Public Interest Books

Product was of a decent price, arrived in a timely manner and in good condition. Overall, well pleased with transaction.

I have been interested in the Titanic story most of my life, and this still taught me things I did not know about it. The illustrations are beautifully done.

"Titanic An Illustrated History" is an excellent title for anyone who wants to know more about the Titanic from building the ship to the investigations into the sinking.

The book is around 225 pages, has numerous photographs and colorful illustrations, and contains around 12 chapters and focuses on the following main areas:

1. Inception and building the ship.
2. The maiden voyage and details of the sinking.
3. Evacuating the boat.
4. Rescue efforts and memorial services.
5. Investigations into the sinking.
6. Discovery the Titanic on the ocean floor several years later.
7. Some of the Titanic artifacts found during the discovery.

The narrative was smooth throughout the book and was very enjoyable to read. The book also served to dispel myths presented in the latest Titanic movie from Hollywood (1997?) that starred Leonard DiCaprio and others. In particular, while people of different social classes were pitted against one another in the struggle for survival in the movie, the book was full of examples of people who willingly sacrificed their lives so that others may live. While the movie was okay, Hollywood did seem to twist some of the facts. Thankfully, the book was more accurate.

Read and enjoy this great account of an unfortunate episode in maritime history. Recommended.

I have to agree with the previous review posted this is probably the best book ever published on the tragic Titanic. It is a beautifully illustrated history of the tragic liner from conception to her well documented demise and discovery in 1985. Ken Marshall's paintings bring the grand dame to life and also help to put into perspective the wreck as she was in 1994 when the book was first published. It is a must have for any Titanic enthusiase even if it is slightly outdated now.

Although slightly outdated (published in 1994) this book is thoroughly comprehensive history of the ship, its passengers, its builders, its history, its discovery, and its legacy. Amazing pictures and accounts tell the story scrupulously. It is the true story, after all, that has fascinated so many people for so long. From its beauty and extravagant wealth and ironic belief to be unsinkable, to its death on its maiden voyage, to its horrifyingly inadequate lifeboats, to the great human drama and span of human emotions in its final hours, to the self sacrificing to the panicking to the hope and hopelessness, to the reclaiming of nature of the ship. It's just disturbingly fascinating. Interestingly, one of the investigators into the sinking said that more lifeboats wouldn't have saved more people because the existing ones weren't full. So many people on that ship died by choice, in refusing to save themselves, because they didn't want to be parted, or because they refused to properly inform the passengers. One of the most interesting treasures in this book is the last known photograph of the ship as it sails into history. Grade: A-

I found this book (rather thick - 251 pages) on the shelves of my local Santa Cruz library shelves. At first I thought it was rather boring - the cover is dizzying to look at. Then as I opened and perused thru more pages, I realized that this was a work of love - Adah Bakalinsky's love (a San Francisco local, and an emigrant to the US).

Adah Bakalinsky has expended previous editions and the January 2007 is the 6th edition.

What I liked about this book:
* informs the reader on some cool areas to walk in San Francisco, with cool architecture, and routes that will have your blood pumping.
* the 27 walks are all detailed with a map layout, interesting points of interest, photographs, and many factoids.
* Appendix 1 contains "An Informal Bibliography" (one pager with more info on the San Francisco)
* Appendix 2 lists all the staircases (across 36 pages) for each neighborhood in San Francisco and rates each one according to a 1 to 5 scale of combined: steepness, length, location, elevation, and beauty.
* and ... it was FREE.

Whether you are from out of town visiting San Francisco, a local denizen, or a Bay Area suburbian, you are sure to enjoy this book, even if not completing a walk from start to finish. The details are worth reading before each walk, as one is sure to add more mental details and moments of enjoyment as one walks across the beautiful city of San Francisco.

I love this book!! We live an hour north of S.F. and when ever we go to the city we start with one of these great walks. We have gone and explored neighborhoods we never would have without this book. San Francisco is such a beautiful city and getting to the top of some obscure staircase always gives you a unique and beautiful view. It is a must for anyone who lives in or near S.F.

San Francisco has over 50 hills with scenic vistas and small neighborhoods - so these nearly 30 urban walks are top picks for any who want to walk the city's byways. The revised expanded edition has been updated with new maps and color photos and adds three new walks, while an appendix lists the City's 600-plus public stairways. It's a 'must' for any San Francisco travel collection going beyond the general-interest city guide.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Great book to have for anyone who enjoys an adventure. Lots of walking options within the city

Adah's book is a great collection of walks all over the city. As the name implies, all the walks focus on the stairways for which San Francisco is so well known. This has two implications: one is that these walks will wear you out; the second is that, on sunny days, you get incredible views from the tops of all the stairways Adah has you climb.

For locals, the 27 walks cover the entire town from Glen Canyon to Lands End to Potrero Hill. No matter how long you've lived in San Francisco, I guarantee you'll see great spots you've never been to before.

Most of the walks are well off the beaten path for visitors, but a couple cover the classic tourist areas of North Beach, China Town, and Telegraph Hill. The Russian Hill North walk, done on a sunny day, will have anyone believing San Francisco is the most beautiful city on earth.

Adah provides maps, directions, and a great deal of color commentary for each walk. She tends to focus on eccentric details of the local architecture and flora for each walk, lending a whimsical quality to the whole experience.

Two last things to keep in mind. First, because the views are such a big part of these walks, Adah's trips are much better in good weather than in bad. Second, Adah is sometimes a little loose with her directions; I recommend cross checking the directions and the map often.

The story takes place in the early 1800s, in a remote fishing post on the Bonavista peninsula in Newfoundland. The Andrews family, having been evicted from their home in England, bribed the captain of a French merchant ship to drop them off in the northwest Atlantic territories. They are dropped off at a place about 100 miles from St. John's, Newfoundland, a place called Cape Random. The only inhabitants of the cape are the Vincent family and a man named Thomas Hutchings, who keeps the books of account for the St. John's businessman who owns the fishing rights for the cape. A severe winter is approaching and the Andrews are entirely at the mercy of the Vincents and Thomas Hutchings. The story follows the lives of the Andrews, the Vincents and Mr. Hutchings for about twenty years.

We follow the story mainly through the eyes and the journal of young Lavinia Andrews. About two-thirds of the way through the book, Thomas Hutchings becomes the narrator. It is a tale of ice, snow, death and deprivation with little or no hope of escape from this harsh place, isolated from the rest of the world. In the meanwhile, they work hard at salting and curing fish and hunting seals, most of it for the benefit of Caleb Grosse, the St. John's businessman who sends a boat twice each year to pick up the salted fish and to drop off provisions such as flour, salt, molasses and, sometimes, one or two goats. In the spring, some of the men go to St. John's to join the large-scale seal hunting expeditions.

From time to time, the book shifts its focus from one member of the subject families to another, thereby giving the reader an idea of what each of the characters is thinking. It is an engrossing narrative of what life must have been like in these remote places 200 years ago. Over the twenty years of the story, interest is kept alive by many twists and turns involving births, deaths, illness, domestic and economic crises and the ever-present cold.

It is a book that holds your interest. Just when you think you know what to expect, the narrative takes a sharp turn in the other direction. It is easy to read and very entertaining. It helps me understand why my grandmother used to say, that she "t'anked God" the day she left that place.

As I traveled through Newfoundland in June 1999, this book was in the racks of every shop on my route. At first, I thought it must have been Newfoundland's version of "Anne of Green Gables", but I picked it up and discovered that the story of its characters actually had more in common with Jamestown or even the Donner Party than those of Lucy M. Montgomery's children's tale.

Addressing hardships of maritime living, displaced class struggles and faith-based separations, Ms. Morgan progresses her story of the lives of outcast English family members and their fellow re-settlers at the Cape (Random). Once ashore on Newfound Land, their survival, conflicts, and cultural shifts make the reader shiver and shudder with the cold, fear, hunger and pain as felt by the characters. Morgan's story is depicted through a tactile understanding of the topography, climate, flora, fauna and cultural history. This not only leads readers through this fictional account of a past settlement in Newfoundland, but sets up how these characters' challenges and beliefs are still reflected in the culture of present day Newfoundland, as shown in the pride, warmth, persistence and humility of the people of "the Rock". A worthy read.

I enjoyed Random Passage. I couldn't put it down. Only when I read it, it was called Cape Random. What goes? I actually started to read Random Passage but soon realized that I had already perused these pages as Cape Random

I truly enjoyed this book. The author has woven the history of Newfound Land in a story rich with authentic and passionate characters. Bernice Morgan has a way of bringing the characters alive, so that I could not put the book down once I started it. This story is a testament to the endurance of human nature, but also to our capacity to love and to marvel at the world around us. I am ordering the sequel, and once I've read it, I am going to look for the videos. I also want to read more books by this author.
Sincerely, Francine Noiseux

On a visit to Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, this book's title always surfaced when I quizzed locals on cultural and historical points. It was about a 12-hour read, and I found it very easy to justify putting distractions aside to read this involving book. I felt that having two separate accounts of events, each through the eyes of two of the book's characters, really added to the depth of the story. No wonder why Newfoundlanders are so proud of the heritage that grew from the struggles on "the rock."

A practical guide on how to deal with and survive a stalker. I applaud the author for writing about a subject that many in law enforcement and society itself dismiss cavalierly, until it is too late. We need to take these crimes seriously and deal with them early before they escalate out of hand. This book highlights the do's and don'ts to help victims persevere and overcome the abuse of a stalker. A definite eye opener.

If anyone is going through the hell of being stalked, or even think they are being stalked, they MUST by Detective Proctor's book "How to Stop A Stalker"
I have read other "stalking" books, and they have been helpful, but none to the extent of Detective Proctor's book.
The information, the suggestions, everything is a MUST for someone being stalked.
He UNDERSTANDS, something that I didn't feel from the other stalking books.
Detective Proctor knows the reality and horror of stalking in an easy read and extremely informative book.
This book is up to date (unlike some of the other Stalking books) and my only problem is that he doesn't have a sequel. Hopefully that is something he is working on.
I give this book ten stars. This book literally saved my life and it can save yours.
If you, a friend, or a family member are being stalked, you must read this book.

I have taught an upper division course on Family Violence for 20 years. After many years of searching for a credible and useful book on stalking I came across Det. Proctor's book on how to stop a stalker. I have also had 28 years of experience in law enforcement; therefore, I approached the book the first time I "studied" it from both an academic and an applied perspective. The true value of the book lies in the fact that the author bases it on years of field experience investigating and studying stalkers. He is to be commended for stating that he does not know everything and continues to learn new things about the subject. Two major typologies are developed. The first typology presents the elements of the crime of stalking--harrassment, credible threat, and course of conduct. The second typology presents the three types of stalkers--domestic, acquaintance, and stranger. Proctor draws on the two typologies throughout the book as he systematically writes about stalking. The book helps to understand the difference between romantic compulsion and stalking. Drawing on case histories Proctor provides insight into why they stalk, how they target victims, techniques of stalking, compulsion, and the impact on the victims' lives, as well as the victims' families, friends, and co-workers. Proctor does an excellent job of differentiating between male and female stalkers. The use of case histories is what makes the book come alive. Sound practical advice is provided for investigators as well as victims. I highly recommend the book for use in the classroom. My students were impressed and it generated insightful discussion--including personal experiences, on campus and elsewhere, as well as experiences of friends and family members. All criminal investigators and prosecutors should read the book as well. These are not easy cases to investigate and prosecute and Proctor' recommendations are both thorough and helpful.

First off, the royal we becomes annoying really fast.

When he sticks to his topic, he's informative, enlightening, and even entertaining. He knows his stuff and he covers a lot of ground, including the Internet. I feel like I've learned a lot of information from him and I don't regret reading this book.

Too often, however, he veers off into "this is why me and my group and wonderful and have to face a whole bunch of idiots." Like in the section on sadism where he never gets around to giving the example he promised, but rather discusses problems he had with a jurist from another jurisdiction.

Overall, the tone is quite juvenile, and I had to keep reminding myself this was a man in his fifties, not early twenties. He comes off as a bit of a puppy. The name calling gets tiresome after a while. I'd also rather he not talk down to the reader. I didn't need him to clarify that no, dead bodies don't sit up and give statements to the police, thanks.

Those last two points are what keeps the book from getting 5 stars. It's a good book; it could have been a great book.

I expected a work on stalking to be very dry and difficult to get through. This book,however, was extremely interesting,informative and easy to read. It is the sort of book that the normal man in the street could read and apply as easily as someone who is more knowledgeable about the subject. A wonderful handbook for anyone having troubles of this nature and a wothwhile read for any safety conscious individual.

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Over the years I have reread Dale Carnegie's books several times. They have been more than helpful in making speeches and friends. We just need more authors like him.

It's a great read would rec amend it to any one that wants to succeed.

I do a fair amount of public speaking and just dealing with people. When you know what you want to say and are able to say it confidently and with conviction it makes a big difference in the way it is received.

After having read HOW TO DEVELOP SELF-CONFIDENCE & INFLUENCE PEOPLE by PUBLIC SPEAKING by Dale Carnegie, I genuinely feel compelled to write a brief review.


First, I found this book to be useful and pratical. The author provides general principles regarding how to develop self-confidence and improve one's speaking peformance, then provides an illustration of that principle. In other words, the author is effectively instructing us on how to improve our public speaking peformance, which is critical in so many professions.


Second, this book contains brilliant depth. In fact, to be forward, I was skeptical I would even find this book useful. I have provided speeches with nearly 300 people in attendance. However, when it came to my performance before small groups --say, three to twelve people-- I tended to flounder. From this book, I learned that I must prepare for my short presentations as I prepare for my more lengthy presentations. A few quick pointers: memorize your opening and closing, which I was not doing for my small group presentations; I was often attempting to "wing" them. However, subsequently reading this book, my presentations are more effective and have more grace.


Third and in conclusion, the final chapter was somewhat astonishing for me. I was literally mispronouncing a few words, and I am very grateful for having received instruction and guidance from the author. For example, I was mispronouncing vIand, antIdote, amEnable, cUlinary, sUpine, lab-o-ra-tory, bev-er-age, Cath-o-lic, choc-o-late, di-a-mond, fo-li-age, gal-ler-y, et al.! I honestly state with confidence that this little treasure is a "must read" for professionals, particularly those required to speak before small and large audiences. On a final note, I only wish I had read this book earlier, my life would have been quite easier.


Sincerely,
Clovis

I read this book before I did a presentation of my book to THE LOS ANGELES ATAXIA SUPPORT GROUP. It helped me a lot, and gave me the confidence that I needed to display my book in an oral book presentation.
I will go over a few of the key points of this wonderful book by Dale Carnegie, Inc., and why the information was what I needed to hear.
-In order to be a good public speaker you must have a strong and persistant desire to relate this information. (Yes, there is a strong and urgent need to increase awareness of CEREBELLAR ATAXIA as well as all of the other varieties of ATAXIA-a neurological, progressive, physical disorder that impairs coordination. I have been becoming more and more physically handicapped with my genetic neurological disorder since I was 17.)
-Know thoroughly what you are going to talk about. Don't speak until you are sure that you have something to say, and then say it, and sit down. (I am already sitting in a wheelchair due to my progressive, genetic disorder. I related to my audience how I wrote the book, over years, the publication process, and then I recited three of the poems from my book.)
-Practice, Practice, Practice. Be prepared. State your facts, argue from them, and appeal for action. (I described how it is to live with a progressive, neurological handicap. I hope it will raise awareness of ATAXIA.)
Those are a few of the key point of this marvelous book by Dale Carnegie, Inc.
My book is called Dreams in August: Life, Love, and Cerebellar Ataxia

This book gave me mant great ideas on what to do to make my own garden look as nice as the ones in the pictures. They were all so colorful and beautiful. Anyone who is a gardener like myself would enjoy the book as much as i did.

I recently had to do a project on different types of plants and gardens, for my biology class. This book was very helpful, and allowed me to complete my project. The photographs were beautiful, and enjoyable to look at. I would very enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone interested in gardening. It was a great book!

Mary, Mary quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells, And pretty maids all in a row. The gardens Mary Zuazua describe grow not with silver bells or cockle shells but with a super profusion of color and form. All of us have a garden somewhere buried back down deep in their souls. Like the taste of Proust's madeleine soaked in lime flowers conjured up images of the past,these photos conjure up images of past gardens, real or idealized. Mine a Spanish garden,once lush and verdant,to another an English garden formal, ordered and sterile. But such is the power of these images if one has dreams to dream.

"Small enough to travel with and detailed enough to learn from, this book is a must for the garden loving traveler". THE AMERICAN GARDENER

I have visited hundreds of gardens on four continents and, at a national level, this guide is the most pleasing to the eye and has the best general descriptions of gardens and their histories that I have used. It is a powerful incentive to travel, and a most useful guide for finding the best public gardens on one's route.

Wow, what a great book. I could not put it down. The information is really helpful. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about these speakers, motivational speaking or just wanting a great read.

Absolutely amazing! Far and away the most detailed and analytical explanation of superstar success in the field of motivation. Bring a pen and get ready to underline. This book is filled with great thoughts you will never want to forget. I can't recommend this book highly enough. The book is genius. Dr. Darryl Wheat, author of The Genius of Great Achievers

This book is a gem that is filled with ideas from many of THE BEST speakers in the world. What a great resource! It is my favorite book now for ideas on how to be more "impactful" in my message to the audience. This reminds me of one of my other classic favorites, Think and Grow Rich. I'm ordering another copy for a friend today!

I recently got back into the training field after a long absence and found that my skills were not only rusty, but perhaps had never been developed as much as they could have. I went searching for information and came across this book. It was the first of many books I purchased on the subject, and is by far the best. Other books had great detail on how to prepare a presentation, but were lacking on what it means to entertain and engage an audience. This book gives specific examples the types of things these speakers do to engage and entertain their audiences--and covers a wide range of styles, from Tony Robbins to Barbara DeAngelis, which I found especially useful because I can relate to some types more than others.

Michael Jefferys' style is easy to read, entertaining and well laid out. His range of speaker styles means that everyone will find someone they can relate to.

After finishing this book, I successfully applied what I learned to my training. In fact, I am now rereading much of it so that I can take this excellent information to a deeper level and further polish my skills.

I started speaking publicly when I was 16 but it wasn't until I purchased Success Secrets of The Motivational Superstars on March 18, 1997, that I increased my stakes as a speaker. This one book helped me develop a deeper appreciation and understanding for what speakers do.

THIS BOOK HAS IN DEPTH PERSONAL INTERVIEWS
Michael Jeffreys deserves a standing ovation for interviewing some of the speaking industries leading speakers. He covers in depth personal interviews with three of my mentors Mark Victor Hansen, Brian Tracy and Les Brown. He could have stopped there but he also includes Leo Buscaglia, Art Linkletter, Jack Canfield, Patricia Fripp and many, many more.

JEFFREYS BOOK TEACHES YOU HOW TO LEVERAGE THEIR EXPERIENCE
If you want to learn how to overcome obstacles and see the specific step by step formulas that some of the speakers apply you need this book like a car needs a steering wheel. You will be guided through such things as what to do when you blow it, identifying your unique differentiating factors, how to give your audience ideas they can put to use within 24 hours, the Walt Disney philosophy, Les Brown's number one quality and a few hundred other techniques, ideas and things to avoid.

IF YOU WERE MY STUDENT THIS WOULD BE REQUIRED READING!
Failing to apply the lessons you learn in this book could be disastrous to your speaking career. All that I have shared above only gives you a birds eye view of this wonderful book.

My field of expertise is driver performance and traffic safety, and as a specialist in this field I can strongly recommend this excellent book. Leonard Evans is widely recognized as the world expert in this area, as far as the basic physics and research data on traffic safety issues are concerned. I bumped into him at the recent 2005 SAE meeting and told him I thought his new book was even better than his first (which was great as it was) -- and he replied "Of course it is better, I have had 10 more years to study the problem." Seriously though, his first chapter is available from hist website http://www.scienceservingsociety.com, and it alone will improve your whole attitude, if you are working in or interested in the area of traffic safety, and whet your appetite for the rest of the book. Note that this book does not have the usual avenues that large book companies have for widespread announcements and distribution, and its important messages should be given widespread attention in my opinion, so I would recommend you order it and let others know about it if you liked it as much as I did.

Whether you are a traffic safety researcher, professional or advocate, Leonard Evans' new book on the subject is essential reading. Dr. Evans draws both upon his own and other reputed scientists in the field to present baseline information to researchers across the comprehensive sub-disciplines of traffic safety. The facts are not shrouded in scien-tific jargon, however, and will be understandable to non-academics and decision-makers alike. In the closing chapters, Dr. Evans fearlessly moves from the scientific facts to the personalities that shape the commonly held paradigms in the traffic safety community. He provides concrete examples of the reasons that current efforts have fallen short, and he clearly demonstrates that the only way to make definitive progress in traffic safety is to provide a hard linkage between the applied countermeasures and the root causes of the problem itself.

David B. Brown, PhD, P.E.
Director of Development
CARE Research and Development Laboratory
The University of Alabama
brown@cs.ua.edu

Similar to the earlier text by the same author, this book is well written and easy to understand. Besides the inclusion of newer research data, this book also has a stronger emphasis on public policies discussions that are supported by the data presented. These discussions are insightful and thought provoking. An excellent book that should be read by all road safety professionals.

This wonderful book--always by my side-- is essential reading for those who want to know what to do about the US's dismal failure to reduce its road death toll in the last decade. The centerpiece of the book is an angry chapter in which Evans asks why the US has not introduced speed camera networks which reduced deaths in absolute numbers fell by 40-50% in Australia, the UK and France. Evans applies models derived from Newtonian physics, which relate mass, velocity and kinetic energy, to assess the proportional contributrion of an array of countermeasures for reducing road deaths and injuries. He comes to some conclusions which shake the groupthink Ptolemaic mindset of US injury prevention specialists, a tribe publishing more and more about interventions which yield less and less. The book contains a wealth of information, recommendations and insights on alcohol, seat belts, air bags, vehicle safety standards and much more in road safety, and demonstrates a glittering ability to cut through a lot of nonsense and get to the core of the issue on what works and what doesn't. Again a must read. A detailed review is available by this reviewer in Israel Med Assoc Journal. (IMAJ: 2005: 7: 62-3) Elihu D Richter MD, MPH Hebrew University

Leonard Evans has put into straightforward and easily understandable terms the reasons why traffic crashes are the most frequent cause of traumatic death in first world societies. His ways of turning problems inside out and examining real causes while identifying confounders helps turn even the casual reader into something of an expert in traffic safety.

If it is true that our eyes are the "windows" of our souls then human sound is surely the expression of the soul. Stewart Pearce, in his richly readable THE ALCHEMY OF VOICE, guides us to discover our own vocal sound as a force, a doorway to the soul's intention and as our own healing potential. His voice exercises are excellent and clearly described; anyone can access these guided explorations in sound quite easily. Anyone who needs to be fully present in their work or life and who wishes to have vocal clarity, authority and authenticity would benefit from this delightful guide: actors, teachers, parents, civic leaders, executives and of course, healers....anyone and all.

I recommend THE ALCHEMY OF VOICE most enthusiastically.
Jane H. Percy, Dir. Riverlight Wellness Center
www.riverlightcenter.com

MARY AVER SRN, Msc, Intuitive Diagnostician, Healer and Shaman.

"When Stewart Pearce speaks through THE ALCHEMY OF VOICE I become transfixed. He teaches how to be magnetic, through resonance which is carried on waves of pure sound. I have practiced the exercises from this book and I have experienced this resonance, as sound waves cleanse and re-energize my energy field with waves of peaceful light.
I love Chapter 8 - Words are Organic - which reveals that words have enormous power though most of the time we are completely unconscious of how we use them. I have had the privilege of hearing Stewart speak - from his heart - his words in turn entered mine.
Stewart is clearly a Master and I feel that his book is a must at this time as our culture has lost touch with the knowledge that sound is a vehicle for healing."

....the resonance of your heart and the song of your soul." Nobody could have expressed it better than renowned voice coach and personal teacher Stewart Pearce in his book "Alchemy of Voice"! It is a beautiful written account of the author's own spiritual journey to find his " personal key note" and as a consequence his heart's desire. Stewart Pearce became a famous voice coach who teaches not only at London's Globe Theatre but all over the world - wherever people fascinated by his book ask for his support and guidance. The beauty of the book is that it doesn't really matter whether you are an actor, a Top Executive in the corporate world or a politician preparing for the next speech in parliament. We all use our voices to convey our message; either by persuasion, seduction or heart felt passion to convince our audience. Stewart Pearce explains why it is so important that the tone of our voice reflects our inner felt conviction because only then we come across as authentic and are in the end convincing. As long as our mind (ratio) is not fully aligned with our heart (emotion), we will always miss this ultimate goal of eventually becoming our real selves. In addition, Stewart Pearce provides us with some very powerful tools in describing some very simple but highly effective exercises to heighten our awareness and becoming more conscious when using our voice. Whatever your goals is, you could simply use this book and learn the techniques it provides you or start the journey to find IT! The distinctive sound of your own note!

This is a life-changing book, plain and simple.
Stewart Pearce shows us what we didn't know was possible with his clear, thoughtful, easy to read, magical examination of the human voice.
Through Stewart Pearce's spiritual and self-empowering guidance, we learn the force and possibility of our voices to heal, and change lives.
In addition to the spiritual, you will quickly learn the practical: You will learn depth, texture, flexibility, clarity, confidence, and POWER your voice is capable of.
The "voice" will have new meaning after experiencing this book.
This Groundbreaking book deserves the highest recommendation possible.

What an extraordinary and life transforming book. Stewart Pearce has given us both spiritual insight and its practical manifestation in this ground breaking book about the human voice. As an theatre director and acting teacher, I find this book to be invaluable both for actors and for all humans who have a voice. The book empowers us to use our voice as our personal sounder and our healer: to find authority, richness, texture and depth in our own instrument whose range and flexibility are largely mysteries to us. By following the exercises and Stewart's deeper guidance you will fall madly in love with the voice you were born with and want to share it with the world!

Well, they didn't, but it's a classic anyway.

This is a terrific book for anyone who wants to learn how great projects are visualized, actualized, and pressed through extremely challenging environmental circumstances. It's a source of inspiration for the dreamers and the practical alike.

If you want to read about architecture and engineering, you get only a small dose here. It's more about the capitalization, visioning and building. But that story is magnetic and wonderful.

Only thing they left out: that it was to this (then half-empty) building that Annhaeuser-Busch delivered the "first" case of legal beer to Al Smith at the end of Prohibition. Smith, the "wet" and the eternal optimist, exemplifies what this building was conceived to be: a vibrant and living testimony to the human spirit.

So, it stands to reason that it survives now as New York's essential symbol.

From the outset, the Empire State Building seemed to have had everything going against it. Although conceived during the 1920s boom years, most of the construction went on during the earliest years of the Depression, thereby putting the idea of high occupancy in the severest doubt. Its location wasn't ideal either. It was three miles north of the Wall Street district and a mile south of the center of the midtown business center. And it was ten blocks south of Grand Central Station and three avenues east of old Pennsylvania Station. The idea of mooring dirigibles was quickly scrapped after failed attempts. And sure enough, although the Empire State Building did get built, the tenants did not come. King Kong did, but he didn't pay rent.

John Tauranac describes all this and more in his exhaustive book, THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING: THE MAKING OF A LANDMARK. Written in an engaging style, Tauranac's book is as elegant and interesting as the subject itself, while his wit is as colorful as the characters surrounding the Empire State Building's creation. The book covers the idea for the building, Raskob's and Smith's supervision, the monumental task of the construction workers, and, most importantly, the survival of the building to become THE emblem of America's cultural and economic reach while become THE identifying symbol of New York City. The generous amount of photographs add to the understanding and enjoyment of the book. Highly recommended.

This is an excellent work that details the history of the Empire State Building. I was a bit surprised to find how much the author managed to pack into my paperback. Everything from skyscraper height restrictions to land leases and modern restructuring of ownership for tax purposes (and all the "interesting" stuff in between). If you buy this book and you're not from New York, do yourself a favor and get a map of the area. So you can follow along in the early chapters.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in not only the Empire State Building, but in New York City history of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Who would think that a building completed in 1931 at 1250 feet high would still be the tallest building in NYC in 2007 (of course, we can't forget the tragic loss of the taller WTC Towers). This book covers the quick construction of the ESB, but also covers the politics and history behind the building's location (the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel used to be at the corner of 5th Ave and 34th Street) and the people involved. This is an interesting book about an exciting time where anything seemed possible in one of the world's greatest cities.

I bought this book shortly after a trip to NYC in 2000, and found it to be an excellent history of one of the Big Apple's architectural jewels, the Empire State Building. It is full of intrigue, history, great anecdotes and one-of-a-kind photographs. If you're a visitor to Manhattan or a local resident, you owe it to yourself to read this book.