Conferences Books

This book is exceptional (which is also the same book as the paperback version which goes under the slightly different title of "The Villa, the Lake, the Meeting: Wannsee and the Final Solution). It succinctly explains how the "removal of the Jews from Germany" became the genocidal project known as the Holocaust. Indeed, the book explains this much more than the conference itself -- the conference being more like a presentation by one of the SS's top officials, Reinhard Heydrich, that genocide was now official policy, and that the job of the state ministers and other bureaucrats present was to facilitate the "evacuation" (i.e., murder) of the Jews.

This is more a book on historiography than on history. It tries to put in chronological order the different steps that were taken that lead to the Final Solution: the extermination of European Jewry, decision that seems to have been taken in Wannsee.

It gets entangled in the effort, and therefore never moves on with the Conference, which is what made me by this book in the first place. If there are no documents to exactly know what was the purpose of the conference, and what were the personal stands of the people gathered there on the issue, we should have been warned in the title.

Discussing over dates and the proper chronology of decisions regarding the Holocaust seems to me like discussing security measures when the thiefs are already in the building. Who cares? The author never gets there, I mean, to the Conference. It was aggravating.

I recently completed a college faculty study trip on the Holocaust and puchased this book at the Wannsee mansion. It is the best single summary of the evolution of Nazi policy toward the Jews up to 1942 out there. Browning's Origins of the Final Solution is much more detailed, but this work gets at the core issues of how the Nazis used anti-semitism as a political tool and the role it played in Hitler's bureaucratic politics. The work focuses on elite decision making among the perpetrators. If you want a recent book looking at the Holocaust more from the perspective of victims, Lawrence Rees' work is the way to go.

In just barely 125 pages, this short volume looks Hitler's final solution squarely in the eye to provide new perspectives. Roseman successfully, I think, argues that the concept of genocide developed much later in the war than one would believe and that such was not initally part of the Third Reich's master plan for the elimination of the Jews. Rather, official policy seems almost to have just "drifted" in the direction of genodice without it---of much of anything else---having been planned for.

His premise is that all of Hitler's rhetoric, and even his actions, up to Wannsee were aimed at just getting the Jews completely out of Germany in any way possible, seeking to accomplish this not through mass murder but rather through combinations of the failed Madagascar and Jews-to-Palestine plans, making conditions so miserable for the Jews that they would leave on their own, and finally to begin shipping them further east as the Reich expanded. This resettlement would have continued toward harsh, unsurvivable Sibera, once he brought Stalin's armies to its knees. But his early military successes ultimately both smothered this plan and doomed the Jews.

True, the elimination of "undesirables" began early in the war. But the scale was relatively small and was limited on the homefront to the short-lived euthanasia program which ended quickly enough from adverse public opinion, and in the newly conquered eastern territories to the overzealous actions of their Reich governors to whom Berlin gave virtual free rein to secure the area for precious lebensraum. While the number of deaths were considerable by any standard, it pales in comparison to the staggering final total.

But the ever-expanding Greater Germany which was being created as Hitler successfully moved east took on not only the Jews already living there but also those continuously deported from the west---many more than could be eliminated or moved further along quickly enough under all previously assumed methodologies (which in the text are referred to by Reinhard Heydrich himself as "provisional, until something better came along", further supporting Roseman's "drift" proposition).

Roseman points out that these deportees were literally dumped out in the open, left on the hands of the territorial governors who were provided with no comprehensive plan for dealing with a population increased by those banished from Berlin. Even with their unlimited authority, the governors could not keep up with elimination necessities. Obviously, something had to be done, and fast.

All the previous vagaries of policy quickly coalesced to form the final solution. The inefficiently crude, hands-on methods of the early liquidations (firing squads, beatings, etc.) were replaced by impersonalized, production-line mass murder, providing the Nazis with a twisted means of separating, distancing themselves from personal blame or responsibility.

The race to genocide thus began not merely in the ravings of the lunatic himself, although Hitler certainly provided the emotional map to it, but rather in an academic exercise by supposedly enlightened individuals thinking their way through just another production problem.

This is a readable, thoughtful monograph on the origins and historical significance of the Wannsee conference, the notorious January 1942 meeting where Nazi officials finalized plans to exterminate European Jewry. Noting that the decision on genocide was probably taken by Hitler in late 1941, author Roseman concludes that Wannsee's real purpose was to assert Reinhard Heydrich's control over Jewish policy and to sort out bureaucratic disagreements about the treatment of half-Jews and Jews married to German gentiles. Roseman writes well, has a full command of the secondary literature, and understands the nuances and grotesqueries of bureaucratic politics (I'm a career State Department official). Highly recommended for readers interested in World War II or the Holocaust.

Mr Talese is clear about his interest in sex.
Sex was reborn (as a public issue) in the late sixties.
Today, sex is all over the media (and maybe, this is not good news).
Sex is life.
This is an interesting book if you are interested in the history of sex.
If you are interested in sex, don't read this book. Do it.
If, however, you wish to understand how the liberalization of sex in the US came about, read this book. And you'll do it with pleasure.
Isn't that what sex is all about?

Gay Talese spent the 1970s studying the Sexual Revolution in the USA. He was no detached scientific observer in a white lab coat like Masters and Johnson. He threw himself into his work with enthusiasm. He lived the life he studied and the results of his work are in this book. But this is not just one man's report from the sexual frontier. As a disciplined reporter, he conducted countless interviews, but as a participant he was able to obtain trusting relationships. This is not Sociology; he reports on the people making money from the Sexual Revolution and their customers. It is primarily a book about men using women's sexuality to make money from other men.

This is not an exhaustive history but rather a look at selective people and their impact on the times. John and Barbara Williamson's Sandstone Retreat, a sexually open community in the hills near Los Angeles, is one group that Talese focuses on. Through interviews with many of the participants he explores the effects polyamory (openly maintaining multiple sexual relationships) has on the couples who belong to this group.

A large portion of the book examines the publishing pioneers who, after World War II, risked fines and jail to sell erotic books and magazines in the US. The Post Office laws against sending sexual materials through the mail was the core legal restraint in the US and Anthony Comstock was the chief enforcer of this law. Some of Comstock's more famous exploits are recounted. Talese also reports on the Supreme Court, its decisions, the Presidential Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, and the Nixon White House's response to the loosening sexual climate. Hugh Hefner, one of the most famous people in sexual publishing, is also studied in some detail.

Feminism was another revolution developing in the 1970s, but Talese only gives it passing mention. The only feminist mentioned is Betty Dodson, whose drawings of female genitalia and visits to Sandstone are discussed.

Talese also looks into the history of sexual expression and repression in the US. John Humphrey Noyes and the Oneida Community is looked at as a precursor to the open sexuality of the 70s. The community was built on Noyes' concepts of Perfectionism which included communal sharing that extended to sexual relationships.

These are just the major themes. A 20 page alphabetic Index ends the book with entries from Abortion to Emile Zola. I found the history of sexually explicit publishing most interesting. The depth of the personal interviews related to the Sandstone community was excellent. So much has changed in the past 25 years in terms of sexual expression and the sex industry. This book is a wonderful study of this period and the people involved.

This book must have been a phenomenon back in the 80s. Gay Talese: conservative gentleman, respected journalists, family man, and...sex researcher. In the last twenty pages, or so, of this book, Talese opens up and recounts for the reader his personal odyssey of visiting massage parlors, sex shows, strip clubs, as well as his philandering experiences shacking up at free love communities in California -- all before the outbreak of AIDS. Talese speaks about himself in the third person, probably as a narrative technique to distance himself from the guilt he might have felt participating in such research as a married man. While the soul searching wasn't quite enough for me, the journalism really hit the mark. Talese describes the history of pornography, from the time it was banned in the U.S., up through the major Supreme Court obsenity cases of the 60's and 70's. Along the way, Talese tells the story of Playboy power-man Hugh Heffner, describing his hedonistic lifestyle in envious detail. (There is a naughty man buried inside Talese. TNW treats the voyeuristic reader to the show Talese puts on as he lets us watch this naughty man struggle to climb out.)

The book also chronicles a number of "regular" folks from the 70's who happened to fall into Talese's circle of aquaintences as he was writing the book. (It did, after all, take Talese nine years to write TNW -- and, as an aside, I never did figure out why Talese chose this title; never, once, does he write about his or any neighbor's wife. He could be refering, however, to the general "free love" culture that emerged in the 60s and 70s.) These "regular" folk are supposed to represent the average 1970s American. Not once was I conviced that the people Talese followed through his narrative were actually average. But this is secondary. The journalism is first-rate.

I bought this book because I am a student of the narrative non-fiction genre. Talese is a Master of the discipline. This book keep the Master's reputation secure. If you're looking to learn about writing non-fiction, and you're looking for a topic a little out of the ordinary, choose this book. Talese's most recent book from a few years ago, A WRITER'S LIFE, is said to briefly follow-up (in a few chapters) with his observations about American sexuality. I have not read this new book, but it will be interesting to see what 25 years have done to this man's perceptions.

This is a vital book, a work of witty and searching defiance in the face of American puritanism. Why on earth is it out of print?!

While I enjoyed "Unto the Sons", and may read Talese's other works, I only thought so-so of this endless tome on the sex industry in the USA. I like his style of writing non-fiction in an engrossing manner, like reading a novel. His section on Noyes and the Oneidan community was wonderful. Then there is Hugh Hefner, who has sexual relationships with countless women, but was hot and bothered when his wife had an affair. And Talese's nine-year commitment to the work is highly commendable. But the scope of such a work needed more/wider coverage. The selection of scenes were few, and overdone. Not much on Masters & Johnson, or Sheryl Hite (sp.?) or Alfred Kinsey. The material on judicial matters, while important was tedious. Sandstone Retreat was saturated with coverage as well. After "Unto the Sons", a wonderful work on Italo-Catholics, who, like me, have roots in southern Italy, this was a let down. Catholicism becomes a punching bag in this work. He might have set up a thesis - antithesis dialogue about the understanding behind Pope Paul VI's "Humanae Vitae", but didn't do that either. In the end he speaks of his italian Catholic background as a means to help him live in a licenteous, heathenistic manner, one that nearly rips his marriage apart. Very strange.

Walking With Spring

The doughboy, the G.I, the grunt, the modern day land warrior, the men who combat the enemy-You may fly over a land; you may bomb it, pulverize it and wipe it clean of life-but if you desire to defend it, protect it and keep it-there's never been anything but boots on the ground.

All wars are different, and all wars are the same. They all have a price. The Army's first study of the mental health of troops who fought in Iraq found that about one in eight reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The survey also showed that less than half of those with problems sought help, mostly out of fear of being stigmatized or hurting their careers.
Once called shell shock or combat fatigue, post-traumatic stress disorder can develop after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, feelings of detachment, irritability, trouble concentrating and sleeplessness. A lot of people, including vets, don't believe that PTSD exists, mostly because guys don't talk about it.
A lot of guys come back from wars really messed up, and it doesn't just go away. They aren't going to talk to you about it. They don't want your pity. They don't pity themselves. You can't see it. It's there...
It was the spring of 1948, and a young man from Pennsylvania had to work out the sights, sounds and violence of World War II, during which he lost his best friend. He took a hike, for four months. Earl Shaffer became the first person known to hike uninterrupted the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, from Springer Mountain in Georgia through 13 other states to Katahdin in the central-Maine wilderness...on more than 2,000 miles of footpath.
Earl Shaffer wrote a book about his experience called Walking With Spring. Originally self-published (300 copies), Walking with Spring was first professionally published in 1983. Written soon after his first of his three thru-hikes, the last undertaken at age 79, and far more difficult than he liked as he neared his eighth decade.
This book only contains hints and clues about this unusual man, the loner, the poet, and the man rooted in nature. Although Earl had suffered psychological trauma during his service in the South Pacific, he hardly mentions it at all. There are no long-winded passages of psychobabble or self-pity in this book. Instead, you get a real feeling of interest and wonder at the natural world Schaffer experienced--concisely, yet accurately conveyed.
This is not a book to prepare you to physically or materially hike the Appalachian Trail. It is instead a memoir of a period in time, the aftermath of war, and the recuperative power of the outdoors on the human psyche. John Muir knew this, as did Emerson, and Thoreau. Perhaps this is the strongest argument in defense of wild places. The wilderness is absolutely necessary for people to be human...
Hobo says this is my side of the mountain. He's a real ridgerunner, born in the hills and suckled on the teat of a cougar. Can't get enough of Hobo? Hike on over to www.frommyshelf.blogspot.com for past columns. All hail the cat, I mean chief. Look for Hobo on January 20th. Politics are about to get a little furrier. The committee to elect "Hobo For President" approves this column.

Earl Shaffer was a man of few words, and this memoir of his first Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 1948 is no different. This is not a book someone picks up to learn about thru-hiking; there are practically no descriptions of the actual Trail itself, and the amount of road walking Shaffer had to do may have been the genesis of the misperception that the Appalachian Trail is a casual walk through the bucolic countryside of Appalachia. The gear and footwear he used are as anachronistic today as vacuum tubes.

Doesn't matter.

"Walking With Spring" is not a book to physically or materially prepare one for an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, although it could provide some psychological reinforcement. It is instead a memoir of a period in time, the aftermath of WWII, and the recuperative power of the outdoors on the human psyche. John Burroughs and John Muir both knew this, as did Emerson, Thoreau and Frost. This is the argument in defense of A.N.W.R. and other wild places: they are absolutely necessary, albeit often intangibly so.

"Walking With Spring" also seems to belong to a different era, the era of intrepid explorers such as Kane and Peary. Shaffer was the first to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail when many believed that a thru-hike of the Trail was not possible. Although his prose is unassuming, Shaffer understood what he was doing--he knew he would be the first and he took steps to document his hike. He was a true explorer. He made history.

After reading many of the more contemporary accounts of thruhiking the AT, I finally got a hold of this great book. In my opinion, I recommend it the highest of any of them.
Unlike most of the other books, he complains the least about the hike, despite countless detours and the usual hardships (yet he still averaged 17 miles a day!). A real strength to this book is that despite the fact he had suffered such psychological trauma during his service in WWII, he hardly mentions it all. There are no long-winded passages of psycho-babble, self-pity in this book. Many subsequent accounts tend to make their problems too much of the story, dragging the reader down.
Instead, you get a real feeling of interest and wonder at the natural world Schaffer experienced--concisely, yet accurately conveyed in words. In addition, he keeps a steady pace of writing to match his hiking, so there are no slow spots. He simply goes about the business of hiking every day, and that strength is carried over into the book clearly.
Other books, such as Bill Bryson's, give a lot of good background and historical information, but a more perceptive, deeply felt account than Walking with Spring would be very difficult indeed, to produce.
The ATC's website has a good list of recommended memoirs which are good resources for more practical and current information, but in the end, this one stands out from and above them.

Earl Shaffer's recounting of the first AT thruhike is a glimpse into history. Perhaps a hundred books have been written about the Appalachian Trail since Earl wrote his. None is more sincere or matter of factly descriptive than Walking With Spring. Earl's life was enigmatic. This book contains hints and clues about this unusual man, the loner, the poet, the man rooted in nature. More than anything, it traces his pioneering journey into the history books as it leads the reader on what in 1948 was an unprecedented quest. At $8.95, it's probably one of today's best literary bargains.

This is an essential book for anyone who has thru hiked the AT, or is a vicarious thru hiker. Earl Shaffer is the first confirmed person to complete the trail in one season, though a group of boy scouts later claimed they made the entire journey sometime in the mid-30's. Shaffer writes very well, in a phlegmatic, relaxed and spare style. He was an environmentalist and naturalist in an era when few were of the same mindset. As a former WWII GI, he was restless with civilian life and just decided to walk from Springer Mountain to Mount Katahdin. What a pioneer he was, even though he didn't know it!

Schaffer describes many fascinating things about the trail and the physical and mental effects resulting from hiking 2,100 miles. Though the journey took place in 1948, there is nothing dated about the book, except the fact that many shelters have been updated or added, and more towns dot the trail these days. This is a great book for anyone addicted to literature on the beloved Appalachian Trail.

Chris' book helped me prepare for my thru-hike. I owe this man!! I could have been hungry, thirsty or dead! Christopher Whalen KNOWS!! Thanks Chris!!

Chris Whalen's book, helped me prepare for the long walk through the mountains. I just hiked the AT, I used Chris' book to prepare. It was like a workbook, I was able to tear out and photocopy the pages for use in preparation of my trip. There are charts, diagrams and important info. I would've been in trouble a few times had I not gotten this book first. Thanks a lot Chris!

Christopher Whalen gives a good basic planning device for a Thru-Hike and the information can be applied to any long trek. The area that brings me some concern is the divergence from accepted advice regarding clothing. CW recommends cotton underwear and most who hike now advise that a quick drying material be utilized. If this is a result of the book being written before the implementation of new materials then the later editions of the book should provide up to date information rather than to just crank out additional copies of out of date material.

Another way that this book could be improved is to put it in loose-leaf form so that pages can more easily be copied since that is a recommendation of the book for certain pages.

There is much in the book that is very helpful but there is room for improvement.

This book has that, "Hey-Man-I-know-what-I'm-Talking-About" feel, because he's been there. Why learn from your own mistakes, learn from his. I suggest buying this book if you're planning a to hike the AT or any other long hike.

Thanks for your help Chris

While this workbook is not as inclusive as Wingfoot's, it is more current. It also addresses some issues that are not covered in Wingfoot's. If you are planning on hiking the AT, I would recommend purchasing both..... Happy hiking. Its always an adventure...

Don't waste your money on this book. The other reviewers must have been the author's friends and relatives! You get real marketing ideas from the Guerilla Marketing books, marketing books by Rick Crandall, Dan McComas etc. This book is just fluff...no ideas...just bad promotion for the author.

However valuable how-to books may be, most of us haven't time for them. Many of the books geared to the business world are fat, ugly, and bone-dry.

Jeff Tobe has taken his book on creativity, marketing and sales quite a few steps beyond that. He has been thinking , creating, and "Coloring Outside the Lines." He presents basic approach to business within a slim, memorable volume.

The author polishes up a dull subject with images from the sports world and from children's games. He supplies an intriguing diagnosis of stale business practices he calls BPIP (Business Professionals Innovation Deficiency) with all its symptoms. These include Past-a-Plegia, Internal Myopia, and Psycho-Sclerosis, all of which make anthrax seem innocuous. You will want to learn about these because they are diseases anyone can contract.

The book itself is a tribute to Tobe's own philosophies. The cover looks more like an Easter egg than a business book, the typeface is positively enchanting (and readable) and his advice is anecdotal, not built with dry-old, tired-old businessese. His message is to achieve success by thinking differently; this book illustrates this very premise. Tobe takes a risk and it works.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"

I read approximately 20 business books per year and I have never read a treatise that combines marketing, sales and creativity in such a complete and succinct way. The content is solid, commonsense advice to skyrocket your product or service to the front of the pack. Kudos to Jeff Tobe for finally sharing his wisdom with the business world in print form. It's long overdue!!!

The basic metaphor is obvious. Less obvious is the profound importance of understanding (a) why there are "lines", (b) how they got there, and (c) who decided where to place them. Of even greater importance is understanding how to take initiatives in those areas in which creative thinking is not only appropriate but essential. New product development, for example, or positioning which differentiates an organization from its competition. (Other areas obviously require "coloring" only inside the "lines." There are some highly creative accountants who now receive their mail at a federal penitentiary.) I am all in favor of "thinking outside the box" even as I remain convinced that, at least most of the time, answers to questions or solutions to problems can only be effective when implemented inside a "box" of some kind. Only breakthrough thinking (e.g. mass production of automobiles, development of the Internet) creates entirely new "boxes" which then replace the old ones. Subsequent innovations then reconfigure the "lines" until other new "boxes" become dominant. Of course, Jeff Tobe understands all this as he shares his thoughts on creativity, marketing, and sales. He has a great deal of value to share.

His is a much more personal book than those written on the same general subject by others such as Claxton, de Bono, Levesque, Michalko, and von Oech. It covers less material. That's OK. This book would be much easier to re-read on a regular basis (which I highly recommend) for those involved in marketing and sales who need to reactivate their creative "juices" from time to time. Of course, it would also be of substantial value to just about anyone else. To school and college students, for example, or to those who have only recently begun a career, or especially to those who have (voluntarily or involuntarily) reached a crisis point in their career.

One of the book's greatest benefits is derived from Tobe`s own "coloring" outside various "lines" throughout his own life and career. Perhaps he agrees with my own opinion that most human limits are self-imposed. That is to say, on many occasions we feel constrained by "lines" we ourselves have drawn. (Long ago, Henry Ford said something to the effect "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.") Tobe wrote this book primarily (but not exclusively) for marketing and sales executives. As indicated previously, I recommend it to anyone who now feels constrained by real or imagined "chains." Tobe offers new "crayons" with which to "color" and strong encouragement to re-think assumptions about creativity. Two chapter titles suggest how: "If It Is [italics] Broke, Don't Fix It...Yet" and "To Err Is Right...or at Least Necessary."

Once you have read this book, you will be much better prepared to read other books written by the aforementioned Claxton, de Bono, Levesque, Michalko, and von Oech. More to the point, you will be much better prepared to increase and enhance your ability to think creatively whenever that may be necessary...which is to say, all of the time.

When you're raised with the oft-repeated admonition to stay inside the lines when you're coloring, the message sticks. When you're an adult, coloring outside the lines, out of the box thinking, and challenging the status quo can be really difficult. The old tapes come on and hold you within established boundaries. Creativity is a useless exercise: it's outside the limits. And that's our problem. We're all so bound by limits, we can't find new solutions. We're stuck with the old solutions, even though the problems, the playing field, and the rules have changed. And the tape plays on.

It is said that if you tie an elephant to a stake with a thin rope when it's young, the elephant learns that it is secured to that stake. The learned behavior "sticks," enabling handlers to secure huge, powerful elephants to stakes with thin ropes. The elephant doesn't believe it can break free. Humans are not so different.

Then Jeff Tobe comes along and shatters all those imaginary boundaries. A salesman and professional speaker, he specializes in stimulating creativity and innovation in business organizations. As demonstrated by his stories in this book Tobe helps companies break through "innovation deficiency," characterized by Internal Myopia and the Ostrich Syndrome. He argues that business leaders-and everyone else in the environment-must change the way they perceive, think, and behave to succeed in today's competitive world.

You get an immediate sense that this book is going to be a bit different when you open the cover. There is no traditional Times New Roman type between these covers. The typeface--throughout the entire book--looks like something from a primary school primer on the fine art of printed word penmanship. The message is clear: this book is going to be different and fun. And it is, but it's serious, too.

"Coloring Outside the Lines" is organized into three sections: Creativity, Marketing, and Sales. Each section has 6-9 chapters that stimulate the thinking and illustrate how things can be done differently. The lessons are valuable-some are fresh and some are the old saws that we've all learned for years. Each lesson is presented in the context of a story that you might hear on a fun walk through a meadow with the author. The chapters are filled with personal stories and experiences with titles like "Are Your Bagels Hot?" to "Step into My Office." These narratives are enjoyable (yup, chuckles in this book), comfortable and reasonable, yet highly instructive. The book is deceivingly simple in appearance; the educational aspect sort of sneaks up on you.

This easy-to-read volume will be thought-provoking and stimulating for salespeople, marketers, and other executives and managers who welcome inspiration (or permission) to do things just a little bit differently. If the thinking and behavior or different, (surprise!) the outcomes are different.

I first located this book from the library. I ended up checking it out for an additional few weeks. It was so full of useful information, I decided I needed to add it to my arsenal of information for repeated use.

This book is the assigned reading for the Event Planning certification course I'm taking. It's great, very concise and to-the-point. Lots of realistic resources and handy tips.

This has been a really great book and has been a huge help in getting started in event planning. I've planned six events now, and this book is helping me understand some of the processes better and help me better hone my skills. Definitely recommended!

I think this is the best guide for event and meeting planners. there is a lot of source references (especially internet sources available for professional event planners or prospective event planners) It is fun and easy to follow. Everything is clearly explained. There is not too many jargon words used.
I am yet in the middle of the book and I can't wait to see the later parts of it. I am getting all the necessary information I need.

This is a comprehensive introductory book for anyone starting out in the meeting planning industry. The title is a bit misleading (Meeting AND Event Planning) as there is very little information on event planning itself - about 10 pages. The event planning section mostly concentrates on the events that would be part of a meeting (golf tournament, fundraiser, final night gala, etc.) but doesn't go into great detail. There are, however, concepts and information presented about meeting planning (checklists, timelines, vendors etc.) that can be easily transferred to the event planning process.

If meeting planning has recently become part of your job responsibilities, this guide will help you understand the basics. If you are looking for information about becoming an independent meeting planner or event planner (i.e.: getting clients, starting your company) you might need to continue looking for other resources.

Overall the book is well written, has plenty of examples and explains the underlying concepts to organizing a meeting.

My sister found this book years ago when she was looking for sites for her wedding. I used it to help find a location for my companies 25th anniversary party. I had to buy a newer version when I was scouting locations for my own wedding! If found wonderful places I never heard of before. It saved me a lot of time and energy by eliminating contacting places that would not have been a good fit.

My husband and I are not from the DC area, but have settled here. We knew we wanted a DC area wedding, knew we wanted it outdoor, but didn't know where to go from there. This book breaks down sites by how many guests it can accomodate, and lets you know prices, rules, etc. This saved me hours of phone calls and pointless drives to sites that wouldn't have been right for us. If you know the DC area, this might not be the right book for you, but for us carpetbaggers, it was a lifesaver!

When our two daughters recently became engaged, I ran out to buy this new Unique Places book, written by local author Elise Ford. For the price,(around $20 including shipping. For our weddings, each around 120 guests for sit-down dinner, I found this book not helpful. Locally distributed free publications have more information, more sites,similar information on costs, and are more a propos for planning weddings. This book would be useful for an organization, or for planners of galas or huge corporate functions. Most of the interesting locations do not allow private parties, especially weddings. A small percentage of the locations would be suitable for 'small' parties of around 100. I will donate this book to a non-profit organization I belong to. Many sites are excellent for large non-profit gatherings. Other sites have their own food preparation on site so renter can't bring in one's own caterer. A few private clubs are included, but not enough. This book might be helpful to some people, but not to this family. I should have checked it out in the library first. Mea culpa! Fine for event planners... but not mothers of brides.

Absolutely wonderful reference book if you are looking for a place in the Washington, DC area to have a special party. Arranges different sites by size, area, type etc. Is very useful and convenient to use. Saves hours of phone calls!

I used an earlier edition, but I would assume they won't differ too much. This was an invaluable resource for our initial wedding planning. We were able to find out ahead of time and w/o phone calls that some sites we were interested in were too small to accomodate our guests. And, then we used it to investigate locations we had never thought of, or knew existed.

I have also used the book as a resource when planning social events for a non-profit association. Again, we narrowed our selections based on size and found locations that we did not know of.

My event planning went much more smoothly because of this book, and I have loaned it to several friends who have also praised its resources.

While I too loved the highlight stories listed in other reviews, I found "Whole Numbers of Families" and "Crooks" to be strong as well. In a way her stories remind me of the writer Marisa Silver's portrayals of life in L.A., in that Doenges creates a landscape of hidden lives in modern America, often with glimpses of Chicago. Odin is a great character; all of her main characters are believable and intimately atriculated. I hope she writes more; as a 20 year old queer person I was really happy to find this book. Doenges takes the time to make her people complicated but really gay, telling stories that are just plain interesting. If you are Doenges and you are reading this, thanks for making these characters and talking about these lives. Even if they are slant lives, they are important. It's also nice to feel like you're not alone, reading them.

Judy Doenges is a masterful writer! Her work is filled with emotion and very convincing. I especially like the story "MIB"--it is one of the most poignant stories I have ever read. "What She Left Me" is a wonderful book--richly detailed and highly intelligent. It definitely deserves its rave review in the New York Times!

For short story aficionados this is an excellent collection. The stories are rich in detail, seamlessly written, and completely engrossing as far as this reader is concerned. The final story, "God of Gods," is masterful.

This collection of stories combines uncommon craft with uncommon insight. The opening of the title story reminds me of one of Janet Fish's remarkable paintings of glassware. That is, while you might think the topic is glassware--or bar ware--the topic is really the light (of the protagonist) bending, twisting, transforming, and still shining through.

I read some wonderful reviews of this book, and I purchased it with high hopes. Though I found several of the stories (specifically, the titular work, What She left Me) to be interesting and provocative, I was disappointed with the book as a whole. It was very uneven, and for every high point there were long sections full of dull, predictable prose. All in all, an uninspiring, if occasionally rewarding, collection.

I discovered this treasure at my local library.
I knew I had to buy it. Each essay
is full of valuable information and
inspiration. Whether you are a professional
writer or hope to be someday, this book will motivate
and challenge you to Just Do It!!
Thanks and kudos to Mr. Mettee and
all the contributing authors!

As a full-time freelance writer, former editor, and former publisher, I haven't gotten this excited about a new writing book in a long time. This isn't just another tired overview of the same articles on the same topics; this book is packed with in-depth information on every aspect of the writing business. It paid for itself immdiately in providing me with valuable references and information that helped me with a current project; it should be on every writer's bookshelf

I looked through this book and sent it back. Nothing new, just the usual info so while it might help if you're just starting out, there are lots of similar books out there - the title's a little misleading, it doesn't really take the place of attending a writer's conference.

The Portable Writers' Conference is an unusual book. An anthology on writing, it is like going to a writers' conference-without leaving home. And it is a great conference because each of the contributed pieces is by one of the best in the business. Fascinating, educational and fun. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com, author of Writing Nonfiction: Turning Thoughts into Books.

This hefty volume chock full of gold! There are tons of articles written by accomplished/published writers -- these are not so much articles of their own experiences, as they are sort of "how to" type articles that are very helpful to the reader. Topping all that off there is a section called "Writer's Resources" which includes questions to ask literary agents, standard manuscript format, proofreader's marks, royalties and advances, average book print runs, sample magazine writer's guidelines, sample book publisher's writer's guidelines, magazines and newsletters of interest to writers, and the list goes on and on. Having recently attended a writer's conference, I can see that this book would indeed be helpful to people who have never been to one as well as people who have. This book is a font of helpful information & insightful articles -- truly a pot of gold! Buy one, you'll be glad you did!

One would think that it would be easy to make the biography of such an amazing person interesting. As a pleasure read this book is difficult because it is very dry. However, if you are doing research, I would recommend this book because it is full of details.

Ella Baker must be the most underrated figure in U.S. history. There are plenty of Presidents who have done less to shape their own times than Ella Baker. She decisively shaped two of the most important national civil rights organizations--the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference--and was the single most decisive figure in a third--the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Only Martin Luther King Jr. can be considered a rival in importance to the African American freedom movement, and yet most Americans have never even heard of Ella Baker. This exhaustively researched and well written biography should go a long way toward filling that gap.

This is a thoughful, analytical, and well-told story about a uniquely important American political life. It is a work of central importance in United States history and especially the history of the African American freedom movement. It is a cutting edge work of black women's history, too. I plan to buy a stack of them for Christmas presents, and to assign this book to my students for many years to come.

This was a great book. Ella Baker was ahead of het time.This is a great read if you like the history of the civil right movement.Ms. Baker I hope to meet you in heaven.

Dr. Ransby provides a well-structured and insightful biography of one of the most important, yet least well-known, leaders of the civil rights movement in the United States. This book is strongly recommended for any student of modern U.S. history.