McDonald's Books

My daughter used the book for Goverment AP class - mandatory reading - and with no regrets. It really helps to understand the basis of the our Nation's goverment from an objective perspective. The light through which our founding fathers design the constitution is clearly depicted and fully explore with annotated references.

No page turner, it is still a good look at the founding era....

Forrest McDonald has written some exciting work on the Constitutional era in American history. "Novus Ordo Seclorum" lives up to earlier works.

First, what does he mean by the Latin phrase that is the book's title? One translation might be "a new order of the ages" (page 262). Of this, McDonald says that (page 262):

"So it was that the Framers brought a vast knowledge of history and the whole long tradition of civic humanism with them to Philadelphia in May of 1787, and that they departed four months later having fashioned a frame of government that necessitated a redefinition of most of the terms in which the theory and ideology of civic humanism had been discussed."

McDonald notes that for this "new order," four sets of considerations were important for the Framers as they deliberated upon a new framework for governing, as they moved from the flawed Articles of Confederation to some form that would be more effective. Among these guidelines:

1. Protecting (page 3) "the lives, liberty, and property of the citizenry."
2. A commitment to republicanism (including a role for the people, representative institutions, a distrust of direct democracy.
3. History--including ancient Greece and Rome, prior confederations, and the development of English representative institutions.
4. Political theory, including the works of David Hume, James Harrington, John Locke, Montesquieu, Blackstone, and so on.

One important feature of the debates was, as John Jay and others put it, a sense of urgency. There was a sense that of the Americans could not make republicanism work, then (page 183) "it would not be likely to be tried again anywhere else." There was a sense that the time was special and that the United States could be a model.

This is a very nice work addressing the origins of the Constitution, what was at stake, what went into the debates and the structure of the Constitution.

Novus Ordo Seclorum is a very specific and academic read on the intellectual origins of the Constitution. Forrest McDonald, in what can only be described as a marvelously researched and specifically footnoted text, digs extraordinarily deep as he seeks out the philosophies and the readings of our framers and they sought to construct a more cohesive nation from an obviously failing and loosely assemble group of sovereign states under the Articles of Confederation. His research and range of knowledge is, at times, daunting. This is a work that is not easily read the first time and one that most, if not all, with an interest in this topic, will pull off their shelves through the years as a reference to further readings. A word of caution - this book should only be read by those who have a significant interest in a deep and academic research into this very specific topic. That said, simply wonderful historical research.

This book is actually the third of a sort of trilogy, begun with "We the People..." in 1958. It should be no surprise that Mc Donald thinks little of Charles Beard. In his earlier work (mentioned above) he did a great deal to discredit Beard's thesis that the founders created the Constitution in order to increase the values of the gov't securities that they held. He followed this in 1965 with "E Pluribus Unum", a work about the political wheeling and dealing that was behind the creation of, and opposition to, the Constitution. He turned his attention to the ideas that were important to the framers in "Novus Ordo Seclorum" in order to finish his career-spanning look at the basis of our government. I my view, the best thing about this book is the way that it is systematically put together. McDonald states the problem clearly early on, and then proceeds to analyze it step-by-step. His placing of the framing of the Constitution in its broader English context is outstanding, as is his discussion of the political and economic theory that the founders had available. But McDonald also makes it abundantly clear that the framers were no ivory tower theoreticians. They were pragmatic, hardnosed political realists who had a good grounding in the best available theory of their day. That combination of theoretical grounding and practical experience has always seemed to me to be the reason that the Constitution was so well crafted and enduring, and McDonald brings that out quite clearly. On another note, McDonald was characterized above as a "conservative historian". It is true that he has supported conservative causes and taken conservative stances throughout his career, but that seems to be beside the point here. McDonald was writing in an attempt to gain understanding about the framing of the Constitution, not to influence current political debate. To often today we look to the founders to resolve our current controversies. As a result people on both sides of the political spectrum have politicized our history in a way that I think leads to an impoverishment of understanding. I admire McDonald for trying to keep the scholarly ideal of detatchment in view, and doing the best he could to live up to it.

This can't be a first novel. Smith did an excellent job & she left no stone unturned. Pick it up - you'll finish it in one day - I did. Detailed, interesting & thought-provoking - I really enjoyed this book.

FLIGHT OF THE BLACKBIRD" is a novel about strength, perseverence, and love, and how everything that was once lost can be found again. I thought that there was nothing left for this family, and then another tragedy brought about newfound priorities and stronger family ties. The best part of this book was that it was so real. Downsizing is a part of the corporate structure, and people cope in different ways. This family, to me, took it too lightly, and the walls fell it-HARD! It was a very powerful novel and I enjoyed it throughly.

The Burkes is a middle class family that's just trying to make it until rock bottom hits. Mel loses her job, and Builder's construction company is not making a profit, they have to take their daughter out of private school. To top it all off the couple is having big marriage problems along with everything else. You don't want to miss this one, I am sure everyone can relate in some aspect of the novel.

Set in cultural Hotlanta, is the story of a family's life which is changed after the course of one day. You will cry, get angry, and wonder what will happen next as you journey through this couple's losses of what they once thought important, redefining what love and family is all about.

Faye McDonal tells a wonderful story of keeping up with the Joneses and the resurrection of human spirit in Flight Of The Blackbird!

Recommended for the serious reader who knows life holds no guarantees.

FLIGHT OF THE BLACKBIRD is the story of the downward spiral of a woman, Mel, and her family when she loses her job. This book questions living above one's means, and not saving and putting away for lean times. It addresses decisions made while under financial duress and how they affect family members. Finally, FLIGHT OF THE BLACKBIRD looks at the impact of having less on family pride, values and images. Even though this book presented a very real scenario and I'm glad I read it, it was depressing. One bad situation kept happening after another. I put myself in the lead character's position and thought that there were many pitfalls which could have been avoided. One last note, I finished reading this book with a resolution to take better control of my finances.

Don't get me wrong. . . I love the movie, but the book that inspired it just blows the movie away. I've read "Fletch" at least four times now, and I enjoy it more every time. The characters are much more interesting in the book, and the plot is much deeper.

I really can't say too much without spoiling it, but just trust me: You want to read this book, and then you'll want to read the rest of the Fletch series, which just keeps getting better.

Fetch won't win a prize for great lit. But the book is a great read. It has an intriguing plot, a likable (sometimes) main character and fun setting.

I first stumbled on this book in the library many moons ago, when I had polished off all the Alistair McLean books and was perusing the nearby stacks for something else I might like. At the time I read all of McDonald's books, thoroughly enjoying them (I then moved on to John D. MacDonald, whose Travis McGee books are in a similar vein). I recommend the movie to friends as an adaptation of a book where they've captured the spirit of the story and updated it to modern times. Yes, it's lighter, the gritty reality of the plot surfaces only occasionally, but it translated to screenplay much better than I expected it to.

For readers who enjoy mysteries or detective stories or just well-written novels, Gregory McDonald should be on your list.

All of the other reviews are spot on-- this is a page-turner, very funny, especially great dialogue, etc.

One more thing that should be mentioned-- fans of noir fiction will appreciate the stylistic tweak McDonald gives the genre. Whereas the typical noir milieu is dark, dreary and brooding, McDonald sets "Fletch" on a bright, sunny beach.

To the extent that noir is defined by setting and mood more than anything else, this has a substantial effect. Whereas the typical noir setting is something of a metaphor for all that is evil or twisted lurking beneath the surface, in "Fletch," all of the evil is lurking in plain sight (yet is no less mysterious). The hot, sunny beach setting also recalls "The Stranger" by Camus, another book that famously played on the noir genre.

"Fletch" is so entertaining that it is easy to miss the skill with which McDonald adds to and reimagines many of the noir cliches.

I've seen the Chevy Chase movie, although it's been years. I remember it having some good one-liners, etc., although it was not a "great" film. Still, bargain bins are great things, and this book was too good a bargain to pass up.

I. M. Fletcher, "Fletch" to his friends, is a reporter chasing a drug story on the beaches of California. Here, he is approached by Alan Stanwyck, wealthy businessman, about doing a favor. It seems Stanwyck is dying of cancer, and wants Fletch to kill him at the end of the week. Fletch, intrigued, agrees. He naturally investigates Stanwyck while juggling the drug story, dealing with an editor he has no respect for (rightfully so), and dodging his ex-wives' (yes, wives plural) lawyers.

Let's face it, the real draw here is the dialogue. Kevin Smith is among many people who have said they learned how to write great dialogue from Gregory McDonald. And it's not hard to see why, as McDonald has a gift it. He simply lets his characters talk. There are no adjectives, adverbs, "he said," "she said" in his pages of speaking. He simply chooses his words (or his characters do), and everything is left to the reader to "see" and "hear"--tone, body language, etc. And it keeps the reader turning the page, hoping not to get caught in the crossfire as Fletch trades barbs with whatever "lesser" being he is forced to deal with as he pursues both stories.

Which isn't to say the plot is lacking. It's quite gripping. Actually the two disparate plot-lines are gripping, as Fletch moves in and out of his investigations, using solid detective work and a great deal of duplicity to get answers. Unlike the film, the two stories Fletch chases don't come together in any meaningful way, but the chase is in and of itself fun. Indeed, even if you have seen the film, you will be surprised at how different the many details of the book differ from the film. They are almost two different stories.

And in many ways, the Fletch of the book is very different from the character of the film. As I read the book, I was never quite sure if I liked Fletch as a person. He refuses to pay alimony (never quite clear if it was because he couldn't or simply wouldn't), he has a relationship with a 15-year-old girl who is a drug-addict that doesn't seem terribly healthy, he hates his editor, and he demonstrates just generally misanthropic tendencies, with little obvious reason. But, somehow, he won me over, and so I was rooting for the guy to finally overcome all the obstacles in his life, the most important obstacle being the entire human race.

While I am not in a huge hurry to read the next book in the series, I do think I will eventually. Fletch is an interesting character, and I am very curious about the course of his career.

I am a small apartment owner and I manage my own units. I found Happy About Apartment Management helpful. It is always good to see how the big guys are managing larger complexes, and the format of the book was very accessible. If you only use one of the suggestions, the book will pay for itself.

Athough it did have some insightful comments and advice, it was essentially a 60+ page advertisement written by and for a professional property management company.

Basic information. More of an advertisement to use property management companies. Very disappointing. I am returning the book. Mike Butler's book on "Landlording on Autopilot" is so much better.

This book isn't just for the professional property manager. It helped me to avoid some costly mistakes in renting our family's rental property. Well written too.

It is not easy being a landlord and this book tells it like it is. It is a good review of the basics of property management and then some.

For all ages, all ranges...all readers. A must read. The struggles...the generational cycles...the struggle for change...the entrapment of past mistakes. Ebonics at its best, but not in any form demeaning. The author (Janet McDonald) has a way of relaying the effort compelled for change, if not for all teenaged mothers. She has a humorous way of telling a vivid story of two friends Aisha and Raven and the trials they face from day to day. Young black teen mothers...one with aspirations (Raven)...the other with complacency (Aisha). Raven has the tools/support needed to make/grab a better life whereas Aisha is stuck in a never-ending cycle (not completely by choice). Spellbound is a book worth its price and then some and I highly recommend it to all.

Update* Great Author and Friend--so sad that she is no longer with us (Janet McDonald R.I.P April 11th 2007)

I'm telling all my friends to get this book. It was funny and the characters were real. I don't read much but this story made me want to stay up all night to find out if Raven makes it. It is different from other stories because it talks about real life and what it is like trying to make it when the world thinks you can't.

in the book Spellbound Raven is a teenage mom who would like to overcome her past and maintain her dreams while still being a good mom. this proves to be a challenge however since the world she lives in constantly tells her that she must remain a victim of her circumstance. from the receptionist at her sisters job to her sons grandparent she is deterred from thriving. however when the chance for her to pull herself out of this unfortunate situation (teen parenting), she begins to remeber those dreams and works very hard to achieve them. this book is a must read especially for young teen mom programs because so many of todays youth feels like they have to give up on thierselves and their dreams just because of the mistakes they have made and this book reiterates that just because you hit a detour in the road to success eventually you can find the right way again.

Sixteen-year-old Raven was always "the smart girl," her nose in a book and a promising future, despite the fact that she was raised in poverty by her uneducated single mother. But when Raven goes to a party one night and meets a boy she can't say "no" to, she gives in to his charismatic ways and she's left with a baby. Suddenly high school is no longer bearable and her college plans have vanished into the night. Raven becomes just another girl from the projects sitting alone in the apartment, watching daytime television.

Raven's best friend Aisha seems to fit into her life better than Raven does; Ai was never really good at school, so as long as she has her friends and doesn't have to set foot in another school, she's happy. Raven wants more than hanging out all day --- she wants to make a secure, good life for her son Smokey --- but she can't find where to begin. She tries to find a job, but her lack of a high school diploma means she can only find work in a fast food shop. Raven can't see a way forward until her ambitious sister Dell arrives with a flyer about a new program called Spell Success.

Spell Success offers college prep and scholarships to lower-income students. Potential participants are selected through a spelling bee. This sounds impossible for Raven, whose spelling has never been great. Dell supports her, though, and helps her practice and study, even as Ai does nothing but give Raven grief.

I really loved Janet McDonald's story of someone who seems to have very little in her favor but who is willing to work hard for success. The writing is at times funny, poignant and always effecting. McDonald knows the world about which she writes; she grew up in a housing project then went to three highly selective universities after she finished high school. By using her own journey to inform her novel, McDonald can tell Raven's story without ever becoming preachy or flinching from the harsher realities of life in a low income community. I hope she continues to write. SPELLBOUND is a must-read!

--- Reviewed by Cassia Van Arsdale

Raven Jefferson is not your typical fictional book character. She isn't perfect. She is a teen mother without a high school diploma struggling to get somewhere in life. With very little help from her mother and her sons father, she puts in lots of time and effort to try to win a spelling bee which offers first place a scholarship. Raven learns about following her heart and not listening to other peoples opinions. Spellbound was one of the most interesting books I have ever read because the unique language captured my interest and left me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing.

I found the eProcess Edge after a long search for guideance on making business decisions related to eCommerce. I do not work for a dot com and needed a way to make eCommerce real after all of the hype.

I have read Customers.com/NetWorth/NetGain/Killer App/eCommerce Stratgegy and many others. I found many of them good in concept but lacking in a grounding in reality. Not this book. It gets down to the business of eBusiness in terms that tell me how to make money in eCommerce. As the first chapter said its now time to "execute or die" and this book gives you the ideas to thrive in the post internet hype world.

The first chapter talks about the economic realiies of eCommerce. This really showed me how to pick the parts of my business that would benefit most from eCommerce. This helped me zero in on where to place my bets.

The book takes an interesting idea of looking at relationships between customers, trading partners and other parties. This view is vendor neutral -- they are not hyping a particular software product or idea. This view is different from the "IT intiiative" view where projects are defined by internal forces. It helped me recognize that eCommerce is more than just a technology, rather it is a new approach to business.

Relationships also opened my mind on how to structure my online/web experiences. How much did I have to provide to customers and trading partners? What did I want them to do? What did I need to provide?

These questions are structured into a series of worksheets and matricies with examples of how you make these decisions. I found this very helpful in bringing some reality to the table. Many books say "be customer centric" this book helps you understand what that means in real terms !

Latter chapters talked about how to organize the business for ecommerce, who to "source" processes through, and how to make these channels work with others. The Channel Harmonization part is particularly helpful as most people talk about failures (Channel conflict) and tell you to avoid this without providing avoidance strategies. This book tells you how.

To wrap up the book talks about how you manage eCommerce channels and an eCommerece business -- something I found no where else !

This book is one I see using as part of my eCommerce business. It is full of practical stuff that makes good business sense, rather than just fuels the fire.

Now that the internet bubble is over, this is one of the few books -- the only one so far -- that talks about how real business is done over the interent.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is going to make investments in their business for eCommerce.

In plain English, this book defines eProcess and how a company can use it to it's advantage. This book is littered with real-world examples and is absent of technology-babble. Furthermore, the examples also show how the absence -- or lack of -- eProcess negativley impacts a businesses performance.

I have a great understanding of the overall theory of eProcess and why a company MUST have one to survive in the eCommerce world in which we live.

Keen and McDonald do a great job in addressing issues that companies face in the "Internet Era." The text is well organized and emphasizes the fact that companies do need to focus on their customers and their processes. Their chapters on "out-tasking" and "in-sourcing" are helpful for those not familiar with these concepts. Additionally, the book helps "executive" types really understand the concept of "embedding" rules within a software interface. The chapters that focus on web "touch and texture" and value networks are also insightful. I believe that they did a great job in addressing "process."

However, like many of these types of books, it's written in "consultant" speak aka "Accenture" or "Andersen" speak. It lacks details and quite frankly that is where the devil can be found. The book provides limited examples of successful eCommerce implementations. Believe it or not, Amazon and National Semiconductor are not the only companies that have successfully performed eCommerce implementations. If your looking for technical details this is NOT the book for you. Additionally, the writing is a bit wordy. There are more than one sentence where authors use "thus, that" and other odd gramatical constructs. With better editing, I am sure that the book could have been made a little easier to read.

This a great read to learn more about strategy and process, but be prepared to "wade" through the jargon.

I enjoyed the main premis of this book-- focusing on value generation and the total commercial process, more business than technology. However, I felt the concept did not fully sustain itself throughout the book. Good points-- focus on customer's perception of value, rather than business's view, use of partnering with world class service providers. I would have liked perhaps a couple of more in-depth case studies, rather than tidbits that were offered. Also, some pointers on how to set of measurement systems that would support creation of value networks & custoemr focus.

This book speaks to the entreprenuer providing straight forward terms abou the processes needed to start and build an eBusiness. As a consultant, I would recommend this book to anyone starting on their own, to understand what is needed for your company before bringing in "professionals" to work with you. You'll have a better understanding of what's needed and how to work together to build the capabilities for your business.

FASHION CAREERS is an excellent resource for anyone looking for a job in the fashion industry. It was an invaluable resource when searching for my own job in the fashion industry. This comprehensive guide will appeal to job seekers at all levels. Topics include: how to begin your job search, resume/cover letter writing, networking and interview techniques. Highly recommended.

Well written and informative, Fashion Careers is the perfect book for entry level and seasoned professionals alike. The book gives great tips for networking, sample resumes, and the general "do's and don'ts" of job interviewing. Without a doubt, Fashion Careers helped me find a job that I love, straight out of college. This book is great! Recommended to all!

"Fashion Careers - 4th Edition (2008)" is a great tool for helping your job search in the Fashion Industry. This book not only teaches you how to conduct your job search but also has helpful resume/cover letter tips, interview questions and it covers many fields within the industry. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a new job or a possible career move into the fashion industry.

This book was a helpful reference and gave some helpful tips and examples of resumes and cover letters but seemed to be directed more towards individuals looking for a career change or those already working within the industry. However, if you're just out of school as an entry-level applicant your focus with putting together a resume and portfolio is already in practice. The manual could've had more helpful sections for entry-level.

The new edition of "Fashion Careers - 4th Edition (2008) is must read! This self-directed workbook helped me develop a job strategy that really worked. I improved my resume to make it a more powerful marketing tool and found that the updated research section enabled me to search industry by industry to target the right type of networking contacts. Finally, the section on interviewing techniques and questions was invaluable in my preparation for upcoming interviews. My answers have become more complete and natural, and as a result I have much greater confidence.

My mom and I have been reading one chapter of this book each night. Now that I'm on vacation from school we watch a movie from the actress we read about the night before the following day. My mom has always talked about these actresses and I've enjoyed knowing more about their personal lives. It gives me a better understanding of their acting when I know who they were in real life.



All the famous ones are covered in "Hollywood Blondes" - My favorites are Marilyn Monroe, Judy Holliday, Betty Grable and Jean Harlow. The detailed filmographies have helped us track down which movies we want to see too. It's a real bonus to have the filmographies of each actress after their chapter.



Not all of the movies are available anymore but old movies are being found and restored all the time so hopefully some of the lost films will become available in the future. If you're a fan of the blonde actresses from many years ago, whatever your age, this is a really fun and enjoyable book to read :) :)



If you think famous people of today like Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Nicole Ritchie have their problems, after reading this book, it seems that old Hollywood celebs had the same pressures, addictions and problems. Many of the women in this book were addicted to drugs and alcohol. They had so many marriages and men in their lives, I found it hard to keep up and there were even some murders! I also found it interesting that as beautiful as they all were, their self esteem was very low. Probably the reason why they used drugs and alcohol to feel better about themselves.



Well, that's it. I just really liked this book and wanted to let you all know about it. Thanks!!!!!

I was beyond thrilled when someone told me there was a chapter about Marie McDonald in this book. I have been a huge Marie fan ever since I saw her in Promises Promises but there is not a lot of information about her out there. Thank goodness for Hollywood Blondes! This has to be the most detailed and accurate look at Marie's turbulent life. I thought they picked some stunning photos of Marie too. I wasn't surprised when I learned the authors started MarieMcDonald.org

I also like the other chapters in Hollywood Blondes. It was a good mix of bombshells from the 30s, 40s, and 50s.

I didn't like this book - I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!! If you think the stars today live crazy lives you should see the messes these classic stars got themselves into. I like to consider myself a classic film expert and I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I learned. There is a lot of information packed into this book. There are tons of quotes sprinkled throughout the book which made you feel like you were hearing the actresses tell their own story. Adding a detailed filmography at the end of every chapter was a great idea too. Also most books like this give you one or two pictures of each actress but this one is filled with dozens of great photos (some were a little dark). The best part for me was discovering actresses like Carole Landis and Barbara Payton who I didn't think much about before.

You can tell the authors have a lot of respect for these actresses because they are all written about in a mostly positive way. I hate books that treat the stars like they were saints but Hollywood Blondes doesn't do that. It gives you all the real dirt about their bad marriages, their drug problems, and their sad endings. Fanatics probably won't like seeing their idols exposed but you have to face the fact that celebrities are human beings. These blondes may have been gorgeous and talented but they were also very flawed women. After reading it you really feel sorry for them yet you still want to run out and rent their films.

I did find some factual errors but that is true with every book. There are definitely not as many errors as some of these other reviewers claim. The Jayne Mansfield and Jean Harlow chapters were actually two of my favorites. I am looking forward to Michelle Vogel and Liz Nocera's next book!

Hollywood Blondes is the title of a new but highly superficial and unoriginal book on the flaxen actresses of the silver screen by Michelle Vogel and Liz Nocera. Weaving the reader in from silly hair color commercial catchphrases, to the history of how blonde hair was revered throughout the ages, (throughout the centuries women have use horse dung, horse urine, and saffron to lighten their hair) to the introduction, these two self-proclaimed "film historians" do themselves in and let the reader know what they are in for....which certainly is NOT knowledge of famous blonde actresses.

From telling the readers about the psychological effects that blondes are supposed to be lovelier, and that only a few percentage of the world's population are naturally blonde, one gets the idea that they are over-wording just to use up more space in the book.

I will limit myself discuss the Jean Harlow chapter and add a couple of notes here on other actresses I am familiar with, so others can write their reviews on other stars they know more about.

While Jean Harlow's hair did become damage from over-bleaching, it wasn't true that, "She had no other choice but to wear a platinum blonde wig in her last seven films." In fact, Harlow was not a platinum blonde since 1935. She opted for a platinum colored wig in 1935's China Seas, as she was letting her own hair grow in. The only two films that she wore wigs after that were in Riffraff----the movie that introduced Harlow to the world as a "brownette"in 1936, and in Wife vs. Secretary. Harlow wore her own natural hair color of honey blonde hair in her other films from 1935 on, including Saratoga, her last film in 1937.
Here are some mistakes about Jean Harlow that were written on this book.

--Jean Harlow was not born in St. Louis, Missouri. It was Kansas City Missouri. Betty Grable was the one born in St. Louis.

--Harlow's mother was never referred to as "Mama Jean"; she was known as "Mother Jean."

--Jean's grandfather, Skip Harlow, was not an architect; he was a real estate broker.

--Clara Bow did not make a film called The Love Parade with Harlow. It was The Saturday Night Kid, in which Jean had a minor part.

--Charles McGrew did want Jean to have their child at the time she was pregnant.

--Howard Hughes was never "infatuated" with Jean; he was never interested and neither was she. There was no romance between the two.

--Canine star Rin Tin Tin did not die "cradled in her (Jean''s) arms." That is just a myth added to the Harlow legend.

--MGM Mogul Louis B. Mayer was not "obsessed" with Harlow; he never offered her a mink coat to have sex with her. That is a tall tale fabricated by novelist, Irving Shulman, who wrote an unaccountable, undocumented, un-researched, and false account on her life.

--Paul Bern, Jean Harlow's second husband, did not buy Jean "a mansion on Easton Dr, in Benedict Canyon." after they got married. That house was already his.

--Jean was never suspected of "being the killer" in Paul Bern's death; that is a plot from one of Jean''s movies.

--Jean did not "witnessed" Dorothy Millete killing Paul Bern. Jean was at her mother's house where she had spent the night.

--It was not "one of the biggest mistakes" for Jean to turn down King Kong, as we know it Fay Wray did nothing but scream and scream in it since the star of the picture was and will ever be: Kong!

--The character of Lola Burns in Bombshell is not patented after Jean Harlow, as the writers claim, but after Clara Bow. However, this was Jean's favorite role.

--While John Barrymore was in Dinner at Eight where Harlow was featured, Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford were not. The authors were thinking of Grand Hotel, in which Jean never appeared.

--Jean did not buy" a big mansion." She purchased the lot and her mother build it. It was called the ``White Palace," not "the big white house."

--MGM never tried to "destroy all copies" of Harlow's novel Today is Tonight. Mother Jean sold MGM the book after Jean''s death. MGM bought it help out Mother Jean economically.

--Reckless was not "loosely based on Jean and Paul Bern's real story." It was a script patented after Broadway star Libby Holman, whose husband, Zachary Smith Reynolds, had killed himself the same year that Bern did.

--Jean and her mother did not move in "a modest bungalow on North Palm Drive." It was a beautiful, Spanish styled, two-storied large home in Beverly Hills.

--Jean did not "collapsed into his (Clark Gable''s) arms" on May 24. The time was May 29 and the actor was Walter Pidgeon.

--Gable did not call "William Powell who took Jean home." She was driven in a limo back to her house by herself.

--William Powell died in 1984 not "1980."

--Mary Dees was not Jean's "long-time stand-in." Dees was hired to complete Saratoga. She never met Jean Harlow.

--Mother Jean did not die in "the same room at Good Samaritan Hospital," and she did not die on June 7th either; Mother Jean died of a massive heart attack on June 11, 1958.

As for Marilyn Monroe, the authors inform us that, "Without a doubt, Marilyn Monroe's persona was a creation of men, for men." That's part of the Monroe legend but it isn't true. By taking on Harlow's favorite color of white dresses to Lana Turner's hair styles, and Betty Grable's make up, Monroe presented her own version of the dumb blonde in the 1950's.

The misquote attributed to director Billy Wilder, where Marilyn said she was the only blonde in the films, didn't happen in Some Like It Hot (1959). The incident to what the writers are recalling was from Something's Got To Give (1962), Monroe's last and uncompleted film, and the director was George Cukor. If people watch Some Like It Hot, they can see that Monroe was in an all-blonde-girls-band. Another misquote attributed to Colombia Pictures' mogul Harry Cohn; he never said "Get me another blonde!," when he heard that Monroe had died in 1962. Monroe made only one film at Columbia when she was a starlet in 1948. She was never a contract player at Columbia; they had their own bombshell in Kim Novak. Any Monroe fan knows that she attained stardom at 20th Century Fox Films with the release Niagara in 1953, and had been that studio's contract player from 1951 till 1962.

According to the authors, Jayne Mansfield was "the poor man's Marilyn Monroe." In all my years of researching the library's microchips newspapers on Mansfield I never read that she was referred to that way. Mansfield was a Broadway star, given a highly-paid contract by Fox. Mansfield was that studio's premiere blonde star of the late 1950's. The only two films Monroe made at Fox, after her departure, were Bus Stop in 1956, and her last, Something''s Got To Give. Jayne''s market value at 20th Century Fox was twenty million dollars in late 1950's and early 60's money, which is about one hundred million in today''s money.

In a grave error the authors state that Lana Turner's Cheryl Crane "...shot and killed her (Turner's) gangster boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato..." and then telling us that "Cheryl stabbed him with the knife" in the Lana Turner chapter. At this rate one wonders, who did this book's editing? I found most of the chapters that I read to be careless, rehashed stuff from similar and equally badly written books. The authors use unverified websites as reference, quote sensationalist books, and worse, misquote a lot and resort to tabloid-trash writing. I would advise any reader to skip this book at all costs, not even for the photographs, which are studio-standard photos that any fan is probably familiar with. The writers just didn't care or know about reporting fresh, insightful, and true accounts of these stars' lives.

This book is sensational. From the gorgeous cover to the well written text. Vogel andher co-author, I do not know but am now a fan of, have really been great in their work. This book went into why Hollywood Blondes lived such tortured lives. Sure there are things in here, that some reviewers can and will disagree with. But it's unfair and tasteless to claim facts are wrong and you (the reviewer) knows more about a star like Jean Harlowe than the writer. Maybe the writer got information from someone other than you. Maybe if you are such a Jean Harlowe nut, you should write a book yourself. I found this book to be more than 99% accurate, sometimes writers have their own way of doing things and finding research and you shouldn't assume they didn't do their homework. These authors most certainly DID do their homework and the book is written brilliantly! I enjoyed the Lana Turner chapter most of all. The way Vogel writes it, gives you the feeling of almost being in the room as an observer in many dramatic and shattering scenes played out in this blonde beauty's life. Great job, Ms. Michelle Vogel. Looking forward to your next book.

I bought this book for my 8 year old daughter. She loves this series and it has really helped move her from little kid books to chapter books. She was intimidated to read chapter books and very reluctant to move from younger books to "bigger books" but these made the transition very smooth for her. She loves the story lines and Judy Moody isn't as bratty as Junie B. Jones. She now has the whole set and re-reads these constantly. The boy version of these is Judy's brother Stink's series and she loves to read those too. I highly recommend these books from around 5 if you're reading them to the child up to about 8 or 9.

My kids have all Judy Moody and Stink books. They love them, and I know for the fact that they help kids who struggle with reading in 3rd grade. They are easy to read and have a good story, are funny and appealing to that age group. A must have!

While at the bookstore, two girls ages 9 and 7 were talking to me about books. As a retired teacher, I still love to look at children's books. These young ladies said they LOVE this writer's books. What better recommendation does one need?

I really enjoyed reading Judy Moody Predicts the Future, Judy Moody gets famous and Judy Moody is in a Bad Mood not a Good Mood a Bad Mood. Judy Moody books are the best books I have ever read.

This book has big writing and is easy to read. I liked this book because it is funny and interesting. Judy is always fighting with her little brother "Stink". I would not like to be like Judy because she is too moody and annoys people. My Dad says I am moody sometimes. I hope I am not as moody as Judy but it is good fun to read about her.

"My Years with General Motors," by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr, Doubleday, NY, 1963, with introduction by Peter Drucker, 1990. Sloan was President/CEO/Chairman of the Board of General Motors from 1923 to 1956. He created the systems and organization that made GM a great corporation. That organization was studied as the model for large corporations for decades. The book also provides a look into the history of GM and its various strategies.

General Motors was created by William C. Durant in 1908. Beginning with Buick, he acquired a series of auto companies including Olds, Oakland, and Cadillac, with the idea of competing with the then market leader, Henry Ford's Model T. Durant was the visionary who brought together much of the modern GM, but his organizational style was hands on-producing delays in decision making. He also lacked adequate financial controls. He was forced to resign as President in 1920 when the slowdown of 1921 forced financial difficulties on the company and later on Durant himself caused by margin calls due to speculation in company stock.

The Dupont Company was a major investor in General Motors until forced to divest its shares in the 1950s. Dupont's investment began in 1917, when they saw GM as a growth opportunity. They hoped to supplement earnings that might otherwise decline after World War I. In addition, Dupont made the transition from an explosives company to a chemical company after World War I based on surplus nitrocellulose capacity. Plants had been constructed for the Allies during the war to make smokeless powder and later were sold at distress prices. Nitrocellulose proved suitable in auto paint and in the fabric coatings used on auto tops. The investment gave Dupont access to the chemical needs of the auto industry during a major growth phase. Initially Dupont personnel staffed the GM Finance Department.

Pierre S. Dupont came out of retirement to succeed Durant as President of GM. He brought experience in the management of a large corporation. Sloan, meanwhile, came up through a manufacturer of roller bearings acquired by GM. He rose steadily through the ranks and succeeded PS Dupont as President after his resignation in 1923.

A strategy had evolved to compete with Ford on styling and quality. Ford had over 50% market share; no one could compete with his costs on much smaller volume. But he kept prices low by making the same model with little or no change year after year. That made Ford slow to adopt improvements. GM planned to compete with Chevrolet, which was to have similar costs based on an air-cooled, copper-clad engine. Air cooling avoided the need for a water jacketed engine block, water pump, radiator, and associated plumbing-a considerable savings. GM Research under Charles Kettering was confident the engine would perform, but the operating divisions were uncomfortable with this unproven engine design. Overheating was a problem which Research worked to resolve, but then 1923 proved to be a strong sales year, and a decision was needed. PS Dupont had put his faith in the copper-clad engine, but it was dropped soon after his resignation. Some say Corvair is the only air-cooled GM model to reach the market (after the VW Beetle established practicality).

Sloan makes clear that GM is primarily an engineering company. Most executives have engineering backgrounds. The company is heavily committed to developing new technologies and bringing improvements to market. Sloan pioneered decentralized management to allow divisions to make their own decisions promptly. Headquarter's role was to set policy. He then used corporate committees to promote interactions where appropriate such as in purchasing. He created a return on invested capital system to measure performance of the divisions. This is presumably the system that favored production of SUVs rather than small fuel efficient vehicles.

It was Sloan who came up with the pricing brackets that differentiate the GM divisions. (Pontiac was created in 1925 to fill in a gap in the line as a low priced six cylinder model.) He also instituted installment selling (and GMAC to finance it), used car trade-ins, the closed auto body (and added Fisher Body to the GM family), and the annual model change. The annual model was intended to leverage the trend toward comfort, convenience, power, and style in selling new cars.

Sloan took pride in the steady improvement in auto technology during his tenure. He mentions the development of ethyl gasoline and high compression engines, improved transmissions-eventually automatic transmissions, balloon tires and improved suspensions, and in 1923, Duco lacquers that made it possible to finish an automobile in an 8 hr shift rather than the two to four weeks once required. Duco was also available in a variety of colors. The first production vehicle was the "True Blue" Oakland in 1924.

Styling was not ignored. Harley Earl was brought in as stylist in 1926, initially to assist the Cadillac division. His focus was to lengthen and lower the American automobile.

Strong dealers were considered essential to success. GM helped its dealers implement accounting methods to better manage their businesses. Financing was available to assist promising dealer candidates who lacked capital.

GM was a major factor in the development of diesel locomotives for railroads. The business was a logical extension of internal combustion engines, but also a diversification should recovery of auto sales be slow after the Great Depression. GM's Electromotive Division was the leading manufacturer of diesel locomotives for over 50 years.

GM's venture into household appliances, later Frigidaire, began in 1918, when Mr. Durant acquired Guardian Refrigerator Company of Detroit, a home refrigerator company. The initial machines were large and cumbersome. The 1922 model weighed 834 lb. Weight was reduced with an air cooled compressor and air cooled coils in 1926. GM Research in co-operation with Dupont invented Freon-12 as a non-toxic, non-flammable refrigerant gas in 1931. In 1929 they had made 1MM units; in 1932, 2.225MM. Competitors included Kelvinator (1914), GE (1927), Norge (1927), and Westinghouse (1930). Frigidaire was expanded to include a full line of household appliances after World War II.

GM ventured into aviation in the days when the piston engines used were not unlike those in motor vehicles. GM had an interest in Bendix Corporation, North American Aviation, TWA, and Eastern Air Lines. Soon after the 1927 Lindbergh flight, some thought personal airplanes, called flivvers, might be in the future. The initial investment was the US division of Fokker Aircraft, the famous Dutch aircraft maker. GM bought a 40% interest while they made planes for the US military and commercial airlines. Later Fokker US was renamed General Aviation and merged into North American Aviation. North American was a holding company that owned Eastern Airlines and stock in TAT, predecessor to TWA, and Western Air Express. The Air Mail Act of 1934 prohibited airplane manufacturers from owning airlines. TWA stock was sold in 1935; Eastern in 1938 (when Eddie Rickenbacker arranged backing to buy the airline). In 1937, Allison Div. of GM completed development of a 1000 hp reciprocating aircraft engine that was widely used in fighter aircraft in World War II. By 1947, 70,000 engines had been made at the plant in Indianapolis.

During World War II, the company rapidly converted to production of military equipment. A major problem was the shortage of skilled manpower. Tanks were welded in a merry-go-round system that required learning only one simple weld rather than full scale training.

In his later years Sloan created the Alfred P. Sloan foundation to fund basic research, but especially to support talented researchers. He also participated in formation of the Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital.

The book ends with a discussion of labor relations and incentive programs. The appendix includes sales by division for 1909 to 1962, and staff organizational charts. Indexed.

This is a highly readable account of the GM story. Sloan omits some unpleasantries. He does not mention the death of workers in the development of leaded gasoline, GM's role in supplying Nazi Germany through its Opel division in World War II, or the violence of some auto strikes. Most will find it fascinating reading.

"A car for every purse and purpose". This was the reason that GM was once the world's most successful company. Alfred Sloan succintly details how he directed the company to take not only financial considerations, but also product planning into account. His hierachy of models, ie Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac, in that order, was stroke of genius, virutally guaranteeing that the entry level buyer who started out with an economical Chevy would continue to buy more expensive GM brands as his income increased. Only now is GM moving back to that mantra, albeit with unfortunate hesitation. Had GM kept each of brands as a distinct marque, there is no doubt the company would still command at least a 50% share of the North American market share.

Must reading for all business owners, executives, college business majors and not just in the automotive or related fields on how a stuff shirt
could set a management control system up that was from its start up over bearing, self serving, cause different levels of management to establish surfs and kingdoms making it not only impossible to settle operational differences in a smooth transaction between production and marketing, but in fact Impossible!

Even worst he was able to sell his concept of " In The Land Of The Blind, The One Eye Man Is King" to not only his company but to the American general business community and at one time the world.

In his company it became the one and only way to run the company, by his book, of course he hated unions and any Govenment control, he was a true Hilter with no soul or feeling for his fellow man.

His way, even today the idiots controlling General Motors are stuck fast unable to do what is required as they continue to lose market shares to other countries including Japan, and loss money billions of dollars yet these morons sit in their towers expecting a miracle.

There is no Durant coming from that company.

To see how this man became so powerful, read Billy, Alfred and General Motors.

Thank you for your attention to this review.

Joseph R. Pugia, Sr.

An incredible man! We need more like him to throttle the huge corporations and return us to making America prosper. Keep your dollars in the USA!

This book "My Years with General Motors" was originally published in 1963 and is just as relevant reading today as any books written by top managers since then. The book is not easy to read, it is well over 400 pages of thoughtful text, but it is well worth reading for people with an interest in the history of General Motors, the history of the automobile, history of industrial technology in the 20th century, etc...

It was published shortly after I was born and I was aware of it during grade school but unfortunately didn't bother reading it until recently. The book is well-positioned with the Bill Gates quote on the cover that reads, in part, "... the best book to read if you want to read only one book about business...". I completely agree with that!

This book is better than any other book I am aware of regarding the Automobile industry if you are interested in business and management evolution. It provides much better insights into business than books I have read by and about say John DeLorean, Lee Iacocca, or Howard Hughes. Those other books may be more entertaining however for people looking for entertainment. This book provides broader insights into general industrial management for contemporary use than say the two books written by Bill Gates do.

This 1990 edition of "My Years with General Motors" also provides an insightful introduction by Peter F. Drucker that adds considerably to the understanding of Alfred P. Sloan. This book is interesting for what it doesn't cover as well as for what it does cover.

It does seem Mr Sloan believed in the importance of a well defined structure for management, a constitution if you will. However, the ultimate goal is to put people to work to produce the best possible result. Leadership is seen as more important than structure by Sloan, this is not what the popular opinion of General Motors would be however.

That is why I recommend reading this book as an Excellent Historical Account of Management at General Motors. Four out of Five Stars.