Sales Books

This book has been around a few years now, but it is still one of my favorite book marketing books. It covers all aspects of book marketing thoroughly, and it does it in a charming way. The authors are well-known for their books on self-publishing, and with this book they have given us their wisdom on marketing. The book is filled with useful tips, and there is no doubt that you will be "charged up" and ready to market your book when you finish reading this one. Almost all aspects of marketing are covered, but it was written before the internet came into extensive use, so the coverage on online marketing is limited. This, however, does not detract from the book. It contains many highlighted (shaded) areas of useful suggestions, and it has a large number of diagrams. The "resource" section of the book would be particularly useful to anyone marketing their book. One thing that makes this book stand out is that it covers several topics that are not covered in other book of its type. Strongly recommended.

Great ideas abound in this book for start up publishers. Takes the guess work out of the equation. Cuts right to the chase.

I think that this book can be very helpful to any writer that wants to sell his/her book. I am using several of the ideas that I recieved in the book to sell my book 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and collectibles. it has increased my sales. Daryle

I've never read a more informative book. It not only points out what you should do to promote, it actually gives you the tools to do it. Both phone numbers and websites that will really help you. It is the first self help book that doesn't tell you what it is going to tell you, IT JUST TELLS YOU. How novel. It will take me weeks to implement all the information, but each step is clearly presented. If you write to sell you need this book as flowers need rain.

Do you know when you should start marketing your book? Marilyn Ross does, and in "Jump Start Your Book Sales" she reveals the answer. (Hint: It's before you start writing it!)

Before, during, and after -- in fact. Regardless of where you are in the writing and publishing process, book marketing should be at the forefront of your thinking. Is your book even marketable? What is the market? What length of book are those people used to buying? Why would they buy yours instead of (or in addition to) all the other similar books on the market? What will differentiate yours? These are the kind of questions you should be asking yourself even before you put pen to paper, or fingers to keys, as the case may be.

These strategic concepts are the bread and butter of the pages comprising "Jump Start." Don't be surprised if you find meat in the middle that you can really sink your teeth into. This isn't another rehash of duplicative information available for free from countless websites. This is the real deal, written by the co-founder of the Small Publishers Association of North America. Highly recommended reading before you start writing, before you start publishing, and after you think you've marketed it all. - Brent Sampson, author of Self-Publishing Simplified

This is a wonderful book, full of practical steps to have networking work for you from the inside out.
Somewhere in the mid 1980's we stopped really working relationship based networking, and we started working , as Bob Burg so delightfully puts it in this book, credit based networking. A kind of..."If you give me a referral I'll give you one", or "you owe me from before".
And anyone who has tried that approach knows...it goes completely south after that. Well, Mr Burg's book is full of practical tips and how to's in allowing people to know you, like you and trust you. The three big keys in building successful business relationships.
I am a Regional Director for Leads Club, a referral based networking group that supports small businesses in building relationship based referrals. I completely support what Mr Burg says and have requested each member buy this book.

With today's marketing ideas changing considerably I found this book a refreshing new approach to a difficult situation of getting referrals. I have already put their ideas into play and find they work very well. Well worth the read.

This is not your typical business networking book. I found that although I call what I am doing "Networking" I wasn't getting results. After applying the items I learned in just the first 6 chapters, I have gone from 2-3 referrals to 8-10 in only the past 4 weeks. I am more than doubling my business and packed with ways to continue this momentum. I would recommend this for anyone who sells a product or offers a service. For an $11 investment, you learn more than a $300 Networking Seminar.

Cannot imagine how I have made it this far in business without this book. Bob Burg's advise is priceless.

If you read one book on networking, this is the one to read. Burg's system focuses on how to network correctly, thus enabling you to build a pipeline of qualified, A-list prospects for your business. This book is a must-buy for anyone striving to build business referrals that will continue the gift of giving in the long haul. The questions Burg outlines in Chapter two are a key component of how one should begin to network from this day forward. In addition, he shares the one question that will change your networking process forever. It's a question so few know to ask. And if you use this question at your next networking event, you will immediately establish yourself as an expert who knows how to deliver value to your prospects and your customers -- and to the networking process itself. This book is extremely thorough in outlining a proven system for networking anywhere any time. Most important, Burg shows you how to enjoy the process. This book is a seminal part of my professional library. I use it daily as a reference to build my business.

The Anne of Green Gables books are my absolute favorites!! There is something unspeakably wonderful about them that makes you return to them again and again. Maybe it is that imaginative, romantic, red-haired (auburn, sorry Anne!) girl named Anne (spelled with an E) ... for me, it is! Every time you open one of the Anne books, you are swept into Anne's world. Some of you that are well acquainted with Anne, dream that you are Anne, and I know from my own feelings that most girls probably dream about playing Anne in a movie.

In the last book, Anne of Avonlea, Marilla tells Anne that she can go to college with Gilbert. The book ended with the veil of girlhood being dropped, and Anne stepped into womanhood. In this book, Anne of the Island, Anne finds herself in a new chapter of her life. She is now at Redmond College in Kingsport. Gilbert Blythe (every girl loves Gilbert, right? I fell in love with him myself!!! J) has earned his way to go to college with Anne. Anne's old friend, Priscilla Grant, comes to Kingsport, and together, Anne and Priscilla settle in their boarding house where Miss Ada and Miss Hannah live. At Old St. Johns cemetery, Anne meets Philippa Gordon. Phil is a sweet, frivolous girl who says that she could never marry a poor man. Oh dear, this review is making me homesick for Anne! J

Anne and her college friends, Phil, Pris, and Stella, settle into Patty's Place with Aunt Jamesina to keep house. At Patty's Place many wonderful adventures take place, including trying to chloroform Rusty, a forlorn cat. One day, Anne took a walk in the park, and on her way a heavy rain was falling. Poor Anne, her umbrella blew out, but... "Pardon me -- may I offer you the shelter of my umbrella?" When Anne looked up, she saw the man of her dreams with all of the qualifications that Anne wanted in a husband -- tall, handsome and distinguished-looking -- dark, melancholy, inscrutable eyes, and a melting, musical, sympathetic voice. His name was Royal Gardner, or Roy for short. Their courtship started. Gilbert had proposed to Anne but Anne rejected him. Anne told Gilbert that she could give him nothing but friendship. Gilbert wanted her love.

At Redmond College, gossip got around that Gilbert and a girl named Christine Stuart were in love. Anne thought that Christine looked a lot like her pretend other self -- Cordelia Fitzgerald. (Any of you girls that have read Anne of Green Gables know what I am talking about). Though Anne did reject Gilbert, she was still upset about Gilbert and Christine. Roy's mother and two sisters came to visit Anne at Patty's Place, though the girls at Patty's Place did not know that they were coming that day. Well, Pris, in a desperate situation, totally lost her head and plunged her newly iced Chocolate Cake under a cushion on the inglenook sofa!

During the end of the book, in the chapter "False Dawn", Roy proposes. Anne opens her lips to say her fateful yes. It never came. Anne at last comes to her senses and realizes that she was swept off her feet by Roy's good looks and knack of paying romantic compliments, but that she could never marry Roy because she did not care enough for him. As Lucy Maud writes, "There is a book of Revelation in everyone's life, as there is in the Bible." Anne met hers when she got home from college -- Gilbert was dying.

I am going to end my review there to get you to read the book! Quite a horrible place to stop, but I do not want to spoil the end.

All of the Anne books are so well written. I think that Lucy Maud Montgomery put a lot of time and effort into them. I am glad that she did. Every girl should read the Anne of Green Gables series, and I assure you that if you do read them, you will LOVE them! I can't find words to express how much I love them! Also, these books wouldn't be good without Gilbert, Diana, and all the rest of those memorable characters. When I get married and have a daughter, I will go and get my well worn but precious set, and hand them to her and say, "Here are the best books that you will ever read. I had this set when I was a little girl, and I loved them, and I still do. Read these, please, and I hope that Anne will be your friend as much as she was mine." - P. Charles

P. S. I hope that my review has been helpful to you.

This third installment in the beloved Anne series is one of my favorites. Having just completed two years of teaching in Avonlea, Anne, along with friends Gilbert and Charlie, is ready to leave the Island and make her way to Redmond College. Her four years there offer quaint-seeming insights into college life a hundred years ago. After spending her freshman year in a boarding house, Anne and chums Priscilla, Stella, and Philippa move into a little house called Patty's Place. Even though they are committed to their studies, life is never dull. Anne has no lack of suitors, turning down no fewer than five proposals during the course of the story. And her summers are full of adventure, whether it's back in dear Avonlea or teaching as a country schoolmarm.

I've read Anne of the Island each year I've been in college, and as I finished it this time, I couldn't help but relate to Anne's excitement for the future, mingled with regretful nostalgia about the college life she was leaving behind. College is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Having attended a small Christian university, I relate to Anne's old-fashioned values and the safe, wholesome environment of Redmond.

Montgomery has such a pungent writing voice, alive to the quirks of human nature and the beauties of outdoor nature. She brings spice, optimism, and a touch of cynicism to the story and the characters. Anne's most personal experiences are recounted with poignancy, and are rooted in reality, although they may seem whimsical to modern readers. The ending is sweet and satisfying. I just love Anne, and especially this tale of her college experiences. Don't miss it.

Anne of the Island is the third installment of the smash Anne of Green Gables series. The book begins with Anne leaving for college to further her education the second time. When she arrives, she encounters a slew of minor domestic problems, a new group of friends, and Love. All of which she deals with using that famous atypical personality of a "Kindred spirit"



Although the book deals with more serious subject matter than the preceding books, as a reflection upon Anne's growing older, the book starts with the lighthearted catchy fun that made Anne famous in her prequels. Most of this fun is centered on the Anne's encounters with her roommate cats Rusty, Joseph, and Sarah-Cat. Anne's exclamations of fear at being stalked by the docile house cats is classic Anne and delicious fun.



The Book also dives into more serious matter, with Lets be friends-Lets be more than friends-Lets be friends-I hate you-Marry me! Gilbert abandoning his indecisiveness and aggressively courting Anne. Although this relation is of little interest to male readers, it is made a key plot element, most likely because it is attractive to the books target demographic, pre-teen girls. Luckily, most of the content on Anne's romance does nothing to affect other parts of the story much and as a result are harmless to skip when they become drab.



Anne of the Island is a solid installment in the Anne series. Although not equaling or surpassing Anne of Green Gables, "Of the Island" leaves little to be desired besides not having a near constant usage of the word "eh". If you an Anne fan, pick up her third book. Eh.

this book never gets old. i've had it for so long and now i'm off to college and i still enjoy reading it cover to cover. anne is a great character, one who is easy to love and who explains herself well. the other characters are also quirky. something about this book is very universal, which i think explains why even in this century i still find myself being able to relate to Anne. the plot, while essentially a love story, is not overly sappy. and while most people would probably expect the ending, the twists and turns throughout the novel keep you entertained and engaged.

"Anne of the Island" is my favorite Anne book, and the last chapters of my copy are worn and torn because I have read it so many times. I loved it as a young girl, and I loved it again when I read it from my college dorm room (in fact, I think it's time for another rereading!). Plus, of course, a college education makes many of the literary references more relevant than they were at age 11.

Anne fans already know how wonderful are these chapters of Anne's life. This book outlines an important epoch in the series and answers the all important question of whether they will or they won't--a turning point on which the next five books hinge. And since you must start at "Anne of Green Gables" to appreciate any of it, this review cannot convince to you read just book three. It is just one more love letter to "Anne of the Island" added to this review panel.

Jim Randel shares his 30+ years of real estate experience in this outstanding book. You might not know that he leased Bed, Bath and Beyond space in one of his buildings and they tried to hire him to expand nationwide. He turned down the job. Also, he leased Martha Stewart her first store in the 1980s in Westport, CT. He has closed more than 5,000 transactions as an attorney and is one of the brightest real estate investors in the country. His self-deprecating writing style is refreshing. He once made almost $1,000,000 for an hour long meeting that resulted in a 50/50 split of a brokerage commission. You'll learn more about these stories and much more in "Confessions of a Real Estate Entrepreneur".

You simply must buy this book!

This book is absolutely excellent. Jim's writing is straightforward and easy to understand even when he is discussing fairly complex ideas. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in any aspect of commercial Real Estate!

Finally a book for someone in the NE to read and understand NE real estate numbers, both insightful and inspirational.

This is the best commercial real estate primer I have ever read. I run a commercial real estate brokerage and this is required reading for all of my agents. I highly recommend it.

If you are looking for a step by step buy a house, rehab it, and get rich, please find another book. If you are looking for a dull textbook type presentation you should also pass.

If you are looking for clear explanations of concepts and illustrated with some small case studies to kick start your brain, then this might be just the thing to get you from dreaming to doing.

Although I knew almost all the concepts presented, this book made them much more concrete. I have already begun the process of actually doing instead of sitting on my butt thinking about doing!

Thank You!!

If you manage a brand in any way, do not ignore this book. It's a clear and compelling argument for an overhaul of the way brands are viewed and handled. The Brand Bubble is a warning voice to the status quo and those unwilling to let go of it.

Part 1: Next to introducing their research on a divergence between market capitalization represented in brands against consumer brand perception ("The Brand Bubble") the authors provide a thorough analysis of the actual changes in the relation between brand owner and consumer driven by technological and sociological developments. Part 2: Application of the findings in part 1. Case studies and recommendations for responding with appropriate brand management measures.

...it must be the chickens coming home to roost. It's always been a concern to me that when so-called 'intangibles' are factored into the value of a brand the most important group with most to say on the subject, (namely consumers), are singularly ignored. Could it be that when you ask consumers, as the BAV has done for over a decade now, you find they are far less enamored with brands than the Wall Street analysts assume?

Well, here's the wake up call. The analysts can't be allowed to create a world as they wish it to be. Instead strong brands require a more disciplined approach which Gerzema begins to outline in this treaties.

I'm hoping this book will lay the foundations to a more grounded model of brand building that factors the consumer into the equation from the outset. The most successful brands know this already.

Brands today have hit a wall. This important book tells why...and what marketers can do about it. Most branding books are filled with fluff and opinion. This is the only one I've read that is built on a foundation of facts. As such, it provides a rich understanding of how to move your brand forward today.

What's brilliant about this book is the way that it demonstrates the misguided approach to brand management that many companies practice in language that the perpetrators themselves can understand. It is rigorous in the way it leverages years of proprietary brand data to illustrate and quantify the gap that exists between corporate and consumer perception of brand value. But it doesn't stop there: it's real value is in highlighting the underlying cause of this discrepancy, the failure of organizations to understand the true source of value that consumers derive from a brand. Ultimately the value is in how the brand experience makes them FEEL, i.e. it's emotional and not just a rational value proposition. The more brand management has been taken over by data-driven, MBA-educated technocrats, the more they have tried to manage brands based on a false paradigm of how brands work. The Brand Bubble doesn't just highlight a branding or business challenge, but a systemic failure of many supposedly brand-driven business to truly understand what business they are in.

This novel is truly amazing. The characters are well developed and the reader truly becomes attached to each one as they undergo their personal trials and tribulations in the days before Pearl Harbor. The work provides an excellent examination of the pre-war Army, a professional army preparing for war, inducting draftees, and operating under a proud system of tradition. The novel is full of great stories, advice, and sayings that are as relevant today as they were in 1941. Serving in Iraq while reading this novel, I was amazed at the very real connection I found with its soldiers; many things have not changed. Again, a great novel that I would recommend to anyone interested in war, the army, or the human condition.

I actually loved the melody of this book; but what it is really a good read for, is it's description of the attack on pearl harbor: This book captures the nuance of that particular moment when the Japanese planes appeared over the houses of Hawaii and the actors all knew while they were in the midst of it, that nothing would be the same again. I also liked the book for its description of Pruett's alcoholism - where Jones intervenes as the narrator/author and decides not to have his character "go alcoholics anonymous", thus guaranteeing certain death for his character - talk about deus ex machina in reverse!

I've read only a few war novels in my day and most of them are about, well, war. Which is interesting and all, but there's only so many ways you can depict war as horrifying and dehumanizing, and the soldiers involved as both heroic and all too human, the command structure as haphazard and detached. So I wasn't looking terribly forward to the prospect of diving into yet another massive examination of soldier life, and yet, that's not really what this is about. Jones' novel isn't so much about WWII as about sitting on the cusp of WWII, taking place in the months just before Pearl Harbor. Everyone is training for a war that may or may not happen, more or less hanging out in Hawaii, killing time in between drills with drinking or prostitutes, living the Army life as best they can. The story pivots around two characters, enlisted fellow Prewitt and staff sergeant Warden, following their separate stories as well where they intersect, and how they interact with everyone around them. Prewitt's tale is the slightly more visceral of the two, he's an excellent boxer that refuses to go out for the team, even though his superiors would very much like him to. They'd like him to so much that they'll go to nearly any lengths to break him, in order to make him fall in line and fit in, with the entire company eventually trying to wear him down. It's a rather frightening depiction at times of the military's somewhat necessary need for comformity taken to a new level, stamping down on anyone who dares to deviate. Meanwhile, Warden is attempting to hold the company together, and pursuing an affair with the wife of his superior officer. The stories of these men collide with everyone else they come into contact with, as Jones vividly relays military life on the base and in the town, detailing the trials and loves the men endure and force themselves into. It's a surprisingly angry book at times, the language coiled and sharp, etching out the duality of the longtimers who both love and hate the Army that nourishes and captures them. The salty language and somewhat brutal scenes are shocking not in how graphic they are but how frank and matter of factly they're presented. The prose achieves a strange jagged beauty in parts, as Jones dives right into the minds and emotions of the men involved. It becomes, as I said, not a book about war but about people at war. Pearl Harbor doesn't even occur until most of the book is over with. It's not the fastest paced book, the early chapters are necessary to set up everything that will come later but you are going to be about halfway through before all the setting up starts to gain momentum but after that it barely pauses. It's tragic and visceral and sort of beautiful in its own way, not because it glorifies but in the way it shows everything, the times when the system beats them down, the small moments of friendship, the way men you depend on with both look out for you and let you down, sometimes in the same moment. Surprisingly readable despite the length, it carries a fire and passion that most books can't even approach. Probably one of the best military books ever written that doesn't involve long descriptions about how a gun works.

In my humble uneducated opinion, this book is superior to the film as is usually the case. But the movie is STILL a classic, so don't get preturbed at me for sayin' that. It's by and large one'a my favorites, but you don't get the FULL impact of James Jones' story unless you read this book. And while it is LONG as hell, it's worth it. I'll be honest, I was so intimidated by it, I bought it and didn't touch it for a year; I'd never even ATTEMPTED a book that was 800-plus, but when I finally got up the courage, I was hooked by the third chapter. Of course, like most people my age, I had the preconceived notion of how I viewed the characters from the movie, but, trust me, that doesn't water down the incredible impact of the way the book unfolds; it clings more to tragedy and despair than the film, and truly encapsulates Jones' theory that the world stops to mourn no man. He puts you right there for everything; the corruption, the favoritism, the "treatment", the hookers, and many other controversial, politically incorrect topics that the mere mention in this review would be censored. Fifty some years after its first publication the book still feels scandalous. The stockade scenes for instance which were only briefly implied in the film are brutal to read.

But what's really REALLY great is the way Jones puts you in the mind of each and every character, even the ones we're supposed to despise, like Sgt. Galovitch or Dynamite Holmes, making it not so "black and white" like the film was (literally and figuratively). Everyone is a human being, whether in the corridors of power or in the messhall cleaning; there is no true villain; characters you latch on to will more than likely do something or say something to enrage you at least once or twice before the book is over; they're all flawed human beings confused and uncertain about their place in Uncle Sam's army. This book is a real, unflinching, highly critical and uncompromising view of the United States Army and Infantry told from the views of the young faceless men serving at the bottom end; accounts which aren't heard nearly enough.

But the most gut-wrenching part to me deals with a secondary character; the long drawn-out scene of Isaac Bloom considering his options before his tragic end. That scene brought real true-to-life tears into my eyes which hasn't been brought to me by a book in a long time. Anyone looking for a deep, involved, beautifully harsh an' thought-provoking read that shows you the pain and indifference prevalent in the life of the modern man, look no further.

From Here to Eternity is a singular reading experience: gritty, raucous, desperate, raw and, yet, ultimately sublime. James Jones fields a superb cast of characters with which relatively few novels can compete. More than once, it reminded me of Catch 22 (without the intended absurdity) - Pianosa set down in a peaceful Hawaii just prior to Pearl Harbor.

Distractingly, there are times when the author is guilty of pontification. There are stretches which seem entirely gratuitous. The two protagonists, Prewitt and Warden, elsewise dynamic, can wax numbingly philosophic. But, by the middle of the book I was captive to a steadily mounting anticipation, the culmination of which plays out true to form - recklessly, brutally as the soldiers of G Company ready themselves for war.

There is a quality of novel which can best be described by the wistfulness with which one completes it. I was sorry to see this one end. Despite the violence, hard living, bravado and despair, James Jones concludes with hope and endurance. Like Herman Wouk's Winds of War and War and Remembrance, From Here to Eternity is a classic among WWII literature. 5 stars.

I love the message of this book, but it is sad when we look around at our world today and see so much "country" turning into city. Loved this one as a child and am reading to my son now.

This was my favorite book when I was little and still is one of my favorite books for children. I add this book to every gift I give at baby showers. A good book with a good lesson!

This was one of my favorites as kid. Then, sadly, I forgot about it until stumbling across it in the school library. It is once again one of my favorites. Cynics might roll their eyes at this tribute to good ol' days gone by, but I personally appreciate the nostalgia and the house with its subtle face parts is adorable. You feel so bad for the cute little house! It is also an observation at the change of time. I don't know how intense that is as a theme, but I found it touching and Burton tells the tale with such heart and care.

We live in a very old house in the country and this book was such a cute story about just that. We enjoyed it.

Another timeless classic by this author. It's an amazing story about appreciation. Completely entertaining and like the other books in this series, the artwork is phenominal!!!

This is the story of a divorced man who has an alcohol problem, who has just said goodbye to his deceased father, riding home on a train and passing out. When he awakens he finds himself back in 1869 and hooks up on a train from that time with the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first all professional baseball team. All of the players he interacts with are the real guys. A fun tale that transports you back to baseball's beginnings. The game was so much different then. The hero also runs into Mark Twain and Jessie James along the way. Good, fun story. Sometimes lost in too much baseball detail describing the games but still worth a read. Four out of 5 stars. If you are baseball fan, you'll like it even more. Good historical fiction book.

Also recommend Finney's "Time and Time Again."

Enjoy!

When I looked up Darryl Brock to see Havana Heat, I was thrilled to see that If I Never Get Back was rated 5 stars by *SO* many people. So I'm adding my own rave.

I read a library copy of this book shortly after it was published. I loved it so much that I immediately bought my own copy and some extras to give away. I even wrote a fan letter to Darryl Brock, who wrote back and included some cartoons & other items that were apropos to the story.

I love the entire book, but want to add special mention about the last page or 2. The ending is unique and charming and absolutely perfect. I can't help but smile whenever I think about it.

The book is like a grown-up fairy tale based on an actual historic era. If this appeals to you, READ THIS BOOK!!

"If I Never Get Back" by Darryl Brock has something enjoyable for everybody. It's a historical novel with adventure,danger,action,humor,fantasy and romance, but will be especially loved by those who love time travel and baseball(and train enthusiasts as well). You'll go back in time and escape to a time with no electricity,phones, credit cards, TV, radio or cars, but in the just post civil war era of 1869, there was our National Pastime - Baseball.

Sam Fowler does not start out as the most likeable character. He's a drinker,has a bit of an anger management problem, and is brooding over the separation from his beloved little girls due to a messy divorce. On top of that he has just been notified of the death of his own absentee father(no great loss to Sam) but has the dubious job of burying him.
The boozing had led Sam to "milky" periods where things are just not quite in focus. While at the train station on his way back from dealing with his father, he is having one of his episodes and falls into unconsciousness. He awakes on the same platform but things are quite different. He hops the train - some old classic - and finds himself aboard with one of the first pro ball teams - The Cincinnati Red Stockings.

Not knowing at first, if he is hallucinating or just having a bad day, he eventually comes to realize he has somehow gone back in time and forms a relationship with the team. He travels with this extraordinary group of young men and becomes a big part of their world.On his transcontinental travels- using the early RR system, horse and buggys, etc)there is one adventure after another. He falls in love with a woman he feels a deep connection, gets in hot water with some real toughs who are after him throughout, befriends the great Mark Twain, has a spiritual connection with an apparition,and plays baseball 19th century style - a might rougher and faster then today's version of the game. He's even involved in a shoot out in a poker game in a western saloon! While searching for the reason he is there(an enjoying the change of pace quite a bit), he becomes a new man. One we can't help but cheer for as his life is in danger at so many turns.

The book is a page turner. You can't help but become attached to Sam and the boys. Brock puts you right there in the 19th century, with remarkable detail of each city,the trains,food,clothes,dress,etc and through Sam we are living the life of someone who has gone back over a hundred years(this book was published in 1990, so there are even more differences now!).The Civil War plays a small but integral part of the story too. And then there is Baseball - we are treated to a real look at how the game was played, and feel the intensity with which they played.Even then, the game was popular and the players heroes. But think of never seeing them play unless you were fortunate enough to actually be at a game.

Also available in hardcoverIF I NEVER GET BACK. A Novel. check for best deal and availability

I for one was having such a great time, I hoped he would never get back! Baseball, apple pie,old trains, wonderful colorful characters...and a refreshing look at historical America....enjoy!.....Laurie

I first read this in high school. I reread it recently and am happy to say that is still one my top favorite books.

This is a book I've read several times. I'd like to know where Mr. Brock found out so much about Charlie sweazy, Asa Brainard et al, to make these characters come alive the way they do. There were a few political issue editorials Darryl brought into the story. But these surely do not detract from the book. I wish I had Andy Leonard as a brother as well.
You will hate to see the end of this book as it is entertaining(and historically accurate) from first page to last. As I said earlier, it's my favorite baseball book and one of my favorite of any genre.

Fans of Calvin & Hobbes who used to read the newspaper strip in the 80s and 90s will find great pleasure in reading this treasury of C&H comics. These witty comics about the 6-year old Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes, named after the famous philosophers, will amuse people of all ages. The perceptiveness and humor of Watterson deserve the highest of cartoon awards, while his artistic creations exude hilarity. This cartoon is perhaps one of the most piercing yet funny critiques of modern society.

This book starts out with Calvin praying for snow so he can engage in one of his favorite hobbies: sledding, and then his other favorite hobby, throwing snowballs at Susie. Aside from the snowman exhibition, this book is a must-have since it covers the founding of C&Hâ(tm)s GROSS (the Get Rid of Slimy girlS club). This also has the hilarious series about the time Calvinâ(tm)s personal gravity polarity reversed, and the episode when the Transmogrifier becomes the Duplicator.

Note that there are two series of C&H collections: individual wide-format albums, each covering an entire year of strips (will call it âaeregularâ), and the vertical aspect ratio âaetreasury seriesâ which covers selected comics from two regular C&H books. Note that C&H ran for a year in newspapers, so thereâ(tm)s 10 regular books and 5 treasury books. Though the cartoons are slightly smaller in the treasury collection, each treasury book is far thicker and contains more strips than a regular book, and is furthermore less expensive, so treasury books are a real bargain. âaeThe Indispensable Calvin & Hobbesâ belongs to the Treasury collection, and was first released in 1992.

Calvin in Hobbes in some ways reminds me of Mark Twain's writing in comic form. Calvin is a rebellious rapscallion of a little boy who lives a life filled with picaresque adventures and imaginary exploits. His imagination and personality are boundless, yet he is a total failure in school, he has no human friends, and he is bullied. Despite his poor grades, he exhibits an astounding vocabulary and often muses on the deeper aspects of life. Calvin struggles in the real world but that doesn't bother him because he knows what truly matters in life: friendship (he has a very close one with Hobbes), adventure, and imagination. And he's irresistibly charismatic despite his flaws.

The other main characters are strong supporters. Hobbes is essential to Calvin's well-being, and most of Calvin's exploits take place with Hobbes at his side. They scuffle, but they love each other. Every day when Calvin comes home from school, Hobbes is waiting to pounce on him in joyous greeting. Calvin is annoyed to be tackled every day, but deep down he cherishes it; without that daily pounce, what would Calvin's life be? Calvin's parents take background roles in the strip, since the protagonists are the boy, his stuffed tiger, and the world he lives in, but they are calming presences, always stepping in when Calvin gets in too much trouble. Sometimes they're a little strict, but they're good role models. Susie, the neighborhood girl, always tries to be friendly with him but Calvin, in an age-old young boy's strive to assert his masculinity, insists that she is gross and constantly picks on her in a light-hearted manner. Many strips, however, just involve Calvin and Hobbes, getting into trouble, discussing ideas, exploring, relaxing...

One would be a complete curmudgeon whose heart is not warmed by this touching, happy, and filled-with-life exploration of the mind and adventures of a young boy. As long as Calvin is dreaming up Spaceman Spiff adventures while stuck in a desk at school, as long as he and his tiger are taking walks in the forest or wild wagon rides down and off of cliffs while philosophizing about life, as long as Calvin is pelting Susie with snowballs on a cozy winter day, and as long as Calvin and Hobbes are running and jumping in the backyard in a rollicking game of Calvinball, there is peace in this world.

So it is pretty much a fact that Bill Watterson is a comic genius! This collection holds with it the comics with which I grew up and remember from my childhood. Watterson is excellent with a pen, and his wit and intelligence shines through via his solid characters and humor. He balances boyish silliness with concepts bordering both on philosophical and just plain cynical. And somehow it all goes straight to the heart.

If you love C&H, you'll like this book. For me, Calvin is like pepperoni pizza... when it's good, it's really good, and when it's bad, it's still good.

I could relate to Calvin and Hobbes, from the moment I first started following the adventures of the devilish, eternal six year old (Calvin) and his scruffy, stuffed pal tiger (Hobbes). Though, many of the plots appear simplistic (example: Calvin makes a mess and his mother yells at him!), there is so much more to the little strips than meets the eye. For starters, Calvin and Hobbes ponders the meaning of life, the voicelessness of children in society, and self image (among other themes).

Though, this comic strip is something that definitely appeals to little children, because it presents a little boy that we all can relate to (or maybe spent time avoiding on the playground if he teased us), and his stuffed animal. Anyone who owned a stuffed animal and knows what an important bond that is for a child, knows the feeling when that toy crosses over from the identity of "inanimate object" to "lifelike being." The creature that we relate to truly embodies the qualities who want in a best friend and companion, and we aren't doing the talking for that creature, because it truly does have a mind of its own! (in the eyes of a child) Wonderful, very funny and beautifully drawn. I've had mine for almost fifteen years and I just went back to look at it today. It feels like no time has passed between now, and the time I first looked at it. Buy this today and make it a part of your collection.

The author's experience and insights are incredible, on-target, and invaluable. I've been is sales for over twenty years and I knew or sensed some of this but to find one person willing to share all of this skill and knowledge in one place is remarkable. As the Sales Manager for a relatively small company selling custom Retail merchandising solutions to large companies (Retail Chains & their Vendors) we will adopt all of Ms. Konrath's recommendations and strategies into our sales process immediately. Chapter 11 in particular is profound relative to getting one's foot in the door. We find that once we penetrate the corporate armor, the kinds of people and companies we work with usually love our value proposition and become large and long-term customers. You can go to the bank with this book. It is a masterpiece.
Amen!
AWS
Chicago, IL

This book brings together a lot of concepts and ideas that many people, if given the time, would say "yes, of course that's right I just forgot". Un-like generic "sales process/skills" books, Jill has done a good job of getting the context correct for people who are targeting big companies, just like the book says.

Whether you are new to selling, moving to a new sales environment or just looking to refresh your's or your team's approach this book will make it simple to get on track.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to sell into large companies. It was very informative and gave great ideas!

Selling to Big Companies can even be applied to those of us who work with smaller companies

I bought this book at the same time as I bought "Bag the Elephant" by Steve Kaplan. (Do not waste your money on that one!) "Elephant" is full of the old tired sales techniques that we have grown to detest, while "Selling to Big Companies" offers a refreshing approach to selling by not selling. Jill Konrath puts you in the mindset of being a peer and a consultant, not a salesperson. In my personal experience, this approach honors your own committment to your line of work and takes you out of the realm of "sales," and into the line of "service."