Byrne Books

good book. read it after i read gilbert sorrentino's piece on it from "Something Said".

This is not like any book you will ever read. There is no plot per se. It is the kind of book that you will absolutely love, and laugh out loud all the way through, or absolutely hate. It was written in 1939, and does not seem to have aged at all, it might have been written last year. It follows the exploits of a lazy student who never goes to college. Instead, he spends his time drinking with his friends. He starts to write a book about an Irish novelist who only writes Westerns. The novelist then falls in love with his own description of a woman in his book. It is written in a very stiff almost pompous style which makes it even funnier. If you are reading this don't try to follow it, or remember who anyone is, just enjoy the turns of phrase and the outrageous, surrealist exploits of the characters therein: 12 fosterlings playing handball against Fionn Mac Cumhaill's bottom, whose face was the width of Ulster. It is a heady experience. It's like a mad drunken night out in Dublin where literally anything could happen!

Brian O'Nolan, born in Strabane in 1911, wrote under a number of pen-names - although Flann O'Brien is probably the best known. He studied at University College Dublin and spent nearly twenty years working in the Irish Civil Service. He also spent thirty years writing a column - The Cruiskeen Lawn - for the Irish Times under the name Myles na gCopaleen. "At Swim-Two-Birds" is his first novel, and was published in 1939.

The book's narrator is a university student who lives with his uncle in Dublin. His bedroom is permanently locked, whether he is in or out - an arrangement that allows him to occasionally take a day off and stay in bed, with his uncle thinking he's gone to college. (Well, when I say take a day off, he actually spends winter and early spring in his bedroom). While our hero doesn't have a very high opinion of his uncle - at various times, he describes his aged relative as rat-brained, cunning, concerned that he should be well thought of and abounding in pretence - his aged relative is a Holder of the Guinness Clerkship (Third Class) quite correctly thinks he doesn't study enough. Although he claims to reads James Joyce and Aldous Huxley, he appears to be more interested in backing the horses, and subscribes to a very dodgy tipster based in Newmarket. On the few occasions our narrator leaves his bedroom, there's a fair chance he wind up in the pub drinking porter with Kelly - a fellow student, though later a soldier. One such session leads to a three day hangover and - thanks to an impressive bout of vomiting - a very smelly suit.

In his spare time, our narrator is writing a book. One of the main characters is an author by the name of Dermot Trellis. Trellis lives at the Red Swan Hotel on Lower Leeson Street and, like our narrator, is rather fond of his bedroom - having spent the last twenty years in bed. Trellis, who considers evil to be the most contagious of all diseases, is writing a book on sin. The story will feature one villain after another - the most depraved of which is called Furriskey - and a woman of exceptional virtue, by the name of Sheila Lamont. Naturally, after a great deal of drinking, debauchery, high living and colourful language, Ms Lamont is eventually corrupted, ravished and killed. When Trellis starts working on his story, he decides all the characters from his book should also move into the Red Swan - to prevent any unauthorised boozing, he wants them locked up and asleep before he goes to bed himself. (It's a rather strange world our narrator has created : not only does Trellis have the cast from his book living with him, but - in Trellis' world - children need not be born young. For example, Furriskey was born at the age of twenty-five and a heavy smoker from the moment of his arrival. Furthermore, the Wild West exists in Ireland, and the Circle N is considered one of Dublin's more venerable old ranches). Although Furriskey, Sheila Lamont (with whom Trellis, inevitably, falls in love) and the Pooka Fergus McPhellimey (a magical Irish devil) are Trellis originals, several of the characters to feature in his book have been `borrowed' from other sources. Several cowboys were created by William Tracy, an author of Western romances set in Ireland, while the legendary Finn MacCool also features. Meanwhile, the cellar is apparently full of leprechauns.

Given the book's reputation, I came to it with high hopes - even more so, given how I had enjoyed "The Third Policeman". Unfortunately, I was badly disappointed. I've seen it blurbed as "a brilliant impressionistic jumble of ideas, mythology and nonsense", while others have referred to it as O'Brien's masterpiece. These assessments put a very positive spin on what I found. The book's narrator seems to have quite an opinion of himself, and I found myself occasionally wondering just how much of O'Brien there was in the character. He describes one of the stories featuring Finn MacCool as a "humourous or quasi humourous incursion into ancient mythology" - naturally, none of the sections that featured Finn were remotely funny. In fact, it appeared to me that these sections were rather high-handed attempts to mock Lady Gregory, and possibly even WB Yeats. Sections of the book are convoluted, over-long and tedious - even when he comes up with something that could have been funny, O'Brien generally kills the humour by labouring the point. One of the few things that did raise an unintentional smile was a conversation between Furriskey and Shanahan : "But the man in the street, where does he come in ? By God he doesn't come in at all, as far as I can see...Feed yourself up with that tack once, and you won't want more for a long time." With that, O'Brien has given a perfectly valid assessment of "At Swim Two Birds". Probably a good book for an Irish Literature course - but not necessarily one you'd read for pleasure.

Nabokov said, of the praise lavished on a book he hated, that it amounted to, "an absurd delusion, as when a hypnotized person makes love to a chair."

I can think of no other way to describe the discrepancy between the highfalutin praise given this book and my experience of actually reading it.

At Swim-Two-Birds is probably the dullest, most slipshod, most irritating novel that I have ever read; a scattershot gallimaufry of bad jokes, turgid nonsense, purple prose, and long, long-winded creatures of Irish legend carousing like the phantasmagoria of a tedious nightmare, or the cast of an overlong piece of impromptu theatre presented by the worst students of a high school drama class for St Patrick's day--where each character jostles for centre-stage with a kind of histrionic imbecility, and each crude gag falls flat on its face. Its defenders will say that this is all parody. Perhaps. But the primary victim of O'Brien's writing is the helpless reader.

Two years before his death a purblind James Joyce read this book with a magnifying glass. He called it a funny book. James Joyce is my favourite writer. I do not know how to explain his remarks. Perhaps his magnifying glass was defective. Perhaps it's all an elaborate Irish in-joke. Perhaps he was throwing a dog a bone. (O'Brien went on to waggishly slag Joyce off in anonymous newspaper columns anyway).

"Feed yourself up with that tack once," says one of O'Brien's characters (who? about what? this reader could not possibly care less), "and you won't want more for a long time."

That much is true, faith.

My friends thought it would be a great idea to start a book club. Our first assignment: At Swim-Two-Birds. Not knowing what to expect, we all found it quite odd that the book was so hard to come by. It was not readily available in any library or book store. After having ordered this book of the 100 All-Time Best Novels, we each set out to read the book with some difficulty.

I enjoy reading as a hobby, however, unless forced or tricked as the case may be, I would never have read this book after the first 20 or so pages. There is something to a manner of textbooks and technical manuals that causes me to suddenly fall into a deep slumber when attempting to read them with intent. This book falls into this category. I cannot read more than a few pages without suddenly feeling drugged to the point where my brain ceases all function and I collapse in a drooling heap.

I would not be so pretentious as to wax on about the literary genious of this book, as it seems so many others have done. While there have been some interesting points and even some chuckles to be had, for the most part this text is loathsome to read. I also have to point out that being Irish by birth, this review saddens me to write, but it is all true. I feel that I must warn others who may be deceived by the great reviews regarding this book.

I would recommend "The Secret" over "The Secret Gratitude Book." In "The Secret" Rhonda Byrne identified a way to rekindle the human spirit during these stressful times.

I was expecting further explanation/exploration the Gratitude philosophy in the gratitude book and was disappointed. I see the benefit of the book as a journal though I would not have purchased it as a gift if I had known it was a journal/workbook.

The Secret Gratitude Book is a pleasure to look at and even better to fill with my gratitude! You can make two lists- the first is for things/people/experiences/blessings you are grateful that you HAVE RECEIVED the second is for things/people/experiences/blessings that you are grateful that you
WILL RECEIVE. =D

It's nice to be able to carve a couple minutes out of my day to remember to be thankful for all of life's blessings!

Having read The Secret and enjoying it I bought this book. Basically, it is a journal to write down what you are grateful for. It is designed beautifully and has inspired me to write down these things and rereading what I have read warms me. The book serves its purpose. Another book that also has a journal and which served my purpose as an interactive workbook with so many exercises to choose from is Living The Secret Everyday: My Secret Workbook. A wonderful read.

This is the companion book to The Secret which I thought was a great idea. As an exercise you write down all the things you are grateful for and this is such a warming experience. However, in the book, Living The Secret Everyday: My Secret Workbookthat to me is a follow-up to The Secret also gives you a journal at the end of the book to write what you are grateful for and anything else. But this is a beautiful journal.

I respect all of my fellow reviewers here on amazon - even if some of their views may be a little skewed - but I had "challenges" with David Hooper's review of this particular journal. To me, it really isn't the "most powerful book on gratitude". And even though he explains why it is, I just can't help but think that the most powerful book on gratitude that you will ever own is the one you create yourself.

No doubt about it. This book is beautiful. It's filled with quotes from the book, the Secret, and it's small enough to take with you anywhere you go...but I prefer the little leather bound journal I bought at Costco for $12.95. In it I not only include quotes from the book, The Secret, I also include quotes from others that I resonate with whether it be Ralph Waldo Emerson or Henry David Tyler - the man who delivers my bottled water - because I believe at our very core, each one of us is a fount of wisdom, inspiration, and beauty and Truth is so much with us, that we often forget that it is often disguised as "unlikely sources".

In short, I try and make this particular journal MY journal from start to finish. I will even include pictures from magazines that I find particularly inspiring. Most of all, I write in my own language about the Law of Attraction and the "future me" I am even now evolving into. I create "scripts" that I rehearse and practice and attempt to act out. I figure that I am acting anyway, so I might as well act what I want to be.

I have nothing against Rhonda Byrne or The Secret. I loved her movie and created a workshop around it and I formed two study groups based on her book. The challenge I have with this particular item is that in a way, it still belongs to Rhonda Byrne. She has included quotes that resonated with her. Everything is geared toward her and what she feels are "key points" in remembering and they may very well be but do you resonate...do you gravitate...do your vibrations align with the content she has included or do you vibrate with something other?

Am I making sense here?
Do you understand what I am trying to get at?

I have hundreds upon hundreds of books with various parts of the book underscored and highlighted and encircled with arrows and stars but until I put those words into my own language and make them my own, they do not belong to me. I must embody them, experiment with them, apply them, speak of them...I MUST BECOME THEM...and when I do, I will remember a part of me that always was. I am no longer attempting to make something happen, I am letting what ALREADY is, be.

That's the challenge with the Secret. People are trying to be wealthy, healthy, and successful instead of remembering that they already are WEALTH, they already are HEALTH, they already are SUCCESS and FUlFILLMENT and BEAUTY and TRUTH. But I guarantee if you start creating your own journal and embodying that which you truly desire, those desires will come forth for the simple and wonderful reason, you already are that which you desire.

Again, I'm not knocking the product. I'm not knocking the reviewers who found this useful. I'm not knocking you if you decide you're going to make this purchase. I'm just giving you a few suggestions of things you just might be remembering as true.

After reading this review, burn it from your mind...burn it from your sight...and from those ashes, just BE the information you wish to convey. Do that now with all the things that seem to give you inspiration, hope, and joy because in a very real way, the only reason why you gravitated toward this review and those books is because YOU gave them life in the first place.

Whatever you decide to do, just know that Love, Light, and Laughter are ALWAYS on your side.

Peace & Blessings,
john, 'the Light Coach'

Hellboy Seed of Destruction wasn't exactly what I thought it would be. I thought it would follow the original Hellboy movie. Not exactly. But wow, if you love the dark creepy and cool you will love this! I am not going to go into a lot of detail about the story-I would not want to spoil any surprises. What gets me is the artwork-that and I can't get enough of Hellboy,Abe(my favorite) and Liz-for any of the reasons listed above, you can't go wrong. Now here's my problem-I bought two Hellboy novels graphic novels. They didn't last two days before the spine cracks and pages started coming loose. I am not careless with my books either. I have many other graphic novels, these are the only books I've had come apart like that. If the book held together it would get 5 stars from me.

This is a great book that follows the story line of the character. If you've seen the movie, you need to read this story to get a complete background of the character.

Just click the "buy" button and you'll greatly appreciate it. And send me $$ for all of the time I just saved you in reviewing.

"Hellboy." I first heard the title quite a number of years ago when I saw the trailer for the movie adaptation in a theater. I pretty much scoffed, rolled my eyes, and said "Hellboy?" under my breath. Long story short, time passes, I got into comics, and began to hear a lot of good things about "Hellboy." I even read some quotes from the actual book that intrigued me. However, it was the trailer for the second movie--sheer, unadulterated awesomeness--that pushed me over the edge and made me buy the first volume of the comic series.

Creator and artist Mignola enlisted John Byrne to write the first script for this series, and the team works together very well. Hellboy's attitude and way of looking at things is very entertaining (which keeps his internal dialogue always interesting), but the mythology of this series is pure magic. The sorcerers, Liz, Abe, Hellboy himself, the Lovecraftian beasts, all of it works together, forming this very dark yet attractive story. The main story arc, "Seed of Destruction," is very much an origin story for Hellboy, but you can tell how well-read both Byrne and Mignola are from the brilliance they churn out here.

Apart from the main four issue story arc, there are two short Hellboy stories in the back, as well as a cover gallery. The two shorts were promotional pieces, and they were interesting little tidbits to give us an idea of who Hellboy is and what he does. That part of the TPB was great, but I also have a huge complaint that has nothing to do with the story or the art. The binding was horrible. As another reviewer mentioned, the cover simply falls off when you're reading it. There will be an audible crack, and the cover will simply separate from the book. As a fan of Dark Horse's books (I've gotten many of their TPBs and this has never happened before) I was quite upset with that.

7/10

Great story, great art, book fell apart in my hands on the first read through - something that's *never* happened to me before.

This book is more of a case study on the Sunbeam Corporation than a biography of Al Dunlap. In that sense, this book is as valuable a learning tool today as it was in the 1990s. The author, in fact, should change the title and re-release it to a completely new generation of business leaders. Here is an opportunity for students of business to get a 360 degree view of a good company that happened to be pimped out by investors for profit, managed by people motivated by personal greed, and directed by a completely detached board. All these factors exist today and will always be present in business.

If it weren't Sunbeam, it would have been any number of other companies that could have been gutted by entrepreneurs. It continues to happen today, and likely will continue as long as people can engineer buyouts, takeovers, etc. GE could be leveraged, pumped and dumped in a similar way today if there were enough money available.

In the book, the interviewed Sunbeam leadership team all experienced moments when they were faced with some absolutely ludicrous business maneuver, but each one backed down. They were all looking for the big payoff for going along, so they just toed the line. They saw dollar signs in Al Dunlap. For that reason, Al can not be charged as solely responsible for the company's downfall. It took a team to execute his orders.

The board, in the end, terminated Al Dunlap for what they thought were leadership issues. As it happened, the company was in ruins. Would Sarbanes-Oxley prevent this today? It is possible, but not likely. Many of the maneuvers used to over-inflate the company to Wall Street occurred legally, but over-aggressively. An actively engaged board could have saved the company prior to devastation. However, since the CEO and investors stacked the board with their own players, a challenge from the board did not occur until the board members felt personally threatened financially. It took market forces and about 6 months to expose Sunbeam.

by Dan Moreland

We've all had bad bosses. Very few of us have not had the joy of working for a barbarous, bullying taskmaster that makes you dread Monday mornings.

Then there's Chainsaw Al Dunlap. Think of the most egotistical, arrogant, selfish, greedy, low-class and verbally abusive manager from hell you can think of. According to John Byrne's "Chainsaw: The Notorious Career of Al Dunlap in the Era of Profit-At-Any-Price", Al Dunlap is all of these things, and maybe more. He makes Mr. Dithers look like Richard Branson.

Flying the pirate flag of cost cutting, Chainsaw Al made his name rampaging through companies as a high level executive in the 1980s. He cut thousands of jobs and closed factories in the blink of an eye. During his reign of terror, Dunlap became the scourge of those with a corporate conscience while becoming the darling of investors and a media icon.

It wasn't until the mid to late 90s that the financial world got wind of what "Rambo in Pinstripes" was up to. As CEO with Scott and then Sunbeam, Chainsaw ate the heart out of both companies, allegedly falsified financials, and wooed Wall Street to pretty them up for a quick sale. Chainsaw would pocket millions while thousands of regular working stiffs were out of jobs- many after decades of service.

It's the Sunbeam debacle that Byrne documents in "Chainsaw" and boy what a fun ride. From Dunlap screaming and shouting at his bewildered executive staff at his first meeting to the apocalyptic crash from $50 to $5 a share, you get to see and hear it all. The author does an excellent job of recreating what life working for the guy must have been like, and it is obvious that he did very careful research.

Talk about a corporate nightmare. Dunlap, in his pinstripe suits, tinted glasses, dyed blonde hair and very loud voice would arrogantly hand out copies of his autographed book "Mean Business" and scream at anyone that told him anything he didn't want to hear.

My favorite scene is Dunlap is yelling one of his staff. He begins his tirade by telling his victim to be quiet and not to utter a word. After piling on the poor sap, he asks if he is going to respond to his accusations or just sit there silent. The executive reminds Al that he wasn't allowed to talk during the meeting.

"Shut up!" bellows Dunlap, "You don't deserve to speak!" Priceless! Suddenly Gordon Gekko is Ghandi!

"Chainsaw" kind of plods at first as you are barraged with a cast of characters that you quickly lose track of. But time and again Byrne pulls you in with great narratives. For instance one scene depicts the dark side of Darwinian capitalism: the financial travails of a former laid off Sunbeam employee contrasted with a description of Big Al negotiating a new multimillion dollar contract over an expensive steak dinner.

By the second half of "Chainsaw", you are hooked. Wall Street catches on to his shenanigans, and Sunbeam quickly spirals out of control along with our anti-hero.

Besides way too many players, my only other problem with "Chainsaw" is a section devoted to his ill-fated first marriage and the treatment of his only son. The author uses divorce testimony to imply Dunlap abused his first wife, and interview quotes revealing he abandoned his son. We also learn that Dunlap didn't even go to his father's funeral. This is tricky ground. Whether or not this is true, the author already makes a good case that the guy was a creep without having to include so much of his personal life. And, as the saying goes, there are two sides to every story (in Byrne's defense, Dunlap refused to cooperate with the book, but still).

There are other instances where you can really feel the author's venom. Byrne covered the subject in several articles for "Business Week" and reveals a deep personal dislike for Dunlap. He even refers to him as a "loudmouth" and makes other nasty remarks. It may or may not be well deserved, but these comments and the personal detail make John Byrne border on being as mean-spirited as Chainsaw himself.

This is a terrific read, and is definitely a business model for NOT how to manage a company. In the same vein, I also recommend the educational but more tedious "Apple: The Inside Story of Intrigue, Egomania and Business Blunders" by Jim Carlton, and "Trumped" by John O'Donnell.

If nothing else, "Chainsaw" will definitely make your crummy job seem a lot easier!

I found "Chainsaw" in a discounted book bin and picked it up because I wanted to learn more about the man who was hailed by Wall Street analysts as a fast turnaround artist but hated by the many employees who felt the wrath of his cost-cutting sword at the companies in which he was in charge.

Chainsaw primarily chronicles Chainsaw Al Dunlap's rocky two year tenure at Sunbeam Corp., where he closed numerous plants, fired almost half of its employees, ran roughshod over the half who remained, heaped more praise upon himself then the most conceited athlete or movie star and pretty much ran the company into the ground.

The author, John Byrne has spoken to several hundred people who have dealt with Dunlap's rage and unrealistic expectations and has been able to piece together a non-fiction work that reads like a novel. Significant amounts of dialog between Dunlap and his cronies are displayed and it basically says one thing. Chainsaw Al Dunlap ruled through total intimidation and with the exception of his right hand man, listened to nobody but himself, even though he had no experience with the products that Sunbeam sold. He fired (or actually had somebody else fire) everybody who didn't appear to him to be part of the team. Byrne perfectly sets out the tension that occurred when Dunlap was on a rampage.

The reader gets to see the desperate measures a company will go through to try to meet investor and Wall Street expectations, including accounting games which have come to the forefront as a result of the Enron debacle. I'm not an accountant, but I even have to admit that things they did were pretty shady.

Byrne wraps the book up with the final straws that led Al Dunlap to go down in flames at Sunbeam, ending in his firing at a secretive board meeting in New York City. I see that a paperback version is coming out soon, which I hope will bring the story of Dunlap up to date, including his required payment to a trust fund to settle civil lawsuits against him.

Byrne's only fault is that he is not totally objective. It's easy to tell that he despises Dunlap (he calls him a loudmouth, comments on the large size of his teeth, attacks his love of his dogs over everything else), so I knock the rating to four stars, but it's still a pretty good business case book. Bryne would be a great candidate to writeup the Enron story as he does have a way with story telling and research.

John Byrne has presented a fascinating portrait of the fall of Al Dunlap at Sunbeam. He goes into great detail on all the irrational decisions that were made, the impossible targets, the pressure to fudge numbers and the final inevitable collapse. Byrne also spends some time on the rather unsavory private life of Dunlap (he didn't attend his parents funerals, he never meets his son or his sister). By and large I agree with the other positive reviews.

Byrne writes very well. Many business writers tend to get bogged down in detail when writing a book (as opposed to a small article) or get distracted or get stuck in flashbacks. Byrne does none of these and keeps your interest level high throughout.

If I have one gripe with the book (which is why I give it 4 rather than 5), its that it relies too much on people who dislike Dunlap or were trying to shift responsibility to him. Yes, the man is an egoist, a hypocrite, a braggart etc. But its a little hard for me to believe that every bad business decision at Sunbeam can be traced to Dunlap (or his consultants), and it seems to me that at least some of the other managers are trying to shift responsiblity to Dunlap on occasion. Also, Dunlap's attitude at Sunbeam was wrong in most ways -- still the company itself was unhealthy when he came in. The original management deserves at least some blame for the pre-Dunlap situation.

Similarly, a number of people in the book claim that they were always skeptical of Dunlap's business skills. Maybe after the Sunbeam collapse -- but I find it hard to believe they were all skeptical initially. Example -- an analyst claims that he doubted the Sunbeam turnaround story from the beginning, but he still kept on churning out positive reports on Sunbeam for his securities firm.

If John Byrne's "Chainsaw" were a work of fiction, it would likely be considered unpublishable because its main character is so absurdely evil. Unfortunately -- especially for those who had to endure his wrath -- the story of Al Dunlap is all too true. Byrne's portrayal of Dunlap, who was hailed by Wall Street as a turaround genius before his leadership of Sunbeam ended in debacle, is that not of an admirable business leader, but of an hysterical, violent sociopath who, if his life had turned slightly differently, might well have ended up in prison, a mental hospital, or an early grave. "Chainsaw" paints a portrait of a man who was abusive -- mentally, emotionally and even physically -- to nearly everybody in his life, from his business associates to his family to the few whom he considered friends.

"Chainsaw" chronicles the rise and fall of "Chainsaw Al" Dunlap so compellingly that even those who wouldn't think to read a business book will be hooked. However, the book is in many ways fascinating the way that a car wreck is fascinating. The reader will marvel at the amount and intensity of abuse Dunlap hurls at even his closest friends and allies, the coldness with which he treats his family (he abandoned his son at age 2 and couldn't be bothered to attend the funerals of either of his parents), and the near-perverted bounds of his ego. In fact, as Sunbeam lurches toward collapse, his only apparent interest was in signing copies of his autobiography.

Defenders of Dunlap will say that he did the dirty work of downsizing and layoffs to save dying companies, sacrificing the needs of the few for the good of the many. And true, the modern business world is filled with harsh realities and tough decision-making. But Dunlap's approach to downsizing in "Chainsaw" teeters between indifference to those downsized and pure sadism. At points in the book, he actually seems to enjoy cutting jobs and closing factories (though he usually had others do the dirty deeds). As the author says, there is a business world between being tough and being cruel -- and Byrne leaves little doubt about where he places Dunlap. Worse, Dunlap's moves at Sunbeam didn't seem to have been done with any level of intelligence, other than to get Dunlap a quick win so he could cash out fast. The result was the near-total destruction of Sunbeam rather than long-term gains from short-term pain.

In "Chainsaw," Byrne stresses that either through fear, greed or naivetee, others enabled Dunlap. The way that each of these characters is drawn creates a fascinating if morbid portrait of a dysfunctional, cannibalistic organization revolving totally around Chainsaw Al.

Byrne is a terrific writer, and "Chainsaw" is a great read. My only quibble is that, since Byrne and Dunlap apparently have had great animosity toward each other, Byrne often sacrifices any attempt at objectivity. But perhaps objectivity isn't possible when chronicling such an extreme personality.

It's good to see "Chainsaw" returning to print in paperback. Now, in the era of Enron and WorldCom, Sept. 11 and the War on Terror reminding us what real toughness is all about, and with the Wall Street euphoria of the '90s in the rear-view mirror, its perspective is needed now more than ever...

This book was very helpful for the individual that wants to try to lay tile for the first time. It illustrates the techniques well and makes the process easy. I would recommend it highly.

Excellent book apparently. I got a copy for a friend who is tiling her bathroom. She thought it was a wonderful and informative publication and a must for anyone who is doing something of this nature.

Michael Byrne's work in both his book "Setting Tile" and his DVD "Tiling Floors with Michael Byrne" are excellent resources for beginners, and were I an experienced tile setter, I would say so for those folks, too.

As a complete novice I recently completed my first tile project, re-doing my bathroom, some 50 square feet. In my opinion it turned out very well considering it was a first time effort. I relied heavily on Mr. Byrnes's works. That would be small by most accounts, but let me assure you, for me, it was large. I am in the process of doing another 500 square feet of work on a plywood substrate. After that I have another 500 feet downstairs on a concrete slab to do.

He makes it simple for anyone to understand. These works will remain life-long resources in my personal library.

While it is not possible to cover everything in any works like these, some areas I would suggest for improvement are some more clarification on areas around door jams in terms of doing the tiling around those, trimming them. More information on toilet removal and installation would have been helpful. The toilet borders on plumbing and that is a subject unto itself though. One more area that would be helpful is the area of cementitious backerboard. There are several kinds on the market and each has its own idiosyncracies.

But if one is considering undertaking a project like this, you can always rely on Amazon.com for additional material.

Works by Taunton Press, the publisher of these media are also recommended. But again, no one resource can be everything. And finally, there is no substitute to finding reliable people to talk things through.

Again, I rate Mr. Byrnes's work as 5 Star.

We recently built our new home & I used this book & Tile Your World to do all the tile work. One of our best & proudest features is the masterbath I built with lg garden tub and oversized corner dual head shower with dual niche all tiled together - We love it. I can't believe I was able to do it all with friends & family and alot of sweat/work.

Saved thousands over best few estimates. I see why the labor is so pricy now....

Recommend both books.

This is a great book for learning to set tile. Don't rely on the info from your local hardware store... Get this book and learn how to do it right!

This is a great book that shows the examples of one of the most influential designers today. David Carson's design show how he breaks the rules of typography and design using his deconstructive design. Because he break the rules I would not recommend this book to a beginner. It is more geared towards some one who has already learned the basics of design and looking for inpsiration. I found that out the hardway.

I just loved this book, it's a different kind of graphic design, but yet original and something i had never seen before,

As a graphic designer I think this book doesn't add anything in this field. I read lots of reviews about this book and they all said that it is magnificent that's why I bought it, but it is really a waste of money and time. The book and the images in the book will just tell you that David Carson is different and he has an odd taste in the typography nothing more or less.
I didn't get any inspiration or any benefits form the ideas in this book. My honest advice to you, if you are thinking of buying "End of Print" don't do it, instead buy anthoner typography or graphic art books which is going to be much more useful than this one

All I can say is that this book is timeless.. I have bought it twice, once, when it first came out and second, when I emigrated to another country as I couldn't find another resource as stimulating....it is still is as 'fres'h as when I first viewed it..'Trek' is another good recommendation...pushing the boundaries but relating them to fundamental basic graphic design principles..the computer is only a tool ..remember that!

David Carson is the only original designer since the Bauhaus. His work breaks the mold of the ever increasingly boring grids. Enough can't be said for his contributions to print, type, and web design. He is in a class by himself. Yes, there alot of wannabes now. But it all started with Carson. It is seldom that there is a true original, especially in the tight laced world of graphics. He is the singular, groundbreaking designer that changed the face of things.

It's been a long time since I've laughed this hard during a book. I almost didn't buy this one because I hadn't heard of the author and the price was so low.(Normally if it's sold on Amazon for less than a dollar it can't be that good.) Thank God I said what the hell! This book had everything a romance should. And normally I don't like books written in the first person because you lose a sense of the other characters, but with Andrew he had so many crazy thoughts and self destructive moments that there really wasn't room for anyone elses point of view. And Andrew was far from perfect as some authors tend to make their characters but you loved him all the more for it. He's an everyday decent guy just looking for his Mr. Right like everyone else. Except he doesn't give up as easily as most any, or sane person in this case, would. Here are just some of the things you'll come across in this book: Car chases, Mofia hit men, psycotic ex-fiances, first time drag experiences, under cover hot FBI agents, crazed authors, annoying twinks, supportive friends, true love, threats of castration, Demi Moore look alikes, 'sensitivity trained' cops, a lust starved Lauren Becall fan. And honestly these thing just scratch the surface. This is a read that will simply leave you feeling good and laughing out loud days after you finish it. I will recomend this book to all and have already loned mine to a friend, with the warning that I want it back. It'll make a great reread down the road when I need a little pick me up.

This book is awesome. You are hooked to the main character of Andrew from the first page. This book is so well written. I could not stopped reading it. By the end of the book I wanted to know where the characters were and how they were. I love these books that you grow with the character and you are almost yelling at the book when the characters do something stupid.

Romance, Humor, Tears, and Hope this book has it all. I hope the author revisits these characters again sometime. I recommend this for a great entertaining read.

i recently bought this book and i must say it really is worth it.i laughed and cried as i read through but the ending is the most best part.i highly recommend anyone to buy this book.

A VERY nice openning, with some wonderful images and some great wit.
This is the story of a man blinded by rose colored glasses, a romantic who in a relationship is soo happy that he doesn't notice his lover isn't and is getting ready to leave him. Andrew is devastated, with some rye humor including a lol moment while he drowns his califlower in gravy and holds it down while imaging his ex's new lover! Well, Andrew's not a fast learner so the next guy his eyes meet turns out to be a prince of a different kind. But despite the wise-guys, homocidual ex-finances, danger to life and limb and his friends desperate attempts to help him and themselves Andrew refuses to give up his Love with confused, son-of-the-mafia Frank.
I liked it, but you expect a main character to learn and grow. Andrew doesn't seem to. He goes in to his romantic Love and it's little different, accept the for danger for bodily harm or death at the hands of Frank's Family connections, then his "example" relationship with the ex that left him. You can only say that his rose-glasses Love gave him the courage and determination to stay until he got Frank, and then to stick around despite all common sense and actually end up WITH Frank. And safe.
I really loved the beginning. Got tired as I continued to read to the end all in one night (I read it all in one night people, there's something to this book!)- so perhaps I'm a bit jaded on the ending, but I still feel there was no character growth.
Some great characters, like mystery writter Maragret and FBI Paul Waverly and like I said a wonderful openning. Things just went slightly down hill when Frank does the typical Mafia thing and has Andrew's ex beaten- bad. That kind of killed the comedy there and alot of the rye life humor as well as those rose-colored glasses blinded Andrew to his own life. He spends most of the story from that moment desperately trying to bag his man, despite his flaws, Frank needed him! And Frank WAS sweet.
Reading it I would occassionally imagine it as a movie, or even as a yaoi manga.
Read it- you decide!

What a totally fun book !!! THE NIGHT WE MET is the story of a 30-something editorial assistant - budding author, Andrew, who, through a being forced by his employer to "do drag" (looking like Demi Moore), finds himself in love with a Mafia baby, Frank, who doesn't know he, Frank, is gay. Adding to the mix is Ted; Andrew's EX, and Ted's new twink boyfriend "Nicky"; Denise and David, two of Andrew's friends; a host of Mafia thugs and bigwigs; a Mafia Diva; a formidable mystery writer; as well as some "gum-shoes"; and the FBI. Madness and mayhem ensue in this fast paced, romantic farce. The story is so convoluted and madcap that it reminds one of some of the early Cary Grant comedies of the 1930's. This is a fast-paced easy read, and is, in the words of Andrew's literary critics "fluff". FLUFF is NOT A BAD THING, in fact, it makes for many laughs, a few moments of poignancy, and a genuinely entertaining experience. I loved it!!

The Nature Company Guides "Skywatching", 1996, 288 pages provides a nice text for use in the field, or at the armchair. The presentation is very attractive as the artwork, poetry, and pictures of stellar objects are wonderfully done and relate well to the material. The seven chapters include; Skywatching Through the Ages, Stars and Galaxies, Skywatching Tools and Techniques, Understanding the Changing Sky, A Guide to the Sky, A tour of the Solar System, and Probing the Universe.

The field strength is provided in the chapter "The Guide to the Sky" covering both northern and southern hemispheres. For each hemisphere are six (6) semi-monthly pair of D-charts (North and South, each 9"x5") showing stars to 4.5 magnitude. Next, 88 Constellations are described and shown in detail (1-2 pages for each). For each constellation there is a star map showing DSOs and stars up to 6.5 magnitude. Text describes the constellation myth with picture, 4-8 more significant DSO with pictures, and icons (eye, binoculars, telescope) indicating minimum optical aid for viewing. Heavy paper and turtle back binding support use in the field.

Armchair use is supported by the other chapters and will give the beginner adequate coverage of many topics.

This book is a multifaceted introduction to astronomy. I used it as the text in an observation-oriented astronomy class, and the students loved it. Overall, I would rate it at 3-4 stars, but let me evaluate its 5 focuses individually. As an exposition of general astronomy, I give it 4-5 stars. It is attractively illustrated and clearly written, an engaging and informative introduction to astronomical principles.

As an instruction book for beginning observing, it deserves 2-3 stars. It gives a good idea of many of the basic observing techniques but has shortcoming in the section on choosing equipment. First, it bases choice of binoculars on the irrelevant theory of exit pupils and incorrectly recommends 7x50 binoculars. A field comparison readily shows that 10x50s outperform 7x50s. Second, the book suggests in a grossly oversimplified way that equatorial mounts are the most desirable. This is incompatible with the book's supposed orientation toward beginners, who should avoid this specialized mount in favor of the simple, sturdy altazimuth.

As an observer's guide it rates 4 stars: there is a fine list of objects to look for in binoculars and small telescopes. The description is ample, and the number of objects is enough to keep you busy for quite some time. However, the indications of what can be seen in an instrument of a given size should be taken with a certain skepticism. They describe features that can be seen by a skilled observer with first-rate eyes under a rural dark sky in very good atmospheric conditions and do not represent what the novice in a suburban backyard is likely to see.

It contains one of the better 6th magnitude star atlases on the market, which rates 3 stars. There are 88 charts, one for each constellation in the sky. Although colored, they are clear and usable with a red flashlight. Adjacent charts (constellations) are clearly marked and, as charts are arranged in alphabetical order, it is easy to navigate directly from one chart to the other without the intermediate step of an index. My one complaint is that on a given chart only the stars of the featured constellation are shown to magnitude 6.5. Stars in adjoining constellations are shown only to 5.5. This can present problems because sometimes an observer uses star fields which cross constellation boundaries. The atlas, of course, has the limitations inherent in any 6.5 magnitude work.

The observer's guidebook can stand alone for use with a separate atlas. Here, then, is my recommendation: except for the section on buying equipment, Skywatching is a fully competent all-in-one book for the beginning astronomer. When it comes time to upgrade, keep Skywatching as your guidebook, but for the atlas, I would recommend the excellent yet affordable 7.6 magnitude Sky and Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas.

.... Primarily a constellation guidebook. Charts by Wil Tirion. Charts are mag 6, scale is 27mm per 10 degrees and each chart covers an area 4 hr RA by 45° Dec. A fair amount of sky surrounding each constellation chart helps with orientation. Has 100 pages of science, how to, equipment and data tables including nearest stars and brightest stars. Lots of good science with excellent visuals. All sky maps for every month. Several notable objects described in each constellation provide a wide variety, however many would not be found with a moderate telescope. Good charts, but could label more stars and plot more objects. Moon maps and a limited section on the planets. Excellent bibliography and list of resources. Overall a good choice as a constellation guidebook and astro science book.

Skywatching is a good book. But the book "Practical Skywatching" gives you two books for the price of one. It literally contains the best of the books "Skywatching" and "Advance Skywatching" in one reference.

I picked this book up practically on a whim from the clearance table at a local bookseller, and was very pleasantly surprised at how good of a book it is after getting it home.

It starts with a brief history of skywatching, and then moves on to describing many of the types of objects that can be found in space - stars, galaxies, supernovas, black holes, pulsars, star clusters, variable stars, nebulae... along with explainations of what they are and why they look the way they do.

After that the book talks about basic skywatching techniques, from simply spotting things with the naked eye, and the basics of binoculars and telescopes.

After all this, you're then taught the basics of how to read a star chart, including the rather nice basic charts that are included in the book for both Northern and Southern hemispheres.

At the most basic level you can use the charts to see what constellations are in the sky above you that night, which will help in learning the different constellations, and then as you advance a little you can use the approximate location to help locate items with a telescope.

Further details are given about each constellation, first discussing how it got its name, and then going into details about interesting items that are in the area of that constellation, such as nearby nebulea, galaxies, or star clusters.

Also included are details about each of the planets in our solar system, and a resource directory for those interested in further reading.

Along with all this great info, the book is chock full of beautiful photography, art, and well-drawn charts.

Definately one of the best ways to start out for someone who's recently become interested in the skies above.

Because I had written a few blog entries complaining about the popularity of the my-horrible-childhood genre of books someone suggested I read this book. I knew Byrne as an actor but little else about him but his skill as a writer and a storyteller is equally evident. The story of his growing up years in Dublin is charming and told with affection and humor --- such a refreshing change from other recent books about Irish childhoods! Byrne's youth was neither better nor worse than other such stories but the warmth of his narration made the story so much more believable.

His stories about his beginnings as an actor, his anecdotes about his fellow actors, and his love of the people of Ireland is told with wit, amusement and a tenderness that allows the reader to see into the lives of others through the eyes of someone who seems a genuinely warm and loving person --- not something often found in Hollywood memoirs. I particularly loved the little vignettes of his fellow actors including Liam Neeson, Michael Cain (whose mother couldn't understand why no one hung out laundry in Hollywood), and his ex-wife Ellen Barkin. In fact, I was so charmed by the quality of the narration that I bought the audio book just so I could hear his lovely Irish brogue as he told the stories. What a treat that was! He has a gift for narration that made me think I was actually listening to Richard Burton, the cast of "The Quiet Man", and one utterly lovely story told in the voice of a "tinker", one of the traveling people of Ireland.

This is a beautiful, warm collection of stories told with affection and humor that gives the reader insight into a world few of us get to see and even more insight into the character of a genuinely loving and admirable writer.

"Pictures in My Head" demonstrates Gabriel Byrne's uncanny ability to convey the essence of time and place with an economy of words. This slim volume of vignettes from Mr. Byrne's life transports the reader from his early childhood through his success in Hollywood as an adult until 1995.

Mr. Byrne's writing is unique and lyrical. His style of writing mimics the disjointed, natural flow of internal thinking, jumping from one fragment of an idea to another. For that reason, in addition to vocabulary and cultural references unfamiliar to the American reader, the text is sometimes difficult to digest upon first reading. Many passages require a second pass, but upon re-reading I found myself effectively transported into Mr. Byrne's world. The title of the book "Pictures in My Head" perfectly embodies the essence of what this book is about.

The stories from the early part of Mr. Byrne's life are particularly enthralling. The retelling of events of his early childhood in Ireland include incredible detail. Mr. Byrne has the rare talent of recalling small details that most people wouldn't notice, much less recall. Rarer still is his ability to then take those small details, recount them and essentially capture a moment with words. However, I agree with another reviewer who found the second half of the book less satisfying. In addition to seeming a bit more rushed, Mr. Byrne's desire to protect the privacy of his friends, family and himself in the second half of the book unfortunately hinders his ability to write with the same freedom and compelling detail that made the first half of the book so captivating.

Despite this criticism, the same honesty, intelligence and sensitivity that contribute to Mr. Byrne's success as an actor translates well into his foray as an author. "Pictures in My Head" is a compelling triumph. Gabriel Byrne's capacity for conveying the beauty and poignancy of life as a human being is remarkably gripping. I sincerely hope Mr. Byrne will continue to write.

This is a very sweet book, written by a wonderful actor. Sadly, it lacks a few things. Details, for one. It's very good in some places, and then it seems to rush on when you want to know more. And it jumps around like "Pride and Prejudice"...I had a hard time keeping track of where he was in his life.

All in all, it's a nice story. However, if you read this and "Angela's Ashes" right tight together, you realize something. You realize that even though you thought at first that Gabriel had it kind of bad growing up, he is almost a spoiled little rich kid, compared to Frank McCourt. Let's see some real life, here!

I get the impression that Mr. Byrne is superbly sensitive to his surroundings and absorbs everything. I envy his photographic memory and ability to live completely in the moment. :o) This is the perfect book to curl up with under your favorite green soft blanket.

I must say this book really surprised me! I got it as a Christmas present last year, and I never expected it, because I had only been a Gabriel Byrne friend for about three months or so, but after I had read it, I felt I knew Gabriel personally. I have never met him, but I am longing to see him. The book is very well written, so I wonder why he doesn't write more. Probably because he doesn't have time... I'm awaiting his new film or book. Whatever it is, I'll buy it. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed. If you're a Byrne fan, it's a must! If you're not, after reading the book, you will be!

Jim Lee made a name for himself in the late 80's with his legendary run on Marvel's Uncanny X-Men series, so it's no surprise that when given the chance to launch a brand new X-Men series in 1991 it broke all previous sales records and was the most talked-about comics event until the "death" of Superman. The Marvel Legends: X-Men - Mutant Genesis trade paperback collects the first seven issues of that new series (Lee's entire run prior to leaving to start Image Comics).

The stories collected here are pretty decent, but aren't the best from ether Claremont or Lee. Claremont's Magneto story is probably the better of the two, as it returns Magneto to villain status in a big way. Lee's story was more dynamic, and had some of the paramilitary flavor he would use as the backbone for his Wildstorm Universe.

The artwork is gorgeous during the first half and a bit of a mess for the remainder of the book. I think deadline issues were to blame, as Lee has a reputation for not being able to stick with a monthly title. He had a few months to get the first few issues done, so naturally they're amazing to look at. The remaining issues are obviously the work of someone who was in a hurry.

My only complaint with this volume is the binding. It seems way too flimsy and after a few readings my copy looks much worse for wear. Maybe Marvel will give this the Premiere Classic hardcover treatment some day.

If you were an X-Men fan in the 1990's, you don't need me to tell you why you should have this volume in your collection. IF you came to the X-Men later, trust me when I say that what Claremont and Lee did on this title definitely influenced today's X-Men.

This Tradepaperback collectes the first 7 issues of X-Men Volume 2. The first arc is a 3 parter with Magneto and nuclear weapons, the second is with a new villain named Omega Red and is linked to Wolverine's past. the best thing about this book is Jim Lee's art, when you open up a comic book, it should like this, bright colors, amazing art, and muscle-bound characters. A must-have for any X-Men fan.

I've always wondered what exactly people saw in Jim Lee. I never really cared for his artwork; to be honest, I found it rather stocky. Unforunately, as little as I cared for his art, his story telling is even worse, and it really shows in this book which features the first 7 issues of the 1991 X-Men title. Let's just say I'm honestly shocked it lasted as long as it did. Chris Claremont's final arc of X-Men is featured first, which sees Magento, in a very rushed, badly characterized move, returning to his old ways of anti-human after attempting to try and follow Xavier's methods with little explanation involved. Magento is also furious to learn that he was once experimented on, and as a result, captures half of the X-Men and has them brainwashed into joining his cause. The UN, fearing the worst, launches a bomb off to blow Magento's astroid base up, so it's up to the remaing X-Men to get there and save their teammates before things go boom. All this in the first two issues, and if it seems like a little too much to resolve in just another 20 pages, you're absolutely 100% right. Problems working both with Lee and the editorial staff led to Claremont leaving after the third issue, so what should have gone on for about 5 or 6 issues so everything could get fleshed out was cut short. As a result, everything comes off rushed, leading to anti-climactic ending.

As if that weren't bad enough, we're also treated to a 2nd arc, mainly scrippted by Lee but also co-written both by John Byrne and Scott Lobdell. It features not only one of the worst villains ever, Omega Red, but also Fenris, Sabretooh, Maverick, and more mindlessness among others. Simply put, it's a mashup that feels tired, dull, and uneven, with more and more baggage added in that results in little payoff. If you want an actually good X-Men story, check out the Dark Phoenix or Days of Future Past collections, or if you have the money, get either Omnibus, rather than this poor excuse for a story, which was actually created mainly to just make money and do nothing else. It's best to forget that this ever existed.

This recopilation shows the gold age of x-men (the 90's) beacuse thanks to Chis Claremont stories and Jim Lee's Strong art, the X-men are the most famous comic book in the world, you can read the first apperance of omega red, and Dr. Cornelius comeback, you must read this if you think you are a x-men fan.

It's heroic, I'll givem that
But it's boring. It's almost trivial in today's X-men
the art is nothing amazing.
It doesnt feel like today's x-men either, like they forgot what theyre fighting for. not very personal

do not recommend