Money Reviews

Resilience at Work: How to Succeed No Matter What Life Throws at You

Published in Hardcover by AMACOM (2005-03-04)

Authors: Salvatore R. Maddi and Deborah M. Khoshaba

List price: $22.00

New price: $3.94
Used price: $3.94
Collectible price: $24.50

Average review score:

Finally, a self-help book that is relevant to our times!

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-20

What a great book! In today's difficult times, being a resilient person is probably one of the most important things we should develop and this book shows you how. I especially like that it is written in a clear cut manner with case study examples. This book will help anyone who has trouble bouncing back from life's adversities and teaches strategies to successfully handle stress. A most helpful and interesting read!

Learn hardiness from the master

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-27

RESILIENCE AT WORK shows how to learn the core elements of hardiness that Salvadore Maddi identified in his classic research project at Illinois Bell Telephone twenty years ago. Maddi and Khoshaba explain that "the key to resilience is hardiness," and then show readers how to develop the three core hardiness attitudes:
* commitment
* control
* challenge

To these. they add two vital skills: transformational coping and social support.

RESILIENCE AT WORK reflects decades of practical experience teaching hardiness skills in corporate settings. Many real-life examples illustrate the points. A concluding chapter provides companies with guidelines for improving worker resiliency.

Hardiness Works

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-08

What a delightful read! I have been through the Hardiness Training as a student of the authors and am now trained to provide the program to others. This book is a wonderful guide on how to apply the techniques in the workplace; quite timely considering we're all in a world of constant change. The use of real-life examples of resilient and non-resilient individuals was very clever. A brilliantly written book and a truly wonderful legacy for Dr. Maddi and Dr. Khoshaba to give to the world!

Another Stress Book

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-12

The negative effects of stress have challenged people for a long, long time. For years, psychologists have endeavored to offer advice and assistance to those coping with personal and professional issues. For obvious reasons, many counselors, consultants, and trainers have focused on managing stress at work. Employers want smooth operations without the potential serious consequences of stress-induced problems. Careers have been destroyed by inabilities to deal with the ongoing changes in business.

I opened this book with an expectation that I might find some new secrets...perhaps a whole new approach to how workers-individually and collectively-could function much differently. What I found was another book on stress. Others may see some new ideas, but I've read a lot in this field so my expectations are probably higher than the average reader.

The text is organized to explain resilience-essentially having the inner strength to cope because you're doing a good job at managing change. The authors describe this as developing hardiness, the foundation of their Hardiness Institute. The book reports on a 12-year longitudinal study of employees at Illinois Bell Telephone. The stress of all the change over the years caused the departure or failure of two-thirds of the workers. The survivors practiced effective stress management techniques. The keys they promote include approaching change as a challenge, developing sound problem-solving strategies, resolving conflicts, and building commitment.

Readers will find an abundance of case studies that make points for the authors, teaching techniques and offering examples to stimulate thought.

The Rich & Famous Money Book: Investment Strategies of Leading Celebrities

Published in Hardcover by John Wiley & Sons Inc (1997-10)

Author: Jean Sherman Chatzky

List price: $19.95

New price: $2.42
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $19.95

Average review score:

An intriguing look at the finances of those who intrigue us!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1997-10-25

Jean Sherman Chatzky has done an awesome job of combining the glamor of high finance with valuable lessons that hit down home. This book interviews about two dozen of the Rich and Famous -- athletes like Dennis Rodman and Mike Ditka, celebrities like Matt Lauer and Ivana Trump and Helen Gurley Brown, Wall Street wizzes like Charles Schwab and Bear Stearns' Ace Greenberg -- and provides an in-depth look at their investments and financial strategies. The book seems to uncover humorous stories from most, and interesting anecdotes from all. The book has a wonderful collection of stars from all arenas; it's the first book I've seen with so much dirt on celebrity money.

Each chapter provides valuable advice that you can apply to your own finances, even if your numbers pale by comparison. I was spellbound by this book, which is basically a fun-to-read how-to guide.

A unique book covering a universal favorite: fame and fortune.

Learning how celebs invest is fun ... and motivational!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1998-12-10

Personal finance expert Jean Chatzky managed to cajole several money-savvy celebrities into revealing their investment strategies. Finding out how people as diverse as Matt Lauer, Charles Schwab, and Ivana Trump build their nest eggs is illuminating -- and fun. And their experiences make for an easy-reading guide to investing. Jean's section on "rebounders" like Dennis Rodman, who lost a bundle and came back far wiser for it, will be valuable for anyone trying to climb out of debt.

Money Strategies of the Rich & Famous

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-16

This book covers investment techniques used by the Rich & Famous. "The Rich & Famous Money Book" is inspiring, motivating and educational.

Good book for anyone who wants to maximize their investment returns.

Well researched and motivating too

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-06

Reading how the celebs build their wealth is exciting and motivating. Sort of like a "Think and Grow Rich" for personal finance, Chatsky actually interviewed her subjects.

Dennis Rodman was inspiring - what a great comeback story.

If your goal is to build and hang on to wealth, this bookis a must read.

Schools That Do Too Much: How Schools Waste Time and Money and What We Can All Do About It

Published in Paperback by Beacon Press (2004-01-05)

Author: Etta Kralovec

List price: $15.00

New price: $4.98
Used price: $2.49
Collectible price: $15.99

Average review score:

Answers to School's Time and Money Woes

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-27

"Schools That Do Too Much" by Etta Kralovec gives insight to the "hows and whys" of where a portion of our education dollars are spent. Ms. Kralovec also takes us through a typical day in the life of a high school student. The time and money lost in our education system according to her is "eye-opening" to say the least. Although I do not agree with all of her findings as being money and time wasters; what she conveys will have you agreeing with her. Schools today are not delivering what is needed for our students. Read this direct and easy to follow book and then draw your own conclusions about today's public school expectations.

Radical Reform with Reason

Helpful Votes: 16 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-28

In her new book, Schools That Do Too Much, Dr. Etta Kralovec advocates rethinking the amount of time and financial backing given to "school sports, DARE and extra-curricular activities", but not without rationale. She documents the toll taken upon academics from the seemingly endless stream of fundraising for one project or another. She notes that with each new societal challenge; AIDS, drugs, poverty, disrupted family units, we have expected our schools to assume responsibility for instruction on the issue, and to act as surrogate parents. Although there is undoubtedly a need for a larger community support network to support our youth, is that the role of the school? With each new program or curricula added to an already hectic week, some other piece of the day must give way. Inevitably, it is a core academic piece that is lost. With the recent increase in federally mandated standards, and a drive towards "learning results", it is especially difficult to accomplish. Kralovec acknowledges the value in special programs and extra-curricular activities, many of which grew out of progressive reform movements of the past aimed at making our communities more cohesive and nurturing places. However, in the face of nsufficient time and funding devoted to academic pursuits, she argues thatit is time to fundamentally revisit the purpose of school. We must alter the curriculum, the budget, and our own expectations to achieve success.

That the average student's day is chaotic and fragmented is more than just the "view" of Dr. Kralovec. As reported in her book, studies show that during the average high school day, a comparatively small percentage of the day is devoted to actual learning. Large chunks of precious time are squandered on moving between classes, settling into the new class, taking roll call, and the numerous and frequent interruptions from announcements,
bells, and other distractions. Furthermore, the time spent `in class' is not always spent `on learning'. Even the very nature of that time is examined. Research shows that the current model asks students to engage at hours when they are least able to do so, and then divides their day into ways which make it particularly difficult to focus. Perhaps from a sense of familiarity, perhaps from lack of a clear alternative, we continue to cling to this unproductive model. Kralovec offers an alternative.

Following an illustration of how to read and understand a school budget (so that parents and interested community members can see where the money is spent), Kralovec goes on to present concrete and well developed, if radical, solutions. These include doing away with homework as it is now (see her prior book The End of Homework), altering the length and structure of the school day, eliminating the bells and loudspeakers which fragment thought, respecting the time allotted to learning, and making the classroom `sacred space'. She challenges schools and parents to revisit their long-held assumptions about what a school is, in an attempt to see what a school might be. I challenge you to read
her book, loan it to a teacher, pass it around your local school board, and start the dialogue.

Heather Martin-Zboray

interesting, important, but not perfect

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-17

Kralovec raises two interesting and important questions in this book: What should schools actually be responsible for, and how should the various "additional" (in Kralovec's view) activities and concepts be handled? She advocates removing athletics and drama from the domain of the school, placing them instead in the hands of community groups and businesses, and argues that doing so will allow schools to focus more effectively on the business of learning.

Kralovec's stance is a brave and innovative one, but she barely acknowledges the fact that any such radical change would be possible only after a LOT of hard work by school and community leaders. She does recognize the fact that many people would be angry about proposing these changes. Overall, I don't feel the book does enough to make this kind of change possible -- that is, there isn't enough concrete information about how to bring about real school reform.

Kralovec uses a kind of composite sketch to describe the problems in American secondary schools; some schools are better learning environments than the author describes, and some are even less productive. She also seems to rely on a very few studies to support her ideas, and frequently speaks in generalities. The book as a whole could have been edited better for things like parallel structure, consistent verbiage, and Those Mistakes that Spell-Check Can't Help With.

I think these are important ideas, and it's clear that Kralovec really believes in her thesis. _Schools That Do Too Much_ is worth reading, but the writing itself leaves a bit to be desired. I would (actually, I did) get it from the library rather than purchasing.

A Superb Place to Begin Discussions

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-27

As Heather Martin-Zboray states in her review, this is a book well worth reading. Its suggestions are simple but radical for most Americans: let community groups sponsor sports and drama, and let the schools teach a core curriculum!

Shifting to longer class periods (the 90-minute block); starting high school at 9am rather than 7:30am (when most scientific studies reveal that adolescents should be asleep); removing disruptive loud speakers; extending the school day so that teachers can tutor students one-on-one on a daily basis; etc. are the core of Kralovec's suggestions.

Other than overcoming community aversion to these suggestions because "things always were done OUR way," there are no real roadblocks to the suggestions here. The question is this: Does America have the willpower to try to effect effective change which truly promotes learning?

¿Se Habla Dinero? The Everyday Guide to Financial Success

Published in Paperback by Wiley (2007-12-21)

Author: Lynn Jimenez

List price: $19.95

New price: $9.90
Used price: $8.95

Average review score:

A novel idea and a helpful book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-08

Navigating the maze of US financial instruments and all their accompanying jargon is hard enough for those of us who speak English as a first language. I pity anyone who's struggling to learn the language while having to close on a mortgage or sign a lease at the same time.

This book is really two books. It's a comprehensive, easy-to-read financial guide with an ESL lesson built in. Spanish speakers can easily find the information they need on the left pages and look to the right pages for the corresponding information in English. A lot of people will want to take this book with them when they visit the bank for a loan.

Lynn Jimenez uses her decades of journalism experience to interview the experts in every area and to distill their advice into plain English - and Spanish. The book is comprehensive and easy to read, and the bilingual format is a bonus for readers who are still climbing the language curve.

for my mother

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-20

So far so good. I have not read it. I bought it for my mother. She has been in America for over 30 years, but didn't have to worry about financial matters until my father passed away. I got her this book so that she wouldn't get taken advantage of by creditors or other such organizations and people. She likes it and will pass it on to friends when she is through.

Suzie Orman for Latinos!!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-06

This book is exactly what we have needed on the shelves for years now. Finally there is a book that explains how to use all the great American money set ups--banks and credit and loans etc --to all the hardworking folks earning a good living but unsure how to make the most of it. I thought her approach was really nice--totally practical and tackling a topic that most of us need help with but don't know who to ask. And, because the book is in both English and Spanish, the information is available to everyone!! This book also lets us know that any of us can make our money grow and that we all can take part in a system that leads to savings, home ownership, college, and retirement with $$$$. Great book!

Excellent Multicultural Guide to Financial Success

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-31

"Se Habla Dinero," the incredible new bilingual book subtitled "The Everyday Guide to Financial Success" - written by award-winning San Francisco business journalist Lynn Jimenez - should be compulsory reading for every high school and community college student in America. Why? Because I believe, as a retired Business News Editor at The San Francisco Chronicle and former instructor at three large colleges, that had this book been placed on school desks and kitchen tables a quarter century ago our nation would likely be in the midst of an educated economic boom rather than meandering in an overextended, credit-bloated financial fizzle.

Most interesting from a publishing view is that each chapter contains side-by-side, easy-to-comprehend rules for financial success written in Spanish and English. The formula is brilliant: left-side, even-numbered pages written in Spanish and the corresponding right-side pages in English.

But it's the crisp, clear content that rings my bell. Sections entitled: Let's Talk Money, Managing and Saving for Independence, Borrowing Wisely, Investing for Success, and Financial Facts of Life are divided into segments that focus on personal reader missions, goals, values and practical application. "Se Habla Dinero" will be on my gift list for everyone under 40 who needs a financial primer and for older readers to share with children and grandchildren.

As author Jimenez says: "It's not easy to talk about money... but talking about it with people you trust can make money less mysterious. Saber es poder! (Knowledge is power!)

Shake the Money Tree: How to Produce a Winning Fundraising Event with a Live and Silent Auction

Published in Perfect Paperback by Richard O'Keef Fundraising Auctions (2007-03-01)

Author: Richard O'Keef

List price: $29.95

New price: $29.95

Average review score:

Great informational for fundraising events

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-26

I am a benefit auctioneer and i have studyed this book and made suggestions to my clients and have had successful fundraising events using the information in this book. I give it a high rating.

Useful, useful, useful

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-13

We have used the author of this book for our dinner/auction event for several years now and have loved his advice. This book takes things to the next level! It is practical -- in ways that some of these types of guides are often not. Great insight into making sure guests feel special and appreciated, which we have found is the key to a successful event. I recommend this book highly and think any group that does auctions should have this book as required reading for event organizers!

From an auctioneer's point of view

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-14

This book is fantastic! I've seen problems happen at fundraising events and this book addresses them all. It's the best advice a fundraising event chairperson could get. I'm making sure all my clients have this book, and if they do what the book suggest, my job to raise money at live auctions will be a whole lot easier.

Double or Triple Your Usual Results

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-02

Shake the Money Tree has to be the best book ever written about fundraising auctions. It's well organized. In fact, the table of contents serves as a broad checklist. There are 160 tasks with supporting reasons divided into 15 hypothetical committees for instant reference. Some other books include some of these tasks, but they don't mention why the tasks are important.
The book takes you step-by-step through everything needed to produce a fundraising auction that could double or triple your organization's usual results--from the marketing, to the items that bring in the most money, to getting the bidding guests emotionally invested in the organization, to getting them "caught up" in the thrill of bidding.
This book is absolutely essential for anyone involved in fundraising auctions.

Shattering the Two-Income Income Myth: Daily Secrets for Living Well on One Income

Published in Paperback by Brier Books (1997-06)

Author: Andy Dappen

List price: $14.95

New price: $867.59
Used price: $2.75
Collectible price: $40.55

Average review score:

Perfect book for families switching to one income living.

Helpful Votes: 35 out of 35 total.
Review Date: 1998-11-20

Andy Dappen's book, "Shattering the Two Income Myth," critically examines the idea that two incomes are a requirement for family life in the modern world. He draws some interesting conclusions. Dappen refers to a U.S. Labor Department study that has shown the average dual-career family loses up to two-thirds of its second paycheck to work-related expenses, and if children needing daycare or after school supervision are in the picture, the percentage of work-related expenses is even higher. To truthfully calculate the earnings from a family's second set of wages, they would need to subtract all work-related expenses from their income. Dappen asserts that many second income-earners are "spending big bucks for the privilege of joining the nine-to-five parade."

Dappen also takes the view that one of the main reasons people feel unable to live on a single income is due to inflated expectations of what a family truly "needs" to live well. He calls it "our love affair with consumerism." Trophy houses, sport utitlity vehicles, new mini vans, designer clothes, big screen TV's and $100 running shoes are just some of the so-called "needs" many parents are working to supply for their families.

Dappen encourages a change of attitude---a refocusing to a mindset that embraces contentedness and fullfillment rather than following after consumer-driven forces. Dappen says, "Making your life happier, more directed, and less stressful distills down to the acceptance of five simple words: You can't have it all."

"Shattering the Two Income Myth" would be an ideal book for any family contemplating the change from two incomes to a single income situation. The book offers practical suggestions for preparing for, and actually making the switch to, living on one income. There are also numerous personal inventory questions to help with the decision making process.

This guy is crazy! I love it!

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-21

This guy is a frugal maniac and proud of it. Some of his ideas are really batty, but most make a lot of good sense. I read an excerpt in Reader's Digest and then got his book from the library. Don't let his crazy ideas like using old bread as a frisbee distract you from his main concept that you can be happy with less, and even have fun trying to find ways to save. I would think Mr. Dappen would prefer you don't spend your money on this book though. Check the book out of the library instead!

Par Excellence

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-08

Two words sum this book up .. Par Excellence . I got Andy Dappen's book from the library and hated to part with it when its renewal limit was reached . I would strongly recommend this book for newly weds , single income families and people who are knee deep in debt and want to get out of the money trap.

When will this book come into print again ???

Great title, important book!

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 1998-11-06

Had enough of the fast-paced, latch-keyed, two-earner treadmill? This book can help put quality back into your family's time. Andy Dappen's advice and money-saving tips, at least one for every day of the year, are great for all families -- whether or not you choose to become a one-income household.

Silent Witnesses: Civilian Camp Money of World War II

Published in Paperback by BNR Press (2007)

Authors: Ray Feller and Steve Feller

List price:

New price: $34.49

Average review score:

No Longer Silent Witnesses

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-19

This is an exceptional book filling an important niche is the scope and reach of the Second World War. It is much more than a currency catalog. It is a history. The connecting narrative equals, at least, the detail and qualiity of the excellent images of camp money. The images are bright, clear and in color where appropriate. This book can be read as a history, regardless of numismatic interest. The scope of the use of camp money will be a surprise to the previously uninitated. The associated implications of human suffering are mind-boggling. I can do no less than give "Silent Witnesses" my whole hearted recommendation.

Silent Witnesses: Civilian Camp Money of World War II

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-23

Readers may find this excellent new catalog of World War II paper both evocative and disturbing. I thoroughly recommend as an essential addition for all collectors' numismatic libraries. It is a book I am glad to have read.
The civilian internment camps of the Second World War have become the by-word for man's inhumanity to man. Along the way, they spawned a considerable output of camp currency as internees struggled to retain some semblance of social normalcy. Thanks to the efforts of daughter and father team, Ray and Steve Feller, a comprehensive and highly readable catalogue of this remarkable currency is now available at modest cost.
The format of the Feller's book is similar to Schwan and Boling's World War II Remembered. It serves as a companion piece to that opus. However, unlike its predecessor, Silent Witnesses comes with 755 full glorious colour illustrations
Following a couple of introductory chapters, the book documents the issues of:
* concentration camps of the German Reich
* concentration camps of the German occupied countries
* ghettoes and their civilian authorities
* axis, allied and neutral internment camps
* post-war displaced person camps
The general circumstances behind each group of issues is reviewed and the specific issues emanating from each camp summarized, preceded by a warts-and-all potted history of the camp involved, its administration, and what is known of the design, printing, and issuance of its notes. Numerous contemporary black and white WWII photographs accompany each section along with the coloured note illustrations.
A catalogue number is assigned to each note, prefixed by two letters indicating the country of origin. These will presumably become the essential reference numbers for these notes, for some years to come. Prices are given for VG, VF and New grades.
All camps with a known currency are documented, both the infamous and the near-forgotten. Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau are there, as is Sacsenhausen along with its Operations Andrews and Bernhard.
The entries for Canada, India and the Isle of Man filled in a lot of gaps for me. There is, however, little from the USSR or the USA bit I gather there is not much known to tell. The Swiss section and the post-war Displaced Persons chapter were a revelation. In Joe Boling's words, "I doubt that anyone could pick up this book and not learn something."
Last but by no means least there is a superb bibliography.

Great for the novice and expert alike

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-17

A book on Holocaust numismatics might seem forbidding to many readers, but this book--which I picked up on the "this just in!" shelf at my local library on a total whim--is totally absorbing, visually stunning, and quietly moving. It's one of those things you'd never ask yourself about: how did money change hands among displaced, abused, and oppressed peoples during world war II? This book, with its high quality of research and masterful prose, can introduce you to a strikingly new world you never thought would have existed. It's hard to know whether to laugh or cry when discovering the small border on Australian prison camp money that reads: "we're here because we're here because we're here because..."

The lesson here? Always take a chance on a book that looks interesting. This is a long way from my usual fare of romance and fantasy, but this was one of the most absorbing historical books I have ever experienced. My only regret is that, according to amazon, Ray Feller hasn't written anything else. I'll be first in line for whatever's next!

innovative, interesting and unusual

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-13

Silent Witnesses is an excellent book. It is also unusual in many ways. Ostensibly it is a catalog of money used in camps housing civilians in World War II. This in itself is unusual and introduces an aspect of the war not known to many people. These were not your YMCA camps.
Several categories of civilians were held in camps during and after the war. For that matter a few camps are listed from before the war as well.
Basically, the camps covered are internment camps. These were NOT camps for prisoners of war. POWs were held in very similar camps and in some cases POWs and internees might have been held in the same or nearby camps, but still they were different.
By definition, prisoners of war are military personnel held by the enemy. The treatment of POWs is carefully proscribed by international law. The majority of the personnel covered by this book were not military personnel, therefore they could not be POWs. When a belligerent country finds that it has civilians from their enemy within their own borders, the question of what to do with them arises. They cannot be left to roam for fear of espionage and sabotage. Usually, it is not possible or easy to send them home. They are kept in internment camps.
Similarly, neutral counties found themselves in the custody of combatants for either or both sides. What to do with them. They were not POWs either because they were not being held by an enemy country. These personnel were also held in internemnt camps.
It is amazing that German officials issued special money for use within the camps. These historic relics are compelling evidence of the horror of the camps.
All of the above types of money are described, evaluated, and illustrated in this new and innovative book. Yes, the book lists values in the collector markets for these issues, but it is far more than a mere catalog. The authors have included much additional material to put the issues in perspective.
The authors have traveled the world in search of material for this book and it shows in many small and large ways. Hundreds of high quality and full color photographs illustrate the book. You will like this book.

Skadden: Power, Money, and the Rise of a Legal Empire

Published in Paperback by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (1994-11-19)

Author: Lincoln Caplan

List price: $27.00

New price: $17.74
Used price: $8.34

Average review score:

Skadden - a work all those in big business should read

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-26

Ever wondered where the suit and tie brigade known as corporate lawyers originate their quirky self-image? Well look no further. Lincoln Caplan's "Skadden..." is undoubtedly a modern legal classic up there with Michael Stewarts "The Partners". Delving inside the history of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher and Flom LLP is congruent to understanding the changed corporate world. From Joe Flom's initial proxy battles and rivalry with Marty Lipton to multi-billion dollar, cross-border transactions to the evolution of the new breed of corporate law firm. Skadden's history is inseparable from that of Wall Street and business in the US since its post-World War II founding and as a consequence is a must for all those interested in business as well as those interested in a legal career. A great no holes barred look into the modern law firm.

Lincoln Caplan is a phenomenal legal historian.

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 1998-12-29

Mr. Caplan has gracefully provided readers with an exquisite portrait of the life and times of a twentieth century law firm. Compelling and balanced, the book joyfully tracks the highs and lows of a group of "young turks" who have defined what it means to be a lawyer in corporate America. I am grateful to Mr. Caplan for the time he put into this project, as it gives tremendous insight to law students as to how a law firm operates and what the culture of a law firm embodies. This book is worth reading, worth printing and well worth recommending. Caplan's Tenth Justice, his recording of the Office of Solicitor General is brilliant as well. Joe Flom and Sheila Birnbaum and the rest of the Skadden crew can rest easy as the bard who records their triumphs and tribulations does so with zest and intelligence.

A must for legal libraries

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-09

Skadden is an excellent history of both the rise of the modern law firms as well as one of those firms which epitomized that movement. Lincoln Caplan uses an indepth analysis of the practice, politics and people of Skadden Arps to analyze how and why law firms, which had traditionally been small parterships have since grown into businesses as large and competitive as many of the corporations they represent. The story is very well written and insightful and it is obvious that Caplan did extensive research both inside the firm and in legal libraries. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in legal history and it is a good insider's guide to people who do not have experience in a law firm, but are considering working in one or are simply curious what goes in them.

Doodle Joe

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-14

There's usually something important to be learned by the absent minded habits of the great and powerful. This book includes one about Joe Flom: He likes to fill the margins of his notes with tightly wound, intricate geometric patters that are uniquely his own design. The author doesn't read much more into it, but there's no reason we readers can't. According the author, Mr. Flom can also be a little brusque in private.

For law students in particular, this book is a good dose of reality if they are wondering what it's really like to work in a big firm. Interesting critique of the usefulness of this book: I recently asked a Skadden associate (not in their NY office) how he liked this book, and he had not read it. He had to look it up on the firm's website to determine what I was talking about. So this book can help the non-Skadden population understand the Skadden firm perhaps better than the firm understands itself. That would be the ultimate tribute to the author, and a Delphic oracle to Skadden's leadership.

Since reading this, I cannot help thinking of Joe Flom whenever I'm trapped in some boring meeting, or sidelined in court, waiting for my case to be called. "Can I doodle as well as him?" I ask myself. Then the case is called, or the meeting accelerates, and--poof!--the evanescent reminder of old Joe Flom disappears along with it.

Somebody Owes Me Money

Published in Paperback by Signet (1971-09-01)

Author: Donald E. Westlake

List price: $0.95

Used price: $19.95
Collectible price: $24.95

Average review score:

"But what if I spun around like that, and the guy with the gun was Robert Mitchum?"

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-16

Like any good pulp novel, Someone Owes Me Money pulls the reader right into the plot with very few preliminaries. The book's protagonist is a likeable, unflappable New York City cab driver named Chet Conway, a man who became a cab driver so that he can indulge his first love--gambling. He can work "day shift when the track is closed, night shift when it's open." Chet admits this with an easy, frank style in the book's second paragraph, and when I read this, I knew I was hooked. Chet is a wonderful protagonist, and this character reminds me once again why I enjoy Westlake so much. At the same time, I admit that I don't enjoy ALL Westlake novels equally, but in Somebody Owes Me Money, Westlake is at the top of his game.

Gambling is at the core of Chet's life, and yet at the same time his 'hobby' isn't entirely out-of-control. While it dictates his life, for example how much he works and whether or not he has a love life, he still controls his gambling urges enough to reason through how much he can afford to lose. One day after driving a well-heeled fare to a swanky address, Chet is annoyed when he doesn't receive the normal tip. Instead the man tells Chet to bet money on an outsider horse named Purple Pecunia scheduled to race that day.

Methodically Chet chews over the information. And after dismissing his annoyance at being robbed of a tip, he decides that there was something different about this fare, and playing a "hunch" Chet calls his bookie, Tommy McKay and places thirty-five dollars on Purple Pecunia. When the horse wins at 27-1, Chet is set to collect $980. But when Chet goes over to Tommy's house to collect the loot, all he finds is a stiff "sunny side up" in the living room.

From this moment on, Chet stubbornly refuses to ditch the idea that someone somewhere owes him money, and he reasons that if he wants his winnings, he has little choice but to begin investigating the crime. Chet rapidly becomes the prime suspect in the murder, but what's even worse than that is he still hasn't managed to collect his dough. Plagued by Tommy's hysterical frumpy wife, a sexy gun-toting dame looking for revenge, and a slew of angry, competing Neanderthal gangsters, Chet's life may never be the same.

This novel isn't fluff, and Westlake's canny observations of human nature add a great deal of depth to the story. Laced with strong well-drawn characters, Chet's world is packed with colorful personalities from his weekly poker game, and we meet Chet's father--a man whose hobby is an obsessive search for the best insurance policy available. In his pursuit of a policy that contains a lucrative flaw, Chet's father displays "the faith and the obstinacy of a man with a roulette system," and it's through this relationship that Chet's gambling addiction begins to make sense.

Written with a wry sense of humor, Somebody Owes Me Money is a wonderful escapist read and a superb addition to the Hard Case canon. There's one perfect scene in the book when Chet imagines, just for a moment, that he's Robert Mitchum. Chet notes, "there's a touch of Robert Mitchum in all of us," and for noir/crime fans, that is most definitely true.

You can't go wrong with Westlake

Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-17

Baseball, football and basketball all have their Halls of Fame. The equivalent among mystery writers would be the Grand Masters, a title awarded once a year to honor the lifetime achievement of a particular writer. The Grand Masters are the best of the best, and one of their most shining examples would be Donald Westlake.

Westlake has been writing crime stories for over four decades, both under his own name and his pseudonym, Richard Stark (he has had other pseudonyms such as Tucker Coe that have long since been retired). As Stark, he writes the classic Parker novels featuring the thief with a heart of steel. Under his own name, he has written Oscar-nominated screenplays (The Grifters) and a whole string of novels that are often, but not always, comic. Somebody Owes Me Money, the latest Hard Case Crime book to feature Westlake, is one of those comic novels.

The narrator of Somebody Owes Me Money is cab driver Chet Conway, an ordinary guy who likes to play the ponies, never getting seriously in debt but also never getting ahead. One of Chet's fares gives him a real tip: not money, but some inside information on a longshot that is certain to win. Conway takes a chance and on a small bet wins $930 (which in 1960's New York can go a long way).

Unfortunately, when he comes to collect from his bookie, the man is dead, leaving Chet in a bind. For one thing, the police are now regarding him with suspicion; for another, he doesn't know who to collect his winnings from. What's worse, it turns out that the bookie was entangled with two rival gangs, both of which suspect Chet of the killing, as does the bookie's beautiful blonde sister. For self-preservation - and to get his money - Chet will have to try and solve this crime himself.

As always, Westlake is a master of both suspense and humor, making this book a delight to read. If you're expecting one of Hard Case Crime's typical gritty pulp novels, this will be a bit of a surprise but no disappointment; you will get a nice example of what makes Westlake one of the very best in the business.

One of the best, back in print at last

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-30

I have to admit that The Kid got a little misty-eyed when he saw that Hard Case Crime had published SOMEBODY OWES ME MONEY by Donald E. Westlake. I had owned a copy of it the first time around but lost it in an ill-fated cross-country move in 1973. For the longest time it had been inexplicably out of print --- until now.

Westlake has been a master craftsman for so long that it's difficult to remember a time when he wasn't around and doing excellent work. In SOMEBODY OWES ME MONEY we meet Chet Conway, a cab driver who lives with his dad and likes to play the ponies with an off-track New York betting establishment consisting of a one-man operation named Tommy McKay. Acting on a tip, he improbably wins. However, when he goes to collect his prize, Conway finds McKay dead with no money to be had. The cops are suspicious, as are two groups of mobsters who are shooting first and asking questions later. Conway is not a tough guy and wants nothing to do with criminals or the police; he simply wants the money he won in the bet.

Conway does have one friend in this mess who has suddenly become his life: McKay's sister Abbie, an attractive, street-smart card dealer from Vegas who has flown to New York to avenge her brother's murder. She, too, initially blames Conway but soon settles down enough to try to find the real killer even as she is slowly but surely becoming attracted to him. The result is that they both wind up being pursued by rival gangs, each of whom thinks that Conway is in the other's employ.

Conway soon realizes that, in order to resume a peaceful life, he's going to have to solve McKay's murder. Interestingly enough --- and here is where Westlake's subtle brilliance shines through --- while it is Conway's gambling habits that get him into this jam, it's also his gambling that ultimately reveals the true killer's identity. And you can guess who it is if you pay very close attention and if, like Conway when he places his racing bet, you are very lucky.

I would be tempted to say that they don't write 'em like SOMEBODY OWES ME MONEY anymore, but that would be incorrect. Westlake continues to annually add to his incredible body of work. This treasure, once lost but now found, is a sheer joy from beginning to end.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Vastly entertaining

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-12

I'm really glad that Hard Case Crime has chosen to reprint this early Donald Westlake novel, not only because Somebody Owes Me Money is a really good book, but also for a more personal reason. I've been reading his series books for so long -- whether under his own name, or the Richard Stark pseudonym -- that I had really forgotten how good Westlake could be at standalone comic crime novels.

The most eloquent cab driver in New York City, Chet Conway works nights so he can spend his days at the track (and he works days where there are no races). When he gets a tip on a horse instead of the usual spendable gratuity, Chet decides that a man who can calculate in his head the return on a $3.54 bet at 22-to-1 odds must know what he's talking about.

But when Chet goes to pick up his winnings ("Almost a thousand dollars! I was rich!"), he finds his bookie Tommy McKay "spread out on the floor, sunny side up. With the yolk broken." And suddenly people start thinking he did it. Tommy's wife Louise, the police, the syndicate, etc. But nobody seems to know where he can go now to collect his $930.00 payoff.

When Tommy's sister Abbie climbs into his cab, things take a definite turn for the worse. Chet gets shot in the head and has to recuperate at Tommy's place, where eventually every member of organized crime in the city treads through, wanting to know why Chet killed Tommy. Chet has to clear his name by figuring out the real killer.

Somebody Owes Me Money is one of the few actual mysteries put out by Hard Case Crime. Off the top of my head I can only think of three, but they all involve licensed private investigators, as opposed to this amateur. After all, Chet may be eloquent, but, like all good crime protagonists, he's also a little dim. (Truly smart people manage to avoid these situations.)

God Save the Mark is more wildly clever (it's Westlake's masterpiece, in my opinion), and any given Dortmunder book has more belly laughs, but Somebody Owes Me Money is still vastly entertaining (with an ending that is 180° from the typical whodunit) and yet another reason why every Donald E. Westlake book, even the lesser-known ones, should stay continuously in print.

Speaking for Millions: The Inside Story on How to Make Really Big Money As a Professional Speaker

Published in Paperback by Fred Gleeck (2001-12-07)

Author: Fred Gleeck

List price: $19.95

New price: $19.95
Used price: $11.73

Average review score:

Author Pulls No Punches - Respects Your Time and Intelligence

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-19

Other books about professional speaking can put you to sleep with generic information that you already know. Either the author is trying to be politically correct or he or she is just trying to fill several hundred pages to justify the writing of the publication. Fred Gleeck's book is different. Just like the toughest coach you might have, Gleeck's doesn't mince words and he gets right to the point. He also realizes that he may offend some people with his comments. But don't you want a coach that won't sugarcoat anything yet instead will truly tell you like it is? In the book, Gleeck tells you exactly what to do and what not to do. Precisely where to invest your time, effort and money and where not to. I don't think there is a wasted word or a bit of fluff in any of his 239 pages. After reading the book, I immediately gave it to my wife to read to help me plan a strategy for my speaking business and ordered copies for my professional speaking friends so that they could do the same. I also thank those who had previously written comments about this book to convince me to make the investment. This information is so powerful, Gleeck could have forced you to spend $399 on a CD or DVD set, instead he made the same content available for a mere $19.95.

Speaking for Money

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-20

As a professional speaker, you have to understand how to make money. The other books I've read on this topic give you some good tips, but this is the best one I've read on how to MAKE MORE MONEY as a speaker. I highly reccomend it. I benefited a lot from Fred's extensive experience with CareerTrack and his knowledge of the public seminar business. His insights on how to develop your own products are amazing. Without reading this book I'm sure I would have been a speaker, but not a RICH speaker.

Speaking for Millions

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-18

This book contains lots of practical and easy to implement advice and information on:
- getting started in your career as a speaker
- marketing a speaker's business
- the mechanics of speaking
- doing your own seminars
- creating and marketing information products, and
- other useful tips.

This book is an essential resource for professional speakers. Buy now and discover its secrets for yourself. The advice really works.

For those who also do seminars, you must also buy Marketing and Promoting Your Own Seminars by the same author.

Speaking For Millions

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-04

Mr.Gleek knows his stuff. This book is broken down into bite size pieces. Open to any page and get at least one good idea. This book is also a perfect example of how to use a self-published book as a combination business card, promotional tool, and catalog. The only reason I didn't give the book a 5, is that much of the content is repeated in Mr. Gleeks other book; MARKETING & PROMOTING YOUR OWN SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS.I don't mean the same ideas, I mean whole sections, word-for-word. If I had not bought both books, I would have been totally satisfied with this one.

Money Books