel the pressure of desperation in their lives. For those of you who are interested, the movie "Talk Radio" has Bogosian exploring themes similar to those explored in "Sex, Drugs, ROck & Roll."

This work amazed me. Acting is generally seen as a cooperative effort, but this collection of monologues proves that wrong. Usually funny and almost always far more insightful than anything in the movies, this work takes an often ignored route to exploring contemporary American culture. Some people may be offended by the vulgar nature of some of the monologues (such as Dirt, in which the only word in the first sentence that is not an obscenity is 'ya'), this very vulgarity is a reality of life that is necessary to accept in order to understand what Bogosian has to say.

Eric Bogosian is one of those writers, like J.D. Salinger or Raymond Carver, who makes me feel like I am not alone. I'm not the only detached observer wondering why the current state of humanity is so absurd. Bogosian always writes about junkies, losers, and heartless bastards. But they always have something that is perceptive and interesting to say. As the last charcter in the book, a nameless "Artist" says, "If they know what I was thinking, man...I'd be dead." I feel the same way with the wealth of "irrational" thoughts that float around in my head. Bogosian is also an expert satirist. Are you tired of self promoting, so called "charitable" rock stars? Read "Benefit," in which a Keith Richards-type figure encourages television viewers to support his "Amazonian Indian" fundraiser. Why? Because they don't even have Pepsi. After reading this book, I find like at least there was some one else who shares some of my views on life. And that revelation felt like it might have saved my life.

Regarding DC's SHOWCASE PRESENTS series of black and white collections, I certainly feel that older material should be available in an affordable format for all to experience, but I consider very few of those volumes to be essential reading. Many of them have shown me just how quickly some of DC's flagship titles lost steam in the `50s and `60s. Flash, Green Lantern, Atom - while I love these characters, it was difficult to stick with their various collections. Others weren't so difficult; specifically, their non-superhero titles such as Jonah Hex, The Haunted Tank, and now, The Unknown Soldier. In fact, SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER VOLUME 1 is my favorite entry in the series so far (sorry Jonah!).

The Unknown Soldier... the man whom no one knows, but is known by everyone! Created by Joe Kubert, and first appearing in Star-Spangled War Stories #151 (1970), his face was ruined in a grenade attack that killed his brother. Remaining in the service as a covert operative for US intelligence, this master of disguise moves behind the enemy lines of World War II like a ghost, supporting the troops of Europe, Africa, and the Pacific Theater through his espionage activities and impersonations of both Allied and Axis figures.

This collection features tales from Star-Spangled War Stories # 151 - 190, written by Kubert, Bob Haney, Frank Robbins, Robert Kanigher, and Archie Goodwin; and illustrated by Kubert, Jack Sparling, Dan Spiegle, and Gerry Talaoc. Good grief, could the talent roster be any more impressive? The stories are quick and to the point, yet packed with tons of plot and action; seriously, even the shorter stories in this collection contain more action than many of today's full-length comics. The stories pull no punches when it comes to the realities of the war - spies, concentration camps, and death around every corner. Also of note is the obvious research the writers did in order to stage the Unknown Soldier's missions during actual events of World War II, such as the cracking of Japan's Purple Code, the Casablanca Conference, and the German Resistance's plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The art is consistently stellar, even though it moves through a number of contributors. These guys all knew how to draw normal, everyday people and military hardware, exhibiting much more talent than many of the artists on DC's superhero titles.

I'm hoping for more volumes featuring DC's war characters, and the Unknown Soldier is at the top of the list.

Sgt. Rock and Easy Company should be out in force as the vanguard of DC's classic war stories, but right behind them should be "Gunner & Sarge." Come on DC, let's get moving! Ya think we're all gonna live forever?

This collection ,along with the one of "The Haunted Tank" is an excellent volume of DC war comics. It has hundreds of pages of great comic art work.I must admit I do miss the color, but for the number of stories it is a great value over the Archives version of DC's other collections. Now please do volumes of The Losers, Sgt. Rock and Weird War Tales.

The war, horror and Western were genre staples of the DC Universe, as much as it was to the Marvel Universe..until DC Crisis and Marvel's Secret Wars. These titles died a small death, due to the growthg of superheroes.

DC, in its WAR genre hayday, Sgt. Rock and his Easy Company (now in a color archieve book edition and a graphic novel "Between A Rock & A hard Place"), The Haunted Tank (also now in another Black & White Showcase edition), Enemy Ace (also now in a color Archieve edition), The Losers (which combined heroes Johnny Cloud, Captain Storm and Gunner & Sarge) (so DC, where is the Archieve or Showcase edition of this one?), Weird War (which was strange war tales), Man of War (a black American OSS agent), and the Unknown Soldier

This collection of tales of the Unknown Soldier starts with his first appearence in the pages of Star Spangled War. This collectiom of the first 38 issues of SSW is worth an Unkown Soldier fan. Joe Kubert and Dan Spiegles art work make this collection one to keep

The story of the Unknown Soldier is simple. This man of a thousand faces , working for the USA, becomes some person in the war from a soldier to a general . The man become a turning in the war and then vanishes

OKAY, This book for me is pure escapest war stuff! 1970's Americana promoting the smart USA against the dumb axises. It was great entertainment for my 20 cents then ..and the book is a feel good project reflection an era gone by.For me, In reading this collection, I am eleven years old again and buying these at cappy's newsstand

DC Comics with their Showcase books have brought back character driven collections like the Phantom Stranger, The Haunted Tank, and Jonah Hex (see my Review) as well reprinting Early stories of Shazam (see my review), Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Justice League and Brave & the Bold (Batman team up books). these collections are over 500 pages for under $20, worth it to recapture comics of old.

I hope that DC will seek out the original DC showcase books from the 1960's themselves > Some had characters like Hawk & Dove, Bat Lash and even James Bond Dr No in comic form. well I can hope

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

HOT! HOT! THIS REALLY WAS SO SENSUAL AND SO REAL FOR ME. I DATED
THIS MAN. HE WAS READY AND ALL IT TOOK WAS THAT LITTLE TAPE OF HERS TO GET ALL THE STORY ON ITS WAY. FUN TO READ AND HAS A MYSTERY TO BOOT.

It's amazing the trouble Detective Duke Rawlins can into with silk, lace and videotape. And it all started so simply. The New York Police force detective stakes out suspected drug smuggler Victor Gallaghar. By association, the police also have his high society girlfriend Amanda Matthews in their files. As Duke makes his move, Amanda arrives with incredibly ... legs and feet swathed in pink, peaking enticingly from beneath her trench coat. Her picture had enough allure for Duke, and the thing kicks his libido into overdrive.

Duke accompanies her in the elevator to the tenth floor, where he pretends coincidence as they both knock at the same door. Plans go awry, however, when a lipstick smeared bimbo in a man's bathrobe answers the door. Duke holds Amanda to question last, leaving squirming. After Amanda leaves, Duke finds her videotape. It's not until he views it the following day at the station, thinking it might prove to be evidence in his case against Victor, that Duke realizes the beautiful vision before him yesterday was naked beneath her coat.

Instead of her planned seduction, however, Amanda sits through some bimbo's questioning, her now ex-boyfriend's arrest, and her own questioning -- embarrassingly aware that she's clad in nothing but a trench coat. Terrified she's going to be caught and arrested for inadvertent flasher charges, Amanda struggles to keep her coat carefully arranged and promises she'll give up her desire to live a little if she can only go back to her anonymous, but respectable, existence.

Joanne Rock creates a dynamic, scintillating tale of romance and chemistry in SILK, LACE & VIDEOTAPE. She's a princess, and he's nothing but a frog from the wrong side of the pond. She's a suspect, and he's a cop. She's fabulously sexy, and he can't resist. The thrills and teasing quickly consummate in a fantastically heated encounter that leaves them both stunned. After all, it's supposed to be just about sex. But when one's entire world is rocked, it's no longer just about sex. Duke proves himself a typical male in that he's not got a clue how to cope. With emotional challenges added to the difficulties presented by their disparate backgrounds, these character's motivations are convincing and realistic. Very highly recommended.

SILK, LACE, & VIDEOTAPE is hot! From the start with Amanda Matthews meeting sexy Detective Duke Rawlins! Amanda was going to meet her boyfriend and give him a little surprise when she was the one who got the surprise. Then Duke took her in for questioning, he got a surprise tape with some secrets Amanda had been keeping hidden.

From there, Amanda went back to her business of designing and Duke back to his detective work but the images of the tape stuck in his mind. When he visited her to give back the tape, he propositioned her for a night of pleasure out on the town. One night turned into heat, sweat, and love in bed with each other. Trying to take down the bad guys, Duke juggled his duty with his emotions and growing love for Amanda. Amanda, on the other hand, juggled her loyalty with her love for Duke.

Throughout this book I was thinking how hot it was and how much steam it created. I love the emotions Ms. Rock created with the characters. I especially enjoyed the tug of emotions that played between Amanda and Duke. I wanted my very own Duke! Ms. Rock made a book of sex, love, and attraction all in one - good going!

What an awesome read! Silk, Lace and Videotape hooked me from the start. The characters absolutely come to life in this story - a hunky detective named Duke with stars on his tie - a glamourous heroine with a wonderful vulnerability from her days as an overwieght teen - a father who sings arias and guzzles coffee - and a flamboyant best friend who begs to have her story told in a sequel. All that AND a bang-up intrigue with lots of steam. Wow! Readers sure get their money's worth and more. WTG, Ms. Rock on another winner!

This book is a valuable guide to finding rooms in NYC that are cheap and affordable. It is well laid out, and provides all the information you need to know in order to make a wise choice. I've stayed in several hotels mentioned by the book, and have not been disappointed.

However, the only problem I have with this book is that it is getting dated. The book was published in 2002, which means the info probably was gathered one or two years before that. I recently had the necessity to consult this book in October 2006, and some of the hotels are not as cheap as they were, and some were just plain expensive!! ( and I've been to NYC 9 times in the last 5 years, so I know the avg hotel rates).

So in a nutshell...this book is an excellent starting point, and will probably help you out in finding inexpensive accomodations, bearing in mind that the info on prices are at LEAST 5 years old or more ( as of Jan 1, 2007). If there is a later edition out there, consult that, and if not..there is definite NEED for one!

A great resource for anyone who is planning to visit NYC - or any New Yorker who wants to know more about the affordable hotels in his or her city. Very informative and cleverly written.

Travel writer Lisa Mullenneaux's Sleep Cheap in New York: High-Quality Lodgings at Rock-Bottom Rates is the definitive guide to staying in one of America's greatest cities while on a budget. Filled with handy street maps, it covers a wide variety of affordable places to stay from the American Dream Hostel to the New York Inn to various YMCA. Each affordable hotel has a ratings guide, contact information, and a short, direct description. Sleep Cheap In New York is a core, essential reference to finding reasonable lodgings. If you are planning a budget-restricted trip to the Big Apple, begin your travel planning with a careful, money-saving perusal of Lisa Mullenneaux's Sleep Cheap In New York!

By Bill Marsano. As a native New Yorker and a long-time resident of midtown Manhattan, I'm often asked to recommend a "nice, good, inexpensive" hotel. Bad idea! I live here, and although I do keep a short list in my head, I've never actually stayed at the hotels and know very little about them. After all, nice, good and inexpensive are flexible terms whose definitions vary widely. And since your definition is the only one that counts, don't call me--get a guide. This guide. It's well-organized and thorough, covering not only Manhattan but the 'outer boroughs' (The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and even Staten Island) as well, and it's easy to use. The outer boroughs are especially important. Although most people want to visit Manhattan, it's worth remembering that those 'outer' boroughs are but a few minutes away, in most cases, by bus or subway. OK, from Staten Island you have to take a ferry--but it's a terrific scenic ride, and it's free besides.

Lisa Mullenneaux rates hotels (one to five stars) in categories running from Bare Essentials to Full Services, then proceeds to a helpfully large number of sub-categories: First come value for money, cleanliness, guest services and security. Then she gives you all the dope required for an informed choice: rates; number of rooms (and whether the hotel has private baths or shared baths or both), in-room amenities (TV. hair dryers and such), whether there's an on-premises bar and/or restaurant; hotel parking and the kind of clientele you're likely to run into (tourists, businessmen, etc.). Phone and fax numbers, e-dresses and websites, and cancellation policies are included, as well as any special group discounts (e.g., for AAA and AARP) and wheelchair-accessibility. And after each checklist, Mullenneaux provides a thumbnail description that gives an idea of the 'flavor' of the guest experience.

This is the best coverage of New York's low-cost hotels that I've ever seen--miles better than you'll get by calling the city tourist bureau, for example. A half-hour's perusal of this book will save you money, avoid disappointment and quite possibly be the making of your New York vacation.

As an avid fan of the Spacemen 3, I completely enjoyed this book from cover to cover.It 's a very detailed and well written account of the rise and fall of Spacemen 3.I found the writing style very appropriate to the subject matter .This book helps to give a another perspective to the band's many studio and live recordings . As well as a fairly graphic account of the drug use and abuse that defined the band's image and sound overall. It seemed very un-bias .Each member of the band was interviewed and got a chance to tell his own version of how things developed and dissolved with Spacemen 3.Readers are left to form their own opinions.I think the book gives a great insight into a time and place in modern music that most fans couldn't know about otherwise.This book was just what I was looking for. Very inspiring read.Highly recommended.

Come on...It's 304 pages...Let's give the people accurate information. Great book.

From Uncut Magazine: At their peak Spacemen 3 could probably outdrug The Happy Mondays at the Drug Olympics. Indeed, the author thoughtfully includes an inventory of gear, both electrical and pharmaceutical, at the outset, butane and methamphetamine being as crucial to the Spacemen oeuvre as the Casio, the Korg and the Vox Tone Bender. It's a typically small town English tale of well bred young hedonists transcending their environment and their record collection to become one of the most spellbinding and influential noise bands of the late 1980s.

All the more remarkable, then, that the author is based in New York. Aside from a couple of minor lapses - "pissed" for "pissed off", that kind of thing - you would have assumed he'd spent his life thumbing a ride between The Old Five Bells Northampton and the Rugby methadone clinic, so accurately rendered is the local colour. The central characters, Jason Pierce and Pete "Sonic" Kember, are compellingly drawn, and as destined to fall out it seems as Richard Hell and Tom Verlaine. And while you get the impression that Morse was able to gain Sonic's trust more readily than Jason's, he's to be congratulated for conveying every last addled nuance of this utterly captivating story.

This is a great in depth look at the career of Late Eighties Drone rockers Spacemen 3. Starting with the initial stumbling inception of the band in Rugby going through their near break trhough success and ending with the dissolution of the band and the start of Spectrum and Spiritualised.

The author tells the story well allthough its quite clear Jason Pierce was not consultedthat much as his quotes seem to be culled from old interviews. But the book is not entirely from Pete Kembers' point of view as all the ex members are on hand to voice their version of events!

Spacemen 3 are one of my favourite bands but this book has infomed me graetly, I also didnt get to see them live but the description of the live performances and the music nearly makes up for it.

A couple of minor gripes Waterman Art Centre is not in Hammersmith but Brentford. And the ending Chapters concerning Spiritualised are a bit hurried and brief, its as though the author didn't know where to end his story.

A great book I was expecting a thin pamphlet not a 300 page masterpeice. Buy it and read whilst listening to all their albums and enjoy the trip!

This book was one of the best spice girl books i have ever read. And I have ALL of the Spice Girls CD's and Books made and I love this book. Emma is my favorite. I have EVERY SINGLE one of their dolls too! I'm the Number 1 Spice Girls fan EVER!! Spice Girls Rule! Especially Emma!

i like emma too she is my favorite spice gir

HI! I like emma very much. If your choice is same to me, E-mail me at this address (doreen_spice@hotmail.com) or (island_doreen@yahho.com).

I'll wait for you all. Thanks

I loved this book! Learn the vocal, guitar or piano music to your favourite Spice Girls songs!!! It's got music to all the songs off the girls' #1 debut album, Spice!!! It has music to all 10 songs, including the girls' smash hits, "Wannabe", "Say you'll be there" and "2 become 1"!

And while you're at it...take a look at the lyrics!!!!!! Ever wonder what the Spanish lyrics were in "If you can't dance"?

This book is filled with some of the greatest portrait art I have ever seen! Kruger uses a wide variety of styles. Some images seem to be caricature in nature, while others are more realistic, and still others are totally unique in style and hard to catagorize. The common thread of all the images in this book is that they portray the character of the subject with unmatched accuracy and ability. The images in this book can best be described by one word, 'WOW'! The high quality of this book's printing also does great justice to these astounding images. All in all I give this book 'two thumbs up' 'way up'! Highly recommended for those interested in art that is innovative and masterful.

No need to say that it is again the collection of Mr Kruger's brilliant caricutures of stars from which you can find out those great brush strokes stand out.

Outstanding illustrations of celebrities in verious fields, such as movie stars, singers... Great reference and resource for character design.

sebastian kruger is the best caricaturist of his generation. i would put him up there with levine and hirshfeld. but unlike those two kruger doesn't have a style. his consistency lies in his constant exploration of other styles. He approaches each celebrity with a fresh eye. No two pictures in this book look the same, but all are done with impeccable skill. This book is wonderful at showing some of his more popular subjects. The reproductions are great except for two blurry images. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in celebrities, caricatures, acrylics, airbrushes, and people with big noses.

I play bass and I decided to learn some Steve Vai songs (namely The Audience is Listening) with my guitarist. We bought this book and were very excited, but only a few songs have a full band score. The rest, including Audience, were a very careful score of the guitar part, excellent for my guitarist, and a score of... well, "Little Stevie Vai's" teacher talking. I'm not sure why those words needed to be put into notes. In any case, this book is excellent for guitarists who want to get better! but very dissapointing for their bassist friends who want to get better with them.

On the other hand, it's much much cheaper to buy this book on Amazon than the actual Vai website. Good deal!

Turn off the phone, lock the door, and put the cat out. The transcriptions in this book are very well done with maybe a few minor glitches, another fine job by the folks at Hal Leonard. I will say it is helpful to be able to read staff notation, but not required. Other than that the layout of the tablature and arrangements make this a very user friendly book considering the contents. Anyone looking to take their playing to the next level (or world), this is for you.

Buy this book.

For one thing, it's the manuscript to the best story I've ever heard. Why wouldn't you want to delve deeper into the world of Passion and Warfare?
Guitar technique-wise, it has everything in some capacity. At first this scared me off, because I couldn't figurepick or two-hand tap. Then I tried using the book as a learning aid, and things has taken off from there.
The liner notes are there in spades, and itzallgood. They provide an insight into what went on around Steve while this album was barreling through his mind.

Nuff said.

Buy this book.

If you're a dedicated guitarist seeking a challenge, look no further. The tab book for Passion and Warfare attempts to show you every note that Stevie played on this wacky album. Sometimes this is not possible, because tunes like Alien Water Kiss are "entirely processed sounds," so there is actually an artistic rendering in place of a transcription.

The notes included at the beginning of the book show Vai at his literary best: creative, insightful, and interesting. The tab itself has a few problems, though. The notation for string bending is a little different then most guitarists are probably used to. Also, there are a few blatant errors (especially in the Animal and For the Love of God), but they are rare and fairly obvious when you come across them. For the most part, the transcriptions are very accurate.

One final warning: some of the music here is almost physically impossible to play. If you decide to attempt it, good luck. You will become a better guitarist for it. Buy this book.