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The book takes you from basic economics concepts to advanced issues of trade impact on the environment. Maybe the approach is too much ''macro''.

This book develops important tools for studying the interactions
between trade and the environment. The theoretical methodology is coherent and the empirical results are surprising. Based on my own teaching experience, it makes an excellent supplementary textbook for graduate courses in international trade or environmental economics. It is also a great choice for a primary textbook for a course of special topics in international economics.

This book develops important tools for studying the interactions
between trade and the environment. The theoretical methodology is coherent and the empirical results are surprising. Based on my own teaching experience, it makes an excellent supplementary textbook for graduate courses in international trade or environmental economics. It is also a great choice for a primary textbook for a course of special topics in international economics.

This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the economics of trade and environment interactions. Copeland and Taylor have long since established themselves as leaders in this field; this book cements their reputation and will be the standard text for anyone teaching a graduate or senior level course on the subject of Trade and the Environment. I have already used this book in my own teaching. This clearly written text is fun both to read and teach from. Moreover, prior knowledge of trade theory is unnecessary for either instructors or students to take full advantage of this book.

Chapter 2 lays out the analytical framework, which fuses a general model of competitive trade with a tractable treatment of industrial pollution. This comprehensive chapter does such a good job at covering the underlying competitive trade theory that I will probably also use it to teach such models in my graduate International Trade classes in the future.

The following chapters utilize the analytical model to address pressing debates within international environmental economics. Chapter 3 examines the theoretical assumptions that would be necessary for "Environmental Kuznet's Curves" (EKCs) to exist. This chapter alone is enough to recommend this book, as a decade of prior research on EKCs has failed to provide a systematic theoretical treatment of the subject.

In chapters 4, 5 and 6, Copeland and Taylor examine the impacts of trade liberalization on environmental quality. In preparation for their empirical chapter, the authors provide a systematic analysis of two competing hypotheses: the Pollution Havens hypothesis, and the Factor Endowments hypothesis. The Pollution Havens hypothesis argues that trade liberalization will drive polluting industry to poor countries that have weak environmental regulations. Yet little of the previous empirical work has found support for this hypothesis. Copeland and Taylor show that a long-accepted relationship from trade theory---the Factor Endowments hypothesis, which argues that trade liberalization will shift capital intensive industry to capital intensive (rich) countries---has an offsetting effect on the location of dirty industry, and provides a likely explanation for the non-results of previous empirical work. This is an argument the authors have made elsewhere, and I am glad that they allocate the space in their book to fleshing out the details.

In chapter 7 Copeland and Taylor draw together the theoretical predictions of their previous chapters to test empirically how free trade affects sulphur-dioxide concentrations in countries around the globe. They reveal that openness per se has little impact on pollution concentrations; instead, what matters is the combination of openness and country attributes. They conclude with a compelling `1% rule': "if openness to international markets raises both output and income by 1%, [sulfur-dioxide] concentrations fall by approximately 1%" (p.272). That is, freer trade may be good for the environment.

My only complaint with the book is that it isn't longer. The authors focus on the problem of industrial pollution in competitive, open economies. Additional chapters covering cases in which firms exert market power, or in which pollution is generated by consumers directly, would also be useful for students and practitioners alike. I suppose this means they'll just have to be encouraged to write a second volume.

Although this book is written by social democrats, and I am nowhere near a social democrat, I found it to be a very fair and accurate (as far as I know) treatment of economics. Instead of the one dimensional approach favored by the neoclassical economics that dominates American universities, it uses a three dimensional "political economy" approach. It analyzes markets, power relations, and economic growth. And it tells you a lot of very important things that textbooks leave out, mostly relating to flaws with markets. I recommend this book to anyone who is seriously interested in economics. However, it easy enough for anyone to understand.

"Understanding Capitalism", as far as I know, is the best "alternative" introductory textbook dealing with how the economy works. Some of its content is similar to what one would find in a standard introductory economics textbook: the treatment of supply and demand, inflation, monetary and fiscal policy is fairly conventional, even when non-traditional notation is used. However, much else is fresh, insightful and non-dogmatic. It gives capitalism credit when it's due, and doles out criticism when it applies. Throughout the book, a "three-dimensional approach" is used: competition (horizontal market relations), command (vertical class relations) and change (developments over time) are all examined to give a meaningful picture of the economy. The book has three main parts: political economy (chapters 1-7), microeconomics (chapters 8-13) and macroeconomics (chapters 14-19). I will elaborate on some of the themes developed.

POLITICAL ECONOMY
Chapter 2 contains an amazing discussion of agency: "homo economicus", or as Amartya Sen proclaimed, the "rational fool" is challenged with the help of experimental game theory.
Chapter 4 refers to history of economic thought and briefly reviews the ideas of Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Joseph Schumpeter, John Maynard Keynes, Ronald Coase and Amartya Sen.
Chapter 5 examines the concept of surplus product, the conflict it engenders and its different uses.
Chapters 6 and 7 discuss capitalism and class in the context of different economic systems (slavery, feudalism, central planning, etc.) and review the different phases of American capitalism. An important insight that comes from this is that not all capitalisms are the same: different social and institutional arrangements exist. In fact, the "varieties of capitalism" approach in comparative political science draws on the same insight.

MICROECONOMICS
Chapter 9 contains an extensive discussion of market failure (some basic game theory is used).
Chapter 12 dwells on the insight that the labor market is fundamentally different from other markets. Purchasing labor is not enough: it has to be extracted. The authors use "efficiency wage" theory and a labor extraction curve to show why wages do not reach market clearing levels and why involuntary unemployment always persists (this is later used to discuss full employment in the part on macroeconomics).
Chapter 13 expands the notion of labor extraction and describes the main methods of control used by firms: simple (as in a fast food restaurant), technical (as in a car factory) and bureaucratic control (as in an office).

MACROECONOMICS
Chapter 15 discusses economic development. It takes on the efficiency-equality trade-off often assumed by economists as well as argues that successful development depends mainly on the local institutions rather than foreign investment. In fact, even some neoclassical economists such as Dani Rodrik from Harvard would agree.
Chapter 17 examines the business cycle in the context of the rate of profit (which is discussed extremely thoroughly in Chapter 10). During an expansion of the business cycle labor and material inputs gradually become more expensive and end up squeezing the rate of profit, leading to a decline in investment. This insight applies beyond a regular business cycle. I personally think that a very similar high-employment profit squeeze analysis can be used to partly understand why the post-war consensus in Great Britain was challenged by Thatcherism.

The style of this book is as good as the content. The figures, tables and boxes it employs (all in grayscale) are elegant and non-irritating (a characteristic almost impossible to find in introductory economics textbooks). The writing is lucid and engaging. One example of this is the opening of Chapter 6 which introduces the notion of surplus product by referring to the history of Cambridge, England: both the Medieval cathedral and the 17th century ditches in Cambridge are results of the surplus product. The former was used for religious purposes, the latter were used to drain marshy land and to expand productive capacity. Finally, the lists of suggested readings in the end of every chapter contain some very valuable recommendations.

Of course, as one reviewer pointed out, this book is not perfect. It disregards some mainstream concepts that are important or useful: price elasticity and welfare analysis, free trade and comparative advantage, production possibilities frontier (PPF). They can be successfully criticized (e.g. comparative advantage can be criticized as static and dependent on certain restrictive and unrealistic assumptions) but it is vital to know them since they are used in debates on public policy (taxes, trade, etc.). PPF in its turn helps to understand the difference between "crowding out" and "crowding in" due to fiscal policy. However, I do not think this takes away from this book. Most students will know mainstream concepts from regular courses. Thus, I highly recommend it!

As taught in most undergraduate courses, the world of mainstream economics is an orderly place where markets clear, economic actors are rational, and social harmony prevails. Readers wanting more realism should read "Understanding Capitalism," a superb introduction to economics written from a social democratic perspective. As in any introductory econ text, the book carefully analyzes market processes. However, it also analyzes "command" relationships within firms and the relationship between capitalist dynamics and economic growth. This "three dimensional" approach to economics -- the authors prefer the term "political economy" -- offers a comprehensive view of the subject.

The core chapters deal with microeconomics and macroeconomics. The micro section borrows from Marx and Schumpeter, and focuses on profit-seeking and "accumulation" as the keys to capitalist dynamics. The macro chapters draw on and update Keynes, and explain why unemployment is a persistent feature of U.S.-style capitalism (Swedish-style capitalism is a different matter). Throughout, economic concepts are related to ideas from anthropology, history, political science, and environmental science. Key points are illustrated with examples from the daily news; there is much algebra, but no calculus; the writing is clear. This is a very reader-friendly econ text.

It is also refreshingly non-dogmatic. Although the authors are leftists, they acknowledge that capitalism obliterates archaic economic structures and lifts standards of living. They also highlight the role of profit-seeking in the development of new technologies and production methods. Their tone is consistently reasonable and fair to all points of view. Of course, no book is perfect. I would have preferred a more traditional analysis of microeconomics (complete with graphs showing average cost, marginal cost, and so forth). The sections on international trade and finance are too skimpy for a book trying to make sense of modern globalized capitalism. But overall, "Understanding Capitalism" is superb. No one taking a mainstream lower-division course on economics should miss it -- and anyone teaching such a course should consider using it as a supplemental text.

I've always found studying economics to be an extremely frustrating experience. It seems my only options for learning about capitalism are (1) academic economists who study free-market processes but act as though political economy doesn't and never did exist, or (2) Marxist activists, who DO talk about political economy, but whose actual grasp of it is somewhat weak (and whose grasp of free-market principles is even weaker). Understanding Capitalism is really an anomaly in that it doesn't fit neatly into either of the aforementioned groups. This may be partly explained by the fact that at least one of the authors is a political scientist. Anyway, the book covers both free-market capitalist economics AND political economy, as well as providing (in the first chapter) a masterful summary of the rise and explosive growth of capitalism, first in England, then Europe, and now the world. I wish I could give you the whole table of contents so you could see how wide the scope of this book really is. Just to convince you that it isn't your standard college economic textbook, however, I'll give you a taste.

Here are the titles of a few sections within the book:
"Values in Political Economy"
"Karl Marx"
"Capitalism, the Surplus Product and Profits"
"Class and Class Relationships"
"The Capitalist Firm as a Command Economy"
"Race and Inequality" (!)
"The Limits of Democratic Control of the Capitalist Economy"

Here are the titles of a few chapters within the book:
"Capitalism Shakes the World"
"Political Economy, Past and Present"
"Competition and Concentration"
"The Mosaic of Inequality"
"Progress and Poverty on a World Scale"
"The Future of Capitalism"

If you have only heard criticisms of capitalism from Marxist literature, this book will be extremely valuable. You'll get a more scientific understanding of the same principles and a good presentation of the critique of capitalism scattered throughout the entire book. At the same time, you're sure to learn more about the workings of a free-market economy in the absence of government control (from both a neoclassical perspective and other perspectives). Most economics textbooks practically seem like they're written for business students, and they sure aren't interested in helping the reader really "understand capitalism." Read this book, and you will understand capitalism.

...and yes...I know how pretentious that may sound. But actually, it makes sense when you re-realize that the brain's health is obviously linked to the health of the rest of the organic machine that we know of as our human body; It's in no way seperate. We act as if 'the body' is that entity below our brainpan that is somehow seperate from 'us' when this is hardly the truth. When one takes care of their body through good healthy dietary choices (including excercise...Don't be fooled by the various late-night ads...There's no way to have it without at least some good excercise.), then the mind is sure to follow...A clearer body means a clearer line-of-sight.
Now...All that being said, I can honestly say that the knowledge Sylvia's book has to offer is nothing massively elaborate and includes NO addition of any sort of drug or gimmick...quite the opposite in fact. It has to do with the subtraction of a few elements in our diet that we have for so very long taken for granted as being normal for human health when in fact they most certainly are anything other than healthy and have served as the premature downfall of many of our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters...friends & ancestors. On the rare cases I've actually listened to my body, I could see that it was at least a couple of these dietary ingredients that was making me lethargic, unfocused & unmotivated. When I tried clearing my system again (but this time through Sylvia's tips), I saw that she was onto 'it'...She was and is onto something very important to the health/wealth of the human experience. The virtual pantheon of diseases we experience is ANYTHING but normal...at least it doesn't have to be.

...The world isn't flat, good people...You just have to give it a chance. :-)

This is a book that combines experiential knowledge with research done in the US as well as other countries that hasn't gotten a lot of press. Sylvia LeDoux used her intuituve, keen understanding of physiology and cellular biology and her own experiences with food intolerance to notice patterns in the food industry, reaffirmed them with in-depth research, and wrote a comprehensive book on her findings. I've had problems with obesity and digestive disorders for years now, and after following the regime LeDoux presents in Understanding Our Epidemic, my condition has improved significantly. I never understood the complex relationship between the immune system and the digestive system, but with LeDoux's explanations with the diagrams made it clear to me what my problems were. This book is a form of health insurance, so it's worth the twenty dollars it costs. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the problems of the food industry that the media does not point to, or if you've had problems with auto-immune diseases and/or digestive disorders.

This is the Editorial review from Booksurge Publishing which I felt was an excellent summary of the book and worthy of submitting here. It is also the back cover text.

YOU EAT SOMETHING and and almost immediately you have nasal drainage or your stomach is upset and you're lethargic the rest of the day. So what's up with this? Sylvia LeDoux has done us a big favor in writing Understanding our Epidemic, the results of her lifelong study of how the food we eat makes us sick. She takes highly complex medical information, coupled with brilliant illustrations and gives the average person a complete understanding of how the body uses the food we eat. Or, rather, how our body cannot use some foods we eat and we get sick! Ms. LeDoux gives us her personal experiences with food intolerances and thoroughly researched findings to explain how our digestive system is not equipped to handle the highly processed food we buy at grocery stores and eat in restaurants. The fact that 70% of our immune system is in our gastrointestinal system explains the importance of understanding that what we eat influences every cell in our body. With the epidemic rise in obesity, autoimmune diseases, asthma and cancer in our society, Ms. LeDoux demonstrates that it is imperative that we understand that what we eat can make us sick. In her words: "Being sick is not normal! A person can learn to listen to their body's signals, make adjustments to their diet and recover from illness"

I have always assumed I was lactose intolerant because that's how my dad explained why he couldn't drink milk. I couldn't handle milk-based formula as a baby, could drink milk as a child, and cannot tolerate milk as an adult. My infant daughter was diagnosed with a type of milk protein allergy at age 4 months having never had anything other than breastmilk to that point. After many doctors visits and lots of experimenting, we finally figured out that milk proteins from foods I was eating were passing through the milk to her and as soon as I cut dairy out of my diet she didn't have the intestinal problems anymore -- although I accidentally ate things that did contain dairy over the next few months and the problems returned immediately. I was amazed at the aches and pains and sinus troubles that disappeared from my life and the overall improvement in my own health which led me to believe my own condition is more like hers. When I read Sylvia's book this all began to make sense as well as a host of other ailments my family members and I myself have endured. I remembered how we all took antihistamines for any complaints we had as children and it always seemed to work. The inflammatory response to the milk protein and the high fructose corn syrup was the key that linked so many things together. I now feel equipped to make much better food choices for my family to keep us all healthy.

The publication of the Universal Design Handbook makes accessible the breadth of recent research on Universal Design. The editors have produced a remarkable resource, bringing together a collection of readable essays by the world's leading experts on Universal Design, "the design of environments and products that respect the diversity of human beings." (xvii)

The Universal Design Handbook is a clearly organized reference book. It begins by defining its subject, proceeds with its history and accomplishments, presents research and case studies, and concludes with a look to the future. Web accessibility and telecommunications are presented as industries positioned to integrate universal design principles in their own infancies, while the notion of "smart technologies" promises opportunities for a universally designed future.

As an architect and educator, I applaud the arrival of this valuable resource, both its practical, highly-focused research and its theoretical, broad inquiry. I appreciate the extensive case studies linking the theories and research with practice. Principles are illustrated with examples of built environments that go beyond the minimum requirements of codes, showing how accessible design can enhance a space for all users and/or presenting ways accessible features can be integrated into a pleasing spatial composition. These studies suggest the need to include questions about the ways people experience a space or object when programming a project, so that the resulting products are created to be usable by most people, regardless of ability/disability, health, gender, ethnicity, or cultural context. Examples range in scale from simple hand-held industrial pieces such as scissors to transportation systems such as buses and subways to entire landscapes and cities. This range requires the support of individual designers and clients as well as public, governmental support and corporate recognition that the goals of human-centered, universal design benefit both the citizenry and the economy. Various methods for reaching these constituencies are discussed in a number of chapters, primarily in "Part 4: Public Policies, Systems and Issues."

The handbook arrived just as I was teaching a Spring 2001 course entitled "Social Agenda in Design and Architecture." In addition to the important facts discussed in chapters such as "Principles of Universal Design," students responded to many of the case studies I presented, based on readings from the handbook. Students were reassured that social responsibility and aesthetics are not mutually exclusive, particularly when shown examples from high-design cultures such as Italy, France and Japan. One of the goals of the course was to challenge students to see social concerns as design opportunities and as a basis for contemporary theories of form-making. In addition, I was able to document the relationship of Universal Design to the other hot topic: Sustainable Design. The chapter "Sustainable Human and Social Development: An Examination of Contextual Factors" outlines how a sustainable built environment is necessary for sustaining human accessibility as well as for benefiting the natural environment. Conversely, the Universal Design movement reminds the Sustainable Design initiative that together their goals are truly human-centered.

In addition, at one faculty meeting we used the distinction between " injection and infusion" as defined in the chapter "Advances in Univeral Design Education in the United States" as a means of considering strategies for bringing Universal Design and other social issues into the curriculum. The discussion considered examples from other programs and sought ways to adapt these to fit the BAC program. As a result of the approach, our discussion was seen as part of an education-wide paradigm shift toward a user-centered design philosophy.

The Universal Design Handbook is an important, timely text that is a welcome and much needed resource for those committed to making this new century accessible to all.

Sally L. Levine, AIA

The Universal Design Handbook (UDH) is an excellent collection of the works of 84 international experts. Many marketing, MIS, architecture and engineering professionals would agree that it makes sense to design products to be usable by people of all ages and abilities to the greatest extent possible.

Unfortunately many people do not know how to achieve this objective. The UDH compiles much of this information for you. The word "handbook" is misleading. You can't hold this book in your hand. It weighs six pounds and contains about 1,200 pages. The UDH organizes information into 69 chapters and ten sections. The CD, included with the book, contains technical and design data.

The first few chapters of the book provide the reader with a rich history of the birth and evolution of Universal Design (UD). The reader soon discovers the term Universal Design has different meaning, to different people, in different parts of the world. Gaining familiarity with many new dimensions of UD helped me better understand how my knowledge of accessible information technology design, fits into the "big picture."

The big picture in this case incorporates UD guidelines, public policy, accessibility standards, residential environments, UD practices, education, research, and many case studies from every corner of the world.

I found chapters 65 - 68 interesting. These chapters focus on information and telecommunications technologies including the worldwide web, film and media and even smart card technology.

The final section of the book addresses, "The Future of Universal Design." It discusses how the legacy of the twentieth century is defining the challenges and opportunities that facing all of us in the coming decades.

There is a natural attraction that causes consumers to buy one product over another... that transcends status, cost, quality and service. If manufacturers were able to identify, capture and integrate the spirit of this "attraction" into their products and services they would have a mine of gold. Understanding the essence of what UD is all about will move them one step closer to making this a reality.

For those wishing to see the "Forrest for the trees" of Universal Design, having a copy of the Universal Design Handbook in their library is a must.

...I received a copy of Universal
Design Handbook. On first inspection I thought it was going
to make great door stop, or hold back for the overflowing
collection papers and pamphlets accumulating on my shelves.
However after only a couple of months I already find that it
is regularly dipped into. This massive document is a
fantastic and fascinating resource for researchers who are
interested in the subject of universal and inclusive design
and something of this type has been long awaited by the
design research community. It also provides a good resource
for those who wish to bring universal design into their
design teaching, giving them sound information on which to
base any teaching programme.

This is probably the most comprehensive reference work on
universal design to date. It brings together writings from
an international panel of experts in the field, each being
thoroughly referenced and providing an excellent entry point
for further research. The book, with its 69 international
contributions, addresses a wide selection of universal
design projects that range in scale from an office work
station, to interior architecture, buildings, landscape
architecture, facilities, such as on campus; urban design,
and all the way to parks and wilderness areas. It also
includes some chapters that relate to product design such as
the one on universal design in automobile design.

The research questions, methodologies and findings presented
are focused on how universally designed products and
environments can be created to be usable by most people,
regardless of ability/disability, health, gender, ethnicity,
or cultural context.

Though the emphasis is on the application of universal
design in the built environment, there is a mass of material
that it pertinent to anyone researching or teaching
universal or inclusive design. The fact that it covers a
wide set of issues across the various design communities is
especially useful as it helps designers and researchers
place their own practice and interests in context with
approaches in other design fields.

In my role as a researcher of inclusive design I have found
each contribution to hold something of relevance, which has
added to my body of knowledge and contributed to my own
research activities. As a design teacher I have been able
to draw on the experience of others in framing my own
teaching programme, the parts 7 and 8 on education and case
studies being particularly useful. And as a practising
designer I have been very interested to compare my own
experiences with those of others as outlined in Part 6.
I am sure that in the USA the additional CDROM is also very
useful, enabling readers to access and understand the laws
that have driven some of the universal design activities to
date. Regrettably there is no equivalent disk for European,
UK, Japanese or other country's legislation.

I would not recommend the book as an introductory document
on universal design as it would overwhelm the uninitiated.
It is, however, very comprehensive and in bringing together
the work of the major researchers gives access to this
essential information to a much wider audience than that
which regularly participates in the universal design
dialogue.

Cherie Lebbon, Research Fellow, Helen Hamlyn Research
Centre, Royal College of Art, London

Universal Design Handbook
by Wolfgang F. E. Preiser (Senior Editor) and Elaine Ostroff (Editor)

How universal is Universal Design? Wolfgang Preiser, Senior Editor of the Universal Design Handbook and noted expert in Building Evaluation and Programming, said "Universal Design is not about dimensions. It is an attitude." The impact of that attitude is felt across the world.
The Handbook contains 69 essays from leaders in their fields. Voices from the Third World propose solutions for densely populated regions. Europe and the United States continue to look to technology for labor-saving devices. What they all share is a commitment to design for the greatest number of potential users.
The literary styles are as varied as the solutions they propose. Case studies provide guidelines for professors considering similar studies. Theoretical papers discuss positions and implications. Historical narratives describe accomplishments to date. Topics range from transportation systems to bathroom design, from kitchen gadgets to computers. The authors are extremely candid about their successes and their failures. The common thread is their belief that solutions for one user group often benefit others.
The most remarkable aspect of the Handbook is the list of references at the end of each essay. Almost none of the authors reference the same sources. This is due in part to the fact that there are practitioners in almost every country in the world; however, until the Handbook, there was no keystone, defining text. Future scholars take note!
Elaine Ostroff, editor of the Universal Design Handbook, identifies the start of the Universal Design movement as the landmark legal decision Brown vs. the Board of Education. The resolution of the issue of segregated education led to the demand for inclusion in the classroom for children with birth defects. Activist veterans in turn demanded access to the workplace for veterans maimed in combat. With the support of various Civil Rights groups and the American Association of Retired Persons, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed a decade ago. The hammer of litigation has codified the gains made by this particular movement, resulting in widespread resentment against it. The philosophy of the movement has been undermined by compliance enforcement. Universal Design as an idea goes beyond the letter of the law to benefit the world.

This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in tapping into more of their life's true potential. As a life coach, I have determined this to be a comprehensive and practical guide to helping people untie their "knots". Having read it from front and back, I now know that "Untie the Knots That Tie Up Your Life" is a valuable book for many reasons but most of all because Ty Howard shares realistic ways that we can all break free of the behavioral traps that sabotage our personal and professional success. This guide will more than triple the benefit you will get from reading it, especially if you also focus on the many helpful "timeouts" as well as the specific practical strategies recommended within each chapter.

If you need guidance and motivational enlightment, then this is the right book for you. It will give you time to reflect and evaluate your life and how you have the power to change your attitude (destiny). I highly recommend this book, but don't just read through it and but it on the shelf, let this be a point of reference!!!

I was impressed with how the book is organized. The 10 "Infusers" gave me stepping stones to guide me to the success I deserve. Mr. Howards "Time-Out" pages helped reinforce important lessons and made them practical for me! I am now removing the barriers that block my dreams!!! Thank you Ty Howard for caring enough to help me untie the knots that tie up my life!

Ty Howard has delivered a robust guide that provides practical solutions to any knot imaginable. Embrace and apply the process and principles in this book to begin the accelerated Journey to a Knot Free Life!

Anne Leighton provides a useful and rare glimps into how media professionals approach the challenge of publicity for their clients and projects. Presented in a friendly and conversational manner, this book makes the case that artists, singers, actors, painters and poets are ultimately, and chiefly, in the business of comforting people. In an industry where most of the how-to books focus entirely upon career goals and money-making techniques, this work approaches the entire process from the point of view of providing love and support TO the audience.

Anne Leighton is an "idea person" who has worked successfully with many high profile clients in the music industry; in this book she shares liberally-in her typically unguarded fashion-a virtual smorgasboard of information and ideas.

Providing a fresh perspective to the task of publicizing works of art, this book stands as solid proof of the proposition that, when artists focus FIRST upon the physical and emotional needs of the audience, magic happens.

There are many practical suggestions and hints for beginners and professionals alike...Example: Anne's lengthy checklist of items needed for the planning of a charity event is worth the price of admission alone! A GREAT read....

This book is great for anyone starting out in the business who wants to get to know the basic ins and outs on how to work the media. From writing a basic press release to coming up with ideas to make your case to media outlets of various sizes it help's you help yourself get heard.

"The ultimate goal for your message," according to author Anne Leighton, "is to let people feel better." She provides practical suggestions for people with no experience to professionals in the entertainment industry on how each of us can make others feel a little better. If you want to make others feel a little better, this is a book for you. It will give you ideas, cause you to pause to reflect, and motivation to do stuff you may never have even thought about doing.

Joel Heffner

I can't think of someone more qualified than Anne to come up with such an insightful, heartfelt book which looks closely at the media, art and how they can be used for the better.

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes nearly 10 years ago. And I found this book very useful and practical. Medical understanding of diabetes is always changing, and this book is a good update for me on the nutritional end. It's even helped me win a couple of arguments with a nurse who is "close" to me, but hasn't studied diabetes since nursing school! Excellent value, and I've recommended it to the nutritionist with whom I work.

As a recently diagnosed Type 2 diabetic, I am looking for lots of information on how to manage the disease in a healthy, positive manner. This book has really helped me. Author Leontos clearly explains the challenges in store but emphasizes positive ways to react. I particularly like her information on modifying recipes. This book is a real bargain for all the help you get!

Whether you've just been told you have diabetes or have lived with it for years, there is something for you here. The writing style is easy to understand, and the ideas are reasonable and practical. There is a lot of good information here, and it is presented in a style that felt like I was connecting with a person, a friendly dietician who understood my confusion and frustration. The author recognizes the fact that people will need time to make changes and helps diabetics find a food plan that they can use with the whole family without agonized screams about serving cottage cheese and carrot sticks for dinner. :) I've bought other books that are either too academic or have meal suggestions that I'd never use. After using some of the ideas in this book, I was able to get my glucose levels into the normal range without too much trouble or eating food I don't like. I also lost 15 pounds to boot without really trying. :)

This small book serves the average person whether diabetic or one who needs to shed pounds. It is very easy to read with many suggestions to modify recipes. Sometimes humorous, always practical and down to earth, it's helpful to all readers. The book is a guide to changing your eating life style without giving up your favorite foods. Whether your tastes are simple or gourmet, suggestions are given to change your eating habits. Enjoyable reading.

the best book I have ever read on the subject of why so many men abuse women in so many different ways. The other reviewer who talks about laughing when he read it is obviously a man who abuses women and he just couldn't stand the truth.

the best book I have ever read on the subject of why so many men abuse women in so many different ways. The other reviewer who talks about laughing when he read it is obviously a man who abuses women and he just couldn't stand the truth.

This book is unintentionally hilarious. It is also really badly written and quite embarrassing on the whole. It should have been called "Why people of both sexes hate this author". Anyone who subscribes to this stupid confused theory is either living in an alternate reality or just stupid. But really I'm not bagging this book out, it's great and should be filed with "The Rules" as one of the most idiotic books ever written. I'm in hysterics laughing now just remembering it.

this book changed my life. Ihad read lots of books about abusive men and never really understood why I had been treated the way I had been. This book finally cleared the fog. it lifted years of guilt and shame. I knew befor I had finished it that I was not responsible and that he would have hit me even if I had met his demands to be the perfect wife. I will always be grateful I found this book

I heard about 'Freefall' from my old English taecher, a man called Mr. Breen. You could never have said that we got on very well, probably as a result of his compulsive, patronising behaviour and my downright laziness and inability to accept authority. Anyway he was a man who liked to tell stories, and one of his favourites related to a curious book by the name of freefall. It was two years later and I was about to come and live in Paris when I saw the book in question in the token airport lobby bookstore . I bought it, and then read it. It is hard to explain the feeling that you get when you are so intimately touched by a piece of literature that you become almost posessive about it and protective when you find out that someone else has obtained the same sense of enjoyment out of it as yourself. That is why I greet the fact that I am the only one to have reviewed this book with a mixture of elation and sorrow. The story revolves around the analysis of the narrator's life (Sammy Mountjoy), and tries to ascertain where it was that he lost the ability to manipulate his own fate - where he lost his freedom. We are presented with various episodes from his life as he tries to find out 'where it happened'. The obscurity of his period in the concentration camp is somewhat baffling, but the rest of the novel is written so beautifully and with such convoluted yet clear language that it is a joy to read. This novel is far too good to miss, but remember, I got there first.

I heard about 'Freefall' from my old English taecher, a man called Mr. Breen. You could never have said that we got on very well, probably as a result of his compulsive, patronising behaviour and my downright laziness and inability to accept authority. Anyway he was a man who liked to tell stories, and one of his favourites related to a curious book by the name of freefall. It was two years later and I was about to come and live in Paris when I saw the book in question in the token airport lobby bookstore . I bought it, and then read it. It is hard to explain the feeling that you get when you are so intimately touched by a piece of literature that you become almost posessive about it and protective when you find out that someone else has obtained the same sense of enjoyment out of it as yourself. That is why I greet the fact that I am the only one to have reviewed this book with a mixture of elation and sorrow. The story revolves around the analysis of the narrator's life (Sammy Mountjoy), and tries to ascertain where it was that he lost the ability to manipulate his own fate - where he lost his freedom. We are presented with various episodes from his life as he tries to find out 'where it happened'. The obscurity of his period in the concentration camp is somewhat baffling, but the rest of the novel is written so beautifully and with such convoluted yet clear language that it is a joy to read. This novel is far too good to miss, but remember, I got there first.

Like the other reviewer here, I was assigned this book in my junior year of high school by a well-meaning teacher who was so frustrated by his students' lack of interest (or comprehension) of Free Fall that he simply gave up. Three years later I picked my copy off the shelf and gave it a second try. Although there are still times when I have to blink and reread a paragraph several times to absorb the frenetic stream-of-consciousness style of narration, I am constantly in awe of Golding's exquisite writing. To all brave readers, give this one a chance.

I heard about 'Freefall' from my old English taecher, a man called Mr. Breen. You could never have said that we got on very well, probably as a result of his compulsive, patronising behaviour and my downright laziness and inability to accept authority. Anyway he was a man who liked to tell stories, and one of his favourites related to a curious book by the name of freefall. It was two years later and I was about to come and live in Paris when I saw the book in question in the token airport lobby bookstore . I bought it, and then read it. It is hard to explain the feeling that you get when you are so intimately touched by a piece of literature that you become almost posessive about it and protective when you find out that someone else has obtained the same sense of enjoyment out of it as yourself. That is why I greet the fact that I am the only one to have reviewed this book with a mixture of elation and sorrow. The story revolves around the analysis of the narrator's life (Sammy Mountjoy), and tries to ascertain where it was that he lost the ability to manipulate his own fate - where he lost his freedom. We are presented with various episodes from his life as he tries to find out 'where it happened'. The obscurity of his period in the concentration camp is somewhat baffling, but the rest of the novel is written so beautifully and with such convoluted yet clear language that it is a joy to read. This novel is far too good to miss, but remember, I got there first.

Like all of the William Sonoma cookbooks I have (about 10) it is easy to use, informative the recipes work well and are relatively easy to make.
We love Risotto around my house and there several real crowd pleaser here that I make over and over. I also recommend the new version also with more good recipes. It is not a remake of this one but more recipes in a larger format.

I have seen risotto prepared in many different ways, unfortunately there is only one way to properly go about the task. Arborio or Carnaroli rice depending on your choice requires a certain method to extract all of the creaminess from the rice while maintaining a good al dente texture. In this book, the author here has done a wonderful job of illustrating the proper way to produce a quality risotto. Nice photos to give you ideas as risotto leaves much room for experimentation once you have mastered the basics.

Risotto is a wonderful, filling, nutritious meal and can be simple or sophisticated, served at family meals or dinner parties. (It also makes great left-overs!) Whether you're browsing or planning a menu, this book will fulfill your appetite. Each recipe is beautifully illustrated and presented on a separate page with easy-to-follow instructions. Several of the recipes I've tried have become family favorites. Just serve with a fresh baguette, and some can be considered one-dish meals.

This is a really good book about Risotto. The recipes range from light to deliciously heavy and creamy. There are also very basic instructions and tips for the beginning Risotto maker.