Industry Books

This book is great for anyone who does not have any idea about starting a surplus products business. But for those who are looking for something truly insightful and meaty you will be dissappointed. The practice of "Buy Low, Sell High" are covered well but not much more. The editing and grammar are some of the worst I have ever seen for a professionally published book. It would fail a 9th grade english class. Overall I was dissapointed with the book. It didn't nearly satisfy my need for more in-depth information.

The book makes a strong case for starting a surplus/liquidation business. It gives step by step instructions on what needs to be done to succeed in each of the five business structures: surplus dealing, closeout brokering, liquidating, auctioneering, and mail order selling. Highly recommended. I also recommend Donny's "The Guide for Penny Stock Investing." If you invest in penny stocks, this book may help increase your overall returns.

This book is a great source for information on how to start a business.

You will learn more from this book than you would if you got an MBA from Harvard.

Definitely worth reading if you are self employed, or plan on working for yourself.
The author writes about his experiences in the closeout business and how you can start and make money in the closeout industry.

If you are planning on starting a business make sure you read this exciting book. There are plenty of interesting ideas here that can make excellent businesses of their own.
Before you spend allot of time and money on a business you should read this book since it can give you plenty of advice on real businesses that can make you a good deal of money without costing you too much money or time.

Traders tend to confuse 'Gann, the Trader', with 'Gann, the Forecaster'. Gann, the Trader, was straight forward and logical. Problem starts when traders attempt to trade the forecast with Gann's numerous predictive methods and, vice versa, forecast the trade with Gann's trading method. Gann really does not deserve all the unfounded criticisms. Although there are doubts as to the claims that Gann was the originator of swing chart trading method, Gann, at least, refined and definitized the swing chart trading concept. No one can question the sound trading principles behind the method since there is a clear and convincing proof by none other than Jesse Livermore who achieved the spectacular trading accomplishments by using a variation of swing chart trading method. What Gann tried to do was to add his own brand of forecasting methods to complement his trading operation. There is certainly nothing wrong with the exercise as long as one does not confuse either objective with the other. To be a good trader, one does not need to be a forecaster. In fact, it is not recommended if the trader is a terrible forecaster for his prediction may be detrimental to his trading. However, to truly become an excellent trader, it does not hurt to be a good forecaster as well. The decision on whether or not the chosen forecasting algorithm should be based on Gann is another matter.

WD Gann wrote this updated version of the book in 1951. Yes, 1951. His methodologies and style, as well as his world view, are so....well 1950's. However, what he provides to those of us who want to be successful in trading commodites is a broad set of 'do's and dont's' that you can find in nearly every trading book written today. You know, "stop loss orders", "dont over trade", "never risk more than X%" of your capital on a given trade, "let your winning trade's ride", "get out of a bad trade immediately", "when in doubt, there is no doubt".... We have read them all before. NONE of this is of any real value to the modern trader. However, what is of value, is getting a recognition of the painstaking historical analysis that WD Gann went through BEFORE he traded any commodities. This book includes several 100 year analyses of all the traded commodities of his time. The analyses include what happened in the "month of September in 1897" in cotton. And then that is followed by the next relevant technical occurance, which happened in October of 1897. He does this for many of the commodites of the time from 1841 to 1941. What the reader comes away with in my opinion, is that commodities are cyclical in nature. And that if you can holistically 'feel' the history and the motion of the cycles that exist in each commodity, you can trade more effectively. This includes understanding the 'how we got here' and the relevant bigger picture points that one can glean from looking at the historical data on a specific commodity. For example, that in the last 100 years (1841-1941), (I am making this up) Corn has reached a new yearly high in the month of June 22 times, and a new low in August 36 times. Whereas, new highs were reached in February only 2 times, and new lows reached in December 2 times. This information is valuable to a trader who knows what to do with this type of information. In my view, dont look to this book for more information on "how to trade" as much as you should look at 'what to do' to improve your chances of success. One last note, if you are looking to get some background or academic knowledge on how GANN lines are used, or GANN Boxes or any of the other GANN ascribed technical tools used or invented by GANN, this book DOES NOT show, teach or discuss any of them.

If i could keep just one of my gann books this one would be it , it is packed full of ideas even a non gann follower could benifit from this book.

I like this book. It does not promise "90% accurate signals" or treat reader with condescension. It teaches three things: 1) "swing trading" methods, 2) how to pay attention, 3) never forget stop loss orders.

The book itself is structured in three large parts: 1) W.D. Gann's approach to markets and trader's discipline, 2) examples of trading patterns from various commodities all the way from 19th century, 3) addendum from 1951 with some more details and clarifications.

Some people complain that Gann's writing style is too monotonous and droning. It is true in the sense that he does not entertain. But he does cover more ground than all those easy-reading "Trading for Dummies" book which are typeset in triple space with large charts.

Parts of this book and interpretations of Gann's methods are available on the web - but it is still nice to have it as a book.

This book is a hodge-podge of techniques presented in a droning, labored style. However, literary taste is not what draws traders to the works of Gann. Gann's writings supposedly contain "hidden clues" as to how to forecast price levels at a specific time in the future for financial instruments.

Applying an honest effort to Gann's material, it appears that the SP500 index (SPX) should sell at 1172.50 on Wednesday, 11/03/04. I am writing this review on Monday, October 4, 2004 when the index is priced at 1137.22. If this projection is close to the mark - you may want to consider buying this book.

This was worth the time to read if you are or ever will be interested in how to open a pizzeria. It has every detail on how to run your business to include a checklist on whether you are the right person for the business. The included CD ROM with all the lists and pertinent information in the book was an awesome addition. The business plan was also very helpful.
All in all a good book if you are new to the pizza business and looking for a map to opening your own.

Shri L Henkel and Douglas R. Brown have produced a phenomenal book on how to not only open a Pizza and Sub Restaurant but on how to be successful financially in starting this type of business.

Great details have been provided in every phase of the business process from research gathering to the actual operations of the business including how to budget and control your costs, techniques on marketing the business as well as being aware of governmental requirements whether federal , state or local.

This book of instructions and guidelines will assist anyone in becoming successful in the Pizza & Sub Restaurant business if they are willing to follow the suggestions and advice the authors provide in this book. The CD included with the book is an added plus in that it provides all the necessary forms that are mentioned in the book. What better way to provide Readers with something they can use in the start-up and progress of their business.

There are plenty of books on the market which cover how to open a general restaurant and a few which even address high-class establishments; but pizza and sub venues are different and need the close inspection of a subject-specific treatment. That's why How to Open a Financially Successful Pizza & Sub Restaurant stands out from the crowd: with its companion cd-rom of all forms in the book plus an editable business plan in Word, it offers the specifics neeeded to tailor a plan to such a venue, from incorporating a wood fire stove into a structure to sales analysis and successful employee relations. A 'must' for any would-be pizza or sub shop owner or franchisee.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

As a business owner who has looked closely at opening a restaurant, I find Henkel and Brown's book to be the best single-volume insight into that process. The authors take the reader from the typical but business-flawed dreams of restaurant ownership through each step of the process. Those painstaking details, which are so accurately and thoroughly presented in the book, are truly invaluable for anyone considering a career as a restaurateur.

Most importantly, the authors have already conducted their readers' market analysis: by limiting their analysis to a specific type of restaurant, they provide readers with information that is specific to their concerns. The book's twenty-three chapters cover every important aspect of the process, from buying a shop, to bookkeeping, to marketing, and to dealing with the local food and health safety officials. The CD-ROM that is included with the book features an editable business plan.

In short, this is a must-have for anyone even remotely considering opening a restaurant. Buy it, learn, and be successful!

This is a great book whether you really want to open a pizzeria or just want to know what goes on behind the counter. I fall into the second category - I'm always interested in how other businesses are run.

The first few chapters will help you understand if owning a pizza restaurant, or indeed any kind of business, makes sense for you. It clearly lays out the skills and talents you need and the first steps to make your business successful.

Read it from cover to cover. Every little detail is in here. What kind of oven should you buy? How should your menu look? Will you offer delivery? How will you evaluate employees? There are even about 70 recipes to get you started.

Most people who go into the pizza business probably won't read this book. Reading it will give you a leg up on the competition. They may have good recipes and a strong work ethic, but they'll struggle with bookkeeping, marketing, and so on. Meanwhile you have the answers from this book, or you know where you get them (from resources listed in the book). It includes a companion CD-ROM that includes all the forms, worksheets, and recipes.

I highly recommend it.

If you want to be smart with your money, then this is the book for you! Everything is detailed simply with easy to follow examples. The techniques used are easily applied to real life situations. With this book, planning your financial future isnt as difficult as you may think.

This book is a great resource for anyone planning for their financial future! The examples and tools in the book provide the reader with a clear understanding of many financial areas that are overwhelming to the average person. The book has great examples and is written in such a way that it is easy to understand.

When I heard the title of the book I was intrigued because the name says it all. I was pleasantly surprized by the how content was easy to read and apply in real life. I have learned so much about many topics and specifically benefited from the home ownership process. Although I had been a homeowner already I learned many new things that bettered my situation. I can't wait to put the rest of the book's information to use.

My husband and I are both over 75. We have homes in Micigan and Florida and need to sell both and purchase another in the Kentucky area. Frankly,we didn't know where to start. A friend of ours recommend that we take the time to read this book and I am really glad we did. The book explained, step by step, what we needed to do to get the most from our homes while protecting ourselves. It then went on to help us maximize our buying potential. I would recommend this book to retires and first time buyers as well.

Having no formal education in finance I have had to depend on advisors and books for what I know on this subject. From no single source have I received such as wealth of information as this book. The author has presented the information in an easy to read style and has made it very approachable. I would recommend this book be made part of your financial library and will repurchase it when it becomes available via hardback or paperback.

Legendary journalist Theodore H. White (1915-1986) always wrote with great eloquence, but never more so than in this superbly moving autobiography. White begins by describing his impoverished boyhood in Boston's Jewish ghetto and his undergrad days (on scholarship) at Harvard in the 1930's. He then writes with great passion about his years as a correspondent in war-torn China (1938-1945), which included working for Time Magazine, reporting on China's leaders, and helping to curb a famine. The author's attachment to the Middle Kingdom has doubtless inspired several readers (including myself) to visit that enchanting yet tragic nation. White also describes his career in post-war Europe, and his days as a returned U.S. journalist during the prosperous 1950's and beyond. Readers get a first-hand look such notables as Dwight Eisenhower, Mao Zedong, Chou En Lai, Douglas McArthur, Chiang Kai-Shek, Joe Stillwell, Konrad Adenauer, etc. We also get an intimate look at John F. Kennedy's bid for the Presidency, and his brief tenure in office. White concludes with a bittersweet account of returning to his once-tranquil boyhood home in the 1970's - now encircled by ghetto blight and violence.

Theodore H. White was one of the top journalists of the 20th Century, and perhaps best known for his MAKING OF THE PRESIDENT series (1960-1972). Very few writers have ever matched his eloquent prose, which is abundant in this superbly moving 1978 memoir.

.......how a young man's decision to add Chinese to his college curriculum changed forever his life, placing him at all the pivotal points of history in his time....meeting the men with the visionary ideas........and writing of this journey so exceptionally we all experience the intimacies of every moment.

I really LOVE this book, have read it several times! I can't believe one person was able to do all of these fascinating things and tell about it in such an engaging manner. The material in China in WWII is probably the most fascinating and tells stories about the Chinese leadership that most westerners don't know. The McCarthy era and the Kennedy campaign and assasinations also were riveting.

This is one of those rare authors that can make an exciting history jump off the pages at you. And White was lucky: he saw some of the most interesting events of the 20th century, up close and with access to the principal players. The latter part of the book, where he describes the inner circle of the Kennedy camp on election night, 1960, is one of the best passages I have ever read.

Theodore H. White (1915-1986) is widely regarded as one of the greatest journalists of the World War Two "G.I." generation. TIME magazine once called him the "godfather of modern political reporting", and he is best known for his classic "Making of the President" series of books. From 1960 to 1980 White covered every presidential campaign and observed the political leaders who participated in them. He became so well-known that candidates from John Kennedy to Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan gave him unprecedented access to the inner workings of their campaigns. White's first book in the series - the bestselling "Making of the President 1960" (which covered the Kennedy-Nixon contest) earned him the pulitzer prize. Yet White was far more than just a political reporter, as this marvelous memoir proves. By 1976 White had grown both tired and bored of covering presidential politics, and so instead of doing another book on the '76 campaign, he decided to write his autobiography. In "In Search of History" White offers a superb chronicle of his remarkable life and career. Born and raised in a poor Jewish slum in Boston, White came from a family of intellectual Jewish immigrants who nonetheless experienced grinding poverty. In his youth White was in many ways a child prodigy - he was both brilliant and energetic. He sold newspapers to help his family pay the bills, attended Harvard University on a scholarship and became fluent in Chinese. In 1938 White, only 23, flew to China to cover that nation's heroic resistance to the Japanese invasion. He was soon hired by Henry Luce's powerful TIME-LIFE magazines to be their Asia correspondent, and for awhile he was Luce's star reporter. White vividly describes his experiences in China and Asia during World War Two, from a devastating famine to his meetings with legendary Chinese leaders such as General Chiang Kai-shek (whom he despised) and Communist leaders Chou En-lai and Mao Tse-tung (with whom he formed a wary respect). He also met the great American generals of the Asian theater of the war, such as Douglas MacArthur and Joseph Stilwell. White seems to have been present at a vast number of great historic events, and among his best descriptions is that of the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in 1945. After the war White moved to Europe, where he covered that continent's attempts to rebuild and unite and America's efforts to help. In the fifties White began covering American politics, and then in the sixties he both covered and became a close friend of the Kennedy family - thus becoming (as he reluctantly admits) emotionally closer to his subject than he should have been. White's closeness to the Kennedys was dramatically revealed in late November 1963, when Jackie Kennedy personally chose him to discuss the intimate details of the assassination in Dallas and to write a "final word" about JFK. It was White's "Epilogue" (published in LIFE), that created the legend that Kennedy's Presidency was "Camelot" - a word which Jacqueline Kennedy insisted be used in describing her husband's administration. It is apparent from "In Search of History" that White led an extraordinary life and had many adventures (and misadventures) along the way. He is an engrossing writer, and despite the book's length I never grew bored or restless. Among the thousands of journalists of the twentieth century, White almost certainly belongs among the top ten, and this autobiography proves why. Highly recommended!

If you want to thrive in a down market reading this book is your first step. I've been in the business for 15 years and I've haven't seen anything this strong since the introduction of MMR. We all know how that has changed the way we do business.For more reviews from dealers see Dalepollak.com

This book is true to today's market. So many dealers today are stuck with old pricing stratigies. Another well stated truth from Dale Pollak.

Many business books shoot for -- but few actually achieve -- such fine balance of the familiar and the profound. Velocity is an easy read, full of personal and funny anecdotes, yet every chapter delivers new insights that will blow you away. Get ready to say, "That totally happened to me too" and "I never thought of it that way before" again and again as you read.

Dale Pollak pleads for used car dealerships to evolve within an industry that has stayed stagnant for far too long. "Velocity" contains a laundry list of strategies employed by the most successful used car dealerships in the country. From seeing the Internet as your virtual showroom, making every business decision with an investment-mindset, and considering the benefits of a single-price, no-haggle environment, this book will make you think about the way the used car dealerships should be run.

And it will make you wonder why we haven't been doing all of this stuff before.

To anyone who has walked through an automobile dealership, it's no surprise that many of them are doing business the way it's always been done.

The overall message of Pollak's book is adapt or die. As we see the US auto industry fighting for its life it's refreshing to see someone bring some insight and business sense into something that historically hasn't been very sophisticated.

Velocity is a wonderful read for any fan of business--especially as we watch an industry that's undergoing massive change on a global scale. Pollak offers up advice for local dealers on how they can remain more competitive. But for those not in the industry it's great insight into how to apply discipline and sound practices to make any industry better.

Now if he could only get the sales guys to stop wearing gold chains....

this is the best book i've ever read. amazing primer on the movie business. BUY IT!

I just finished this book, and Cliff Robertson is actually a very minor character. In fact, the subject of him being "blackballed" is barely mentioned. (It receives one paragraph in the Epilogue.) Robertson was the first person to suspect something was amiss at Columbia, but the book is actually about the power struggle between the President of Columbia, Alan Hirschfield, and the controlling interests of the shareholders, led primarily by Herbert Allen Jr. This is a long book, but it was so riveting that I found it difficult to put down. It is really well written, even if it does not paint any of the characters in a terribly sympathetic light. I can't help but think that if Hirschfield had shown more backbone in the beginning and stuck by his decision to fire the check-forger Begelman instead of caving in to Allen's demands, none of this epic battle would have happened.

This is not really a tale of embezzlement and disgrace - it is the store of power struggles between the Board of Directors for Columbia Studios, who were clearly had personal loyalty in their underlings as their top priority, and the CEO, Alan Hirschfield, trying to do what he needed to do to save the studio.

I don't have access to people at this level, so I appreciate the peeping-Tom aspect of viewing the thought processes and actions of people who normally hide behind lawyers, secretaries, and call-screeners.

The author obviously interviewed many many people to put this book together, and I appreciate how he reported on the media coverage, as well. I never really thought of how people manipulate the news as part of the story, but course it is.

The book is like a newspaper story in that it is filled with information, but the narrative reads like a novel - very easy to read. The author does a good job of developing story-lines, so we have a sense of completeness, and a sense of an overview, while also sprinkling the famous names and the glamour that makes Hollywood so compelling to people.

I've never understood why Hollywood turns out bad movies month after month, year after year, when it is so easy to tell from the beginning that a movie is going to be awful. Why make awful movies?

This book doesn't directly address that issue, but it shows how irresponsible and irrational the leading powers that control Hollywood on both coasts are, and how corrupt the whole system is. It's obvious that normal things like making a good product become irrelevent to their attention span.

I guess it's not really corruption, if everyone knows it's happening, and it's just a way of getting things done.

My only complaint is that I wish I had more of a reality on the Board Directors. Their actions seem so irrational, but I'm sure it's because they were not forthcoming in their interviews, and did not take the opportunity to express their points of view. People at that level are notorious for avoiding the press, so it is not surprising.

I bought this book when it first came out and have reread it every year or so. Tends to be a bit long and sometimes slow, but it's great. Buy a used copy, or check at the library.

Being from the Washington D.C. area I kept constantly asking why someone didn't leak this to the press and blow the whole compiristy.

The only comparable book is "The Great Salad Oil Swindle"

David Begelman, powerful head of a studio thinks he is above the law, until an actor by the name of Cliff Robertson exposes him. This book is a well written tale of immorality in a town known for it's lack of scruples. Hollywood insiders should not be surprised at this tale, but I was. The check Begelman forged was for a small amount. The man made more than that in a month. The book exposes the reasons why a man who had it all, would choose to commit such a crime and fall from grace. I was quite disappointed by Robertson's treatment by Hollywood's hierarchy when he was the victim, not Begelman. But it proves just how far studios will go to protect the bottom line. I read this book when it was first published years ago and I'm reading it again. The list of books I will read more than once is a short one. I highly recommend it.

This book makes for some very compelling reading. It is not often that I read a book that delivers the goods... but these authors have nailed it. It uses both traditional and dot com companies to illustrate ways any company can leverage the Internet to gain customers at substantially reduced costs. This book has everything you need to implement a successful e-mail campaign. From how to identify good email lists to how to create the right message. Including dos and don'ts, front-end tips and back end response analysis. Has just the right balance of technical and practical information. I am a marketing manager working for a 'Fortune 500' company. The information in this book cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars to find out. Some things are so important, I wish I thought of them myself or discovered them sooner. I can't wait to try some of these techniques out and see the effect on my next campaign. I am recommending this book to everyone I know. Buy it!

These authors know their stuff. They've been very instrumental in helping Ancestry.com grow to over 320,000 paid subscribers over the past 18 months. Email Marketing is now one of our largest sources of subscriptions. I recommend this book for both beginner and expert alike.

I bought this book because I know the authors by reputation. My company was a traditional mail order company. We used to sell all of our products through our printed catalog. The Internet has changed all of that. Half our budget is now dedicated to e-mail marketing.

I applied the Author's recommendations and saw my e-mail response rates take off. On the most recent campaign, I saw a 247% lift in response resulting from the use of just one of their techniques.

The book is written in very clear and concise language. It's methodical and step-by-step method worked wonders for my company's program. I've read all the other books currently on the market, they just don't compare. If you're new to e-mail marketing or a serious pro, this book has information that you can put to use right away.

The tips and tricks in creating an e-mail program were dead on. I especially liked the chapters on the type of products that can be sold via the Internet and the characteristics of a successful Internet Buyer. The "Multi-Mailing" idea alone was worth the price of the book.

***** FIVE STARS***** Excellent..... If you are an executive looking for information on how email marketing will impact your business, you'll want to read this book.

If you want to know how the pros are using email marketing buy this book.

It details the differences between opt in permission based lists, and SPAM, and how to avoid the pitfalls that can literally kill your business. It comes complete with information on where you can find the best email lists and email marketing services in the business.

It identifies the different types of copy, formatting, text Vs HTML, rich media, etc, and provides insight into which may be best for your business. I've been asking everyone about timing of our messages. No one was able to give me a clear answer that made any sense. This book gave me great insight into the time and day that is best for me to do my email transmissions... and the auothor's information produced immediate positive results for us.

Aside from the practical knowledge, I also liked this book because the author's share the latest thinking about where this medium is going, and what steps to take today to make sure that your business reaps the rewards of the future.

This book is not just for dot comers. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone involved in the sales and marketing of their company's products and services.

This book is now the definitive resource on email marketing.

Any book that Bob Bly is associated with is bound to be good--no, great! And this one is no exception.

The author explores this new, exciting medium we call email and uncovers its powerful potential for direct response selling. It leads you through the basic techniques of marketing through email. What works and what doesn't. Most importantly, it steers you clear of potential pitfalls inherent in this new medium--like how to avoid spamming, etc..

A great book on email marketing that is thorough, timely, and bound to become a classic in its field.

I first got this book because I was curious about it from the obituary. I read it today in it's entirety. I think the author does deserve a superb job in allowing us to understand each of the real people with flaws and talents. I was led to believe that Natalia and Janet were always together but as I read. They were separated and torn apart for other reasons. Natalia never really comes out to acknowledge her sexual orientation. Bill never doubts his own. He reveals a lot about himself like losing his virginity to a prostitute. Bill's childhood was not entirely spent at home but at boarding schools in New England. I think Janet served as a father figure. When she was 83 years old, she had to retire to New York and live the last 3 years with Natalia. Why she kept coming and going to and from is puzzling to me? Janet was a complicated woman and these two women truly loved each other. Maybe the separations allowed them to love each other more apart. Will never really know? We weren't truly there ourselves. Bill allows us to see his childhood was normal. I was surprised that his mother would worry about his sexual orientation. I wondered what would have happened if he turned out gay himself. Would she blame herself? Who knows? I read about Alice, his second wife. I don't think Natalia understood their relationship. Now that all 3 members of that unique family is gone, I think Alice deserves some mention. Bill wasn't the best husband or father. They did live together for 5 years before their marriage. I say give Alice a break. They were together for 30 years. At the end of Natalia's life, she was unbearable probably because she was ill physically and medication often can contribute to a person's mental state. Bill and Alice stayed together for 30 years. I admire Alice and his first wife Doris who managed to deal with an overbearing mother-in-law. I also think Natalia had trouble letting go of Bill all his life and that's why there is so much trouble. Since Bill is gone, my condolences to Alice, Doris, Natalia, Julia, and Bill III over your more recent loss.
After reading this book, I became fascinated with Janet Flanner. I bought other books which educated me more about this situation. Sadly, this book is only a part of an amazing woman's story. I won't say that Janet didn't love Natalia but she had two other lovers, Solita Solano and Noel Haskins Murphy in France. Janet did not belong to anybody much less Natalia. Janet belonged to the world. She was larger than life. In fact, Noel and Solita did share a negative reception of Natalia's part of Janet's relationships. The reason that Natalia did not move to Paris was because Janet's partner Solita and Noel did not care too much for Natalia. They found her possessive and overbearing. Janet was not always happy in New York City with Natalia. She was happiest in Paris where she belonged. I won't say that they didn't love each other but it was not an ideal relationship. Natalia wanted Janet all to herself and Janet was torn between Noel, Solita, and Natalia. Janet was an amazing woman. This book only tells part of the story from Bill Murray's point of view. The book asks more questions than provides answers. I don't think Bill wanted to know about the true nature of Janet's relationships. She was not monogamous and she didn't belong to NAtalia but she did love her to spend time with her. Regardless, they're all in heaven having a ball.

I admit that my knowledge of Janet Flanner was hazy when I bought this book, my exposure to the "New Yorker" limited to a few issues per year only in the last ten years. That wasn't the selling point for me -- I had read good reviews that this was the memoir of a boy raised in a non-traditional home in the 1940s and that detail fascinated me.

This is a crisply written, completely fascinating account of William Murray's gypsy childhood in the literary circles of New York, Fire Island and Rome. It is a story of becoming a man, of weathering stormy relations with parents, and about his own struggles to make a life for himself as a writer.

There are two generations of literary lives detailed: I was fascinated to learn how much professional writers struggle even after achieving success. Janet Flanner lived in hotels across the world, constantly missing her deadlines; the author himself resorted throughout his 20s and 30s to gambling and part time jobs to scrape by. Even his first two years working as a writer for the New Yorker came and went without him getting an article published. This is the dark side of the artist's life, and one we hear too little of.

My only disappointment with this book -- and it's minor-- is that it is really the story of an artist's life, not the story of being the child of a lesbian. Janet Flanner's role in the author life could just as well be that of a step-father; the fact that she is a lesbian is superfluous. But, maybe that in and of itself makes a point.

A fascinating and well written memoir -- worth reading.

When I look back on the many books I've read over the past year (easily 50 or more), I can say emphatically that this was one of the best and most memorable. I can remember where I sat (by a fountain) when I began the book, and where I was (at a garden) when I closed its cover for the final time. Murray captured the essence of a very complex, yet loving relationship between two sophisticated, intelligent women. After I finished his book, I yearned to learn more about them, and read a biography of Flanner, Murray's mother's book of correspondence between herself and Flanner, and several of Flanner's New Yorker compilations. A heartfelt thanks, William Murray.

I just finished this book and enjoyed it tremendously. This book appealed to me on several levels. As an American ex-patriate living outside Paris, I could relate to many of the comments Janet made. Although I love France, I will always be an outsider. This book is not so much an homosexual story as it is a love story among these people. It is a testament to how love can endure long distances, different cultures and social constraints. I recommend this book highly to anyone who enjoys reading historically based biographies with a love story intertwined. Besides, I can't resist buying a good book with good photographs.

As a New Englander of mixed Italian and English ancestry, I feel I can relate easily to William Murray's experience, even though the Italian ladies in my background were houswives and factory workers, and not the brilliant and accomplished sort of person his mother was. Natalia's relationship with Janet Flanner is interesting and shows her (Natalia's) deep sense of humanity and commitment as well as her strong nurturing capacities. Italian mothers always think they are right, and my own opinion is that they always are right. Murray emphasizes Flanner's virtues and other good points, but I wonder about why she was so incapable of sacrificing a little of her time, her career, her work for the woman who loved her and whom she said she loved.

By the time I finished reading this book, which is a very lovely memoir, I had really taken a strong liking to Natalia with her patience, tenderness, humanity, character, and love.

There was a brief stage in my college career when I hoped to get into newspapers. Unfortunately, I'm a very slow writer. I would sweat bullets over remarkably simple stories, and my editorial prowess was equally dubious. It was at that time I discovered Carl Hiaasen and his remarkably subversive novel, TOURIST SEASON. His author's bio indicated that his newspaper setting was drawn from authentic experience -- he was a columnist for the Miami Herald.

Unfortunately, the web was just in its infancy, and access to Hiaasen's newspaper writing was apparently one of the few exclusive benefits of living in South Florida. KICK ASS turns out to be just the sort of collection that I had been craving for many years.

KICK ASS does not disappoint. It begins with a nifty introduction that provides a smattering of biographical information on Hiaasen, as well as a context for the subjects and tone of his columns. Hiaasen clearly resides in a longstanding tradition of muckraking American journalism, and I mean that in the best possible way.

This is no mere sampling of his work -- there are more than 200 columns here, organized by topic, and just about every one of them meets the mandate stated in the title of the collection. Hiaasen has a passion for the environment, consumer protection, crime control, and good government. His portrait of a Florida reeling after the flood of growth and development of the last three decades is even starker than the one in his novels. Speaking of the novels, it is also fun to see where he "lifts" some of his ideas for the things that happen in his books. The overamorous dolphin of NATIVE TONGUE appears in KICK ASS as well.

If there is anything to regret about this book, it is that the topical organization often generates confusion for the reader when certain figures re-occur. Some of them almost develop a roguish charm. After all, us non-Floridians don't have to live with the direct consequences of local corruption. A little wrap-up to let us know how some of the notorious figures and controversies ended up would have been nice. I always hated that device at the end of his novels, but it would be perfect for a collection like this.

As a lifelong resident of Florida (albeit a ninetten-year-old one), I have seen Florida at its best and worst. Hiiasen's columns represented in this book illustrate the "politics" and people of a great but confused state. If you live in Florida, have visited, or even have heard of it, this book will both amuse and depress you, as is the nature of the state. Everyone will identify with the outrage Hiiasen evokes over the disregard of the envirnment, the sham of politics, and the overall life in Miami, and indeed, all of Florida. This book will remind readers of what Marjorie Kinnan-Rawlings and Marjorie Douglass once experienced in Florida, and tells both the good and the bad of what has happened after a hundred years of exploitation If you want a non-stop laugh and a big dose of reality, read this collection - it's one of the best books in print right now.

This book is; to borrow another Hiaasen title a real Hoot. He is without a doubt not only informative,and thought provoking but he does it while leaving his readers in stiches. I think he shows a genuine affection for the idiots he writes about

I've never set foot in Florida, but I can't get enough Carl Hiaasen. I've read every single novel he's written and I have to say his columns are just as worthy a read.

From the opening column of the book (Carl Hiaasen's Florida Stress Test) to some of the more serious writings (the group of prostitutes he talks to, the crumbling county health building) Hiaasen writes it all with a razor-sharp flair and zeal that can't be matched. You know this guys just loves going to work every day.

Who else would refer to the newly elected mayor of Miami as a "pernicious little ferret"?

Keep them coming, Carl. I'm waiting on Volume 3.

Sidenote: I also wrote this review for "Paradise Screwed" b/c it's the same book, just different selected columns.

If you've ever read a Carl Hiassen book (or Tim Dorsey for that matter) and you wonder where he became so cynical, or where he gets his outrageous ideas from, read this book. Taking only the best of his newspaper columns, this book gives little glimpses into the absolute mess that was Miami/South Florida in the 80's/90's. Taking on anything from connected land developers, to cartel-backed politicians, to prostitute employing evangelists.

Each column is 1 to 1.5 pages in length making it the perfect length to read here and there, or big bites at a time. If you're a fan of Carl Hiassen, try this book not for Hiassen's opinion, but just for the shear knowledge of ludicrisiosity he imparts.