Budget Books

I gave this book to both of my kids before they went to college.
My son first said that he wouldn't read it but when his roommates started getting into credit card problems they turned to this clever guide to see how he could make it through college without falling into the ubiquitous debt trap.

His fraternity brothers graduated with thousands of dollars in credit card debt. Two of them even had to move back into their parents' homes because they couldn't afford aparatments on their small starting salaries since their credit card payments far exceeded their salaries.

My son got a great job after college using advice he also found in this broad ranging book. Granted hia job didn't pay much in the beginning but without credit card debt he was able to get an apartment that he could afford and buy a used car with cash he had saved. A year later he has enough left over from his paycheck to put into a 401(k) plan. He's happy and able to support himself and his mother and I are proud that we have raised such a financially responsible son.

Our daughter chose to go directly to grad school. Learning from her brother's experiences she also followed the advice in this savvy book and just said NO to credit cards until her senior year of college. She uses the cards but pays them off each month.

While most of our friends don't like to discuss the financial problems that their kids have gotten into a lot of our neighbors' growns kids have shared their credit card problems with our kids. Some are even using the book to help them get out from under their college credit card debt.

That just scratches the surface of the useful advice in this book. All college kids and teenagers should be required to read this book before they've dug themselves into debt.

I highly recommend it.

Most of reviewers who gave 5* have only one review on their pages. At least it looks suspicious, at most like fake promotion.

This is one of the worst books written on finance. Nancy lloyd has a lot of fluff in this book and its only marketing. Iam glad my friend lent me this book and I didnt have to pay money for this POS. Compared to the peter Lynch and Graham book, this one is surely aimed for preschool toddlers.

If you have been trying to make money in the markets or even just getting started by paying off debts then you -- like most of us -- have probably bought many books that purported to help you manage your finances and create wealth.

Like most of us those other books probably did not work for you --even if they were recommended by TV celebrities who know nothing about finances but can't resist recommending books for other motives.

If those other inferior books did work as they were purported to then why would you still be looking for a book with usable answers?

This book, Simple Money Solutions, is a stunning exception.
The advice is accurate. It includes an array of advice because money advice is not one size fits all. And the advice never becomes obsolete. It does stand the test of time!

In fact those other books that claim to have THE One and Only answer is almost guaranteed to be nothing but a book built on unproven gimmicks or trendy tricks that do NOT work and that certainly won't work over the long haul.

This book and its author, Nancy Lloyd, have taken a different and sound approach to money matters. She presents the issues we're all struggling with out in a clear and concise way and then lays out the options, including financial products, services and strategies to implement various plans.

My neighbor and I both read this book but based on our individual situations we chose different financial strategies that fit our unique lives.

I have now thrown my other financial advice books out (I wouldn't even give them away for fear that some unsuspecting reader would follow those other books' feeble and inaccurate advice).

But I have been punked by other books for the last time.

Simple Money Solutions is a KEEPER!!

Our book club had a secret a few years ago. In addition to loving to read good books with strong narratives, it turned out that all of our 18 members also had huge amounts of credit card debt. Some of us had about $5,000 in debt, most of us hovered between $20,000 and 35,000 and two of us actually had over $50,000 in unwanted debt. Things were getting desperate.

When we finally fessed up to this secret problem we started looking for good money management-debt reduction books but while many claimed to do it most left us with more debt than we started with. Eithher their advice was too convoluted, or too simplistic or in some cases not legal.

Several of us had even been to debt consolidators and other debt eliminators but many of them took our money and fled without ever paying our bills.

Then we saw Nancy Lloyd on Good Morning America and decided to give this book a shot. Ding, ding, ding. It was a winner.
She explained in plain talk how to get real about our debt. We learned how to negotiate with our creditor -- even exactly what to say to get them to lower our interest, forgive some debt and get some negative marks taken off of our credit reports.

Nancy also showed us some simple ways to, as she put it "free up cash each month" so that we could finally make more than the minimum payments.

What can I say except that after several years all but two of us are DEBT FREE. The other two women can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Our book club has now become an investment club and Nancy's great advice on starting and growing a portfolio are paying off even in this sideways stock market.

We now have Peace of Mind at last and no longer fear answering the phone because the creditors are no longer calling!!!

I have a book shelf, full of film production books that I have collected over the past twenty years or so. This book reads very easily and teaches some pretty complex concepts from the world of producing. (ie. Day of Days)

I would recommend this to new producers, students and people that would like a primer on the creative and business side of a Hollywood Producer.

I just completed a feature length screenplay that will soon become a feature length film. To prepare for production I decided to purchase two books: Creative Producing A to Z, and, A Film Director Prepares, both by Myrl Schreibman. Having just finished reading them, I now know I could not have made two better choices. Buy them both, read them both, then read them both again! I promise, your film career will be well served.

This book is the producer's version of Gray's "Anatomy of the Human Body." Without a doubt, Schreibman's text is the blueprint for any successful indie film and should be read and thoroughly consulted by every creative producer - experienced or otherwise. Furthermore, this book that can be extremely useful to directors and screenwriters because it provides a real understanding of what the producer does and how the other creative entities can best collaborate with the producer for creative and practical synergy. In short, this book is a must for anyone who wants to make movies.

I bought this book for my cousin who wants to start out in the film business. This book helped me break down the who's who in the industry and the breakdown and samples are easy to understand.

I recently finished producing my own independent film and found this book right at the beginning of my post-production period.

I wish I had found it earlier. It is full of no-nonsense advice and information that is practically bullet-proof, and I ended up agreeing with about all of it. Schreibman, who apparently has a long history of producing films for t.v. and theatrical market, has paid his dues, done his homework, and knows another "feel-good" you-can-do-it book isn't necessary.

He tells you like it is, doesn't pull any punches, and helps you avoid the most common mistakes, both legally and aesthetically. Writing and directing are generally the more "arty" positions in film production - the Producer is supposed to keep the ship moving forward and avoiding any fatal mistakes. This book directs you in the right direction.

My film was a "micro-budget" film, and this book may ultimately be more useful for "larger" independent features, including ones with SAG deals, distribution in place, and budgets closer to 7 figures. While all the advice here applies to everyone making a movie, it's the attitude Myrl conveys that I really appreciated and believed in, more than some of his nuts-and-bolts info. The contract samples at the end were also very helpful when I went out and began looking for more help finding money to finish my film (which I eventually did).

Now I'm dreaming of using the rest of the info here for my next film!

I am so glad I read your book. You explained things I needed to know and corrected things I thought I knew. Most important, your book helped me develop and refine the marketing plan that I am now implementing for my newest book.

I have been authoring materials and involved in media (producing and hosting radio & TV) for more than 20 years. After reading your outstanding resource for small publishers, I am changing the way I do things. Thank you for taking the time to compile your book and make these materials available to help others. My work will be more effective because of your work.

As a firm believer in truth in marketing, I had mixed feelings about this book. The information it contains is excellent and helpful for authors looking to promote a book, but at the bottom of the front cover it says: "A step-by-step guide to promoting anything from books to businesses." Sorry, that's not accurate. 75% of the book has to do with book promotion only. If you've got another kind of business, choose another book.

As an author, I recognize the importance of publicity and promotion; a high priority! Linda is the self-publisher's "Maze Maven." Have a book to promote? You must follow her lead!

The book stands out as a very good guide for the first time entrepreneur or the self-publisher. Linda Radke both as author and editor presents all the know-how you will need to properly advertise your book or business.

"Promote Like A Pro" consists of two parts. The first one shows how to prepare an excellent marketing plan for your book. And in the second part of the book, contributing experts share their knowledge on marketing and publicity. Publishing experts uncovers us their tips and secrets how to market books.

"Promote Like A Pro" is a must read for anyone wishing to begin a self-publishing promotion. It is very exciting and has many good pointers. Definitely recommended as a way to help successfully promote yourself, your business or your book.

The self-promotion ideas in the Linda Radke's book look quite new and fresh for reader in Russia. I think, nobody in Moscow knows the tips how to promote a book. And I'll try this secret weapon with my next book. Thanks for sharing, Linda!

If you've just published a book and want to know the ins and outs of promoting it, this 192 page brand new book (2000) can really give you the insight. Writing the work is most demanding, but promoting it properly will spell your success or failure. It's a very fast read with highlighted topics for ready reference. Topics range from: Nuts and Bolts of Publicity, Signings, Publicity and Marketing, Getting Free Publicity, Book Reviews, Television Promotion, Radio Talk Shows, Web Promotion, and much more. A wealth of information to help you get started. Its completely indexed. The emphasis of the work is successful promotion on a small budget. Provides you with the tips of the trade. Worth reading.

I must say that I really enjoy this book. It is well written and provides alot of very good information. It is a good resource book to keep in your RV. I am planning to go full time RVing in the next couple of months and this book helped me to make that important decision. Read and enjoy folks!

We found this book a very valuable resource for planning on our eventual fulltiming phase of life. It is a very easy read, but it also has the information you need. It's very well laid out! Thanks for a great book!

Support Your RV Lifestyle: An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road (Second Edition)
is a wonderful resource -- it's well-written, filled with great information, and is inspirational and encouraging, as well. Jaimie Hall is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about her topic. It's obvious that she's a seasoned traveler -- and has been both working on the road and talking to many other RVers who have worked while enjoying their travels.

The book summarizes over 350 jobs (in categories like work at rv parks and resorts, christmas tree farms, state parks and national forest areas, concessions, seasonal jobs, sales of rv related products, crafts, writing and consulting). Details like how to handle resumes, long-distance job interviews, contact information and communication while traveling, and the right questions to ask about jobs are also covered. In addition to the many options it lists, it points out possible problems and challenges one may encounter on the road while trying to find a job or while working.

If you (like us) are thinking about traveling in an RV, this is the book to have in the planning stage -- and I assume it will also be helpful when on the road.
Also check out the author's website and enewsletter.

My husband was intrigued by the idea of full-timing in an RV. This book gives you ideas of working while moving around in your RV. Maybe working a seasonal job in a theme park or with a tour group, on a guest ranch or in a national park appeals to you. Some jobs offer free campsites.
Ultimately I chickened out on the idea, but if you think the open road is for you and want to make some money along the way, be sure to read this book.
It includes a ton of info in the appendix: including contact information for state tourist bureaus, state parks, state revenue offices and state motor vehicle and licensing bureaus and more, plus an additional 32 pages of resources.

Many people who contemplate living the RV lifestyle probably equate it with a leisurely retirement. But what if you combine RVing with a lucrative work life? You may discover that you can hit the road at a younger age and reap more rewards.
Support Your RV Lifestyle spells out in great detail exactly how to live this dream life. Jaimie Hall speaks from her own experience and culls information from a wealth of other sources to create a comprehensive tool for planning to live and work on the road.
Just as you wouldn't set out on a trip without a road map, you would be miles ahead by consulting this guide before embarking on this life journey. There's a lot more to consider than where to park your vehicle each night. Don't assume you'll just "find a job" when you reach your destination. There are many considerations, from tying your marketable skills to a job on the road, to balancing work and fun, to tax implications. Because Ms. Hall is so thorough with her guidance, you will be well-equipped to make decisions about how to combine work with pleasure.
It is likely that some of her 100-plus pages of worksheets and resource lists would assist travelers in general, not only those traveling and working out of an RV. You'll recoup the price of this travel guide many times if you choose to follow its course for living and working on the road

This book is well written and easy to read. We are planning on living abroad for 2 years and it was very useful to ready about other families that have also done similar trips. Lots of great practical advice.

This book is a must read if you are planning a sabbatical or being dragged into one. The FAMILY SABBATICAL BOOK is filled with well-researched information about the nitty-gritty details of what to do, but it is also a well-articulated emotional testament about the journey. Perhaps we'll never take a sabbatical, it is my husband's dream, not really mine. But if indeed we go, I will have a much better handle on preparation. And if we don't make it, I have lived vicariously through the hard work preparation and steep learning curve journey documented in this book. Clearly people who take sabbaticals are way cool...and out of their minds.

I'm reading this book and saying, "Why didn't I have this book ten years ago??" It answers so many questions and makes the difficult seem entirely possible. It's well-written and a good read, enlightening about foreign travel in general. I often find this kind of "how-to" book sort of clunky and irritating, but this was a joy to read.

I was so happy to find this book as I was planning a sabbatical from my university to teach overseas in a developing country with my family. The book is amazingly detailed, and provides lots of great lists that I am comparing with my own lists. The discussion about the benefits about taking the kids abroad is fantastic! I really appreciate the details that the author provides, and the story of their family's extended stay in Mexico. While this book is the best one I've found, it very much is geared toward adults who are planning on taking a complete sabbatical - not people working, volunteering, etc. overseas. The book talks about difficulties in meeting locals, boredom, the excessive socializing with ex-pats, etc. I think a lot of that can be resolved by choosing specifically where you go (perhaps not going to a place with a huge ex-pat community) and giving back to the communities you are living in through working or volunteering with local organizations. A sabbatical doesn't simply need to mean a year of rest - but can also mean a year's break from one's routine. This book is an excellent resource and a delightful read, but the options of a sabbatical year can really be thought of much more broadly than it is portrayed.

Perhaps I took too seriously the book's cover and title. Bills itself as "explore the world," "Let ... 15 ... families who lived in Europe, China, and South America show you ..."

But the proper title and the proper cover blurbs ought read: Wanna live in an impoverished third world country? You can! Or, perhaps, "How you and your children can live in impoverished Mexico." There is not one word about China or Europe in the book.

Perhaps a better title might be: "Living in Mexico for a year-and-a-half on $35,000 savings, with tips for having fun with your young children"

Here's what I get from the book: Step 1: don't buy a new car and save like heck for a few years until you've saved $35,000. Step 2: ask your young children's teachers what they should cover during their year living in Mexico (the book is solely about Mexico); Step 3: rent your house while you're gone; Step 4: play with your children and anticipate that they will need your love and support during the first few months in a third world country where they don't know anyone or the language; Step 5: learn the language while you live there, and have fun; but don't expect the telephone to work. There's an oddly unfinished story about how the author's friends pestered phone company authorities to get service restored. We learn only that the person at the phone company who said she would help left town for a two week vacation. Did they eventually get their phone service restored? We never find out. Instead, there's a sentence about how bribing a policeman in a corrupt country 100 pesos can get you out of a parking ticket. Just what one is supposed to do with these anecdotes is unclear.

Since I'd believed the title and the book's cover honest, I was enormously disappointed to find no words about how to live in Europe--where England costs about 4 times the U.S. (after factoring in exchange rates and actual cost of living in much of the country). The rest of Europe is also dear these days with the Euro at near-all-time highs. And, as mentioned, there's not a word on China.

Please re-title and re-blurb this book. Living in a third world/developing country/Mexico is, compared to U.S. living, affordable, and one should nurture and love one's children, but I simply must disagree with the others who have reviewed this book. Proceed with caution.

Another fantastic book from Focal Press. This book by Jason J. Tomaric is a fantastic resource guide, covering all aspects of filmmaking from start to finish. Well written, and a DVD loaded with extras! Don't make an independent movie without it! Highly recommended!

Newer thought that I would be considering working on a feature film, but reading and viewing Jason great material just gave me the feeling that I also could do it.

Books like this promise a lot but I have to say that Jason has done an excellent job of condensing the complex task of movie making into concise and accurate descriptions of each discipline. I've experienced quite a bit in the film business over 30 years and time and again as I read this book I kept saying "Oh yes, that's true." It is also a great reference for those noodly details one needs from time to time like proper script format. There is no need to hunt through your library for the answer, script format is right here on page 27. The other good thing about Jason's breakdown is the responsibility associated with film making regarding money,permissions, safety and insurance. I cringe when I think back on how we made 16mm indie films back in the 70s. In some cases we were lucky to be alive afterward much less sued! The Power Filmmaking Kit is terrific primer for those who wish to make a movie in the classic tradition for very little money.

Mark Sawicki
Motion Picture Effects Cameraman/Actor and Author.

I was so frustrated with the lack of practical filmmaking instruction that I took two years out of my life to write and illustrate "The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide", so I speak from the heart when I say that Jason Tomaric's "Power Filmmaking Kit" is a rare wonder of practicality, conciseness, and valuable filmmaking wisdom.

There are two ways you learn the things in a solid practical film book like this:

1) the hard way- by doing it and learning from your mistakes (fine if you've got the time and the money) or

2) by being smart enough to study and learn from a book like this how to stretch your time and money and get better results.

After fifteen years in this business, I still found plenty of valuable tidbits, forms, and practical wisdom in Jason's book and the jam-packed DVD lessons to make it more than worth the cover price. I only wish I had access to a book like this back in my film school days.

Yet another big shot in the DV Revolution. Well done, Jason.

Author Jason Tomaric has written, directed and distributed several minor independent features which is a laudable feat. Yet, Tomaric has surprisingly little to say about the filmmaking process. Sure, there's a lot of information here, but nothing you couldn't get anywhere else. Even the skimpy material on his own productions generally amounts to one thought--"Need something for free? Just ask!" What makes similar books like the Complete Guide to Low-Budget filmmaking (Josh Becker) or Make Your Own Damn Movie! (Lloyd Kaufman) interesting is the authors' willingness to share their personal views and stories of their triumphs and failures. Other books like The DV Rebel's Guide (Stu Maschwitz) and Digital Filmmaking (Mike Figgis) are authored by highly-regarded professionals who describe how low-budget technology potentially transforms mainstream filmmaking processes. Tomaric, on the other hand, opts for an encyclopedic "wide as an ocean but shallow as a water basin" approach. The result is a paint-by-numbers text that reads less like a book and more like a reasonably executed career move.

Janet Attard is a familiar name to most people doing business on the Internet, especially on AOL.

She has been the force behind the growth of the Business Know-How discussion boards & newsletter. She plans over 70 weekly live chats, as well as compiling thousands of articles, tips, & hints on every aspect of small business you can name.

This book begins after you've done all the basic start-up work for your business. There is no discussion of the best legal form for your business to take & you won't find questionnaires to test your entrepreneurial skills. Attard assumes you've passed that point & are ready to go to work.

What you will get is insight on topics such as:

=> finding suppliers => mailing & shipping strategies => trade show savvy => selling to the government => building a web site without going broke => making cash flow => how to make a big impression on a small budget => using the mail to build business => choosing & using office equipment

I must admit that I thought Attard would have nothing new or of interest to me. After all, I've been in business for some time. (egotistical, isn't it?)

But, she surprised me with a number of interesting & useful ideas. Briefly, here are a few:

=> make use of a CD-ROM phone directory. Attard suggests one called SelectPhone costing about $150. It will allow you to find customers & suppliers. (p. 84)

=> ask for an editorial calendar. The editorial calendar briefly lists the types of stories that will be covered each month for the calendar year. Newspapers & magazines plan far ahead for special topic issues. (p 91)

=> advertise where your competitors advertise. If your competitors have been advertising for many months in a specific media, their ads are probably working.(p. 104)

=> familiarize yourself with advertising laws. Just because you're small doesn't mean you can ignore or avoid complying with laws regulating advertising.(p 120) There follows a page and a half of laws that might trip up a small business owner.

=> buy US postage stamps at less than their face value. Buy your stamps from a stamp dealer rather than the post office. Stamp dealers often buy stamps in quantity hoping they will go up in value.(p. 149) I really liked this one and * never * would have thought of it.

I could give many more examples, but that wouldn't be fair to Attard, who's obviously put blood & sweat into this book

Let me leave you with some more topics of interest:

=> using the web ferret for quick web searching => the when & how of yellow page ads => what's a press room & why you want to use it => your trade show toolbox -- what's in it & why => what you should know about credit card fraud

You're all getting used to the fact that I'm as much a stickler about the design of a book as I am about content.

This book is well laid out, the type is large enough to read easily, & typefaces are consistent through out the book.

The few gray boxes used are well placed & don't interrupt the flow of the text. My only dislike is this: to make the * tips * boxes stand out from the other gray boxes, all the text contained within them is underlined. They are the only part of the book I found difficult to read & found myself skipping over them most of the time. I know I missed valuable information because of it.

This is a must have business book to add to your shelf. It has very practical simple advise that you will want to start implementing right away.

Over the years I've come to expect excellence from Janet Attard -- whether at her website, in her books, or on her excellent AOL forums.

So, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that, when reading her newest offering "Business Know-How," I was once again blown away by her ability to take topics that are near and dear to the hearts of all micro- and home-based business owners and make them not only helpful but enjoyable.

The subjects she covers are especially important for smaller businesses -- like how to keep your costs down and how to maximize your exposure and publicity (on and off line). The book is written in a very "user-friendly" style -- short, pointed paragraphs and lots of practical bullet charts and lists.

It's a must read and a good investment in your business.

While some books, such as "The Entrepreneurial Mindset" and my own "Thinking Like An Entrepreneur," are great at providing philosophical guidance and strategic insight into becoming an entrepreneur, other books are great at providing practical, hands-on information for dealing with specific, small business situations. "Business Know-How" provides excellent, hands-on information which will help you run your small or home business.

"Business Know-How" is jam-packed with hints, tips, resources, and suggestions for saving money, growing your sales, and running your business more effectively. The lessons are particularly useful to small and home-based businesses.

Half of U.S. small businesses are home-based. Attard says that although hard work and good products are necessary to succeed in small business, hard work and good products alone aren't enough. Attard writes: "To be successful, you need to know how to do business. You need to know the best ways to find customers, to sell to them, to use technology, to cut costs, and to deal with problems that inevitably arise. And you need to know how to do it all on a shoestring."

The First Chapter, Finding the Real Opportunities, will help you generate ideas for a new business. Attard suggests: "Businesses don't just happen. They are made... your success relies on what you bring to the business. If you love what you do, your passion for the business will drive you to be knowledgeable, creative, and persistent."

One of Attard's recommendations is "Look for Avalanches" which will help carry you in a successful direction. As an example, Attard discusses Cheyenne Software, which jumped on the Local Area Network trend by developing enhancements to Novell LANs. She also discusses demographic trends and points out a few particularly lucrative areas, such as corporate training. We learn that corporate training is a $50 billion market.

We also learn that African Americans represented a $300 billion market by 1994. Attard advises: "The secret to successfully targeting these and other cultural markets is to pay attention to your audience's heritage and lifestyle. Don't just replace pictures of white people with pictures of African Americans or Latinos, and don't translate English word for word into any other language. Your marketing efforts will fail if you do. Instead, tailor the sales literature or ads to accurately reflect the lifestyle of the targeted market."

But, your business doesn't need to be earth shattering or target a huge market. One of Attard's first businesses was making beanbags shaped like frogs. Attard writes: "I filled them with birdseed instead of beans to make them pliable and less lumpy to the touch. ... I could produce them quickly and kept my costs low by making the frogs from inexpensive fabric remains."

Attard also suggests considering "Mundane Moneymakers," such as home cleaning or plumbing for your start-up business. Attard writes: "The key to making money with the mundane is to sell something your customers can't do, don't want to do, don't have the time to do, or can't get done elsewhere."

As a great example of a mundane, but potentially profitable, business, Attard tells us about a doggy do-do clean-up business which cleans up doggy waste in dog owners' back yards. Now, there's a good example of an unromantic business! After a few years, the founding entrepreneur sold the company for a quarter of a million dollars.

(Passion for doggy clean-up probably doesn't last too long. Attard doesn't say how big a market doggy do-do clean-up represents. But with the help of her outstanding chapter on business research, you probably could make a fairly good estimate. Exercise for Entrepreneurship students: Estimate the market size of the doggy do-do business. Extra credit: Measure the market size in Kibbels N' Bits.)

Most of "Business Know-How" isn't about starting a business. It's about operating your business effectively.

One money saving tip from Business Know-How's Chapter, Keeping the Tax Collector at Bay, is "Employ Your Spouse and Deduct the Entire Amount of Your Medical Insurance Premiums."

Because there are limitations on the tax deductibility of medical insurance premiums providing coverage to sole proprietors and S-corporation owners who hold more than 2% of the corporate shares, but no such deductibility limits on health insurance coverage provided to your other employees, Attard suggests employing your spouse.

Attard writes: "There are no such limitations on the deductibility of medical insurance premiums you make on behalf of your employees, however. If your spouse is an employee of your business, the business can pay for (and deduct the cost of) his or her medical insurance. Your spouse would then add you as a dependent on his or her policy. This would make the entire premium deductible by your business as a business expense. If you don't have employees other than your spouse, and don't have any other good source of health insurance, this strategy offers significant tax savings by converting a personal expense to a [tax deductible] business expense."

Attard notes one important caveat. If you have other employees, you might be required by law to provide them the same health care coverage as your spouse.

"Business Know-How" has outstanding chapters about conducting business research, finding suppliers, shoestring marketing, selling to the government, home office equipment, and dealing with taxation of your home-based business. A primary focus of the book is saving money and reducing your costs, which is crucial to success. The book also provides a wealth of referrals to gather more information.

Peter Hupalo, Author of "Thinking Like An Entrepreneur."

Janet Attard's Business Know-How tells how to make a small business profitable, from obtaining publicity and locating customers without expensive ad budgets to cutting business costs and becoming involved with the Internet. All are excellent business guides with practical information for those just starting out.

This was a very good read, masterfully told and researched. This is the only book that tells the COMPLETE history of indie movies. Highly recommended.

This book blew me away. I love the way it covers the whole spectrum of indie film, not just "art" but "exploitation" as well. The story of how these films came to be against great odds makes for great reading. I learned something knew on every page. Highly recommended for fans of non-Hollywood films.

This was a great read. Very well-written. It covered more than any other film book. I especially liked the exploitation stuff and how it mixed with art films: the yin and yang of indie cinema.

This is the best book ever written on independent film. I wish I could give it move than 5 stars, because Celluloid Mavericks is a pure pleasure to read: witty, informative and always extremely entertaining. No other book comes close to its breadth and detail, especially in regards to the previously uncharted territory between 1896 and 1960. This is my all-time favorite film book, well deserving of its many raves reviews.

from the New York Press 3-29-2000 - copyright Matt Zoller Seitz

Merritt's book covers a century's worth of off-center cinema, including 1890s nickelodeons, 1940s chitlin-circuit black films, Sam Fuller's genre-busting work in the 50s and 60s, blaxploitation and hardcore porn in the 70s and the Sundance wave of the 80s and 90s. The central idea of free spirits bucking the system unifies waht might have been a too-broad historical text, and Merritt's tart wit enlivens the fact-packed narrative. His prose isn't merely amusing; it's lovingly polished, a real pleasure to read. He's honest enough to admit that most 70s blaxploitation films were garbabe, "rarely as much fun as their posters or soundtracks." He coins a wonderful new phrase to describe the hillbilly flicks that flooded rural drive-ins around the same time: "Whitezploitation." He describes Tom Laughlin's "Billy Jack" as a movie about pacifists who "come to worship a man of violence," and declares, "the real hoot is seeing the messiah take off his boots and kick the grins off rednecks."

This isn't one of those fuzzy, ruminative books where the author writes whatever strikes his fancy and crams it into a bulging thematic suitcase after the fact. The preface carefully defines "independent" to mean any movie "financed and produced completely autonomous of all studios," and "semi-indie" as a movie that received studio funding at some point. The definitions cast certain well-known American films in a fresh light. I didn't know, for example, that the Oscar-winning "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" didn't get a dime's worth of funding from any studio.

Chapter to chapter and page for page, "Celluloid Mavericks" is an indespensable book, as entertaining as it is informed.

I have returned again and again to this book for new ideas. I feel I now have a new way of looking at decorating! Using eBay is such a great way to grab some bargains to get the look you're after! You'll be glad you have this book, it's fun to see how she did an entire house! Great detail shows how she did it step by step! You can plan your own house project or just get quick update ideas for a room. Enjoy!

A superbly produced book - with visually warm, personal and enticing colors, graphics and text, and beautiful photographs. Indeed, what can be done on Ebay at its finest. And one more thing...I loved the soft sock monkey touch.

Barbara Guggenheim's book was invaluable when decorating a home my wife and I recently bought in East Hampton, NY. We never had thought about using eBay for furniture and other home items, but following Barbara's guidelines ended up buying pretty much everything from sofas and beds to even rugs and curtains, and all while saving almost 30% of our estimated budget. The book is a MUST for anyone looking to redecorate, furnish, or replace items in a home. Also a great tool for any eBay hobbiests!

You can decorate on a budget and stay in the range without even going to thrift stores and flea markets - not if you have a computer at home and DECORATING ON EBAY FAST AND STYLISH - ON A BUDGET in hand. Author Barbara Guggenheim is an art consultant who needed vintage items to decorate her Malibu beach house: she decided to try decorating an entire house using eBay and DECORATING ON EBAY chronicles her experiences. Tips include how and where to search within the sight, from locating furniture and fabrics to obtaining collectibles, and how to develop a personal decorating style on a budget. Her course in mastering ebay goes all the way from basic site navigation to winning bids and understanding the entire process. A 'must' for any decorating on a budget who wants to take full advantage of ebay listings; especially for those new to the auction/bidding process.

This is a book to pick up and kick back with, to scheme and dream effortlessly with, to have fun reading, giving, sharing, talking about. Ultimately, it will lead you to having a house embellished by your hobby, thanks to tips, hints and fun how-to's from Dr. Guggenheim, who is one of the few true art history scholars around who not only actually writes in readable English, but shares easy to use practical advice that can enable ordinary mortals to enjoy a good, rich slice of culture pie, anytime they feel like it. Having attended her art history lectures in the past, I always hoped she would start writing this kind of book, which like her teaching, makes us all not only believe, but know, that we can be true art collectors: that it's not about the size of our pocketbooks, it's about each of us giving freedom to our own very individual, very powerful imaginations.

This book is informative, amusing and easy to read. I enjoyed it very much.

As a student of the economy and financial markets, I've long been an avid reader of Caroline Baum's columns. This book is a wonderful compilation of her best writing on the macroeconomy, bond market, interest rates, government policies, and related topics, about which only she would write.

Many of her columns are both timeless and timely. For instance, those wondering about the economic impact of Hurricane Katrina should read her column from Sep 16, 1999 on Pg. 40 titled, "Hurricane Sweeps Coast; Nonsense Sure to Follow." For those seeking a greater understanding of oil's economic impact, including why higher oil prices are really not like a tax, read her column on Pg. 80 and her chapter beginning on Pg. 201 titled, "Oil Things to Oil People."

Couple her plain speaking, common sense and didactic writing approach with her access to and relationships with many of the finest minds in economics and finance and the result is a very educational read for the economics student to the finance professional. She is the rare writer who is capable of explaining the complicated in a simple, interesting and often entertaining way.

By Caroline Baum, the Emily Dickenson of markets.

Every now and then you read a book like this that makes you want to stand up and cheer, and tell all your friends that this is the real McCoy, that Emerson or Emily Dickinson or Samuel Johnson is alive. That's the feeling I have while reading "Just What I Said" again. To see what I mean, consider this. The middle-of-the-road, mediocre, eponymous tennis player and economist Robert Samuelson says in a sap-filled sendup to his kids: "You've got to care more about the election, because it goes to the heart of who we are as a nation. The greatness of the United States is not McDonald's or Microsoft. It's our basic beliefs how how we should govern ourselves."

From long experience reading her columns I shudder when she quotes someone like this, especially the fake Dr. and poseur at the head of the Fed. She never lets them off easy and writes, " The greatness of the US, Mr. Samuelson is precisely
McDonald's and Microsoft. They are the product of how we govern ourselves They are symbols of liberty and democracy. If you tell that to your kids, they actually might come around. These companies identify a consumer need, conceive a product or service to satisfy it, and compete with other producers to deliver the best qualtiy at the lowest price."

My goodness, she sounds like ... one of my favorite personages.

The book is replete with poetic and poignant ways of looking at such important things as the yield curve, the Fed influence, the doomsdayist take on the stock market, first principles of economics, bureaucratic snafus in business and government and homely analogies of the kind that you'd expect a sagacious
all-knowing columnist to make. Some of my favorites in this regard are the lessons she learns from birds at her bird feeder about crowding and mobbing, the chapter that could have been entitled "I, Mop" about the nitty-gritty of what a mop
should do, the unhelpful help desks of the technology firms (never sell her a bad product if you dont want to be pantsed in front of the most knowing audience in the world).

One of my favorite examples of her insights is her use of the word McMuffin to hold up to ridicule "Dr." Greenspan's attempt to make Congress think he's much smarter than they are by trotting out one new indicator after another that one of his boys has developed and or researched for him recently.

The list of the great things she illuminates and the insights that you can get from this book is endless. Its a masterpiece that belongs in everyone's library. I have bought dozens of copies for my friends, and plan to buy more.

As an investment professional I have been reading Caroline Baum's articles for more than 15 years. Frequently, when one comes out I will receive a call or email from a friend telling me to read it! The reason is her insight, written in a pithy way makes you think. That is what we get paid for and how we make money for clients.
The way the book is laid out...by topic, chronologically...makes it a good reference to keep at hand when some topic comes up or just to read...if only one article.
It is particularly impressive to reread these articles years later and find they still make sense, a major accomplishment.
Think of it as economics without all those troublesome graphs.

"Just What I Said" will appeal to anyone who wants to learn how the real economy works, in easy to understand lessons cleverly disguised as light hearted articles. The book (broken out into 19 distinct recurring themes) is a collection of the best columns that she has written for Bloomberg over the past seven years, some 1300+ columns in total. The amazing thing is her columns are as pertinent today as when she originally wrote them. I give two thumbs up to the book.