Reception Books

If you are looking to make your wedding special than look no further than this book. Peter Merry has done an amazing job in showing how you can make your wedding reception the best wedding reception ever and all it takes is a few personalized touches. As a wedding planner and a professional DJ I bought this book under referral from a fellow planner and was just blown away by the new and fun ideas that Peter Presents he shows how to take traditions and turn them 90 degrees making them new and exciting while maintaining the essence of tradition. Great Book a Must read for any wedding professional or anyone getting married!

I only wish I had found this book months before my wedding instead of days. I could have done so much more with the ideas presented. As it was, I used several ideas and people are still talking about my reception. Even people who normally find this sort of thing torture said that my reception was the funnest one they had ever been to. I highly recommend this book!

This book was written by a person who truly knows the real truth about the industry and hiring the right vendors to create a perfect wedding day. It will answer all of your questions and give you so many great ideas of how to have the Best Wedding Reception Ever!

As a professional Disc Jockey Entertainer for over 25 years I give this book to my clients so that they will be knowledgeable about all aspects of their big day and how to make it unique and memorable for them.

"The Best Wedding Reception Ever" is a MUST for any couple getting married who wants to have a fun, stress free and perfect day.

I have been a wedding entertainer for many years, and this book is by far the most comprehensive and well-written guide on wedding receptions. It contains a lot of great ideas for brides and grooms. It's also a fantastic training tool for DJs and other wedding professionals. I have seen and done lot of the ideas in the book, but there are a few new tricks I learned as well. If you want to have a really fun reception, read this book!

George Gibson
(Owner and DJ) Twilight Entertainment
http://www.twient.com/

Useful if you are planning a large wedding reception. Very useful if you can afford to hire a super talented DJ/MC and/or a band (as Chapter 7 will scare you away from any other option).

However, for the "intimate wedding" or "destination wedding", like the one I am planning, the book is not as helpful. With a budget of <$10K, only about 40 guests attending, 1 bridesmaid and 1 best man, and guests who would leave a reception rather than run the risk of being singled out to play a game or dance, I did not find a lot of useful tips in the book.

On a positive note, there was one example in the book that included a wedding without dancing where they filled the time with games, instead (which wouldn't work for guests that are scared off by the threat of public humiliation). Plus, there were a couple of nice sentimental ideas such as the Unity Candle and the Anniversary Time Capsule, where the guests filled out advice cards to be placed into a metal container and opened on the couple's 25 wedding anniversary. But those ideas comprised about 3 pages of the book and many of the other suggestions needed an MC to execute.

I still think you can have the best wedding reception...ever! without having a large guest-list, large budget, dancing, games and an MC. Perhaps there are restaurants that specialize in this kind of thing? Perhaps providing icebreakers at the table? Perhaps, if the wedding is small, a large dining table that everyone sits at so everyone feels included? However, you won't find ideas for that kind of wedding in this book.

My advice to you if you are not planning to have a DJ/MC or you have a quiet family is to either avoid the book altogether, or go to a bookstore and flip through it for the occasional sentimental idea to incorporate into your ceremony.

This Madeline Bean series is a winner. The books are well-written, and in this case, the plot moves swiftly. I find that I'm really getting to like Maddie and her crew. I find that I always get hungry when I read one of these books because the food is always divine. In this one Madeline is working with Wes and Holly to plan a breakfast for 200. One of the guests is no other than the Pope. But stuff starts happening and there appears to be a number of dead bodies found around. When Maddie tries to put it together she finds she has to delve back into history a bit. At least as far back as the Second World War. These books are surprisingly good and quite unique. Definitely this series is recommneded for mystery buffs who like a mystery with a bit of humour and a bit of fun.

After an unexpected windfall at the end of the first book in the series, Madeline Bean and her partners have branched out from catering to complete event management. With the reappearance of Madeline's old flame, now a Jesuit brother, they have the ultimate plum assignment: catering breakfast for the Pope and 2000 of LA's movers and shakers. A mysterious note found tucked into an old cookbook, the inexplicable murders of first one and then another seemingly unconnected members of the clergy, and threats of bodily harm all distract Madeline from the business at hand, however. The deeper she delves into these troubling events, the more sinister the secrets become.

Once again, this second installment in the series is outstanding. The writing is brisk and sharp, and laced with humor. The characters are well-developed and quirky. The heroine is bright, determined, spunky and funny, and the added information about her history is interesting and well-handled by the author. There is a good sense of place; perhaps the geography is a bit less developed than in the first book, but the culture of Hollywood is almost another character here.

So why only 4 stars? There is one major, blatant clue in the first murder that Madeline overlooks, and even later when it occurs to her she neglects to give it the consideration and attention it obviously merits. The progression through Maddy's investigation to the ultimate solution is just slightly and vaguely less satisfying than in the previous book. Ultimately, the balance here has tipped from the mystery to the personalities involved. Nevertheless, it is overall an engaging book, well written and well worth reading.

Continuing with my Madeline Bean theme of late, I read Jerrilyn Farmer's second book Immaculate Reception. This was an excellent follow-up to her first installment with Madeline Bean...

Now that Mad Bean Events has recovered from the poisoning episode of book #1 and have all the money they'd ever need, there's more of a focus on creating events instead of just catering. And they've hit the big time with their first event... they've been asked to do breakfast for 2000 people and the Pope. While there's no problem setting up the event, there are some major issues surrounding it. Brother Xavier, who is doing preparation for the event, was at one time engaged to Madeline before leaving her for his religion. While doing some planning, they find part of a letter in an old cookbook that points to a murder confession involving the Catholic church. The deeper they dig, the more the story points to a major cover-up of an event that happened during World War 2. And when a fellow Brother of Xavier is murdered and Mad is threatened, the breakfast event might just be their last.

As usual, Farmer does a great job with her writing. You find out more about Madeline's background, as well as why her relationships are what they are. 20/20 hindsight (reading this book after some of the later ones), you also get the stage set for some of the material that shows up later. Wes is still somewhat of a mystery, but you get a bit more clarification of his personality here. And I'm impressed how Farmer was able to weave a bit of historical fiction into the storyline.

Great job, and another great read...

This is the second of the Madeline Bean Culinary Mystery series, and this one is just as engaging as the first. Madeline and her colleagues have been slated to prepare a 2000-person breakfast for the pontiff, but they are nothing if not ambitious, managing to take on a murderer, an exhibitionist star, a parchment that may be a confession to murder, and even go out on the town a few times! The characters are very entertaining -- problem-solving Madeline, her omniscient partner Wes, their goofy employee Holly and her Donald (who has just written a successful screenplay), and Maddie's part-time beau Arlo. There is a lot of activity here, a bit of Hollywood name-dropping, colorful portraits of the star lifestyle we love to ridicule, and even a decent mystery. Do yourself a favor and check out this delightful series by talented author Jerrilyn Farmer.

Madeline Bean has just been given the event of the year to cater - the official Los Angeles welcome breakfast for the Pope's visit. Still, this is the least of her worries. First, she's struggling with her feelings for ex-fiancé Xavier Jones who left her to become a Jesuit Brother. Then there's the old letter she finds that seems to be a confession to murder. But who's confessing, when, and why? Then a priest, a friend of Xavier's, is murdered in a TV star's trailer, and things really start to heat up. Madeline is going to have to dig up some old secrets to figure this out before the Pope must cancel his visit to LA.

This is a thoroughly entertaining read from start to finish. The characters are charming and easy to like. The plot flows well with just the right mix of mystery and humor culminating in a perfectly logical and surprising ending.

I can't recommend this series highly enough. Start with the first, Sympathy for the Devil. You will enjoy this entertaining mystery series immensely.

Cheryl provides great insight to each and every bride in this book. Even if you aren't budgeting, I would recommend the Wedding Survival Guide. An easy and quick read, which contains valuable information around planning each and every aspect of the wedding. It is rather like having a wedding consultant in your pocket. :)

I wish all future brides good luck!!! However, with this book, you could make your own luck :)

Thank you Cheryl!

Great idea's for planning your wedding and putting your own personal touches, somthing an expensive wedding planner can't do for you. Gives step by step instructions to make things easier and gives you plenty of idea's you might not think of yourself and not leave anything out. Also a GREAT gift to give someone who is planning an upcoming wedding. A MUST have for anyone planning a wedding and wanting it to be perfect.

I really loved the easy check off to-do list inside the book. Best of all, it really was a great stress relief for me and my fiancee. In the condition our economy is in, every penny we saved from this book was a blessing. I got this at a bridal show and it is definitely something I would recommend to ALL brides!

This is an excellent book. The author spent a lot of time making sure the bride-to-be has the information at her finger tips to cover every aspect of planning a wedding, right down to all the little details. The money saving ideas are fantastic. I also love the places where the author reminds the bride-to-be to take her camera and take pictures for her memory book! This is definitely a hands on book. It includes a calendar section and also places to take notes, jot down reminders of things to do, etc. A very useful book that I think every bride-to-be should have. Plus, it is affordable!

This is a very well written book that will definitly save you a large sum of money if you take the advice given. Wedding expenses will escalate out of control in a hurry and especially in todays financial times, this book is a lifesaver. Highly recommended!

This is a very thick book... and for good reason. It has photos (albeit black and white ones) or photo-rendered sketches of many potential wedding and reception venues. Each venues' pages come with the stuff you need: the seating capacity and approximate prices. There are also other sections of the book focused on vendors for flowers, etc. I recommend this book if you're trying to get a feeling for "what's out there" with regard to venues. It's a great place to start, and you'll probably feel like you've covered a lot of ground once you've gone through this book.

Wonderful book, a must have!

I am so glad that a friend told me about this book. I was so daunted by the search for a location for my wedding, I didn't know where to start. This book (and their fantastic website by the same name) made it really easy. They give great descriptions and the pricing information helped me narrow down the places I could afford. It saved me so much time, I was able to actually enjoy looking for a reception location. Thank you, Here Comes the Guide.

This has been an invaluable book during my wedding planning. When I got engaged in December 99, a girlfriend suggested that I buy the SoCal edition immediately to start finding reception and ceremony locations. I did buy it, and whipped through the whole book one evening. Sitting there reading, I quickly dismissed reception site after site and determined that the book just couldn't help me. I put it aside.

Then I started actually going out, visiting places, and realizing that it wasn't so easy to find the perfect place! I quickly realized I was going to have to work a lot harder than I thought to mesh the right church location, my number of people, and a convenient indoor reception site. So I came back to the Guide--time and again! Soon I had it dogeared and filled with notes as I reconsidered the options I'd been so quick to skip past earlier. The statistics on each site helped keep me focused and helped me and my fiance consider new places when others fell through, and keep the attributes of each place in mind. The descriptions of the reception sites are detailed, positive and generous-but-not-misleading. We ultimately booked a site listed in the Guide and are thrilled to have found it.

Now that I've moved on to choosing a photographer, I went to the Guide again. First I read through each photographer's profile in the book, then went on the Guide's website! It's so easy to use - - it allows you to jump to photographers' websites and see their portfolios, all without making appointments or driving around! I feel satisifed that I don't need to look beyond the professionals listed in the Guide, since the authors have already done the legwork in finding people with high standards and good customer service.

If you really want to explore all possible options for your ceremony, reception, and event professionals, you will love Here Comes The Guide! The hardcopy book and the website are thorough, pleasant to read, and - - most importantly - - really helpful. My mom keeps saying, "I had no idea it was this complicated to plan a wedding in this day and age!" Here Comes the Guide goes a long way towards relieving the complication!

While the bulk of the Guide is dedicated to reception site listings, the vendor listings in the back are very helpful. The listings are not mere "paid advertisements." If you read the book, The Guide explains how each vendor undergoes a thorough screening process--something even the most persistent bride likely wouldn't have the time or ability to conduct.

As The Guide states on Page 483, their process "involves interviewing 15-20 other event professionals. We call every single reference and ask about the professionalism, technical competency and service orientation of the advertiser in question. ... Those candidates who received consistent, rave reviews made it into The Guide."

Using The Guide as a starting point (combined with the internet, magazine ads, and friends' recommendations), I conducted exhaustive research of my own of wedding professionals in Los Angeles and beyond. I wound up hiring three vendors who had been featured in the Guide (caterer, band and florist, 11-11-00 wedding). All performed beyond my greatest expectations, and my guests cannot stop raving about the "fabulous," "amazing," and "out of this world" food, music, and flowers. Clearly, The Guide got it right.

So don't be fooled by the relative size of the vendor section compared to pages allotted to reception sites. The vendor section may be small because they are the cream of the crop, thanks to the Guide's legwork.

I have studied many books on Digital Communications but the style of the authors from Digital Receivers point of view is quite nice. It starts from very basics and builds up things gradually... I would recommend this book to every Communication Engineer who is interested in Estimation and Detection !

This is an extremely useful book for any Digital Communication System designer or engineers who wish to develop digital transmitters and (especially) receivers for a given system. Covers all aspects, including recent developments and classic algorithms used for synchronization of digital communication systems. Phase synchronization, timing offset estimation, and frequency offset synchronization are treated in detail. A particularly interesting section about effect (degradation) due to non-synchronized receiver is given. I could not quantitative and intuitive treatment of this topic anywhere else. However, this book is recommended only to those who understand the basic communication theory very well.

The purpose of this book, along with its companion (Synchronization in Digital Communications vol.1, published in 1991), is quite ambitious: a comprehensive coverage on the theory of synchronization in digital communications. Compared with its companion, the treatment presented in this book is quite practical and technical, so the audience may be very limited -- only for communication system engineers and students doing researches on sync theory. The valuable part of this book is the treatment on sync problems over the fading channels, which only can be found sporadically in journal or conference papers. The introductory chapter on the necessary background is quite concise but informative. It is highly recommended for people who want to know more details on the design of digital communications.

This book is an excellent learning tool for those who are already familiar with communication theory and are interested in communication over fading channels. This book also contains very recent work that has not been covered anywhere else, for example, relating estimation theory and information theory. This is highly recommended, but only for those with a strong background in communication theory.

Floyd Gardner has written a comprehensive review in the IEEE Communications Magazine, September 1998, Vol.36 No.)on two recent books on the subject. (one being the book discussed here)

Excerpts "These books are massive, authoritative expositions of synchronization;their authors are long-time researchers in the field. Heretofore there has been no book, to my knowledge that provides a comprehensive up-to-date account of sync.of data signals-until now"

"Both books are directed at advanced graduate students, seasoned practicioners, or active researchers"

(About the book' Digital Communication receiver') "(But) this book is without peer for someone who wants to probe into the underlying foundations of data signal reception, or to cope with difficult fading channels" "

Fred has done an excellent job of cataloging a wide range of shortwave receivers from the early WWII "boat anchors" up through the modern integrated-circuit PLL synthesized high performance radios of the 1990s. He not only covers the usual radios such as Collins, Drake and National but also the more obscure like the beautiful Gelosos from Italy (I DROOLED over those in catalogs in the '50s).

I guarantee you this book will raise your appreciation for the radios created by the gifted engineers (and the "dogs" created by some NOT so gifted ones) - these wonderful devices not only entertain and educate us but help save lives at sea and keep our conuntries safe.

The Shortwave Receivers Past & Present: Communications Receivers 1942-1997 is an excellent resource book for collectors and those interested in used radios. There are pictures specs and evaluations of hundreds for the shortwave radios in this era.If you are in the market for a used receiver or a collector this is an invaluable resource. Also provided is a realistic pricing of the true value of each receiver as well as a 1 to 5 star evaluation based on the author's many years in the hobby.
This is the Bible for radio hobbists on the subject

If you do not already have this book, and have avid interest in communications receivers, shame on you. You have no right to gripe if you are in the dark without the info. Fred needs to come out with a new edition soon. A bargain at the price. A must have, what else is there to say?

Yes, this is a catalog of base receivers, 1945-now. Osterman provides many useful informations, and if it may be true that some informations may not be useful to an european reader (e.g. the 'used' prices), you wil not find elsewhere a so comprehensive guide. Another book will be dedicated to portable sw radios. Osterman is not God, so many data are provided by the readers: it's the way the informations flow in the scientific communities, why not here? If you are an european reader, and you know something Osterman does not, write him. I've done so, and a new chapter in this edition was added with the informations I retrieved.

Nearly 500 pages of pictures & data on most SW receivers built in North America & abroad. Contains basic specs & features, picture, descriptions, and data on when built, physical dimensions, and estimates on values. A must for collectors.

Man's consciousness happened in a cathode ray tube in the 1900s.
This much we know to be true. Use this book to track old hardware used to tap into this consciousness and then view with the whole family!

A must have for anyone interested in television. Clear and easily readable, this book provides all the essential information (and then some) when it comes to vintage TV's.

This book is lots of fun even if you only want to look at the many excellent photographs.

Beautiful little paperback with 200 superior, very sharp full color pictures. Sets are grouped by manufacturer. There are brief sections covering cautions, definitions and warnings. Current values of each model appears, along with its description, model number and year of manufacture. The products of nearly 120 manufacturers are included. Anyone collecting vintage TVs or those interested in nostalgia items will enjoy this book.

This book is an excellent addition to any Ham's library. I think most who buy it know well what they are buying...another Ham has suggested it to them. Most Hams are lifelong learners and this can be an important part of that ongoing experience. At this price it is affordable to many more than if one must pay full fare. Free shipping makes it an even better deal!

This is a good book with the coverage that you need to learn about antennae.

Don't rely upon your friend down the street that worked 100 countries in 20 years on his wonder antennae.

Learn the theory so that you can work 100 countries during one weekend contest.

This is the most comprehensive book on making antennas for the lower bands. Of course you can use the same techniques on the higher bands but getting an efficient antenna on the low bands is the most challenging.

I am not the most technical guy in the world, so some parts of this book were a little over my head, or required a lot of study to understand. But I have implemented much of the information, and I continue to plan and fantasize about some of the other projects that are not completely realistic for my property or my budget. There is a TON of great info here, and I can definitely say that my signal and my receiving ability have both improved drastically as a result of this book. I still can't figure out how I ever got by without it, but I guess that is why I went from 4 countries to 75 countries on 160M in the two months after reading the book and building just one simple transmit antenna and one beverage.
Anybody who is serious about doing well on the low bands should definitely have this bible!

Also, a week after getting the book, I bumped into the author on 75 meters, which was totally cool. He took the time to explain something to me that I had a question on. Then later that week we QSO'd twice on 160M, both on phone and on CW, which would not have been possible if I hadn't gotten my antennas working properly per his recommendations. Can't ask for much more than that!

I have been a big fan of Williams' work for years, and have been waiting for someone to champion the later plays. While Saddik's argument acknowledges that not all of Williams' later plays were as sophisticated as the earlier ones, she acknowledges his right to experiment and very intelligently analyzes the form of some of his best later work. Bravo!

This book presents Williams' later works in a completely different light, for they are seen as a progression of a genius, not as a stifling of one. It is only unfortunate that Williams himself is not around to read this deeply insightful piece of work.

Informative piece of writing giving a whole new and different outlook on Tennessee Williams' later works. Dr. Saddik is able to give a in depth perspective on the later works of the playwright. Often misunderstood by critics and never quite reaching the acclaim of his earlier works, this book is able to show the reader just what was happening throughout this famous playwright's life. An excellent read!

This was an exceptionally interesting book about both Tennessee William's life and work and the theater world at the time. It provides an insightful discussion of how expectation shaped the career of a great author, as well as fascinating autobiographical details. A fun read!

In 1962 the appearance of naturalist Rachel Carson's Silent Spring not only sparked debate on pesticide and ecology issues; it helped change the nature and effectiveness of preservation efforts around the world. It first appeared as a magazine serialization, but its book version really reached out to larger audiences. Priscilla Coit Murphy's What A Book Can Do: The Publication And Reception Of Silent Spring isn't just another analysis of the book itself: it's a review of the publishing history of the Houghton Mifflion edition and the prior New Yorker serialization, incorporating the views of her editors as well as Carson herself - and her opponents. An exceptional history which is strongly recommended for any reader of Silent Spring.

In 1962 the appearance of naturalist Rachel Carson's Silent Spring not only sparked debate on pesticide and ecology issues; it helped change the nature and effectiveness of preservation efforts around the world. It first appeared as a magazine serialization, but its book version really reached out to larger audiences. Priscilla Coit Murphy's What A Book Can Do: The Publication And Reception Of Silent Spring isn't just another analysis of the book itself: it's a review of the publishing history of the Houghton Mifflion edition and the prior New Yorker serialization, incorporating the views of her editors as well as Carson herself - and her opponents. An exceptional history which is strongly recommended for any reader of Silent Spring.

Many readers might never pick up this book unless a Media or Environmental Studies professor placed it on the Required Reading List. In libraries, it probably hides behind a multi-digit call number. But lucky students! To find such an oasis in the academic desert! As far as I can tell, "What a Book Can Do" is THE thorough, scholarly, insightful study of the astonishing impact "Silent Spring" produced on our consciousness and our culture. But more than that: the stories behind the stories behind the stories, concerning not just Rachel Carson but also all the other parties affected by her work, are truly fascinating. "What a Book Can Do" is a real page-turner. Read it.

As the sub-title says, this book is primarily on the publication and reception of Silent Spring. It talks about the effort to get it published, the response of the pesticide industry, how the media handled it and so on. But there are a few points the author made that I think worth special mention.

One is the fact that now, 45 years after its publication, the book is still in print. This implies that there is still sufficient readership that the publisher finds it worth its while to keep ordering more when copies on hand run out.

Another is how could one distinguish a book like this which somehow generates such worldwide interest, in fact it could be argued that it created the environmental movement as we know it today with it's accompanying set of laws.

Finally just what is it that makes 'Silent Spring' so effective, while other books on equally important aspects of our future such as 'The Limits to Growth,' or books on Hubbard's Peak (of oil production) be so generally ignored. Was it the writing style? The media attention?

Ms. Murphy has done a fascinating job of looking at 'Silent Spring.' I think she has just scratched the surface about 'What a Book Can Do.' I hope she continues her research in this area.