Adam Books

"10 Ways To Screw Up An Ad Campaign" is one of the best business books I've read on the subject of advertising and marketing. The information that Barry shares is absolutely amazing. It's easy to read and to implement in any business. I strongly recommend that you read this book before spending another dime on advertising.

This book is filled with simple, sensible, yet creative ideas on how businesses and professional practices of all sizes can increase sales through marketing and advertising. It's extremely easy to read and offers practical advice that even businesses with very limited budgets can use to reevaluate strategies and maximize their advertising. There is an important chapter on realistic expectations and measurement of results. I can't imagine not discovering at least a few ideas you can implement immediately from this book.

For the price, you can't expect to find a better written book on advertising. This book not only gives you insights on creating sucessful advertising campaigns, it also will force you to focus on what sets your business apart from the competition. After reading it, you may re-invent your business as well as your marketing!

This book is witty and insightful with great examples on how to use various advertising methods and techniques. It has charts, toolkits bullet points, references and a glossary. I enjoyed it very much. It is well worth the price.

I liked many of the tips in here. I really liked the chord progression tips the most. The scales he does as the first tip is nice and opens up some nice info for me to learn. I like how he refers to them as patterns because I can memorize patterns and formulas very easy in math so I figure that it may help me here too.

I've been playing guitar for 5 years (self taught), have a band going but never really played live much until recently and I never really knew much about effects, amps and guitar "tech" type stuff. I ordered this book because I spent all my time learning how to play well, but not learning much about gear etc. And it's a little embarrassing being able to play fairly decent but not knowing crap anything else. This book certainly helped in that department.

There are a few different kinds of tips in here. Some are technique, music theory and exercises, which are mixed in throughout. Most of those I didn't really find all that useful because I have my own ways of practicing and such, but having all the modes written out was nice to have as a reference.

Then there are stage tips and guitar/amp maintenance tips. Most of these were helpful to me. A lot are just random things about stringing, adjusting action, picks, pedal boards, travel, and most types of effects are explained in an easy to understand basic way.

This book will probably be too "primitive" for professional guitar players, but of course thats not who it's really targeted at. For people starting to play live, or looking for some general advice on basic guitar stuff this will probably serve as a helpful starting guide to having a more well rounded knowledge of guitar.

I have yet to purchase this book, but I saw it in Guitar Center a few months ago and I skimmed through it. Very nice. more than just how to play certain riffs, lots of good little nuggets of advice, like the more live experience the better, and I think this was in there, how you should always tuck your chord in the inside of your strap. Very practical and useful information.

101 Guitar Tips is the result of my own 30 years playing experience, plus knowledge gathered from the hundreds of celebrity interviews I've conducted through the past 20 years as editor of www.Guitar.com, as an author and editor for music publisher Hal Leonard (for whom I've worked on numerous excellent guitar instructional books covering blues, jazz, rock, country, scales, chords, and more), and as a writer for most of the major U.S. guitar magazines and many of America's largest newspapers.

I've also worked for Fender, D'Addario, Guitar Center, Musician's Friend and smaller music stores, and I ran vintage guitar site Gbase.com for a couple of years. I've guitar teched for Sammy Hagar, and of course I've played in countless bands.

101 Guitar Tips covers a lot of ground, including scales, chords, riffs, music theory, gear setup and maintenance, equipment selection, career advice, things to make your music-making trouble-free and more enjoyable, and much more. There's something for everyone in this book, whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player. All musical examples are written out in notation AND tablature, and many are illustrated with neck diagrams as well.

I've included many excellent tips and suggestions that I got first-hand from celebrities such as B.B. King, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam), Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers), Rene Martinez (Stevie Ray Vaughan's guitar tech), Tom Dowd (legendary producer), and many, many more.

And the 53-track CD (included at no extra charge) offers you the opportunity to learn and work on many of the riffs and chord progressions described in the book. You can use it as a play-along, jam tool as well.

I've written this book to be an easy, fun read, with just a touch of dry humor (or is it simply a veteran musician's hard-earned sarcasm?) thrown in for good measure. I hope you'll get a good laugh out of some of it, because a sense of humor is definitely a plus for any musician!

101 Guitar Tips makes an excellent learning product, and a great gift. I'm currently (November, 2003) working on my follow up book, "101 Recording Tips," which will help solve problems and create better recordings for anyone with a home studio or heading into a pro studio. Watch for this book to come out through Hal Leonard in 2004.

Other books I've authored or edited for Hal Leonard include "The Picture Chord Encyclopedia" (yes, that's 2,640 pictures of my left hand, playing every chord imaginable), "Incredible Scale Finder," "Blues Solos for Guitar," "Country Solos for Guitar," "Hard Rock Solos for Guitar," and "Jazz Solos for Guitar."

If you've purchased my book 101 Guitar Tips, and want me to clarify anything in the book, feel free to contact me at adam@guitar.com.

Keep on pickin'!

Adam St. James
November 14, 2003
Editor, www.Guitar.com

One hundred and fifty years after his death, Abraham Lincoln continues to fascinate. It's fair to say that more books have been written on our 16th President than any other American historic figure; new titles appearing year after year. Dyed-in-the-wool Lincoln fans and newcomers alike will enjoy this new volume covering various aspects of Lincoln's life and times.

Author Brian Thornton's goal is to separate the man from the myth. He takes us through Lincoln's life in 101 mini-chapters, examining Lincoln matters big and small - how Lincoln got Mary Todd to marry him, his changing views of abolition, Lincoln's relationship with his father, his brief military career, the impact of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, why he grew a beard, his personal relationships, how John Wilkes Booth's brother saved one of Lincoln's sons from death, his legacy and so on.

There is a great deal of fascinating information packed in the book's 231 pages. One section I found especially interesting contained comparisons of Lincoln with Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Buchanan, Henry Clay, Stephen Douglas and Jefferson Davis.

I have read a number of books on Lincoln but still found pleasures anew in this book from Adams Media. Nicely priced at $9.95, it's a great introduction to "father Abraham."

This book is small - 6"x6"x1" - but it packs a wallop. It covers the entirety of Abe Lincoln's life, providing fascinating glimpses into the forces that shaped his character and made him one of America's most effective and beloved presidents.

Author Brian Thornton is not out to create hagiography. He lets us in on fascinating secrets of Lincoln's life, such as his distance from his father, his poison-pen pranking that landed him in a duel with an opponent, his tragic first love and his emotional aloofness from his high-strung wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. Along the way, Thornton addresses myths of Lincoln's supposed homosexuality (people, he just rented one side of a bed!) and his purported ownership of slaves. Lincoln's rise from abject poverty to fame as a litigator is laid out pretty well, as are the national crises (The Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dred Scott decision) that shaped his views and his destiny.

"101 Things" is always fresh, always level-headed, and always informative. It's a book that is very hard to put down, and (inch for inch) is a great way to learn about the breadth of Lincoln's life and influence.

When I was given a copy of Brian Thornton's 101 Things You Didn't Know About Lincoln, I was pretty smug. I thought, I'll know just about everything in here. All modesty aside, I know lots about Abe. I know what the inscription is on the inside of Mary Todd Lincoln's ring. I know about his poetry. I know the quote about his ambition. I think the Gettysburg Address is nearly perfect.
Once again, I was kicked in the shin, hard, by hubris. Did I know Lincoln? You bet. Did I know as much as Mr. Thornton? Not even close. His knowledge of Lincoln runs the gamut from A to Zed and back again. I would use the word `encyclopedic' except that, for me, encyclopedic denotes a rather dry recitation of fact, and this book is anything but dry.
The format itself is interesting, and has set me a-ponderin'...by addressing faqs does one get a true, soul and elbows picture of Lincoln? After all, Mr. Thornton himself states that this is his intention, to make us see the man. Does he succeed? You bet, and how. But I still wonder if the format would work so completely without Mr. Thornton's obvious passion for the subject and his engaging, informative writing style. So I've asked a question I can't answer, because I'm smitten with the writing itself.
But I suspect it does work. One can't answer discourse on subjects like Lincoln's shifting views of abolition ( #53), the South Carolina Secession Crisis (#73) or Congressional Spot Resolutions (#43) without going into detail. And in giving the reader all sorts of fascinating tidbits such as; was Mary Todd Lincoln crazy? Who was the other Mary in Abe's life? What was Abe's middle name? Abe Lincoln's patent, what was that? How did Abe's assassin's brother save Abe's son's life? , Brian Thornton fleshes out the rather iconic image we have branded in the forecourts of our brains.
I never knew that Lincoln refused the governorship of the Oregon Territory. He refused because he thought that Oregon was not an ideal springboard for a leap onto the national political scene and he refused because he feared his son's weak chest might not survive such a move. He cited a third reason for his refusal. I found in this tidbit the quintessential Lincoln, the ambitious man who loved his family but who remained always, even inexplicably, private.
Historians and writers of history often seem to feel that they are not doing their job unless they produce a thick, dense prose (no matter how slim the volume) that reminds this reader of slogging up a steep incline of mud, wearing ice skates. Mr. Thornton's words live on the page; they are lively, informative, and entertaining. I just lent this book to an eighteen year old college freshman who loved it, I just bought it for my eleven year old nephew. My husband is slated for it next. The point is, it is accessible to almost everyone, and yet scholarly enough to be taken seriously.
I recommend it highly. If you like Lincoln, love Lincoln, or feel you should know something of the man who is arguably our greatest President, dive right in. You won't be sorry.

This book was a great read. I found that in nearly one of the 101 chapters (Thornton wrote a mini-chapter for each "thing you didn't know") I learned something new. It addresses nearly aspect of Lincoln's life, including his political savvy, his presidency, his life (including whether or not he was really born in a log cabin), as well as the much debated question of whether Lincoln was gay. It's a fun read, with a very readable style. Thornton has a good sense of humor, making this much better than some of the typical history tomes. I recommend it highly!

This book is a great read. It has a lot of interesting information about the Mafia, and provides a good lense to look at other parts of history from the perspective of the mafia.

I just wish they had put more into the construction of the book. This book has never left my home, and yet several pages began falling out soon after I bought it. Reading it soon became a balancing act.

When I saw this, I said to myself, "Just what the world needs...another 101 Things book. Is there any innovation and originality left in the publishing industry? Does anyone take risks or push the envelope anymore?"

However, as these things go, this is a fun and well-written entry in the tired and lazy 101 Things genre. It has oddball facts/info and offbeat humor. I laughed aloud more than once at the writer's observations and turns of phrase.

It's also the perfect bathroom book. The 101 points make for frequent breaks, and you can chuckle through as many as it takes for you to do your business.

A cut above the usual man-hating, cat-loving 101 drivel out there. Take it into the john and have a big laugh.

I was given this book as a gift. As a mafia buff, my initial reaction was to cringe: "101 Things"...give me a break. These days, publishers appeal foremost to an attention-deficit disordered readership. That's a fact. What's annoying is that they have the audacity to tout these titles as cutting-edge stuff. Fortunately, in this rare instance, author James Mannion's wry and informative approach to the ridiculous 101 concept makes this particular title well worth the purchase price. Let's just say that the publisher got lucky on this one--finding an author with something worth saying in these generally banal books. Mannion furnishes readers--and mafia aficionados--with many real gems of trivia on the mob. A truly fun and edifying little book.

Okay, I know they're fluff, but what's wrong with a little fluff? Those two guys from the East Coast may make fun of the concept, but this soccer mom from a "red state" enjoyed the short segments and small pocket size of the book.

It's also very funny and full of little known facts, at least little known to little ol' me.

I did notice in the fine print that this book is "adapted and abridged" from the Everything Mafia Book by the same writer. So if you've read the first book, I guess the second is something of a rehash. Shame on you, Mr. Publisher, going to the well twice for a quick buckeroo. Tsk, tsk.

Well, whatever, I liked it a lot. It made me laugh, and we can all use a good laugh these days, right?

Nothing too fancy, just reliably delicious Italian-American dishes. My mother (2nd generation I-A) loves this book and bought copies for all her daughters.

Don't let the title fool you - these are some terrific, easy recipes.

I originally got this book because I was looking for [an inexpensive] Italian cookbook. I had low expectations, just wanted a couple of quick recipes. Instead, I got one of the best cookbooks I have ever owned. My wife and I love this book and use it all the time. The recipes are usually very easy, and always delicious. We are constantly amazed at how good the food turns out.

We cook alot of Italian dishes and this book has not failed us yet. Veal Chops Stuffed with Spinich has become our favorite "company dish". When we aren't sure what we want for dinner or if we feel like trying something new, this is the first book we consult.

This was the first cookbook I ever bought, back when I moved into my own apartment about 12 years ago. Many times I relied on the straightforward recipes and advice to easily create wonderful meals. These are the kinds of recipes you can knock off at a moment's notice, invite a few people over for dinner, and listen to them rave about your cooking for YEARS after that.

To keep in mind, they are mostly Italian-American recipes, so they're more hearty immigrant fare than complex northern italian-style (though there is a whole chapter on risotto - which breaks down the process so simply that literally anyone can make homemade risotto). Also no pictures, but every word of the text is helpful.

Very highly recommended!

We loved this book and read it cover to cover in the beginning and reverted to it over and over again for its insightful tips that first year. Dr. Orenstein's book contains tips that are not contained in other leading first-year baby treatises. We recommend it highly. We are now well on our way trough the Toddler version and think it is exceptional as well.

This is definitely not a know all, do all guide to babies but it definitely is very handy. There are tips in here on everything from diapering to soothing to taking baby out. These quick tips were a perfect read for those short trips I had to take on the bus while I was pregnant. It was also a book my husband didn't mind reading. Most of the 'guides' I have are huge and you could easily overload on information. This one is perfect to add to your own common sense. A handy, lil book I'm sure you'll enjoy.

As background material for this book, the reader is referred to "The Scientist in the Crib" (Dr. Gopnik, et al; Perrenial, 2001). It offers a fresh and detailed evaluation of the language acquisition process by infants. At about 6 months of age, a critical change seems to occur. The specific pronunciation patterns of the language(s) heard begin to be retained in a very focused manner. Also see "The Monday Tape" (The Snow Water Corporation) at Akilo.com for more insight into this process. This audio tape, one of a series, provides multilingual speech patterns for infants. These tapes are available exclusively through Amazon.com (not available in stores). It appears that they should help an infant (birth to age 2) gain good pronunciation skills for many widely used languages.

A five-star follow-up to "Crying Baby!" The 365 Tips saga continues as Dr. Julian, now conscripted into the ranks of the soldiers of Titan, devises plan after devious plan to trip up the evil Toddler. I can't wait to see how it all turns out in "365 Ways to Stifle Your Teen's Individuality and Keep Him Tied to Those Apron Strings!"

This is a fantastic book by 2 very dedicated professional educators. It is very worthwhile both for its 'fun' interactive activities with your children, and as an extremely valuable educational tool for 'stealth teaching'! (Your child thinks they are just playing, while they are secretly being educated!) We have also found it very useful in helping your child with any learning 'issues', (reading, math, etc.) using enjoyable, interactive activities.

We VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book

This book is a gem! The authors write in a welcoming and user friendly style as they take parents and teachers on a comprehensive journey across the curriculum of second grade. I love this book and will use it throughout the year with my children.

My daughter just started second grade. I am very uncreative, and have a hard time thinking much beyond flash cards. When my daughter's teacher told me last year that she had to work on phonics, I had no idea what to do. (The Hooked on Phonics program costs almost $300!) This book addresses phonics, math, and more, for a lot less money. The ideas really are fun - this is as painless as it gets. A good investment. I'm going to buy the 1st grade book for my son.

As a second grade teacher, I am extremely excited about A+ Activities for Second Grade. FINALLY, a developmentally aprropriate resource for parents that is "user friendly," and FUN! Miller and Singer have developed a sequence of activites that allow learners to celebrate active learning at home. I will be utilizing this book in my own classroom to compliment my existing curriculum with hands-on learning experiences. I will be recommending this book, HIGHLY, to the families of my 2nd graders, as well as my colleagues.

The author, an investigative reporter for the New York Times who has school-age children, has written a hard-hitting look at the state of public education in the guise of a novel. Any middle school parent (or student who has been paying attention) will recognize the pabulum-spouting administrators, the lazy teachers who can't be bothered to read student work even on the rare occasions when written work is required, the "educators" who find make-work projects for students so that they can surf the internet or make cell phone calls, the constant waste of kids' valuable class time. Beyond this, Winerip indicts the parents who do the kids' work for them, and highlights the class distinctions that lead to kids with two-parent households who are highly involved being pushed ahead and everyone else left behind. The book is also revealing on the subject of how to do investigative journalism, what sort of personality is best suited for this line of work, and the sometimes adverse effects of this work on the reporter's personal life. On the subject of race, the author's approach is admirable: while one of the main characters is black, this isn't what defines her and we aren't made aware of this fact until half-way through the book and only because it becomes relevant to the plot. It is also clear that the fact that her parents are well-to-do is more significant in her life than skin color. The hero, Adam, is "oblivious" to race, and this seems to be the approach the author wishes everyone would take. On top of everything else, the book is entertaining and hard to put down.

As a nursing/college student, I found myself picking up this book every night before sleep. It was a rewarding break from my anatomy studies. I received it as a gift was not disappointed. I looked forward each night to reading what would happen next. I am definitely passing it on to my roommates. D.Weis

I'm studying to be a teacher and read this book while taking a class in multicultural education. I found it a very interesting look at one (white) boy's development of a true non-racist white identity as he realizes the realities of racism in his community. It's also an interesting take on bullying, power and what it means to be a "good" person.

As a children's librarian, I find myself skimming through a lot of new books to see how the folks they were written for will take to them. This is one of the few this year which I have read from cover to cover simply for myself. Adam Canfield Watch Your Back is about a group of children who passionately run a school newspaper, risking all for a great story and learning much about the imperfections of their school, their community and themselves. They are fun, feisty and full of surprises. The Pulitzer Prize winner who wrote this book shares the thrills and woes of his trade. Anyone who reads of them will at least consider knocking on the school newspaper door and giving it a try. I myself was not at all in the mood to write this review but felt that any book which celebrates the power of words (as this one does) deserves to be written about. Mostly I loved how the characters--co-editors Jennifer and Adam--make a fantastic team of sleuths, friends and sparring partners with the slightest hint of a humorous middle school romance. Don't let this one pass you by. (Grades 5-8 & grownups too)

I have met Marcus Engel, and he is a really good guy. His story is haunting and very vivid. It is so sad what has happened to him, but he does not grieve over it. His book touched me so much that I want to tell everyone else about it!!!

Marcus' vivid, truthful and honest depiction of a horrific event makes the reader stop and think. The impact Marcus leaves is invaluable and will last a lifetime. Marcus' journey is not a tale of tragic woe, but one of empowerment and inspiration. He encourages you to see obstacles and challenges as opportunities. One comment that stays in my mind is "Negativity won't pull you through." How very right he is.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Marcus' story is engaging and a real page-turner. His insights and humor make the book really enjoyable. Everyone I've loaned my copy to has loved it!

Marcus uses vivid descriptions to share his very personal account of injury and recovery. He brings readers into his life and makes them feel as though they know him. Through this connection, others are inspired to overcome obstacles and take control of life.

The poems in the Airplane Diaries blend the poet's childhood memories and her adult experiences which were shaped by those earlier events. Not only do her lovely poems--and the equally enchanting paintings which accompany them--bring to life Adams' unique personal background, they also stir memories and stories from the reader's own life.

The poetry in this book is magnificent. The incredible weather imagery make the poems larger than life--nearly a working model for objective correlative. The art and design that went into this book don't overshadow the poetry, but make it so exquisite that it would be a shame to hide the book on a bookshelf.

I was struck initially by the physical beauty of this book. The covers--front, back and end papers--are made from copies of silk flight maps and echo the theme of most of the poems. The book evidently is a collaborative effort between Adams,a poet, and her mother, an artist, who as one of the poems explains is legally blind. That the lovely and engaging illustrations were painted by a blind woman is one of the book's pleasures. The book's poems work childhood reminiscences into sensuous and intriguing shapes. Adams counterpoints each poem with a prose voice that speaks back to the poem in plainsong. Adams' approach to language seems physical and sometimes surprising: she mentions in the book that she is also a carpenter and she seems to exult in the texture and weight of words themselves. I appreciate the warmth and humanity of the voice, which comes through in the prose as well as the poetry.

i'm also in the fournet family, and when reading these poems and looking at these paintings I asked what everything was about who everyone was. I learned so much.