Average customer rating:
- I know, I know...
- A must read for anyone
- Good stuff, but less important than his other work
- Buy the ticket...take the ride
- A wild and extraordinary ride down a lost highway ...
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
Hunter S. Thompson
Manufacturer: Vintage
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ASIN: 0679785892
Release Date: 1998-05-12 |
Amazon.com Reviews
Heralded as the "best book on the dope decade" by the New York Times Book Review, Hunter S. Thompson's documented drug orgy through Las Vegas would no doubt leave Nancy Reagan blushing and D.A.R.E. founders rethinking their motto. Under the pseudonym of Raoul Duke, Thompson travels with his Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo, in a souped-up convertible dubbed the "Great Red Shark." In its trunk, they stow "two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half-full of cocaine and a whole galaxy of multicolored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers.... A quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls," which they manage to consume during their short tour.
On assignment from a sports magazine to cover "the fabulous Mint 400"--a free-for-all biker's race in the heart of the Nevada desert--the drug-a-delic duo stumbles through Vegas in hallucinatory hopes of finding the American dream (two truck-stop waitresses tell them it's nearby, but can't remember if it's on the right or the left). They of course never get the story, but they do commit the only sins in Vegas: "burning the locals, abusing the tourists, terrifying the help." For Thompson to remember and pen his experiences with such clarity and wit is nothing short of a miracle; an impressive feat no matter how one feels about the subject matter. A first-rate sensibility twinger, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a pop-culture classic, an icon of an era past, and a nugget of pure comedic genius. --Rebekah Warren
Book Description
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page. It is also the tale of a long weekend road trip that has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one of the strangest journeys ever undertaken.
Now this cult classic of gonzo journalism is a major motion picture from Universal, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro. Opens everywhere on May 22, 1998.
Customer Reviews:
I know, I know..........2007-09-30
I know, it's THE Hunter S. Thompson book. It would be like having the gall to write a review for the Grapes of Wrath or Slaughterhouse Five and think you'd be doing anything other than blabbing just to see your own words on a computer screen.
That said, read this book this instant. Whatever good anyone's ever said about this book, it's twenty times better. I read it in two sittings and only stopped myself from reading it again because it was a library book and had to be returned.
The late HST's gift for gonzo, that strange mix of fiction and nonfiction, is ultimately realized in this book. Reality is seamlessly mixed with a bizarre fantasy world of sentient reptiles and split personality through the medium of hard drugs that serve to clarify (and sometimes amplify) a violent and twisted town in a strange time.
This book will have you laughing hysterically at parts, so don't read it around other people unless you're okay with passing it to them. This book will have you cringing at the brutality of human nature at points, so have your wits about you.
I really can't say anything else, other than that this book must be purchased and read this very instant if you haven't already done so.
A must read for anyone.......2007-09-21
Thompson's book helps create a vivid picture of the drug fueled 60's and early 70's a way no one else has before.
Good stuff, but less important than his other work.......2007-09-14
¨Fear and Loathing¨ is a great ride for sure. A drug-addled, hilarious, disturbing romp through Las Vegas in search of the American Dream. Thompson is definitely a skilled writer and an outlaw and this stuff comes through in this book. I don't want to shrug this work off by any means, but I definately prefer his other work, such as ¨The Great Shark Hunt,¨ because it truly brings out Thompson's outlook on the world, his hatred of wealth, power and greed, etc. This book is fun, but Thompson is definitely capable of more depth and thought. While this work might be what gave him his big break, he definitely went on to better things.
Buy the ticket...take the ride.......2007-08-23
A bizzare journey to the heart of the American Dream, funny, witty and full of memorable episodes. The illustrations by Ralph Steadman are also superb. Raul Duke says it clearly : "buy the ticket...take the ride"
A wild and extraordinary ride down a lost highway ..........2007-08-20
The lost highway of the American Dream.
I wasn't old enough to remember much from the late 60's early 70's let alone the political aspects of Nixon's presidency or the drug culture of the time, so this review won't have any profound social or political commentary, except that comparisons can well be made to the drug culture of today, and it is glaringly apparent that not much has changed.
Considering the climate of the time: Nixon's presidency, the war in Vietnam, and the country's young men succumbing to the draft, it was no wonder that an entire generation wanted something more, for this was not the American Dream they had been sold. And for some, the only way to drown out the hypocrisy gnawing at your brain is to give your brain an escape. Expand your mind, as that might be the only part of you that is truly free. Whatever it takes to get you directly out of your head -- the higher the better. This story chronicles a journey utterly devoid of restraint and reason as these two men, Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, and their trunk full of felonies set themselves loose upon Las Vegas -- the last vestige of the American Dream. However, their idea of the American Dream is not how most of us would understand it, but somehow, through the fog of hallucinatory metaphor, we can actually see and feel what the main characters are searching for so desperately.
All that aside, even if the 60's culture is beyond your age group, Thompson's writing is worth the read -- Brilliant, sarcastic, and frighteningly funny: Bars seething with has-been lounge lizards, tearing the patrons to shreds, blood soaked tacky hotel rooms, police car chases, kidnapping, gambling, excess, and debauchery ... not to mention the Narcotics Convention. The dialog is brilliant. Harrowing experiences abound; it is amazing that the two main characters make it out of Vegas alive.
Definitely a wild ride for all.
Customer Reviews:
Lip Smacking Good Literature Introductory Text.......2006-07-10
This is an outstanding survey of some of the best writers and best works written. The book's condensed background and critical literary text sections are vastly improved from the previous edition. The model readings and essays are outstanding and illustrative of exactly the kinds of writing approaches necessary to succeed in introductory and advanced collegiate literature study.
Most importantly, this book has great writing that will whet the appetites of serious scholars-in-training, as well as general readers who wish to fill in blanks in their reading backgrounds or explore familiar writers once again. The poetry sections are especially good, as well as the selection of classic and modern plays.
This is both an invaluable book for a literature professor and students, as well as a fun book that curious readers will enjoy exploring time and time again.
Enjoyable learning tool.......2005-12-01
I used this book in my class in college.
I throughly enjoyed the poems, stories etc. The writing information was clear and easily understood. I disagree with the reviewer blaming the book for the lower grade. I got an A.
a dense book.......2005-08-11
I had to write a review after seeing the only other review for this book. It sounded like some kid who had to take a class he didn't want to and blaimed the book for it. This is a great book. It's super dense, it contains a great deal of analysis of the various components of writing with illustrative examples (short stories) by a wide variety of contemporary and classic authors. This is a great anthology. It contains almost 1,500 pages and contains poetry, plays, and fiction. Also, it contains some biographical information and has a glossary of literary terms. A bargain for the price if you ask me.
gooses review.......2005-06-29
I had a class where I had to use this book and I only got a B in the class thanks to this book. This book should be strictly kept in libraries for its lack of educational value. On the bright side the best thing about this book has to be the cover. I didn't read the whole book but as far as I can tell it dosent have anything to do with the content inside the book.
Book Description
In the 1970s and 1980s, before he earned national acclaim for his award-winning novels, Pete Dexter was a newspaper columnist. Every week, in a few hundred words, Dexter cut directly to the heart of the American character at a time of national turmoil and crucial change. With haunting urgency, his columns laid bare the violence, hypocrisy, and desperation he saw on the streets of Philadelphia and in the places he visited across the country. But he reveled, too, in the lighter side of his own life, sharing scenes with the indefatigable Mrs. Dexter, their young daughter, and a series of unforgettable creatures who strayed into their lives. No matter what caught Dexter's eye, it was illuminated by his dark, brilliant humor.
Collected here for the first time are eighty-two of the best of those spellbinding, finely wrought pieces—with a new introduction by the author—assembled by Rob Fleder, editor of the bestselling Sports Illustrated 50th Anniversary Book. Paper Trails is searing, heart-breaking, and irresistibly funny, sometimes all at once. As Pete Hamill says in his foreword, these essays "are as good as it ever gets."
Customer Reviews:
Pete Dexter can WRITE!.......2007-04-06
Boy is Pete Dexter a good writer. This collection of his columns from, among others, the Sacramento Bee and the Philadelphia Inquirer are occasionally a little dark, but never boring, and cover a wide array of subjects. If you've never read Pete Dexter, you should, and this is a good way to get your feet wet; that being said, his novels are not to be missed.
Biting.......2007-04-05
Dexter's stories about life in America may be the most inciteful observations being written today. Spellbinding prose.
Brilliant, fun, sad, poignant ..........2007-03-15
Dexter is truly one of America's greatest writers ... this collection is impossible to put down. If the first piece doesn't grab your heart, you don't have one. This is every bit as good as his novels ... and those are masterpieces.
PETE DEXTER'S UNIQUE STORIES OF LIFE.......2007-02-13
Four FASCINATING Stars! National Book Award-winning writer Pete Dexter wrote kaleidoscopic newspaper columns and magazine articles on his observations of life, love, marriage, death, and everything in between in preceding decades. These 82 vignettes are unique and engrossing, coming from multiple sources Iike Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Redbook, Inside Sports, Philadelphia Daily News, and the Sacramento Bee, focusing on many locations around the country. Although somewhat dated, this book proves the timeless phrase "The more things change, the more they remain the same": case in point, Dexter's 'O. J. Simpson vs the press' viewpoint is right on the money, as O. J. once again regretably rises to the attention of the world.
In the great tradition of writers like Jimmy Breslin, Mr Dexter writes with a keen eye, sardonic wit, and a gift for detail and opinion in rough-edged, highly-descriptive, and presumptive prose. The stories keep coming, letting the reader sometimes read between the lines and fill in missing details: here's how he describes how he rushed from Florida to Philadelphia in mid-winter to accept a much-needed new job: "I arrived three days later with one pair of boots, no coat, running as close to empty as I've ever been", a whale of a winter image in 21 words. You fill in the rest; unshaven, dirty laundry in the back seat? The book is loaded with these.
The specific stories are varied: a salute to a TV newsman murdered on his knees in a foreign country (no, not that newsman and not that country!), the escapades of two friends nicknamed Low Gear and Minus (no kidding!), a mother cat in a dangerous world, a beer throwing contest (seriously!), police stories, courtroom stories, stereotypical views on race but with an underlying fairness and fondness for all men, a paper bag that should have been left alone, murders that could and should have been avoided, an old boxer one should stay away from, and the Brian Spencer-involved murder case that he peels back like an onion. The stories run from the truly interesting to the mundane, but things are never boring based on the grittiness and uniqueness of Mr Dexter's vignettes of life. It may take a couple of stories to get your bearings, but by then he's pulled you into his world. Definitely Recommended!! Four INCISIVE Stars!
(Note: this review is based on an eBook digital download in secure eReader format.)
Amazon.com
Kingdom of Fear is billed as a memoir, but in essence, all of Hunter S. Thompson's books could fit into this category since his life and work have always been tightly bound together by a mythology largely of his own making. (After all, this is the man who, before earning a single dollar as a writer, began meticulously saving a copy of every letter he ever sent.) Still, this is certainly an unconventional memoir, but then what would you expect from the father of gonzo journalism? In these pages Thompson manages to dig deep and reveal a few "loathsome secrets" without offering the kind of personal details he has always avoided. His childhood, for instance, is basically summed up in a sentence: "I look back on my youth with great fondness, but I would not recommend it as a working model to others." He does, however, reflect upon his considerable legacy, including his well-known, and admittedly exaggerated, use of controlled substances ("The brutal reality of politics alone would probably be intolerable without drugs"), as well as offer assessments of his own work, such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ("It's as good as The Great Gatsby and better than The Sun Also Rises").
In this collection of twisted parables and outlaw adventures, Thompson writes about his early run-ins with agents of authority and the lessons learned; his stint in the Air Force and the beginning of his journalism career; his unsuccessful, though illuminating, bid for Sheriff of Aspen, Colorado in 1970 as the Freak Power candidate; the casualties and unintended consequences thus far in the War on Terror; and numerous examples of present-day injustice and hypocrisy--all with his characteristic mix of brutal frankness laced with humor. He also offers his own take on state of the Union: "The prevailing quality of life in America--by any accepted methods of measuring--was inarguably freer and more politically open under Nixon than it is today in this evil year of Our Lord 2002." Thompson continues to make even the most deadly serious subject matter endlessly entertaining. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
Brilliant, provocative, outrageous, and brazen, Hunter S. Thompson's infamous rule breaking -- in his journalism, in his life, and under the law -- changed the shape of American letters, and the face of American icons. Kingdom of Fear traces the course of Thompson's life as a rebel -- from a smart-mouthed Kentucky kid flaunting all authority to a convention-defying journalist who came to personify a wild fusion of fact, fiction, and mind-altering substances.
Call it the evolution of an outlaw. Here are the formative experiences that comprise Thompson's legendary trajectory alongside the weird and the ugly. Whether detailing his exploits as a foreign correspondent in Rio, his job as night manager of the notorious O'Farrell Theatre in San Francisco, his epic run for sheriff of Aspen on the Freak Power ticket, or the sensational legal maneuvering that led to his full acquittal in the famous 99 Days trial, Thompson is at the peak of his narrative powers in Kingdom of Fear. And this boisterous, blistering ride illuminates as never before the professional and ideological risk taking of a literary genius and transgressive icon.
Customer Reviews:
Not his best.......2007-03-18
Mr Thompsons autobiography is somewhat lacking compared to his other works. It seems, that he in his later years didn't have that much new to say, and this volume shows it very clearly. It deals with the legend of HST, not the man Hunter Stockton Thompson, and only plays the same tune that we've been hearing since F&L in Las Vegas, only in a strongly diluded form.
A great drawback is that he recycles a lot of stuff from his earlier work, which if you're a fan/reader of his you can't help but feel a bit cheated about. The book isn't that long as it is, but when half the material already has been printed before, and therefore probably, for fans at least, is on your shelf already, it gives the feeling of the good Mr Thompson not really making an effort writing this volume.
It's not all bad though. There are highlights in the book. His description of his childhood is enjoyable and very biographical. The last chapter is also very enjoyable, although not that good as biographical material, it does for a good reading.
It starts out legitimate enough, but quickly turns to his rambling and at times incoherent style of writing. Worth reading if you're a completist. I would recommend the compilations of his letters "The Proud Highway" and "F&L in America" as biography instead. They are much better.
Significantly Better Than "Hey Rube".......2007-03-16
This book (2003) and "Hey Rube" (2004) appear to be the last of HST's books. While "Hey Rube" contains lengthy discussions of gambling on professional football and basketball (including "March Madness"), this book is more far-ranging, containing everything from Thompson's reminiscences of his youth to his (highly negative) thoughts on George W. Bush. There's even a chapter from "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972," one of the finest political books ever written.
The quality of the writing on the recent pieces is not quite up to that of his best from the past, but is still infinitely better than the mindless slop produced by other contemporary "writers." The man was an artist.
As always, one of the disturbing things about Thompson is his ability to assess politics correctly in real time. Reading back, you think "Why didn't people take this man seriously at the time?"
"Indeed," as Doc would say.
The best collection.......2007-01-19
It's true, there are lots of parts of this book that can be found in other books, but this is still the best HST book I've read. It's sort of like a greatest hits. The new parts however, are the best part of this book.
Some of his best work ever!.......2007-01-13
By far simply one of his best collections. It seems the good doctor saw what was on the horizon and unforunately he was right. The world is a lesser place without him and we should all cherish every word. His insight was frightening an accurate. BUY THIS BOOK!
Just what you would expect from a drunkard.......2006-12-04
Paranoid drivel is the best I can come up with ZZZZZZZZZZ.
Book Description
In the magazine world, no recognition is more highly coveted or prestigious than a National Magazine Award. Annually, members of the American Society of Magazine Editors, in association with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, select the year's most dynamic, original, provocative, and influential magazine stories. The winning and finalist pieces in this anthology represent outstanding work by some of the most eminent writers in America as well as rising literary and journalistic talents.
This prestigious collection includes stories that cover a variety of subjects from Elizabeth Kolbert's investigation into global warming in the New Yorker and James Bamford's look at the PR campaign behind the Iraq War in Rolling Stone to Chris Heath's remarkable profile of Merle Haggard in GQ and Bill Heavey's hilarious account of teaching his daughter to fish in Field and Stream. Other writers include David Foster Wallace ( The Atlantic Monthly), Joyce Carol Oates ( The Virginia Quarterly Review), Priscilla Long ( The American Scholar), Jesse Katz ( Los Angeles Magazine), Marjorie Williams ( Vanity Fair), Hendrik Hertzberg ( New Yorker), Sven Birkerts ( The Virginia Quarterly Review), Erik Reece ( Harper's), Wendy Brenner ( The Oxford American), John Jeremiah Sullivan ( GQ), James Wolcott ( Vanity Fair), and Wyatt Mason ( Harper's).
Wide-ranging in their style and subjects, these writers' stories inform, surprise, entertain, and provide new perspectives on our world. They also reflect elements that distinguish the best in magazine writing: moral passion, investigative zeal, vivid characters and settings, persistent reporting, and artful writing.
Customer Reviews:
Enough high quality items for four stars.......2007-04-17
Compared to other "Best American..." collections of essays and other members of the family, this one is so-so. Some outstanding contributions and others that did absolutely nothing for me, especially the overly preachy, whiny types. I rather expect non-fiction in collections (rather unfair, I know), so Joyce Carol Oates' fine short story of fiction held its own, but felt a little out of place.
Don't be afraid to give up on or skim any articles that aren't to your liking.
My favorites:
- Marjorie Williams' story of her battle with cancer. Maybe I gave it extra points because I remember her work for the Washington Post. Even if so, truly outstanding, and now I need to read the book of collected works of hers.
- James Bamford's eye-opening and appalling story on the "selling" of the war.
- Wendy Brenner's profile of snake-meister and broadly talented Dean Ripa, someone I had never heard of.
- "The Last Outlaw" on Merle Haggard. I put this one off, thinking the subject wouldn't be very interesting. I was certainly wrong.
- "The Recruit" - try to come up with an interesting wrinkle on military recruiting, without being a polemicist or blatantly one-sided. Jesse Katz did, with his focus on a particular, unusual candidate on his way into the system.
Some comments on others:
- David Foster Wallace's piece from the Atlantic, with its clever, nested footnotes, was amusing. I'm an Atlantic subscriber, which made the piece familiar, plus it's not what I would have chosen as a representative from Atlantic.
- "Girl Meets Bluegill" - very sweet and short, sure to bring a smile to parents.
- "Upon This Rock" - maybe I should have figured this wouldn't be another piece making fun of Christians, since presumably it wouldn't have been fresh enough to be an award winner. Better than expected.
- "Death of a Mountain" - environmental topics appear multiple times in the collection. The destruction of land for coal mining in Kentucky skips the ranting about global issues and hits the other end: how devastating our energy demands can be to the local environment.
Best magazine writing .......2007-04-04
I order this collection every year as the editor does indeed choose what I consider the best magazine writing of the year. It is a good way to catch up on the articles you missed during the year. Good for airline reading.
Cherry pick the pieces that intrigue you.......2007-02-24
This compilation is like most of its genre: some of the pieces will intrigue you and compel you to read them; others won't and you can simply skip them. Of course, that list will vary from reader to reader. My personal cherry-pick of the book looked like this:
> 'Host' by David Foster Wallace - Always a delight to read Wallace's footnote-laden, obsessively-researched and minutely-detailed pieces.
> 'The Recruit' by Jesse Katz - A devastating portrait of an Army recruit and the recruiting process.
> 'The Man Who Sold the War' by James Bamford - A portrait of John Rendon; the title of the article says it all. Easy to see why this was awarded the title of 'Best reporting.' Jaw-dropping stuff.
> 'A Matter of Life and Death' by the Marjorie Williams - The author bravely chronicles her own battle with liver cancer.
> 'The Last Outlaw' by Chris Heath - I've never been a Merle Haggard fan...nor am I an anti-fan, but this is simply a spectacularly well-written profile. You get a real sense of Haggard's character. He comes across as personable and honest.
Underwhelming.......2006-12-05
How is it possible that these short stories, mostly about depression and navel contemplation, are ALL award winners? As with most anthologies, some of these stories are better than others. However, none are amazing -- this is hardly a collection of great short fiction. If you'd like to read some collections of interesting short stories (creative, thought-provoking...), I recommend the following books as far superior alternatives:
Matthew Kneale "Small Crimes in an Age of Abundance"
Judy Budnitz "Flying Leap"
John Barlow "Eating Mammals"
John Murray " A Few Notes on Tropical Butterflies
Book Description
The ultimate guide to running a freelance business and making money while doing it, The Wealthy Writer is an all-in-one resource that covers everything a novice or seasoned writer needs to know to be a successful freelancer. This helpful guide:
* Identifies profitable and receptive print and online freelance outlets, including the lucrative area of commercial writing
* Includes chapters on technical writing, Web writing, speech writing, e-books, corporate communications, advertising, direct mail
* Shows writers how to work on their business while working in their business through strategies such as launching a home-based business and turning clients into advocates
* Provides a spectrum of case studies, sample letters, and sample forms, so working writers can put them to use on their own
Customer Reviews:
Best Book on Writing as a Profitable Business.......2007-04-19
This is the best book I have read on what it's like to turn your writing into a profitable business. It's an easy read, yet packed with real life examples from Michael's many years in the trenches. His honesty about what it takes to succeed is refreshing, and I especially enjoyed the chapter on e-books. A great motivational resource and highly recommended.
Another "must read" for copywriters.......2007-04-13
Add another book to the list of "must reads" for aspiring copywriters. THE WEALTHY WRITER by Michael Meanwell. I thought this one might be a little different from books by American authors, but found largely, what sells in America sells in Australia.
I found Meanwell's book to be less engaging at times than Bowerman, Bly or Slaunwhite's books, but also found that he went into much greater (and more appreciated) depth in certain areas. For instance, others simply glazed over speechwriting. Meanwell devotes a very indepth chapter to it.
I didn't make nearly as many notes in this book as I did in some of the other similar books, but I can see referring back to this volume on a regular basis. There is a ton of good information here.
Where this book falls slightly behind the previously mentioned authors is mostly in the formatting. In places, Meanwell's work seems crammed and some of the samples he uses have been reduced to a size too small for old geezers to read. These things notwithstanding, I still have to put this book in the "must read" category for the target audience.
WOW!! This book delivers with a BANG! .......2006-08-31
I came across this book quite by accident and what attracted me besides the GREAT title was.....the GREAT title...! I mean, who doesn't want to learn ways on how to make more money---even Donald Trump is always on the hunt. I picked up the book and could not stop reading it. It had me at 'hello' and I learned exactly what I needed to do to become very successful as a writer.
And mind you, not just living paycheck by paycheck but it teaches you and gives you PERMISSION on HOW to live WELL. And don't you desserve to be happy and not have an ulcer worrying about money? I hear ulcers are quite painful. It has been a long time since I read a book that gave me the step-by-step guide on how to make a REAL living in writing and not feel GUILT about being PAID for sharing information in print with others that make their lives BETTER. There is nothing sexy about being BROKE as I am sure every broke-back (umm, is that even a word?!..lol!) person will attest to. And both my hands are waaaay up in the air as having seen those days. Good-byyye empty wallet and "daddy may I have 2 dollars!" Okay...where was I?...Ahh, yes... Chapters 11 and 17 alone is worth getting this book. It discusses how to give a powerful presentation, how to make money writing speeches for others, and markets that are WIDE open just waiting to be filled; markets that are quite lucrative and will put more buckets of broccoli and grade A beef wellington dinners on your table than you can eat--even for those of you out there who are gluttonous by nature. YAAAAAA! Sorry, I just couldn't resist. :) I wholeheatedly recommend this book for how GENEROUS the author is in the sharing of information, in the clear steps he gives on how to succeed in the business of writing, and the way he OVER-DELIVERS.
You just don't find this so readily these days as so many blockbuster authors do not seem to care about truly helping the average joe, such as myself, but are far more interested in how THEY themselves can profit off the little guy----me. This author is quite the opposite. He cares about his readers; this is quite evident between the pages and he genuinely wants his readers' lives to be enriched in every way imagineable in the direction of their dreams, that is. Get this book TODAY if you are tired of working a job you hate and barely making ends meet and have always wondered if you can make a money-spilleth-over career out of writing----yes, YOU CAN. I'm on my way...!
The Wealthy Writer.......2006-08-06
I didn't think this book was that great. I am interested in starting an on-line writing business and this is the only book I've bought and read so far --based on these glowing reviews. It did cover many common-sense aspects of writing and working for yourself --but I was disappointed in what it didn't cover: the legal requirements for running your own business and taxes. There was a single line on being a Sole Proprieter. No mention of taxes. No information on websites beyond stating that it would require too much information to cover here and would justify a book in itself. The book focused almost entirely on the author's preferred niche market, writing for companies. Overall I found this book disappointing and dated. If this is the cream of the crop, I shudder to think what the other writing-for-money books are like. This is definitely not a reference book that you will return to again and again.
A practical handbook.......2006-02-21
The Wealthy Writer is an excellent resource for both established freelance writers and those just entering the field. Its strengths are its practical nature. While many such books are written from an academic standpoint, The Wealthy Writer is entirely practical and simple to read. Its other strength is that it covers many different areas of freelance writing and shows readers how they can specialise in different areas. This is valuable for those wanting to know what focus they can take, while it also offers established writers new avenues.
Customer Reviews:
Absolutely Reliable Book.......2007-08-08
This book is a true gem.
Set aside the absolutely helpful thoughts on generating ideas, structure, and the nexus of reporting and writing (all of which are invaluable).
The idea that there is a triad of elements upon which all good feature stories are based is an extraordinarily useful one.
Base a story on action, quotation and narration (i.e. the basic information necessary to the story) and go from one element to the next and so on, building the story block by block, says the author.
This concept alone is the best working guide for a writer on a nuts and bolts level, bar none.
Excellent book for journalists.......2007-05-06
This book shows the nuts and bolts about good journalism: writing and interviewing techniques, how to get good story ideas, etc. It has a great deal of examples too. Every journalist should read it at least once. The best thing would be to revisit it every two or three years.
...Horsemen Pass By..........2006-10-01
Cast a cold eye on life on death; horsemen pass by. That's an epitaph. Was it Yeats, or just one he suggested in a poem? How does it apply to Blundell's book? Just this: Here is the one and only worthwhile book ever written for writers. I know, because I that's how I earn my living. Blundell is the best bar none. Throw all the others out. Unless, of course you're another wound-licker who thinks he wants to "learn" to write, in which case, horsemen pass by, and bring on the clowns!
Unique, Refreshing approach!.......2004-06-27
There is a voice in this book, and you can just HEAR this guy as he admonishes writers and drills into their heads the step-by step guide to reporting and writing. The tone is firm with a direct approach to feature writing as the author is adamant that, "reporting and writing can NOT be divorced."
I like the sharp conversational tone; it's like sitting in the classroom. He is very clever with the similes and metaphors to clearly drive his point.
Although this book has made the rounds for years, Blundell offers refreshing ideas and unique insight to writing. He speaks of experience as a Wall Street Journal writer. This is HIS voice, and not a slew of other professional writers churning out a how to book.
I like a quote of his when he tells us that the READER requires specific information and our first priority is to meet that requirement and also that the reader has a deeper and more universal need that has to be met or, he flees. The author said, "nothing is easier than to stop reading."
You won't find the usual writing book addressing topics like these. A sample chapter is Raw Materials - generating ideas; Extrapolation (beyond the event lies a broader, more significant story); Synthesis (assembling promising story ideas from what looks like a junkpile of spare parts); Localization (thinking big); Projection (declining to follow the media sheep to a pasture already overgrazed) and Viewpoint Switching (thinking of a story as a piece of terrain with varying topography).
Also topics titled Shaping Ideas; Story Dimensions, Planning and Execution, Organization, and you get great insight into Handling Key Story Elements that delves into the dreaded leads and endings.
What is interesting in a unique approach to his section titled Wordcraft. He assumes that you the reader already know grammar, syntax and usage. So his goal is to show us how to achieve certain effects at certain places in the story.
You will read some full texts on sample stories that are sprinkled throughout the chapters. Blundell also provides reading material for the writer. He says, "whole forests have died to fill the marketplace with other writing books." One suggestion is Zissner's "On Writing Well."
This is a unique writing book and is meant to read completely. ....MzRizz
Writing as critical thinking.......2002-02-17
One of the biggest mistakes young reporters make is viewing reporting and writing as separate exercises, one following the other. Bill Blundell rightly sees them as one process. Good reporting begets good writing. It begins with critical thinking about your subject, which if done properly brings strong focus and organization to your story. In 20 years as a newspaper reporter and editor I've not run across a more practical, common sense approach to writing than that offered by the Art & Craft of Feature Writing.
Amazon.com
Dr. Thompson made the list of inspirational scribes when I polled in a recent writing workshop, and why not? Back in a spiffy Modern Library edition, replete with additional essays, I find in this iconographic work that HST both invoked--and provoked--an era that was not so much the '60s proper, but rather the mean, shadow-filled death of that time, which is still playing out. Thank God Thompson was there to explode the myth of "objective" journalism and help pave the way for the pens and voices that followed.
Book Description
First published in Rolling Stone magazine in 1971, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is Hunter S. Thompson's savagely comic account of what happened to this country in the 1960s. It is told through the writer's account of an assignment he undertook with his attorney to visit Las Vegas and "check it out." The book stands as the final word on the highs and lows of that decade, one of the defining works of our time, and a stylistic and journalistic tour de force. As Christopher Lehmann-Haupt wrote in The New York Times, it has "a kind of mad, corrosive prose poetry that picks up where Norman Mailer's An American Dream left off and explores what Tom Wolfe left out."
This Modern Library edition features Ralph Steadman's original drawings and three companion pieces selected by Dr. Thompson: "Jacket Copy for Fear and Loath-
ing in Las Vegas," "Strange Rumblings in Aztlan," and "The Kentucky Derby Is Deca-
dent and Depraved."
Customer Reviews:
One of the great books.......2007-01-12
This is one of the great books. This Modern Library hardcover edition is beautifully made - good paper, clear font.
You Had To Be There.......2006-12-10
Disclaimer: I am now in my mid 50's and realize what Thompson writes about and some of us lived probably isn't the best thing for society. That said every time I read this (at least 15 times in the past 35 years) I laugh until the tears pour down my face. Is this Pulitzer Prize material? Hardly. If you are looking for heavy plots good character development etc. look elsewhere. A warning, if you are so anal you can't see the humour in serious drug crazed humor don't read this (and why in God's name would you pooh?). I've also found that it doesn't cross generations all that well maybe because youngsters can't believe there was ever such a time. I have given this book to many friends, the young ones don't seem to get it. In closing this is a hilariously funny light book that will always be on my favorites list, but don't bother if you think drug humour should be banned. Just join the DEA and kill some innocent 88 year old black woman in the name of saving us from our selves
When the bats appeared.......2006-09-15
I first read this book after finding it on the bargain table at my college bookstore. I have read it several times since then, and have shared it with friends and students. From the first bizarre line to the last, it was hard to stop laughing. It is one of the unusual class of novels that truly enables you too look through another man's eyes, distorted as that vision may be. Admittedly, this is perhaps not for those who have never enjoyed being not sober. Still, if you are open minded, it is an amusing and enjoyable read.
A book written for those who were too afraid to take the drugs themselves.......2006-04-22
I can't believe they actually made this into a movie. What crap!
Okay, I bought this just to see what the fuss was about. Stories of a guy getting doped up and drunk is not entertaining. Maybe because I've been around enough drunks and druggies growing up that I fail to see the humor. The fact that he was allowed to write books and have them published is shocking. Thompson was laughing all the way to the bank, or drug dealer, in his case. I've seen people do drugs to write better songs or paint better paintings, but to do drugs and then write about doing drugs, geez where's the talent in that? His talent was actually living to write about his trips and then getting some publishing house to give him money for writting his stories.
I believe people read it because of one of two reasons: 1) Like me, curious about why everyone finds him so interesting and talented; or 2) To experience what it is like to be drugged out without taking the actual drugs.
On Drugs and Driving.......2006-02-24
That title's not just the kickoff of the book but the state of the book itself. It's fast... really fast. I'm a slow reader and I cleared it in a couple sittings. That also suggests how engaging it is. There's something utterly captivating about what a shameless romp through Vegas these men have and I loved every sentence of it. Part of me is jealous of the drug addled adventure, part of me is revolted. In any case, I'm glad someone did it and they one upped that by sharing their story with the world. Thanks, Dr. Thompson.
Book Description
The Art of Fact
The Tools of the Reporter
The Craft of the Novelist
The literary journalists are marvelous observers whose meticulous attention to detail is wedded to the tools and techniques of the fiction writer. Like reporters, they are fact gatherers whose material is the real world. Like fiction writers, they are consummate storytellers who endow their stories with a narrative structure and a distinctive voice.
Literary journalists range from such bestselling authors as Tom Wolfe, Joan Didion, and Sara Davidson, to new writers like Mark Kramer and Richard West. What they share is a complete immersion in their subjects.
A DAZZLING COLLECTION OF GREAT WRITING
Interviews with literary journalists conducted especially for this book make this not only a superb collection to read and enjoy but the definitive work on some of the most exciting, influential, and critically acclaimed writing of our time.
Books:
- Film Directing: Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen (Michael Wiese Productions)
- Firefly: The Official Companion: Volume Two
- Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning an M.A. or a Ph.D.
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
- Grammar Practice Activities: A Practical Guide for Teachers
- Grammar the Easy Way (Easy Way Series)
- Hacker's Delight
- Hawaiian Dictionary: Hawaiian-English, English-Hawaiian
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
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- History: Fiction or Science
- National Electrical Code 2005 Softcover Version
- History: Fiction or Science
- The Tools and Techniques of Financial Planning
- Insurance Risk and Ruin
- Metroland
