Mitchell Books

For a realistic, hearfelt look at what it was like to dance at an infamous strip club, have a long love affair with porn king Artie Mitchell, and hang out with Hunter Thompson, this is the book to read! Full of uncanny detail, Corday's story is affectionate, funny, sexy, and a real page-turner. With a searing account of Artie's slaying by his brother Jim and the motives behind it, the murder trial which cost him $1.3 million, and the political connections that helped him get off with serving just 3 years at San Quentin.

An absolutely unmissable read for anyone interested in this bizarre story of two brothers who had the world on a string and then stuck a pin in it.

Simone Corday not only provides intimate details about working at the O'Farrell Theater, she kept track of conversations between she and her long-time lover Artie Mitchell, and her compadre Hunter S. Thompson in journals.

In her memoir, you are like a fly on the wall, drinking in so many delicious details about her life with these over-the-top counterculture icons.

It's a sensual, emotional page turner. You won't want to put it down, and then you will be crying out for more, lingering on that final page, and searching for old Mitchell Brothers' films to get more glimpses on her extraordinary life.

I was drawn into a "reading trance" from the first paragraph of this amazing book by Donald Mitchell. The contents of this book put all his other works in context. As he explains, he undertook the ambitious and heroic task of finding ways to help the world make 400 years worth of progress in 20 years. This is a sort of report card on his journey so far and what else remains to be done.

The author begins by outlining utterly possible outcomes of current positive and negative trends.

Taking the radical position that avoiding problems and "shifting focus to what you want" (which is usually based on the current pace of progress) cause you to miss your best opportunities, Donald Mitchell urges you instead to think in terms of the best that is available.

The result is progress that is several orders higher than what you would normally have expected.

When I read George Orwell's 1984--thirty years before much of his fictional forecast became fact--I wondered how accurate his life style predictions were. Amazingly, many of the personal and societal changes he anticipated became reality.

Donald Mitchell's Adventures of an Optimist could easily reach cult classic status, as Orwell's book did. The first pages grip the reader with a startling historical illustration--and he never lets you catch a breath until you have covered these pulsating twenty-one pages.

However, Adventures of an Optimist does not rely on mere fantasy. Mitchell offers thorough documentation of trends in work, family life, health care, retirement plans, and much more. Additionally, his research provides the framework for assessing where we are headed--and how we can participate more actively in shaping our destiny.

Mitchell amazes me. Ordinary people have a thought process that helps them endure life until Friday at closing time. A few people design five year plans for themselves and their families. Yet Mitchell challenges us to join him in reshaping the entire world for a twenty-year span.

The title fits the text, because Mitchell goes beyond a frightening forecast of where current trends could take us. He offers solutions. They make sense. They are doable. That's why the reader can remain an optimist--truly an adventure.

Read this fabulous book. Adopt Mitchell's suggestions, and as he proposes your life will become 400 times better by 2035.The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication-change Your Life!

"Adventures of an Optimist" exudes the unlimited optimism of the author, who, based on compelling evidence combined with inspiration, have a extraordinary synopsis of a promising project. The fantastic rates of improvements at 20 times the normal rate can appear unachievable, until you read and grasp the premise upon which the optimism is based. Donald Mitchell offer readers creative examples and guidance for achieving performance breakthroughs. His insightful and creative recommendations are supported by numerous examples of how companies and nonprofits leverage their scale for greater impact.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Adventures of an Optimist as it enabled me to think out of the box and clearly see the unlimited possibilities that can be achieved in various fields. The Adventures of an Optimist combines daring and practicality into a phenomenon for dramatically improving performance at 20 times the normal rate for the whole world between 2015 and 2035.

I highly recommend Adventures of an Optimist. It is a delightful and worthwhile read that should improve your outlook on life. The wealth of information and material it contains is carefully organized and lucidly presented. Reading it has the potential to create an upward spiral of exponential gains in your life and work. The book has plenty of enlightening and perceptive quotes at the beginning of each section that are a valuable bonus for the reader.

I loved this book and CD!

You can't help but smile and bounce along to these fun filled tales. The music is bright and lively and the characters so lovable!

As a past teacher, I also appreciate that this book does not limit its vocabulary for children. It's full of all sorts of rich and whimsical words - children and adults will love sharing it together!

A must hear to appreciate!

I have known the author all my life, she is my Mother! While this is her first published work I have had the good fortune of hearing and being enchanted by her stories all my life. They are all a magnificent journey to enjoy and are as good as any, in fact better then most published childrens books you'll find. Big Shot And Teeny Weeny is something that the adults enjoy as much as the children because the stories reveal so much simple wisdom and takes you to a giddy understanding of lifes joys. Adults are constantly saying to themselves "oh, isn't that clever". While the kids are enjoyng the fun rythm of the story and just getting it! The 2 CD's that are included in the Book are REAL easy on the ears and are asked for by my three year old all the time (then we all have a pleasant ride!). I think this book would be enjoyed by kids through 10 years old and then again when they are all grown up. So save it for the Grandchildren!

I was at a luncheon show casing authors. I heard some of the CD that is part of this book's entertainment package. The irrepessible quality of this author and the sound of her music and voice convinced me to get a copy for my granddaughters.

How sweet it is to have music an adult can love, too, when driving in the car with little ones. How sweet it is to have a story an adult can relate to when reading to them at night. Thank you, Mary Ann Mitchell.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first two books have garnered eight awards in less than a year. The reviewer hopes that they will be read by her two granddaughters when they are old enough. In the meantime, literature like Mitchell's will be training them to love books.)

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"

Gayle Mitchell has written an informative guide to the sometimes overwhelming world of BVS (Bonus Video Slots). The number and variations on this new technology often leads to confusion on the casino floor and confusion translates into losing money. In clear language, Gayle leads us through the ins and outs of these multiline machines.

In All Slots Made Easier #2, the author untangles the 'Jungle of Bonus Video Slots' for readers by explaining, rating and reviewing over 80 versions in a concise guide. I have chosen several from the author's recommendations and now enjoy my casino visits and profits. My hat is off to Ms. Mitchell.

This book is another winner in the Casino Gambling Made Easier Series by Gayle Mitchell.
The 'how-to' and 'what' versions of play, re: new bonus slots is revealed.
Three of my favorites are Little Green Men, Easy Street and Slingo--what fun.

I can't believe I waited so long to read this book -- it truly is a classic. This is the way AI should be done: by focusing on the right level of abstraction, situated above the level of neuroscience but below the level of simple input-output function mapping. Finally, a computer model that makes those first steps towards doing the same thing that people do.

True believers in those original goals of artificial intelligence take heart -- this book gives new hope to a field that has come to be dominated by engineering approaches that only work in special cases like the logic behind the cruise control switch in a car. Mitchell's model provides the fluidity and flexibility that is lacking from classical machine learning techniques.

Melanie Mitchell's analogy-making as perception is a remarkably original book. It documents an artificial intelligence project known as copycat, which was implemented as the author's PhD project under Douglas Hofstadter.

Copycat is unlike anything in artificial intelligence. It is not a symbolic system, neither a connectionist one. The major goal of the project is to study the nature of concepts. Concepts, as we all know, are flexible, context-sensitive creatures. For instance, DNA has nothing to do with a computer program, but there is a sense on which we can see DNA as a computer program that guides embrionary development. DNA can also be seen as a zipper, as it "zips down" in two parts (for cell reproduction). Still another view would be DNA as a will, for it carries valuable hereditary "property". Now, DNA is in truth just a molecule, and nothing else. The question is, how can we see the same thing (such as DNA) as so many different things? Moreover, how can these fluid context-sensitive concepts be implemented in rigid, rule-obeying computers?

To which the answer is: what we view is the abstract roles that DNA plays in embrionary development, cell division, and in individual reproduction. And this is the very idea of "Analogy-making as perception".

Well, not so fast. The copycat project is not designed to grasp such extremely complex subjects as DNA, but, on the other hand, it presents a computational architecture that suggests what the nature of concepts is like, and how flexible concepts may emerge from inflexible mechanisms.

Copycat can solve analogy problems such as abc->abd:ijk-> ?. But it is not restricted to trivial ones. Consider the following analogy: abc ->abd:xyz->?. How would you solve it? How do you think that copycat solves it?

Obviously, this project doesn't fit in very easily in classical artificial intelligence, as it attacks some of the most pervasive ideas of the field, such as the separation of perception and cognition. In fact, I think this book redefines the major questions of artificial intelligence (and although Mitchell does not state it, I think the copycat model does not fall prey to either the frame problem or to the symbol grounding problem).

It is very unfortunate that this is not one of the best-selling books in AI. But I believe that it will ultimately make its mark on the History of the field, if for no other reason than it simply is the right approach to genuine intelligence and authentic understanding.

Should one day Amazon.com let me give a 6-star to a book, but charge me a dollar for giving it, this is one that would definitely deserve to be such a 6-star.

============================================

PS. I would also recommend Hofstadter's Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies; and Robert French's Subtlety of Sameness.

Since AI researchers are generally engineers, they historically did what engineers do: they broke up the mind in very clear-cut divisions, one for the perception of the things out there in the world, and another, symbolically, to do "abstract cogitation".

For deep reasons, this was an invalid move, but only a few could see it. Melanie surely could, for her highly original copycat project exhibits some of the best insights in Artificial Intelligence ever.

AI is still so much pervaded with the wrong ideas that this book will need to take some time to make its definitive mark on the history of the field.

If genuine understanding is ever to be built into a machine, understanding of the kind that Searle's gang will be forever denying, then it will come from an architecture similar to that proposed in this book.

Then again, I could turn out to be wrong. But let us let History decide on this issue.

An outstanding review of civil rights cases were people stepped up to represent and provide for the freedoms of others and protected what America is all about. High School, college students, and others can really appreciate our history and from where today's societal norms came.

Another brilliant piece...Lief has done it again! A must read for the legal novice or the established professional. Lief has a gift for dissecting the subject cases like the legal Ninja he is. This latest work of legal art engages the reader's interest and won't let go... Should be mandatory reading in all the law schools.

Couldn't put the book down. Every chapter was well written and to the level of the average reader. You don't need to be a lawyer to read and enjoy this book. If you love Law and Order this is the real life stuff. Would recommend to anyone.

Yes, this IS one of the great Andrew Wyeth books. Everyone interested in this great American artist will love it. This was my first Wyeth book. It was on my shelf for a long time, and I knew I liked his work. After my retirement in 2001, I began painting with watercolors and looked around for some work I liked for inspiration and found only Winslow Homer and Andrew Wyeth. Later, I was fortunate to see the Helga show in Omaha and found out how amazing Wyeth really is. I spent hours looking at these paintings trying to figure out how he was able to balance areas of color that looked almost poured on next to areas of almost photographic detail. I have read that that's what they call drybrush technique. Well, maybe so, but I call it sheer genius. As with all Wyeth reproductions in books, this one is good, but after you have seen the actual paintings, they are but pale shadows. Nevertheless, I love this book. It is the next best thing to being near a museum where you can see the originals. Wyeth is indeed an inspiration.

For well over 25 years I have examined and reviewed countless paintings of the Wyeth family (N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, & Jamie Wyeth) who are all phenomenal painters. But the quality of the Compositions, the details of the clothing, nature and the human figure are an amazing spectacle when you review this book of Andrew's work. What an amazing technician he is.

Whether you're an art collector, painter or art critic you will admit that this book contains some of the most intriguing and interesting art.

Andrew Wyeth is a master at creating depth in each picture. The justaposition of figure to landscape or figure to interior items seems to be a heighted sense of "knowing" in Andrew's work. This book helped me to conclude that Andrew Wyeth is a genius who is in full command of his materials. If you think Steven Spielberg is a great film producer than it won't be hard for you to conclude that Andrew Wyeth is also a great painter.

The details in the picture "Farm Road" are excellent. Helga's hair is detailed as if painted with a laser while the leather strap from the bag she is carrying appears worn like real leather. The muted colors of green, brown and reddish tones in the coat and the rich transparency of light emanating from her cheek are amazingly done with subtlety and richness you will appreciate.

My degree in Accounting allows me to be able to count the hundreds of amazing things that are going on in each work while my degree in Art allows me to appreciate the quality of the brush work and the transparency range in each painting.

I don't mean that Helga was his lover. Still, the artist has an intense experience of his model, and Helga was his model for 15 years.

This is an outstanding book in lots of ways. The subject matter is beyond belief, and the reproductions are good. The visual content is organized well: major pieces are chronological, and sketches and studies are gouped with the pieces they support. I find it very helpful to see the sketches, and see all the variations that Wyeth tried before committing to a more dmanding piece. Those groups of drawings are drawing lessons themselves, in how to explore a visual idea. The text is a bit thin, and says nearly nothing about Helga herself - not a flaw in the book, so much as a step short of what it could have been.

Most of all, the pictures are simply lovely. Helga was a very handsome woman, in her 50s in the lastest of these pictures. Not 'pretty' maybe, but very beautiful - at least, she is presented as very beautiful, and very real. Some of the nudes studies show her arms crossed, oddly compressing her natural curves. That just makes the pictures more genuine for me, showing her as she is, not made up to some anatomical ideal.

Explanatory text could have been more explanatory, but that's OK. The large majority of the book is just the pictures themselves, and I don't mind being alone with them.

//wiredweird

I love this book. Mitchell is unfortunately dead, but when alive he could write like an angel. A random example:

"No man is a hero while brushing his teeth or clipping hair out of his ears. He needs some kind of warning that this is the moment to act."

He shares himself (a locution he might mock)as he observes the passing world. If you enjoy E.B. White or Russell Baker, buy this book.

It is unfortunate indeed that such a fine volume boasts just two prior reviews.

One needs only to read an essay or two of those collected here to see that Mr. Mitchell was a well-educated, fully informed individual. But his ability to write in a voice that transcended his obviously cultured status, to make his points accessible to people of all backgrounds in a thoughtful, mannerly, and humorous -- always humorous -- style, is an ability his modern-day contemporaries would be smart to emulate. (Are you listening, Maureen Dowd?? Oh, forgive me -- why would we expect you to start now?)

Still, Mitchell's discretion could give way to much stronger sounding of his opinion, and flat-out satire that was without peer. Even when it did, Mitchell managed to maintain the tone of rationality and etiquette which was the underpinning of all his work, and which is sadly lacking on today's op-ed pages. This indefinable quality -- and the sheer quality of the writing itself -- sets Mitchell's work apart.

Beloved of all long-time Washington Post readers, Henry Mitchell covered everything from his hound to the Mapplethorpe exhibit with wisdom, humor, and profound insight. This is a selection of some of the best of his Any Day columns. Never preaching, but always with a point, Mitchell's writing is so personal that thousands who never met him felt his death as the loss of a wise and compassionate friend. You will laugh, cry, and rejoice that you have met him here. The Christmas Eve battle between the Altar Guild and the Ushers is by itself worth the price of the book. This, and the two collections of his Earthman (gardening) columns, are books to read and re-read.

If you really want to see the hot spots of gay Atlanta, this is a must have. Food, facts, and fun are all a part of this well planned book. Dont be caught in Atlanta with out it or you might just miss out on all the best Atlanta has to offer.

My partner & I are relocating to Atlanta. Between our GPS system & ATLANTAboy, we drove around like we lived there!!! Simple explanations, easy read and very informative! If you're headed to Atlanta, or for that matter already live there, you should own this book. It's the newest form of "gay ID"!

If you are going to Atlanta this is very helpful for gays and lesbians. It is a super handy size, fun to read and has great tips. It is very easy to use so when you are in the car it isn't hard to find what you are looking for.

I thought this was an easy, enjoyable and quick read. This is your basic romance novel, and what woman can't do with a little romance once in awhile. The main character's emotions are "real" and I believe relatable by most women, and the dialog between her and her friends is comical. If one wants to take a break and have a little entertainment, this book will do just that.

but I did enjoy this book. It rolled around so many of the girl thoughts that normally run through my brain, I didn't have to think a lot about it to read it. Rambling? Sure. Neurotic and funny? Yeah, it was.
Meg (who I can only picture as Meg Ryan, btw) is an aspiring writer that no publishing company seems to want to give the time of day. On a whim, she signs her last submission for a sweet romance novel like it was written by a man, "borrowing" her boyfriend's name. Marcus (bf) is really only interested in marrying Meg and having their farm together and is barely excited about having to carry on as the writer once the company accepts the book. Turns out the company thinks the angle is super and so do the millions of women who run to the booksellers to snatch up their copies. Marcu is touring, signing, and loving every minute of it while Meg is behind the scenes scrambling to write more for Marcus' "career" and struggling to hold together the remaining fragments of their relationship. In the meantime, she starts to have feelings for his agent, a guy named Nick Carter (not the Backstreet Boy!!!!) and this really makes her mad at herself. After all she's a nice Catholic girl and wants to be honorable, but how honorable can she be when she is lying about the whole book deal in the first place? Her best friend has priceless advice and is hilarious. The characters also include a homosexual guy who is waaaaaay out there, and Nick's receptionist who is a genuine smart...! Funny. Didn't have to do a lot of in depth thinking to read this one, but what the heck, right?

Wallering around in the cesspool of biographies and "true life" stories, I was desperately looking for a break in the fiction department. A friend emailed this recommendation to me and I will pass it on to you all. I suppose she originally emailed it to me because there was an X File reference in there that I would get a giggle over, and I ended up getting pretty good chuckle over the whole book! It's about a young Midwest woman trying to get her book published and is inspired by a reviewer who enjoys quirky spins on books. She signs her fiancee's name to a really fluffy romance novel and send it to a publisher who then decides to publish it. She begs her fiancee to stay with the game for a bit and things get a little out of control. The support cast is hilarious, a Rosie O'Donnel type character is her best friend, a flamboyant gay guy is the other, and then there's the matter of her fiancee's agent who is arrogant as all get out... There are several pop culture and current event references in this that will really catch the "Friends" generation and give you a private laugh. They are cleverly woven in throughout the book. Hey--it's a good one if you like stuff like "Sleepless in Seattle." I recommend it.