Publications Books

These days, Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet" often gets dismissed as "hippie" literature. Yet, this book had been a bestseller LONG before the 1960s. Originally published in 1923, it almost instantly became a hit and even did well through the Great Depression. Today, Gibran's claim to fame is being the third best-selling poet of our time, behind Shakespeare and Lao Tzu... and pretty much entirely based on sales of this book. When his publisher, Alfred Knopf was asked who the audience for the book was, he flippantly dismissed the question. "It Must be a cult," he retorted.

Yet there is no such cult. What's incredible is that there's absolutely no marketing hype behind the success of this book. Gibran himself is long gone. There is no political, religious, or commercial enterprise attached to his name bent on winning souls and/or profits. The Gibran estate has merely been licensing copies year after year in response to the demand - a demand fueled pretty much entirely by word-of-mouth and chance discovery. The fact is, the twenty-six poems in this book have a surprising and suprassing relevance, insight and compassion. Broken down into several topics ("On Love", "On Work", "On Joy and Sorrow", etc.) the book itself recounts the sermons of a fictional poet leaving behind the gift of knowledge before he leaves his homeland.

I first found Gibran through a setting of his poem "On Children" by local Washington, D.C. singers Sweet Honey in the Rock on their album, "Breaths."

"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you."

At the time I was about to leave for college and eighteen years of living under my parent's roof had made me restless for autonomy. That poem eloquently expressed everything I was yearning to say to them in my hours of frustration and adolescent angst. It later proved to be a reference to turn to in times where I needed confidence to live an independent and fulfilling life, while still maintaining respect and compassion towards the parents who had raised me.

I am not exaggerating when I say that the poems in this book have kept me grounded and sane throughout some of the most troubling times in my life. Our modern lives are ever hectic, stressful and busy - wrought with drama, frustration, depression, etc. The knowledge in these poems brings me back to a "middle ground" - there is a sage wisdom and clarity in the poems that has often been helpful for me in "unwinding" and coming back to earth. They bring me back to a place of clarity from whcih I can see my life from a wider perspective.

Though Gibran himself was a Christian and despite the title and conceit of the book, this is not really a religious book. The insight in this book would be applicable to your life even if you are an atheist. What's more, the poetry is mostly imagistic. Do not expect the academic poetics of Gibran's contemporaries Eliot or Pound or even Frost. They are written with the aim of being accessible and immediate to the reader and rely mostly on clear metaphors and vivid imagery.

Copies of "The Prophet" are not hard to come by. Perhaps check out the book's table of contexts either using Amazon's "Search Inside" feature or in your local bookstore and see if it addresses a problem or issue you are dealing with. That's a good a place as any to start with. Chances are, you will find something that speaks to you on some level.

I appreciate getting the book at the great price. I'm really not complaining but the book was quite yellow and the jacket was torn in various places. It looked like it was on the shelf for quite a while........Maureen

A very profound, deeply insightful and moving experience! One of my two favorite books of all times. No matter how often you read it, you find something new, some new insight, some amazing revelation, some word of consolation, another stunning example of wordcraft. A masterpiece! Inspired! This book should not be on a book shelf in the library, office or study, but on the bedside table, and the audiobook -- on your Ipod.

One of the ten best books I have ever read. A must for any on the path to Self-awareness. A book of profound understanding of the human dance. Gibran's writing in general is in a class by itself, and The Prophet is his finest work.

I have read this book over a hundered times in the last twenty years, and have given many copies away to friends and acquaintances. If God Himself (or Herself) were to give an opinion on various aspects of a person's life, I believe that his or her words would be very close to what Kahlil Gibran wrote in "The Prophet".

I have to admit, the only reason I chose this book was because of the 240+ rave reviews here at amazon. How could 99% of the reviewing public be wrong, right? Well take it from me, whoever translated this book into english (it was originally written in another language) did a pretty shabby job, unless their goal was to suck the life out of every paragraph. It is thoroughly boring, utterly useless and embarrassingly void of anything that anyone could apply to their sex life. I guarantee you 110% that you will be disappointed with this book, and after reading it you'll be looking somewhere else for the answers you were seeking. This was my first foray into a "better sex" book, and I most definitely made the wrong choice.

The chapters are so short, they feel like you're reading an outline. There is no content. There is so much filler in this book, you start to catch on by about page 50 that you're going absolutely nowhere -- page after page, chapter after chapter. She mentions some interesting ideas and concepts, but never once does she show any hint of knowledge or expertise in this subject area. Her solution to EVERYTHING is that with proper practice and techniques, you too can achieve an explosive orgasm -- but she tells you absolutely nothing about how to do anything. It's so ridiculous I was laughing out loud by chapter 10. Really, this book is a complete waste and joke.

I used to read other sex books with my wife but she surprised me one day and bought Sex and the perfect lover by Iam... was a complete different thing all together, far far the best one I've seen. It's simply Amazing. My wife seduces me with the techniques in the book and I please her through the advice in the book. A reference book for your bedside table we have learn how to have fun and intimacy together, without just merely have sex put us on ground now. We have learnt how to have fun and intimacy together, without just merely making love.
Everyone wants to have a great sex life and some may even think that they know everything as I did! but this book will take your sex life to new heights.
I'm the one now that insists that we read one chapter every night, and then practice!
I am right now ordering several copies to give as a gift to my friends.

Wow. this is the perfect book for busy, active people who want to keep their sex life alive, but who don't have time to spend learning. When I thought there were not any more sex "techniques" I could learn from a book, this book just amazed me. This book just transformed my sex and it is never going to be better than after reading it. I've read my share of sex books but this one is very informative, gives great advises and covers many areas of relationships that are not covered in other books.

M. Iam seriously addresses intimacy issues and provides a step-by-step deep relationship-nourishing format that begins with the art of exploring the pleasures of the Kama sutra from the vantage point of the couple's balanced physical, mental and emotional energy. In addition to initiating and maintaining the purely sensual aspects of love-making.

Everyone should read this book. I have read a lot of relationships and sex books. This one, by far, is the best for me. Was almost like a total
pleasure, I am giving it as a gift for special occasions and recommending it to everyone I know.

Sex and the Perfect Lover is a guide for those who wish a relationships with love pleasure, and intimacy, This is by far the best book I have ever read. The style of the book is easy, clear and perfect to understand and the illustrations of the kamasutra are excellent. The exercises and illustrations are creative, playful, and unusual, such as rewriting a recipe in sexual imagery to create an appetizing and erotic plan.
I've shared it with some friends. I'm definitely going to give a copy of this book to my friends.

I'm not sure why I haven't reviewed any of Dan's books before. I've heard him speak, I've met him and I have been receiving his newsletter for many years.

I'm not a publisher, but I work with publishers and I employed two of Dan's free promotional techniques and have to say, they worked! I've gotten many new clients from doing something that took me only a few minutes and that people thanked me for doing.

In fact, one of my all-time favorite clients informed me just last week that it was because of one of those little nuggets of wisdom, she found me.

Dan Poynter's advice was by far the best promotional advice I've ever received.

I plan to read all of his books a second time in case I missed something.

This book is absolutely amazing! It gives so much information about getting started, I couldn't believe it! I would recommend this to anyone serious about self-publishing. There is even a list of places to send your book for reviewing. Buy this book!


www.fayeknight.blogspot.com

There's a darn good reason--indeed lots of reasons--why Dan Poynter's manual has frequently been called the "bible of self-publishing." To the best of my knowledge, it was the first and certainly one of the very best ever published on this specialized aspect of book production. It covers the entire process from pre-pub requirements right through the mechanics of design, formatting and printing.

Dan doesn't simply throw out generalities about what must be done in each phase of the project; he delves into the nitty-gritty simplifying this challenging effort for those of us tackling self-publishing for the first time. I know. I did it after I studied his book from cover to cover.

Dan also includes a plethora of resources interspersed in the text as he illustrates each step. These can be most helpful to the uninitiated who are told what they must do in so many other books, but don't know where to go to accomplish each of those steps. At the simplest level, as an illustration, Dan doesn't just state that you have to procure an ISBN, he explains what it is and why it is needed and most important of all where to find it on the Bowker web site.

There are three excellent books that I have used to brief myself on self-publishing before producing my latest book. In addition to Dan's Manual, I suggest reading Peter Bowerman's "The Well-Fed Self-Publisher" and Patricia L. Fry's excellent study of the subject.

I attribute much of the success of the award-winning "The Writer Within You" to all three of them. I strongly suggest you start your effort with the outstanding guidance Dan has provided.

Poynter's book is the best and most well structured book on self-publishing I have found. It helped me imensely for from an author-to-be to a soon-to-be- published author.
Self-publishing is a great way to go with a small, first book and the organization tips, calendar, structuring chapters, ISBN #'s and copyright are perfect.

When I self-published my book, "Welcome Home: A Guide for Foster, Adoptive, and Treatment Foster Parents," I used Dan's book religiously. It's so worn out, I have to order a new copy for my forthcoming book [tenatively titled, 'Diagnosis, Assessment, and Treatment of Foster and Adopted Children, 2009]. I sold 5,000 copies, though two editions. Could I have done this without Dan's book? Perhaps, but he walks you through every step of the way. If you're self-publishing a book, this one gives you more information and guidance than you could ask for. You'll still have to do the leg-work, but he makes it less daunting.

I compared it with three other guidebooks, and this one is hands down by far the best. I also like his sense of humor, and his ability to give us foreigners a realistic taste of the local culture. It is down to earth, not superficial, and it must have been a lot of work to write this guide! The first thing I did when I arrived in Oahu for the second segment of my trip was to go to the bookstore at the airport and buy his book for Oahu.

This revised edition is very comprehensive, written with a sense of humor and candor. Looking forward to visiting the island with book in hand to "test out" the recommendations.

Whatever you need to know about the Big Island, it's in this book. Excellent info, updated and concise, in a very readable form.

I found this book to give good recommendations for places to see on the island. Some were not as spectacular as described. Also it would have been helpful to have better overview maps. Those are obtainable for free in other publications such as rental car guides. Places to eat were good recommendations.

First rate guide to the Big Island. I bought their Kauai book years ago when I visited, and this one is just as good. You truly feel like your getting insider tips, and not just a project for a travel writer on assignment. Don't hesitate on this one.

I bought whore a while back and its a good book, don't get me wrong. But its not really a book i would basically read no more than twice.

This was a great book. I recommend it 2 n e 1. Kamone really had a hard life but her ending was so good. I cryd. I love happy endings !!!

I was put off by the title of the book but since so many reviews on Amazon were 5 stars, I thought that it must be a good book. Well, my first impression couldn't have been more wrong. This is one of the best I've ever read and I read alot of other types of literature. Tanika, you know how to tell a story. It was unbelievably tragic what 15 yr old Kamone went through in her life. I could not put this book down until I finished it. Whew! I'm almost short of breath! It's hard to believe this is the author's first book. If you pass this one up, you have really missed out on a good read. I sincerely hope a sequel is in the works. I'll be looking for it.

After seeing all of the great reviews I expected a lot from this book and ended up disappointed. I didn't empathize with the characters as their thoughts and feelings were not described well. I didn't like the ending at all. It was shoved into two pages and only gave a brief description of the year and three months in which Kamone changed her life. This book was easy to read and had an interesting storyline, but it wasn't written very well.

Wow!! I feel like I'm obligated to give 5 stars since everyone else seemed to love this book!!!....But I can't. It was just ok for me. I think the beginning was so nerve racking that I almost didn't want to turn to the next page as I didn't think I was ready for what was next!! Sometimes graphic doesn't always mean good. Lol. The graphic in this book made my face cringe. I was literally getting nervous for this girl! Lol!

And I know we all get excited when the characters meet their night in shining armor but I was just relieved that he'd rescued her from her situation however, there was nothing romantic about the 2 of them falling in love because for me, she was still only 15 years old and he was a grown a** man! I mean there's absolutely nothing wrong with dating older men however, a woman should first be of age to do so! What, just because she was forced to mature faster than other kids her age because of the situation she was in and because her big sisterly instincts kick in by wanting to protect her siblings, this should automatically qualify her to dating a grown a** man?! I would have loved to see him wait till she was 18 because the fact that she was 15 was really disturbing to me. I could not sit here and read about the details of their love making with out me thinking "oh my gosh, she's just a baby" not to mention that she was only pleasing him with the techniques that she learned from being out on the streets, which by the way is something she was forced into to protect her siblings and didn't enjoy it one bit!

And last, I feel as though the description in the back of the book was a bit off when it said "will Lucci's thug passion be enough to satisfy Kamone's lustful habits? Or will she run back to the only life she knows?" What lustful habits??? There weren't any! And the only life she knew she was trying to escape from!! That description made it seem like she enjoyed hooking!

Ok well, I said my peice. Next!

Lost a child. C. S. asks me to work very hard. I can't do it. Kushner gets to the heart of grief.

This book obviously already has plenty of praising views, but I read this book and found it so great that I can't live with myself if I don't write a review. Coming from a kid who grieved a traumatic death, this book *IS* the book to buy if you're grieving, want to understand death, or want to find a book to help out a confused friend (no matter what age) who's grieving. It's worth the price.

I am new to the genius of CS Lewis. I read the Narnia series as a kid, but have not read books for years, until recently. This book was deep, and full of the genius Lewis is known for. He expresses the pain of losing his wife, and the questions that those who mourn often work through, but are too guilty to express publically. The work is awesome, and may help some who are going through similar feelings of greif. Skip the aknowlegement at the beginning by Madeline Engle, I am not familiar with her writing, but have heard the name. I am surprised she was chosen to write the aknowlegement, but it is an amusing contrast to Lewis' intellect and spiritual understanding. The aknowlegement exudes an attitude of confidence in spiritual issues, yet reveals a cluelessness and spiritual blindess found largely in todays new age books. It does not belong in a CS Lewis book.

CS Lewis looks death into the face; he does not flinch and does not console himself with platitudes. He had lost the love of his life and his pain is palpable to the reader. This is a raw and honest book but it is not at all depressing: At the end of the book, Lewis begins to recover: his wish is simply that, on his own death bed, his lover will come back to him and give him the consolation of seeing her face again.

Although Lewis was, of course, a renowned and devout Christian, this book will speak to anyone who's lost someone with whom they shared real love. All of the questions, angers, and doubts that fill the mind during the numbing time following great loss are shared in the first person, generously, by Lewis. This is, I think, a beautiful, powerful, and deeply healing work.

Okay, so this is probably as preachy as Dr. Suess gets, and it just might get on the nerves of some people, but the tree hugger in me salutes him for it, even as he paints a grimmer picture of environmental destruction than Al Gore ever thought of.

Even so, it's clearly Suess with his imaginative worlds and funny characters.

It's a solemn book of warning that it pretty darn good into scaring kids into being careful with the environment.

And that's not a bad thing.

I could not wait to present this lesson to the class this year. Teaching seventh grade and the 5 themes of geography this book lends itself to many of those themes but mostly human-environmental interaction (how human interact and change the environment to fit their needs). Not only does this book show that but it really visualizes how we negatively impact the Earth for our own selfish needs. Again my students are in love with the facts that I am reading them a storybook and after the discussion they see that it isn't a plain, old storybook but it really does have a significant meaning.

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

While most Dr. Suess stories are pure fun without any heavy message, The Lorax delivers an extremely blunt lesson on ecology. What's amazing is that Dr. Suess does this with a narrative that is engaging, entertaining and ultimately inspiring. You might think a book with such a heavy message could be a turn-off to young children, but I have found the opposite. My preschoolers find this story absorbing. I think they understand there is something truly important at stake, so the book means more to them than other Dr. Suess titles.

Is it a coincidence that Thneed rhymes with Deadly Sin #3? Growth for the sake of growth is where we are today. This too shall pass, UNLESS....

Dr. Seuss, turned holier-than-thou by his elevated status in society, decides to preach to us about the evils of industrialization. Does he realize that the many millions of copies of "The Lorax" were all made in factories, using paper that came from trees?

John Kremer's book has answered alot of questions that I had that I couldn't seem to get answered any where else. Now I have the ultimate tool to assist me in putting together a great marketing plan.

I recommend this book to anyone who really wants to make their book a success.

Susie McCray, poet & author
"See What I See"

Jam-packed with ideas to help you market your book. Writing amazon reviews is one of them!

Author, "Trust is Everything: Become the leader others will follow"

John Kremer's book is by far the best on how to effectively market your books. He gives idea after idea (many of them low cost and no cost) on how to get the word out.

Anyone who is in the know, knows that John Kremer's book is a must have.

You want your book to succeed? Get this book now!

Kathleen Gage
The Street Smarts Marketer
101 Ways to Get Your Foot in the Door: Success Strategies Guaranteed to Put You Miles Ahead of the Competition

PROS: Outstanding tips. Excellent advice and ideas. Original.

CONS: A bit expensive, even though it's over 700 pages.

CONCLUSION: Both small and large publishers do a lousy job at promoting their authors. With rare exceptions (usually for high profile authors), the publishers expect the author to do most of the work. Therefore, all authors should get this book if they want to promote their work. Without marketing, most books die a quiet death.

1001 Ways to Market Your Books is the bible of marketing books. I have read the book cover to cover once and refer back to it again and again.

I used up half of a highlighter and dozens (if not over a hundred) post-it notes to mark the important pages and key points in the book. The title of the book is quite humble. The material actually has probably 2,000 or more ideas to market books.

1001 Ways to Market Your Books covers it all. It addresses the fundamentals, how to open new markets, marketing and selling in bookstores, schools and on the internet. It also discusses selling overseas, selling subsidiary rights, offbeat advertising, promotions and more.

There are so many great ideas that every time I pick it up again I find more marketing ideas to consider. Even if a person cherry picks, there are still enough ideas to keep one busy for years!

What also makes this book a great resource is that is that John Kremer thoroughly researched the work. His common sense approach makes the book a page turner. Although there are 700 pages, there is essentially no fluff.

Thank you John Kremer for providing a path to successfully marking our books!


The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

This entire set is awesome. I drove over 1,000 miles on the Big Island just exploring the destinations revealed in "The Big Island Revealed". My only caution: the book makes it sound like some remote spots on the islands are ok to visit, when in reality the are private land. I really appreciate the beauty and pristine nature of the islands, and if the public starts visiting some of these areas the land will surely be damaged. Tread lightly, but take this book with you when you go!

I highly recommend this series of guidebooks. This guy really knows what he's talking about. We used the book for Oahu and for Kauai. Never got lost, found everything he talked about. Great books.

I bought this book before my trip to Oahu last year, and it is invaluable for anyone planning a trip. I used to live in Oahu, but this book told me things I had no idea about. The organization is superb -- by area, by activity. There are reviews and commentary about a lot of activities, some with pros and cons so you understand what the reviewer was looking at and why it was important to him, and can determine if that review will apply to your feeling as well. The map of the area was really very useful, and helped us get along very well. We had a good idea of where we were at most points, without having to resort to a city map.

This book helped me plan a wonderful Hawaiian trip without the benefit of a travel agent. I knew what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, and got a lot of useful information that I would not ordinarily have had. Like: directions to sparsely used beaches (all beaches in Hawaii are public) and information on rarely used hikes (we did one. Only saw two people the whole time)

If you're going, you need this well in advance. It is definitely a Must Buy.

The only guide book that gives you current detailed information. They even post updates online between editions. Things tend to be poorly marked in Hawaii and so the mile marker details help get you where you want to be.

This is the second book I have by the author and like the first, I highly recommend it for travel to Oahu.

Very good recommendations that I found accurate and was pleased to make my decision process based on his recommendations, though not with every one of them was perfect. But that is to be expected since alot of decisions are subjective.

It is a good starting point and of course it is fun to go off book and ask around for opinions from people who live there for some other ideas.

Although I swore I would NEVER read another Triple Crown production because they are so ghetto, I picked up this book at the recommendation of a library book club. Disappointed does not begin to explain my feelings about this book.

For 270 pages, we (the readers) get to read about Quan beating Monsieur (the girl) and Sherry. The readers get to read pages of insensitivity on the part of Quan; we get to read about Quan's constant cheating and his overall azzhole appeal. A female would not be TORN; she would be stupid if she stayed with a man like Quan for 9.5 years and this is why:

Quan's bad characteristics:
1. He cheated on Mo like 5 or 10 times
2. He never came home earlier than 3 or 4 in the morning because he was either selling drugs or cheating on Mo
3. He would not come home when Mo called him and this cost Mo dearly on one particular occasion
4. He often choked or beat Mo
5. He couldn't satisfy Mo sexually

Quan's good characteristics (from the eyes of Mo):
1. He had plenty of money to keep her styling and profiling in designer gear
2. He had plenty of money to get her a nice house and car

Other than money, Quan was a unsalvageable dog. No woman in her right mind would have stayed with Quan. Thus, for the author to focus 270 pages on their relationship just made the book a huge and tiring bore.

Recommendation to the author: To make a character TORN worthy, you have to give the character likeable characteristics. Hustling drugs and walking around with drug money are not likeable characteristics.

Pros: Good writing, great character descriptions
Mo's and Zaire's relationship was off the hook; I loved them as a couple. Thus, pages 270-380 something were very well written; I was totally engrossed in that storyline.

Cons: Too long, a one noted romance does not make for a good LONG book - better to make the book shorter if the romance is going to be one noted

My other issue with the book is the constant need to mention designer clothing. I know we like being ghetto fabulous, but mentioning designer gear for no good reason just gets tiresome after a while.

Keisha Ervin is my fav author!! i LooVed tHis bOOk...iT was tHe perFecT gHettO loVe stoRy!!

This book was absolutely amazing!! Not to mention well written! This is my first time reading Keisha Ervin and it definitely won't be my last!!

This is the first time that I've been at my desk with a book hidden in the corner trying to sneak peeks because it was such a page turner and I just couldn't put it down!! Sometimes, I get nervous when the book is so good because I fear the ending will be a disappointment which usually makes or breaks the book for me however, even the ending was perfect!!

I definitely recommend this book!!

I was really disappointed in this novel. I picked it up due to the 5 star ratings it received, and also because I read a previous novel by this author. Mo is the female character in the love triangle with Quan. I know we as young women can put up with a lot in relationships, but how stupid can you be. The book dragged on and on about all that Quan put her through, it doesn't take that much pain and heartache, before you wake up and smell the coffee. I just couldn't take it. I loved Me and my Boyfriend. That was memorable to me.

Now, I loved this book, this is the second book by Ms.Ervin I have read (I need to get Mina's Joint)and I am amazed and very appreciative at the authors growth and how she's come into a style of her own, I could see it in Hold U Down but she was still trying to find her way and I saw to many other authors in that one too. And once again, the designer name droppin and talking about how much something cost and every detail in peoples clothes and all that stuff could be lessened. But this book is all MISS ERVIN! And she did a great, great job! This book took me back a little I can really understand Mo's pain, the up's and the down's, the in's and the out's. Mo is wayyyy better than me though lol(accept the kid part, she was bogus for that lol). What we won't go through for love, but this was very well written, with a nice pace, not to slow, not to fast, not overly dramatized, but nicely put together you really could feel the emotions, and the supporting characters were wonderful as well and fit nicely into the book. It was emotional, funny, made you mad, I mean I was ready to jump in the book and smack dude around a little bit, then smack her around a little then hug em both! I read it in a few hours(ok so I didn't pace myself and almost burned my rice) but it was that good. I loved how it ended with nobody holding grudges or wishing ill on the other. Good going Miss Ervin, keep up the good work!