Guides Books

i absolutely ADORE this book. i fell in love with it for the first time when i was 12. i am 18 now, but the storyline and the characters are endearing to me every time i read it i must have read Ella enchanted about five times. the romance between ella and char is innocent, but it captures my heart every time. I was very disappointed when i saw the movie. I dont think the movie captured the essence of Ella and the magic that Levine bestowed in her book. If I could, I'd create a movie that is true to the book and its characters. Even though it is a children's book, it is still accessible to adults (though i am still kind of a child at heart- i LOVE fantasy stories)

1000000% RECOMMENDED

I actually saw the movie before I read the book and I loved the movie, but it's vastly different from the book. It was interesting to see the differences. I can see why some of the changes were made for the movie, but both are great in their own right.

I liked the treatment of Lucinda in the book better than in the movie. In the movie, Lucinda never learned or understood what she did to people, but in the book she did when Mandy tricked her into experiencing what she put Ella through.

I also liked that Ella had to find the inner-strength to break the curse, opposed to having an easy quick fix of undoing it. To be honest, Ella would have probably in more trouble if Lucinda had reversed the spell, so even if she wanted to obey at times, she would then be under a curse to never obey.

I also like that the prince was treated as a real person and given a real personality. Rewatching Disney's Cinderella as an adult, I was shocked how truly vapid the prince was. He had no personality. He was just a stereotypical pretty boy.

It was also nice reading the progression of Ella and Char's relationship, instead of her going to a ball and just falling in love with him.

This is a great book, which I'll definitely read again.

Romance, although also could be fantasy. Upper elementary to middle school. Reading level is supposed to be grade four, but it seems higher to me. 232 pages.

I read quite a bit of this book before I started to enjoy it, but because the librarian recommended it, I stuck with it. The book is the back story of Cinderella, although the reader doesn't realize it until near the end. Instantly, the story of Cinderella--which I never really liked--has a profound truth I now see: When we walk in another's shoes, our perceptions change. Honor book. No illustrations.

Ella Enchanted
By Gail Carson Levine

Ella only wanted to be a regular girl. But instead the day she was born, a curse was bestowed upon her. The gift of obedience. The fairy Lucinda does not think before she gives these silly curses and so when Ella is told to do something, she has to do it. If someone told Ella to kill herself she would have to obey. When Ella's mother gets very sick and dies, Ella is left with Mandy her cook that is her fairy godmother and her father. Ella's father traveled all the time and he doesn't know about her curse. Just like her mother said "Don't tell anyone about your curse." Ella had to obey.
But when Ella's dad introduces her to Dame Olga and her dreadfully bossy daughters, Ella realizes that the elder one, Hattie knows that Ella will do anything she says. Hattie commands Ella to give her the necklace that Ella's mom gave to her. But there is a silver lining on the story. Ella becomes dear friends with Prince Charmont, or as his friends call him, Char. Just when Ella thinks that Char and her are becoming great friends, Ella's father ships her off to finishing school so she can become a true lady with Hattie and the spoiled Olive (Hattie's sister).
Finishing school is the worst place for Ella. She must obey every command no matter how awful or difficult. When Ella cannot stand it anymore she runs away, and decides to quest for her fairy godmother and reverse the spell. But Hattie had forbidden Ella to see Char. So how will she be able to tell him how she really feels when he thinks she never wants to see him again?

Many young girls dream of having a fairy tale life just like the ones that appear in Disney movies such as Cinderella, but what happens when these girls grow into young ladies and expect a little more than your usual fairy tale? In her novel Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine adds a whole new twist to the familiar story of Cinderella. With the use of point of view, characterizations and themes, she achieves to appeal to a budding, young female audience that already has a love for the classic Disney tale.

Point of View
Carson presents a first person point of view that allows Ella to narrate her own story. Her thoughts, her commentary and each of her actions are plain for the reader to enjoy and experience a first hand look into Ella's world. The reader is allowed to relate her character, as she seems more realistic (as far as a fairy tale goes) than ever before, as she goes through every day teenage trials with boys (a prince, to be exact), friendship, fitting in, envy and such problems that still happen today.

Characterizations
Ella
While Disney's Cinderella is an upbeat, optimistic girl that seems to have the whole world set out for her, Levine's Ella is given a whole new dimension as a character. Ella, as a child, receives the "gift" of obedience by the wayward fairy, Lucinda. Forced to do everything she is told, Ella develops a strong, rebellious character determined to become her own person, despite what others command her to do. She may subdue physically, but mentally and spiritually, she is a character that is intelligent beyond her years that refuses to conformity, aesthetics and propriety for the wrong reasons. Carson develops Ella in such a way that her flaws and struggles with herself and others are present. Ella is not a glorified storybook character that has everything going perfectly for her; she fights for what she believes in, she makes mistakes to learn from them and goes through the motions just like her young female audience.

Prince Charmont
When the thoughts of a charming prince come to mind, what is available is only the idea of a charming prince who is just there to both save the day and marry the girl. While in most fairy tales, the female lead character usually overshadows the male equivalent; Prince Charmont is far from hidden. Carson develops Char (as he is cleverly nicknamed) in such a way that he breaks away from the usual princely stereotypes by adding a little more to his personality but still maintaining the characteristics that would most likely still make any female weak in the knees. When Ella first meets Char, she keeps her distance in a demonstration of respect of his nobility, but he refuses to be regarded of higher ranking and asks to be addressed as any other person. He is kind hearted and humble but still he holds strong and true to the convictions that he is instructed as a young ruler. One example of this is when he pauses the beginning of a military journey to get on his hands and knees to help a merchant whose cart is overturned, instead of leaving off and ignoring the lower class. Another defining characteristic is that he, like Ella, struggles to create his own identity under the overpowering shadow of his future as the ruler of the kingdom of Frell. Char's authentic infatuation for Ella and his deep respect for her are what make the reader believe him as the true charming prince.

The Fairy Godmother
One may expect a flick of the wand and a bibidi boppidi boo to describe a fairy; Carson declines to this generic view. Mandy, Ella's fairy godmother is described as aging, overweight, speckled with freckles and frizzy hair. She hides her true identity from Ella and for the first 16 years of Ella's life, she is known as the kitchen maid and nanny. Her real self is only discovered after Ella's mother died and Ella is left to the care of no one but her father. The way that Carson portrays Mandy is in a stern, parental way so the reader can see her as a mother figure for Ella, more than just a fairy godmother that provides every single wish. Carson makes Mandy out to be a lovable character towards the reader because she nurtures and takes care of Ella while still remaining firm to what she thinks is best for her goddaughter.

Themes
In this novel, Carson explores themes that are of interest to a young female audience. One of these is the search for an identity and a place in the world. Carson develops her main theme as Ella is trying to establish herself as a person with her beliefs and convictions, and not just become a pawn to anybody's game that has knowledge of her curse. She demonstrates to the audience that they do not have to conform to a popular idea and encourages the reader to form opinions by gaining knowledge by Ella's example of maintaining her integrity and refusal to ignorance.

Another theme that goes hand-in-hand with the one mentioned before is integrity, being true to who you are. Carson encourages this by making Ella such a strong character that even though she is forced to be someone else, in her mind, she is determined to be who she truly is. Char is also another example of integrity. He is a prince, a trait that may give way to arrogance and to discrimination by status, but he denies any association of himself as a person to his nobility.

With these different literary aspects, Gail Carson Levine creates a fairy tale all her own that only alludes to the commonly known storyline. She creates a story for young girls to be immersed with such believable characters in a fictional world that teach very valuable lessons while also having those key elements that happen to draw the audience in.

I purchased my own copy of this book after the friend who lent me hers wanted her copy back. I use this book, not because I'm trying to get pregnant (or avoid getting pregnant, for that matter), but because it's important to me that I really get to know my own body, how it works and what its processes are and what it's doing from day to day.

I can't vouch for the effectiveness in achieving or preventing conception, but if you as a woman are interested in getting in touch with your body and the amazing functions it performs throughout your cycle, then I would definitely recommend this book for you.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I have been charting my cycles since the fall of 2005 with this book. We at first used it to avoid pregnancy and then used it to get pregnant. We are currently using it to avoid once again. I feel so much better about my body and am in tune with it that I don't need to chart to know when I will ovulate, get my period, or if something isn't right. You can definitely use this as birth control as long as you follow all of the rules. Or if you break them use a back up method. The book is easy to read and understand. There is also a website for charting questions/help. You can also keep your charts on your computer.

My husband and I are planning to get pregnant in the next few months. I have always thought when I wanted to get pregnant I would simply go off the pill, begin ovulating two-weeks later, have intercourse, and voila! This book made me realize I might have spent months or years trying to conceive with that plan or I may have incorrectly believed I was infertile. If your goal is to get pregnant as soon as you start trying, READ THIS BOOK!

Great book, I have never had fertility problems, but I did buy and read this before conceiving my second child and we conceived the first time we tried. I am now very aware of my cycle and when I am ovulating.

You don't need to be planning to get pregnant to read this. I wish I had read this in my 20's, but was so happy that I did a few months before I started trying. This method can be used for birth control and just to understand your body better. You will be happy to have this information for so many reasons and so happy that you starting thinking about your body (not just your fertility). I would recommend it to anyone 18+, and wish there was a version for younger women with all the meaningful information about your body and cycle.

Seabiscuit is a great story, book, and movie. If you have not read it, buy it today and start reading. You will not be disappointed.

This book is a true American legend at its best. "Seabiscuit" was written by Laura Hillenbrand based on a true story of one horse and jockey's incredible life. This biography is set in the 1930's and 1940's and takes you on a journey with someone and something that no one believed in until they were given a chance to prove themselves. The perseverance of these two characters is admirable; they never give up, no matter what. The jockey, John Pollard, was struggling in life until given the shot to show he was more than just an average jockey. Seabiscuit, on the other hand, is my favorite character; he never accepts the possibility of losing. Pollard and Seabiscuit's relationship started when trainer Tom Smith paired them together out on the racetrack. I love that they were given a chance to prove everyone wrong by winning race after race with odds stacked against them; both had been injured numerous times. Read about how they smashed people's disbelief and made history, performing one of the greatest comebacks in all of sports. The theme of "never giving up no matter what" would most likely interest people who enjoy sports novels. "Seabiscuit" is truly the greatest sports story of all time.

This narrative leaps out of the first paragraph in the same way Seabiscuit learns to bolt from the starting gate. From the start, Laura Hillenbrand draws the reader into the story with colorful, taut writing. There are no meaningless side stories in this book - each detail weaves itself back into the tale of a horse who beat the odds to become one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
This story is gripping even if you have no interest in horseracing.

I loved this book !! It made me feel as though I was there watching the drama unfold as the unknown underestimated horse rose to champion status. The characters are real and the story is built piece by piece. If you like rooting for the underdog and enjoy the thrill of competition, this book is for you. The large print of this edition was easy on the eyes as well.

This book follows the life of Seabiscuit, an incredible racehorse in the 1930's, and the three men who were entwined in his life: live-wire owner Charles Howard, taciturn trainer Tom Smith, and reckless jockey Red Pollard. WOW. This is an amazing book. I read it because I had watched the movie and loved it, but I wasn't thinking I would actually enjoy the book. I felt obligated to read it. Well, it's probably my favorite book to read this year. The author sets up each character carefully, going back to the man's birth, or further back, and the reader really gets a sense of what drives each person. The character development for "the Biscuit" is truly great, as well. His personality really shines, and I wish I could have met him! Her insertion of anecdotes is masterful, as well. The era (the Depression), the nation's mindset, the men who loved Seabiscuit, the means jockeys undertook to maintain racing weight are all described and explained wonderfully, without the author ever becoming pedantic or talking down to us folks who don't know racing. One doesn't have to be a "race person" or a "horse person" to enjoy this beautifully crafted book. The rave reviews are well-deserved. It's the story of underdogs achieving great things. It was an exhilarating and enthralling read; better than any fiction I read this year. After reading this, I would read anything this author put out.

... "On June 4, 1960, the Big Creek Missile Agency, fresh from its medal winning performance at the National Science Fair, is sponsoring a day of rocket launches at its Cape Coalwood range. Everyone reading these words is invited..." This quote can be found on page 356-357 of a book called Rocket Boys; this statement showed me that the success of the main characters was a result of personal hard work and teamwork.

"Rocket Boys" by Homer H. Hickam, Jr. is a nonfiction account of a group of friends from Coalwood, West Virginia in the early 1960's who have a fetish for making rockets. Homer and his friends have a dream to shoot a rocket up into the clouds. This story gives the reader a message that dreams really can come true.

Rocket Boys is one of the strongest books I have ever read. The author accomplished his goals to tell people that team work is one of the most important things to know in your life. This book is recommended for people that like space and rockets and who want a hopeful book to read. Reading Rocket Boys really gets you thinking about team work and how far you can get with it.

I was a little disappointed by the ending and the fact that Homer Hickam gave John Kennedy the idea to go to the Moon but other than that I couldn't help but root for the band of misfits.

I bought this book and the audio tapes and my son and I listened and read this amazing book together. Our plan was to read for 30 minutes a night...however it was sooooooo good we listened and read for 5 hours!

We are now going to rent the movie that was made from the film! All systems go....we enjoyed the adventure!

Children in West Virginia mining towns became coal miners. They did not become rocket scientists. But it did not matter how well-known this was, for Homer "Sonny" Hickam, Jr. there was only one way out. He was the right age and had the right amount of ambition when the United States and Russia became entangled in the Space Race and as far as he was concerned, his fate was sealed.

Hickam's writing carried the comfort of conversation with an old friend. It was remarkable how easily I became nostalgic for neither a time nor a place that I had ever known. The story drips with the passion of a man who if he had to do it all over again, probably wouldn't change a thing. He understood and appreciated the importance of everything that happened to him and helped him on his way.

One thing that I found particularly fascinating was how closely this book resembled the old proverb that It takes a whole village to raise a child. And I mean no disrespect to Mr. Hickam when I point out how amazing his circumstance was in that he could not have done it alone. The stars seemingly aligned perfectly so that one boy from West Virginia could capture the hearts of so many people that he would be able to get such invaluable assistance. There was probably no way anyone else could have done what he did. And that is to his credit. (The way his path was guided by fate, or something like it, reminded me of how Ruth Reichl became a food critic in Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table.)

I loved this book for Hickam's ability to transport me from my favorite reading chair to a West Virginia high school in the late 50s. I found myself hanging on every word wondering what would happen next. There is something special about an intelligently written story about a successful man who takes no credit for himself, but rather gives it to each person who helped him make his dreams come true. Rocket Boys may now find itself among the short list of my favorite books.

Homer Hickam grew up in a rural isolated mountain town but went on to win the National Science Fair.

This book is his story and how he was successful.

I bought 24 copies of this book to inspire my advanced 6th grade Reading class. They loved the book. In our discussions they mentioned never giving up. Homer and his friends kept trying until they had success.

Thank you for sharing your life with us, Mr. Hickam.

except for the Bible, this is the best.
It is the full and undiluted version from the first english translation.
read it, learn it,live it.
j

The book is excelent reading but please get a different version.
This version only has 580 or so pages where as other versions have over 1,300 pages. That means that this version is only half the story.
So much gets lost in translation already don't cheat yourself even more.

Although the story is well known to me, the editing of this audio book was so confusing. I absolutely could not follow it. Too much is cut out.

Story has good twists, but there are too many French places and people which makes the audio confusing.

This book is long out of copyright and so is available free for your Kindle elsewhere on the net.

(Great book though!)

I am going to make this simple. I read an old paperback copy of the original "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Having enjoyed reading the original, I found the "Ultimate" version in the discount section at Barnes and Noble. What a great buy for ten dollars.

Not all may like the series. For those that do, I highly recommend all additional books to the original. You will not be let down, as (the late) Mr. Adams continues to entertain again and again as things move on. Just about any science fiction fan with a sense of humor will love these books.

Great read, I didn't even know about the Zaphod short story (my own words) that was included in this book. Happy to have all of the stories all in one book and makes it easy for me to go back and reference parts from the earlier stories, especially since I enjoy noting the really good lines.

I've lost track of the number of times I've read the Guide novels over the years. This compilation of a 'trilogy in 5 parts' makes it nice and easy to read them all as one continuous story. I don't really need to elaborate on how good these stories are as those who have read them will already know. But to the uninitiated I strongly urge you to purchase a copy, prop yourself up against your towel, and eat plenty of peanuts. And most importantly, Don't Panic!

If finding out your house is about to be bulldozed to make way for a highway bypass is unnerving and life changing, imagine finding out the same is about to happen to your planet. Thus begin the adventures of human Arthur Dent in The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide by Douglas Adams.

Of course Adams is not the first writer to use science fiction to satirize the foibles of the human race and its institutions and culture (including science fiction), but he does does so with a rare combination of sophistication, style, and humor. His description of why the bypass is being built and why Arthur doesn't know about it alone starts the series off on a scathing note. In the universe of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (the book within a book), people sometimes survive government and corporate bureaucracy and personal greed and thoughtlessness, but more often destruction and waste seem to result.

Throughout his post-Earth adventures with Ford Prefect, the two-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox, fellow human Trillian (Tricia McMillan), and Marvin the perpetually downcast robot who takes lows to new highs, Arthur is the proverbial Everyman, whose struggles to make tea (and thus achieve some sense of ordinariness) in his new life result in near-destruction. At one point, he happily serves as "Sandwich Maker" on a pre-technological world that views this skill with awe.

Adams is perhaps strongest in his numerous asides in which he talks about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the publication for which Ford Prefect researches and writes, and the Encyclopedia Galactica; the nature of improbability; the humorously and seemingly invariable and inevitable tragic histories of various planets and races; and various theories surrounding such things as time, space, and infinity, almost always with a slyly serious wink about the absurdity of it all. These digressions allow his imagination and his intellect to soar and in many cases are more interesting than the story itself. This may go back to how The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy begins--that people want to move between Points A and B very fast, and that people at Point C in between (Everyman Arthur Dent) "often wish that people would just once and for all work out where the hell they wanted to be." There seem to be no Points A and B in Arthur's new universe; there are infinite points and lines and continuums, most of them absurd in one way or another.

With the exception of Trillian, Arthur's fellow travelers are well drawn. The most amusing is, sadly, Marvin, whose programmed depression is annoying and whose perception is accurate.

There are ingenious ideas scattered throughout the six stories, including the irony of a lorry driver who hates the perpetual rain that follows him no matter where he goes because, unbeknownst to him, he is a Rain God.

The problem is that many of these ideas, like life events, crop up randomly, play themselves out, and then seem to fall flat in the end. Undoubtedly, this is part of the universe as Adams sees it; it is made up of absurdity upon absurdity, which may not have neat Point A to Point B progressions. Some of this lack of cohesion also may be the result of transforming material written for episodic radio into book form; a certain sense and continuity may have been lost as the author diverts his tale to Points E, M, and T.

The first two books, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, are the best in the series. Life, the Universe and Everything is, almost as the title promises, too contorted and meandering. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, which takes place on Earth, lacks an engaging focal point, which makes it seem long and tedious at times. "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe" appears to be a throwaway story reflecting the author's views. Mostly Harmless, written at what Adams admitted was a bad time in his life, lacks the élan of the earliest books; it is more downbeat in attitude than its predecessors and borders on determined and grim. Marvin is long gone as comic relief; the weakest character, Tricia/Trillian, now moves to the forefront but without further development; and even Ford Prefect has sobered up, quite out of character. It as though Adams wanted his characters, most notably Random, to reflect his anger and depression and his universe to end without possibility of resurrection--in the same way that Arthur Conan Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes.

Underneath the satire, the humor, and the bitterness, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide is imaginative and thought provoking, revealing a rare story-telling and writing gift that is brilliant both on the surface and in the depths.

As usual the movie can't live up to the book. This is a must-read -- one of those points of cultural brilliance that will still be read three hundred years from now. Be prepared for very dry humor, British-style...

This is a great book! It touches on important subjects in a gentle yet informative manner. My daughter is soon to be 10 and we are reading it together. I wish I had this book when I was growing up!!

I got this book along with the two feelings book from American Girl for my 12 years old step daughter and she loved it...Her mom really hasn't sat down with her to discuss her body changes and the importance of how things will not happen over night...we found it helpful to let her read it first and then come to us with any questions...she found the book especially helpful for her upcoming braces and how to care for them, she takes it every where with her...THANKS AMERICAN GIRL this book is great!!!

The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls (American Girl Library)
The best guide I have ever seen in helping explain the facts of life! Made having "the talk" much easier. Excellent examples of problems girls face. Does not just explain the changes in the body, but changes in perception, peer pressure, even what size of pads to buy. Covers all the changes they go through, hair, shaving, diet, self perception, and sleep. My daughter has read it actively for the last three nights, which has opened the door to a great conversation on all the ways her body and life will change with puberty. I wish my mom had it!

THIS BOOK IS TRULY A PARENT'S LITTLE HELPER! I GAVE IT TO MY 10 YEAR OLD TO HELP EXPLAIN HER PERIOD.(YES, SHES ONLY 10. AND YES SHE JUST GOT HER PERIOD!)
THAT BOOK HAD AN ANSWER FOR EVERY QUESTION MY CHILD ASKED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, "AMERICAN GIRL!" YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER!!

Initially picked this up at the library to introduce my 8 1/2 year old daughter to the subject of her developing body. She read it cover to cover several times and we needed to buy it because she wanted to be able to use it as a reference book! This was the easiest way to introduce the subject and initiated hours of conversation between us. Highly recommended!

Purchased this guide book for our trip to the Big Island of Hawaii and found it to be extremely helpful!!

Best guide to the big island by far. None even come close. Not only details available nowhere else, but updates on line. This feature was very valuable as our trip included three days at the volcano and the eastern areas of Hawaii including Puna and the northern coast. Suggestions about restaurants and stops were consistently accurate and informative. Very helpful in planning a trip as well. Organization of t he book is supberb! If I were to plan a trip to Mars, Venus or the moon, I would search for a guidebook by these authors

I love this book! It's so thoroughly researched and detailed and covers everything you need to know about the Big Island, including what to do and how to get there. Find yourself in a tiny, tiny town on the Big Island and wondering where is the best place to eat? Ask the book. Want to know the history of and the kind of food served at a luau? Ask the book. Need to know the closest way to get from point A to B? Ask the book. Wondering why there are wild goats on the side of the road? Ask the book. Not only is the author thorough, detailed and incredibly knowledgeable about Hawaii, he's witty. I appreciated the humor and personal tidbits the author threw in. When he advises you to buy mosquitoes or risk the "bloodletting of your life", he's not kidding - he knows from experience! We took this book everywhere with us on this trip and it never disappointed. By the end of the trip I felt like the author was a good friend - just one that I've never actually met in person. I will definitely be buying the other Hawaiian island books for our next trips!

With the purchase of Hawaii The Big Island Revealed I now have the entire set of "Revealed" books about Hawaii. I just LOVE all of them. To my thinking these books offer you an honest opinion of what to expect. The writer's opinion is fresh, honest, well written, and not biased by the hotels and/or travel companies. If you are going to visit Hawaii, and you want information that will absolutely make a difference in what you do - this book is a must!

In planning a trip to the Big Island, I have read several books and information sources; Hawaii The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook is the best source of information on the Big Island. They give detailed inside information that even long time residents are unaware of. They rate restaurants independently and are not afraid to tell you which ones are bad and not worth your money. This book has saved me a lot of money, I went from feeling I needed to spend a lot of money on tours of areas, to feeling confident I could explore on my own with the information provided with such detail, it was like having my own personal guide right in your pocket.

Mr. Poynter's Publishing Manual is a must read for anyone interested in self publishing. He guides you through the entire process and no detail is left out. After reading this book you will be a publishing pro! This book will help you to maneuver through the publishing business with ease. Do not hesitate to buy this book. It's full of information that you will be able to refer back to time and time again. It's very solid and easy to read. The concepts are real and practical. It's the best self publishing book on the market.

I expected some key steps for the auther, especially a new author, to follow, once he/she has chosen to self publish. Instead this book is a manual on "publishing": the pre-print and print cycles of the standard print production cycle. As a practioner of advertising and promotion for over 40 years, I probably published thousands of publications: annual reports; data sheets; brochures. The process I knew; the insights as it related to the world of publishing fiction I did not.

If you are ignorant of the steps in the publishing process (novel, neighborhood flyer, brochure) and really want to know, this book can give you an idea of how it is done. It's an easy read for the layman, clear, and straightforward.

If you are like me, then self-publishing is an exciting opportunity. This book will give you a good overview in how the game of self-publishing is played. Without this knowledge, you are like the "Mark" who sits down at the Texas Hold 'Em table with no real clue. You can get taken to the cleaners very quickly.

Poynter covers everything from how to organize and write your manuscript, to editing, typesetting, printing, publishing, distributing and promoting.

My one criticism of the book is that it is still steeped in the traditional self-publishing model. There are many new opportunities occurring to get in print and leverage the power of the Internet to simplify distribution, reduce costs, and target your marketplace.

Highly Recommended!

Cheers!

This book is called a "manual" for self-publishing.

It isn't.

Lots of pages, but it never tells you how to take your manuscript and publish it yourself, from start to finish.

I started with this book, because of its title, its hype, and the reviews. But the books that actually HELPED me figure out HOW to self publish, were ones that I had to find elsewhere. The few actually useful books on this subject are not as slick and glossy or well promoted as Poynter's, but they have real step-by-step INFORMATION that will help you on your way.

I'd "pass" on this one.

I was one of the featured authors in Blog Talk Radio's Black Author Network. Although a great experience, I kept hearing literary consultants, publishers, and even some authors and the host talk about print-on-demand books not being "real self-publishing." Because both of my books are PODs and so far, I've been having a really good turnout, I started to wonder if some of the speakers on this radio show had such strong opinions on PODs, how do the publishers, libraries, and bookstores feel. Originally, I got a copy of this book to write an article to evaluate and clarify the myths about PODs, vanity press companies, and new publishing companies/authors. I took various notes to correct the myths that PODs like LuLu actually DO let you purchase your own ISBN, books CAN be bought through Ingram, and so forth, but the more I read this book, the less interested I was in defending LuLu, especially when LuLu Press's Public Relations team never bothered to respond to my Q&A trying to let them get their opinions out.

I kept on reading this book and learned so much more than I expected. Ella D. Curry of Sankofa Literary Society has repeatedly recommended this book on her show and makes it mandatory for start-up authors to get it because of the extensive information that Poynter brings to the table. I couldn't be more thrilled that I picked it up. When Poynter commented on PODs being the worst choice to use if a book is selling less than 40 copies, I put on my armor ready to do digital battle, but he explains his argument so well that you can't help but agree. In future, I will be going about self-publishing the traditional way. Regardless of having pretty good success with LuLu and not spending a gazillion dollars on books the way so many LuLu authors that I'm friends/associates/or have met, I still believe that I could do a better job by knowing what PODs do. This is partially the reason why PODs make so much money. The author avoids doing what PODs know how to do, but with books like these, there's really no good reason not to learn.

This is the ultimate Simpsons fan's book. It has all of The Simpsons seasons 1-8 in air-order, so you won't have any problem finding them. There are a lot of pictures and colors as well. There are even a list of Homer's D'ohs, Couch Gags, and Chalkboard Gags for every episode. This is well worth the money you pay for it; definitely should be bought by any simpaholic.

I bought this book when it first came out, and have re-read it often (fully, and partially) since then. It is an excellent reference for any "Simpsons" fan for the first eight seasons of the show. The pages are full of episode summaries, quotes, and trivia facts from the show. It also offers profiles of characters, and a list of who does what voice. A great source if you cannot remember what guest celebrity voiced a character or any other information like that. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys the "Simpsons" and wants to know more about the episodes.

Almost everything you could ever think to ask about The Simpsons is in this book. What was Bart writing on the chalkboard in "that one episode"? It's in here. The plots, inside jokes, behind the scenes tales and more await in this excellent resource for fans. This book harkens from the Conan O'Brien-era prime of the series, up to about the late 90's, when the quality (sadly) slipped big time. This was the golden age of The Simpsons, back before the series "became a cartoon." (Anyone who was a fan back in the day knows just what I mean.)

The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family is probably the best book on the Simpsons that I've read. It includes, and I am taking this right from the cover, characters, episodes, and secret jokes you might have missed from seasons 1 thru 8. The book was created by Matt Groening and edited by Ray Richmond. It details each episode and even has extras: The Shorts; Homer Says, "D'oh..."; Homer Says, "Mmm..."; Couch Gags; Seen around Springfield; An Itchy & Scratchy Filmography; Who Does What Voice; and Merchandising, Thy Name Is Krusty.

The books dedication even reads:
TO THE LOVING MEMORY OF
SNOWBALL I:
WE HOPE THAT
THEY CHANGE YOUR CATBOX
IN KITTY HEAVEN MORE OFTEN
THAN WE DID DOWN HERE.

My favorite saying in the book is on p. 64, "When Flanders Failed":
"Hey, Barteleeboobely, care for a steak-a-rooney?" Homer, to Bart as he cooks on the grill that used to belong to Fladners.

I definetly reccomend purchasing this book.

It is hard pressed to find anyone who does not like the animated series "The Simpsons". "The Simpsons" is one of the longest running tv series and one of the funniest tv series in history. Unfortunately the last few seasons have been rather inconsistent and lacks the creativity and magic of the earlier episodes, nevertheless the show is a lot smarter and cutting edge than most tv series nowadays. Thank heavens I can relieve the earlier episodes with this official guide to the popular tv series. "The Simpsons: a complete guide to our favorite family" covers the first eight seasons. This is a really excellent comprehensive guide to the show. As a big fan of the first several seasons, I love this book. I loved reading all of the couch gags from the first eight seasons. I didn't realize there was so many until I read them all. I also dug reading the highlights of each episode. I also loved reading the brief bios on the lesser known but equally funny characters like Cletus, Tattoo Annie, and Lionel Hutz. There is a great list of the actors and the cbaracters that they give life to. If you love "The Simpsons" and the first eight seasons, this book is a must have. It is a true testament to Matt Groening as well as the legacy of the show.