News Services Books

Hilarious-----and True!!! Better written, better styled than anything written by Jimmy Breslin or Murray Kempton. If a movie was ever made, danny deVito would be the star. I know of no other book more widely read in law enforcement circles than this. I know one law sch prof who made it required reading.

Certainly worth the read, slow to start but when the story speeds up its pretty hard to put the book down.
In a nutshell, the Feds put together what they think is a watertight case against Lucchese capo Anthony Acceturo's New Jersey crew, but get more than they bargain for when the case reaches the courtroom, due in no small part to Martin Taccetta's attorney, one Michael Crithley.(Taccetta being Acceturo's protege and successor).
In a case that made history in the US, droning on for almost 2 years, the Feds roll out ex cons who have been planted in the Witness protection programm to put an end to thier one time partners in crime, only for Crithley to shoot them all down in flames, questioning the governments double standards in letting off convicted murderers and drug dealers,if they cut a deal with them,which sometimes might make you think that its the Feds on trial and not the Mob.
One of the main characters in an out of sorts thug called Jackie Dinorsico, who represents himself in the trial, and somehow stumbles his way through the trial,upsetting anyone that stands in his path.(the Judge and fellow defense attorneys included),and quite often humouring them.
Not your typical Mob read but definetly worth it, just to find out how 20+ mafia members and hangers on somehow managed to convince 12 weary srangers that it was the US government and not themselves were the bad guys after all.

Forget about "The Sopranos" - this is the real thing -- The New Jersey mob at its gritty and funny best. I've read a lot of "true" crime stories, but this one had me turning pages with all the anticipation of a suspense novel -- while laughing at the real-life antics of "The Boys." It's a treat to read.

Although Anthony Acceturo doesn't endorse this book, records and witnesses back up Rudolph's story. Anyone who is a diehard fan of The Sopranos on HBO knows that the character of Tony Soprano is based Anthony Acceturo. Their fictional and nonfictional paths mirror one another to the present - except Acceturo is now free of the Mafia and a legit businessman.

As a young man living in the area where this story takes place I can say that just like the man that is telling this story some is truth and some is fiction all in all it portrays Newark N.J. in the 70,s

This book is a short collection of articles or speeches by President Jean Bertrand Aristide. Reading it is a window into the world of a torn country: the poorest in the western hemisphere. But rather than being depressing, it leaves you with hope as you celebrate the triumphs of the Haitian people as they struggle for democracy and peace.

Take a trip to Haiti. And you may still notice the mountains of garbage at every street corner, drug and crime lords on the loose, the prison system a mess, the economy...what economy? electricity...only when it's for the "Wold Cup", the absence of Police Officers...the condition of the roads! the airport! the beggers, the robbers and the fast and growing numbers of Haitians leaving either by plane or boat! now, instead of publishing a book and trying to convince those who's never lived in Haiti of the President's good heart, he should have taken that money and spent it on the country instead! Nothing has changed from when the Duvalieriste's were in power! Actually, the new President bares an eery resemblance to Papa Doc lately! oh! did I forget to mention the President's mansion in "Tabarre" and the perfect condition of the road in front of his house...we wouldn't want his Excellency to feel a bump now, would we?

I never gave Aristide much credit, but after reading this book I'm beginning to think that there might be hope for Haiti after all. This is a compelling and well written book that goes at the core of Haiti's problem. In the era of globalization, a nation with a past such as Haiti should think twice before jumping the bandwagon of the free market economy and look for a third way. While the capitalist system generates wealth, it also broadens the economic and social gaps among class constellations. Yet, at the same time, we have Cuba as a model of social justice and equity, if judged by the criteria of universal acces to education and health care. I think that Haiti should aim at striking a balance between those opposing ideologies and Aristide made it clear in Eyes of the Heart that there is a third way. Rather he follows through with this idea during his second term as president it is yet to be seen. Overall it is an insightfull book.

hmm. interesting point our President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has. but guess what,it's not enough. in essence,he represents the dream-like state that a lot of my people have:we dream of what we were,of what we could be,yet do nothing about it. he is an intellectual without action. i have lived too long in haiti to hear all of the 'ansanm,ansanm,nou se lavalas'speeches of our DEARLY BELOVED president while continually seeing the misery of my people. good book,"titid". but i don't expect to see anything realistic come of it. (:

By all accounts, life for Haiti's desperately poor majority is difficult. By most accounts, that life is hopeless- newspaper reports see only squalor, development strategies see only economic enslavement as the lesser of evils, even supporters of Haiti cannot see the country escaping the rut of its history.

President Aristide, as he has always done, finds hope. He finds hope in his people's almost unfathomable strength in opposing repression over three centuries. He finds hope in economic activities discarded by the "builders". He finds hope, despite the horror inflicted on Haiti from the outside from slavery to the present, in us, the citizenry of the world's powerful countries.

This hope, and practical strategies based on it, has always been Aristide's gift to Haiti. That is why he, and candidates perceived to be loyal to him, have received overwhelming support in just about every electoral contest since 1990. That is why Aristide should receive the support of the international community, and anyone who cares about social and economic justice. That is why you should read this book.

Once a young lady offered her mother-in-law to a retail outlet that had a no questions policy on returns. In another better known case, a customer returned used tires to the legendary Nordstrom which accepted it politely though it had never ever sold a tire. Fables are born when excellence captures the imagination of the customers.

This book brings out what lies behind the secret of such excellence when it comes to customer service. Such service that becomes fabled comes straight from the heart of the employees. The challenge then is to hire those whose hearts are for whom they serve and to train and lead them into excellence of service delivery.

Through well structured illustrations from companies like SAS, Nordstrom, McDonald's, Wal-Mart, The Ritz Carlton, the message is driven straight to the heart -Make service everything your company is and does. This is accomplished through two sets of employees - those who serve the customers directly and those who serve these employees. Hiring for the right attitude and leading these men and women to excel is the "how" of the story.

The book mostly picks examples from retail, the philosophy and scope extends to all industries. After all, there is no business without a customer. Though all of us agree that the customer is the purpose of our business, at the top of our organization charts we never find the customer. The customer is conveniently forgotten in the organizations' most important document. Not at Nordstrom for example. Here the organization chart is an inverted pyramid with customers at the top. It takes a different mind set to accept such realities. In fact it not a state of the mind, but a matter of the heart.

Recommended for professionals working in today's "knowledge industries". Maybe they will gain some knowledge on what it means to serve customers!

.
The book is pretty, nice graphics, good fonts, lots of white space, etc. I personally agree that good serice is a good thing. But the message is pretty simple and the focus is hammer, hammer, hammer... This is like a Tony Robbins publication with a micro focus.
.
Here are the seven suggested "Commitments":
1. To Make Service Everything Your Company Is and Does
2. To Be of Service in ALL That You Do
3. To Act On the Belief That You Are in Business to Serve Customers
4. To Serve Those Who Serve the Customers
5. To Design Every Part of Your Business With Service as the Desired Outcome
6. To Be In Business to Serve Society
7. To Create and Sustain the Vision

But these commitments simply don't work in all situations and all companies. The "service is good" idea has been twisted into a religion - and there's a lot of religion here - the pictures include Albert Schweitzer and Mother Theresa! How can I argue against them?

Hopefully I won't be damned because I didn't give it 5 stars.

Fabled Service is solid proof of the importance of customer service supported by Sanders's experience with Nordstrom. Businesses strive for customer service, and Sanders provides useful and detailed explanations and strategies for how to attain the basic concept of excellent customer service. Fabled Service is as good as Michael Levine's Guerilla PR: Wired, which explains how to attain excellent public relations coverage in the modern age without busting the budget.

If you are in business or are thinking about going into business, this book is a must. No matter what else you know or think you know, these core concepts are the keys to success. Real examples from real life with real meaning. And Betsy Sanders has a way of making it understandable and simple.

This book is by Betsy Sanders, VP and General Manager of NOrdstrom's Southern California Division . Betsy shares her secrets to legendary customer service --not theories-- but what works....7 chapters of this nicely sized volume 124 pages plus a good index cover what Fabled Service is and isn't and how to move from philosophy to practice. There's a bit of zen here as she encourages you to practice the small tings to be perfect on the large. Being of service is a journey -- as we all know...The book is illustrated with photos and some easy to the eye graphics. For example on page 40 -- there is a prescription for fabled service which includes two primary ingredients #1 Respect and Ingredient #2 Flexibility...she says there are no sweeter words than "I'll take care of that". It's everyone's job -- not just the 'customer service' dude or chix. Lots of things need to meld together to get the right outcome -- like the environoment, the technology and the message. Integrity and fabled service are intertwined too...nice chapter 7 on how to be a traditional or transformational leader and what makes a leader...A preface by Warren Bennis adds to the credibility of this tome. Surprisingly -- the words of wisdom are timeless -- even the Internet and social networking and email hasn't changed the importance of SERVICE......A good read -- might be kewl to leave it in the coffee room for people to glance at in between breaks!

I enjoy cheeky chick lit form time to time and have a few favorite authors such as Marian Keyes, Ann Hood, Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella and now Holly Shumas. Books about women and their usual mishaps with their boyfriends, horrible jobs, jealous friends and annoying mothers who always call at the wrong time can be boring but not when done in a fun, smart way that teaches me a few things about life and about myself. This novel was not only refreshingly easy to read; it was intelligent and had an actual point!

From the beginning Nora is a self saboteur living a big crazy life in her head - she would rather cut her arm off than bear some small pain on it and over analyzes catastrophic scenarios and runs constant self investigation. On a whim she quits her job as a volunteer at an animal adoption shelter because writing bios for dogs who wouldn't get adopted was not something she truly got into. Instead she decided to write mini bios for people, more accurately - making great profiles for singles that have trouble getting noticed online. From the beginning Nora's own profile - part of the job even though she's not single - is empty and meager but as she meets people and helps them find themselves she shapes up her own profile and finds herself after a very bumpy road to success. Slowly but surely Nora found her own five thing's she can't live without and it was a lot of fun seeing those ideas take shape form her decisions.

As she helps people out her own life starts to fall apart, friends and family members make her compare her own life to their and the move with her boyfriend Dan of six months couldn't be more hasty. Meeting cute strangers in cafes to work on their profiles isn't helping either as something starts to happen. I cannot say another word, this book was a breeze to read, it took me one day, but it was brimming with atmosphere and charm and the ending was the best part, about 40 pages before the final words something grandiose perspired and I was biting my nails unable to put the book down until I finished ( at 2:20 am thank you very much). I really didn't expect to adore this book so much but it really grew on me and I'm thrilled to have found a new author who makes me smile.

Charming and refreshing, this book is deeper than it seems, the more I brood over what I read the more I like it! I will definitely be getting the author's second book, out next year.

- Kasia S.

This book was a quick read and at times very entertaining. However, the main character was a little too insecure and self-centered for me to really enjoy the book. It got distracting and I kept wanting to tell her to get a grip.

.......another book from Holly Shumas
I purchased Five Thing I Can't Live Without and enjoyed all 276 pages and wished for more pages. It's a gem and an easy read.

Looking forward the authors next book It's Not What it Looks Like.

I'll be sharing this book with many!

I am glad that I found this book. I was just at a bookstore looking for something to read but not so sure what and the title attracted me. I have never read chick lit before. Its really a great book - very fresh and relevant. The characters are really endearing and I can't help but see the Nora in me. If you like stories about coming of age or self discovery then this is a good pick for you.

The above reviews have amply described the content and story line of this great debut novel from author Holly Shumas.

To merely add to these reviews--this novel is a witty portrayal of a near 30 year old woman who has a refreshing and familiar way of observing herself in life. The writing is sharp, perceptive and very real. Although I am not a frequent reader of "chick reads," there is a great, easy freshness to this book (like a chick read, I suppose) but the writing skills and observational narrative are much smarter and interesting than a typical book in this genre.
**I recommend this novel as a good, laugh-out-loud book that has interesting characters and inevitably you'll see yourself, your sister or your best friend in the story line.**
Enjoy!

My mom is a patient of Dr. Blau. He treats her for her rheumatoid arthritis, and is a wonderful diagnostician and doctor. A year ago, he mentioned his book to her, but she was not interested in reading it, because she had never been in the hospital. Five months later, she was hospitalized with a heart attack. While recuperating, she asked me to purchase this book so she could read it. She did read it, and three months later, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She is in the same hospital as Dr. Blau was, and as she now recuperates, she leaves his book on her bedside table. My mom has become a lot more savvy thanks to her rheumatologist. As her daughter, I have embraced my role as health care advocate with increased vigilance. So thank you, Dr. Blau, for a fine book that may help to save lives, or at the very least,to prevent needless pain and suffering!

While this book addresses some very serious dangers that we probably all ought to be aware of, and know how to avoid, it also stresses some very rare problems, which may result in over-paranoia for some readers.

I think it's vital to know what the actual risks are that we might need to face, but I think creating a "dangerous environment" is not at all helpful, and perhaps this author, in his attempts to help, has done a bit too much of that in this book.

For instance, he writes that adverse drug reactions result in 140,000 deaths per year. Pretty intense. He discusses ways to prevent this from happening to oneself or one's loved ones. Very good information.

The five pages he devotes to infant abductions, however, is a bit extreme, I think. In From 1983 to 1996, 89 infant abductions occurred in hospitals. Which, of course, is way too many, but I think that the prioritizing of the issues in this book leaves something to be desired.

After reading just a little of it, I began thinking that hospitals were horribly dangerous places to be, and I had to really look at the facts presented in order to see that the presentation of the facts was more horrifying than they needed to be.

I really like the advices for how to protect oneself in a hospital, but I think it could have been presented better.

As a long term patient of Dr. Blau's it has become apparent that he gained a depth and insight into what it means to be a patient thru his pre and post hospital experience. Insightful, and spoken from a heartfelt and practical perspective.

Despite this sensationalist title, Blau and Shimberg have written an excellent resource for anyone contemplating surgery or a hospital stay of any duration. Most enlightening (and frightening) was the chapter dedicated to infection control issues - it's amazing how often overworked hospital staff ignore basic hygiene and universal precautions in an effort to get all their work done. The authors give examples of lots of good questions to ask (and direct you to the risk management department of the hospital - not the public relations office). The book also breaks down the hospital bureaucracy so I came away with an excellent understanding of how all the parts of this large "machine" interact with one another. Blau and Shimberg have devoted a good amount of space to the issues of patient rights and insurance concerns which will probably affect anyone having to deal with the paperwork aftermath of a hospital stay. Peppered with anecdotes (some funny, some scary), this book is an excellent resource and should be recommended reading for anyone evaluating such a facility.

...Sheldon Blau's introduction confirms your worst fears - firstly, that things can and do go wrong, and secondly, that it is reasonably easy to fix it - if you know what is wrong. I read this book after having to fight medical personal for four days to take notice when we said there was something seriously wrong with our son, who was bleeding internally. When we finally got to hospital, I had a fair idea what was wrong with him, and tried to negotiate a way to sort it out. But there was one big difference between me and Sheldon Blau. I was just a mother. In the end, I was proven right, but not before a whole raft of "situations" became majors, with me having to step in twice, saying over my dead body. The things that really struck me about Sheldon Blau's comments was that he could not address the one thing he did not feel, which was intimidation, and resultant fear of authority, because as a doctor he had "authority". The major hurdle for parents was not one he had to face. As parents, when you believe you are right, and doctors are wrong, the first thing that hits you is fear. And sure enough, the first question you will be asked, when you question authority, is "What medical school did you go to?". Then the tactics start, to attempt to have you removed from the hospital, and subtle things to make your "life" while you try to protect your child hell. Intimidation in a big scale. None of these things Sheldon Blau experienced, because it was not done to him. They wouldn't dare. I rated the book five, because on the mechanical things that you need to do, this book is the best I've read. But what happens when you switch on a tape-recorder in hospital? It might be tolerated (barely) if you are a medical person - but as a parent it is interpreted as a threat, and instantly, the way you are treated and viewed changes. In some cases, management then becomes "aggressive".

So when I titled my review "This is just the beginning" , I meant that I would like Elain Shimberg and Sheldon Blau to follow up by writing a book about coping strategies for parents to survive all the things which are never done to medical patients. It is so desperately needed.

Another issue unresolved is that most people who do fight, are educated and articulate. We were. We won - and we probably saved our son's life by preventing dangerous treatment he didn't need, and stopping them giving a drug intravenously when it should have been given orally. But I couldn't help thinking as I looked around the ward at all the other mothers who had no assertiveness, no knowledge, no realisation that the medical library was just 200 yards down the corridor - that for their children, if anything went wrong and their child died, the standard answer would be "we did our best" when in fact far from being heroes, the medical people had silently buried their mistakes.

This book is fantastic for educated assertive people - and possibly useful for others. There is still a crying need however, to address the plight of the average Ewen Mee who hasn't a clue how to fight, because they deserve a lot better than they are dished up with at the moment.

Tina Musial's How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Child Care Service takes the overwhelming task of starting a daycare and breaks it down into the basics. It covers many aspects of owning and operating a daycare - from federal and local regulations to decisions about caring for children with disabilities to which services to offer to how to be an employer - that many individuals may not otherwise consider until they are immersed in the running of a child care service.

How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Child Care Service starts at the beginning - from reasons why many individuals choose to start a daycare - to the continued development and accreditation of an established child care service and provides pros and cons for many of the options. Musial includes case studies with individuals who have been there, done that, in order to provide further prospective, as well as offering practical, no nonsense advice on how to make a child care service a save and positive experience for the children, staff, parents, and owner.

A lot of parents think about opening a childcare center so that they can stay home with their kids and earn some money. Tina's book is a good resource if you are contemplating this move. The book starts off strong explaining the different kinds of centers you can operate- home-based, purchasing an existing center or starting a new center. And then offers pros and cons of each type.

She goes on to discusses general requirements you will need in order to get your state license for each type of center. Offers clear-cut examples of policies and various plans you should have in place like a fire evacuation plan and health and safety policies.

The prospect of opening your own business is always appealing. But as with any other business, a childcare facility, even a home-based one, will require money to operate. The book discusses financing options including opening a center onsite at major corporations in your community or city.

Lots of great little extras like a sample floor plan are included. The author also discusses how you can decide how much to charge and how to determine your rates (weekly or hourly). And of course, she gives you the lowdown on the pros and cons of each type of arrangement.

In the book you will also learn how to get reimbursed for the food you serve, how to hire employees, how to write drug policies, conduct staff meetings and honor your staff for their dedication and hard work. Other great advice you'll find include: tips for setting goals for your venture, creating a mission statement, establishing fees, and determining hours of operation.

The book even covers the pros and cons of offering an after school program- a good option as many parents work late and some schools don't offer these types of programs onsite. And discusses additional ways to make money including summer camps for kids too young to remain home alone while their parents work, and alternative hours of operation to accommodate parents who work different shifts (being open from 3 to midnight for example, or 24 hour care).

The books comes with an appendix fat with information and is written in a friendly relaxed writing style that flows across the pages and makes the book an easy read. You could probably finish it in a few sessions.

Tina Musial's guide to opening and operating your own childcare center is a concise work. Everything you need to know from common sense ideas to the bare bones that each center, large or small, consists of is all in this easy to read book.

Broken down into three parts Musial shares her expertise and wisdom compiled from many years in the industry with her readers. This book is full of information. What I liked most about this book was how Musial forces the reader to ask questions about why they want to open a childcare center, what type of personality they are and why that is important and determines what size center you should strive to operate. Each section has a clearly laid out set of pros and cons, samples of letters, real life scenarios, forms and more. There are checklists, examples of budgets and loads of reference information per state. Musial does not gloss over any of the aspects of owning and operating a childcare center. She forces the reader to take control of each avenue and path they will walk down as they being their journey and create his or her own business.

From how to interview staff and families, to increasing pay and raising rates this book has it all. It makes an excellent reference guide for those just starting out and those already in the business. The Appendix alone with its state-by-state references is worth the price of the book. If you are thinking of opening your own childcare center or simply need a refresher course or new ideas for a childcare center you already own then look no further than this book.

Tina Musial's "How to Open and Operate a Financially Successful Child Care Service" is the complete guide for anyone looking to open and operate a child care service. Building a child care service is difficult business, but Musial spells out in her book all the pitfalls, obstacles, guidelines, issues, and success that can be found when venturing into running a child care service.

Something I like very much about Musial's book is that she explains in detail not only the "common sense" things anyone would imagine encountering in child care, such as child safety, keeping everything clean and sanitized, knowing who is dropping off and picking up the children in your care, and planing for emergencies, but also the things that do not enter one's mind right away, such as strategically marketing your service, planning events and parties for both the children and the staff, and even learning (ethical and fair) ways to save money on taxes. There is also a list of helpful resources for all fifty states.

Musial uses a very friendly, engaging tone in her work. There is a very thorough glossary in the rear of the book that explains all the important terms a person going into child care service should absolutely know, the book is divided into fifteen well-organized chapters, and Musial breaks down many of the common issues one will confront in opening and operating a child care business with easy to read "Pros" and "Cons" lists. I certainly recommend this easy-to-read and comprehensive guide to a person like myself who has virtually no idea what is entailed in starting and managing a child care service and also to those child-care professionals who are looking to refresh and update their knowledge base.

It's no wonder that the shortage of childcare facilities increases everyday. The red tape and unforeseen complications involved with opening and operating a daycare center turn away potential owners time and time again. However, there is hope for anyone determined enough to open their own daycare. Tina Musial is your beacon of hope as the author of How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Childcare Service. This comprehensive how-to guide breaks down the complexities of day care ownership into simple and manageable steps, which most any one can implement.
From the very first chapter, Musial presents information that every potential child care owner should know, but didn't know who to ask for it. She covers the various standards and requirements child care centers must meet, and explains the proper paperwork that must be filed in order to do so. Many of the start-up steps she details are items that most would have NO CLUE needed to be completed in order to start a child care facility. Musial's attention to detail ensures that readers will be thoroughly informed of what to expect during the opening procedures.
Each aspect of obtaining ownership and opening a child care facility is covered in simplistic detail, but Tina Musial doesn't end her book after owners have opened their daycare doors. She further outlines essential knowledge needed to run a successful center well after opening day. From suggestions concerning what to charge patrons, what to feed the kiddos, and how to compete with both the fancy and low-cost daycares, Musial offers practical advice for every headache that owners could possibly encounter.
For anyone who has a dream of owning and effectively running a child care facility, Tina Musial's guide should be the daily handbook that you turn to for answers. This book receives five out of five stars for its amazing attention to detail, and its simplistic style and outline. How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Childcare Service is a must-have for wannabe daycare owners!

Do you cry at every wedding? Can't wait until the next fancy invitation shows up in your mailbox? If that sounds like you, then maybe you should consider starting a wedding business. John Peragine, Jr. shows you step by step how to start up and run a successful wedding consultant and planning business.

Peragine teaches basic business principles and shows how to make good money making others' dreams come true. Learn what it takes to succeed in this rewarding and satisfying field. Although the business is exciting and fun, Peragine is realistic telling the reader that success lays in hard work, long hours and strong commitment to excellence.

Creative marketing ideas along with detailed organizational advice really help both novices and seasoned consultants to improve their business plan. This guide is packed with useful information. Sample letters, press releases, and contract agreements add huge value to this book. Don't open a wedding business before you thoroughly study this resource.

**** (4 out of 5 star rating)

John N. Peragine Jr.'s HOW TO OPEN & OPERATE A FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL WEDDING CONSULTANT AND PLANNING BUSINESS comes with a companion cd-rom and tells how to plan a wedding, offering all the details needed to over business plans, control systems, menus, legal and pricing concerns, and more. The 'when, how, what and where' questions all receive plenty of depth and detail. All are excellent picks for career and business collections alike.

This book goes so incredibly in depth as to what you need to do in order to be a successful wedding consultant that when I was finished reading it I felt like I had just finished up a business textbook. I liked how this book went through absolutely everything you night need to know, whether it's when to file taxes or how to deal with an angry bride hurling insults. I think this is the perfect book for anyone who is considering getting into the wedding business.

The rather lengthy title seems like a mouthful, but it does aptly describe the information you'll find within the ten chapters. Also included are helpful appendixes that are critical to those in the wedding planning business. Within the appendix section, you'll discover a list of wedding shows held in states throughout the U.S., seating plans and sample menus.

Planning even a simple wedding can be a vexing task to a bride and groom, and many are turning to wedding consultants to help them avoid the stress that comes with planning and organizing their dream day. It's a solid business idea for the motivated person.

The addition of photographs, charts and sample contracts or documents helps keep the reader from being bogged down in information. Rather than throwing a bunch of information out there, the author uses real charts and documents to back up his information. These eye-catching images keep the reader's interest from start to finish.

The book opens with a list of qualities that a person needs to succeed in the wedding planning business, a quiz to see if you have what it takes and a list of contacts that are critical to the business. From there he covers many important topics, you shouldn't pick and choose what you read because every page is packed with crucial tips. You'll learn how to design your own Web site, even using free online software to help cut business costs! He covers funding your business venture, expenses you should expect and marketing tips.

If you are going to be requesting a business loan, you'll need a business plan. Peragine's guide includes business plan samples to get you started. Chapters also cover taxes, tax paperwork and insurance plans and coverage. You'll find tips and recommended programs for becoming a certified wedding consultant. Towards the end of the book, the author includes "Case Studies" where established wedding consulting business owners share tips and advice.

Owning your own business also comes with challenges. John Peragine's business guide is critical because it covers more than planning a wedding. He covers the more important aspects of insurance, taxes and financial planning. While many dream of being their own boss, they often overlook these troublesome business matters that are essential to running a successful business.

To me, this is what makes his guide stand out. "How-to" books are often filled with details on a specified business, but items like taxes and insurance coverage are glossed over. Not here! The author does cover these items thoroughly ensuring that those interested in the career are definitely prepared for all aspects of their new business. If a career in wedding planning appeals to you, start by reading John Paregine's business guide.

How to Open and Operate a Wedding Planning Business was very well organized and easy to read. The sections were broken down from writing a business plan, the importance of marketing, business law, and what kind of individual based on their personality is likely to succeed in the business. The information was very easy to read, honest, and to the point, focusing on the ins and outs of opening and creating a successful wedding planning business.

There were several case studies that describe the success or downfall of specific wedding planning organizations and planning opportunities. After reading the book, I felt I had a great amount of knowledge about how to successfully plan, open, operate, and create a thriving business; starting from writing a business plan, to successfully financing my business and reaching all of my goals.

My kids love this series. I use them with other resources to bring hisotry alive for them. This gives me the tool I need to help them get into the lives of kids there age.

This was a good book for History. While some of the information we already knew there was a fair amount of new stuff too. It is in question - answered format. The colonial time period was much longer than I thought, People had to make everything, they went to school but not so much to doctors, and a whole lot more. I would recommend it for 1-3rd grade.

I ordered this to reminisce. I remember vividly the pages and drawings that I loved in this book!! Drawings are very precious and expressive. The text of this original 1960s version is a bit dated (mentions Indians as a threat to the lives of settlers - true but not really PC to say it). There is an updated version of the book, which I haven't read. Love this one!

Of all the history on daily life, no book offers more practical insight into the daily lives of Colonists.

The Bible says, "Out of the mouths of babes..." Perhaps the same is true "For the eyes/ears of babes..."

Truly excellent. In all my searching through so many standard old history books, I could not find answers to the questions this book resolved.

Best of all, our kids love it!

Life in New England in colonial times was hard, a good growing year and people could eat well, a bad growing year and there was hunger. Harvest was an especially busy time, as everyone had to work all hours to get all of the food stored away.
This book is about how the children of that time lived. Since everything revolved around the family in their house, this is about family life from the perspective of children. What they wore what they ate, the work they did during the day, what they did for fun, what their schools were like, and how they behaved on Sunday. There were many laws, some of which were heavily enforced and others that were largely ignored.
The tithing-man would rap you if you misbehaved in church or tickle your face if you fell asleep during the service. Nearly everything that was used by the people was grown and made by them, so the explanations of how they made their goods was quite interesting. The list of standard jobs found in every village, such as the miller, blacksmith, barber, tailor and the cooper describes what professions were most valued at that time.
This is an excellent book about the life of a child in New England. While their lives are described as being difficult, they were not without joy, something that is also mentioned in detail.

Anybody that Generalizes Conspiracies or anything else for that matter is a raving idiot. And BTW, following the party line isnt going to save your retirement or investments.

Robert Steele, the maven of open source intel, explains why every citizen needs to start their own collection and analysis program. The first reason is so that she can understand the risk to herself of international crime and terrorism. The second reason is to protect her own liberty from domestic threats,private and public.
Buy this book. Think about what Steele has to say. The truth will set you free.

My deepest hope for the United States, and indeed, Earth is that decision makers would read this book, stew over it, let it keep them up at nights, and to finally get down to business. This book serves as a tocsin for the nation to wake up to the challenges we are presently facing and those that are just around the bend.
As a nurse with an interest in public health issues, this book states a great case for the claim that "The idea that the health of every nation depends on the health of all others is not an empty piety but an epidemiological fact." That's no joke brothers and sisters; 59 countries with modern plagues can be ignored only to our peril.

I find it difficult to believe that someone who endorses 9-11 conspiracy theories (see the authors review of "9-11 Mysteries" on December 7th) could be viewed as an authority on intelligence issues. If he ever had any credibility in the field, he's long since gone over the deep end.

Ironically, its people like him and his ilk, who believe a neconservative/Israeli conspiracy was behind the destruction of the twin towers, that best undermine the central premise of his book: that ordinary citizens need to take a greater role in intelligence. If 9-11 conspiracy theories are the sort of mind-numbingly stupid, paranoid output that can be expected from the sort of amatuer intelligence agents Steele wishes for, I'd prefer to leave it to professionals.

This was in many ways a difficult book to read and is even more difficult to review. It contains a number of original ideas on intelligence reform, national security, and the general state of the world. Yet they are presented in a rather choppy style that relies rather heavily on numerous diagrams, charts, and tables as well as lists of thoughts. Still this book is worth reading because Robert D. Steele takes on the business of intelligence reform in a comprehensive and refreshingly different approach.

The guiding, but unstated premise of this book appears to be that in the chaotic world of the 21st Century, intelligence is too important to be left only to the intelligence bureaucracy of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). According to Steele, it is time that the business of producing national intelligence was shared with the academic and business communities, with state and local authorities, and even with private citizens. Steele also makes the perfectly valid point that open sources can supply up to 80 per cent of the unprocessed data required to produce intelligence. Incidentally, Steele recognizes the quagmire the Internet poses to researchers and wisely offers suggestions for avoiding the large amount of misinformation that can be found on the net. The book offers some structural reforms to the IC, but its most valuable contributions are its proposals for cultural changes in the way that intelligence is produced and used.

Beyond its choppy style, however, the book is flawed. Steele seems curiously ignorant of the actual processes of intelligence production where by unprocessed information (data) acquired by source(s) is transformed into useful knowledge (intelligence) organized by subject(s). This transformation is accomplished by various combinations of processing, research, and analysis. His suggestion to concentrate processing of data from all sources into one agency is incredibly ill informed. In the same manner, he treats Geographic Information Systems (GIS) rather lightly, although they have been proven to be invaluable not only for visualization, but also for organizing and interpreting collected data and would be an ideal medium for integrating and presenting all source data. Finally he clearly does not know as much about the arcane world of technical intelligence as he thinks he does which leads him to some erroneous conclusions.

NZ is relatively decent. Before anyone posts any "oh, isn't NZ awful" stories I would ask them to tell me what country doesn't have similar, if not worse, stories. If you want to compare NZ to your imaginary ideal that is fine but please stop confusing your fantasy with reality. Good lord whatever problems NZ has, and it has its share, it doesn't have armed federal agents attacking church groups and burning them to death, it doesn't have Janet Reno, it doesn't have all the problems we have in South Africa.

Wake up where the sun first greets the world each day... Where there's room to roam... Clean air to breathe... Where there are no capital gains taxes... a booming economy... and some of the best real estate and investment opportunities you'll find anywhere.

The world is getting smaller -- and New Zealand's profit potential is getting bigger.

The prospects for steady appreciation of land and investment values in New Zealand are excellent. However, it's very possible prices could rise much more sharply in a very short period of time. Here's a major reason why...

Aerospace technology is making the trip to New Zealand quicker and cheaper. Boeing 767s cost 50% less to operate than 727s. The new 777s are more efficient still. By the end of this decade, jet technology could cut travel time from California to New Zealand by as much as half -- from 11 hours to 5-1/2 hours!

Should that happen, property prices could double virtually overnight... and, over the longer run, multiply perhaps 10, 20 times or more, just as in Hawaii and California.

In the meantime, you can enjoy a bit of heaven on Earth with peaceful surroundings, friendly people, and great business and investment opportunities.

Exports are booming. With a cheaper currency, exports have grown at a 30% annual rate! However, that's not the whole story! Stronger commodity prices have helped. Remember New Zealand exports commodities like lumber, meat, dairy, wool, etc.

Business and consumer confidence is on the mend! Last year, consumer sentiment was at an all time low, which had more to do with the dissatisfaction the general population had with the newly elected Labor Government's policies than any dissatisfaction with the economic environment, but things are looking brighter on the political front these days.

Employment also chimes in as a contributing factor. The current unemployment rate stands at a 12-year low of 5.6% and the good news is that the trend upward in job postings is being driven by sectors outside agriculture and manufacturing.

So now may be the best time to read Adam Starchild's book and follow his advice, rather than waiting around to watch the economic meltdown in North America. NZ is a great place to set up your own Internet business!

New Zealand has always been a natural wonder. Sired by volcanoes in the middle of an emerald sea, the land is a mixture of pastures, jagged mountains, white beaches, and tropical forests. Economically, the country is no less a marvel. It's an excellent example of how free markets create prosperity.

In 1984, New Zealand voters booted a left-leaning government and brought in a free-market-oriented government. Immediately, finance minister Sir Roger Douglas began to implement some of the most important reforms in any country of the 20th century.

Sir Douglas floated the currency, revoked all farm subsidies, abolished all import tariffs, privatized 60% of state-owned companies, fired 55% of the government workforce, placed the central bank chairman on a performance contract, revoked capital gains and inheritance taxes, and refused to print money to save reckless banks and inefficient companies from bankruptcy.

The results have been astounding. New Zealand now has one of the lowest inflation rates in the world (1.3%), seven consecutive years of budget surpluses, 6.4% unemployment (down from 12%), and a resilient, entrepreneurial economy that soared 5.8% last year.

It's the kind of country, in other words, where you can build a second home to enjoy the good life -- and end up making a fortune almost by accident as the value of the property you buy rises amidst a booming economy.