Billings Books

I haven't traveled to Yorkshire since buying this guide, so I haven't had a chance to verify all the info for myself, but it is a pleasant, easy-to-read guide. I'm bothered by the number of typos in it, as well as that much of the information is very vague (mentioning sites without maps or directions for finding them), but I do feel it's helping me plan my itinerary. Word of warning: I bought this as well as Hidden Inns of Yorkshire, and the content is largely duplicative. I'd recommend one or the other - not both.

Legacy: New Perspectives on the Battle of the Little Bighorn is an endlessly fascinating book. A collection of essays, it draws on historians, anthropologists, archaeologists, rhetoricians, and art historians to explain why, in the words of Richard Slotkin, author of the essay, "Signifying on the Little Bighorn," ". . . we are, 120 years after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, still talking about Custer and Sitting Bull, Reno and Crazy Horse. Still asking what happened and why?" (287). Overall, the tone of the book is unrepentantly new historical reflecting the essence of its genesis - an interdisciplinary conference where a mixed bag of scholars explored exactly what Little Bighorn means to America. This "lonely place that haunts American conscious," (xiii) as the editor Charles Rankin writes in his lucid prose, allows both sides both Old West and New West historians to project upon it however they want. The battle can be seen in these essays as a life or death struggle for either the noble savages or the Old West heroes. The truth becomes obscured and unattainable by the level of emotion that Americans (both Native and Anglo) have heaped upon the event since its occurrence. In the search to see how the battle has helped to shape America both culturally and historically, Anglo and Indian views are balanced. We see both sides transforming their opponents into the "other", dehumanizing them, making them evil and thus, easy to kill.
The first part of the book, "The Context" is lacking just that. Over and over the essays leave one asking, "what?" The essays, ranging in topic from buffalo population distribution to the alignment of certain tribes with Custer are interesting, but perhaps too technical and field-specific for the proceedings of an interdisciplinary conference.
Alvin Josepy Jr's essay in "The Context," "Indian Policy and the Battle of Little Bighorn", wears its biases on its sleeve. At the beginning of essay, Josephy writes, "At the heart of the Indian-white relations. . . lay the most simple of facts. . . the whites wanted the Indians' lands and resources, and most Indians did not want to give them up." (23) Later Josephy makes the inference that Custer "deserved" his death. Dogma aside, Josephy presents the best contextual paper. Reading it prepares the readers for the rest of the essays. Josephy makes good points, making the case that the battle at Little Bighorn was the result of unbelievable pressure on the Indians. They had been given the choice of assimilation or death and many chose death. Many felt they had no choice. They had been cheated in treaties. Even the treaties that had been less unfair were routinely ignored when it suited the white man. Railroads cut off the tribes from their traditional hunting grounds. Josephy brings out the mess and Constitutional violations created when Grant set up an all Quaker board to run certain reservations and help form Indian policy.
The overwhelming metaphor used by authors in these essays is Vietnam. Both Vietnam and Little Bighorn are military actions much debated, much mid-understood, and much mythologized. That mytholgizing continues even today. In this book, there is a great deal of de-mythologizing in these essays, presenting the Indian Wars not as epic struggles of good versus bad but simple battles of survival. We are encouraged to reconsider the French-Indian wars as precursors of the Indian Trouble with their complex intertribal rivalries and friendship and veiled business interests. However, Calloway, in his essay "Army Allies or Tribal Survival", goes too far by making the suggestion that the American soldiers and American Indians may have been class allies rather than racial rivals.(66)
Part II starts with quite a bit about translation theory and why written accounts are privileged over the Indians oral accounts. However, I would have liked to have seen the idea that it may not have been such a bias against orality but as a bias against the victors. After all, American soldiers eyewitness accounts (even in Vietnam we have the trust of the grunts stories over the untrustworthy reports filed by their assumedly corrupt superiors) have always been acceptable as basically truthful and accurate by the US public and press.
Part III opens with "What Valor Is" and that essay that concentrates on what, it seems the whole book is about, "the intricate interplay between fact and fiction". Focusing on the way art can reinforce cultural myths, it's an interesting essay that exemplifies the focus of this book with its focus on fields other than traditional history.
Overall, Legacy, through its interdisciplinary approach, succeeds in making us realize just how much the events of the genocidal Indian wars were interrelated with other American events. The Civil War is one example that is properly fleshed out. In the aftermath of the Civil War Congress wasn't able to work effectively with Indian concerns because of Reconstruction and problems with President Johnson (27). It was the "hard war" practice perfected by Union officers like Sheridan and Sherman on his march though Georgia that eventually brought the Indians to their knees. The influence of the railroad and the its influence on the army's actions and Custer's gold-seeking foray into he Black Hills are equally well-developed. A book like Legacy takes the Battle of Little Bighorn from the narrow perspective of most Americans view and places it in a complete historical context. The book shows the connections between the different events that took place in and those that affected the American West and shows the one connecting factor-the drive to develop commerce and the crushing of those who stood in its way.

Although the book is more for physician's office medical record auditing and I work for a small neurosurgical hospital, the book is very informative and gives you an idea of what forms you need, as well as guidelines, etc. It goes into good detail about Medicare. I recommend it. It is also fairly recent and I have found nothing comparable to it looking through books on the subject.

Very funny, the versus match the lives of my own children as well as many of my own experiences growing up. Very much along the lines of Shell Silverstien. Highly recommended for all ages not just children.

This book attempts to provide a documentary history of early Virginia. To a large extent it succeeds in its purpose, but it attempts to cover too much ground to be truly extraordinary. The documents it includes provide insight into the colony's early development, but how many more were excluded? A single volume is not really a place for a thorough analysis of a colony's documentary history.

The book begins with the establishment of Jamestown and the starving time that soon followed. It even mentions cannibalism by at least one or two of the early colonists. It moves on to document how self government emerged over time. Democracy does not happen overnight, so those who wish to use this book as an illustration of how democracy came to be will be hard-pressed to make valid points. Likewise, a colony's economy did not thrive from the beginning, and Virginia had its share of troubles. Finding workders became a constant challenge and though slavery did not begin in 1619, this book does not do the emergence of slavery justice.

All in all this is a good attempt to provide insight into the primary documents of early Virginia history. It could have done much more, but the author's intent of illustrating the highpoints seems to have been met. This book is not for the casual reader, unless that reader is a true student of history. But it is a good book and worthy to be considered as required reading by instructors of colonial Virginia history classes.

What an appropriate title. This true-to-life story covers issues involving friendship, trust, and emotional healing. Hope Mason learns to overcome personal and domestic issues with the help of the endearing Jefferson siblings, Tyla and Tristen.

Ms. Billings is a delightful storyteller, with colorful characters sprinkled with humor and inspiration. It's a pleasure to experience this talented writer's development in each of her novels. Congratulations, Maxine Billings, for your wholesome and refreshing story. I strongly feel a sequel to follow. If so, I'm eagerly waiting.

I'm a Sidney Sheldon's fan but I was so disappointed with this book. It is so full of contradictions. The characters' actions are illogical. Leslie is supposed to an extremely intelligent woman who has built a press empire for herself (with the help of her husband's money), yet, she makes all important decisions with the aid of an astrologer. She wants revenges but she would not give Oliver Russell any bad press when she had the chance and he wasn't so powerful. Who would want to wait for the guy to become president before trying to bring him down? In the end, she was described as a stupid b**** who just wasted all her time and money to turn reputable publications into cheap tabloids, how did she build an empire being this stupid?

This is a very quick, easy, and fun read for those looking for light entertainment and an escape from reality for a few hours! This is a book that can help pass the time while traveling or on vacation as well.

Nice storyline, that captures your attention at the start of this novel and holds it through the end of this novel. Take one smart advertising executive, Leslie Stewart, with an IQ that places her in the genius category and one suave, ladies man, attorney Oliver Russell, whom is running for governor of Kentucky. The two meet when the advertising firm Leslie Stewart works for decides to do pro bono work in order to help Oliver Russell in his run for Governor of Kentucky. Stewart & Russell fall in love quickly and become engaged to be married. Shortly before they are to be married, Russell flies to Paris on business and marries his former girlfriend. Stewart reads about the marriage in the local paper and is crushed although she takes the news in stride.

From that day forward Stewart vows to take revenge on Russell for breaking her heart. But in a cruel twist of fate, even the best laid plans don't always guarantee the desired outcome and can back fire!

Sometimes a person gets so focused on revenge that they do not realize that the only person they are really hurting is themself. That is what happens to Leslie Stewart when she decides to take down Oliver Russell, the President of the United States. Leslie was suppose to have married Oliver when he was an Attorney in Kentucky. Fortunately he marries the daughter of US Senator and becomes the Governor of Kentucky and then the President of the United States. Leslie cannot forget the humiliation of being dumped so she plots a revenge against Oliver. Meanwhile, a couple of young girls have been found murdered while using Ecstasy and the girls are somehow linked to Oliver. Leslie who recalls Oliver trying to persuade her to use Ecstasy when they were dating begins to think that this might be her big break in her quest to bring down Oliver. But is she on the right track? Read the book and find out. You will also meet Dana Evans, a star reporter for the Washington Tribune which is owned by Leslie. Dana will be key character in exposing the truth. You can also read more about Dana in Sidney Sheldon's "The Sky is Falling".

What an adventure this story was. My heart was pounding at the end when all the action was unfolding. I guessed the villain about three quarters of the way through the story, but that didn't make it any less thrilling. Sidney Sheldon was a master of the arts and this book is just a small example of his talent. It is my first experience reading his works, but I guarantee it won't be my last. The story revolves around several plots, but the basis of the plot is "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." The woman, in this case, is Leslie Stewart and the man is Oliver Russell, Governor of Kentucky and then later on, President of the United States. Leslie is out to get her revenge for being "left at the altar" and Oliver gives her plenty of ammunition to use against him. The tale twists and turns over the ensuing years, with many characters supporting both parties to get them to the top of their respective careers just for Leslie to bring Russell crashing down at the pinnacle of his term. Sheldon takes us through a journey of the terrible affect of the war in Sarajevo as he introduces first rate television and news reporter, Dana Evans. We also get an insight as to the corruptive and manipulative tactics of the world of politics. Through the eyes of Senator Todd Davis and assistant to the President, Peter Tager, we see what strides are made to protect the office of the most powerful man of our nation.

i've been a huge fan of sheldon
you can never guess what'll happen and his story is different from each novel..
probably one of the greatest story teller of all times

This is a pretty decent book. It's not completely non-fiction but the author does state that its a compilation of his experiences. It's quite amusing and kept me interested, though the title is much more exciting than the actual story.

Some of the other reviewers have described this book at "exhilirating," but I didn't find much excitement or action in the book, rather it is a very accurate portrait of life as a young associate at a law firm, which is seldom exciting or interesting. Though the job promises a lot of money, prestige and future opportunity, it also demands a lot of unpleasant grunt work and very long hours. Stracher does a great job detailing his emotions throughout the time at the firm (and his initial decision to join the firm) as well as the tasks he was asked to perform on a day to day basis and in doing so provides a very honest example for people thinking of doing big law. The writing itself is sometimes a little too flowery, but the story does move along very well and is very insightful, so I would recommend it to anyone considering a career at a big firm or people who just want to see what a big firm is really like (as opposed to the depictions you usually see on tv or in John Grisham novels).

Double Billing is a fairly good representation of the life of a junior litigation associate in a large New York law firm. For all practical purposes, the firm described in the book may as well have been CS&M or S&C. I agree with some other reviewers that the title and subtitle for the book are a bit misleading, but the book is worth reading nonetheless for anyone interested in "BigLaw" and the money and prestige that come to the select few. Stracher shows that he is a talented writer in this entertaining tale and did a good job of portraying large firm life, the never-ending hours, the demanding partners and senior associates and the gradual loss of one's life and friends outside of work. Yet, despite knowing all of this, there are numbers of law school students ready to kill for a coveted summer associate position with one of these firms and the job offer at the end of the summer that usually accompanies it. Although I'm currently working in a New York law firm, the constant thought I had while reading this book was that I am glad I stayed away from litigation. I recommend this book for anyone interested in large law firm practice or civil litigation.

I disagree with the reviewers who state that this book is a "must read" for anyone considering law school, lawyers, etc. The book could not hold my attention. Stracher likes to complain. He complains about is frustration about the doors a Harvard law degree opens yet boasts on the same page about his elation of getting in, and the opportunities that await. He can't write or hold the reader's attention. Skip this book, and pick up something better.

Stracher's book is a fairly boring whine-fest. He comes across as a silly young man, who went from college to law school without stopping to take the time to determine if law school was right for him. Then, after law school, off he immediately went to take a job as an associate at an enormous law firm, and was ultimately surprised to find himself miserable. Stracher's insights into the world of law are mundane and simple. It takes him three years to figure out he took the wrong job. He (and the reader) would have been much better served if he had engaged in some introspection prior to applying to law school, and again prior to taking a job, instead of thoughtlessly following a path, and then whining that he doesn't like where he has found himself.

This is a very entertaining book, full of interesting anecdotes about a wide range of people. Liz Smith is known as the gossip columnist who doesn't sling mud, and what a relief that is! In this age of tell-all tabloid journalism, she has remained a cut above and is all the more fascinating because of it. This is perfect reading that delivers one from the harsh realities of everyday life, but which is not at all escapist. Liz Smith has the gift of being in the right place at the right time with the right people and writing about it with graceful humor.

Oddly dull, considering the author makes her living by writing and that her writing is on gossip.

I was surprised at how many times I thought to myself, "I guess you had to be there," in response to her narration of an allegedly wild and crazy party.

I was amused when she noted how something or another she wrote created a "sensation." Perhaps they created a sensation among certain cliques in Manhattan or the Hamptons, but they didn't hit my radar screen. Just goes to show how each of us is the center of our own universe.

Possibly the most irksome feature in the book was when she'd refer to "my friend so-and-so" [insert extremely interesting person's name here]in passing, without offering up any information about that person. Instead, she squandered many pages on the likes of the Trumps and others of that ilk.

She kept my interest most when she described her childhood and young adulthood.

Liz Smith was gossip columnist par excellence but, no, she wasn't a natural blonde. The book is full of photos (half her life, she had dark hair) with the famous and infamous. She was the ultimate party girl in the early fifties in New York.

She had a lovely mother but her two grandmothers looked like mine in Tennessee. Age was not good for women in the thirties, forties, and fifties unless they were rich and, though her father owned a farm and horses, they were not on the upper scale. She liked Tom Mix, the cowboy and never got over her desire to be a real cowgirl; kept his picture even through two marriages.

Growing up in Texas, she had a lot of LBJ's 'bigger-than-thou' bravado. Seems to me I remember her at one of his press conferences but she claims the closest she got to doing a piece on the Johnson daughters for Cosmopolitan was a clandestine meeting at the St. Regis Hotel with Homer Busby, an aide to the president. She'd known him at the University of Texas where she was a journalism student. She says she was in her 'tart' dressing at the time, min-skirt and all.

The photo display shows her with a plethora of important people always partying. She is shown with a young Barbara Walters, who describes her as "provacative without being vicious." She was not impressed with Sonny and Cher, put them down; guess they weren't "classy" enough. Sonny went on to become a Mayor.

There are photos of her with Liberace, Truman Copote, and Bill Clinton. She had an active social life and was the Joan Rivers of her time. In 1976, she wrote a column for New York Daily News.

A memoir is just that, memories we want people to know about us, and she furnishes a full plate. She sought a campy, bohemian life and had a ball fulfilling it on a large scale.

After reading this autobio, I feel I know little more about Liz than I would have from reading her resume. She chronologically recounts the passage of her life without revealing much about herself personally or emotionally. She gushes over most people. Most seem to like her too, but aside from her generous charity work, it's hard to understand why, since we don't learn much about her as a person. She conveniently elects not to reveal the names of those she wishes to protect, while having no qualms about publishing gossip about those she doesn't. The last portion of the book is marginally more interesting than the first.

Go. Go now and get this book. Lots of lovely yummy tidbits from a sweet-spirited, good writer. I'm not usually keen on memoirs, but not one page of the book bored me. A fabulous read and a great gift--for yourself.

I did not received the book, I order, still waiting to get the book.

I had to purchase this as it is required for a class, but even our teacher admits that the book is not that great. It's a very boring read, indeed.

After purchasing the instructor's manual to check my answers, I found errors in every chapter!! From spelling to incorrect percentage amounts. I found myself editing the entire time to find their errors which contradict their text. When I got answers that were not an option in the multiple choice exercises, I would reference the book and the textbook would say I was correct, and the workbook did not. Not worth the money or the time. Extremely exhausting.

This book is fanastic and provides up-to-date information on the health insurance industry. Its great for learners and old timers too. Gives a very broad spectrum of the health industry and easy to comprehend. I recommend this book to anyone as a teaching/learning tool.

Medical coding and billing continuously evolve in large part because insurance companies and providers have conflicting business goals. An effective biller must go beyond simple claim submission and discover the reasons for underpayments and denials, to solicit missing information from both providers and payers, and follow up on every claim until its full payment.

Rowell's and Green's Guide provides an ideal introductory didactic set of materials covering everything from history of health care reimbursement, major insurance companies, and federal health care legislation, to basic knowledge of national diagnosis and procedure coding rules, to complex topics, such as V-codes, and diagnosis code linking. The text is replete with examples and exercises, helping students understand and remember the needed materials.

Yuval Lirov, Practicing Profitability - Billing Network Effect for Revenue Cycle Control in Healthcare Clinics and Chiropractic Offices: Collections, Audit Risk, SOAP Notes, Scheduling, Care Plans, and Coding