Smith Books

As a new member to the realestate community I was very nervous as to how I would make a good start in my new career. This book is full of great advise to set you up for success. With all of the huge competition in this cut throat business it is very important to do all you can to position yourself for success. I do recomend this book if you are serious about making money as a real estate agent.

How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent in Your First Year, written by Susan Smith Alvis, is the perfect book for anyone who is undertaking or considering a career as a real estate agent. Written in a conversational tone that makes for a quick read, this book gives the reader step-by-step instructions for everything from how to set up his business, how to find clients, how to deal with other realtors, and how to, ultimately, close a deal with clients.

As an added benefit, How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent in Your First Year is also filled with great tools for the beginner real estate agent. The glossary of terms is a comprehensive listing of real estate terms and their meanings. The included telephone scripts and canvassing letter formats will prove to be solid starting points as the reader begins to develop and increase his own client base. The section of the book titled "A Day in the Life of a Real Estate Agent" also provides valuable descriptions of the types of things a successful real estate agent does and even how often he does them. What more instruction could you ask for?

How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent in Your First Year is one book that should become a part of any new real estate agent's reference library. Its no-nonsense advice and well-developed reference section will make the reader glad to have it on his bookshelf.

Susan Smith Alvis writes an extremely informative and practical guide on becoming a million dollar real estate agent. Everything an up-and-coming real estate agent needs to know to be a top performer--finding listings and clients, self-marketing, budgeting, and planning for success--is in this book. But what makes this book special is her take on running your business. She stresses the importance of work-life balance to maintain one's sanity and that ethical business practices will take you further than shady ones. And as a seasoned professional, she has much sage advice about how to avoid the shady practices of others. Great advice for not getting taken by the brokerage house and for paying yourself is also included. This book has it all!
It is clear Susan Smith Alvis knows her stuff. Her energy and expertise come through on every page.

Real estate agents who are newly licensed can't afford to miss this guide, which surveys the successful strategies of top seller and creates a business plan from these strategies. Any who want to learn how to begin a real estate business will find plenty of material from agents' personal experiences, paired with lessons from the author's own viewpoint. From handling competition and gaining referrals to setting up Internet marketing and keeping clients close by mailing out reminder cards, any business library catering to real estate agent clientele needs this.

As a newly minted real estate agent, I bought this book to start learning what I really need to know about real estate, other than what is required by law, and this book does a good job at hitting on important things that a real estate agent should know.

Two things that bothered me though, are first, the author (as I believe I understood it), only worked in real estate for four years and is now retired from real estate. If the advice she gives about how to be a successful real estate agent is so good, how come she no longer practices, after only doing it for 4 years?

Also, the product description on Amazon listed many topics that were the content of this book. Some of those topics were covered by 2 or 3 sentences which was not enough depth to do them justice. Also, where was the part about the vehicle and insurance...I must have missed that. I'll read the book again and see if it is there, but I don't believe it was.

On the positive side I appreciated what the author had to say about keeping a positive attitude and being an ethical real estate agent. I do recommend this book as a good starting point for a new agent as you will be able to create a list of things you need to further investigate for your new career in real estate.

regards from Panama, Central America! I bought this book a little bit nervous about the the fact that it's originally written in English, so I thought i could get lost in translation Or that it would be too regional (for example with mexican slangs). But both my kids (7 and 3 years old) have enjoyed it so much that I have to read it at least twice a week as a bedtime story. My older son enjoys the irony very much and the little one loves the illustrations that are rich and original.
Definetely a good addition to any collection!

I really enjoy this book. I think that it is pretty funny. My favorite part in this book is when the 3rd little pig calls the police and they arrest the wolf because they thought that he was trying to eat the little pig for supper.

I loved this take on the "Three Little Pigs" as did my kids though for different reasons. My daughter enjoys this book because it is a humorous Wolf's versions of the "Three Little Pigs" her favorite children's classic. I like it because it presented a great sarcastic though honest parady of contemparary Media and American culture. You see according to the wolf, He really didn't mean to blow down the little pig's houses it was all an honest mistake, and the part about him being a big bad wolf? Just a media creation to jazz up his trial and sell more newspapers. Its rare to find a childrens book now a days that are even a little bit creative but this one is pure genius both in it's simplicity but also in the way it portrays the world around us. An outstanding childrens book for the whole family.

A funny book told from the wolf's point of view.

Note to the Teacher: Good book for a mini-lesson to teach benchmark on Point of View.

This cleverly written and illustrated picture book gives the wolf's version of events to the classic nursery rhyme. The wolf vehemently proclaims his innocence and evokes reader sympathy as he relays his story, oblivious to the bunny ears in htis cake mixture or the rat body parts hanging from his cheesburger. The wolf says one thing, while the illustrations say another. The traditional rhyme of 'The Three Little Pigs' is retold in a conversational and contemporary style that has an underlying tone of misguided innocence. The story assumes prior knowledge of 'The Three Little Pigs' and 'Little Red Riding Hood' and mixes traditional tales with contemporary visuals. This books us suitable for children aged 3-8yrs, although readers of any age would enjoy the humerous twist the wolf tries to give the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, its illustrations were humerous and afterall, innocent before proven guilty. Right? Perhaps he's not such a big bad wolf afterall, just misunderstood.

Umph .. Umph .. Umph .. Daniela and Caleb's love story was really good. Both had a fierce attraction to one another that escalated into a sizzling passion. Everyone around them could see it, except for them.

Buy and enjoy bcz a Maureen Smith novel is ALWAYS worth the money!

This is my second novel by this author and I can tell you she just gets better. A legal Affair is for true romantics. Daniela and Caleb's chemistry sizzles on the page and will have you wishing you had a crack at the sexy Caleb yourself. More than a man's man, Caleb has everything a woman could ever wish for. Daniela was a great heroine who was smart, sexy and knew how to hook her target with supreme ease. This author is one to watch.

Being in college right now, the prospect of finding a gorgeous teacher to fawn over and fall in love with is like the biggest fantasy popping around in my head. This is the second book that I devoured by Mrs. SMith and again was not disappointed. I believe this was her first stab at contemporary romance, rather than her usual romantic suspense and I'll be damned if she didn't blow us out of the water with this one as well. Ex lawyer turned rebel law professor Caleb Thorne is knocked off his feet when beautiful Daniella Roarke walks into his class late on the first day. From there, the book takes the most delicious turns. From a fight with sweets, to stolen kisses in a stoage closet, you'll be hooked. I hope my school gets a Caleb Thorne. he he he

In the first installment of Maureen Smith's Harlequin "Affair" series, one of the biggest cases in Roake Investigations history lands in their laps. Daniela Roake goes undercover as a law student in hopes of obtaining information from Caleb Thorne, her law professor, regarding his father's past indiscretions. However, after one look at Caleb, and knowing she would have to get even closer to him in order to complete her assignment, Daniela was a goner. Caleb, on the other hand never knew what hit him, one minute he was lecturing at a leisurely pace and the next he was staring into the face of his soul mate. After her first day jitters, Daniela gets into the swing of things, but is unprepared for the feelings Caleb evokes when they eventually find themselves alone. Unable to maintain his composure whenever Daniela is near, Caleb is willing to jeopardize his career to be with her. Daniela, torn between feelings of the heart and bound by duty, is having a hard time keeping her cover under wraps.

In Smith's first contemporary romance readers are rewarded with an awe-inspiring story about finding the perfect mate. Daniela and Caleb's relationship was an ignited fuse, burning fast, and finally triggering an ultimate explosion. Although, readers will not find the suspense, espionage and mayhem in Smith's previous novels, A LEGAL AFFAIR has enough twists and turns to keep you glued to its pages. I highly recommend this novel as well as book two, A Guilty Affair, and its follow-up, A Risky Affair slated for release March 2008.

Reviewed by Pamela Bolden
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

I truly loved this book!This is my first maureen smith novel and now i am a huge fan!!Its well written and enticing.Caleb is most defnitley my kind of man.Ive read alot and i do mean ALOT of romance novels and this one stands out from the rest!

I almost fell over in my chair when I found this book was still selling. I believe I purchased it over 30 years ago. It really is an amazing book and leads one to believe they really could live a relatively simple lifestyle.

My life in the intervening 30 years has not been simple. For some reason, one of the main things I remember from this book was after delivering your baby through natural childbirth, which I did in a hospital, you can either bury the placenta or cook and eat it to restore your strength. It really takes one back to another era, a time when we all thought everything was possible. Then the 80's came upon us and it was all over.

For anyone who is interested in sewing, another of my favorite books of that time is "Son Of Hassele-Free Sewing". It explains in a simple manner how to copy clothing you already own to make new clothes. It is an excellent book, which I still refer to.

Peace.

This is one of the best books EVER written. It has helped me to survive and thrive on this Earth and gives me advice on practically anything I need to know! Perfect for those who need to settle down and be more in tune with their bodies and Mother Nature. Alicia Bay Laurel is an amazing artist, activist, and author that I look up to much indeed.

After waking very early this very morning, I started to read Living on the Earth and was halfway through by breakfast. While I had considered a hand-lettered book to be more difficult to read, I could not have been more wrong.

The hand lettering brought a sense of comfort and the contents reminded me of my childhood in Africa. If you lived in a rural area during the 60s and 70s, many of the items in this book will be very familiar. If you love handwritten letters from friends, then this book will quickly find a place in your heart.

So, there I was stirring a 5-grain oatmeal mixture for breakfast and I looked down and caught a glimpse of my painted toes reflecting in the glass oven door. Suddenly I was transported to the years of my childhood where we build our own tree houses, watched carrots grow, milked cows, raised chickens, learned how to sew, experienced tick bite fever and snacked on friendship cake while walking barefoot on the warm earth.

Living on the Earth is an enchanting read filled with lyricism and whimsy. It is written in a spontaneous style and the topics range from soap making to building rocking cradles out of barrels. Alicia Bay Laurel has illustrated the entire book and it is a completely personal experience.

Some of the highlights include backpacking tips, making hammocks with macramé, making your own soaps, sewing peasant blouses, making your own moccasins, and building a kiln for making pottery.

There is also information on how to make candles, bamboo flutes, bean bags, clothing, rose petal jam, organic diet soda, vanilla extract, dried fruits, nut butters, ice cream, sunflower milk, miso, roasted soy beans, smoked fish, bread, beef jerky, sour dough starter, steamed acorns, plum pudding and herbal tinctures.

As I sit here with my lovely cozy heated blanket and fluffy slippers I can dream about living out in the wild as my washing machine swishes about with the Seventh Generation laundry soap I recently found at a health food store. This book has many ideas you can incorporate into your normal home life. You don't have to live in a commune to enjoy the information about essential oils, nature-inspired products or environmental issues. The author recommends things like hemp paper and explores the many uses of apple cider vinegar and pumpkin seeds.

To say the least, I was intrigued. This is definitely a must-read book for everyone interested in natural remedies. There are recipes for making herbal tinctures and you may find yourself looking for "myrrh." If you love to cook you may be intrigued by the recipe for Plum Pudding.

Alicia Bay Laurel is writing a modern sequel for the global family. "Still Living on the Earth" will be published in 2005. This book was updated in 1999 and is filled with useful addresses and websites. I loved the list of "more books that are still valuable 30 years later!" A helpful index completes this fun guide to living on the earth.

I loved reading this book! While reading you may find yourself becoming nostalgic, enthusiastic about hiking or even making lists to buy a variety of herbs.

~The Rebecca Review

I discovered this book in a book store about a week ago. It was $18.95 and sold out! I went home to Amazon and found them here for $5.99!! I bought 15 copies for X mas presents and a few just to have for emergency purposes. This book is not only filled with amazing ways to live a better life here its also filled with beautiful illustrations. This is one book I will use forever and pass on for generations to come. No matter if its 1969 or 2069, this hippie bible will always come in handy!

Amazing to think that she was a teenager when she began writing this "Bible" of natural living. Not only does it still hold up after 30+ years...but it makes even more sense now in the 21st century.
I would give it to my children or grandparents with equal enthusiasm.
Alicia Bay gets the ultimate hippie chick award!

I got this book for suggestion of a friend. While it is not the kind of book I would read, that friend told me that I would like it. And in fact I did and a lot. I do not read self-help books. And I also usually do not read bible related materials. But I took a deep breath and went for it.
Considering my remarks just made, I really liked the book. I liked for its view on a subject that bothers me a lot. I don't think that I have seen a book using the bible to spread understanding, comprehension and love. I was impressed by the views exposed in the book. If the book were in Portuguese I would certainly send a copy to my mother. She is Catholic, but as the author of the book, she does not use the bible to stimulate hatred and discrimination.
The bottom line is that I was very impressed by the book (which is very inspiring) and I am glad that I read it, even the book being a style that I usually do not visit. I also think that this book should be mandatory purchase for anybody getting a bible. If more people read the book I am quite sure the world would be a better place to live.

Get ready to laugh and cry. This book is very relatable. If you apply the information in this book, the way the author has, it will change your life and bring joy. The author recommends using a pink highlighter in your Bible. I suggest doing the same in her book, because there are countless nuggets of wisdom that you will want to highlight and read again and again.

This book was a real encouragement to me! I love how honest and real the author is about her struggles and how she found joy in middle of it all!

I had never read a self-help book before i ordered this one, I didn't know what to expect. I had read a few pages before I realized that it was a "Jesus" book. I was dissappointed and about to put it down but I continued to read it. I am only half-way through but enjoy the reading.It is a very easy read, uplifting and thought provoking. I would recommend it to any young or mature person that is feeling a little let down about life.

In today's society it is feast or famine for the soul. We have stopped smelling the flowers. This author has reached deep into her soul to share with the world what we have all been missing... fealing Ultimate Joy. I am ordering extra copies of this book for my friends and family to share the Ultimate Joy I have been missing. To have someone who completely understands why God opens and closes doors throughout our lives and to be able to take scriptures and translate them to her own real life issues is truly a gift. Then to write about them, share them, and relive them over again is purely selfless. Definately a good book for those seeking peace in their soul. Go ahead... get the book (maybe a few for friends and family) and start smelling the flowers.

I enjoyed this book personally, because I would like to go into forensic psychology as a career. Also the book itself was very intresting. The Scarred Heart is a great book because it is written in a certain way that is more directed towards you, as a civilian, on what to watch out for with dangerous kids. It opened my eyes to how many kids are angry with the world. I believe most people who read this book will be surprised with what they have read. This book is easy to follow and keeps you intrested. The Scarred Heart is for anyone who is worried about our kids today.

The author, upon seeing the high prices for used copies, has
seen fit to to "put the book (which is out of print, and which
won't see a new edition anytime soon because she's working on
another project) up for free download in PDF form on her website."
(quoting her InstaPundit hubby).

GoTo: http://violentkids.com/scarred_heart.html

While I was somewhat disappointed at the absence of a "final solution" paragraph tying everything together, the book is still of value. It is a rare look into actual interviews with child killers, and it was definitely worth the purchase price. It's written more for a mass market audience, and a more scholarly approach would have been a little better. Still a good find, though.

For all the brutal reality of the deeds and people Dr. Smith describes, this is a refreshing antidote to the apocalyptic hysteria that usually dominates the discussion of violent kids. She helps us see that these are people, caught in obsessive emotions or skewed perceptions, who are often doing the best they can to make sense of their world. Dr. Smith gives us much concrete reason to believe that we'll be able to reach many of those kids before it's too late, and that we'll be able to make changes in our society that will make these painful outcomes less likely in the future.

I enjoyed this book personally, because I would like to go into forensic psychology as a career. Also the book itself was very intresting. The Scarred Heart is a great book because it is written in a certain way that is more directed towards you, as a civilian, on what to watch out for with dangerous kids. It opened my eyes to how many kids are angry with the world. I believe most people who read this book will be surprised with what they have read. This book is easy to follow and keeps you intrested. The Scarred Heart is for anyone who is worried about our kids today.

I read this book as a child. It's a wonderful tale of gentler times and wonderful values. I wasn't disappointed when I read it again.

For me, this book is a "Gone With The Wind" with young adults in mind, but great for all ages. Like the "Little House ..." books, it describes the rural life of a family and village before industrialization changed everything. The quality of life these people had, despite the workload, is something to be admired.

The book is a wonderful sequal to "The Good Master," another wonderful tale. While the first book is more of a typical chidren's book, this one is much more of an epic as the family deals with the ravages of war. The themes of tolerance and family values are well expressed without ever getting preachy.

Kate and Jancsi are fantastic characters for children to identify with, and the adults make fine examples for them to look up to. The illustrations are wonderful. This book will make you laugh, cry and everything in between. It's one of the books I re-read every now and again, and it's stood the test of 30+ years worth of reading. I treasure it.

Great book about how a family was able to endure the trials of WWI and open their home to "the enemy". Great example of love and acceptance towards others without being affected by circumstances. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for uplifting reading for their children!

hello, my name is nina. i liked this book because it is educational yet adventurous. it was unpredictable, i never knew what would happen next. the reason i rated it a three was because some parts were not well explained and every now and then i would get lost and have to re-read some sections. otherwise this was a magnificent, adventurous tale and i would recommend it for older children and young adults.

This is one of the most powerful books on human cost of war ever written. As a child, I loved this sequel to Seredy's _The Good Master_ because I loved the characters and found the story exciting. As an adult, I cannot even think about the book without finding tears in my eyes. The little details are what does it I think: the child who goes to sleep saying goodnight to his soldier father, unaware that his father is permantly asleep under a blanket of snow; the singing tree of the title, the retelling of the spontaneous cease-fire on Christmas when the troops on both sides of the line sang Silent Night, the moment when Janci realizes the pain his mother is hiding, the corporal who sadly observes that in war it's a man's duty to kill and a crime to comfort his wife .... Read it!

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL SELECTION OF ELEGANT AND MODERN WEDDINGS. I LIVE IN PUERTO RICO AND WORK WITH A WEDDING PLANNER, THIS BOOK IS FULL OF IDEAS FOR WEDDINGS IN AN ISLAND LIKE OURS.

Such a gorgeous book -- the dress and flower photos, especially. It's full of great ideas for anyone planning a wedding anywhere, from invitations to receptions, tuxedoes to bridesmaids to shoes.

The pictures in this book are beautiful. It's wonderful to read each couple's story. The attention to detail is what makes each of these wedding special. A truly helpful guide to planning your perfect wedding celebration.

My intended and I are engaged to be married next May. Photographer? Hired. Location? Decided. By my future mother-in-law, of course. However, after seeing the photographs in this book, I had to put my foot down. Now, we're getting married in Charleston and praying Liz Banfield isn't booked yet. Liz Banfield's lush photographs capture the essence of what weddings are supposed to be about and what it actually MEANS to get married. Ms. Banfield is a true artist posing as a wedding photgographer.

I was lucky enough to have Tara "do" our wedding in the nearby resort island of Kiawah. It was spectacular! This book captures the wonderful details that only Tara and the girls can do. Unfortunately our wedding was done after this book was published but Every wedding they do is picture perfect. I would highly recommend any advice from this book. It is truly inspirational. I wish I could go back do it all over again!

Stars deserves ongoing mention as an extraordinary collection of science fiction inspired by the music of folk singer Janis Ian. Janis invited respected authors in the genre to contribute works influenced by her songs: the result is an unexpected, wonderful collection of original stories - based on her music, but no prior familiarity with Ian is required in order to enjoy these varied tales.

Having heard some of Janis Ians work I thought it interesting that people would be so drawn to her lyrics to write stories about them. I bought the book not knowing what to expect and have been thrilled with what I read. I really think it was worth every penny and made sitting on the beach in Hawaii recently even better than I ever thought it could be!

I have never been much of a fan of SciFi, nor a reader of short stories. I am, however a fan of Janis Ians Music. So buying this book was a must for me.
However, I felt it would be very easy to be dissapointed with what other writers did with the songs I love so much. I need not have worried. The stories are all very different in how I see the songs, but often add interesting insights that I would never have thought of.
Most of the stories have a strong moral base, and provoke thought about the world we live in.
I enjoyed this book from cover to cover......and can't wait to explore the writing of the various authors.
Favourite Story......"EJ-ES", based on "Jesse", buttomorrow, could be another one!!!
Mike Andrew.......New Zealand

The list of authors is exemplary. The list of songs is exemplary. That Janis Ian and Mike Resnick could bring together authors of this stature, meld them to the songs, and come up with 30 astonishing stories based on those songs, is more than I can handle! I read it cover to cover, and plan to read it again and again. Robert Silverberg's "Legends" was pretty terrific, but it didn't sit on the cutting edge. It was too safe. This is the closest thing to "Dangerous Visions" I've found. A "Dangerous Visions" for my own generation!

A wonderful combination of the best-Mike Resnick-amazing sci-fi writer and Janis Ian who's illustrious career keeps expanding,have combined their talents.This is a real treat and not to be missed.An excellent anthology for the well seasoned sci-fi reader as well as the novice.

When I was in middle school, my friend Scott and I occupied our time on the school bus by playing a string game called "Cat's Cradle." Although repetitive, it was a fun game; it took many hours of play before we finally grew tired of it. That game is one of many described in this book.
Until I read it, I was unaware of how many different string games there were in the cultures of the world. Korea, Japan, China, India, Borneo, the Philippines, Aleuts in Alaska, the Navahos of New Mexico, the Osage of Oklahoma, pygmies of the Congo, the Pacific island of Nauru, and Uap in the Caroline islands is just a partial list of the points of origin of the string games described in this book. The construction of each figure is explained using a sequence of diagrams.
If you are interested in string games from around the world, then you will find this book to be an excellent reference. Had I known of it when I was younger, Scott and I would never have grown tired of playing string games.

I learned some string figures in my childhood and recently became interested again. I found this book on Amazon and promptly ordered it!

The book is quite fascinating. There is a huge collection of string figures which in themselves are interesting to look at and learn how to do. There is also a considerable amount of anthropological information (the author was after all an anthropologist) and some amazing photographs from around the turn of the 19th/20th century. In addition some of the stories and legends that go with these figures, many of which are very old indeed, are collected in the book with relevant figures.

My only complaint is that the string figures on the cover are from the collection of 20 or so at the end of the book for which no instructions are given because there wasn't time due to the book being in the final stages of publication! (Remember this was in the time long before computers). It's still however a collection which many can enjoy for all sorts of reasons.

I had a copy of this book as a child and bought this for my son who is 10. It's quite interesting, the instructions are easy to follow, and since we homeschool, it's made for some nice opportunities for geography and culture discussions. Adults could learn some of them for family-friendly parlor tricks at parties.

Considered by many String Figure people to be the "Bible" in this field. It has easy to follow instructions using what has become standard nomenclature. This book is referenced in recent writings probably more than any other. Anyone with interest in String Figures should have this book in their collection.

Once you master the language of manipulating the string--with a little patience-- you'll find the explanations easy to follow. The selection of string figures was wonderful. A strong collection --a legacy that has travelled throughout the world. Pass it along to your children.