Sales Books

I've learned eight or nine different sales strategies over the years. I assumed ZenWise Selling was just another spin on the same old tune: techniques to 'buddy up' to prospects until you can effectively pitch them. While this book touches on standard prospecting and presenting, it mainly focuses on the individual doing the selling. Why are they doing this? What makes them tick? I really appreciated the 'fill in the blank' exercises. (My first answers weren't always the most correct.) If you want something that touches the heart of the salesperson, buy this book.

"Zen Wise Selling" is about achieving the Holy Grail of sales - clearing your mind, finding calm and peace within yourself, and selling without any stress despite looming deadlines, quotas, and other standard fare of sales. Scattered throughout the book are multiple exercises to help the reader find that peace inside their self. This peace translates into a stronger personal aura and a strong sense of presence.

One of the most important points of the book besides establishing this internal peace is to approach each sales opportunity from a fresh viewpoint with no preconceptions. This allows an honest relationship to develop between the customer and salesperson and a true partnership. This is selling with integrity at it's best. "Zen Wise Selling" is not a sales techniques book but a book on the foundation that underlies all relationships, including sales. The information in sales techniques books can then be applied to this foundation. Sell more, less stress, more peace, achieve the Zen of selling. "Zen Wise Selling" is a highly recommended book.

In a sea of books that teach strategies to help people become better salespersons, ZenWise Selling aims to teach the salesperson to become a better person, first. Once on this path, the salesperson will find the journey adventuresome and filled with lifelong successes. I also loved the Appendix overviewing the origins and history of Zen. WOW!
Brenda Avadian, M.A.
TheCaregiversVoice.com
Speaker and Author, "Where's my shoes?" My Father's Walk Through Alzheimer's (2nd ed) and editor of the Finding the JOY in Alzheimer's series.

We talk a lot about marketing. And one-to-one contact is, of course, a major piece of the larger marketing pie. The act of meeting with a prospect, or speaking to one over the telephone, and convincing that person that your products and services can fill a need, solve a problem, or make an improvement is one of the most badly practiced arts around--so many people don't have a clue about how to sell ethically and in a way that fully respects the prospect.

Therefore, it's always nice to recommend a resource that can improve the selling experience for both seller and buyer. I recommend a few such books in the Principled Pro fit bibliography, which is now posted on the website. And I'm always glad to find more.

Lee Godden sent me a copy of his new book, ZenWise Selling, and he's clearly based in exactly that kind of wisdom. He espouses a gentle, mindful selling orientation that replaces the aggressive hard sell. Instead, he suggests really listing, ethical behavior, and accepting the ups and downs of the process as a keen observer of the world, as opposed to as someone who gets bent out of shape by every little setback.

Godden is a Zen practitioner, and there's certainly quite a bit about meditative techniques and general Zen practices, as well as a nice little history of Zen at the end of the book. But he isn't preachy, and even if you don't see yourself meditating, there's much here that will be useful and practical for anyone in sales.

And actually, while reading this book, I had an emergency root canal on one of my teeth. I let Lee's message flow over me, and achieved a meditative state in the dentist's chair that made the procedure a lot less painful, and the recovery a lot faster, than it might have been.

Zen Wise Selling: Mindful Methods To Improve Your Sales... And Your Self by sales trainer, public speaker, and Zen practitioner Lee Godden offers readers a unique blend of Zen principles and great business methodologies revolving around the core idea that excellence in personal understanding, bearing, character and credibility will inevitably result in excellent sales. From living and selling in-the-moment; to learning to accept, embrace, and learn from one's failures and fears; to the arts of managing salespeople; to team selling, and more, Zen Wise Selling is confidently recommended as a superbly balanced work leading to self-improve-ment on physical, economic, and spiritual fronts.

Overall a very good book and a very scholarly work. The book's Introduction provides us a brief insight into O'Donnell's motive for embarking on this work:

This book ... is my answer to a question I've heard countless times in the past: Where can I find a book about the history of the Irish in America that is both accurate and accessible? My goal has been to write just such a book --- a fun yet factual look at the people and events that have marked Irish American history. I've brought to this task an inclusive approach that recognizes that Irish Americans always been characterized by an extraordinary diversity --- from religion to politics to class and identity. My inclusive approach has likewise led me to chronicle not simply the triumphs of Irish Americans, but also their failures.

I feel that in 1001 THINGS ..., O'Donnell met his goal!

I'm a regular reader of O'Donnell's weekly Hibernian Chronicle column in the Irish Echo. So his "easy to read and understand" writing style comes as no surprise to me. But the other user friendly features are: A sensible organization of 10 chapters; about 175 illustration or photographs; numbered entries, and a good index. Indeed the book is "accurate and accessible," and provides a handy reference to answer questions. Not only questions raised by others, but also questions that arise in one's mind while reading news accounts, books, watching films, etc.

I always rely on reading to reduce the ardors of travel. I001 THINGS ... is a perfect travel book. The individually numbered entries, in a flexible paperback book, are very compatible with "stop and go" reading in an airport terminal or in flight --- particularly in the 'hurry up and wait" environment of these post 9-11 days.

And the price? I purchased several copies because the price is reasonable, and it makes a great gift item. I generally trust my judgement. If I enjoy a book, the recipient of my gift probably will too.

I've read many reviews of 1001 THINGS ... All have been favorable. Overall I share that assessment.

But I'm a little disappointed about the omission of some notables.

The McCourts --- Frank, Malachy, and one or two other brothers we have yet to hear from --- are not mentioned. I first thought that perhaps O"Donnell only included personages no longer with us. But this doesn't appear to be the case. Live personages such as Michael Flatley, Jean Butler, The Berrigan brothers, and Ted Kennedy make the pages of 1000 THINGS ...

Then there is the omission of General O'Reilly, the second Spanish Governor of Louisiana. Yes, I was surprised too. Spain also ruled Louisiana. And a man with the decidedly Hispanic-Hibernian name of Alejandro O'Reilly was the second Spanish Governor of Louisiana. Indeed an interesting career in politics in the new world, for a descendant of a "Wild Geese" family.

The most unfortunate omission is the Healy family. In the early 1800s, Michael Healy, an Irish-born Georgia planter, purchased Mary Eliza, a mixed-race slave. Laws during the slavery era prohibited interracial marriages, but Michael and Mary Eliza carried out their family life as husband and wife. Their union produced 10 children. Three brothers entered the priesthood ---

James Healy was the first black American to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest. He later became Bishop of Portland Maine (certainly another first), where he provided distinguished leadership in pastoral work, education, social advocacy, and public welfare.

Sherwood Healy reportedly received a doctorate in Canon Law from the North American College in Rome in 1860.

Patrick Healy was ordained as a Jesuit priest, going on to serve as Georgetown University's prefect of studies from 1868 to 1878, and its president from 1873 to 1881 ---- the first African-American president of a predominantly white university. Healy Hall, one of Georgetown's major buildings is named in his honor.

Unlike his brothers, Michael Healy did not embark on an ecclesiastical career. He ultimately joined the US Revenue Service, the forerunner of today's US Coast Guard. He mostly served in the waters of Alaska, attaining the rank of Captain and the Commanding Officer of the BEAR. The Coast Guard icebreaker, HEALY, is named in his honor.

We know little of the remaining Healy children except that three of the girls became nuns, with one of them attaining the rank of Mother Superior of her order.

Indeed the Healys were a distinguished Irish - American family.

Aside from the omissions, 1001 THINGS ... is still a good book. I hope that O'Donnell will address the omissions with a future sequel to 1001 THINGS. Perhaps a suitable title might be ANOTHER 1001 THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IRISH AMERICAN HISTORY. In the meantime, I'll keep distributing the current version as suitable gifts to friends.

Irish immigrants have played central roles in defining the American character and identity, sharing their history and resources for generations. 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American Historys provides lively, concise surveys of Irish-American experiences, including both ancient Irish history and religion to modern surveys of Irish lives. A historical timeline format by topic allows readers quick and easy access to Irish facts, biographies of notable figures, and events.

With this terrific book, O'Donnell has scored that rare hat trick of historical writing: 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish-American History is researched thoroughly, organized expertly, and presented with a voice that will keep the rapt attention of both the historian and layperson.... [The full text of this review appears on [Another Site]]

This is a very large well organized book about Irish Americans through history. There are many small articles about various people, organizations and historic events. St. Patrick's day and it's parades are well covered here, as is appropriate at this time. Listed also are: all presidents with Irish ancestry, Irish American politicians, inventors, war heroes, and just about anything interesting that concerns the Irish. A St. Pat's Day must read!!!

I was able to borrow a copy from a friend. Now I think I may buy this book. The contributions of the Irish to our culture are so much wider and more meaningful that the trite and distorted leprachauns leaping around on St. Patrick's Day! And usually drunk at that. This book, written in a crisp and clear style, provides a refutation of that stereotype. It should be of interest to a much wider audience. Worth the money and time.

I GAVE IT AS A GIFT. I HEARD IT'S A GREAT BOOK FOR TRIVIA QUESTIONS! IT WAS ENJOYED BY THE PERSON WHO RECEIVED IT.

I brought this book with me on my family's last vacation because there were hours of driving to do & I'm a Civil War fanatic! Although I've studied the Civil War for over 14 years I learned a lot from this book. And it kept me & my family entertained for hours! It has sections on Union & Confederate generals, battles, civilians, statistics (like anyone could ever know all those!), weapons (my favorite section!), & great chapters on the war in the east, west, south, & at sea. This is a trivia book that's perfect for both the novice & the historian, and it's also low-priced.

"2000 Questions and Answers About The Civil War" is the revised title of Webb Garrison's paperback "Civil War Trivia and Fact" book. Whereas the paperback was more expensive, "2000 Questions" is now rebound in a plain yet attractive hardbound format with the extremely nice price of $7.99. And the book itself is readily accesible to any Civil War student or buff from High School age to Senior Citizen. The questions range from the common to the unusual. For example: "Where did the September 1864 siege of Fort Gibson take place?" Answer. "Indian Territory". Or. . . "What millionaire soldier-of-fortune who was killed at Chantilly had a tow in New Jersey and two decorations, a medal and a cross named after him?" Answer: "Maj. Gen. Philip Kearney (b. New York)". . .or "When the Civil War Began, what future general tried to answer the call for volunteers but was rejected?" Answer: U.S.Grant. The answers range from brief, one-sentence comments to a paragraph, accompanied throughout the book with excellent line drawings and contemporary photographs. The "latest" in a long line of Webb Garrison Civil War trivia and fact works, "2000 Questions and Answers About the Civil War" should be an indispensible part of any Civil War buff's personal home library alongside Burke Davis' "The Civil War: Strange & Fascinating Facts". These two works actually compliment each other!

Man, I can't imagine a better war than the Civil War. And this is one of the best books on that war. This book is for all those guys who dress up on the weekend and pretend to be real soliders. These kind of guys are the best kind of guys in the world, buffs. These buffs should try playing with real ammo and real war time conditions. As a vietnam vet, I know first hand war is really hell. I have to live with this hell the rest of my life. These buffs should try a real war on for size. Peace out!

The subject of the American Civil War always encompasses an enormous amount of material, as does this great trivia book. For its relatively low price, you get a book containing a great deal of information to any student of the war, and the questions will often stump even the most well read historians.

We purchased this book about a year ago at a yard sale. My son has LOVED reading this book from about age 2 1/2 to 4. However, this copy is quickly wearing out and we wanted to get another copy for my younger daughter.

We could not at the time find another 1973 version. So we bought the updated 2005 version by Kristin Kest. Overall, we are pleased with the new version. It has retained much of the charm and good illustrations found in the original.

My only complaint when comparing the two versions is that in the new version, they changed the family drawing. The original showed a family with daddy standing and Mommy sitting and holding the baby and the rest of the children on the sides. This is the way that they still take family photographs if you go to Olan Mills or other photographers.

However, in this new version, the author puts Mommy standing with a business like suit on and Daddy sitting and holding the baby. True, nowadays many Mommies do work. But the way this picture is drawn it just looks strange to me. I could think of several ways the author could have done this drawing and still got the point across that Mommies do work outside of the home (both parents standing, both parents sitting, etc.)

Because of this change, I would recommend people try to get the 1973 version first. It is just a better book.

But if you cannot locate an old copy in readable condition, then consider getting the new version of the book knowing the family picture issue I described above. Either edition would be a great learning tool for the 2-4 year old age group.

500 Words to Grow On
All three of my kids loved this book. They wore out the first one so we had to replace it. They are 27, 28 and 29, and I'm saving this book for my grandchildren.

I need to give this book 10 stars. It's that good. I had three copies of this book and wore out all of them. So many wonderful words. So many wonderful pictures. If you must buy one word book for your child, this is it. This is the A-Number One book on my booklist for my early childhood class in the fall when I starte teaching.

We bought this book 3 years ago for my first and it really helped with his vocabulary. It was misplace so now we are buying it again. Worth every penny. Great for travel, small and light.

Clear drawings of objects needful to know. Concise labeling. This book could not be better unless it were just made longer!

The 7 Universal laws is easy reading which is good because you will want to refer to it constantly. The ideas presented are the kind which make you wonder why you hadn't seen it so clearly before. Simply useful.

this book is very simple, and interesting. this book for evey one working with people. you will learn

This book is almost as excellent as Steve's first book "How May I Help You". It has great ideas about most any buissness situation

Even better than the first of Mr. Broydrick's two book; How May I Help You, this book truly sheads light to buisness. The best buisness book ever

A lucid, light read that offers powerful insights. This book is a must for the business or marketing person's reference library. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Making money from photography is everyones dream but a tough goal in reality. This book has helped me define my goals for marketing my photography. As an amateur turning pro this book has been a life saver. Bourne clearly and concisely outlines a variety of methods to market your work. The beauty of the book lies in it's set up. You can pick and choose what you want to use and attack each new obstacle one step at a time. I highly recommend 88 Secrets to anyone interested in turning their dream into a profitable business.

Here is one more secret. This book is worth way more than its list price.

Anyone, from novice to seasoned pro, interested in earning money making pictures needs this book. I am a serious amateur photographer. I plan to turn my photography into a lucrative hobby when I retire in several years. Thanks to 88 Secrets I will not have to waste time testing what will work. Scott Bourne gives the reader of his book a proven track record to follow.

Buy this book. You will find it invaluable when you put Scott Bourne's recommendations into action.

This book does just one thing for a person hoping to derive income from the sale of photographs. It tells you how to sell photographs.

It doesn't tell you anything about equipment, or picture taking, or processing, or even how to run a photography business. It doesn't even take a comprehensive approach to marketing. Instead it provides useful tips on marketing photography, period. Moreover, Bourne doesn't just limit himself to one market, like stock photography. He covers all the markets and if one secret isn't applicable to you, the next one may be right up your alley.

Calling it "88 Secrets" is a misnomer, because many of the ideas contained are simple common sense that someone interested in selling pictures could figure out for him or herself. Secondly, there are far more than 88 secrets because many of sections called secrets contain more than one idea for marketing.

The reader will sometimes say, I knew that, sometimes say, I should have known that, and sometimes say, I never thought of that. But if you read the book and you follow some of the tips, you will increase sales of your pictures. Although the book is quite short, it's also inexpensive and the person willing to follow Bourne's advice will soon amortize the cost of the book. It probably won't put you in direct competition with Art Wolfe, but it will increase your photographic income if you have the will power to follow the tips.

For example, the author discusses a traditional subject, query letters to editors to whom one hopes to sell pictures. He tells you what has to go into a letter if you want to get the editor's attention. He even provides a sample letter.

In the very next paragraph, Bourne discusses something relatively new, e-books and how to go about publishing them. He even suggests software that will ease the work, and even how to structure an e-book. He says photography e-books are most popular if they take a how-to, travel, or adventure approach. "It will be easier to sell an e-book that features pictures of Yellowstone National Park if it is written as a travelogue rather than an attractive Yellowstone picture book."

I've read a few books on marketing pictures and sometimes find reasonable marketing advice buried in the verbiage. Often it's aimed at just one market. Here it's simple and effective. All one has to do is read a secret and follow it. And of course, take a reasonably good picture.

I was thinking this would be a book about places to sell your photography like post cards and bookmarkers or stuff like that. I guess I just didn't look it over enough. It is pretty much just basic stuff about how to run a business in photography. Some I thought were a little simple, like it says you should have a seperate phone for your business. Also, you should tell family members to not use that phone for anything other than business. That would be true of any business be it photography or selling comic books. Some of it is good business practices that many would not think of but I think you could get a book on operating a home business or small business from the library and learn most of this stuff. It is not an expensive book so I'm not going to complain much. I would suggest though that a person that is going to do photography work might think of staying with one or two areas and get books on those. For example, wedding photography and stock photography and learn how to make it in those areas. Go ahead and buy it, if you don't like it you are not out much.

Scott Bourne is an outstanding teacher and successful marketer. The book exemplifies this by being well organized, very readable and packed with valuable information for any photographer wanting to market and sell photographs.

The three divisions of the book are well thought out. As I considered marketing my photos the section on "general secrets" was very helpful. The last two sections provide valuable information on who to contact for sales and all the issues that need to be considered to complete a successful business transaction.

Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Illustrated Collection

I love this ebook. It contains the greatest Sherlock Holmes collection!

This collection contains twenty-four of the Sherlock Holmes short stories, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

"The Complete Sherlock Holmes" lets you tag along as the great detective is called upon, again and again, by Scotland Yard, to solve seemingly-unsolvable mysteries. Holmes uses his brilliantly logical mind, his attention to detail, and his vast knowledge of trivia, to do what all the current-day television crime-scene investigation shows are doing.

This book is very readable and highly enjoyable. The only admonition I would give, is to read this book in spurts, which is easily done, with its many short stories. Why do I suggest this? If you try to read it, cover-to-cover, you will see that many of the Holmes stories do follow somewhat of a pattern or formula. That does not come through if you read the book in pieces. It makes a great traveling book, or a book to read before sleep, unless you are highly prone to nightmares (i.e., some people do get killed).

You can't go wrong here. The book is light, the type is large and the original illustrations and reproduced in their original sizes. Plus you have the charm of seeing the actual type laid out when these now classics stories were first read.

My 9 year old carried this edition of Sherlock around with him for a week. The replica images are cool; the type is a bit difficult to read. A great gift.

I'll admit it. Although I am a voracious reader, I have been remiss in my enjoyment of the adventures of Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson. I have spent the last few weeks rectifying that lamentable omission in my literary background.

Frankly, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are an absolute joy. Each story is a delight to read. To my mind Conan Doyle's short stories represent the best of mystery writing. They plumb the depth of the human heart and run the gamut of emotion.

No one can truly say that he or she is truly educated in English Literature without reading Sherlock Holmes. (It's interesting -- even persons who tend to dislike mysteries -- tend to like Holmes and Watson!)

Highest of all possible recommendations!

John Warden was the strategist of the air campaign in the 1991 Gulf War. In 1998, he updated his influential book. A must read for anyone interested in the military, its past, present and future.

John Warden's book earned high praise because of its author's role in planning operation Desert Storm, but although the book is a very good synthesis of air warfare theory it is not either groundbreaking or revolutionary. In fact most of its arguments were presented for the first time by the pioneers of air power of the 1920s and 30s like Giulio Duhet and William Mitschell. Warden's contribution has more to do with the revival of those forgotten theories and the presentation of a complete picture of aerial operations instead of inventing new methods of war. Central to his thesis is the idea that air superiority is crucial, that a campaign will be lost if the enemy has it, that in many circumsatnces it alone can win a war, and that its possession is needed before other actions on the ground or in the air can be undertaken.

Warden also places emphasis on thorough training saying that if something is going to be done in war, it ought to be practiced in peace, and if it has not be practiced, losses are likely to be high and the plan is unlikely to go as expected. He analyzes the three kinds of inderdiction (distant, indermediate and close) and he gives an interesting definition of the term "close air support": "It is an air operation that theoritically could and would be done by ground forces on their own, if sufficient troops or artillery were available".

The author repeats often the great value of striking the enemy's center of gravity, that timing is everything in the commitment of air reserves and that ground and naval forces can serve as an adjunct to air forces in the battle for air superiority. His opinion that fighting defensively is the worst way to fight an air war is uneiversally accepted as is his thesis that numbers are important, so important that a primary goal of the operational commander ought to be to make sure that his forces outnumber the enemy every time they meet. Modern research using the Lancaster equations has also proved his argument that the large force almost always inflicts greater absolute casualties on the smaller force and thath it also suffers less in the process.

John Warden also explains in the Epilogue how his concept of ideas was implemented in the Desert Storm campaign of 1991. In that case the enemy was visualized as a target system of five concentric rings (leadership, key production, infrastructure, population and field forces) with the leadership ring at the center. In the case of Iraq, the US goal was "to reduce the energy level of the entire system enough to reach our peace objectives" which were to eject "Iraq out of Kuwait and an Iraq that would not be a strategically threatening regional superpower for the next decade".

On the minus side of the book are the extremely poor black and white pictures.

A fresh and renovated review on a complicated topic such as Strategy. Interesting and updated points of view with a simple and easy language. A must for any military aviator.

Colonel John A. Warden III was one of the most distinguished officers of his generation. A veteran fighter pilot, he was--is--as well a true defense intellectual--not the sort of individual often touted by the so-called "defense reform movement," but a true warrior-scholar in the classic image of, say, a J. F. C. Fuller--or a George Patton. Not one to shy away from controversy, Warden was convinced in the 1980's that the United States Air Force--had strayed away from its first principles. It had become a stove-piped, tribal organization, riven by discord and confusion between its "strategic" and "tactical" communities. Warden, in this brilliant work (written as a thesis at the National Defense University), posited an exciting new vision of the centrality of air power in national defense. This book served as an important departure point for the service's subsequent "Global Reach--Global Power" strategic planning framework issued in 1990. By that time, Warden was running Checkmate, a key office in Air Force planning. Through his own initiative and vision, he and a small team of "weapons officers" planned Instant Thunder, the first major response to Saddam Hussein's aggression in the Gulf. Warden briefed Instant Thunder to the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff (the Chief was away), and then on his suggestion to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Colin Powell. Powell sent him to CENTCOM to brief Norman Schwarzkopf. His reaction was enthusiastic, and Warden was directed to brief Instant Thunder in the Gulf, to the CENTAF air component commander, General Charles Horner. Horner, brilliant in his own right, accepted much of what Warden said. But the personal chemistry between the two men was bad, and Warden returned to the States, leaving behind a small staff of acolytes and experts, most notably Lt. Col. David A. Deptula. It was the partnership of Deptula, Gen. Buster Glosson, Gen. Horner, and (back in Checkmate) John Warden that made the Desert Storm air campaign a success. After the war, Warden became commander of the Air Command and Staff College, making notable (and badly needed) changes to its curriculum. This book is a "must read" by anyone who would consider themselves a military and/or air power professional. There are Americans alive today because of John Warden's work. Warden never made general, largely because of petty jealousies by senior people above him. He was--is--a consumate professional and true patriot: never complaining, never self-advocating, always keeping true to his core beliefs. But his truest legacy is this book and the thinking it has inspired--thinking that has lead to five notable American victories over the last decade. Buy it, read it, keep it, use it!

Col. Warden adds new material to this important work on strategy, especially new material on what happened after the Gulf War. This book is many things. It is a history of airpower. It is a fresh look at the application of airpower. It is a guide for anyone in the military or business world who wants to compete or attack a system. Very readable. With Col Warden's reputation as the architect of the Air Campaign against Iraq, he has demonstrated that he can apply his ideas in real world situations. Outstanding read.

There are some books that are just so informative that no library should be without them. There are some books that are written so well that it is a positive joy to read the text. There are some people who have such a way of looking at the world that you feel comfort hearing them speak. There are people who have seen so much that their opinion is something you seek.

All of these traits are combined in this volume that only Foote's Civil War trilogy can compare with. The small stories that are routinely missed (such as the origin of "the real McCoy) and the relevence of these ordinary people making extrodinary things happen are coupled with the tales of the extraordinary people who had their ordinary vices. (Franklin's advice to take an older mistress because they are both more discreet and more grateful) Both named and unnamed he tells their tale as it fits in the piece of this puzzle of America

Unlike much of history which seems to have an agenda, Cooke's masterpiece is classical, telling a story of grandur without fawning and of warts without lambasting. It is a grand overview rather than a list of presidents, wars and laws. He captures the essense of what is importnat. It is as if he wished to give a consice guide to his compatriots in England of what facinates him about this land that he eventually settled as did many in his story.

It captures what America and Americans are very well and would be an excellent guide to any person who wants to understand us. With so many Americans ignorant of their own history it would be an even better guide to todays college or high school students to make them understand this land of their birth and how it came to be what it is.

This book is 30 years old as I write this (July 4th 2003) at the time he wrote this Cooke was in his 27th year of his Letter from America Broadcast for the BBC. When you finish this book you will find yourself wanting more. Have no fear Mr Cooke is now in his 57th year of his broadcasts telling the story of America 15 minutes at a time continues. Lets hope he dictates a sequel filling in these 30 years.

Besides being a beautifully written, poetic portrait of America's history, the author's British background provides for a totally different perspective. This viewpoint provides a different insight on people and events that an American writer might not have grasped and that I found very interesting and refreshing.

No stiff upper lip Brit here, not at all. As a transplanted British journalist Alistair Cooke who studied in America's Ivy League universities and then returned to America as a BBC correspondent seems to have been deeply affected and impressed by what he saw here. He stayed here and became a citizen. If the little man and his small cracker-barrel anecdotes represented the collective spirit of the country Alistair Cooke's fascination of the common man's philosophy captured that spirit simply and eloquently in his writings. This simple eloquent approach addressed and exposed the heart and feeling of the people that drove the great country for higher aspirations of the human experience. This is what he wrote about. His observations and examination of the Civil War capture the fervent feelings that Americans held be they morally right or wrong. Yet at the end of this struggle the common purpose of the people did not deter them to find their destiny in this land. The spirit never died and that is what Cooke seems to capture, explore and explain in such eloquent words.

His prose depicting the American people throughout our nation's historical record are eloquent and shear poetry to read. His endearing objectivity and love of this land through his insightful words are stirring and heartwarming. You do not come across this type of writing with genuine devotion, respect and love for what comprised the greatness of the American spirit.

Alistair Cooke, who died very recently, was a Briton who first came to America during the dark days of the Great Depression as a very young BBC correspondent. The venerated justice Oliver Wendell Holmes was one of the very first people whom he met - and he writes eloquently of that encounter in the Civil War chapter of this book. Finding our spirit and our optimism contagious, Cooke spent much, if not most of his life here for the next seven decades, getting the know the best and the brightest, the celebrity and the common man on the street, learned about our history with an appreciation that very few - even many Americans - have for this country.

The result is "Alistair Cooke's America" first published as a loving tribute to this country at its Bicentennial in 1976, with a revised forward in 2002, though with no mention of the tumultous events of September 11, 2001. Cooke writes movingly of our history and of the spirit of the American people, the fight for Liberty during the American Revolution, the move westward, that "firebell in the night" (to quote Thomas Jefferson) as the country tore itself apart over the question of Slavery. He writes of the Civil War, interestingly considering Antietam to be a much more significant battle than Gettysburg. His views on Abraham Lincoln are also surprising, in his view that President Lincoln was venerated in great part due to his death, and being the leader of the winning side.

Cooke also spends much more writing space on Woodrow Wilson, whom he clearly admires for his domestic and foreign policies, but either ignores or just wasn't aware of Wilson's Racist policies. By contrast, Theodore Roosevelt, whose Presidency bridged the gap between the Civil War years and America becoming a major power, gets barely two pages.

Cooke's chapter on the "Arsenal of Democracy" is a revelatory look at how America's policy of "Lend Lease" and our subsequent entry into World War II did save the world from Hitlerism, especially when France had fallen and Britain was on the ropes.

Despite some of his views, or perhaps because of them - This well-written and profusely illustrated book deserves the five-star review because Alistair Cooke wrote a history that belongs on every thoughtful American's bookshelf alongside Stephen Ambrose's "To America". The things we take for granted about how great this country is were never missed by this great British writer.

I bought this for my boyfriend who is very hard to buy for. He has whatever he needs, and if he wants something, he'll buy it for himself. But I remember him telling me that IRONMAN was his favorite character growing up. When I did a search on Amazon and found this item, I bought it, knowing only a small chapter would be on IRONMAN. Well, he LOVED it! He read it within the first few days! He listened to the audio by Stan Lee. And even I read it and learned all about the history of the superheroes. I cannot wait to learn more, to read more, to buy more. The best part is that He Loved It! It was the best gift I ever bought him.

it is the best marvel book ever i love it. it gos from the way begining to 1997. it has all the best marvel super heros. you must buy it

We've all heard audio commentary on DVD's but audio commentary on a book? That's just what you get in a fabulous new book from Sterling Publishing, "The Amazing Marvel Universe". The book is a beautiful, over-sized hardcover that has a very unique feature to it. It has a speaker with push buttons that play audio comments from longtime Marvel Comics writer, editor-in-chief, and publisher, the legendary Stan Lee. The book itself is written by another Marvel legend, himself a former Marvel Editor-in-chief as well as writer and comics historian, Roy Thomas. The book features Stan's choices of the 50 greatest moments in Marvel Comic's history.

These moments begin not with Marvel Comics, but rather in the Golden Age era of Timely comics when a young Stanley Leiber took the pseudonym of Stan Lee and had his first comic story published, a two-page Captain America text story in Captain America #3 in 1941. As you flip through the 200 page book and read about these great moments in Marvel history, you'll see a number that corresponds to the appropriate audio track to hear Stan's comment on that particular event. There are 68 comments in all for a total of 45 minutes of audio.

One of the interesting moments to make the Top 50 moments is the second one which introduced Fin Fang Foom in Strange Tales #89 from 1961. This is chosen I think as an example of pre-super hero Marvel Comics and how the restrictive Comics Code was dealt with by Stan. Of course the first major moment comes with the introduction of the Fantastic Four in November 1961. In his audio comment, Stan relates how he was about to quit the comic book business and was asked by publisher Martin Goodman to come up with a team of heroes to compete with DC's Justice League. Stan decided to do a hero book the way he wanted to, thinking it would flop. Of course, the rest is history.

In talking about the Hulk, we hear the oft-told story of how the Hulk's color was changed from grey to green because the printer was having a hard time getting the grey a consistent color. Stan says he decided to do a book about Thor because he wanted to have a mythological God, and the Norse mythology was not as well known as Greek or other myths. Other great moments that made the list are the release of Spiderman #1, X-men #1, Avengers #1, Daredevil #1 etc. But don't think it's all about number one issues. Once you move into the mid-60's, the moments focus on the first appearance of various characters as well as classic storylines.

One moment that I was very excided to see make the list was the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm in Fantastic Four Annual #3 in 1965 and starring just about every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe. I remember buying that comic at a convention sometime in the 70's and still have it today. Other great moments include the first appearance of the Silver Surfer and Galactus, The Black Panther, and one of my personal favorites, The Vision. The Vision was a brilliant concept by writer Roy Thomas who used his love of Golden Age heroes to come up with his unique android creation.

The Kree-Skrull War, the Death of Gwen Stacy, the debut of the New X-Men, they are all here and you could not find two men better fit to present these 50 great moments than Stan Lee and Roy Thomas. Loaded with great art by the likes of jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, John Buscema, Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, and John Romita!This is an absolute must have for fans of marvel Comics. Well worth the $50!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Surely, an adequate test of whether or not you've purchased a good book is a faint sadness at turning the last page. If so, then Stan Lee's Amazing Marvel Universe is a good book.

Written by Roy Thomas, a Marvel scribe and editor for many years, the book catalogs the major works of Stan Lee at Marvel in an insightful and entertaining manner.

Highlighting 50 "legendary Marvel moments," the book also treats fans to hundreds of full-color cover and page reproductions dealing with important events in Marvel's vast superheroic history.

Making the book even more enticing is the digital playback device that is attached. Containing 68 voice tracks from Stan the Man himself, the device lets readers gain special insight from the uber-imaginative creator. These selected excerpts from an interview with Lee enhance the printed information and illustrative glory found within the pages to such a degree as to make this a must-have for Marvel fans, comic book enthusiasts, pop culture nuts, or what have you.

If I were to wish one thing about this book, it would be that it could be thicker, with more pages and more information. Considering the years Roy Thomas spent behind the scenes at Marvel, he is in a position to reveal historical tidbits that many fans-turned-researchers could only dream of. As it is, he brings to light several items that I never knew, even after close to 35 years of reading comics. You might be surprised, as I was, to learn that Marvel's character the Black Panther once changed his name for political reasons, or that the Comics Code Authority rejected artwork for a particular Marvel comic due to a puff of smoke in the panel. Interesting stuff, to be sure.

Stan Lee's Amazing Marvel Universe is highly recommended for all fans of superhero comics, comic book history or Marvel Comics in general.
Commentary by Mark Allen, Suspended Animation[]

If you are a comic fan, this book is a must read

If you are a fan of the history of comics, this book is a must read

If you love Marvel comics, this book is a must read

Former Marvel editor Roy Thomas composed and writes the true pictoral history of Marvel comics, better than anyone has-because he was there for most of it. Stan "the Man" Lee, in a special feature of this book, narrates his version of the Marvel History in a small recorder on the side of this book. This is not a book on tape, but a visual mass media production that "True Believers" and all the Merry Marvel Marching Society (Classic Marvel fans would understand that term) out there should get. If you love how your favorite favorite characters were created, this history is for you, Both Stan and Roy tell the begining of Marvel story to the present like NO ONE else could!

So Make Mine Marvel!

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD