The Woods

Book Description

Twenty years ago, four teenagers at summer camp walked into the woods at night. Two were found murdered, and the others were never seen again. Four families had their lives changed forever. Now, two decades later, they are about to change again.

For Paul Copeland, the county prosecutor of Essex, New Jersey, mourning the loss of his sister has only recently begun to subside. Cope, as he is known, is now dealing with raising his six- year-old daughter as a single father after his wife has died of cancer. Balancing family life and a rapidly ascending career as a prosecutor distracts him from his past traumas, but only for so long. When a homicide victim is found with evidence linking him to Cope, the well-buried secrets of the prosecutor's family are threatened.

Is this homicide victim one of the campers who disappeared with his sister? Could his sister be alive? Cope has to confront so much he left behind that summer twenty years ago: his first love, Lucy; his mother, who abandoned the family; and the secrets that his Russian parents might have been hiding even from their own children. Cope must decide what is better left hidden in the dark and what truths can be brought to the light.

Customer Reviews:

Holy Cow, Harlan..........2007-10-07

I have no idea what process Harlan Coben may have been working through on a personal level when he wrote this book - for his sake, I hope it was cathartic. Unfortunately for me, it also used up many bedtime hours of normally pleasurable reading. In fact, it is such a disappointing departure that I'm secretly convinced that someone else (an intern, perhaps?) wrote this book while Coben was vacationing: in the real woods of northern Montana.
The very things that make Coben's Myron Bolatar series such fun reading - the quirky characters, wise-guy dialog, flawed heroes and wacky plots - were sadly missing from The Woods.
Add to that a plot line that can only be described as ludicrous. When I'm reading a mystery, trying to follow along and deduce the killer's identity, it's never a nice feeling to discover that the reason the killer was so elusive is that no one in their right mind could have thought up the explanation.

(Following are similes - not spoilers) - How well would To Kill A Mockingbird have turned out, I wonder, had we learned that the actual murderer was a local neighborhood boy who was in reality a trained CIA operative no longer working with the Khmer Rouge, but now living a secret identity in Hohokus, New Jersey and an active member of the remnants of the Bahder-Meinhof gang?
Like an idiot, I blindly followed this trail all the way to its miserable ending. My reluctance to wake the family is the only reason I didn't shout out "You have GOT to be kidding me!" and fling open a window and chuck this book out into where it should never have been milled from in the first place: The Woods.
Harlan, let us know when you're back on track, or when you've fired whoever wrote this book and paid you to use your name on it. It's not that we want to pigeon-hole you into only Myron Bolitar novels. But next time you venture afield of that formula, I'm going to need to say a BEVY of killer reviews before I'll pick it up. I didn't donate this book to our local library - I recycled it.

A waste of time to read this.......2007-10-05

Where to start on what annoyed me about this book?? The characters are highly unrealistic...he writes them like he's in junior high. All the women are stop traffic beautiful with bodies that no man can resist. All husbands are cheaters and men are so full of lust they can't complete a sentence when a beautiful woman is in the room. It was so juvenile you just had to laugh. And he wrote such obvious clues about where the plot was going next. I love a good suprise and a few twists and turns, but this was just loaded with them. And the trial, how good of a fiction author can you claim to be when you steal all of the details out of a real trial (Duke). Flat out of creativity there? And finally, the ending. Completely lame. If it had been included earlier with more development behind it, that's one thing, but to drop it on the last page...lame.
If you insist on reading this book, make sure you get it cheap at a used book store or better yet at the library, don't waste your money on it.

Stay out of the Woods... .......2007-10-03

This was on my summer reading list. It was a quick and easy read. Very predictable and sophmoric in writing style. Coben is heavily into dialogue that adds nothing to the story except extra words. He tries to be hip and cool, and can't pull it off. A total waste of my time.

Another Fast Paced Coben Book.......2007-10-03

You pick this book up and you won't put it down---from the very first page. That's what I love about Harlan Coben. Does it make sense or is it realistic? Who cares? It is pure enjoyment, a fun read by an excellent writer.

The Woods by Harlan Coben.......2007-10-02

Don't get me wrong, this was a good book. I just find that since I have read so many of his books already, I knew how it was going to end. It wasn't his best work, in my opinion.

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Too Primitive!
Ótimo livro sobre casa toscanas
Tuscan Elements
Tuscan Style

Tuscan Elements (Decor Best-Sellers)
Alexandra Black
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Style | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Private Tuscany
Bringing Tuscany Home: Sensuous Style From the Heart of Italy
Tuscan & Andalusian Reflections
Villa Decor: Decidedly French and Italian Style
Mediterranean Style: Relaxed Living Inspired by Strong Colors and Natural Materials

ASIN: 0823054802

Book Description

The Tuscan house, whether a simple homestead or expansive villa, has become one of the most sought-after living environments. Its design is virtually unchanged since the Middle Ages, when landowners in the golden hills of Tuscany built country retreats with gardens, porticoes, and loggias. The landowners often drew upon the natural resources of the region-and it is these materials that give the Tuscan house its unique character. Tuscan Elements brings to life the colors, textures, and aesthetics of the Tuscan house-the magnificent stone and marble work; the hardwoods like chestnut, oak, and elm; earthy terra-cotta and brick; and the all-important water feature, used in ponds, fountains, and pools. This unique, visual sourcebook deconstructs the typical Tuscan home and examines its basic components in dazzling detail, from the tiled roof and floor, thick stone exterior walls, and vine-covered loggia to the exposed wooden beams, luminous frescoes, and the sunny courtyard garden with an ancient well or exquisite swimming pool. Filled with extraordinary photos by world-famous interiors photographer Simon McBride, Tuscan Elements emphasizes living life well with a home that nurtures and comforts, accentuates the importance of family and friends, and entertains with good food and drink. For anyone interested in infusing their present home and garden with a little bit of Tuscany, here is a delightful source of never- ending inspiration.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-05-06

This book is filled to the top with great quality pictures. Wonderful inspiration for me and our new home which we are doing a Tuscan Theme. Will make a good coffee table book as well :)

Too Primitive!.......2006-07-11

The disigns elements were too rustic for my taste. I was looking for more of a casual elegence.

Ótimo livro sobre casa toscanas.......2006-03-17

Recomendo esse livro para quem, como eu, pretende construir no estilo toscano. Claro está que não se encontra mais tijolos de 300 anos, porém, pode-se ter completa idéia de como é o ar de uma propriedade toscana. Ótimas fotos e boas dicas.

Tuscan Elements.......2005-08-19

This is the best book of its kind that I have seen on basic Tuscan home design elements. Concise descriptions, beautiful photgraphy. I would heartily recommend this book.

Tuscan Style.......2004-12-24

I normally don't buy tabletop table books because I don't feel that they represent a value or add much to my understanding of a subject. Tabletop books full of incredible pictures just do not fully capture my imagination or attention. Consequently, most tabletop books get a cursory flipping through before I put them down.

However, `Tuscan Elements' is more than a book of pretty pictures and it is worth more than just a cursory flipping through. The author, Alexandra Black, has organized her effort to capture the elements of Tuscany. The four elements are stone, wood, earth, and water. These four elements are expressed in the homes, furniture, terracotta, and ponds, respectively, of Tuscany. To stand alongside the pictures of these four elements, Ms. Black takes the time to build a supporting story from a historical and literary point of view. Quoting D.H. Lawrence and Pliny the Younger, the story of how these elements have been woven into the ebb and flow of Tuscan life since before the Roman Empire emerges with an impressive clarity and vividness.

As a lover of Tuscany I am drawn to images of Tuscany and its way of life. The seductive beauty of the Tuscan landscape and the romance of the Tuscan lifestyle as expressed in the prose and images of this tabletop book is the stuff of dreams. This tabletop book provided me the fodder for those dreams and never once disappointed me.

Average customer rating:

Lacks depth
A fun read
devil wears prada
AWESOME STORY
A fun read...better than the movie..and the movie was really good

The Devil Wears Prada: A Novel
Lauren Weisberger
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0767914767
Release Date: 2004-04-13

Amazon.com

It's a killer title: The Devil Wears Prada. And it's killer material: author Lauren Weisberger did a stint as assistant to Anna Wintour, the all-powerful editor of Vogue magazine. Now she's written a book, and this is its theme: narrator Andrea Sachs goes to work for Miranda Priestly, the all-powerful editor of Runway magazine. Turns out Miranda is quite the bossyboots. That's pretty much the extent of the novel, but it's plenty. Miranda's behavior is so insanely over-the-top that it's a gas to see what she'll do next, and to try to guess which incidents were culled from the real-life antics of the woman who's been called Anna "Nuclear" Wintour. For instance, when Miranda goes to Paris for the collections, Andrea receives a call back at the New York office (where, incidentally, she's not allowed to leave her desk to eat or go to the bathroom, lest her boss should call). Miranda bellows over the line: "I am standing in the pouring rain on the rue de Rivoli and my driver has vanished. Vanished! Find him immediately!"

This kind of thing is delicious fun to read about, though not as well written as its obvious antecedent, The Nanny Diaries. And therein lies the essential problem of the book. Andrea's goal in life is to work for The New Yorker--she's only sticking it out with Miranda for a job recommendation. But author Weisberger is such an inept, ungrammatical writer, you're positively rooting for her fictional alter ego not to get anywhere near The New Yorker. Still, Weisberger has certainly one-upped Me Times Three author Alex Witchel, whose magazine-world novel never gave us the inside dope that was the book's whole raison d' etre. For the most part, The Devil Wears Prada focuses on the outrageous Miranda Priestly, and she's an irresistible spectacle. --Claire Dederer

Book Description

A delightfully dishy novel about the all-time most impossible boss in the history of impossible bosses.

Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job “a million girls would die for.” Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile, fabulously successful editor of Runway magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts Prada! Armani! Versace! at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart-wrenchingly stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine-ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates into a scared, whimpering child.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA gives a rich and hilarious new meaning to complaints about “The Boss from Hell.” Narrated in Andrea’s smart, refreshingly disarming voice, it traces a deep, dark, devilish view of life at the top only hinted at in gossip columns and over Cosmopolitans at the trendiest cocktail parties. From sending the latest, not-yet-in-stores Harry Potter to Miranda’s children in Paris by private jet, to locating an unnamed antique store where Miranda had at some point admired a vintage dresser, to serving lattes to Miranda at precisely the piping hot temperature she prefers, Andrea is sorely tested each and every day—and often late into the night with orders barked over the phone. She puts up with it all by keeping her eyes on the prize: a recommendation from Miranda that will get Andrea a top job at any magazine of her choosing. As things escalate from the merely unacceptable to the downright outrageous, however, Andrea begins to realize that the job a million girls would die for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

A delightfully dishy novel about the all-time most impossible boss in the history of impossible bosses. Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job - a million girls would die for.¿ Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile, fabulously successful editor of Runway magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts Prada! Armani! Versace! at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart-wrenchingly stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine-ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates into a scared, whimpering child. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA gives a rich and hilarious new meaning to complaints about 'The Boss from Hell.' Narrated in Andrea¿s smart, refreshingly disarming voice, it traces a deep, dark, devilish view of life at the top only hinted at in gossip columns and over Cosmopolitans at the trendiest cocktail parties. From sending the latest, not-yet-in-stores Harry Potter to Miranda¿s children in Paris by private jet, to locating an unnamed antique store where Miranda had at some point admired a vintage dresser, to serving lattes to Miranda at precisely the piping hot temperature she prefers, Andrea is sorely tested each and every day - and often late into the night with orders barked over the phone. She puts up with it all by keeping her eyes on the prize: a recommendation from Miranda that will get Andrea a top job at any magazine of her choosing. As things escalate from the merely unacceptable to the downright outrageous, however, Andrea begins to realize that the job a million girls would die for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul.

Customer Reviews:

Lacks depth.......2007-10-01

Let's face it, people: when you pick up a book titled "The Devil Wears Prada," you're probably not assuming that you're going to go on an odyssey teeming with profound insights on life. (At least, I didn't.) But, having thoroughly enjoyed the film with Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, I figured I would enjoy the book at least as much, since the books are usually better than the movies. Alas, it seems that Lauren Weisberger had about as much to do with the film version of her book as Candace Bushnell had to do with her book's television incarnation, "Sex and the City." And, like Bushnell's case, the film of "The Devil Wears Prada" is better for it.

The book is overlong and rambling, and that's not even the biggest problem. Weisberger's characters are poorly developed and shallow. Miranda Priestly is beyond unpleasant and unkind for no reason. Now, characters who were villains for the sake of being a villain were fine when we were three years old, but come on, even supervillains in comic books usually have a reason that they are the way they are. Not Miranda Priestly. No explanation is given, no shred of humanity revealed.

Then there's the protagonist. She is completely wrapped up in herself, and, worse, she's not even consistent. She alternates between being "above" the other employees at Runway, the fictional fashion magazine at which she works--a charge rightly leveled at her more than once by fellow assistant Emily--and making snide remarks about other people's fashion, about which she's supposed to be so amazingly unaware. Tell me, does it really compute that someone who claims not to know how to banish panty lines because she hadn't yet "heard of thong underwear" (keep in mind that this book was written in 2003, not 1973, and that everyone, even your grandmother, had heard of thong underwear by 1998, at the latest) and yet turns around and bemoans the fact that some poor fashion-deficient soul is wearing a tux with tails in May? (I will honestly say that, while I'm no fan of tails, really, I have no idea when it's appropriate to wear them and when it's not.) She's completely wrapped up in herself, not noticing (or caring, apparently) that her friend has begun to drink herself into a blind stupor and take home random men from a bar to have (perhaps unprotected?) sex with them. She flirts shamelessly with a famous writer, although she has a fantastic boyfriend that she allegedly loves.

Another characteristic really got under my skin, but I think it has more to do with the author's feelings than with the protagonist. Weisberger is completely disdainful of anyone who comes from the south or (gasp!) has a southern accent. She seems to introduce the character of Andrea's sister and brother-in-law just because they happen to live in Texas and her brother-in-law has a "horrible" southern accent. When Miranda's brother-in-law comes to town with his fiancée and she throws them an engagement party, the guest list is full of wealthy southerners, of which Andrea is nothing short of appalled. She discusses their horrific lack of fashion sense, their horrific accents, and their horrific natures in general. Excuse me, Ms. Weisberger, but there are just as many rednecks in New England as in the South, and plenty of people with northern accents have an IQ ten times lower than someone with a southern accent. I live in the South, but I'm from Ohio, so this deeply offended me, even as a non-southerner. I'm not exactly sure what kind of horrible experience she had that made her hate the South and all things southern, including the people, so much.

This book is 360 pages long, and should be somewhere around 150. The characters are shallow and, honestly, you don't care because you kind of get the feeling that Andrea and Miranda deserve each other. You hope that Lily, the best friend, finds her way into an AA program, and the boyfriend, Alex...well, you hope that he just runs for the hills. Unless you really, REALLY want to read this book for some reason, I advise you to rent the movie and take a pass on the book.

A fun read.......2007-09-28

I thought this book was a fun read. It's not the kind of book that will change anyone's life, but if you're in the mood for something light that doesn't require a lot of thought, this more than fits the bill. It's so very different from the movie, though. Other than the names of some of the characters and a handful of basic plot points, they might as well be different stories. It drags in a few places, but for the most part it's good mind candy.

devil wears prada.......2007-09-22

i loved this book and the movie. i wish i knew what meryl streep's character was thinking at the end of the story when she saw her protege after she had quit. neither the book or the movie gave a clear message.. perhaps that is the essense of it all. a great read. one of the best i read this year.

AWESOME STORY.......2007-09-07

I have watched this movie about 25 times. IF you are only reading, or watching the action, you have missed the whole theory of this book/movie. And yes my dear, I am 57, and this stuff in the 21st century STILL goes on. The term "personal assistant" means just that, running errands, getting coffee, and yes even picking up dry cleaning.

Everytime I see this movie I pick up another subtle unlining point in this movie. It is about changes, it is about seeing someone underneath their weight/clothing and seeing their potential.

You almost need a Masters degree in Psychology to see all the things going on in this movie/book.

Rarely do I watch a movie, then read the book, I can tell you after seeing this movie, I am looking forward to reading the book, this story is AWESOME, IF you can see what it is REALLY about!

A fun read...better than the movie..and the movie was really good.......2007-08-31

As a person in the industry, I can tell you that, as ridiculous it seems to outsiders, a lot of the most hilarious things in this book are true! It's a great beach read!
Better than the movie, and the movie was great.

Making the List: A Cultural History of the American Bestseller, 1900-1999

Average customer rating:

A Valuable Resource for Every Would-Be Book Author
A Skimpy Guide
It isn't the books,it's the book business.
Review of Recorded Books on Tape version
Worthwhile for book-hounds

Making the List: A Cultural History of the American Bestseller, 1900-1999
Michael Korda
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble Books-Imports
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Shopping & Commerce | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

History of Books | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books

The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers Behind Them
Another Life: A Memoir of Other People
Book Business: Publishing Past, Present, and Future
The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile
Mary, Mary (Alex Cross Novels)

ASIN: 0760725594

Customer Reviews:

A Valuable Resource for Every Would-Be Book Author.......2006-05-10

Here's a fascinating look at the bestseller lists from the last century from a true expert and long-time book editor, Michael Korda. I appreciated this cultural look at what makes the list.

In his introduction, Korda writes, "Despite the inherent suspicion on the part of authors that the list is manipulated by somebody, in fact it isn't controlled by publishers any more than it is by bookstores. Of course many of the books on it are reasonably predictable--particularly novels by big, established authors--but at least half of the books on any given week's bestseller list are there to the immense surprise and puzzlement of their publishersd."

See the hope for authors built into the information about bestseller lists? I often recommend this title to writers.

A Skimpy Guide.......2005-10-29

Korda is certainly as intimate with the American bestseller list as it is possible for anyone to be, he's appeared as a writer on both the fiction (1985 for Queenie) and non-fiction (1975 for Power!) lists, and edited something like 40-50 bestsellers during his long tenure at the Simon & Shuster publishing house. However, his intimacy does not really translate into the deep insights and analysis that most readers will be looking for. The book's ten chapters each cover a decade, with a skimpy essay followed by the decade's year-by-year list. The essays attempt to draw parallels between the decade's zeitgeist and the books that appeared on the bestseller list -- and to a certain very superficial extent, this is accomplished. However, as Korda himself points out, until very recently bestseller lists didn't address the huge paperback market. And it is this less pricey market which might more accurately reflect popular tastes! Nor does Korda spend much time explaining how the bestseller lists are constructed, a process whose methodology might further skew results.

In any event, Korda does make a few interesting propositions. Foremost is the notion that American reading tastes are cyclical, and you can look at any decade and find the same kinds of books as might appear in another. For example, historical fiction ebbs and flows, as does the women's novel, political biography, and so forth. And self-help, cooking, diet, and "fad" books (such as crossword books, or game guides), have been around since the beginning. Korda is also keen to point out that the public's taste is not as low-brow as many characterize it, and presents many examples of good serious fiction from the years. Along the way, he touches upon major changes in publishing and the bookselling industry (such as the rise of discounting during the Depression, and rise of mall and chain bookstores in the 70s), but again, not in as much depth as one might like. Indeed, the whole book is a rather superficial riff on the topic, with the actual text totaling only about 100 pages. It's perhaps best read as a reminder to forgotten works that one might want to seek out.

It isn't the books,it's the book business........2004-12-02

I just came across this book a couple of days ago at my local 'big box bookstore'.I enjoy 'books about books'and this one certainly falls into that category.I have never paid much attention to bestseller lists for a couple of reasons.First,I tend to read mainly non fiction.I have found the fiction writers I enjoy,and except for Steinbeck,Twain and one or two others, are not on the bestseller lists.So,of all the fiction out there,new and old,I find so much to read that I don't need a list to tell me what is a bestseller and must be read.Although I have read several of the best seller writers,I haven't been enthused enough to read all their stuff;Larry McMurtry being the exception.I guess he falls into the one a year bestsellers;
but even some of his are getting to feel like publish or perish books.To me, it seems that with most artists their early stuff is the best.I find that so with Steinbeck,Erskine Caldwell,McMurtry and most of my favorite writers.
Merle Haggard once stated that his earlier work was his best because he lived the experiences then but not any longer.I find the same with authors.
I found this book very good in that it demonstrates that best seller lists are something created and pushed by the book publishing and selling industry,and for their interests and not necessarily the buyers and readers of their products.In other words,it is primarily a marketing tool,and while probably very useful to them,not particularyy for the reader who finds his own treasures to read;and doesn't just read to follow what is being pushed in the media.
The book business has had a very rough ride in the last several years and has tended to play catch up or as often said,"lead the parade from the rear."This is very evident from reading this book.The customer (reader)will decide what to read not the marketeer.No matter how much the establishment tries to push their preference it doesn't change anything.
A couple of statements in the book are very telling:
"the bestseller list began to resemble a club that was hard to break into" pg.172
"Do you guys realize how much money the company would make if you only published bestsellers?" pg.173
""a publishing house that plays it safe,even if it satisfies
it's corporate parent,will sooner or later collapse." pg.197
"the bestseller lists of the nineties made for relatively depressing reading,except to accountants." pg.199
"In 1990,for example,the fiction list for the year contained not a single newcomer-all fifteen who made it were established,familiar bestselling writers,most of them on a yearly basis.It was,if you like,the triumph of brand-name merchandizing applied to books." pg.196. In other words the lazy approach.
A great read to see what bestseller lists are all about.

Review of Recorded Books on Tape version.......2002-10-16

This is not a book that lends itself to a good audio recording. Listening to the "text" portions of the books was fine - very enjoyable and very informative - however, it is impossible to listen to the lists of published books without getting bored. I ended up fast forwarding through the book lists and probably missed some of the text as well.

Yes, I recommend this book - but read it - don't listen to it.

Worthwhile for book-hounds.......2002-06-24

Although this "Cultural History of the American Bestseller" is somewhat light on actual text -- it's mostly full of the bestseller lists themselves, going back to 1900 -- it's an entertaining read if you're interested in books. There's a natural tendency to be sort of skeptical of popularity, and one of Korda's themes is that many books that have been popular have also been extremely good. (Literary fiction, etc, always has a place on the charts.) And actually what's most revealing is how the mix of what's on the big lists has really changed very little, or at least it comes and goes in regular cycles. Romances go out -- then they're back in. The sprawling historical epic rises, falls, rises again. There's always some Tom Clancy equivalent cranking out a book of year, and topping the sales rankings every time. It's too bad Korda's text sometimes veers toward the superficial, and a more careful edit would have removed some of his repetitions, but the book is still a fun way to fill a few hours -- and the list of lists alone is a thing worth having.

The Poisonwood Bible (Oprah's Book Club)

Average customer rating:

Cut the last 100 pages & it's a masterpiece!
Blew me away!
Poisonwood Bible
One of my favorites...
Thank you Barbara.

The Poisonwood Bible (Oprah's Book Club)
Barbara Kingsolver
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0060930535

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Oprah Book Club® Selection, June 2000: As any reader of The Mosquito Coast knows, men who drag their families to far-off climes in pursuit of an Idea seldom come to any good, while those familiar with At Play in the Fields of the Lord or Kalimantaan understand that the minute a missionary sets foot on the fictional stage, all hell is about to break loose. So when Barbara Kingsolver sends missionary Nathan Price along with his wife and four daughters off to Africa in The Poisonwood Bible, you can be sure that salvation is the one thing they're not likely to find. The year is 1959 and the place is the Belgian Congo. Nathan, a Baptist preacher, has come to spread the Word in a remote village reachable only by airplane. To say that he and his family are woefully unprepared would be an understatement: "We came from Bethlehem, Georgia, bearing Betty Crocker cake mixes into the jungle," says Leah, one of Nathan's daughters. But of course it isn't long before they discover that the tremendous humidity has rendered the mixes unusable, their clothes are unsuitable, and they've arrived in the middle of political upheaval as the Congolese seek to wrest independence from Belgium. In addition to poisonous snakes, dangerous animals, and the hostility of the villagers to Nathan's fiery take-no-prisoners brand of Christianity, there are also rebels in the jungle and the threat of war in the air. Could things get any worse?

In fact they can and they do. The first part of The Poisonwood Bible revolves around Nathan's intransigent, bullying personality and his effect on both his family and the village they have come to. As political instability grows in the Congo, so does the local witch doctor's animus toward the Prices, and both seem to converge with tragic consequences about halfway through the novel. From that point on, the family is dispersed and the novel follows each member's fortune across a span of more than 30 years.

The Poisonwood Bible is arguably Barbara Kingsolver's most ambitious work, and it reveals both her great strengths and her weaknesses. As Nathan Price's wife and daughters tell their stories in alternating chapters, Kingsolver does a good job of differentiating the voices. But at times they can grate--teenage Rachel's tendency towards precious malapropisms is particularly annoying (students practice their "French congregations"; Nathan's refusal to take his family home is a "tapestry of justice"). More problematic is Kingsolver's tendency to wear her politics on her sleeve; this is particularly evident in the second half of the novel, in which she uses her characters as mouthpieces to explicate the complicated and tragic history of the Belgian Congo.

Despite these weaknesses, Kingsolver's fully realized, three-dimensional characters make The Poisonwood Bible compelling, especially in the first half, when Nathan Price is still at the center of the action. And in her treatment of Africa and the Africans she is at her best, exhibiting the acute perception, moral engagement, and lyrical prose that have made her previous novels so successful. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

In 1959, Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist, takes his four young daughters, his wife, and his mission to the Belgian Congo -- a place, he is sure, where he can save needy souls. But the seeds they plant bloom in tragic ways within this complex culture. Set against one of the most dramatic political events of the twentieth century -- the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium and its devastating consequences -- here is New York Times-bestselling author Barbara Kingslover's beautiful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable epic that chronicles the disintegration of family and a nation.

Customer Reviews:

Cut the last 100 pages & it's a masterpiece!.......2007-10-15

This is a fantastic book. More than anything else, Barbara Kingsolver's characterization is amazing. At first, I wasn't sure how effective her multiple first-person point-of-view account would be, but her characterization was so unique, detailed, and consistent that the characters felt like real people.

Kingsolver does a great job developing the plot, and really illustrating the culture clash between the Americans and the Congolese. She also does a great job developing the internal conflicts of the Price family. As time passes in the novel, the characters grow, change, and adapt, maintaining credibility.

I had only two real problems with this book:

1 - I felt like the novel truly ended when the Price women left Africa. The last hundred or so pages were tedious and unnecessary, and added nothing to the overall plot or message of the story. In fact, it seemed to undermine the story by sending the characters and the plotlines off in a ton of different directions.

2 - It grew too political at times. It didn't seem at the beginning this was Kingsolver's intention, but by those last few hundred pages, the writing was about 97% blatant political propaganda and 3% novel.

Other than that, a page-turning, enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book, as well as Kingsolver's other novels.

Blew me away!.......2007-10-09

This is one of the handful of contempory fiction books that makes it to my top 10 list. I avoided this book for a while because the premise -- a missionary family from Georgia in the Belgian Congo -- just didn't appeal to me. I don't know what compelled me to pick the book up and give it a try, but I am so happy that I did. Once I picked this novel up I could barely put it down. This family's story is fascinating, tragic, and beautiful. If you are at all on the fence about this book I highly recommend you give it a chance!

Poisonwood Bible.......2007-10-07

An excellent book that grips you from the start.As I am not religious I had a few reservations about reading it when I saw it was about missionaries, but the story is essentially about their family life in the Congo and the dangers they faced. It is written from the point of first the mother then each of her four daughters and is very skilfully done. I love this author and this is one of her best. It is entirely different from anything else she has written.

One of my favorites..........2007-10-03

The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel (P.S.)
I've read this at least half a dozen times in the last several years & ALWAYS find nuances and plot points that are new. Kingsolver provides seamless transitions between the voices of the characters while managing to hold each one accountable for her own actions and the way their impact magnifies as it ripples outward through the family and into the community. I especially enjoyed Adah's biting wit & sarcasm from the perspective of her "diagnosis" and is a character I'd really like to meet in real life.

Thank you Barbara........2007-09-27

What can I say, Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite writers. She's witty, inventive, and lyrical, to say the least. Just blew my mind with this one. It's amazing how every sentence is so poetic and so fascinating from start to finish. Great story. Beautifully written. A masterpiece.

Mary Gilliatt's Interior Design Course (Decor Best-Sellers)

Average customer rating:

A Design Book that You Can Live Without
Worst ever
Dated
A terrific book.
Helpful Book

Mary Gilliatt's Interior Design Course (Decor Best-Sellers)
Mary Gilliatt
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Interior Design Course: Principles, Practices, and Techniques for the Aspiring Designer (Quarto Book)
Mary Gilliatt's Complete Room by Room Decorating Guide
Color in Interior Design
Interior Design (3rd Edition)
Home Decorating for Dummies

ASIN: 0823030466

Book Description

From choosing a color scheme to redesigning an entire house, Mary Gilliatt's Interior Design Course provides a complete step-by-step road map for success. This book is conveniently organized into two sections. Section One, The Basics, provides tested techniques for mastering the main elements of good design: lighting; color; texture and pattern; and scale and balance. It also includes a valuable overview of historical styles, providing the reader with a quick-reference catalog of common design influences.

Section Two, The Specifics, demonstrates an array of creative approaches for walls, windows, floors, and furnishings suitable for any type of room. Readers will discover how to use special paint finishes and fabrics to create exciting wall coverings; innovative ways to bring new life to blinds, curtains, screens, shutters, and other window treatments; tips for choosing the right type of furniture to complete a specific room; and finally, how to combine all these elements together to create a harmonious, one-of-a-kind living space.

Finally, the all-important Finishing Touches section demonstrates how to choose the accessories and extra details that help reflect a particular look or style. Plus, this remarkable guide is packed with lavish photography and clear, insightful text that make it easy for readers to utilize these very same no-fail techniques in their own homes.

Perfect for veteran decorators as well as novices decorating their first home, Mary Gilliatt's Interior Design Course is the definitive one-stop guide for creating interiors that are beautiful, unique, and totally one's own.

Customer Reviews:

A Design Book that You Can Live Without.......2006-12-31

I regret I did not read some of the other below-3-star reviews before I bought this book - all of those comments are true. First of all, the text is impossible to read. One would have thought font size is a trivial point when it comes to the quality of a book, but trust me, it is not. After just 5 minutes with this book my head was swimming. Even the captions to the photos are quite difficult to read. Apart from the awful presentation, the author has little to offer readers: (1) Contents - if you are new to interior design, this book does not give any systematic, practical and to-the-point tips to get you started. Nor is it well-organized. I was expecting to learn the basics on the historical influences on style - the book does have a chapter on this topic, but it failed miserably to point out the key differences of different periods nor is it sufficiently illustrated. Everything is in a muddle. There is indeed a few glossaries of terms in the book, but I seriously wonder if it would be relevant for most amateur decorators, for example, the ones for fabric and period furniture. (2) Images - as one has to give up on reading the text of this book, one naturally turns to the photos in hope of finding design inspirations. As some of the other reviewers so rightly pointed out, the design images selected in this book is far from impressive. They may not be to the extreme of being ugly, but certainly one would find better styled pictures in any furniture catalogue, say even from Ikea. In summary, the book does not deliver what it promises in the title - I do not feel I have learnt anything useful or practical that I can immediately apply to decorating. If you are an absolute beginner to interior design and looking for practical tips on decorating, I would highly recommend the "Essentials" series ("Living Room Essentials, Bedroom Essentials, Bathroom Essentials etc) which offer easy-to-read, instructional and user-friendly knowledge. The designs featured in the books can often be easily emulated at any budget. If you are however more interested in the asthetics and styling aspects of decorating, you might find books like "New York Apartments" more inspirational as they feature stunning design projects, often by award-winning architects or interior designers.

Worst ever.......2006-04-20

We just bought a house and I bought many interior design/home decorating books recently and screened through a bunch in a book store. I bought this one because I saw it was named as a best seller, and I seriously do not understand how could this become a best seller, maybe best seller 5 tears ago? When the book arrived from Amzon, both my husband and I were shocked: Who would want to design like that? The pictures are simply ugly!!! Both the pictures and text are so dated, and the text type is the smallest I have ever seen. I could not bare to read two paragraphs because my eyes were too strained.

Dated.......2006-04-08

Too much fluff. Typeface is very small and hard to read. Pictures have a yellowish cast and the room scenes look dated.

A terrific book........2006-01-30

If your mind has been on other things, and you suddenly need to know all the basics, this is the book for you. All subjects are covered in a comprehensive way. This was a great help to me since I have needed to decorate a new house from scratch, and really never was acquainted with the basic ideas. If you need a really good start (and even middle and finish) try this book. I think it was well worth the price.

Helpful Book.......2002-06-21

This book is excellent for laying out the basics for decorating/designing a house. More so than other books, descibes in detail numberous aspects of decorating that are important and not just stating the obvious.

My only diappointment of the book are with the photographs. The books descibes dozens of differnt style of decorating. 95% of the photographs are of contemporary/modern homes. Having a few more traditional photographs would have been helpful.

Dancing With Cats: From the Creators of the International Best Seller Why Cats Paint
Average customer rating:

Something Completely Different

Between Joy and Terror

Dancing with Cats

The funniest thing I have seen/read in years...

One of the best birthday presents ever

Dancing With Cats: From the Creators of the International Best Seller Why Cats Paint
Burton Silver , and Heather Busch
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Dance | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Cats | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics

Why Paint Cats: The Ethics of Feline Aesthetics

Famous Painted Cats

Women Who Love Cats Too Much

Zen Cat Zen Cat

ASIN: 0811824152

Amazon.com

With a hey diddle diddle, the creators of Why Cats Paint return with another version of feline (and human) reality. And suffice it to say that in Burton Silver and Heather Busch's hands, Kipling's cat that walked by himself has turned into a deeply codependent dervish. Their first book was a brilliant parody of artspeak--Busch's photos of creative felines matched by Silver's text. Their second, Dancing with Cats--an epic three years in the making!--juxtaposes psychological and spiritual mumbo-jumbo with the language of dance criticism. As Silver explores everything from visualization to mirroring to empathy, Busch is busy with her human-feline pairs. In one sequence, Fred, clad in tabby tights, kitty-cat body paint, and a tanga with a long black tail, leaps about the place with a slightly puzzled pussy: "I share its grace, power, and oneness with the universe. I relate to Fluff and the whole spectrum of feline physicality on a profound level--I even regard birds differently."

On the very next page, chubby Helen, sporting a tie-dyed purple gown and a deeply sworn belief in feng shui, identifies perhaps a bit too deeply with chunky, amber-eyed Boots (who looks suspiciously like "Trans-Expressionist" Bootsie from Why Cats Paint). And then there's Sue and Zoot. In one photo, the recumbent gray and peach cat raises his left paw to the sky as his ecstatic human does the same. Then Sue dons a feathery jerkin "in order to dance out some of her past traumas." It's difficult to say which is funnier, the photos or the text, as Silver catches pseudo-therapy's mixture of self-affirmation and non sequitur: "Dancing with Zoot helps Sue reenact and come to terms with the joy and sorrow of a brief but painful relationship: when she fell in love with her daughter's father while he was photographing bridges in the neighborhood." Though the two-legged models must have been prepared for this inspired silliness, one does wonder what on earth the cats made of their eurythmic adventures. Alas, until interspecies communication reaches a greater height, we can only dance amid our uncertainty! --Kerry Fried

Book Description

While researching their groundbreaking book, Why Cats Paint, Burton Silver and Heather Busch uncovered another phenomenon that seemed to merit further investigation: people who dance with their cats, or, more accurately, cats who dance with their people. It turns out that thousands of people today are rediscovering the ancient practice of cat dancing, tapping into this remarkable method of channeling feline energy and bonding with their pets. Some whisper to horses; others dance with cats. Both are manifestations of humankind’s continual striving to connect with their animal companions on a higher spiritual level. Dancing with Cats presents scores of delightful and inspiring photographs of people and cats engaging in their favorite routines, as well as moving testimonies of the personal transformations brought about through this uniquely joyous form of communion. A brave leap forward in the history of human-feline relations, Dancing with Cats gives people and cats reason to rejoice, jump up in the air...and dance!

Customer Reviews:

Something Completely Different.......2007-05-11

When I first saw the cover of this book, I laughed out loud with joy and a sense of wonder about whether this book was for real. Surprisingly, DANCING WITH CATS is not a joke, and is an excellent primer on how to go about having some fun with your cats in a rather unusual way... by dancing with them. Since I don't currently have a cat, I borrowed one to get a feeling for how possible it might be to get a cat to dance. I succeeded in completely astonishing the cat as I began to notice the ways that the cat watched me moving around with movements that showed we were beginning to move together as one. Clearly, some cats enjoy dancing more than others, and this is one activity that may take a while to get fully into the swing of with your feline dancing partners. From the ancient history of cat dancing to modern age tips and techniques, this book provides a wealth of information about a subject most of us know very little about. The photographs are truly stunning, and you just might get some new ideas about what kinds of fun you can have dancing with cats. Highly recommended!

Between Joy and Terror.......2007-01-15

This book has appeared in my life several times, always with a mixture of joy and terror. The concept of the book is simple: through engaging one's cat in dance, a certain physical and spiritual equalibrium is achieved. Various people are interviewed and photos are shown of them dancing with their cats. Half of the time, though, it is not clear whether the cat is jumping or has been thrown into the shot by the photographer's assistant. Throughout the book you question yourself if cat dancing is "real"; by the end, it doesn't matter anymore.

Each one of the "cat dancers" is borderline schizophrenic, but the images are so whacky that one can't help from laughing histerically. Some people have actually recruited their children into the cat dancing way, which makes you feel sorry for them. (They will never have a normal existence.) The text that accompanies the images, however, is cause for brief moments of terror: these people actually believe they are making a spiritual connection with air-born cats. One is even concerned about creating too much spiritual energy and collapsing an astral vortex. Regardless, the book is a perfect ice-breaker, a coffee table book for all ages that allows strangers to point and laugh and sigh collectively. To say with a smile: "At least we're not them!"

Dancing with Cats.......2007-01-11

A pristine paperback copy of this extraordinary book. If cats are your thing, then this is a book for your shelf

The funniest thing I have seen/read in years..........2006-11-01

My niece got this for me as a gag gift. After 30 minutes of looking through it, I was lmao. I am lauging right now just thinking about it.

One of the best birthday presents ever.......2006-08-18

My sister got this for me for my birthday. I will tell you, I have never laughed until I broke a sweat before in my life. I cannot believe this is for real... But, it is very entertaining. I suppose, if you wanted to dance with your cat, this would teach you how...

This is the PERFECT Coffee Table book. Unfortunatly, they do not show the funniest pictures... I highly recommend this book.

If you are in the dumps, or have a friend who needs a laugh, this is perfect. :)

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life

Average customer rating:

shows people can improve their attitudes
Optimism Wins
This book changed my life
Overcome Depression Through Self-Delusion
Excellent

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life
Martin Seligman
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Personal Transformation | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Applied Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Developmental Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment
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Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life
The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength and Overcoming Life's Hurdles

ASIN: 0671019112

Amazon.com

Martin Seligman, a renowned psychologist and clinical researcher, has been studying optimists and pessimists for 25 years. Pessimists believe that bad events are their fault, will last a long time, and undermine everything. They feel helpless and may sink into depression, which is epidemic today, especially among youths. Optimists, on the other hand, believe that defeat is a temporary setback or a challenge--it doesn't knock them down. "Pessimism is escapable," asserts Seligman, by learning a new set of cognitive skills that will enable you to take charge, resist depression, and make yourself feel better and accomplish more.

About two-thirds of this book is a psychological discussion of pessimism, optimism, learned helplessness (giving up because you feel unable to change things), explanatory style (how you habitually explain to yourself why events happen), and depression, and how these affect success, health, and quality of life. Seligman supports his points with animal research and human cases. He includes tests for you and your child--whose achievement may be related more to his or her level of optimism/pessimism than ability. The final chapters teach the skills of changing from pessimism to optimism, with worksheet pages to guide you and your child. --Joan Price

Book Description

You can significantly improve your life -- starting today -- with the power of

Learned Optimism

In this groundbreaking national bestseller, Martin E.P. Seligman shows you how to chart a new approach to living with "flexible optimism." Drawing from more than twenty years of clinical research, Dr. Seligman outlines easy-to-follow techniques that have helped thousands of people rise above pessimism and the depression that accompanies negative thoughts and build a life of rewards and lasting happiness. Learned Optimism shows you how to:

recognize your "explanatory style" -- what to say to yourself when you experience set-backs -- and how it influences your life

boost your mood and your immune system -- with healthful thoughts

help your children to practice the thought patterns that encourage optimism

break the "I-give-up" habit with Dr. Seligman's ABC techniques

change your interior dialogue and experience the astonishing positive results

Customer Reviews:

shows people can improve their attitudes.......2007-07-03

It is refreshing to read a book like this showing people can change to being more optimistic, rather than all those books out there trying to convince people they have depression and they can't do anything about it but take pills for the rest of their lives.

Optimism Wins.......2007-02-22

This is a book packed with science yet written in a style that is interesting and easy to understand. Reports of experiment after experiment systematically convince the reader.

Seligman's book describes how the mental attitude of helplessness can be learned and unlearned, how helplessness both results from and exacerbates a pessimistic personality style, and how helplessness/pessimism ends in depression. A test is included so you can find if you are an optimist or a pessimist. A second test reveals if you are suffering from depression. But if you are a pessimist/depressed don't despair. Just as helplessness can be unlearned optimism can be learned and this book tells you how.

Next we learn how optimistic people succeed better at work, school, sports, health, politics, religion and culture.

If I have one criticism of this book it is that Seligman strangely does not provide scientific evidence that his cognitive therapy methods for learning optimism work. Instead he simply writes: "The National Institute of Mental Health has spent millions of dollars testing whether the ... [cognitive] ... therapy works on depression. It does." (p.75). A report of at least one study would have been useful at this critical point.

I have suffered from depression and I found this book provided me with an invaluable technique that work for me. This is one of the very few books that I can say has changed my life.

This book changed my life.......2006-06-01

Over the years, I've read a lot of self-help and psychology books. None has made the difference like "Learned Optimism." I was in the midst of a bad marriage, had lost my career, and wondered how the hell I had ended up in such a lousy life. Seligman's book helped me see (1) how incredibly pessimistic I was, which I hadn't realized, (2) how the expectation of failure had kept me from pursing goals, and (3) how optimism and taking reasonable risks could help. Since that time, I got out of the awful marriage, moved to a new city, found a job I love, and have taken many more risks, most of which have had very happy results. Largely because, from Seligman, I learned how to put optimism to work for me.

Yes, he spends a lot of time on the history of his research. But that's what makes his ideas convincing. If you are a skeptic, this part really makes his case. If there's a single book that will help you get out of your pessimistic rut, this is it. It sure did for me. I am so grateful that Dr. Seligman wrote this book.

Overcome Depression Through Self-Delusion.......2006-03-10

For the most part I consider this book a complete waste of time. The author takes forever to get to the point (which is; How to Change Your Mind and Your Life) and when he finally does, his half baked philosophy is disappointing. He seems to think that self-delusion is the answer to what ails us. If we find something upsetting or that causes us to be depressed, just mentally conjure up an alternative reality for ourself and all will be well. Also, I really don't see the benefit of the author's rather arbitrary categorization of "pessimism" and "optimism" regarding mental self-reflection. Shouldn't the primary focus be cognitive distortion itself? Isn't that the root cause, of mental anguish, which should really be addressed? Just because 'winners' in life are often delusional (as expounded by the author), that doesn't substantiate that delusion is an optimal way to live ones life. What of the long term effect on not only the individual but society itself?

The author's pick and choose method of choosing when to be 'optimistic' or 'pessimistic' regarding events, strikes me as ludicrous, as well as unnecessarily complicating the issue. Why not just focus on a commitment to a rational assessment of the events of one's life? Isn't that in itself difficult enough, without creating artificial divisions, and delusions, in which to view events? If an accurate assessment makes a person feel bad, then that should be an indication that that event is a problem and a solution needs to be pursued. Placing problems into an 'optimistic' frame of reference may make a person feel better but it does nothing to address the underlying problem.

If a person chooses to delude themselves as the author advocates, how is that creating an environment where future change is even possible? Are we to just live in a fantasy world while the troublesome events around us remain unchanged? Shouldn't the core of a persons cognition always strive to adhere to self-honesty as well as an accurate assessment of reality? I don't see how a sane person could think otherwise.

Obviously, I really didn't get much, that was useful, from this book. The two books I've found helpful and would recommend are;

* 'The Feeling Good Handbook' by David Burns
* 'Power Therapy: Maximizing Health Through Self-Efficacy' by Michael Aleksiuk

Excellent.......2006-02-11

This book is wonderful because it explains the strengths and weaknesses of pessimism and optimism in various contexts. There is a simple test so that you can determine where you stand. If you want to understand why optimism is less accurate than pessimism and how optimism can promote good feelings, read this great book.

Myles Munroe Best Sellers Collection (3 Books in One Package)

Average customer rating:

Myles Munroe Best Sellers Collection (3 Books in One Package)
Dr. Myles Munroe
Manufacturer: Destiny Image
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Similar Items:

Kingdom Principles: Preparing for Kingdom Experience and Expansion (Understanding the Kingdom)
Most Important Person on Earth
The Principles and Power of Vision
Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer: Earthly License for Heavenly Interference
Maximizing Your Potential

ASIN: 0768423295

Product Description

Three of Myles Munroe's Best Selling Books in one package. A Great Buy and a Great Gift! Rediscovering the Kingdom, The Glory of Living & The Purpose & Power of Praise & Worship all in ONE package.

The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers Behind Them

Average customer rating:

Realistic Insight for Any Would-Be Book Author
Backstage Pass
This is a book you'll want to read again and again.
Title is Bestseller, Little Else
Aspiring Authors, Get the Inside Scoop About the Publishing Business

The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers Behind Them
Brian Hill , and Dee Power
Manufacturer: Kaplan Business
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

History of Books | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Authorship | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

The Complete Guide to Book Publicity
Making the List: A Cultural History of the American Bestseller, 1900-1999
The Savvy Author's Guide to Book Publicity
Book Proposals That Sell
Publicize Your Book: An Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book the Attention It Deserves

ASIN: 0793193087
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Book Description

According to Bowker, there are over 150,000 books published in the U.S. every year. Less than 1 percent of the books published make the bestseller list.

People are fascinated by bestselling authors who have become every bit as much celebrities as rock musicians or film stars. Through some mysterious process, these individuals take blank pages and turn them into gold. And many authors do this over and over again. For authors, earning a spot on the bestseller list is the grand, often elusive prize at the end of many years of work. But what makes a bestseller happen?

Brian Hill and Dee Power interviewed over 50 successful authors, publishers, editors, agents, book reviewers, and other experts to find the answer. The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers Behind Them presents a comprehensive look at the publishing process from start to finish.

Authors and would-be authors, individuals in the publishing industry, and passionate readers will learn:

* How bestselling authors approach the craft of writing and marketing their books.

* The many different paths authors take to the top of the list.

* The impact a first bestseller makes on an author's life.

* The workings of the selection process, from the query letter to the decision to publish.

* How publishers know a book has bestseller potential.

* The agent's role in helping create a bestseller.

* Factors and events that influence whether a book makes the bestseller list, including TV ""reading book clubs,"" the review process, publicity, marketing programs, and timing.

* How Hollywood impacts the reading public.

To provide a broad spectrum of experience, interviews are included with authors of nonfiction and fiction, as well as first-time novelists to serial bestsellers. In addition, avid readers will find fascinating stories behind some of their favorite authors' works.

Customer Reviews:

Realistic Insight for Any Would-Be Book Author.......2006-09-19

Dee Power and Brian Hill have put together a fascinating look at bestselling authors and what it takes. They interview a number of bestselling authors, booksellers and editors about what made the difference for a book to become a bestseller. Here's a few quotes from the book:

"Now we know: The "secret bestseller sauce" is made up of this key ingredient--a great book." p. 88 Then on the next page: "in our survey, agents on average said they accept 2 out of 1,000 submissions. A senior editor with a top publishing house told us she accepts 1 out of 100 submissions that she receives from agents. If we combine the two, it means that there is a 1 out of 50,000 chance of a new book by an unknown author making it from the author's word processor to successfully attracting an agent, and then on to the contract stage with a publisher."

See what I mean about realism into the pages of this book?

Yet the tone is not discouraging but informative and helpful to stimulate would-be authors to excellence in their writing, in their pitches to editors and in their promotion efforts. I learned a great deal from this book and recommend it.

Backstage Pass.......2006-05-24

Brian and Dee's book is like having a one-on-one conversation with today's top fiction and non-fiction writers.

What questions would you want to ask them?
...How do you stay focused?
...What quality is present in all "good writing"?
...What is the life of an author truly like?
...How did you get into writing?
...Where do you get your ideas?

Chances are good that whatever your question Brian and Dee asked it.

The Making of a Bestseller is a book that you can pick-up, read for a few minutes, and get something out of it. If you want a book that delivers a step-by-step marketing strategy this is not the book for you. However if you want to get a glimpse into the mindset of today's top authors buy this book.

This is a book you'll want to read again and again. .......2005-10-21

You'll feel like you just had a scintillating dinner conversation with some of the top players in the publishing industry. This book is firmly grounded in reality and offers so much more than a pseudo-"sure-fire formula" for hitting bestseller lists-- it offers real insight into the ways success flourishes. This is a book you'll want to read again and again to glean new pieces of wisdom each time.

[...]

Title is Bestseller, Little Else.......2005-10-02

This book may sell because of it's title, and little else. Writing style is so-so, no real nuts and bolts info. Of course, being on a major bestseller list is fantastic and the authors within the book say so. But, and it's a big but, if you want to know how to become a bestselling author, this isn't your guide. As the book buyer for a publishing association, I won't recommend it--better books to help create marketing plans/strategies to move books would be John Kremer's 1001 Ways to Market Your Books and Brian Jud's Beyond the Bookstore.

Aspiring Authors, Get the Inside Scoop About the Publishing Business.......2005-08-20

Brian Hill and Dee Power have written this inside look into the business of writing with a natural and approachable style. The light handed touches of humor and the down to earth language made this a very enjoyable read. I have never written an Amazon Review until now but was compelled to add my voice to the others. Count me as a very satisfied consumer.

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