Budget Books

I guess no one can say Al Adamson made any good films but don't let that stop you from reading this book. It's an interesting look into the world of lowbudget exploitation filmmaking in the 60's and 70's and it's a must for people interested in filmhistory in general and especially for those interested in old exploitation films. Interviews with Al himself, Sam Sherman and others with lots of anecdotes. It's all great stuff, this book is a must.

This biography of schlock director Al Adamson is a friendly introduction to his work, if not a a thorough exploration of it. Reading more like an extended fanzine article than full-fledged bio, author David Konow gives readers an engaging tour of Adamson's career as a director of low-brow, low-budget movies that his partner Sam Sherman (whose recollections make up the bulk of this book) booked in drive-ins during the 1960s and '70s. Konow's affection for his subject is contagious as he giddily tells of the making of "Satan's Sadists," "Dracula vs. Frankenstein" and the incoherent "Blood of Ghastly Horror" (essentially three different movies patched together). Self-identified horror fan Konow gives short shrift to Adamson's forays into sexploitation and blaxploitation, however, offering anemic two and three paragraph synopses to such films as "Angel's Wild Women" and "The Black Samurai" and very little background about the making of these movies. In fact, "Schlock-o-Rama" offers very little insight to what made Adamson, who was murdered in the mid-90s, tick. Konow includes a lot of redundant quotes, "sidebars" that could just as well been part of the main text and is overly fond of exclamation points. But while his writing lacks sophistication, Konow's enthusiasm for the amiable director who loved Kentucky Fried Chicken and his wife and frequent star Regina Carrol, makes "Schlock-o-Rama" a worthwhile textbook for all fans of trash cinema.

Being that this is the only biography on Al Adamson to date, his fans really don't have much to go by. Thankfully, this book is a fantastic resource, as well as extremly funny. Konow started writing this book when Al was still alive, so its not written by somebody trying to exploit Al's tragic death, but rather a fan. If you're into Al Adamson's movies, you have no reason not to purchase this book. Since the other reviewers have already done a great job at commenting on this book, I'll leave well enough alone.

David Konow gives the fans of Mr. Adamson what they want in this book. He was able to meet Al and set his story straight and put it in a good-looking-easy-to-read fashion. I recommend this book to fans of not only Al Adamson but to movie fans in general who would like to know more about film industry and it's peaks and valleys. My favorite book.

The films of product-oriented auteur Al Adamson (and, significantly, his producer-collaborator Sam Sherman) have deserved a book-length explication for some time now. The golden age (ahem) of micro-focused film studies, outside of the ususal high-budget/high-gloss realm, is in full swing, and Adamson's films can lay some claim to personifying the basis of such writings. Sure, this critical sub-genre is motivated as much by nostalgia as anything else, but it has a place in the body of work detailing film history. So does Adamson.

Konow's book, a work of clear adoration, sidesteps overt critical intent; the author presents a combined personal reflection and verbal history of Adamson's movies and his era. It works on a sheer fan basis, and fans (I'm one) will appreciate the glee and the inside information. If we leave wanting more, we must ask ourselves: Does the world really need two books on Al Adamson? Well, sure - why not? The only thing we have to lose is... paper. Thanks, Mr. Konow (and Lone Eagle Press), for this book, and its blatant heart.

In my opinion, it isn't worth paying for this book--all the same information is available, for free, at wedding websites. I bought a ton of wedding books--and never used them becaue I had all I needed online for free. If you aren't a computer-y person, then go for it...but if you know how to browse websites, save your money for the centerpieces, photography, or other wedding detail.

I've purchased several wedding planning books, but Nina's is the absolute best. She has a fun, witty writing style and offers great tips for scoring the best prices and trendiest extras for your wedding. Don't hire a wedding planner - buy "Wedding Chic"!

Once My Fiancee and I decided that it was neccessary for us to have a wedding I was overwhelmed by the frenzy involved with putting together such an event.Moreover, being that we live in NY where it BREATHING costs ya, I was even more fearful of the pricetag that would come attached to this memory. So, after breathing into a paper bag while watching Bridezillas and Platinum Weddings, I headed to the bookstore to seek some guidance.

This book confirmed that it was possible to remain the calm, sensible person I am, stay true to who we are as a couple , and have a great wedding on a budget. Unlike Bridal Bargains 8th Edition which seemed slapped together and excessively wordy,Wedding Chic's information is well organized and thoughtfully written from the sane personal perspective of Ms. Willdorf.

This book and the knot's Wedding planner are Wonderfully soothing answers to an industry hell bent on making reasonable women unreasonable and broke in the process.

Buy the Bridal Bargain's 8th edition as a supplement to find cost cutting ideas,( search for local nonprofit venue and write off reception rental as a donation) but DO NOT READ THEIR ADVICE. Unlike Ms. Willdorf who stays consistent (but not repeaitive) in her message, they often talk out of both sides of their mouths.

Wedding books can get so fluffy sometimes that, while fun to read, they are rendered practically useless as far as solid information is concerned. This book is a lot of fun to read but it is also very no nonsense. It's organized very well and is packed with ideas, how-to, and tips! I put a summary of each chapter in my planner and refer to it often. This book has become my planning bible!

This book really does let you in on some savvy ways to save money. It's also not product driven like bridal bargins is. There are a few names tossed out but it's mostly on letting you know what not to do to let others take advantage of you. The advice on updo's will be followed. Highly recommended!!

Book helpful, really wanted something more technical on present day tools and finishes.
PROBLEM ON SHIPPING TAKEN CARE OF BY AMAZON.

I have spent the last dozen years as a custom contractor, crafting houses for my clients from the design through the finish carpentry. Wood seemed to me the natural material selection for a sailing boat as I already have a thorough knowledge of the medium and thousands of dollars worth of tools to work with it. Jim's book is not only very amusing and engaging, it approaches the job of renovation in a way that makes it easy to understand and accomplish for a person of any skill level. He takes the time to explain not only the specific techniques involved in boat renovation but to explain how to approach a complicated renovation in a manner that will make it most likely to succeed. The tick-stick trick, new to me, is worth double the price of this fantastic book.

The author is both very well aquainted with wooden boats and very appreciative of them. He does not advocate, as earlier reviews claimed, to simply "fiberglass over" everything. Good chapters on woodworking tools, woods (surprise, mahogany may not be the best overall marine wood!), paints, laminating and time saving ideas to get back in the water. I used several on my 36' 1965 ChrisCraft Challenger. Deals mainly with cruisers, but has a chapter on runabouts.

I found the book both entertaining and very useful.

The author adds humor as well as knowledge which means you read for the enjoyment as well as the practical skills you will obtain.
The author covers every aspect from searching for a boat , restoring , repairing and the all important how to get a good fininsh on your final product.

Would recommend this book to anyone considering doing restoration work on a wooden boat regardless of size.

Just completed my last restoration project using this book and very satisfied with the results.

This is a very entertainingly written book, essential for anyone restoring a wooden boat - worth it as a fun read alone. The book is full of fun wooden boat philosophy, interesting personal anecdotes, and great stories. On the practical side, the author provides a good introduction to wooden boat types and construction, excellent information about selecting, evaluating and purchasing a boat for rennovation; planning and initiating projects; necessary tools and supplies; repairing holes in a wooden hull; and even some tips about building in cabinets and furniture.

The approach is admittedly "quick and dirty," that is, it presents practical, time-saving, and relatively inexpensive ways to get your wooden boat on the water, as opposed to nit-picky and involved pristine restoration techniques. The book isn't for the purist but for the pragmatist, and in that regard the advice and techniques offered are spot-on.

Unfortunately, however, the book is lacking in a few critical areas. Firstly, the section on hull refinishing - sanding, prepping, and painting - is insubstantial and unclear, with numerous contradictions and with no truly applicable examples. This is surprising, since the rest of the book is so comprehensible. (Indeed, ten highly detalied pages are devoted to wooden deck repair.) Also, the use of epoxies and their derivatives gets short shrift, and these days this is a critical area. It's as if here the author is an advocate but not an expert; recommendations about the use of epoxies in hull refinishing are dated and unreliable, and there is no mention of their potential, with fillers, for use in cabin or deck repair. For a book that prides itself on quick and easy alternatives this is an unfortunate omission.

Of course, for any ambitious wooden boat project you'll gather a collection of books, and be sure to add this one, since there is a wealth of good stuff here. Or get it for sure if you're an armchair boat refurbisher. But do look for additional sources if your main interest is hull refinishing or if you anticipate a lot of epoxy filler work.

I adore cookbooks! The best I can say about this one is that it's well organized. There may be some worthwhile recipes but most are rather some bizarre compendium of dreamed up dollar stretcher recipes that I doubt were ever tested out. I sit here and wonder if these recipes where ever tested or were simply typed up meant to 'fill' the pages of a quite condensed book. The illustrations are quite ample and well done. I have to give that much to the author "R.J. Lavigne". The author did do a lot of research and compiling of information but it falls short of what the trumped up description makes you believe it truly is. The reviews I found made it sound comparable to the quality of the More-With-Less cookbook. I ordered CookMISER instead and am sadly disappointed.

Look at it this way.. besides the obviously lawyer legalese "Warning-Disclaimer" at the beginning of the book (wow! I've never seen this type of thing in a cookbook before!).. the book ENDS with this paragraph by the author on page 250:
"PLEASE KEEP IN MIND that CookMISER is a book of ideas, if you don't like one, joyfully move on to the next. It doesn't matter that they're not necessarily all winners. The important thing is that the book or its contents averages well. Moreover, always test new, complex or bizarre recipes by yourself before subjecting your family, friends, or guests to them." Uh.. well said!! If you DO get this book, then definitely heed the authors own advice! The CookMISER book isn't worth my shelf space.

As you can tell by now, my experience with this book has been negative. If you can check it out firsthand (from a library or such) then I highly recommend doing so. It may not be what you are expecting even if you are into the Frugal lifestyle hardcore! If you are looking for 'tried and true' then I don't think this is the book for you. My own recommendations in the frugal vein are the following. I enjoy, own and refer often to my treasured copy of 'The Tightwad Gazette I, II & III' which I happily ordered from Amazon after a 3 month stint of borrowing it from my local library. It's the beginner Frugal persons bible.. and stemming from it has come other books of note. One in particular that I also have enjoyed very much is called "Not just Beans"... for it's tried and true frugal recipes. Not touted as 'frugal', but I also enjoy Patti LaBelle's recipe book because it is amazingly loaded with awesome inexpensive homestyle recipes if you want to learn how to make veggies (& other dishes) in a way that makes you Enjoy them... southern cooking style! Another favorite of mine is called Desperation Dinners. The recipes are fast, many are frugal and I've never been dissapointed.

I'm just not happy with this book and will return it as I would prefer to give the More With Less cookbook a shot at teaching me some new tricks in the kitchen.

Although I just received this book today, it seems like a wonderful addition to any frugal cooking library. It contains recipes for everything from various cheeses to main dishes to even yeast-based bottled pop stored in cleaned-out, recycled beer bottles. It helps you make the most of your money in so many ways. However, I believe that the book has been translated from another language (French, since it's from Quebec??), because there are so many grammar and spelling errors that I sometimes could not understand the directions that were being given. That aside, however, the book contains easy, quick recipes for things that you might not see in any other cookbook.

I can't praise this book enough. While many of the recipies call for generic ingrediants that won't taste exactly like the "real things", they won't damage your budget, and will keep you fed and happy.

The ingrediants are intentionally cheap, the directions are clear (and in both US Standard and Metric), the tips are worthwhile, and the explanations are precise. If money's tight, this book is worth the investment.

Tired of reading books about saving money in the kitchen, only to find out it was written in the US, using ingredients either unavailable or in NO WAY considered inexpensive here in Canada? This CANADIAN resource tells it like it is! What a great book!

The idea is great, the tips are great -- if you can stomach them. I knew this book wasn't for me when I read early on something like: "This doesn't taste like the real thing, but you'll get used to it." If saving money is a matter of survival, this is the book you want. If you're a bit more discriminating, I'd spend an extra buck or two at the supermarket. Not to say that this book doesn't get you in the mood to save money; it does, and it gives lots of things you've probably never thought of before, like baking your own bread (yummy) and your own soups (great when it's cold; uses up lots of leftovers and less-than-perfect veggies), but the recipes aren't something I'm prepared to economize THAT much for.

This book is very interesting, but don't hope to find all ingredients at your local 99 cent store. We needed a few items for one of the recipes and found none available at 3 local 99 cent stores.
The recipes look good, but you might have to go to a regular grocery store to buy the ingredients.

I read all 99 pages in 99 minutes over a period of 99 days..

Fascinating research into how to make the most of a store that stocks so many odd items that you are not always sure how to prepare them. Try the dip recipes!

I gave this book for a gift to my Mother-in-law for Mother's Day. She highly recommended the book. The recipes were easy to follow, there were great tips for preparation, general tips, etc. The ingredients could be substituted for others and not ruin the recipe; and the ingredients were also easily available.

This is an excellent book for the current economic times. It shows all of us how we can stretch the dollar or our 99¢!

I don't even live near a 99 Cent Only Store, but being a big fan of dollar stores I had to buy this book. There are SO many great ideas. I have been able to find most products (or a subsititute) at local dollar sotres or Big Lots. Not only are the ideas great, but they are easy to make!

This book has really grown on me. When I first received it I was a little disappointed thinking it was a little light on content. As I've thought more about planning my own Alaska fishing vacation, I now value the author's pragmatic style. He tells you with detail and precision how to get the most out of a car-based excursion fishing for salmon. From what and how to pack, to specific milepost markers for the best fishing at specific times, to how to get your catch home, it's all there. Be aware that this book is ONLY about car-based fishing and ONLY about fishing for salmon; also many of the areas identified as hotspots are very popular and will be crowded (the author uses the local phrase "combat fishing" to describe such situations).

A bit limited in scope, but overall a good source of information on getting around. full of good resources to help you plan your trip

I purchased this book to aid in planning our first fishing trip to Alaska. The book was very helpful in providing insite in all parts of the trip. I would strongly recommend it for any first timers going fishing to Alaska.

this is a great book if you're getting ready for alaska. well written

This book is well organized and provides a great deal of useful information for the first time alaska visitor. The charts are particularly helpful as you travel along the highways. They quickly identify and rate all the major rivers and their salmon runs.

However, there is very little information here that every traveler I met on the highways didn't seem to already know. All the rivers rated as excellent are known by every highway angler in the state and they are all vying for some room at these locations. The best way to discover 'good' fishing locations is from the alaskan neighbors you meet at the campgrounds. So, I feel it's a good get acquainted book. A one trip book. A useful handbook. Keep it on your dashboard.

The guide was extremely informative about the important stuff like, how to bargain without getting ripped off, where to stay, and what to stay away from such as the no-metered taxi cabs, cane chairs, and tourist traps especially in the Kuta area. The Cd-Rom is more up-to-date than any book you could purchase in the bookstore because it is constantly being updated. My husband and I went to some of the restaurants that are recommended, and for the price the food was outstanding. This is for the person who wishes to travel to paradise on a budget, but who wishes to experience all that Bali has to offer.

I found the CD-ROM to be extremely informative in thinking about what to pack, what to expect in customs, where to eat, how to bargain and many more questions I had when considering a trip to Bali. I have actually used the information in this CD-ROM to prepare my "Bali travel book" that I can use as a quick reference while I'm there. It provides first hand practical information that most travel books do not, or would not include about how to travel on a budget. I would highly recommend this CD-ROM to anyone considering a trip to Bali.

As a professional woman in the international news business, I find myself flying to different countries on a minutes notice. I appreciated "The Beginners Guide to Bali" because of its no nonsense approach to the new arrivals need to become acclimated quickly upon arrival in Kuta. This guide did not waste any of my time. It also cd-rom size and easy to access. I'd recommend it.

look-it's simple- you don't go into a gunfight unarmed-you don't go into Bali for the first time without "The Beginners Guide to Bali". Trust me.

this guide is easy to read, easy to carry and easy on the pocketbook-it was everything i needed for my first time to bali.

Zinnes and Jolliffe cover almost every aspect of making great documentaries. As Zinnes says in his classes, "The point [of the book] is to give people straight answers and practical tips to keep them out of all kinds of trouble, and to help their projects move forward faster, look better, and cost less."

Using the book, documentarians of all stripes will have a basic grounding in the process, that can prepare them to make an excellent film. People need to get some real-life shooting experience, but the rest of it is covered here.

Zinnes again: "I can't teach people to be creative, or intelligent, or great storytellers." But he can give them a map and guideposts to the long and arduous process of creating a watchable film. The book would benefit from a re-issue after some editing, but the basic data is there. Already serving as a text in schools, it continues to create a wide-ranging and stimulating discussions about the very nature of filmmaking and particularly the themes and processes of documentary-making.

Full of interesting viewpoints from seasoned pros, this book takes in all angles and gives many useful resources and solid advice on just about every subject - writing, funding, filming, to distribution, as well as those great short interviews.

Great reference tool, covers almost all aspects of documentary film making. It has some typos, enough to distract you, but in general could apply to any documentary you're planning/making. very well recommended.

One of my faculty use this book as a teaching tool and finds it creates a great deal of discussion and stimulation about the subject of documentary filmmaking. I ordered the book and read it and keep it in my library as a source book as well. It gives a good insight into the world of documentary filmmaking and is a good book for students as well as 30 year pros of the craft.It covers a wide range of topics that are quite appropriate and meaningful to the subject and is a great guide from beginning to end.

Interesting viewpoints from professionals - all angles are covered, which makes them valid but often repetitive. After reading Videomaker's book, even more of the Guerilla Guide seemed redundant. But it is all good information, and the interview format is interesting. It gets a good "thumbs up" but no more than 3 1/2 stars out of 5.

This book is packed with tons of useful information. We consider ourselves somewhat expererienced documentary film-makers, but it's given us a lot of valuable information we didn't alreadly know, and didn't know who to ask.

Let's Go is the college student classic. Without a doubt, if you are looking simply to party Europe, this is your most helpful tool. But if you are looking to experience Europe, understand that Let's Go is the most popular European travel guide. Virtually EVERYONE has it. This fact does have its advantages: you will never be far from the American crowd. But the disadvantages are the same: the bars, the clubs, the hostels and resturants are all on the Let's Go circuit.

In all, my recomendation is to buy the Lonely Planet guidebook that I found much more informative and better written. You can better avoid the American Party crowd when you feel like it, and when you want to partake in the happenings - don't worry they are easy to find.

The other advantage of everyone having Let's Go would be that it can be found almost everywhere (hostel bookshelves, your roommate's backpack) and you will not have any trouble borrowing it for a while. Lonley Planet offers a slightly different perspective, and allows you to more fully enjoy your trip abroad.

After traveling in Europe for four months now, I have used the Let's Go, Lonely Planet, Frommers, and Rick Steves guides. The only thing I really appreciated with the Let's Go books were their colored maps of certain major cities (which you can pick up at any tourist information center without buying the book). Their directions for getting to places were very vague--I couldn't find half of the hostels or restaurants I wanted to go to with this book. In addition, I found some of their smaller maps to place icons of places in completely different locations than where they were located in the city, but they still gave the correct address. Lonely Planet books were much more reliable, and I believe that the Rick Steves' books are the best on the market if you want to actually experience a city and not just it's tourist traps with "We speak english" in every window.

Let's Go was an invaluable part of our trip to Europe. It has a lot of countries you probably wont be visiting, so the weight of the book can seem daunting at times. It's defiantly not a pocket guide, but it does a great job of listing where to sleep, eat and have fun in each city. I would say it doesn't offer much commentary or advice on the actual sites (get an Eyewitness guide for that) but is essential for it's hostel/hotel listings. The information was very accurate (although the prices have gone up a little) and the transit time information was great for planning an itinerary ahead of time. As far as overall resourcefulness, I would say it beat Rick Steve's, Eyewitness and Lonely Planet. It's also oriented towards people who want to have fun and is the best guide for nightlife listings.

Let's Go covers EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know, and it does it in a realistic manner. The information is real straight-forward-here is where you will find out the cleanest hotels to stay in, the tourist attractions that are over-rated,and where to eat for $5. Plus, it covers all of the European countries and the major cities in each. It also has the weirdest hard to find info of any travel book, like gay-and-lesbian nightlife, maps of each city, and what the locals suggest you do.

I went to europe knowing nothing. i had a little money in my pocket, a backpack on my back and a let's go clutched in my hands and i had a blast. no need for lonely planet or rick steves if you're on a real budget. they recommend enough places to stay that we always had somewhere to sleep, they included vegetarian restaurants which was awesome. overall, it was my bible while i was there!

In my job, I routinely counsel women who operate or wish to open their own businesses. For those who are finance-challenged and lack basic money knowledge, I highly recommend this book. I found The Money Therapist to be an extremely comprehensive, straightforward, reader-friendly, FUN book to read! I literally tore through it and learned a great deal along the way, particularly about the intricacies of social security and the importance of compiling an inventory of my home possessions.

This book is a waste of money. Don't fall for it. This book is geared towards women who have no experience with money, which is why I suggest a Suze Orman book instead. This book was mostly filled with small advice from women who've gotten their finances in order. There are advice boxes on nearly every page, which means that most of the book is words from other people and NOT the author. The writing style was very slow, which made reading the book very slow. Overall, I'm upset I paid full price for it. I also suggest The Money Coach's Guide to Your First Million by Lynnette Khalfani. Her book is very easy to read. Filled to the brim with numbers and statistics that make you feel good about your chances of becoming a millionaire. One section showed how bad credit cost a man over $1 million dollars over his lifetime - while his friend saved $1 million by having good credit. Unbelievable but true. People with bad credit consistently overpay for the same items. Lynnette Khalfani's book is surprisingly a gem.

If passion had a picture it would be Marcia Brixey. Her gentle yet pin-point focus on freeing women from financial disaster through accessible empowering personal education at each well choreographed MoneyWi$eWomen seminar up and down the west coast has been the first step in financial awakening for thousands of women.

All too often women don't know what they don't know. It takes a compassionate woman like Marcia to help other women gently assume their own financial responsibility and accountability and reach their personal financial potential. With Marcia's book, "The Money Therapist" women across this great nation will have insights, experiences and instruction at their finger tips whereby they can attend to their financial house and build a stronger foundation for their financial future.

The book is crammed full of real live women's experiences and clear step-by-step how-to's and the correct actions to take. Start here with an investment in yourself with "The Money Therapist."

The Money Therapist is excellent reading for anyone interested in getting their financial house in order. The step by step information on getting out of credit card debt and safeguarding against identity theft are especially helpful. If you have nagging debt issues, this is the book for you.

Marcia Brixey has written an invaluable book for people who are ready to take control of their money. She teaches you how to get out of credit card debt, create a stable financial future, and use goal setting to live the life of your dreams. The best part about this book is its simplicity. Marcia is genuine; she connects with the reader and helps you achieve great financial success. Review by Sandra Smith, president of Aspire Seminars and
author of Get What You REALLY Want Without the Guilt.