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If you love tattoos and piercings you'll love this book. Beautifully drawn women covered in tribal tattoos that become part of their skin. Piercings that are too cool to be real, no really, I don't think that some of those could be done. But, they look totally cool on paper.

I never tire of looking at Royo's work. I go back again and again, and I always see something I had not seen before. I love this style of erotic fantasy art, and I feel that he inspires me on so many levels.

I wasn't sure whether this book was meant to be read or ogled at (or both) but I chose to read it (after some ogling). One of the first things that comes to mind is that Luis Royo is a *MUCH* better artist than writer. I could barely understand what the mythical gibberish associated with some of the drawings were about. I might have enjoyed the writing in my younger days when I was "dreamier" but now, it's just annoying. Being a man however, I just can't say the same for the art. The drawings, mostly of women of unearthly beauty, are spellbinding. I'd much rather the book left their interpretations to the reader. Some of the pieces also include strange monsters that might scare young children but the monsters would probably be the lesser of two evils here. The book itself is printed on high quality paper but you could easily find ten times as many of Royo's artworks on the Net. I would not recommend this book to intellectuals because honestly, it lacks substance. However, if you are looking to diversify your book collection, this would make a nice, provocative addition to your library. At less than half an inch thick, it would probably fit in the space left on one of your full shelves. Don't expect to be taken seriously by your peers if you're caught "reading" it, though.

Definitely one of Royo's best collections. The stories and comments with the artwork are exquisite as well! I would recommend this not only to Royo fans, but, also people who appreciate art.
6 out of 5!

I bought this book for my boyfriend, because he is a big fan of Royo. I knew the man made lovely art, but this book truly displayed how breathtaking and intricate his artwork was.
The book is a nice hardback, with nice matte, sturdy pages full of voluptuous, ethereal women. The quality of the art prints are vibrant, focused and intricate, plus there is a little story of the character provided with most pieces on a parallel page. The book is well comprised and layout!

It's all pretty big x by x wise, but not too thick. Nevertheless, it has a bit of substance, and worth more than what you pay. I was very satisfied and my boyfriend enjoys it.

Beautiful.

I read this book as a teenager many years ago and assume it's been out of print for many years. Don't know how historically accurate it is, but as a story, it totally rocks! The author brings the days of the Caesars to life with poignancy and humor. A must-read!

Mannix' "Those About to Die" combines a historical and sociological view of the Games of the Roman Republic and Empire. With the title taken from the traditional gladiators' greeting, "Hail Caesar! We who are about to die salute you!", this book traces the history of the Roman games from Anchises' funerary games in Vergil's Aeneid to the inevitable coarsening and excess of Imperial Rome. Along the way, we learn about the engineering of the Circus Maximus, the training of the gladiators, the orgiastic response of both plebs and patricians in the audience, and even the horrific cruelty inherent in such a scene. Mannix' "Those About to Die" provides tremendous insights into a cultural and sociological ritual the likes of which have never been seen before -- and, hopefully, will never be seen again.

This is an update after actually receiving the book. Read first, then go to the end for the update.

Almost 50 years have passed since I first read this shocker and I've found it again. Before pushing "go to checkout" this is my memory:
Absolutely incredible book on Roman life. By "incredible," I really do mean "unbelievable" details of Roman excesses, not just in the killing arena, but in raising and eating rare foods: hummingbird tongues, fish that changed colors as they were boiled alive, unborn calves and other animals cooked inside their mothers, and on and on.
In the arena, there were specialists in animal as well as human destruction called "bestiarii" who could kill a lion with their bare hands. The author said the bestiarii hated and feared only leopards because of the animals' blinding speed.

The Roman Colosseum arena could be flooded in minutes, not only for mock sea battles, but for imaginary paradise islands populated by luscious women and handsome men singers and musicians--who were fed to crocodiles to the delight of the crowd.

So out of hand did the "Bread and Circuses" of Rome become that shipments of sand for the Colosseum floor were given priority over shipments of food, according to that author.

I read this shocking book as a very young teenager--it was a paperback book belonging to an uncle. If I can remember this much after nearly 50 years, this is a book that stays with you--whether totally true or not.

UPDATE---Well, I was half right, because this is about half the book it was. Not Amazon's fault. The book arrived in less than a week in surprisingly good condition for a paperback.
No, the 1960 publisher "reverse Bowdlerized" the original I read. Thomas Bowdler gave his name to heavy editing by taking out "indelicate" parts of Shakespeare for a family edition.
This publisher left all the indelicate parts in, resulting in 153 pages of blood, guts and sex.

My guess is that 100 pages of the original are missing. Nothing on the raising and eating of rare foods except a brief mention of thrushes' tongues (not hummingbirds)and baby mice. Very little on the daily lives of Romans and the rich. Probably considered too boring.
Still a helluva read by Daniel Mannix. He put together an exciting and only partly imaginary account of the horror and spirit of the "games" of ancient Rome. Today's "Mortal Kombat" types of computer games and popularity of "reality" TV shows are a perfect reflection of old bloodlust, proving Mannix right in saying in 1958 that America would revel in actual fights to the death today.
But I wanted more than blood and guts, and miss the "boring" parts. Instead of Bowdlerized, the original was disemboweled--with glee.

I read this book over a decade ago and even today, now that I do not have the copy anymore, I still remember the title and the impact it had on me then. It has been on my wish-list for years and plan to order it again soon. I have had many occasions to refer to it in conversations with friends and aquaintances, be it toward politic themes, animal training, or in college. This book gives a fascinating insight into mankind, the beast.

when I was given this book, I thought it would be a laborious read; I was wrong! Daniel Mannix has done an excellent job of bringing dimension & depth to a subject that few of us really understand. It's a real pity that this piece of literature is now out of print because every student of history should have this narrative in their personal library. I now watch 'SPARTACUS' from a totally different perspective!

I HIGHLY recommend this book for walkers who need a boost in information about ways to structure walking habits. This book helped / gave me ideas so I could create my own structured walking plan/program.
Since I aquired this wonderful book I am up to 10 miles a day of serious aerobic walking.

I have read many books on walking, and this is by far the best. It is good for the novice or expert and contains a great progressional walking program that you can jump into at any point.

Wow this was a great read!!!
I have been walking for awhile, i guess since i was about 7 months. once i started i just couldnt stop. I was walking everywhere around the playground, the backyard, i would even do multiple laps around the couch! im not gonna lie, i was pretty good. after decades of walking however, i was still having the same problems with form and technique. i assumed i could work these out on my own eventualy, but boy was i wrong. for example, i would routinly fall when attempting to pass uneven surfaces, i could not figure out why until i read this book. turns out, my form was fudamentaly flawed. Instead of simply steping onto the higher surface, i would get on my left leg and left arm only,then use my bodyweight to heave myself on the surface of higher elevation. living in manhatten, this made traveling around the city nearly impossible. one night i actually was locked into a subway station, beacause of my inability to scale the tall 20ft staircase. i yelled for the attendant, but i dont think he heard me, he appeared to be laughing very hard at something, maybe a joke a friend of his told earlier in the day. anyways, I was quickly tackling curbs, stairs...yes...stairs, i was even scaling the step used in aerobic classes!! I cant count the ways this book has changed my life

Do you like to walk? Are you thinking about walking as a way to get some exercise, lose weight, or to de-stress? This is the only book you will ever need. Mark Fenton is not only qualified to write this excellent guide, he has done the hard, creative work to do it. Whether you are a veteran walker, a beginner, or just thinking about the possibility of starting; this guide has so much to offer each of you.

I had been talking about starting a walking program for months. One of my coworkers finally bought this book for me, and it immediately lit a (figurative) fire under my butt to get me moving!

This book not only provides a 52-week guideline for increasing your activity, but it also serves as a journal to log what activity you have acheived that day. It stresses getting 6 days of at least 30 minutes of activity, but it has a 4-week plan to ease you into the 30 minutes if you've been fairly inactive before starting the program.

The author also urges you to get your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose level checked at the beginning of your 52-week program, again at 6 months, and again at the end of the program. I think that's highly responsible of the author, and was also highly motivating for me to visit my doctor for the first time in over 2 years.

I first read Come Spring around the age of 12, on my father's recommendation. He had read it when he was 12, when the book was new. Now I've read it many times, and am still enchanted with this work of historical fiction. Oddly, I am not a fan of historical fiction, but Ben Ames Williams' depiction of the Robbins family founding a town in Maine, against the backdrop of the Revolutionary War, blends warmth, tragedy, and romance. As a pre-teen reader, I loved the story of Joel Adams and Mima Robbins and their courtship. As an adult, I love the strength of the family bonds, though hard times and good. I would love to see this book as a recommended book for history students. It brings to life the real pioneer spirit of early Americans.

This is a wonderful historical novel, well worth reading and re-reading. It's full of romance and adventure, and readers will enjoy knowing that many descendants of the characters still live in the lovely town of Union. In fact, they can visit the Union Historical Society's website for more information about the town....

This is a good read, and significant as it documents an early settlement in Maine, and typifies life in the those early times, and what our Maine ancesters went through to settle those remote regions, of which Maine has many. Enjoy!

Just finished reading a borrowed copy of 'Come Spring'. Ordered a copy for myself (something I've never done before). When it arrives, will read it again (again, something I have never done before). Full of good story, history, and earthy philosophies. Ben Ames Williams has a way of putting it all together. It takes a few chapters to get into the mood of the book, but once there, watch out!

Come Spring is one of my all time favorite books. When I read this book (about every other year) it's as engrossing as the first time I read it. I can close my eyes and picture the wildllfe Williams decribes, I find myself trying to copy the accents of the characters and never fail, I end up reading late into the night "just one more chapter". For more information on this wonderful book, contact the Union Historical Society at 207-785-5444.

My review is simple. I like using Amazon because it is easy, fairly priced and the order comes quickly. If there is a mistake Amazon does not hassle you. What else would I want. It's all simple.

Robert R. Hilger
Princeton, NJ

I purchased this for my 10 year old daughter, hoping to get her interested in starting to read more nonfiction. She loved the book and read it all in three sittings. It must be very well written, because I saw her engrossed in it for hours at a time.

This is a must have for any historian. I loved the book. I was able to use it for my recent bibliography for college. There was a lot of little tidbits that I did not see elsewhere.

I learned that eleanor roosevelt was a very kind loving person who had a very odd child hood, she was known as the ugly duckling.Her mother did not treat her right and made eleanor afraid of everything.
Personaly, I think that this information was very helpful and would be grate to do a scool project on. this book had lots of pictures that gave wonderful information and were very deitailed, and showed me how to eleanors life was when she was a kid. I also learned that that eleanor loved her father very much, more that enything, and he loved her just as much. eleanor was an orffan at age ten because her whole family died of yellow fever. as I said before this book has a lot of amazing pictures [194]and about half of them showed eleanor and her father together.
I enjoued this book alot and I think you will to. the only thing is I would not try to read this book in one week because it is pretty long. Something I liked about this book is that it gives lots of details and is very factual. I also recomend this book if you like a traditional paper back book. I highly think this book is agreat book for a school project, like I did it on a biograghy. I hope you wil llearn as much as I did reading this amazing historical book, Eleanor roossevelt.

This Newbery Honor Book, subtitled "A Life of Discovery," covers Eleanor Roosevelt's life in 11 chapters and nearly 200 pages. The biography covers Roosevelt's childhood, education, courtship, marriage and motherhood, entrée into politics alongside her husband, and her humanitarian work independent of FDR. The text itself is straightforward and easy to read, presented in a scholarly fashion rather than the sort of fictionalized manner of some biographies. While certain events are dramatized, no dialog is invented - the words the reader encounters are those of the figures themselves, from journals, letters, and speeches. The best passages are the friendly and informative explanations offering children some background knowledge about the time, such as this account of courtship at the turn of the century, seamlessly woven into the chapter on "Cousin Franklin":

Of course, Eleanor and Franklin were never alone together. That would have been highly improper in those formal Victorian days. When Eleanor visited Hyde Park or Campobello, when she met Franklin in New York for lunch or tea, even they went riding in the Roosevelt carriage, a third person was always present. If a relative wasn't available, Eleanor's maid served as a chaperone (38).

These frequent explanations offer the reader a broader insight into time, describing the conventions of the era in order to later set Roosevelt's often unconventional views and activities in contrast. This treatment gives young readers a strong sense of why Roosevelt is worthy of special attention. The text is accompanied by more than 100 black and white photographs, both formal portraits and informal candid views of Roosevelt. Overall, the book focuses on Roosevelt's life as a public figure, though does not shy away from intensely personal matters such as her father's alcoholism, her adolescent insecurities, and even her husband's infidelity. In this way, Freedman manages to create a very intimate portrait of the woman herself and to make a larger-than-life figure, with a highly privileged background seem very real and accessible. Although Freedman's tone clearly indicates an admiration for his subject, the book does not idolize her, often drawing attention to her faults such as her lack of her tenderness as a mother when her children were very young (acknowledged by her son). The book concludes with a photo album, bibliography, and index. The book is readable from beginning to end and usable as a reference for exploration of specific events or issues from Roosevelt's life. Children will likely come to this book because of a classroom assignment, but in the process will certainly be entertained and inspired.

The '65 version with illustrator Brinton Turkle gets 5 stars. What is currently showing on Amazon as the photo of the book cover is the original 1965 version. It is shown for the 65 and 1990 version. They have different illutstrators. This photo should only be shown with the '65 version. If you want the original make sure you are not buying the 90s version.

I can remember this book when I was quite young and have passed on the tradition to my little one. We use my old copy which is now about 30 years old and boy, is it a hit! It's just so cute to see the reaction of little ones when they see a bear and a mouse dressed in Victorian finery, try to explore their common interests. However, when they find that their interests are varied, they both break down and cry. But finally, ice cream brings them together in an old fashioned ice cream parlor and the two friends enjoy each other's company. A great first reader but also a great book to be enjoyed by toddlers. A true classic for all libraries.

I'll never forget climbing into my dad's lap back in the early 70's and learning how to read this book. I can still quote the story from memory. What a great lesson about how different people can find common interests! After looking for it on-line for many months, I recently broke down and paid ... for a copy I hope my young son will enjoy as much as I did when I was his age. We both love ice cream, like Joe and Sam, so some things will never change!

I loved this book as a child & have my tattered copy to share with my children. I was thrilled when my daughter brought home her 1st grade reading book & found she would be reading the story in school. The illustrations are different, but it's still the same charming story & it was fun to compare the two books. This book is a definite favorite in our home!

I'll never forget climbing into my dad's lap back in the early 70's and learning how to read this book. I can still quote the story from memory. What a great lesson about how different people can find common interests! After looking for it on-line for many months, I recently broke down and paid $... for a copy I hope my young son will enjoy as much as I did when I was his age. We both love ice cream, like Joe and Sam, so some things will never change!

This book was in great condition, and is really and truly helpful. It not only opens you into a whole new world of cooking, but it also helps you grocery shop, eat healthier, and enjoy cooking!

I've had this cookbook for over a year and it is without doubt the best one in my collection. The recipes are easy to follow and taste great. I've tried numerous ones over the year and every one I've tried has come out perfectly! In addition, there are pages of tips on how to prepare foods that any cook can find helpful. As part of a total weight loss program, this book is a must!

This book is fantastic. Everything tastes like gourmet cooking.
Some of the recipes are fairly simple while others are not. This book is great for people who love to cook and want low-fat alternatives that taste great. Fair warning though this isn't one of those quickie meal recipe books. It is the best cookbook I own, regardless of the low-fat. It gives tons of information on exotic as well as common ingredients. It is a great gourment recipe book as well as instructional cooking book.

This book is fantastic. Everything tastes like gourmet cooking.
Some of the recipes are fairly simple while others are not. This book is great for people who love to cook and want low-fat alternatives that taste great. Fair warning though this isn't one of those quickie meal recipe books. It is the best cookbook I own, regardless of the low-fat. It gives tons of information on exotic as well as common ingredients. It is a great gourment recipe book as well as instructional cooking book. Not only does this book tell you how to cook everything (poultry, seafood, vegetables, desserts, etc.) it also includes a nice sampling of international recipes for added flair, Spinach/cheese enchiladas, Greek Moussaka, Squash stuffed with Mediterranean grains, to name just a few. You won't get bored.

This is a great reference for people wanting to cook a little healthier. There are a host of suggestions on how to convert existing recipes to a lower fat menu and there are many illustrations to support the many tips and charts. You will learn how to substitute lower fat ingredients for butter and oil without compromising the taste of your food. The authors discuss the many types of rice, flour, grains, herbs, spices etc. and guide you in selecting the appropriate one for your particular needs. In short, this book is a cooking class in healthy living. Buy this one...you will use it often!

P.S. Weight Watchers' clients will particularly like this book. The nutritional information necessary for calculating Winning Points is included with every recipe and you will have a huge number of dishes that you may prepare within your program.

If you carry around a list of books you must find, if you've ever hidden new (or used) books from someone who thought money could be better spent (!) on food or electricity, if you've ever fantasized about meeting your favorite authors .... you will have found a kindred spirit in Michael Dirda, book lover and essayist, who has collected 46 of his Washington Post Book World articles here for you.

Wide-ranging but never overextended, Dirda impresses me not only for his erudite commentary but because he manages to rattle off titles and lists and names without ever seeming patronizing; he discusses a multitude of literary concepts without ever being condescending; and he relates a remarkable and far-reaching knowledge without ever sounding arrogant.

Dirda is knowledgeable and funny, intelligent and affectionate, as he considers Wodehouse, maxims, criminally-bad retention, Chesterton, Irish and French novelists, children's books, vacation reading, comedic novels, Beerbohm, Oulipo, the Internet, death, genre reading, Benson's Lucia, private clubs, teachers, autobiographies and getting in shape. And he reveals some interesting information about pre-presidential Jimmy Carter!

If you love books, you will thoroughly enjoy these observations. But beware! When you are finished you will have drawn up a LONG list of books that you did not know existed but which you cannot now live without.

Stimulating. Thought-provoking. Fun. All learning should be so enjoyable!

I spent the afternoon reading, smiling and occasionally laughing out loud. I have always imagined I was the most addicted reader I knew -- but, Dirda gets the prize.

He tells us about pouncing on a find like a "rabid marmoset" and sneaking books into the house to hide them from the "Beloved Spouse."

His taste is catholic and he is a good writer. I think any reader will enjoy his essays.

This is a wonderful book of short essays by Michael Dirda, book reviewer for the Washington Post. Dirda appears to have read everything ever written, from literary fiction to science fiction to history to books that are just plain funny.

One of the things I particularly like about him is his enthusiasm for all kinds of books and his love for making truly eclectic lists (e.g., the "100 funniest books ever written", but with no more than one book per author; otherwise he said the list would be little but books by P. G. Wodehouse). He is also an aficionado of lost treasures (e.g., "The Autobiography of Augustus Carp, Esq.," at once one the most humorous books ever written and devastating account of true hypocrite--a man who would give Pecksniff a run for his money--or "Ashenden," Somerset Maugham's interconnected stories of a British secret agent in WWI--and the inspiration for other writers in the spy genre). He's also big on the Lucia series by E. F. Benson, which are hilarious representations of the battles for social supremacy in small town Britain--they are comedies of manners that compare well to Jane Austen's incomparable novels. No one is as good as Austen, but Benson is very, very good.

Dirda has also re-introduced me to science fiction (in particular Jack Vance).

This is an entertaining and highly varied set of essays with one central theme--the love of reading good books.

I'm a life-long book lover and reader. To my wife's chagrin, Dirda has reinforced all of my antisocial tendencies. He's given me the names of a pile of new treasures to read. I loved the book and I appreciate Dirda's infectious love for books. Read it.

Dirda is a critic and editor at the Washington Post, notable for his erudition, his enthusiasm, and his wide-ranging reading--not just in respectable, "literary" fiction but in mystery and science fiction as well. It's common to make a distinction between "reviews" (ephemeral, plot-focused, intended to attract or warn off readers) and "criticism" (intellectual, in-depth, insightful, aimed at people already familiar with the works in question)--but Dirda's columns often blur this distinction in the most welcome way.

Readings collects these columns, including pastiches of Wodehouse and Pepys, appreciations of comic masterpieces, articles on soft-core porn, hard-boiled thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, forgotten classics and not-quite-classics, The Tale of Genji, the obsession of bookcollecting, and much more. Reading the book felt like making a new friend: Dirda offers a delightful mix of appreciations on books I know and books I always meant to try and books I'd never even heard of. Above all, he manages to convey the heady *pleasure* of reading--that we do this, really, heretically, hedonistically, not for our greater good but because it's just plain fun.

Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael Dirda is one of the main reasons I read the Washington Post Book World every Sunday. In his book, "Readings: Essays and Literary Entertainments," Dirda assembles forty-six of his best essays (all of his Book World editorial columns are good) to delight the reader who, like him, is an incurable book aficionado.

Although the idea of reading a book about reading books may sound a bit redundant, Dirda's exciting, humorous, wide-ranging, and engaging narrative will not lose the reader's attention. He is a scholarly bibliophile in every sense of the term, minus any pretension. His love of books is infectious, and there is no escaping Dirda's charm and wit. The chapters "The Crime of His Life," "Listening to My Father," "Mr. Wright," "Commencement Advice," "Clubland," "Turning 50," and "Bookman's Saturday" are especially good.

For the reader who finds himself (or herself) swamped with reading wish-lists, tirelessly hunting for a first edition, obsessing over collecting all of a particular author's works, finding unparalleled solace in the library, and generally spending more time reading than doing anything else, this is the book for you. I have seen Mr. Dirda speak about this book on C-SPAN2's "Book TV" and on open university's "The Writing Life," and he is just as enthusiastic about reading in person as he is on paper. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves to read.

After reading Earl G. Graves's bitter autobiography, I fully expected John H. Johnson's manuscript for success to be riddled with distain. I was pleasantly surprised however to find that Johnson; through such works as, Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, and How to Win Friends..., by Dale Carnegie, made a fortune turning social negatives into profitable and professional positives. Having met eight U. S. Presidents along the way, Johnson's autobiography is a refreshing treatise on determination. It should be noted that much of Johnson's success came about before integration, when the African American community lived by the, "it takes a village," mentality. The nurturing he was provided during the early years provided for a favorable turn of events ultimately guiding him; not without the requisite obstacles, toward a life of success. John H. Johnson's, `Succeeding Against the Odds,' is a testament to the spoils of desire, determination, delayed gratification and a strong belief in ones self. Bravo Mr. Johnson, well done! I issue this glowing review however with a caveat; there are a few grammatical errors; thus, my conservative rating, nevertheless, this was a fun read.

I bought this Book way back in 1992.I always Admired Mr.John H.Johnson for all that He overcame&also for providing Ebony&Jet into my early childhood all the to the present. what He overcame&what He Accomplsihed is truly incredible. He created magazines that spoke&gave Black America a Fair shake at the Newsstand&also showed our world in a up-lifting light. John H.Johnson is a true Pioneer who trail-blazed so much for the better.RIP&this is a Must have Book.

I could definitely related to Mr.Johnson's story. It is inspiring, insightful, and truly a guide to those of us on the often obstacle laden road to success.

Never allow your personal feelings or emotions to close the doors of oppourtunities. Where the is a will there truly is a way. His story is remarkable and his book enables you to understand that yours is too.

Think and Grow Rich...

This book uplifted the self esteem of me and many other African Americans. It was the story of a black man raised in rural Arkansas who had a dream. He figured out at an early age that African Americans wanted to know about what was happening in their community. There where only so many if any stories about us in Life Magazine. And if they did publish something about us it was negative. Why couldn't African Americans have a magazine of their own? One that told stories, positive stories about our lives, our heroes, and our history. This book gave me hope to know that even a lower middle class, African American boy from the Bronx like myself could grow up and strive for greatness amongst our people and the rest of society. John H. Johnson's publications are over 50 years old now and are still giving us stories that uplift our minds, bodies and spirits. Reading this book is not only a joy and a honor but it should be required reading for all African Americans and focal point of reading for all others.

In his book, Johnson states "There is an advantage in every disadvantage, and a gift in every problem" and "I believe that the greater the handicap the greater the triumph." By this he means to say that disadvantage creates opportunities and forces one to do more with less. He believed that disadvantages were "...challenges to be overcome and not facts to be accepted." A disadvantage provides a challenge that, with the proper motivation and mindset, forces one to try a little harder and work a little smarter.

Two distinct disadvantages that Johnson cites are early in his life: 1) Arkansas City (his birthplace) did not provide a high school education for African Americans, and 2) The economic depression stemming from the Great Depression. These two disadvantages, when taken together, provided a sort of "critical mass" that propelled Johnson on the trajectory that is his story -- his move to Chicago and subsequent business endeavors.

The fact that the disadvantages cited above were realized so early in life is worth note. There is a scientific discipline known as "Chaos Theory" that, among other precepts, states that the time evolution of a series of interrelated complex events is extremely sensitive to the system's initial condition. The analogy that may be drawn to Johnson's life is this: had he not moved to Chicago due to his ambition and his Mother's tremendous sacrifices for her son's education, it would have become increasingly difficult for Johnson to have succeeded to the extent he did, as chronicled in his autobiography.

This statement is supported by the many references he makes in the book about the seemingly random events that led to his success as a businessman; Johnson states, "I'm scared someone with pinch me and wake me up." Thus, it seems that the many disadvantages the author faced throughout life, most notably (in his words) early in life, created an advantage, which led him to great wealth and notoriety.

I first bought this book as I considered opening a vintage goods shop with my mother. It was such a good resource, we each wanted our own copy. I found the information to be very useful as we mapped out our business plan and eventually opened our little shop.
The shop eventually closed when we had to give up our location, and cancer claimed Mom's life. I have been feeling the urge to have a shop again lately, and wanted to re-read the book. Apparently I've lent it to someone who never returned it to me! Mom's copy was nowhere to be found either, so I ordered another copy. A small price to pay for the information and guidance imparted within.

I just found this charming, useful and inspirational book on sale at a local book store. This collaborated effort by a Victoria Magazine contributor and successful small business owners like Debby DuBay, retired United States Air Force officer, was absolutely inspirational and had so many useful tips for a new business owner such as myself. I found information on my business plan and the small business administration, etc. In addition, I tried to contact many of the contributors to the book, but most I could not contact. I boldly contacted Ms. DuBay who enthusiastically provided me with many helpful tips on my new business! I love this book and highly recommend it for all! It is a timeless book!

Purchased this book in Limoges Antiques Shop, Andover, MA from one of the contributors; Debby Dubay, ret, USAF and author of her own series on collecting Limoges porcelain. This book is remarkable and if you are considering starting your own business or turning your passion into a profession this book is a must. Debby DuBay credits The Business of Bliss and Victoria Magazine for her success - but her input was invaluable with the success of this publication.

Wow! If you need a guide on how to turn your passion into a profession - I recommend this book. The experts have been used to provide input, and I love Debby DuBay's story in this book and in The Business of Bliss. The information provided about the Small Business Association is the best and I received a low documentation loan following the outline in this book! I owe my success to Janet and Ms DuBay. Highly recommend this book.

Written by the editors of Victoria Magazine who collaborated with successful women such as author, shop owner, retired Air Force Officer and Veteran Debby DuBay this book is a must. I have tried getting in contact with Victoria Magazine to no avail, but a few of the women they highlighted are still available to mentor women like myself. I am a professional woman who wanted to turn a passion into a career and Ms DuBay has been my mentor. Thanks to this book I was able to contact her. Highly recommend this book.