Book Description
Often called "The Convict's Bible," this book is also relevant and important to any spiritual seeker. Interfaith wisdom, divided into 3 sections: The Big View describes Bo and Sita Lozoff's life of activism and spiritual exploration. Getting Free is a section of detailed instruction in classic spiritual practices. Dear Bo is correspondence between Bo and dozens of the inmates he has challenged, encouraged, and loved. This is an amazing book, which has moved people to great extremes. It has been translated into 5 languages.
Customer Reviews:
Remarkable.......2006-12-12
Reading the correspondence from prisoners working to pursue meditation and yoga in their search for peace just knocked me out. We think in our ordinary (free) lives that we struggle with our spiritual paths, and in theory it might be the same work, but the inspiration from these stories puts a whole new perspective on the seeking. An excellent, touching, sincere and fascinating book.
"We're All Doing Time" is Indescribably good.......2006-07-06
I thought that this book would be interesting and informative, but was was much better than I expected. It not only answered all of my questions and gave wonderfully clear instructions for the practices, but I actually had several "Ah Ha!" moments while reading it. I rate this book as one of the most important books that I have read in years.
The letters are the best part........2006-06-08
I saw a t.v show on the prison ashram project and decided to check out one of bo's books. The first 2 chapters are very short but full of great information even though they are your run of the mill dime store wisdom found in many places. If you're just getting started then you really don't need any further teachings other than what is here. If you've been goofing around for a while then the third chapter is just great for the questions and answers and honest dialog. There isn't any preaching ... just simple, to the point answers to many questions that plague the average meditator. A great book, thoughtful read and a happy purchase.
A singularly profound spiritual testimony.......2005-08-11
Bo Lozoff is the director of the "Human Kindess Foundation" and his writings, workships, and tapes have helped countless numbers of men and women to deal with the limiting effects of selfishness, fear, anger, and addiction --as well as incarceration where the barriers are ones of cold steel bars and high cement walls. He has now distilled his observations and insights in We're All Doing Time: A Guide For Getting Free, with a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We're All Doing Time spells out the philosophy of the Prison-Ashram Project, which strives to give spiritual community and help, without mandating specific religious dogma, to those suffering in prisons. Others work to reform prison systems, and the author commends them highly; but until great changes can be wrought for the better, the philosophies in We're All Doing Time are meant to make prison physical and spiritual life more bearable. Black-and-white photographs and true stories of individuals and inmates searching for peace and meaning in their lives make We're All Doing Time a singularly profound spiritual testimony.
Can't go wrong with this one.......2005-08-03
I read this book prior to recommending it to a relative who is serving a life sentence in a California prison. I had heard of the book, but was not willing to recommend it without reading it. If you are looking for a "user-friendly" introduction to spiritual development, you can't go wrong with this one. Written in a very clean, easy to understand, and loving style, the book is the one I would want to have were I facing a life sentence.
Book Description
Almost everyone procrastinates. For some it causes problems and strains relationships at home and at work. For most people, though, procrastination is a frustrating or troublesome habit we would like to overcome. Rita Emmett will inspire you to get started. With humor and with advice drawn from her own triumph over procrastination and that of people she has met at her acclaimed seminars, she gives you proven tips and techniques for:
- identifying how and why you put things off
- motivating yourself to begin—and finish—unpleasant tasks
- organizing your time and efforts to achieve your goals
- developing strategies to move forward when stuck or reverting to old procrastination patterns
Filled with useful advice and real-life stories of people who have overcome procrastination, and written with a winning touch, The Procrastinator’s Handbook is as entertaining as it is helpful and rewarding. After reading it, you'll find that your self-esteem and your productivity grow.
Customer Reviews:
A quick read...if you dont put it off until later........2007-08-18
I started reading this book 4 months ago, but just finished it last week. For a book so small that doesn't say much.
This book delivers on humor and very practical advice, but for me it just seemed to say things I already knew such as keeping a to-do list that breaks major tasks into mini-tasks. To be fair, there was other advice, but nothing that just made me sit up and transform my behavior.
Having said that, I don't think it is a bad book and it wasn't unpleasant to read, but I really expected more. I chose a 3-star rating because while I felt better for a day or two after reading it, I didn't turn on that internal "switch".
Unfortunately I have not read some of the other popular titles, so I have nothing I can recommend in place of this book - please keep that in mind when reading this review.
Practical, easy tips for overcoming procrastination.......2007-01-12
There are a number of procrastination books on the market, but this is by far the best for its simple solutions and practical insights. Like other books on the subject, the author deals with the psychological aspects of procrastination, but unlike other books, she keeps it simple, using real-life stories and examples. Highly recommended. NOTE: THIS REVIEW WAS WRITTEN BY THE AUTHOR OF "NEVER BE LATE AGAIN, 7 CURES FOR THE PUNCTUALLY CHALLENGED."
Nice bathroom lecture.......2007-01-06
I enjoyed this book. Every time I had to go; I found in this book new reasons to start doing procrastinated tasks at home and in my job. Thank You Ritta !
It Hit the Nail on the Head.......2007-01-05
As a classic procrastinator and owner of my own business, I can say that Ms. Emmett's book was wonderfully accurate in assessing my weaknesses. Her methods for breaking the habit of procrastination are good ones which are easily applied. The fact that she offers several different methods make the trial and error process much less painful. I've applied her rules to my business and home life with success. I'm not cured altogether, but this book has me on the right track.
Part of the story.......2006-11-21
I mainly listened to the audio tapes of this book, although I also own the paperback. Emmett's book is helpful in a number of ways. She shows you many aspects of the mindset you will need to overcome procrastination. However, there came a point where this book could take me no further in my battle against procrastination. That's when I turned to the Wikipedia article on procrastination, and perhaps more importantly, the Wikibook on Overcoming Procrastination. Starting with those resources, I launched into my own trip of self-discovery which has led to a breakthrough in my procrastination. Eventually, you need to deeply understand who you are, your life up to this point, and why it is in your best interest not to procrastinate. Anyway, this is my experience.
Book Description
To Do...Doing...Done!: A Creative Approach to Managing Projects and Effectively Finishing What Matters Most focuses on the skills required to manage any project without getting bogged down in conflicts or sidetracked by unexpected changes or developments.
In this book are proven techniques for bringing any project to a successful and satisfying conclusion. The techniques provided in To Do...Doing...Done! are based on Franklin Quest's highly successful Planning for Results seminar, which has boosted the productivity of thousands of employees in corporations across the country, as well as in Europe and Asia.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Guide to Project Management .......2007-02-28
This book turned out to be something other than what I first expected, as I was anticipating another "time management" book. Though there are elements of time management here, what this book really offers is a sound approach to managing projects. Such clusters of multi-step tasks comprise so much of our lives at work and at home. Whether you are converting your office software over to Windows Vista or aiming to lower your golf handicap by 10 strokes, you are dealing with projects.
At times the authors lay it on a bit heavy about the Franklin Quest (now Franklin Covey) approach, but that is a minor quibble.
If you want to learn the sound "blocking and tackling" fundamentals of prohect management, invest time reading this practical book!
A great book for helping you get organized!.......2002-01-07
If you are like me, reading a book on how to organize yourself is nearly as hard as doing the organization itself! This book really helped simplify the process with clear, common-sensical advice and an approach that was EASY! As one of the co-authors was formerly as disorganized as I was and used the methods to organize herself, (and documented the process in the book!) it made it 'real' for me in a way that I hadn't seen in other books on getting it together. This book is a keeper, and I continuously refer to it to help me keep myself on-track!
A great book for helping you get organized!.......2002-01-07
If you are like me, reading a book on how to organize yourself is nearly as hard as doing the organization itself! This book really helped simplify the process with clear, common-sensical advice and an approach that was EASY! As one of the co-authors was formerly as disorganized as I was and used the methods to organize herself, (and documented the process in the book!) it made it 'real' for me in a way that I hadn't seen in other books on getting it together. This book is a keeper, and I continuously refer to it to help me keep myself on-track!
Creatively Finish what Matters Most!.......2001-09-10
This book helped me reidentifying my values, rearranging them, and make them work. It helped me start doing and effectively finishing what matters most in personal and professional lifes.
I'm paciently waiting for Lynne Snead next book about project management.
This is how you do it all.......2001-05-17
This is an excellent, down to earth manual on getting things done and deciding exactly what it is you want to do.
It deals with specific skills and resources as well as "big picture" concerns.
This is "why, what, when and how to" training. Worth your investment in it.
Amazon.com
Much more than merely a book about nothing, this is a concentrated guide to cultivating a sense of serenity. Simple living expert Sarah Ban Breathnach calls it a "charming prescription for harried hearts and overwrought minds" that's "filled with persuasive reminders that we do too much and live too little." From its bits of well-taken wisdom ("Learn to say, 'I don't know,'"), to tranquil seaside photos, to little lessons on how to meditate, procrastinate, even turn a bath or wine tasting into intensely spiritual experiences, The Art of Doing Nothing is bound to help even the most high-strung, PalmPilot-toting folks remember exactly how it feels to fully relax. --Erica Jorgensen
Book Description
The Art of Doing Nothing
Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourself
A culture of overachievers, we make things happen--and happen fast. While rushing along, though, the days seem to get shorter and shorter. If only time would hold still, just a little bit, to let us savor life's simplest moments. . . .
The Art of Doing Nothing will help to ease these beat-the-clock jitters. The stress-reducing techniques described here require no time, no skill, no commitment. A practical guide to rest and relaxation, it ushers us into a world where "being" is more compelling than "doing."
Beautifully illustrated with Erica Lennard's photographs, The Art of Doing Nothing gives us permission to celebrate idleness in all its mesmerizing forms. Véronique Vienne's delightfully informative essays on the art of breathing, meditating, bathing, listening, waiting, and more offer useful tips on such skills as how to whistle, stay in the moment, take a nap, cure a cold, or watch the sun set over the horizon. Without further ado--and without feeling guilty--we learn to unwind, exhale, and, yes, stop and smell the roses.
Like Ira Gershwin, you will be delighted to discover that you've got plenty of nothin', and that nothin's plenty for you.
Customer Reviews:
I loved this book.......2006-12-05
This book has lots of great information in it. It really makes you start thinking about how you are living your life. Are you rushing through it? Or, are you enjoying it? Highly recommended for all.
Excellent handy guides for the time-pressed, over-achieving generation!.......2005-09-17
Instinctively, I picked up these two small but wonderful books while browsing the local bookstores during one weekend:
1. The Art of Doing Nothing: Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourtself, by Veronique Vieene;
2. The Art of Napping, by William Anthony;
Ever since I have read Jeff Davidson's Breathing Space: Living & Working @ a Confortable Space in a Sped Up Society, many years ago, I have always valued - & benefitted tremendously from - the power of time-out. In a world where the future is hurtling at breakneck speed with hurricane-force changes, all of us must learn to do some time-outs!
Donald Mitchell's earlier review sums up very much my sentiments about the first book.
As for the second book, which is also equally lighthearted & humourously illustrated, I find myself amused & entertained by the author's introduction to a napaphobic culture. In a nutshell, these are his fun stuff:
- profiles in napping (stories of legendary nappers, including JFK, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edision, Napoleon Bonaparte, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan!);
- napping strategies (noice to advanced levels);
- nap management (getting the most from your naps);
- the future of napping;
In some way, this book reinforces the chapter on 'The Art of Napping' in the first book. While the first book is beautifully illustrated by the co-author's photographs, the second book has several funny & bone-tickling cartoons.
To sum up my review, I want to say that these two books (plus, Jeff Davidson's book)are excellent handy guides for the time-pressed, over-achieving generation.
The Art of Using a Thesaurus.......2003-01-03
The author makes a pointed effort of using a tiring collection of little used eight letter words...in combination. End result: endless, rambling sentences. The content is quite dull and uninspiring. Exasperating considering I expected this piece to be a beautiful, pleasant read. To follow the author's recommendation, one must reside near a surplus of speciality and gourmet shops. For those of us in the middle to lower economic range, try a fragrant bubble bath from a local dollar store, lock yourself in the bathroom and listen to music.
The photographer is to be commended for her artistic talent. Although, as a heterosexual female, I would have much prefered a picture of a naked man floating in a pond to that of a naked woman!
The Art of Doing Nothing is worth...nothing. Not your time nor your money.
It was just so so.......2002-08-08
It's an ok book - the pictures are pretty - but I honestly haven't even been inspired to read it - it's more just for looking at
A really strange book???.......2002-06-18
I purchased this book in conjunction with "The Art of Imperfection" - and was completely disappointed with both books. This one particularly was, how shall I say, strange? I was expecting to get something out of this book and received nothing. No mind-opening statements, no inspiration, nothing. I wouldn't waste my money again.
Book Description
This unique book provides accurate descriptions of prisons and prison life, written by a prisoner sentenced to life, who uses the pseudonym "K. C. Carceral" to hide his identity for protection. With the assistance of editors Thomas Bernard, Leanne F. Alarid, Bruce Bikle, and Alene Bikle, this book presents a gripping, and often graphic, portrayal of life in prison. This narrative presentation of such topics as prison violence, friendships, sexual mores, and serving time includes graphic language and situations. Through the powerful personal experiences of the author, readers are better equipped to develop informed opinions about the American prison system. Inspired to write about his experiences in prison, Carceral sought the help of noted academics, including Thomas Bernard, to create a powerful and informative narrative. This is the first textbook written by a life-sentenced inmate. Bernard, along with editors Leanne F. Alarid, Bruce Bikle and Alene Bikle developed the manuscript to ensure its suitability for classroom use in colleges and universities. The wide range of topics covered includes entrance into prison; prison life, including violence in prisons; dealing with time; prison politics and economics; sex, racism, retaliation, and gangs.
Customer Reviews:
Well worth doing the time to read.......2005-03-01
It doesn't seem like it would be easy to have an impact on society from behind prison walls, but, easy or not, that is what K. C. Carceral has achieved. "Behind a Convict's Eyes" is tangible proof that even a convicted felon may make an important and positive contribution.
Carceral (the name is a pseudonym meaning "belonging to a prison") is a convicted murderer serving a life sentence who has created a series of vivid word portraits of inmate life. These capture not only his own experiences, but the politics, economics, and culture of prisons as well.
The portraits done, Carceral follows with a scholarly effort that builds on an existing theory of "toxic shame identity" to suggest why people become criminals.
His own work is supplemented throughout by "discussions" from the four editors of the book.
Carceral says little about the crime that brought him to life in prison. Reading his book cannot help but make one wonder what he could have achieved had he not committed his crime -- or if his contribution to society would have been as great as the one contained in this slim volume.
A book that seems aimed less at the general public than at students and those who work for or deal directly with the criminal justice system, "Behind a Convict's Eyes" deserves a wider audience that it is likely to get.
Book Description
While many freelance writers struggle to earn a living wage, Bob Bly has proven year after year that it's not only possible to earn far more, it's possible to to transform words into a $100,000 a year freelancing business.
Customer Reviews:
Great Guide to Financial Freedom!.......2006-12-06
Thanks to Bob Bly's books, and this one in particular, I've successfully made the transition from corporate attorney to freelance copywriter! Bob Bly gives step-by-step, easy to follow tips, instructions and ideas for building a successful writing business. Some authors discuss theory at length - not Bob Bly. He touches on theory only when it's critical to understanding the concept. Otherwise, he sticks with practical, 'here's what and how to do it' type of information. If you're considering a freelance writing career, don't pass up this book! /s/ Lynn Roberts, Attorney-turned-Writer
We've Changed Printers.......2006-08-18
Maury Erickson of Filbert Publishing here. I'm one of the people who published this book.
I thought I'd take a moment to reply to a couple comments on this Amazon page.
Yes. I totally agree. In the beginning of our publishing history, we dealt with some definite quality control issues. Thing is, we were hoping to create an earth-friendly product made by local talent. Clearly, that vision didn't work well in the long run. Suffice it to say that we're now printing this title elsewhere and the finished product looks fantastic.
Bob Bly is one of the most generous individuals we've ever dealt with. He's as nice in person as he appears in his books. The information he provides honestly works. You don't need a big-time education. You don't need to be blessed by luck. Just a little elbow grease and know-how will take you very far in the freelance writing profession. Just ask my wife. She's a Bly fan and is currently reaping the benefits.
I appreciate your comments and wish all of you the very best in your freelance endeavors.
Good advice on a wide variety of writing related topics.......2006-07-02
This book is a compilation of previously published articles and covers a wide variety of topics such as: book proposals, technical writing, setting fees, speaking etc.
I found a great many golden nuggets of information in these pages. I'd recommend this book for all those who would like to get a good taste of the breadth of Bob's wisdom.
As others have mentioned, the binding is not the best, but I was gentle with the book while reading it, and didn't have any pages fall out. Even with the binding issue, I consider this a worthwhile investment.
If I had purchased it, I would have returned it.......2006-04-01
I was given this book as a gift and made it to about page 20, at which point I threw it in my recycling bin.
I'm sure there is valuable information to be found in the book somewhere, but the quality of binding is so exceptionally poor that it was a pain to read even before the pages start falling out.
It is great that Mr. Bly makes over $100k a year, though disappointing that at this point in his career he is cutting corners to up profits by self-publishing such an utter rip-off.
Fantastic Guide.......2005-09-30
Bob Bly's books are a godsend. They are easy to follow and honest about the business. A must have.
Book Description
"Stigma, shame and hardship---this is the lot shared by families whose young men have been swept into prison. Braman reveals the devastating toll mass incarceration takes on the parents, partners, and children left behind."
-Katherine S. Newman
"Doing Time on the Outside brings to life in a compelling way the human drama, and tragedy, of our incarceration policies. Donald Braman documents the profound economic and social consequences of the American policy of massive imprisonment of young African American males. He shows us the link between the broad-scale policy changes of recent decades and the isolation and stigma that these bring to family members who have a loved one in prison. If we want to understand fully the impact of current criminal justice policies, this book should be required reading."
-Mark Mauer, Assistant Director, The Sentencing Project
"Through compelling stories and thoughtful analysis, this book describes how our nation's punishment policies have caused incalculable damage to the fabric of family and community life. Anyone concerned about the future of urban America should read this book."
-Jeremy Travis, The Urban Institute
In the tradition of Elijah Anderson's Code of the Street and Katherine Newman's No Shame in My Game, this startling new ethnography by Donald Braman uncovers the other side of the incarceration saga: the little-told story of the effects of imprisonment on the prisoners' families.
Since 1970 the incarceration rate in the United States has more than tripled, and in many cities-urban centers such as Washington, D.C.-it has increased over five-fold. Today, one out of every ten adult black men in the District is in prison and three out of every four can expect to spend some time behind bars. But the numbers don't reveal what it's like for the children, wives, and parents of prisoners, or the subtle and not-so-subtle effects mass incarceration is having on life in the inner city.
Author Donald Braman shows that those doing time on the inside are having a ripple effect on the outside-reaching deep into the family and community life of urban America. Braman gives us the personal stories of what happens to the families and communities that prisoners are taken from and return to. Carefully documenting the effects of incarceration on the material and emotional lives of families, this groundbreaking ethnography reveals how criminal justice policies are furthering rather than abating the problem of social disorder. Braman also delivers a number of genuinely new arguments.
Among these is the compelling assertion that incarceration is holding offenders unaccountable to victims, communities, and families. The author gives the first detailed account of incarceration's corrosive effect on social capital in the inner city and describes in poignant detail how the stigma of prison pits family and community members against one another. Drawing on a series of powerful family portraits supported by extensive empirical data, Braman shines a light on the darker side of a system that is failing the very families and communities it seeks to protect.
Customer Reviews:
powerful book.......2004-08-08
It is great to read a book that gives a view into such a marginalized population. The insight Braman brings through his presentation of these real people with complex problems is very powerful.
Amazing stories, great analysis.......2004-08-07
I'd read Braman's other work in books edited by Marc Mauer and Jeremy Travis. This is much more in depth, but presents the same basic arguments. Instead of the tired poltical arguments about the criminal justice system, it tells the stories of actual families. The stories are moving and the families are presented "warts and all." The arguement of the book is that, by undermining family formation and community cohesion, mass imprisonment is actually exacerbating social disorder.
The criminals here are real criminals, not liberal fairy tale versions: They kill people, sell drugs, and steal things. They then get sent to prison while their families and communities pick up the tab.
What makes this book stand out from the crowd of other books on the criminal justice system are the stories of the criminal offenders and their families. What you come to realize is that the criminals are getting off lightly while their families - especially their kids - struggle to survive. It doesn't tie the stories up in a pretty bow. Instead it shows how hard it is to hold criminal offenders accountable.
Amazon.com
In the spring of 1993, freelance writer Christopher Seymour talked his way out of the grasp of a suspicious immigration official just in time to extend his stay in Japan during a countrywide yakuza (organized crime) gang war. From the opening pages of Yakuza Diary, his lighthearted enthusiasm is infectious. As he works his way into the yakuza network of physically imposing men with full-body tattoos and a weakness for tacky golf clothes, Seymour has adventures both scary and farcical. And he collects a slew of revealing details. For example, Seymour tells us that part of the affected romance of the hugely successful and influential Japanese underworld is that they style themselves as losers: ya-ku-za literally means 8-9-3, a losing hand in an old-fashioned Japanese card game. The Village Voice writes, "Christopher Seymour's journey into Japan's netherworld is alternately funny and harrowing, and always thoroughly original. His self-effacing style makes the perfect foil for this fascinating guided tour of institutional crime and ritualized violence."
Customer Reviews:
iidesu ne!.......2001-03-21
Absolutely fascinating. Seymour manages to become friends with the most interesting and unorthodox crime group in the world without glorifying them. He meets with all kinds of people in the yakuza, from an Aizu Kotetsu newcomer to a Yamaguchi-gumi oyabun. I read it all in one night. yondekudasai!
Christopher Seymour has guts to go this far.......2000-05-28
Christopher Seymour wrote an exciting book. He lived with the Yakuza and actually worked for the Yakuza in order to create this great piece of fun to read literature. I greatly admire him for doing this dangerous job. Everybody who wants to know about the hidden vital organs of Japanese society should read this book. Just to get an impression of how the organs work.
The stuff that Japanese people won't tell you about.......1999-01-31
A really good easy read. If you live in Japan this book is a must. Impress your friends with your knowlage of the Japanese underworld. A very interesting book. You'll never eat a bowl of ramen with the same gaijin inosence.
exciting look into the chivalry and danger of Japan's Yakuza.......1998-03-25
Just read it. You'll see what I mean. The book is fun, exciting, and makes you dream of what it would be like to be a gangster for a while. (maybe it is just me)
Book Description
Boy meets dot-com, boy falls for dot-com, boy flees dot-com in horror. So goes one of the most perversely hilarious love stories you will ever read, one that blends tech culture, hero worship, cat litter, Albanian economics, venture capitalism, and free bagels into a surreal cocktail of delusion.
In 1998, when Amazon.com went to temp agencies to recruit people, they gave them a simple directive: send us your freaks. Mike Daisey -- slacker, onetime aesthetics major, dilettante -- seemed perfect for the job. His ascension from lowly temp to customer service representative to business development hustler over the course of twenty-one dog years is the stuff of both dreams and nightmares.
With lunatic precision, Daisey describes the lightless cube farms in which book orders were scrawled on Post-its while technicians struggled to bring computers back online; the fourteen-hour days fueled by caffeine, fanaticism, and illicit day-trading from office desks made from doors; his strange compulsion to send free books to Norwegians; and the fevered insistence of BizDev higher-ups that the perfect business partner was Pets.com -- the now-extinct company that spent all its assets on a sock puppet.
In these pages, you'll meet Warren, the cowboy of customer service, capable of verbally hog-tying even the most abusive customer; Amazon employee #5, a reclusive computer gamer worth a cool $300 million, who spends at least six hours a day locked in his office killing goblins; and Jean-Michele, Mike's girlfriend and sparring partner, who tries to keep him grounded, even as dot-com mania seduces them both. At strategic intervals, the narrative is punctuated by hysterically honest letters to CEO Jeff Bezos -- missives that seem ripped from the collective unconscious of dot-com disciples the world over.
21 Dog Years is an epic story of greed, self-deception, and heartbreak, a wickedly funny anthem to an era of bounteous stock options and boundless insanity.
Download Description
"Boy meets dot-com, boy falls for dot-com, boy flees dot-com in horror. So goes one of the most perversely hilarious love stories you will ever read, one that blends tech culture, hero worship, cat litter, Albanian economics, venture capitalism, and free bagels into a surreal cocktail of delusion. In 1998, when Amazon.com went to temp agencies to recruit people, they gave them a simple directive: send us your freaks. Mike Daisey -- slacker, onetime aesthetics major, dilettante -- seemed perfect for the job. His ascension from lowly temp to customer service representative to business development hustler over the course of twenty-one dog years is the stuff of both dreams and nightmares. With lunatic precision, Daisey describes the lightless cube farms in which book orders were scrawled on Post-its while technicians struggled to bring computers back online; the fourteen-hour days fueled by caffeine, fanaticism, and illicit day-trading from office desks made from doors; his strange compulsion to send free books to Norwegians; and the fevered insistence of BizDev higher-ups that the perfect business partner was Pets.com -- the now-extinct company that spent all its assets on a sock puppet. In these pages, you'll meet Warren, the cowboy of customer service, capable of verbally hog-tying even the most abusive customer; Amazon employee #5, a reclusive computer gamer worth a cool $300 million, who spends at least six hours a day locked in his office killing goblins; and Jean-Michele, Mike's girlfriend and sparring partner, who tries to keep him grounded, even as dot-com mania seduces them both. At strategic intervals, the narrative is punctuated by hysterically honest letters to CEO Jeff Bezos -- missives that seem ripped from the collective unconscious of dot-com disciples the world over. 21 Dog Years is an epic story of greed, self-deception, and heartbreak, a wickedly funny anthem to an era of bounteous stock options and boundless insanity. "
Customer Reviews:
Easy read....interesting look at the .COM world (and all the promises it offered for a "different economy".......2005-12-30
I guess my interest in this book was to take a look into the heart of a .COM business to see if the people inside actually beleived some of the crap they were trying to sell people outside. What I mean is that this was a "new economy", and that profits were not what it was about. (god knows how many stocks went over $100 without a single profit in sight!)
Well, the glimse into Amazon was from a single guy, who didn't fit in from the start...so it might be a bit slanted.....on the other hand, he admits to "drinking the cool-aid" a bit himself and getting into the culture.
Bottom line....it looks like the .COM people believed in their jive even more than the people who bought $100/share stock off them.....
As for the book, it was an easy read.....and to me gave me a fair bit of insight into that world. (I was working at a computer company who's stock also went through the sky....but we were also making good profits.)
The run-up of the .COM "bubble" was always a mystery to me...and this book does go some part of the way to help me understand it. (but don't look for technical analysis....just the ramblings of the days in this guy's life at Amazon.....his low's, highs, and lows again)
WITLESS DRIVEL..........2005-10-09
I bought this book, thinking that it would offer some insight into Amazon.com in terms of what it was like to work there during its halcyon days. Touted as a funny memoir, among other things, I was to discover that it was none of what was promised. In fact, the book was painfully difficult to read, as it was very poorly written, decidedly not funny, and offered little insight into what it really was like to work at Amazon. It was totally sophomoric in terms of what it did say.
The author should be thankful that he was not fired by Amazon, as that is what he richly deserved to have happen based upon his own account of what he was like as an employee. He was a total slacker who treated customers with the contempt that he felt that they deserved. He was totally wasteful of the company's resources. He proudly stole supplies in bulk from the company. When toys were given to him for review purposes, he not only did not bother to review them, he then refused to return the toys to Amazon. He may think that all this is hilarious. Unfortunately, I do not. Reading this drivel felt like it took twenty-one dog years.
Moreover, this book was so poorly written, I am surprised that a reputable publisher went ahead with the expense of actually publishing it. Don't waste your time with this drivel. If you want to read a well-written, interesting book about working at Amazon, read "Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot. Com Juggernaut" by James Marcus.
21 dig years.......2005-10-05
Mike Daisey's memoir is about his experience working for amazon.com. In the book, he tells about how he got the job, and how he ended up leaving the job. I chose to read this memoir because, it was kind of the only one I could find that seemed even semi-interesting. I probably should have chosen more carefully, because there were a lot of things in the book that I didn't understand very much. In his memoir Mike Daisey tells about his excitement to join amazon, to how it got to be to the point where he couldn't stand it, to moving to a new position, only to leave amazon .com for good.
The book starts with Mike Daisey introducing himself. He explains how he was lazy, and never really did anything with his life. This is relevant later on in the memoir, when he gets hired for amazon, and actually feels like he is working for a living. Anyway, he ends up moving to Seattle, and getting a job at a temping service. He doesn't like his job, so he starts to look for new jobs. While he is between jobs, he moves in with his girlfriend. His search for a job is ongoing until he finds amazon.com. He applies for the job, and after several interviews, he gets the job, and is entered into a four week training period. He is taught about the company, and how to do the job. He ends up coming out of the training period very enthusiastic about the job. At the end of the training period, he and several other are officially offered the job. He accepts, and starts working in the customer services for amazon.
At first the job is okay and he along with all the others turn into amazon believers. He refers to it as a religion, because they all believe that amazon is like the way of the future, and are pretty much obsessed with their jobs. The job soon becomes unbearable for the author, and he finds himself trying to get out. He tries to write reviews for items, but falls behind, and finds himself at square one. He then applies for a different division that is out of customer service, and finds the job to be very appealing. He is pleased with the job until he starts hearing rumors about lay-offs, and is noticing cuts that the company is making. He is using the bathroom when he sees a spreadsheet, and reads it. It had all of the salaries of all the upper level worker, and some of whom he had worked with. The were making millions of dollars, and were idiots who didn't do anything. He found this combination of things disappointing, and ended up leaving the company because of it.
The whole experience is important to the author, because it wasn't a natural experience working for this big company. From my perspective the author felt like the whole company was kind of weird. I think one of the main reasons that he wrote this book is to expose how odd the job experience was. Especially when he says that the amazon thing turns into like a sort of a religion for him, and his co-workers, and that the CEO of the company, named Jeff, is like a god to them. Also how the job kind of takes over their lives, and the spend all their time focusing on the job, and competing with the other employees.
What the author got for the whole experience is kind of like what I mentioned before. He really got exposed to how strange and unnatural the job situations at companies like that are. He saw first hand how easy it was to fall for this whole system that convinced workers to push themselves too much, because they truly believed that they were actually making a difference, and sort of staring a revolution. As far as the title goes, it is referring to how one of the rules or beliefs is in this time system where the amazon employees are working faster, and so they refer to their years like dog years. I interpreted this to mean that the amazonians, as the author called them were working so hard and quickly that they were getting several years' work done in one year. I thought the book was good, but it was over my reading level, and I found it some parts boring, since it was also over my maturity level, and I couldn't relate to some of the things that the author mentioned.
Part Gonzo Journalism, Part Comedic Rant. Customer Service @Amazon.com........2005-09-22
"21 Dog Years" is a satirical account of life as a Amazon.com employee by self-described slacker Mike Daisey, who was recruited though a staffing company in 1998 to work in Customer Service Tier 1 and left the company in a fit of angst in 2000 in spite of enjoying his position in Business Development. The book's audience might be those seeking workplace comedy or those in search of information about Amazon.com's culture. "21 Dog Years" originated as a one man show, so it aims to entertain. At the same time, the book is very much in the tradition of gonzo journalism: insightful but inherently subjective and self-interested. If it is information about Amazon.com you seek, it's a little difficult to know where the hyperbole begins and ends. Mike Daisey's perspicacity is obvious from Chapter 1, where he observes the predicament of Gen Xers in the Baby Boomer economy of the 1990s, and he never hesitates to dwell on his own faults -which are many. He was a bad Customer Service Rep. He loved his company, but hated his job. Daisey seemed more competent and content in his Business Development position, but most of the book is about his experiences in Customer Service, probably because discontent is more compelling than comfort.
As for whether the book is funny, I think it has more moments of insight than comedy. It is informative only if you are interested in how the company philosophy was felt by low-level employees. The book's most obvious fault is that Mike Daisey is a generally unsympathetic personality. Not so much because he is a liar and a crook, but because he is whiny and self-absorbed. Only his intellect makes "21 Dog Years" readable. "Amazonia", written by Amazon.com employee #55 James Marcus, who spent 5 years with the company, is a more informative, literate account. But Marcus seemed to be trying very hard not to offend anyone, leaving readers to glean his opinions between the lines. "21 Dog Years" suffers from the opposite style: It's all about mouthing off, sometimes to the point of sensationalism. People are either going to love this or hate it, but I'm giving "21 Dog Years" 3 1/2 stars because I found the book to be very readable and intermittently insightful.
A WITLESS WASTE OF TIME..........2005-09-06
I bought this book, thinking that it would offer some insight into Amazon.com in terms of what it was like to work there during its halcyon days. Touted as a funny memoir, among other things, I was to discover that it was none of what was promised. In fact, the book was painfully difficult to read, as it was very poorly written, decidedly not funny, and offered little insight into what it really was like to work at Amazon. It was totally sophomoric in terms of what it did say.
The author should be thankful that he was not fired by Amazon, as that is what he richly deserved to have happen based upon his own account of what he was like as an employee. He was a total slacker who treated customers with the contempt that he felt that they deserved. He was totally wasteful of the company's resources. He proudly stole supplies in bulk from the company. When toys were given to him for review purposes, he not only did not bother to review them, he then refused to return the toys to Amazon. He may think that all this is hilarious. Unfortunately, I do not. Reading this drivel felt like it took twenty-one dog years.
Moreover, this book was so poorly written, I am surprised that a reputable publisher went ahead with the expense of actually publishing it. I guess that the name Amazon carries a great deal of weight for which the author should be eternally grateful. I doubt that had he written a book titled, "21 Dog Years: Doing time @ Sears.Com", substituting Sears for Amazon, that he would have found a publisher. Don't waste your time with this drivel. If you want to read a well-written, interesting book about working at Amazon, read "Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot. Com Juggernaut" by James Marcus.
Books:
- What About Me? A Guide for Men Helping Female Partners Deal with Childhood Sexual Abuse
- What I Believe
- Where the Wild Things Are (Caldecott Collection)
- White Lies (The Arcane Society, Book 2)
- Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl-A Woman's Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship
- Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul
- You Can Be a Stock Market Genius: Uncover the Secret Hiding Places of Stock Market Profits
- You Only Get Better: The Perfect Life\Three For The Road\This Time Around
- Your Body's Many Cries for Water: You Are Not Sick, You Are Thirsty: Don't Treat Thirst with Medications
- A Night to Remember: The Haggadah of Contemporary Voices
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