Customer Reviews:
Great Basic Guide.......2007-05-15
This book is terrific for people who are just starting to try to write. It breaks down every initial stumbling block of the craft into small pieces in ways that are easy for inexperienced writers to understand and model. For more experienced writers, it might be useful to see the mechanical process for things one already understands (even innately). However, this is not a stunningly useful book for writers with more than a little experience.
Extraordinary..........2007-05-14
I read "Beginnings, Middles, and Ends" right after reading the (in my opinion) horrid "How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card, which seemed to me to be puffed up drivel. Ms. Kress's book was like a breath of fresh air. Her suggestions are helpful, her examples are wonderful without being self-promoting. She has a number of self-guided exercises that were basic and also, as a plus for beginners, build up writing confidence. If you are a beginner, or even intermediate writer, I would suggest not bothering with most of the books on the market on writing and read Ms. Kress's book first. I am a published writer of dark fantasy writing my first novel and found it extremely helpful. Highly recommended.
Marvelous Short-Cut to Learning to Write Fiction.......2007-04-15
John Irving once commented that his experience at writing workshops & conferences taught him things about writing (e.g., voicing) that he would eventually have picked up anyway, but that he saved a lot of time by not having to learn it the hard way. That's the way I feel about Nancy Kress's wonderful Beginnings, Middles and Ends.
First of all -- and this matters -- Kress is a world-class writer of fiction herself. She's famous in the science fiction community, and she deserves to be. So when she, of all people, gives clues about creating good plots, one should listen. She's that marvelous (and rare) combination, a stunning writer who can also teach.
This book uses a very methodical approach, speaking of the different parts of a piece of fiction separately and specifically addressing how they interact. Each chapter really deserves to be read several times, as the attitudes she recommends for writers can solve problems all by themselves. At the end of each chapter is a set of exercises that significantly improve one's ability to interpolate the lessons.
Much of what she says in her book I was beginning to discover on my own, but to see it put into print solidifies and sharpens my view. Personally I was writing several different stories over the time during which I read the book, and I found that it helped instantly. I'm actually stuck on one or two stories right now, and I'm going to dive back into the Kress book to see how she can help me; I know she can.
I'd like to close by mentioning that this book was first recommended to me by a wonderful writer of romantic fan fiction who uses the pen name "st margarets." If you haven't read her stuff, you should; she appears on several online fan fiction archives.
A must for aspiring authors.......2007-04-10
I found this to be a very valuable book! Almost every page got some highlighting. The book is a short, easy read but packed with good information. Kress really breaks it down in terms of what makes a good beginning, how to keep the middle from sagging, and writing an ending that will satisfy readers. The advice is clear and easy to understand. The book also includes lots of info for short-story writers (who often get forgotten in other books). It didn't get 5 stars because there are other books that I feel cover this topic and then some (Plot and Structure, for example). However I have quite a collection of fiction-writing books, so if this was the only one I had, it would have gotten the 5the star. Elements of Fiction Writing is a great series. I recommend it to all aspiring writers, especially Characters by Orson Scott Card.
Excellent Advice!.......2007-02-13
This is a wonderful book to keep around if you're a writer, one of the best in the "Elements of Fiction Writing" series. It helps you plot your story out in a logical manner, in order to make it unified from beginning to end, and as strong and as interesting as it can be. You'll want to read it with a notebook on hand, to take notes for your novel, and you'll probably want to underline and highlight sections, maybe leave Post-It notes on the pages that offer the best advice.
Beginnings: Are you unsure how to start your novel, how to make it intriguing enough that people will keep reading? Do you think you can make your characters interesting and real? What about the style and tone of your writing, can you keep it consistent with the setting and plot? Do you need a prologue?
Middles: Do you have everything plotted out, but somewhere around the middle you lose interest? Are you not sure what should happen next? Are the characters trying to take the story in a different direction than you intended? Or are you just overwhelmed with the idea that you're actually writing a novel?
Ends: Can you make your ending satisfying? Will your climax be logical and realistic, or are you having trouble making it fit with the rest of the story? Can you give the characters closure, or are there too many loose ends? Do you need an epilogue? Are you having trouble with the very last paragraph or sentence of the story?
No matter which part of your novel is giving you trouble, this book will help you set it all straight. It offers excellent advice for beginnings, middles, and ends, as well as unifying your entire novel.
Average customer rating:
- DOUG MILLSTIEN IS OUT OF THIS WORLD
- Setting your brand on fire.
- my review
- Not Hype! A System for Reality...and innovation.
- Beyond the Frontiers - A genetic approach to the Brand
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Firebrands: Building Brand Loyalty in the Internet Age
Doug Millison , and
Michael Moon
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Marketing Metrics: 50+ Metrics Every Executive Should Master
ASIN: 0072124490 |
Book Description
This book explains digital branding and how to implement it in the current marketplace.
Download Description
This book explains digital branding and how to implement it in the current marketplace.
Customer Reviews:
DOUG MILLSTIEN IS OUT OF THIS WORLD .......2007-08-07
This person cant write if his life depended on it, i read it and now used it for a door stop. I wouldnt recommend this to anyone. I might use it if hes lucky for my son to sit on at the dinner table.
Setting your brand on fire........2001-06-09
There are so many books on the market that discuss the concept of 'brand' from so many different points of view, that it's difficult to sort out the good from the bad. This is one of the good ones.
Moon and Millison define the basic concepts around brand. They explain in clear buzzword-light language what influences the growth and positioning of a brand. Finally, they provide ample and well-explained pointers to further reading to help understand some of their basic ideas more clearly.
As a consultant working for a systems integrator, one of the things that impressed me the most was the focus on execution. Many books about branding seem to imply that the technical details are irrelevant to brand success, but _Firebrands_ makes the point that a relationship with a customer only has brand value when supported by appropriate policies, training, and technical infrastructure. This is a message that can't be, IMO, repeated often enough.
Well worth the time to read.
my review.......2001-03-08
I have read Firebrands and found it extremely useful. As a systems integrator in St. Louis, I have used this book to help my clients understand the importance of a technical infrastructure in building a vibrant brand.... Mind you, this is not a 60 second brand manager book.
Not Hype! A System for Reality...and innovation........2001-03-05
Firebr@nds is not a bedside book, it's a cookbook, a tool for being AT CAUSE when it comes to building successful, powerful communications for the internet.
As a Technology Interface Architect , the building of brand into the interaction of the product is vital to it's success.
My clients over the past 12 years have been besieged by what appears to them this mysterious thing out there that will grow over some process, that we will somehow invoke, and it will be successful if the powers that be are on our side.
This book makes it all very clear, while eliciting sympathy for all of us who have built brands. A genuine appreciation for its complexity is gained as you read a systemization of brandbuilding in Firebr@ands.
Moon has given us a thorough and deep taxonomy for building the brand from many different pragmatic angles. The dramatic distinctions in language make it easy to use the language as a tool in any company when it comes to educating organizations in building brand.
This is a book that I will return to over and over again as I help my clients grow their products into the future. It was a very brave, and necessary book to write. BRAVO!!!!
Beyond the Frontiers - A genetic approach to the Brand.......2001-03-01
As the Chief Technical Officer of a Texas based e-services and print communication firm, I live in this interactive brandspace on a daily basis. The problem with this brave new world of pixels is simply that much is said and much is written but little intelligent communication occurs. I find the innovative and far reaching approach taken by Michael Moon to be the de facto foundation for the next "big thing".
The approach that one must take to these new media spaces and channels is not readily discernible from the clearly defined trails blazed in the more traditional areas of branding. This new territory is as different as the Earth is from the Moon [no pun intended]. The book travels beyond the areas marked as "unknown - there be dragons here" and opens a clear and understandable path into formerly mysterious areas.
What we need out here in the field is less hype and more substance. Firebrands is a rational, ground breaking treatise on the evolution of Branding. This is a pivotal work that serves as a wonderful deskside companion, as indispensible to me as my spell checker or my browser.
Michaels' best practices mental evolution from the time of the Jeff Martin led Digital Brand Building Seminars of the mid-90's to this opus show an extraordinary depth and breadth of thought and research . The Firebrands book is the Gray's Anatomy of Brand "science".
As my company moves forward with ground breaking, market defining services in the area of brand guaranty we will continue to consult the Firebrands roadmap. We anxiously await any follow-up materials that might come from this mind trust.
Be warned - this is not a shallow pop-business, executive book of the hour read. This is a genetic level approach to a new mindset. It must be read slowly, deliberately, and with a totally open mind. The graphics are not simply illustrative they are literally a book unto themselves. Read this brandspace atlas one chapter at a time, review the graphics, and with time and reflection you will understand.
Book Description
She's armed--with hot irons, sharp shears, and a flair for color.
She's dangerous--truly bad news for bad hair.
And she's going to do whatever it takes to make a place for herself in the exclusive Beverly Hills salon.
Even if that means sweeping hair, emptying trash, scrubbing dummy heads, and making soy lattes for the stars that come to Yoshi's salon.
Even if it means hiding the fact that she's not really an up-and-comer from New York, but a drunk's daughter from small-town Wyoming.
Even if it means igoring her attraction to a tall, dark stranger in a fedora who just stepped off the elevator...and into her heart.
But can a talented hairdresser from the sticks really make it in image-obsessed L.A.? And can she ever find true love and real success in a town that wrote the book on fake?
Customer Reviews:
New Growth.......2007-10-13
What intrigued me most about Sarah Claire leaving small-town Wyoming for Hollywood wasn't the it's-been-done hayseed chick in the big city thing--I couldn't wait to find out whether she'd immediately cave in and bail her alkie mother (who'd followed her to the city) out of jail again, like in the "old days." For me, the answer to whether or not Sarah could change old patterns and find new ways to deal with her mom would end up making all the difference in her blossoming romance in Hollywood. The ending surprised me with its grace-filled, redemptive quality. Sarah embraced growth--and not just of her hair, either. That growth allowed her to receive a gift she hadn't believed would ever be offered. Highly recommended!
Cute and Harmless Chick Lit.......2007-09-30
Melodramatic romance worthy of a chick flick? Yes. But it is "chick lit," after all. And even though I'm not a fan of romance unless it's worked convincingly into a good story, I found this romance endearing because the heroine seems as skeptical as I am!
Twenty-six-year-old Sarah Claire Winowski wants to erase her past (which the inhabitants of her small town in Wyoming know far too well) as the illegitimate daughter of an alcoholic mother. She's got hairstyling as a skill, a well-off cousin as a roommate, and Hollywood fame on the brain as she heads to LA to make her way as a hairdresser.
The transition from her dream world of Cary Grant, 1950s movies, and thick novels, to the rich and plastic environs of Hollywood and the proximity of her ideal man, proves rocky at times. Guided by her own shaky common sense and a relationship with God that is not eons deep but is gut-honest and long-lasting, she finds her way to success in more ways than one.
You're not going to find much theology. And don't check discernment at the door before you crack the cover, because there are a few "gray areas" regarding how lifestyle issues are portrayed. But overall, this is a pretty harmless and engaging read.
Great fun read.......2007-08-29
It was interesting to read the other reviews, so I thought I would add my two cents. I ordered several "Christian Chick Lit" books to take to the beach, mostly from authors I had read before. I got Siri Mitchell's Moon Over Toyko, Norah's Ark, a couple from Debbie Macomber, etc... This was my favorite, and the most fun to read. I felt like Sarah's hesitance to enter in a realtionship was realistic (compared to Mitchell's heroine and to Norah, both of who drove me nuts), and the descriptions of Hollywood life are fun. This is certainly not rocket science, it is chick lit, but very enjoyable.
A Fun Inside Peek into Hollywood Dreams.......2007-08-17
Sarah Claire Winowski knows she's meant for greater things than being stuck forever in small-town Wyoming, daughter of an alcoholic mom who works in a bar.
At age 26, she's ready to strike out and see the world, armed with scissors and a flair for color. Her big break comes when her cousin Scott helps her land a job with a posh hair-design studio in dreamy Hollywood.
It doesn't take long before Sarah Claire realizes what she's up against - a boss who's in love with himself, jealous coworkers, and a town where beauty is only skin deep. Image is everything, she learns, and her past threatens to destroy the new life she's trying desperately to build.
For any woman who has ever left home to pursue a dream, Billerbeck's novel shows that no matter how far we journey, God will always lead the way.
--Christian Women Online Book Buzz
Escape Lit - .......2007-07-17
Kristin Billerbeck writes charming men and sassy, angsty women with such warmth and creativity that I can't help but sigh when closing one of her books.
Split Ends is well told and with seeds of truth that push the reader to ponder the things that hold them captive to messed-up thinking or burdens from the past.
Each chapter begins with a quote from a movie star from "back in the day." The day when all men were gentle yet tough and women felt protected enough to be vulnerable.
Those who are old movie fans, Hollywood hounds, into hair and/or fashion, or just love a sweet story will find much to like.
I discovered a time conundrum or two within the story. But since this is Chick-Lit and those of us who enjoy it do so for the escapism and the fun and subtle errors are easily overlooked.
For the more sensitive readers -- a wee bit of language and slightly indelicate mention of natural beauty enhancements occasionally pop up along the story line. However, anyone who watches television won't be put off unless they think that Christians don't know slang, or that it's a sin to use it.
As appearing at the NovelReviews blog spot.
Book Description
John Hagee tells the story to both the Christian and the Jew of the assassination of Yitzah Rabin, the Prime Minister of Israel, and how this was one event foretold by the prophets. He addresses the Jew by explaining how according to God's Word this event has and will effect the choices they make as a people and a nation. He calls Christians to be courageous, for God is in control. As someone who knew Prime Minister Rabin, he helps all to recognize the price of peacekeeping.
Customer Reviews:
John Hagee must be mad.......2007-08-25
I tried to read this trash-book almost 10 years ago.This book is only garbage.Don't waste your time or money, reading this trash-book.
Nuts.......2005-07-27
This book is just more of Hagee spewing about the end of the world and how Muslims, Arabs, blah blah blah are all evil. He's a dimwitted lunatic, but this book is recommended if you are, too!
Be Open, But Think For Yourself.......2004-01-30
Beginning of the End is a fascinating look at where the world is heading in relationship to the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. A vague sort of marker on the timeline of earth's predetermined destiny. He does a fairly decent job of using previously fulfilled prophecies to prove the veracity of the Bible, and then goes on to give his educated opinion of how the end times might play out. While Hagee offers much to learn and ponder, no self-respecting person, especially a Christian, should take his word to be infallible. Read the book, do your own study and research, and come to your own conclusions. As Hagee himself states in the book, most of it doesn't really even matter for Christians because we won't be here when it happens anyway.
A look at Biblical prophecy, with a touch of speculation..........2003-07-09
John Hagee's book "Beginning of the End" attempts to provide its reader with a vivid illustration of the chronology and events of the end-times according to the prophets of the Bible. The book serves as perfect complimentary reading to other books on the subject from authors like Tim LaHaye, Hal Lindsey, and Grant Jeffery. The historical notes and Biblical commentary add real value to this book, as readers will pick up on certain ideas never mentioned in similar books. For its overall explanation of the end times, this book merits a five-star rating.
However, I rate the book four-stars because of its emphasis on the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin as a major end-time event. The author goes as far as to make the book's subtitle, "The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Coming Antichrist". And throughout the book, Hagee speculates that Rabin's assassination will cause the Israeli people to charge headfirst into a "peace at any price" movement, which he believes is a forerunner to the Tribulation and the arrival of the Antichrist.
Seven years after this book was written, Israeli and its neighbors are no closer to peace than before, and Rabin's assassination has not assured the "land for peace" doctrine a political victory in Israel. Although I can see the merit of Hagee's work, those unfamiliar with the subject of Biblical prophecy will view his speculations as further evidence that such views are those of "kooks", conspiracy theorists, and wackos. They will point out the seemingly endless history of false speculations made by the Christian community and fail to take end-times prophecy as a serious subject. Speculation should be reserved for fiction, and that's why this is a four-star book...
Britt Gillette
Author of "Conquest of Paradise: An End-Times Nano-Thriller"
An Excellent Profile of the End Times.......2000-09-30
When I first started reading Pastor Hagee's book "The beginning of the End", I must admit it was a little slow in the beginning. However, it picked up rapidly after that and I couldn't put the book down. This book will give any reader a clear understanding of events of the end times. For believers it brings great hope to know the church will be taken out before the horrible world events take place. Glory! I highly recommend this book; I recently bought this book for someone else. If you're into reading books, don't overlook this one!
Book Description
The alternate history master and author of Days of Infamy brings his Pearl Harbor epic to a dramatic conclusion.
In this alternate history of World War II, the Japanese follow up their Pearl Harbor attack with the successful occupation of Hawaii, and America is marshalling its military forces-from east coast to west-to reclaim the islands from the enemy.
Download Description
In this alternate history of World War II, the Japanese follow up their Pearl Harbor attack with the successful occupation of Hawaii. Now America is marshaling its military forces-from East Coast to West-to reclaim the islands from the enemy.
Customer Reviews:
Banzai.......2007-04-28
If you enjoy ww2 alternate history you won't be disappointed. My only complaint is that it should have been a trilogy
Turtledove.......2007-04-04
One of Harry's latest and, to me, most interesting series. It's much more believable to me because it could have happened as it does in this book and its prior, companion volume. Very interesting and enjoyable.
End of the beginning.......2007-03-21
Great book. The writer stays away from the horrors that the enemy would have done with the civilian population if the islands had been occupied. Sadly so much of the other would have been done and did happen in the real world. All in all, a really great book. thank you!
Sequel to "Days of Infamy", .......2007-03-10
This is the second of a pair of gripping alternative history novels which explore the possibility that Japan might have backed up the air strikes on Pearl Harbour with a land invasion of Hawaii.
The first novel is called "Days of Infamy" and if you are going to read these I would strongly recommend that you start with that one.
This is the fourth alternative version of World War II which Turtledove has written. He has previously done stories with aliens from Tau Ceti invading in 1942 (the Worldwar series), a parallel history following pretty much the real track, in a world where technology uses magic rather than engineering (known variously as the Darkness, Derlavi, or 'World at War' series), and an alternative World War II in a history following a Rebel victory in the US Civil War, which has the same roles as in the historical WWII carried out by different people (Settling Accounts).
Having done so many alternative versions of World War II, you would think he would find it impossible to say anything new about them or maintain the reader's interest. Judging by other reviews on the UK and US sites, some readers do indeed have that problem, and I expected to be one of them, but from the moment I picked up "Days of Infamy" I found myself hooked. I stayed hooked when I read "End of the Beginning."
Turtledove suggests that the Imperial Japanese forces would have treated the inhabitants of Hawaii with the same ruthless cruelty they dealt out to other people who fell under their control, such as the luckless people of Nanking. This is all too plausible. He weaves a story of how this might have affected the people who lived under their regime, from American Prisoners of War, U.S. and Hawaiian civilians, to Hawaiian residents of Japanese origin.
Perhaps the best part of both books is Turtledove's account of how the conflict might have left this latter group torn between conflicting loyalties. This second book continues the story of a family in which the father, who was born in Japan, welcomes the invasion and makes propaganda broadcasts for the Japanese, while his sons, born locally, continue to identify with the American side to the extent that white Americans will let them.
I found most of the characters interesting and believable, and wanted to know what would happen to them, though in places Turtledove has difficulty getting inside the mindset of Imperial Japanese Navy officers. In one or two places he strikes a ludicrously false note. For example, during the account of a conversation between two IJN officers, Turtledove attributes to them the view that the significance of Tsushima was that it was the first modern battle in which "people of colour" defeated a white nation.
This politically correct term and the concepts behind it would be as alien to officers in the Imperial Japanese forces as they would have been to their counterparts and allies in the Waffen SS. I do not for an instant suggest that this was true of all Japanese back then, let alone today, but many IJN and Imperial Japanese Army officers were as racist as the Nazis and regarded everyone other than Japanese as sub-human. The significance of Tsushima to them would have been that it was the first battle in which the Japanese defeated a European force.
However, perhaps it's a good sign for Harry Turtledove that he did have difficulty thinking himself into the role of an IJN officer: in recent books he has been amazingly successful at helping the reader imagine how mass murderers analogous to the Nazis might think - if he found it too easy to put himself in the place of a ruthless killer who exhibits total contempt for human life, maybe it would be cause for concern!
Although Turtledove is prone to writing multi-book series, he drops a fairly strong hint on the last page of this book that that won't be necessary here. By the conclusion of "End of the Beginning" in Summer 1943, it is evident that the Pacific war is back on a track similar to the history of our universe, perhaps with the reconquest of territory from the Japanese a few months behind schedule but with the same eventual and inevitable outcome.
In the last sentence of the story, Turtledove gives a clear indication of the ultimate fate in store for one of the few Japanese characters to survive to the end of the book. This also effectively indicates that the story will converge with the course of real history. So there isn't really anything new for any further books in this series to say. then again, I've thought that sort of thing before ....
For the reasons hinted at above, I nearly didn't read this series, but I'm very glad I gave in to the temptation to do so. If you liked most of Turtledove's other books, you will almost certainly like this one.
End of the Beginning.......2007-02-08
This is pure Turtledove. This is history with a twist that keeps you wondering what the end will be like. You get to see the plot unfold through the eyes of all the characters rather than just one or two. As with all of his works, the history of the Pearl Harbor attack unfolds with more twists and turns than a country road. By breaking up the story into little bites the book is ideal reading for someone who likes to just catch a few pages at a time or for those who devourer the entire book at a single sitting. Great story, great writing and fun to read.
Product Description
Original Title: "A Handful of Dreams"
Book Description
In this truly mammoth guide, Mike Ashley analyzes and explicates the line between the real Arthurian world and the legends that surround it. Ashley gives us a firm identity not only for King Arthur, but also for Merlin, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table—as well as identifying all the major Arthurian sites. He traces the development of each of the legends and shows how they were related to events happening at the time, bringing a new dimension of realism to the magical Arthurian world. Ashley also offers new and little known information on Arthur—including a fascinating link to the present royal family and the likelihood that Arthurian legends arose from the exploits of not just one man but at least four. With over 700 pages, this is the most complete single-volume guide to Arthurian legend and history.
Customer Reviews:
Title says it all.......2007-06-23
A perfect sourcebook for Arthurian lore, ranging from Welsh histories to modern movies and novels. Jammed packed with information, but certainly not boring to read. This book is awesome!
Not as useful as the author claims.......2005-10-17
This huge book spans the length of Arthuriana and is an interesting read. However, I was left questioning way too much. I was constantly asking myself, "from where does Mike Ashley get his information?" I'm not saying it isn't authentic, but he rarely names sources. For instance, though I've read the geneologies available to me, I've never come across certain names or connections Mike Ashley gives. He always says "the geneologies state," without saying which one. As a reader, and Arthurian scholar, I want to be able to authenticate any information given to me.
Also, his "accepted" criteria for a generation (25-30 years) is way too calculated. With women having children at early ages and men fathering children even into old age (which wasn't that old in the Dark Ages), only a few generations could completely throw Ashley's time-scale way off. Just three generations of people having children at age 20 could throw the scale off by up to 30 years!
Finally, the book is written as if definitive, though precious little known about King Arthur and his time period is definitive. In some places, Ashley gives information like it is historically accurate even though such information directly contradicts most Arthurian scholars. For instance, under the entry for "Anna," Ashley says that the "name Morgause is almost certainly derived from Gwyar." Under the entry for Morgause he implies that this name derives from Morcades or Orcades. This later explanation is the one generally accepted by Arthurian scholars, from what I've read. In fact, many of his supposed historic explanations for Arthurian characters contradict the majority of Arthurian scholars.
This might seem small, but compounded over the length of 670 pages, you have a book full of contradictions and theory presented as fact. If only I knew his resources, I might be able to give this book more than 2 stars. As is, I found it almost entirely unuseful.
A Whole Lot Of Camelot.......2005-07-17
I've had spotty luck with the Mammoth series before; some are quite decent, some are obvious hack jobs, and one or two are just loony (the Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper pops to mind). This one is divided into three rough sections, of unequal size and value.
The first attempts to break down the "historical Arthur," who Ashley defines first as "the war-leader of the Britons at Badon Hill" and only second as "the guy who Geoffrey of Monmouth was talking about." This results in a pretty thorough chase through obscure Breton king-lists, Nennius, the Ten Battles (fifty pages on them alone), the Welsh Triads, and so forth until he gets to a list of twenty, count-em, suspects. These range from Lucius Artorius Castus (the only Roman commander named 'Artorius' known to have served in Britain) to Arthwys ap Meurig (the king, perhaps, of Gwent in the seventh century, unless he wasn't). Ashley quietly plumps for an Arthur based in Gwent or Powys, but argues that Geoffrey's "Arthur" is a composite of five or six British leaders with mythic elements from Alfred and Aethelstan, and constructs a perhaps over-delicate genealogical lattice-work with which to argue that the victory at Badon was a coalition victory under a king of Dyfed named Agricola or Aircol, with one Vortipor/Gwerthefyr as the primary commander and possible "dux bellorum." This is about as good as things get without getting into Deep History. If this section has a flaw, it's probably best highlighted by Ashley's nervous-making habit of citing Laurence Gardner's Bloodline of the Holy Grail without using the words "barking mad." I'm certainly not an expert in post-Roman British chronicles, so for all I know, Gardner's research into the political-military complexities of the Saxon frontier is actually a model of meticulous restraint -- but I doubt it. Ashley does do a good job of highlighting when some fruity speculation is Gardner's and Gardner's alone -- the first time it appears. By contrast, he is politely dismissive of Geoffrey Ashe's various enthusiasms, and wisely so.
That takes us to page 306, where we begin about 200 pages of primer on the Arthurian Cycle, beginning with some potted history of the twelfth century and then into the various versions of the Tristan, Lancelot, Perceval, Galahad, Merlin, and other sub-cycles through the 14th century. This is excellent stuff, well presented; the Grail section is remarkably free of utter crazitude, although again it's no substitute for a specialist work on the topic like Richard Barber's The Holy Grail (the best single book on the topic). Then a short chapter on Malory, and another brings us up to Tennyson and the Pre-Raphaelites. This is all clear and relatively straightforward; it's also stuff I probably could have assembled myself from my bookshelves -- but not in only $13.50 worth of my time. We close up with sixty pages of Arthurian novels, narrowly defined (no That Hideous Strength or Drawing of the Dark), and ten pages of Arthurian movies -- this is all pretty disposable stuff. Its lack of attention to poetry means only tangential discussion of Eliot and (what's worse) none at all of Charles Williams.
Finally, we have about ninety pages of decent Arthurian Cycle "Who's Who" and gazetteer, more historically minded than Phyllis Ann Karr's wonderful (but primarily literary) Arthurian Companion and therefore of some good utility despite its relative brevity. A solid index in microscopic type concludes our program.
Ashley has read, and widely, all across the topic; for example, he cites John Hughes' far from seminal work Arthurian Myths and Alchemy in passing while discussing Malory and the court of Edward IV. Ashley cites Littleton and Malcor fairly, although space (and his inherent charity, perhaps) prevents full attention to their "Sarmatian thesis." He cites both Keys and Baillie on the Catastrophe of 535, and links it (too sketchily) to the discussion of the Waste Land. He even notes the possible ties between Amlawdd Wledig (from "Culhwch and Olwen") and Hamlet, although he (probably rightly) dismisses them. He misses one or two Arthurs from the fringe of the fringe -- there's no discussion, for example, of W.A. Cummins' dotty theory that King Arthur was actually a Bronze Age Wessex Culture monarch who built Stonehenge. (I'm hesitant to consider that particular absence a flaw.) Out there on the edge he does misstep occasionally; his brief discussion of St. Brendan badly confuses Brendan with Bran, both of whose immrama are relevant to the Arthurian mythos.
But on the whole, minor notches in the Sword of Strange Straps aside, this is an excellent one-volume compendium of Res Arthuria. The movie list is by far the weakest section; the various side-by-side comparisons of the various Cycles is probably the strongest, with the Gildas-to-Geoffrey section on "historical Arthurs" a close second. If you're more interested in post-Malory Arthuriana, try Norris Lacy instead. But if you need one good book on King Arthur, with a strong concentration on the pre-Galfridian material and the relevant historical background, this is probably the one to get -- you certainly won't beat the price.
Average customer rating:
- Working With, Rather Than Just Trying to Conquer Burnout
- Heartening and helpful
- Don't Settle for Burnout! There's more to life...
- Helpful & thought-provoking
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The Joy of Burnout: How the End of the World Can Be a New Beginning
Dina Glouberman
Manufacturer: Inner Ocean Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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| Health, Mind & Body
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Motivational
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Personal Transformation
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Stress Management
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Applied Psychology
| Psychology & Counseling
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Reclaiming the Fire: How Successful People Overcome Burnout
ASIN: 1930722206 |
Book Description
Is burnout really as bad as its reputation suggests? Dr. Dina Glouberman says no. While other books tend to focus on managing burnout and restoring pre-burnout status, this lively, personal guide radically redefines the condition: Burnout is not the end-of-tether phase this side of breakdown, but a trigger for profound change and self-renewal. Glouberman explains, "Burnout is, or can be, a door to walk through into a life with space, love, and joy — indeed a sense of being able to be one's true self." For those who are at burnout, or in danger of becoming so, this practical guide provides a companion to help readers rise from the ashes of their former selves.
Customer Reviews:
Working With, Rather Than Just Trying to Conquer Burnout.......2006-02-16
The question: "What is burnout?" may seem obvious, since the term "burnout" has become part of everyday language, but it is still the topic of a great deal of empirical research.
Perhaps the best definition is that burnout is a prolonged response to chronic physical, emotional and interpersonal stressors at work. It is defined by three primary dimensions:
Exhaustion
Cynicism
Inefficacy
Burnout is more than just an individual experience of stress: it has to be seen in the larger organizational context of people's relationship with their work, and it has to be seen as a meaningful process that is trying to tell us something.
It is often the case that individuals miss all the signs in themselves. Some of the main symptoms are: Trouble sleeping; Worrying, particularly at night; Feeling unappreciated or "used" at work; Feeling less effective or competent than you used to; Easily becoming angry or irritated; A dread of going to work; A feeling of being overwhelmed; Recurrent stress-related physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue or back pain; Watching the clock and counting down toward the end of the work day; Rigidly applying rules without considering more creative solutions; Automatically expressing negative attitudes; Finding excuses to be absent from work. This is not the whole list, but just some of the most important symptoms. It is distressing that some people with burnout begin to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol, as can happen with many life changing events, if people are not shown a way out of the maze.
There has been a lot of work on strategies to help individuals and organizations deal with this problem. Most have focused on ways to abolish the problem: to make it go away. Though that is a worthy objective, it is also important to understand the context, meaning and purpose of events in our lives, or otherwise we simply keep putting psychological bandaids on ever larger problems. So the best approach is to use work with physical, psychological and social difficulties to come up with solutions, but not to neglect the broader context of burnout: what does it mean for us personally and spiritualy?
This book is a superb example of how to approach that final piece. Pain, suffering and struggle are so often life's way of helping us to advance, to break out of the cocoons that restrain us. The trick is to know how to use these "negative" events to our advantage. Dina Glouberman's book is well written and full of wise and practical advice.
If you have any of the symptoms that I mentioned, then I would heartily recommend that you investigate what Dina has to say.
Heartening and helpful.......2003-11-11
This book caught my eye in a bookstore in London last fall, and I found it very timely and helpful, so I'm delighted that it's now available in the U.S.
Most books on burnout are written from the perspective that burnout is a negative condition that results from our failure to handle life's demands effectively, so it's up to us to cure the personal problems that caused the burnout and restore our pre-burnout frame of mind. By contrast, Dr. Glouberman sees burnout as a wake-up call, an invitation to stop and re-evaluate what led to our burnout, and an opportunity to reinvent our lives.
In my experience, burnout often occurs because (as happened to the author herself) we're putting too much of our energy into activities that are peripheral or antithetical to what we do best -- e.g., the technical expert who's thrust into a management job, or the teacher who becomes an administrator. Rather than struggling frantically to recapture the enthusiasm that may not have been there in the first place, it's better to step back, evaluate what's right and wrong for us in the present situation, and consciously choose which path forward is best for us.
The author's exercises are helpful, but what I found most encouraging was her attitude. Most people with a strong work ethic find burnout shameful -- an admission that they "failed" to meet the demands of a presumably desirable situation. Dr. Glouberman's positive, optimistic approach to burnout is heartening: once you're able to get past the negative emotions associated with burnout, you're free to look at the situation with detachment, and to learn from it.
Don't Settle for Burnout! There's more to life..........2003-10-02
I attended one of Dr. Glouberman's seminars, and I found her book even more helpful--because I can practice the exercises and read the book for advice and inspiration as I need it. She has an insightful, poignant writing style with the wisdom of an expert who knows her audience and how to help them. Burnout is so commonplace that we accept it as normal, and Glouberman reminds us that life is about living with our whole hearts and finding our true selves.
Helpful & thought-provoking.......2003-09-18
This is an important book for anyone contemplating a change in a job or a relationship; listen to the inner voice, pay attention to what your body tells you, and much, much more. It's obvious that the author knows her stuff--she includes a lot of practical advice and many stories of people who have managed to reclaim their energy and delight in life.
Book Description
2004 Christy Fiction award winner!
Paul Stepola, an agent working for the National Peacekeeping Organization (NPO), has been assigned to enforce compliance with the world government's prohibition on religion. Paul relishes his job and is good at it. He is determined to expose underground religion--flush it out, expose it, and kill it--until his life is turned upside down and he is forced to look at life in a different way.
As Paul begins to unravel the truth about what he has found, events taking place around the world start to make sense. Something big is coming--something that can't be stopped. And it is coming soon.
Customer Reviews:
Soon.......2007-09-08
Even though I'm not a Christian I got curious about the "Left Behind" series because of the concept. A series of novels about the end times could have been very interesting. Unfortunately, they were extremely slow paced and very preachy, and I gave up after 4 novels. I felt the whole series could have been a good trilogy, and so I got interested in this series instead. "Soon" is the first book in a trilogy, followed by "Silenced" and "Shadowed".
The lead character, aptly named Paul, is your average atheistic stock character. He's unfaithful to his wife, he's a cynic and despises all forms of religion (read: Christianity). While working as an agent exposing Christians, he comes to question his worldview.
The premise, of the entire world (which presently is very much influenced by religion) joining together to ban religion is utterly unbelievable, but it would have been easier to suspend disbelief and enjoy the story if the characters had not been so stereotypical. Paul's conversion to Christianity seems very sudden and not very believable. Once he becomes a believer, he turns from a cold-hearted killer into caring, compassionate man (no non-Christian could ever be that in Jenkins's world, I suppose). However Paul's and his Christian friends's compassion don't seem to include unbelievers, when they pray to god to "shut the mouths of the atheists".
The book starts out promising with an interesting prologue, but quickly slows down. Towards the ending it gets interesting, even suspenseful, for a while, but this doesn't last long.
Christianity and Paul's conversion is such a central part of the book (it includes long quotes from scripture, and at times gets quite preachy), it is not likely to appeal to many non-Christians. I wouldn't recommend it to general readers, but I could recommend it to Christians who like Jenkins's style or can overlook his trademark flaws (slow pace, clichéd characters, preachiness, etc). And those who think "Left Behind" became much too long may want to read this instead; you'll be able to finish it before the world comes to an end.
The pace got better toward the last half of the book, so maybe the sequels are better in this regard. However, "Soon" didn't make me interested enough to want to buy the sequels.
Another winner from Mr. Jenkins.......2007-05-14
This one of a series of three books fictionalizing some prophesy from the Bible. He does and excellent job of making you thin about your spiritual path and helps you to understand some of the more obscure but important parts of the Bible. I think reading his works makes studying the Bible fun as he uses current type stories to help you see the importances of keeping our freedom to believe in God and living a loving spiritual life.
Soon.......2007-01-10
Wow, I loved this book, well written and exciting story line. Will read again....
Intriguing.......2006-07-26
Soon really pulled me into the characters Paul and Jae. It left me wanting to get the next book Silenced.
I tried.......2006-03-21
I tried to listen to "SOON" after having enjoyed the 'left behind' series. But I must confess that this novel failed to grab me. The narrator's narration was uninspired, the characterization (yet another womanizing chump ala "Rayford), left me cold, and the parallels to the life of apostle Paul were tedious. I also grew bored with the 'persecution of poor widdle innocent Christians' which seems to be the single note played over and over in the 'end times fiction.' Somehow I seriously doubt you'll get Christians to give up God quite so easily, and I don't see the world capital moving to Switzerland anytime soon.
1 star. Silly.
Book Description
Today we are on the verge of discoveries that should soon reveal the deepest secrets of the universe. In Alpha & Omega, Charles Seife takes us to the front lines of the cosmological revolution to synthesize the discoveries of scientists at observatories and laboratories around the world who are actually peering into both the cradle of the universe and its grave. The cast of characters includes galaxy hunters and microwave eavesdroppers, gravity theorists and atom smashers, all of whom are on the trail of dark matter, dark energy, and the growing inhabitants of the particle zoo. SeifeÂ's lucid explanations of scientific theories and current research make cutting-edge science both crystal clear and wonderfully exciting.
Customer Reviews:
wow!.......2007-10-06
Amazing! Truth can be stranger than fiction. Vacuums filled with activity. The beginning and end of the universe. Spacetime a rubber sheet. And all described specifically and clearly.
satisfactory overview.......2007-01-09
This book provides a satisfactory overview of the history and current state of cosmology. Unfortunately, the book describes Copernicus as wasting many years trying to explain the radiuses of the planetary orbits in terms of the five Platonic solids, when in fact it was Kepler who was obsessed with this idea. The majority of popular books devoting space to the history of astronomy mention this, with most also including a picture of Kepler's model, thus it is certainly not an obscure fact. This error made me wonder whether the book was reviewed by anyone knowledgeable prior to publication. I was disappointed to see such a major error in the book as it made me wonder what other errors might be lurking in the text. It definitely showed that the author was not as familiar with the material as he should have been.
This book is a good intro to cosmology and explains every discovery so far..........2005-12-15
I like Seife's writing style. He wrote this book keeping in mind that 'regular' people will be reading it. He starts with the very first theorys on the universe and explains them in a way that slides right into to your mind like butter. The theorys are written chronologically and gradually get more complex as new things are discovered. He also describes these new discoveries chronologically and detailed to where the average person has a broader more precise understanding of the whys and hows and whats of each theory.This book has confirmed what I always thought was a huge part in the creation of the universe: symmetry; particularly TCP symmetry (I wish there was more info on that in the book)...The previous reviewer mentioned that this book suffers by "trying to explain mathematical ideas without using mathematics"... that is a bunch of bull b/c there is a great glossary that explains every mathematical term/symbol....speaking of math; I'll leave you with a though: in this book we find out that the universe is in fact finite(albeit ever-expanding) but how can you truly decifer the language of a finite universe with an infinite language of illusions and possibilities(MATH!)that allows anything to go?... If we could then over 95% of the universe still wouldn't be invisibe dark matter now would it!
Very convincing.......2004-07-25
I am a skeptic. I have a mind of my own, and I like authors who treat the reader with respect. If I wanted religion, I would go to church. I want to be convinced.
In particular, I am very skeptical of the whole big bang idea. I've been exposed to some of the evidence, but it has always seemed relatively scant to me.
No longer. Seife has convinced me. The big bang, basically, probably, did in fact occur.
His deep respect for skeptical scientists, my heroes, runs through the whole book. Seife acknoledges that much of the old evidence was really not overwhelming. When he refers to very recent experiments which disprove moribund but reasonable ideas (some of which have occurred even to laymen like me) he does not criticize the scientists who had held out hope. Actually, he seems to admire the tenacity of the iconoclast.
The icing on the cake is the list of ongoing and future experiments. This section may soon be outdated, but for now it has the effect of including the reader in the scientific pursuit. I am now very excited to learn the results of some of these experiments, though they may be years away.
If you just want to admire the insights, go with Hawking. If you want to dream, try Brian Greene. If you want to be dragged kicking and screaming into the new cosmological era, read this book.
Why only 4 stars? The book becomes less convincing in the final chapters. But it is the best I've found.
Good introduction for non-science types.......2004-07-15
A fine and clear review of the development of cosmological theory from Ptolemy to the present, definitely written for the curious non-scientist.
Seife has a good feeling for how strange the universe is, and for how unsettling it can be to contemplate it. He takes your hand and leads you through the stories of discovery with respect, but assuming you know little to nothing about the subject.
I had trouble putting it down.
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