Sales Books

A delightful book covering some of the most unique and entertaining acts presented over the years in Side Shows,Circuses,Stages,and famous Rooms in Europe and America.Although I remember going to Carnivals,Side Shows and the Circus since I was a kid in the late 40's and after.I also remember many great Magic and Illusion Shows over the years ,brought right into our home via Television.I always had a preference for the side act,oddities,daredevils,illusionists,etc., over the animal acts.Yes,I can still see the Monkey Woman,the King and Queen of the Midgets at home in their Castle in Montreal. Then there was the World's Smallest Horse,The Alligator Boy ,whose body was covered in scales,the man without arms who drew portraits with chalk using his feet, A Flea Circus where real fleas did all kinds of things,even pulling a tiny carriage, and on and on.
What surprised me most about this book is that many,even most of the people and acts covered were new to me.I guess this sort of stuff was more popular in the 18th,19th and early 20th Centuries and more so in Europe than America.I really haven't seen much in recent years. I guess Political Correctness and activist groups have had a major impact on these acts and people. The media is forever doing a story about mistreatment of animals in the Circus etc. Maybe the diversions this kind of entertainment gave us did us more good than realized.I know as kids we waited with anticipation for the Circus to come to town and particularly the Side Shows that accompanied them. I can tell you one thing,there was no need to drug up the kids on Ridlin,then,like you see today.
For my money,I would far prefer to watch an act like La Roche climbing the spiral tower while inside a sphere;than any Olympic event.To me ,shaving one hundredth of a second off some record I've seen hundreds of times is pure boredom.It seems that the most excitement is created with announcers debating calls by referees ,judges or as a last resort;who has failed a steroid test or broke some rule.
So, if you ever saw a good Side Show, saw some great feat of magic or illusion;this book will give you some wonderful memories of how entertaining this all was.It is jam packed with photographs and wonderful illustrations ;both in color and B&W. You may have to make a bit of an effort to find this book.It is out of print, but thanks to finding books on the Net now,It is available at a wide range of prices and some even signed by the author.It is a "must have" for anyone who loved this form of entertainment that may become a thing of the past.All we can hope for is a revival.

"Learned Pigs & Fireproof Women" is a tour of peculiar performance through the ages by modern master and scholar of the magic arts Ricky Jay. Each of the book's 17 chapters is dedicated to a different type of performer that awed audiences with his or her unusual skill or expert illusion. These are not all practitioners of misdirection or deception. Many are people who possessed very real unusual mental or physical talents. And some were not even human. There are scholarly pigs and horses, slight-of-hand artists, hypnotists, faith healers, poison resistors, and mind readers. Also featured are painters who happened to be limb-less, a blind and dumb musical prodigy, daredevil divers, mnemonic sensations, sword swallowers, musical farters, a man who could grow 6 inches at will, and more.

The book does not attempt to be comprehensive on its subjects. Ricky Jay limits himself to "pioneers or refiners of peculiar performance". The truly extraordinary and inventive, not their many imitators. So many famous and impressive performers are not included. Ricky Jay's writing is precise, fluid, and conveys his admiration and awe at these human oddities and pioneering showmen. Jay's occasional references to his own experiences when they are relevant add interest. There are black-and-white reproductions of posters, playbills, and other illustration throughout. In the center of the book are 16 pages of full-color poster reproductions. "Learned Pigs & Fireproof Women" is an education in eccentric performance and the unusual, determined individuals who have created it. And it's great fun.

As a magician and card wielder Ricky Jay is fascinating to watch as well as listen to. As a writer Mr. Jay also brings his own fascination at the work of others to play and writes a truly well-written, very interesting and enlightening book about the arcane world of many sometimes downright odd entertainers.

Thorough in his presentation of details Mr. Jay's book is well-researched and his appreciation and awe for these unique people makes us quite enthralled as we read page after page about performers such as Le Petomaine, with his unusual ability to produce sounds of musical quality from a most unusual source on his body.

Ricky Jay, besides being fascinating to watch, is also fascinating to read.

This wonderful book profiles some of the most unusual entertainers of all times: calculating pigs and acrobatic horses, stone eaters, poison resisters, daredevils, and mind readers. The contents of this meticulously researched and lovingly presented book often boggle the mind, inducing, at times, a wonderment that is nearly stupefying. Profusely illustrated with contemporary broadsides, lithographs, and photographs, the book is also enlivened by JayÕs seemingly inexhaustible knowledge of each performerÕs antecedents, biography, and critical reception. Engrossing from start to finish, but particularly notable for JayÕs account of the controversial career and bizarre death of mind reader Washington Irving Bishop, whose story beggars imagination. Also not to be missed is the final chapter on Joseph Pujol, whose career as Le PŽtomane was based on his ability to create music and sound effects with the least reputable of bodily orifices. A treasure

In Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women, Ricky Jay takes on the history of oddball performers: men who claimed to cram their entire bodies into quart jars, armless ladies who could paint miniatures holding a brush between their teeth, gentlemen whose specialty was to enter large ovens accompanied by raw meat and exit (unharmed) with fully-cooked steaks, as well as mind readers of all sorts and species (human, pig, and horse).

Organized into chapters by skill by oddball skill, Jay is sometimes able to document such performers back into the 1700s by tracking newspaper reports, handbills, etc., many of which are reproduced in color plates and black-and-white photographs.

Ricky Jay occupies an engaging hole in intellectual space between enthusiast and academic. He is comprehensive in the extreme, but his writing style is anecdotal and he does not go for any elaborate sociological explanation of why such performers exist or what they `mean' to society. He just wants you to have fun, and perhaps to freak you out just a wee bit.

The book is also very nicely designed; its large wide pages lie flat and there are loads of remarkable illustrations. Definitely worth a look!

I've been coaching Little League for five years now, and loved reading this account of Little League from about 20 years ago. The stereotypical depictions of coaches that Geist uses are still dead-on accurate, as are his descriptions of how bad the catching equipment is, and how to hide a bad ballplayer that you have to play in the infield. This is a priceless look at Little League ball that anyone who has ever coached should enjoy.

There are lots of laughs to be had, and you'll find yourself sharing parts with other coaches you know.

I am sure the book is great-the book was purchased for a gift.

I do a ton of reading and just went back and re-read this book. This is probably my favorite all-time book. This book has to be the funniest one I've ever read. Geist is not only a gifted writer, he tweaks all the right people and no irony goes unnoticed.

The humorist columnist Bill Geist had many years of experience coaching his son's little league baseball and kids basketball and his daughter's softball team. He relates his experiences with his usual wit, sarcasm and humor. The book focuses on a particular season of little league baseball where he was able to work with his son Willie's team and actually win the league championship by upsetting Knavery's team in the final game of the season. The tale tells how he bends the rules (though not as much as some other) in a way that still allows the weak players to have fun and yet stay competitive. There is a large degree of truth to the various caricatures of players, coaches and parents that he presents in this tale. But some of the stories are so incredible and it seems like fiction is mixed with reality but clearly it is based on real experience. I relate to many of the issues he brings out. ...
In the epologue Geist confesses that he want his son Willie to be a star player but was satisfied that he made the high school varisty teams. In the end no matter how good or bad they are in little league they all eventually stop playing to do other things that interest them more or they find to have more success and rewards.

To illustrate the humor in the final game losing 12-4 Geist gives the kids sugar treats to pick up their energy. A rally starts but thinking ahead with the worst hitter Monique likely to come up with two outs, Geist gets a 40 ounce drink and gets her to leave on a bathroom break. ... This book has short easy to read chapters and integrates Geist's softball and basketball experiences in the theme of the little league season whereas Dunow had long chapters going back and forth from little league with his son to his childhood experiences with his father. Both books are good in their own way. But this one is much easier to read and more light hearted.

At least, I'm half of Mean Gene Huffman. Gene Ret and I were conglomerated into one large, gawky intimidating Little Leaguer. Who was the more large, gawky, and intimidating is one of the great debates of our time.

Great story. I never knew my drunken high school antics were witnessed by Bill Geist until I got to the end of the book. Geist saw me crash through his bushes and play some sloppy basketball with his son and friends for a few minutes while reminiscing about the old Little League days. And, he parlayed my mishap into a convenient parable on lost youth to wrap up his story.

Well, he's just lucky they were playing basketball that night and I wasn't trying to unload my ferocious fastball or swing a bat. Stay young, eat flax, and long live the glory days of Little League.

From all the books about marketing , finally a book which explain step by step all what you need to know for small and big business,
Big thanks for Mr Jay B Lipe who wrote a great book about marketing .

Jay Lipe's "Marketing Tool Kit" is first class. A very attractive cover with and lay-out a bit like a college textbook. Lipe effectively uses eye-catching graphics, charts and even pop quizes throughout. He's especially effective in hammering home the message that the key to effective marketing is "sticking-to-it-ness." Lipe, President of Emerge Marketing, also stresses diversity in marketing plans. The Chapter on the "Top 12 Marketing Mistakes Business Make" is worth the price of the book itself. Packed with innovative marketing techniques. This book should be required reading for all marketing under-grads. But with all the new perspectives Lipe includes on advertising, promo, and pr, this book could also prove helpful for high-powered MBAs who might have thought that they already knew it all. -- Eric Dondero, Multilingual Interpreter & Author, Worldwide Multilingual Phrase Book

The first thing that came to my mind as I read this book was that it is one of the most practical, down-to-earth, hands-on approaches to marketing that I have come across. Jay Lipe manages to distill some vary advanced marketing concepts into small easy to understand and easy to apply pieces that anyone can follow. Some of the areas he covers include common mistakes and how to correct them (or avoid them entirely), how to use active language to get people to act, how to use metrics to determine what works and what does not in your marketing plan, search engine positioning, budgeting, and even how to market during a recession.

Mr. Lipe asks some very directed questions at strategic points in the book. These questions are designed to make you think and help clearly define your goals as well as how you will be able to achieve them. In addition he includes lots of forms that can be used to clearly define your target market, how you will get your marketing plan to them, exactly what your marketing plan should, and should not include, and exactly how to go about implementing the plan. This is a complete marketing plan that can be used for any business no matter what type of services or products they provide. If you want a marketing education that concentrates on the practical side of marketing without a lot of discussion of theory then this is a book that you will want to consider. I've taken college level marketing courses that did not provide as much practical knowledge as this book. "The Marketing Toolkit for Growing Business" is a very highly recommended purchase if you plan to take charge of your own marketing or want to know what your marketing firm should be doing.

This is neat approach, started businesses that have plateaued or not grown at the desired rate. For them, there is a whole array of marketing tools, here delineated and explained by Lipe.

As a former mkt. exec I find this whole approach very right on and well presented in a way that the non-marketing types can grasp and use. Especially salient here is his checklist of "common list mistakes". This is really an area that the non-mkt types miss golden opportunities to understand their biz and how it can move ahead to serve mkts better and grow.

There is great suggestive stuff here, e.g. cheap, good research, and how to integrate all of the mkt. plan once it's developed. Continuing monitoring of this plan and its modification is critical to mkt. share movement, and Lipe's ideas will deliver a solid approach to reigning in one's mkt. to make it do what it can do: build mkts.

Pretend that you have walked into Lipe's Executive Hardware Store. He greets you warmly at the door and offers to give you a complete tour, during which he identifies all manner of "tools" and carefully explains how to use each. He realizes that you don't need all of them, at least not NOW, but correctly observes that you should be fully aware of all the "tools" that are available. There are 17 different departments in his store. After you complete your tour, you select (with his assistance) those "tools" which are most appropriate to your organization's current needs.

This book is your toolkit. Just as you would become thoroughly familiar with what Lipe's Executive Hardware Store offers, you should become thoroughly familiar with all of this book's contents which are carefully organized within 17 chapters. Some executives will read a book and then attempt to apply immediately everything they have learned from it. Other executives make an equally bad mistake: Because all they have is a "hammer," they see every task as a "nail." Hence the importance of having a variety of different tools, knowing not only how but when to use each of them effectively. As needs change, so must the resources which are allocated to meet those needs.

Here is Lipe's definition of marketing: "...a process where everyone [underlined] in the company pursues actions, at designated points, to increase sales, grow profits and deepen relationships." My own is much simpler: Marketing is the process by which to create or increase demand for whatever one offers. I could not agree more, however, with his assertion that everyone (literally everyone) in any organization must be involved in marketing because people do business with other people, not with companies, and "doing business" includes every (literally every) person with whom there is contact each day, both within and beyond the organization. Lipe quotes Drucker's assertion that "Marketing is not a function. It is the whole business as seen from the customer's point of view." This is precisely what Warren Buffett had in mind when asserting that "Price is what you pay. Value is what you get." Customers' perceptions of value are in fact the ultimate realities of the marketing process.

Although Lipe's book does indeed provide "tips, techniques and tools" to improve current marketing efforts, it can also provide an essential source of information and guidance when formulating a marketing plan for the first time. His book can also be of substantial benefit to those now preparing for a career in business even if they do not plan to specialize (if that's the word) in marketing. They must realize that, as noted earlier, everyone (literally everyone) in a given organization is directly or at least indirectly involved with marketing. Once you have read this book, you are urged to check out Lipe's "Recommended Resources" and "Websites for Marketers" sections (pages 241-244), both of which would be even more helpful had Lipe also provided brief comments on resources identified. There is one significant omission: Theodore Levitt's The Marketing Imagination, based on his earlier article "Marketing Myopia" which appeared in the Harvard Business Review.

This is an outstanding book for all the reasons mentioned below. The recipes are written clearly and easy to follow. I recieved this book as a gift a year ago, and have tried many of the recipes since then. Almost all have been excellent, and it's become the baking cookbbook I pick up first when I'm thinking about making dessert.

I have made about 10 of the recipes out of this book and we have loved all of them. I am looking forward to baking my way through it. The microwave brownies are so simple and our families quick chocolate fix.

As the mother of 2 little girls, I am finding a huge need for baked goods for all kinds of functions. So far everything I've made has been awesome - and simple. If you have children, this a great book to add to the collection!

for years! I always have the ingredients in the house, and the recipes taste wonderful. With Cheap Fast Good and Mom's Big Book of Baking, I can get rid of the rest of my cookbooks!

I checked out this book from the library and was inspired to buy it, I had to have my own copy! My favorite recipe is the blueberry muffins with the crumb topping, so easy to whip up. My 14 yr. old daughter loves to use the book often and surprises us with delicious treats. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to bake, specially with such easy, delicious recipes.

I received a copy of Larry's book. Not wanting to decline a gift, I did mention that I wasn't in sales or marketing and might not be interested in a book on business. "Read it", I was told. "It's funny".

I did and it is! And I got an insight into how things are sold and marketed in this new digital age. What to the professional maybe common knowledge was an eye-opener to the un-initiated. I now have a better idea as to why some web sights are better, easier and friendlier to use than others.

"Mommy" is delivered in an irreverent, clipped, K.I.S.S style that has the reader laughing and thinking at the same time. He is full of it. Knowledge that is! This book should be a must read for anyone in business today, and required reading for anyone with an interest in knowing how e-marketplace works.

This is one of the most important books I've read this year on marketing, its full of truth and not a lot of fluff. I would recommend this book to all my friends in network marketing.

I have high expectations for this book based on the first 10 pages. The introductory sections have some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen in a business book. Plus, it's the first time that I've seen an author make an open appeal for Amazon reviews--a move that drips with savvy and is an especially good sign given the topic.

I've already gained a new catch phrase: "Screw that! Let's see you do any better!" (page 6)

I'll be back with another review ...

Excellent Book!!!

Filled with lots of Great, relevant information. An informative, quick read, with just the right amount of wit.

An excellent web marketing 101 book for all business owners.

"Mommy, Where Do Customers Come From?" was a fun and easy read! I run both and online and "offline" business and I certainly picked up a lot of nuggets that can be applied to both. Author, Larry Bailin was certainly direct and to the point.

Mike Dolpies

In 1956, my family moved me to Chicago's Southwest Side and enrolled me in St. Mary's High School at Damen and Grenshaw. Walking from the Western Avenue bus to the school each morning, I quickened my pace, as I passed a spooky-looking church I knew as St. Charles-Something-or-Other. Imagine my surprise upon finding, over fifty years later, a ghost story centering around none other than St. Charles Borromeo Church. I regret that it fell prey, like so many buildings of beauty and historical relevance, to the dreaded wrecking ball. As for the book, I am reading it now and enjoying its great history lessons. Rocco is a brilliant writer.

I consider myself a connoiseur of ghost stories, true and fictional, but the supposedly true ones are my favorite, I have an extensive library to prove it. This book will be part of that library because the truth of authenticity is apparent in every page you read. The story grabs you from the beginning, and proves that even 100 years ago they dealt with similar problems that we do now. But underlying the political manuevering of the Catholic church in that area, is the story of Bishop Muldoon and his rise through the ranks, and the ever burning question... why was he haunting St. Charles Borromeo? You might try to find the answers in the documented facts of his career in the church, but we can't truly know a person from what's written in history books, or jubilee commeratives. It's a shame they tore down the church and adjoining buildings, because I would have loved to go back to Chicago just to visit it. If ghost stories are your thing, then set aside a weekend for back to back reading until you complete the last page.

Father Facchini's account of his days in Chicago's flailing St. Charles Borromeo parish and its seemingly supernatural activities is an outstanding first hand story of a genuine haunting. Forget what you think you know about true ghost stories. Interspersed throughout this tale of a once thriving rectory and its ghost from the past are elements of crime, scandal, revenge, and politics. And it's all true! Father Rocco Facchini shares this remarkable story despite Catholicism's preference to dismiss the notion of ghosts. This is a must read for Chicago historians and ghost enthusiasts alike.

I found this rather boring. It's not all that bad, just wasn't really interesting.

This book is a compelling look at the intersection of the everyday and the supernatural, the temporal and the eternal, and the secular and the spiritual. It is also a look at the rivalry between the immigrant and the native-born, a fierce dispute that rocked the Irish-dominated Catholic Church in Chicago at the end of the 19th century. It is a story that almost wasn't written, and, as becomes apparent from the bizarre epilogue written by the author's editor, almost wasn't published either. As other reviewers have remarked, this is an eminently readable glimpse into one of the strangest stories I've (never) read. Even (perhaps especially) lifelong Chicagoans will be surprised to read about a forgotten man, Peter J. Muldoon, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago; his beloved church, St. Charles Borromeo, at Roosevelt Rd. and Hoyne Ave.; and his restless ghost that, after Muldoon's death in 1927, protested the parish's neglect and decline and, finally, its obliteration. The author, a former priest who served as an assistant at St. Charles in the late 1950s, has obviously mulled over these events for many years. With the help of family members and friends, he has written a wonderful book and saved from oblivion a story full of meaning and power. It is a story about the Catholic mission in the world, about fidelity to that mission, and the consequences of losing sight of it. It is a terrific book, clearly written and organized, and full of the author's very engaging personality. I enjoyed every page, even the appendices.

Mr. Aiken is a prolific writer and pours his soul out lyrically. The title speaks for itself and will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. Enjoy his emphatic expressions of love, inspiration, and revolution. You won't be disappointed.

It was enjoying to read, even though I'm not into poetry and inspirational books but I did enjoy it for the most part. Especially You and Me, I really liked that, it hit home.

I thought that Mr. Aiken's poetry is phenomenal, thought-provoking, and inspirational. I especially liked the poem
"Domestic Violence," which re-opened my eyes to the injustices that face my people.

I'm hardly an authoritative critic of poetry. In fact, I don't really know much about poetry at this point. The only poet I know something about is Emily Dickinson, and Vaughh T. Aiken's "My Soul is not For Sale" is about as far from Emily Dickinson's style as one can get. So, I don't know how much use my thoughts will be on this book, but I'll share what I can.

What I sense from this book is a man searching, and in many instances finding, his true identity. What is also very evident is Mr. Aiken's identification with his people and pride in his own culture. I found this a breath of fresh air, and a reminder of a world I once lived among. I lived in a mostly African American neighborhood during my teen years; and the prose in these poems, the cultural signifiers, really take me back and make me long for what was one of the happiest eras of my life. I really miss the African American community.

My Soul is not For Sale is filled with poems of love and inspiration. One of my favorite poems in this book is "Domestic Violence." It metaphorically displays how a certain group of people have been constantly beaten down and disenfranchised by its own country, namely The USA. Vaughn T. Aiken has written thought provoking poems and they're an excellent read for college students or anybody who wants to be inspired.

We are in the Network Service consulting business where our product is the delivery of services through technical people dealing directly with our customers. We often encounter situations where our engineers do not have the sales knowledge to properly deal with our customers. The issue we have is that our business depends on developing strategic relationships with our customers for us to get the next sale. In the Oh Norman Diary, the authors, Uly Meixner and Eric Mock, discuss the art of sales communication in a manner that's clear and easy to understand. They draw on years of experience in sales training at all organization levels and with varied clients, they are able to identify the "keys" to a successful sales program. The importance of developing a customer focused and oriented approach is very well illustrated with the to-the-point examples that explain the importance of each step as they relate to the sales cycle. Using OH Norman to help train service delivery engineers about sales has been very effective and fun.

This is a really useful volume. Simple, common-sense examples, and punctuated by humor, not another deathly dull how-to book. Full of the kind of sales insights that you might not be practicing, but when seen in print make you exclaim, "Of course!" You want to rush right out and start to utilize 'em.

Definitely a favorable addition to my library.

If you're in sales (and who isn't?!),a seasoned pro or a just starting out, this book will help you develop or polish a more effective approach to selling. The authors outline a step by step approach to engaging your customers--listening to, understanding and serving their needs--not just presenting your products or services. And unlike some treatments of the subject, it is not some "academic treatise" but is written in a clear, engaging and conversational style with plenty of useful examples.

Getting to the next level in sales is often a difficult task, however the sage advice that Norman receives from the various Professional Business People we meet through his Diary entries is simple and straight forward. This book is excellent for helping novice salespeople secure a strong footing through a needs oriented sales approach, as well as reminding and reinforcing strategic selling skills with more senior salespeople. Building strong and lasting sales relationships using the Sales Cycle as outlined in this book is critical to all salespeople in today's difficult selling environment.
A definite read for the Professional Salesperson.

At first, when a colleague recommended this book to me, I thought.."Oh great, another motivational book,...80 percent motivation, 20 percent meat..." I`ve been general manager of a quality plastics manufacturing company for over 20 years. I have been fully involved in all areas of sales and negotiations with our customers, and strive to stay in tune with the most effective techniques and technologies available to assist me and my associates in selling our fine products. I thought I was on top of my game, but after just a few pages, a burning sensation started in my chest as I saw several direct references to the same problems and pitfalls that we have experienced just recently in our dealings with new and old customers alike. After reading "The Oh Norman Diary", I discovered there was one key ingredient in our sales strategy that was not being utilized to it`s fullest potential....the customer.
This priceless work by U. Meixner and E. Mock is simple and striking. It has been quite an eye opener for us, as it helps to break down many of the barriers that we face in our sales process. It has helped us to ask the "Right" questions, and avoid making the wrong assumptions about our customers needs.
We are also able, now, to learn and profit from our past mistakes as never before!
Our customers are responding very favorably to our new methods and mind-set, and my company is already reaping the benefits from the new insight and skills we`ve gained by reading this fine book. I would highly recommend this book to
owners, managers and salespeople. It`s well worth the time.

Karl Krause
Krause Plastics
Tulsa, OK

Not only do you get insights and tidbits that you never could have imagined, but they also get linked together in an informative and fun way. Pete Frame does an excellent job of giving informative and anecdotal stories in a graphical manner that makes understanding the era of music much easier. A must read for any true classic rock fan. A personal favorite.

Pete Frame's obsessive large-format (they HAVE to be or you'd go blind reading them) rock family trees are a feast of rock minutia and an elegant formal statement. If you're of a certain age (harrumph), and remember pouring through the record bins in the 60s and 70s, you'll know lots of these names and albums, and your elderly brain will bask for awhile in the nostalgic glow of... rock and roll reminiscence.

As a reference work, as an aesthetic achievement, as a hell of a good way to waste some time, this can't be beat.

Back in the pre-Internet days many of us gleaned info from record albums, and searched out new music by musicians and producers on liner notes because we had little else to guide us.

In the early 80's Pete Frame was a beacon of light, fleshing out band histories, changes and spinoffs and adding context to the evolution of many great music scenes. At that time few decent books covered anything but specific band histories, and Frame's rtees made for hours of fun reading and paths to explore to expand musical boundaries. His work is as relevant and vital now as it ever was

The only thing that came close to being as valuable a resource was Terry Hounsome's Rock Record which indexed bands and musicians but offered little more that than and basic discography info.

Pete Frame invented a new art form and it shows when you look at how many others copy his style on the web today or just outright steal his work for band reference web sites. It's a shame his various books have been hard to find over the years and that there hasn't a fully comprehensive collection of Frame's work. This suggests it is but I think still misses some stuff that can be complemented by other books - and as far as I know Frame is still churning out new ones, though probably at a much slower pace. So this is as good as it gets as far as an overview of Frame's work, and it's very good.

This book is well worth the price and will offer hours of info and and fun trivia to any music fan interested in just about any realm of rock music in the last few decades.

Hi, I`ve been listening to Music for a long time now and went through a lot of different styles and moods.
Two months ago my girlfriend bought me this book and I am most pleased to research again and again through all the small and big events that marked the best era of Rockmusic.
Through Pete I`ve learned that the picture on the front cover of Airplanes Surrealistic Pillow was taken at the Matrix. Way to go!!
I just don`t know if, by mentioning that Zeppelin never released a single, Pete was refering only to the UK ..? Because in the States the monsterpiece Whole Lotta Love came out as a single in Nov. 69. But I`m just a reader!
Thank you Pete!!!

When you start getting really serious about music, listening to it stops being enough: you need to learn about the band, the members, the changes, the bios, the history behind it all... Pete Frame, in the course of some 15 years compiled this magnificently complex printed documentary that includes the family trees and evolution of most every rock band you can think of dated before 1993 (too bad this was the last edition of this book, which now also happens to be out of print!)

The beauty about the book is that it ties together bands that had a relatively close evolution, such as the case of Roxy Music and King Crimson, for example, who "touched" each other's paths when former Crimson's bass/voice John Wetton landed on Roxy Music #5's album, alongside Phil Manzanera, Bryan Ferry and the crew (the # refers to the nomenclature Frame uses to list the different incarnations of a band). In short, if you can get your hands on a used copy of the book (which is the only way to go about it these days), by all means do so: you will be provided with hours and hours of discovery of musical facts!

This is a great handbook for starting up a blog (corporate or private for that matter). There is a lot of great info backed into this little book. I would highly recommend getting it for your team if you are starting a blog that requires a lot of support and buy-in. Nice work Byron & Steve.

BTW: If you ever get a chance to hear them speak on the topic, take it.

I have already been blogging, but this book helped me focus my efforts in a way that may help my business. Lots of great insightful info, and common sense explanations in this book. I found it very helpful and easy to read.

I need a blog for the homebuilt aircraft community, particularly those working with composite (fiberglass) technology. I work alone and will require additional help with developing a good active blog. This book has helped me to ask the right questions of the professional IT type who must help me get the blog going.

DL Byron and Steve Broback have really done an excellent job in writing this very thorough primer on blogging for business. The book, actually, is more than a mere primer: its breadth is surprising. They've managed to cover virtually every aspect of business blogging in a mere 180 pages. Quite an accomplishment and one the authors can certainly take pride in.

The approach is linear, beginning with an explanation of what a blog is, determining the focus of your business blog, the varieties of blog, design, tools for blogging, writing the blog, getting noticed, monitoring and managing and ending chapter on syndication and other fine points they refer to as "beyond blogging".

What is impressive is how much solid information the authors manage to convey without overwhelming the reader. The writing style is comfortable and spare. They avoid technical language and do a good job of explaining each point.

Overall this is one of the best books on blogging I've seen. It is practical, not theoretical and the authors left dogma and cant at the door. They are clear that blogs are not miraculous but can certainly help a company advance toward its goals.

Well done and a worthwhile read that will serve as a quick reference after you've read it.

Jerry

Blogging isn't just for the chatty consumer: not with the appearance of PUBLISH & PROSPER: BLOGGING FOR YOUR BUSINESS. Here it turns into a viable approach for furthering business, coming from business owners who offer real-world techniques and ideas to blog to improve business. Learn how to start such a blog and build momentum and interest to promote a brand, products, or customer relations. The authors have extensive background in the blogging world and in business alike and have put their premises to the test, so this offers realistic ideas already applied to solid business pursuits.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch