News and Media Books

You cannot put a price on how many hours this book will save you! Has every possible side street. You will never get lost!

This guidebook's title is right on: it's not for tourists. It's for those of us who are moving to Boston and need good maps, information on T-stops and bus lines (very helpful, as no other guidebook I've seen shows bus lines), restaurants, bars, etc. We don't need information on fancy hotels and the Freedom Trail- for that, a different guidebook might do. But this is the one worth buying and keeping tucked in your purse or bag when you're out and about in the city.

I first picked up the NFT guide for New York City in May of 2006 when I was looking for a tourbook for a long weekend trip I had planned. I now have the Chicago and Boston books as well.

These books are the ultimate guide to a city and are not just for people new to the cities. They provide EXCELLENT coverage of the public transportation systems and numbered nieghborhood maps. As well as the locations of resturants, coffe shops, bookstores, edcuational instutions, hospitals, shopping and more.

The design of the books; compact with a black elastic band to either hold your place in the text or to keep items secure within the book, easy to read, and somewhat sarcastic demeanor; is a joy.

If you like to travel, these books are a must.

I bought this book off Amazon and was a little ticked off when it came because:
A) It was so small
B) Half of it was maps

However I have come to love this little book for precisely those reasons. It's the ultimate walking around the city book. It's small enough to fit in your pocket, yet the maps are detailed enough to show every street. The authors accomplish this two ways: there are a lot of map pages, and the guide doesn't try to cover too large an area. If you live in Medford or Arlington, you're out of luck. Somerville is as far north as the guide goes.

Since each map page covers such a small area, you have to turn pages fairly often, but this is not a big deal because:
A) The authors let the map pages overlap considerably, so it's easy to orient yourself on the new page.
B) The maps cover neighborhoods, using logical boundaries. For example, one map page will stop at the charles river, and the next will pick up on the other side.

By devoting three map pages to each neighbourhood (essentials, entertainment, and transportation), the book can convey a lot of information without being cluttered.

Since it fits in your back pocket, this guide is best suited to those taking public transportation. It covers probably ~85% of the T's network (some outlying areas are excluded) and also includes bus routes.

I have been using Rand McNally's street guide boston when I drive around. It's great in the suburban areas. Since its pages are big and is spiral bound, I can keep one page open in the passenger seat. However since it uses a grid system, the positioning of the page boundaries is arbitrary. Since there is no overlap between the pages, navigating around the page boundaries can be a pain.

If you move to Boston, you will need some type of map. There is no rhyme or reason to the streets here.

As a new Bostonian this book has saves me a million times already. If you are newly moved to Boston, this book is a definite must have. There is no rhyme or reason to the streets of the city. Boston was made before the grid pattern existed. Streets constantly change names and directions. Half of the time there is no street sign, and if there is it is microscopic. This perfect compact book fits nicely in your purse or pocket so it is extremely portable and easy to carry with you. It is filled with maps of all areas of Boston and also includes some surrounding areas. It is mostly a map book but also lists entertainment, nightlife, schools, liquor stores, grocery stores, restaurants, banks, etc. Has multiple maps of each area including a public transportation map and a key map. Maps are very user friendly and easy to read. I have gotten lost multiple times and this book has always helped me find my way. There is a street index in the back and an elastic band that you can use to hold the page you need. A small price to pay for your sanity while navigating the city!

If you've come from the Oracle mainstream like me, you're probably not even aware of the breadth of open source apps and tools that can be used with the database. You may have had an inkling from the porting of Oracle to Linux, and Oracle's adoption of Apache and modules such as mod_perl, but that's only the surface.

When I first spied "Oracle and Open Source" by Andy Duncan and Sean Hull, I was so intrigued that I had to buy it. I couldn't believe that there was enough out there to write a book on. How wrong I was.

The two authors have done an excellent job of collecting information on:

* Programming environments, tools, languages (Python, Perl, Tcl, Tk)
* Database maintenance tools - including Orac, Oddis (Tk);
* Web-based monitoring tools for Oracle (such as Karma, Oracletool) and the network too (Big Brother)
* Plus Open Source Java apps (even the Java isn't open source itself), Gnome/GTK+ and more.

The book's aim is to introduce you to the rich range of technologies rather than being the definitive reference. It provides enough to get the tools installed and to set you on your way. And once you're up and running, the authors list the web pages and books that will take you to the next level. I never knew so much was available, but with the groundswell of support from the Open Source community as evidenced on the Internet and in this excellent book, I'm learning fast.

I find the content exciting and very educational. I am a developer in the corporate enviroenment and mainly use mainstreem software. But this book opens a new world of knowledge and experties. The URL's are up to date and you can learn and explore what ever you like in the book extensively. It is useful stuff and can bring new skills to your CV.

Found this book very useful and a real eye opener for those who like myself believed that all your Oracle goodies coming from Oracle Corp. A set of Open Source tools and applications described in this book is amazing. In particular, DB Prism/Cocoon is something that I jumped in right away. Whether you are DBA, developer or just a plain user of Oracle databases, you will find something that will benefit you/your business. Money well spent.

Oracle for quite some time now has embraced Open Source technology and as a result there are a number of Open Source tools that can be used with Oracle databases. This book takes a look at all of them. Starting off with a brief "history" of how Oracle and Open Source software have combined to build a number of Oracle applications, how Tcl, Perl, and Python have played a part and how to install them, building web-based Oracle apps, how Java, GNOME, and GTK+ also are involved with Oracle software, even a brief mention of how Linux & Oracle work together.

There is a wealth of good open source programs around for use with Oracle and this book gives a detailed explanation of how to install and use all of them to your advantage.

Hardly, and after taking a look at this book you will agree.

This book is perfect for anyone that wants to investigate the use of Open Source tools with their Oracle databases.

Finding out what is available, what is useful, what is available, where to get it and how to install it can take a great deal of time.

There is a lot of useful Open Source software available for use with your Oracle database, and though I am a proponent of Open Source software, I will readily admit that it is not all good.

I've given up in exasperation with more than one Open Source tool that would not compile, promised more than it delivered, or simply did not work.

There is though a large collection of Open Source tools that do work, and work well.

What Andy Duncan and Sean Hull have done is compiled an encyclopedia of Open Source tools that do work, and work with the Oracle database.

This book is much more than just a list of Open Source software. Sean and Andy tell you where to find each application, how to install and configure it, and how to use it.

Need to know the different connection methods for Oracle and JDBC? You'll find it here.

How about using Oracle, Apache and JServ? It's in this book.

I thought myself fairly well versed in what Open Source tools were available for Oracle, that is prior to seeing this book.

Some excellent Oracle specific tools are here that I was not aware of previously. In fairness to me though, I know of at least one not in the book. :)

Oracle & Open Source is a well thought out and well executed guide that belongs on the desk of every Oracle DBA, Architect and developer that wants to get a jump start on using Open Source software with Oracle.

This book contains information that doesn't seem to be available any place else. It takes a look at the facts on which present day current events are based, and reports the information in an understandable form. So much of the news that is being reported now is based on emotion and feelings that it is difficult for the average person to sift through it all and know what the facts really are. I would recommend that you would read this book if you are interested in knowing how we got where we are as a country and how you can respond with integrity.

In a time when the availability of an unprecedented number of sources does not assure accuracy of information, this fully documented and comprehensive coverage of the key issues bearing upon the state of our Union, fills a crying need.
The quality, timeliness and pertinence of this report makes it a must read for all who seek to cut through the morass of politically biased reporting.
You really owe it to yourself to read this book before you choose your candidates this fall.

Reality Check is a very important book for everyone in this country to read. It does a thorough job of counterbalancing the mythes and lies that are so commonly put forward daily in the news.

As well,it is informational and easily readable for anyone who wants to understand basic economics and how they relate to our personal world. Reality Check is definitely worth the time it takes to read!

This is an excellent condensed survey - made for ordinary people -- of important economic questions of the day with clear, readable answers. And, just in time for the upcoming presidential campaign. While politics is mostly about impressions, this book has real facts (many quite surprising) which dispel many commonly believed myths.

The topics are packaged one-to-a-chapter so you can digest an issue at a time. The authors leave out the more baroque analytics which make economics inaccessible or dry to some people, but they know how to zero-in on the key facts. I found myself repeatedly saying: "I didn't know that!"

As John Adams famously said, "facts are stubborn things..." The purpose of this piece is to debunk certain items of common knowledge about America as she enters the 21st Century. The traditional mass-media often presents various beliefs more or less as truths, which they support with selectively derived anecdotal evidence. The approach taken in the book is to isolate a common (usually media-driven) belief, and then examine it in light of actual statistical data. The dismayingly common result is that we find that many common notions about America's place in the world are simply wrong.

Also by way of disclosure, I went to college with, and was friends with, author Dennis Keegan at UCLA and we both served in the US Army in Germany in the late 1970s. Both of us were tank commanders during that time.

For example, during most of the Bush Administation (of which I am no great fan, I state by way of disclosure), the media has incessantly informed the citizenry that the United States is in recession, with dangerously high unemployment, anemic job creation, and an economy that is losing competitiveness to other countries. Only problem is--this is not so. The authors present statistics that show that the US ranks in the top five countries for GDP growth during most of the past eight years (dropping to number 12 during 2007 only, as the unwinding of the mortgage lending and housing bubble takes a toll). Average GDP growth of the American economy also must be viewed, as the authors point out, in light of what it is that is growing--many economies that have higher growth than America are relatively small. Put in context, during the last eight years the growth component alone of the American economy is larger than the *entire* Chinese economy. Similarly, as the authors point out, America's share of global GDP is greater, not less, than it was 12 years ago. This is not an indicator of a country in decline.

The authors take on many other media-driven myths, and show that such myths do not withstand scrutiny. For example, the notion that tax cuts only benefit the rich, who are not paying "their fair share" of taxes. Hard to reconcile this with the statistic that 1% of taxpayers pay 40% of all Federal taxes, and 86% of the taxes is paid by the top 25% of wage earners. Put simply, persons of modest means in the United States pay far less of their earnings in taxes, in percentage terms, than those in the top earnings strata. One would not know this from the unending media drumbeat about how tax cuts favor the wealthy.

The last example of a debunked media myth that I will mention in this review is the canard that America's industrial base is disappearing. There is no more frequently heard media myth. Problem is, the US exports more manufactured goods than any other country, at least most years. (Further, a lot of European exports constitute trade between relatively small and adjacent European economies; analogous to trade among states in the USA).

Mr. Keegan's particular strength is economics, but the book also contains numerous chapters dealing with more political issues. My favorite is the analysis of Hurricane Katrina. Not surprisingly, here the authors make a strong case that it was the corruption and incompetence of the Louisiana local and state authorities, not FEMA incompetence, that caused the problems that got so much media play. (And of course many of the "problems" were simply media myths.) It is noteworthy that other locations of Katrina devastation fared much better, e.g. Texas and Mississippi. The authors cite a 2006 bipartisan report on the disaster which notes that "It is clear [that] accurate reporting was among Katrina's many victims. If anyone rioted, it was the media."

The real problem that this book tries to take on is the fact that the media usually has an agenda, and if objective facts conflict with that agenda, the media will rely on carefully selected anecdotal evidence rather than objective facts. This is a very real danger to the American republic, which over the long run requires a reasonably well-informed electorate in order to function well. Fortunately, the rise of the internet has begun to supplant, or at least challenge, the traditional media. Aided by books like this one. Recommended.

I really liked The Serious Kiss by Mary Hogan. For her first book, she did a great job making her characters believable and easy to relate to. Although I haven't had to experience all of the awful things that Libby, the main character, had to go through, I can sympathize with her. I feel very lucky not to have an alcoholic father who loses everything and forces our family to move to a retirement trailer park with a grandma that i've never met in the middle of no where. But most of all, I am extremely happy not to be Libby and have to leave my house, school, best friend and almost boyfriend. This book makes you really think about your own life and hopefully realize like I did, that life isn't always as bad as it seems. Things could always be worse ot could even get better.

i loved this book.it is so crazy with the characters libby is so awsome and whe she kisses the guy it is so so romantic.i would recommended this book to my 7th grader friends and to anyone else thats in love.it totally rocks!!!!!!!!!

I bought this book because I LUV the cover! It looks just like my dog, PeeWee. But, when I read it, I quickly saw that it's much more than a book about a dog. The story was so great, I read every night after I was supposed to be a sleep. It's totally REAL. Like real life. Awesome! Why aren't there more books like this?? I can't wait to read Mary Hagen's next book!!

Libby is struggling against Creation. You know the big debate, nurture vs. nature? Well, either way, Libby is in trouble, with her alcoholic father and a mother who overeats, and whose idea of a wholesome meal is a large pizza from Dominos or a red and white bucket from KFC. But amidst the chaos, Libby is determined to experience It. True love in the form one perfect, unforgettable kiss from the One. And with the way things are going, her dream may not be that far off.

But all of her plans are disrupted when her father's drinking leaves him jobless, friendless, and ultimately, their family homeless. Libby's family must pack up and leave the only home she's ever known and move out in the middle of nowhere. She's devastated, humiliated, and hurt. But slowly she'll learn to find peace within herself, and maybe come to find beauty and life in the middle of the desert.

The Serious Kiss is quite an accomplishment of a first novel. It deals with many heavy issues at once in such a way that you can only feel deep empathy for Libby and at the same time deep admiration for her as she's dealt blow after blow, but still manages to bounce back. The characters are all far from perfect, but each is honest and significant. Hogan has a way with details that breathe life into each element of the story, giving the reader a more realistic reading experience. Eye-opening, a bit quirky, humorous, and poignant, The Serious Kiss is the sort of book that won't leave you any time soon, and it'll very easily become a favorite as this resilient heroine still manages to move on and learn to let go.

The Serious Kiss is a great book. I love all of the crazy characters in this book. It's about a girl named Libby that has a crazy family and her best friend and she had made a deal that they each would have a serious kiss before the end of the school year. But everything goes wrong when her family moves to the desert and she finds out that she has a grandmother that she thought was dead and they end up moving into a trailer park. Her grandmother had the trailer put right next to hers, which makes everything even worse. Her dad and her grandmother hadn't spoken to each other in 20 years and she doesn't fit in at her new school. Also, her family is different from other families. So if you love the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison I am positive you will like this book also.

Shadow Cats was such an exciting story-and I am not even a cat lover. A dog person like me would never have guessed that rescuing kittens on the streets and back alleys of New York City could be so fraught with drama. J. Jensen took me places I never knew existed and I've lived here for 20 years. Her sensitive descriptions of felines made me want to own one. She proves that nature provides us with adventure no matter where we live. I've read stories about safaris in Africa that weren't half this enthralling.

This book is a combination of suspenseful drama, personal journey, and expose of inner city feral cats and those who love them. I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what happened next to these feral cats with names and personalities, living on the edge of living or dying. Janet Jensen's writing was suspenseful and personal, making me care for these otherwise unwanted and unnoticed creatures of the night. I became acutely aware of an underground of cat lovers who take many risks in order to care for these unwanted orphans. Although it reads like a novel, the book is also full of useful and fascinating information.

Janet Jensen is a one of kind feral friend. She not only helps the feral cats in NYC, she understands their nature & needs. I have read many books on feral cats. Most approach them as wild, separate unapproachable animals. Janet challenges that conception. She shows how respect & love for our fellow creatures through understanding & care can cut through red tape, help mobilize caring people and keep a watchful, loving eye on animals that both need us & need their space. A must read for any feral activist.

I just loved this book. I was recommended it by my dogwalker of all people (http://www.petaholics.com). It is a very interesting book, don't miss it.

Heartwarming look at cats not quite so lucky as those who share our laps and hearts. It also is a facinating portrayal of people who go the extra mile for cats who cross their paths. You do not have to be a cat lover to appreciate this book but by the end of the book you may be one

I began searching for a spiritual approach to starting a business. I keyed in the words "Spiritual Entreprenuer". I was so amazed that a book by this title with all the information I was looking for had already been written. I am so excited to have found this inspiring and practical information for starting a business from scratch using spiritual insight and viral marketing methods. This book can help you with the right steps to take, keeping balance in your life through the process,and improving the world with your business, and helping charities.

I want to give accolades to Robert's new book. I am and have been a holistic healer for years, and have struggled with the business side of things. Robert gives great advice and also gives us all hope that business can be done from a more spiritual and higher calling.

Thank you Robert,

Tracy
www.godgoddessconnection.webs.com

After deciding to focus on building my own spiritual businesses, I decided I needed some help (or maybe some distraction from actually WORKING)...anyway, I came to Amazon and began looking at various Spiritual Marketing titles. This book was one of a couple I picked up and I am thrilled I did!

It is written in a very conversational style...easy and FUN to read. I could not put it down when I started reading...plus, I just could NOT stop. The ideas are easy and presented in a manner that even the most computer or marketing shy lightworker can grasp (I hope). The concepts also make sense and anyone should be able to see how your business wil grow exponentially!

Ironically (hmm, is anything ironic?), I had just gotten back from a big conference in a networking marketing opportunity and was grappling with some of the VERY ISSUES that Robert covers in his book! So, if you had been considering that type of route...lots of good info here.

If you are ready to build your business, take control of your own destiny and get going on financial freedom...buy this book! I am going to be recommending it to all of my friends...and their friends...and their friends...

Robert hit the nail right on the head. When I finally learned that my business does not have to be hard, and I don't have to sacrifice and be stressed all the time my life joyfully changed. Yes, most likely you will work and spend time at your business if you want to be successful. However, the spin you put on it makes all the difference. As Robert explains so eloquently in his book do you business from joy. Look to serve others, be a blessing to others. I wake up every morning thanking my creator for the blessing of my business and I wonder who will be lucky enough to talk to me today? Whose life can I enhance? Thank you Robert for your inspiring words of wisdom.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RSSV1MUWOOCXA Here's a short meditation exercise. Take a few minutes and just relax, you deserve it.

The exercise is 'Breathing for Meditation and it's from my book Kundalini Awakening for Personal Mastery 2nd Edition

Have fun,
Robert :)
http://SpiritualEntrepreneur.biz

The Best Review Yet by Kourtney Howard







Full House the Substitute Teacher
By: Cathy East Dubowski

Michelle Tanner is your normal average girl. She's really nice and cool. Michelle loves to spell.


When Michelle gets to school she has a sub. So she asks her friends if they want to sink the sub. So when they take roll they all say the wrong names. Then after a few more pranks he quits and makes Michelle the teacher. Then she had to teach three kids how to spell their spelling words. When she gets home she tells her dad what a good day she had.


Michelle Tanner's school


Michelle and her class pull pranks on the substitute.


I loved this book because it took me on a lot of adventures.

Full House The Substitute Teacher
By:Cathy East Dubowski


Michelle Tanner is your regulare avrage girl.Shes smart and realy good in spelling.Shes realy nice to her friends and is cool.


When Michelle gets home from schoolshe tells her Uncle Jesse,that she is going to have a substitute teacher for the next few days.So he tells her how they would always try to sink the sub.So she tells her friends about that. Now they want to do that so they switch names. When he calls role they all say the wrong names. Then after a few more pranks, Mr. Kalowskie quites and makes Michelle and Lee teach the class. Then she has to teach three second grade kids how to spell their splelling words. When she gets home she tells her dad what a great day she had.


Michelle Tanner's school


They have a sub and they pull pranks on him.

I love this story because it was entertaning and takes you on alot of adventures.

Michelle and her friends try to trick the substitute teacher and then find out it's his first time substituting. They keep doing it. I thought it was an excellent book. You should read it.

Read this if you enjoy school like I do.. Or if you are the type who likes to play tricks on substitutes...

I recommend everyone this book because it tells us about we should not be bad to a teacher even if it's a substitute. We should not play tricks on them. And we should not listen to Uncle Jesse and Joey.

This is a short book (80 pages) about cats, and the weird things they do. There really isn't a lot of reading involved - this is more of a pictorial. Very good, descriptive pictures portray the things we love about cats the most - their weirdness and individuality (or so you thought until you see this book & realize ALL cats do this stuff!)

For the cat lover - this book is a must! You will thoroughly enjoy this fun loving book! Included is a Kitty Weirdness Scale (KWS) so that you can score your own cat and compare him/her to other cats. One excerpt; 275 points or more "Verify that your animal is not a Tasmanian Devil."

A few of my personal favorites in this book include Laziness, Drinking, Body Language, and (I'm sorry to say it) Barfing. These pictures are the best in describing cats and the (definately weird) things they do!!

Enjoy! I sure did!!

1smileycat :-)

Very interesting, had very good drawings of real live cats. This entertaining piece of mind, had sub-topics and scoring. Most enjoyable for your inner love of cats. Covers most antics of cats, from vainess to drooling. Last, but not least, my personal favorite, the kws scale (kitty weirdness scale). Has a delightful description on every level. I highly reccomend this book.

Great book with brilliant art pictorial descriptions of weird behavior. I am afraid that all of mine are off the scale. However it id difficult to find a behavior that is not in the book. With the exception of washing the caned food in the water dish like some sort of raccoon.
In the back of the book is an attempt to help you deal with these little (ok maybe big) wierdies.

This is one funny book! I have finally found someone who is as crazy about cats as am I. Missy Dizick clearly knows cats and cat owners. Plus, her art is beautiful!I know that my cats are crazy and that is one thing that I love about them. Dogs are . . . BORING. I recommend this book to all of my cat-loving friends and they tell me that they love it also. Thanks, Missy.

My cats...you should meet them, they're insane. And until I bought this book, I thought that a) I was the only one with odd cats and b) perhaps my perceptions were clouded. No, it's true, my beadspread sucking, flapping and screaming, last pair of pantyhose shredding, gettin' stuck on the roof overnight, fighting with the wrong dogg kitties, all 12 of them, just test really high in the KWS, or Kitty Wierdness Scale. Missy Dizick writes from the perspective of a person who could only have many very wierd cats who shred seedlings, eat wierd stuff, and so on. Even after 30 or so readings, this book still has me rolling on the floor every time. I laugh so hard that my abs are improving just from this book. It's been loaned to so many cat loving friends it's falling apart. You must have this book. Its so funny you won't believe it.

I am a first year Veterinary Student. My study partner did not have as much of a base in biochem as I did. While trying to bring her to my level, I found this book. When I loaned it to her, she showed it to her boyfriend, a resident in the Teaching Hospital. He promptly asked to borrow it to use to prepare an upcoming talk. This is obviously a book for those who need a quick reminder, as well as those who are very smart and need to learn this info.

Although the book is only in two colors, the diagrams are clear and helpful, and the text is wonderful. I can't wait to get it back!

An outstanding biochemistry textbook presented in a functionally and clinically relevant manner.
Although there are numerous biochemistry textbooks available, none of the available texts presents the information in a dynamic, easy to read manner as Dr. Engelking's textbook does. Numerous diagrams in the book are excellent visual aids to understand clinical biochemistry. Metabolic disorders and the disease processes resulting from biochemical defects are presented succinctly in this book. Biochemistry and physiology, and anatomical principles are skillfully integrated in this book by the author. Such a presentation makes this an extremely helpful resource text for the Veterinary Medical students. This textbook will be extremely helpful to the clinicians as a quick and easy to understand reference source.

This text has been written for well-prepared veterinary students who have had prior undergraduate training in biochemistry, for interns and residents, and for practicing veterinarians who wish to update their general knowledge of physiological chemistry. Emphasis has been placed upon instructional figures and tables, while text material has been held to a minimum. Several multiple choice questions at the end of each chapter aid in gauging the reader's comprehension of the subject matter, while overviews at the head of each chapter summarize key concepts.

Care has been exercised in the preparation of this text to present a clear and concise discussion of the basic physiological chemistry of mammalian cells, to relate events at the cellular level to biochemical processes in the whole animal, and to cite examples of deviant biochemical events where appropriate. Emphasis has been placed upon metabolism, with topics appropriately sequenced to permit the development of a broad and in-depth knowledge base in physiological chemistry.

Although care has been exercised to include relevant subject matter in a concise, up-to-date and reliable fashion, all authors are fallible, with this one being no exception. Therefore, when errors or serious omissions are detected, or if clarity of presentation should be improved, mature and constructive feedback via an e-mail directly to the author (rather than through Amazon.com) would be genuinely appreciated.

This is a clinically relevant book ! I can not imagine practicing
without it in my reference library. It is well organized and particularly
helpful in managing chronic diseases such as diabetes and
chronic nephritis. A good practice investment.

There are two basic types of biochemistry texts. One emphasizes biomolecules and their reactions, while the other concerns itself with biochemical explanations of physiological phenomena. This text manages to merge the two approaches with concise, accurate, and comprehensive writing, and with illustrations that are almost self-explanatory. It should be strongly considered by those seeking a clear, lucid and readable account of the metabolic machinery of animals.

The only problem I had with this book is that I was on a short vacation with my family and was constantly being dragged away to go have some fun. I couldn't wait to get back to it.
Brian Gari is a terrific writer and storyteller. I felt as if I were right there with him and could almost taste the pain, joy, heartbreak and excitement as he navigated his way through that incredible experience.
One of the best things about this book is that it tells a great deal about what the theater on Broadway is like. I would say that almost all of us out here in the hinterland have no idea how a play gets to Broadway. If you're interested in that aspect, this book will enlighten you.
If you want to read a good book, try this one.

When Brian Gari goes into reminisce mode, two things happen: You feel like you were there, and you feel his joy/pain/frustration/laughter/amazement at how the Broadway business worked back then, and frankly not much has changed except the budgets. Brian has crafted a wonderful book, that frankly, would make a great movie, or Broadway show itself. If you love the innerworkings of show business, you will love this book.

The musical that I once collaborated on opened Off-Broadway and never did make it to Broadway. Mr. Gari's book reminded me of just how difficult the "process" was.
The lyricist fights with the script writers, the composer fights with the lyricist (At least Mr. Gari, lyrics AND music, didn't have to fight that fight) and everyone fights with the director - who usually wins. And, of course, EVERYONE knows how to make the show work - but no one is on the same page.
A noted Broadway composer once grinned and asked me, "How do you like the process?" He knew!
Congratulations to Mr. Gari for bulling his way through the nonsense and the egos and getting to Broadway, and congratulations for his very enjoyable book, filled with pain and laughter. All prospective Broadway writers should read this book - and then take some time to brace themselves for a roller coaster ride to the theater.......
My thanks to Brian Gari for a fine reading experience.

If you're a "Theater Queen" ( or King ! ),don't make any immediate plans once you start reading Mr. Gari's book, because you may not want to put it down for a while.
It's the engrossing tale,told from the inside, of the creation of a musical from the germ of an idea to Opening Night ( or Nite ! ) on Broadway,to, sadly, its closing not too long after. You get to see the very real people and the process behind the making of a musical.
Brian Gari documents everything so thoroughly that you just may see your own name in the book - - or at least that of a friend !
Recommended.

For everyone who thinks making it in show business looks easy, Brian Gari has provided an unusually candid and entertaining account of its highs and lows.

Brian conceived a musical called "Late Nite Comic," based on an eventful personal relationship and convinced others that the show should be produced. He recounts in fascinating detail the excitement of bringing the musical to life tempered by the many disappointments borne of competing egos and creative differences. Especially interesting is the parade of actors and actresses who were considered for roles in "Late Nite." Some names are familiar to Broadway fans. Equally compelling is the story Brian tells of pouring his heart and soul into song after song about his ill-fated love affair, some of the effort coming after it became clear even to him that "Late Nite Comic" was troubled.

The story ends on a very positive note as Brian details his efforts once the show closed to record and promote the score. The reader can't help but notice that once Brian assumed promotional responsibilities for his material, awareness of the show increased. To this day, the original cast album of "Late Nite Comic" remains available, a tribute to Brian's determination and the appeal of the music itself.

Brian writes terrific pop tunes. Reading this story and his commitment to getting his music heard is refreshing. He is one of the good guys and you can't help but pull for him. Seldom is passion pursued with such vigor. It's too bad "Late Night Comic" did indeed bomb in New London. But in its wake it at least produced this excellent, readable and informative book.

If you like Broadway and cabaret performing , you have to own this book.

Roger Schmelzer