Book Description
Could a werewolf be loose in Chicago? Common sense says no. The grisly evidence says yes. So does Harry Dresden. And with his weird connections, he should know....
Customer Reviews:
Good Story, Moderate Execution.......2007-10-09
I like the story, but the writing is a little weak. Unfortunately, the TV show was far better, which rarely happens. I have trouble with the relationship between Dresden and Murphy. Unlike the TV show, here they act like mortal enemies, yet they are actually friends. Very unbelievable. Still, a fun beach read...
How many ways can you spell "werewolf"?.......2007-09-26
According to Harry Dresden's entrapped fairy-spirit, known as "Bob", there are at least four kinds of werewolves, and in this book Harry encounters all of them. This is the most nitty-gritty of the series, full of blood, gore and gutts - but then, it is about werewolves, I suppose, isn't it? I particularly liked the man-wolf of the story, a wolf who shapeshifts into a human instead of the other way around. The chief werewolf, the hapless loup-garou who, like Larry Talbot, is grieved over the curse laid upon him, and the pack of loyal lycanthropes calling themselves the Alphas, who become Harry's friends who are destined to assist him in later adventures. A fast-moving, literally bone-crunching adventure.
Good Series Continues but Flounders a Bit.......2007-09-12
The Dresden Files moves from exploring a dark wizard in the first book in the series, Storm Front, to werewolves in Fool Moon. The various types of werewolves are explored, more of Harry Dresden's powers and past is hinted at, and more of this universe Jim Butcher is building is revealed.
Since the author can assume the reader is familiar with the basics, the pace of this book is much faster than Storm Front. Action, action and more action with many of the same series characters from the first book. I found learning about Butcher's take on werewolves very interesting and enjoyed it very much. My issue with the story is that the final confrontation diluted the power of the main werewolf. In their first confrontation, Butcher wrote about a killing machine that took everything that Harry and Murphy could throw at it and still walked away defiant. In the final battle it seemed a much weaker and slower being, easily delayed and handled. A serious letdown. That said, Butcher has obviously mapped out his universe in detail and I'm looking forward to learning more.
But the biggest weakness is still in the characters. Murphy is starting to annoy me and that's a bad thing because she should be a central character. As written, she's unbelievable. Same with Marcone. His involvement and survival of two major attacks in two books needs to be explained soon because I'm tiring of hearing about how cold and tough he is. I don't care. He doesn't fit in (so far) with a supernatural book unless there is some back story we haven't been told yet. So far I can't think of any hints in that direction so I worry that he's fulfilling some role Butcher thinks he needs. The love interest angle with Susan is fine but a little forced.
Overall, a entertaining read with some disappointment, but will continue to at least book three to see if my complaints are just the growing pains of a good series.
My rating scale is one star for loathed it, two for annoyed I wasted the time to read it, three for it was so-so, four for good read and recommended, five for excellent, must read.
3.5 stars - Run with the pack!.......2007-09-09
The dust has barely settled from the events of Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1), and our new favorite down on his luck wizard-for-hire is in big trouble again, this time from more werewolves than you can shake a stick (or in this case, blasting rod) at. Yes, Harry Dresden is at the center of yet another paranormal murder-mystery, this time surrounded by the mob, the FBI, the police, and a whole host of bloodthirsty werewolves.
Fool Moon may be just the second installment in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, but a few pages in I already feel like I'm slipping back into a worn and comfortable pair of shoes. That's partially due to the fact that this series has a strong Dennis Lehane meets J.K. Rowling vibe, and I've read and reread those authors' books to death. Still, there's something reliable about Harry Dresden. You know that no matter what life throws at him (and it's always a lot), he'll still come out the other side with his integrity (if nothing else) intact.
My only real complaint about Fool Moon is that it was so fast-paced and action packed that we really didn't get much in terms of character development aside from Harry's brief conversation with his subconscious, which reminded me greatly of the Lusiphur/Parintachin relationship in the late, great Drew Hayes' Poison Elves series (look it up, you'll thank me later). Still, it's early in the series, and I'm sure Butcher will further flesh out Harry's back story and supporting cast in future volumes.
I still think the Dresden Files series is closer to enjoyable escapist fare than a truly great series, but I can see it edging into that latter category. Either way, you can count me in for book three!
Dresden the wizard.......2007-09-04
I like this series. You get a little werewolf education along with your adventure. The whole series together is an unraveling of Harry Dresden's past as he battles his assorted demons (or vampires or werewolves or faeries)
Average customer rating:
- Anecdotal Book on How To Compromise to Avoid the "Hairball"...
- Inspiring, creative, and a thought-provoker. Not to miss.
- A Guide to Chaos, Confinement, and Creativity
- How to become a Corporate Fool !
- Ignore How It Looks
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Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace
Gordon MacKenzie
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
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Book Description
Creativity is crucial to business success. But too often, even the most innovative organization quickly becomes a "giant hairball"--a tangled, impenetrable mass of rules, traditions, and systems, all based on what worked in the past--that exercises an inexorable pull into mediocrity. Gordon McKenzie worked at Hallmark Cards for thirty years, many of which he spent inspiring his colleagues to slip the bonds of Corporate Normalcy and rise to orbit--to a mode of dreaming, daring and doing above and beyond the rubber-stamp confines of the administrative mind-set. In his deeply funny book, exuberantly illustrated in full color, he shares the story of his own professional evolution, together with lessons on awakening and fostering creative genius.
Originally self-published and already a business "cult classic", this personally empowering and entertaining look at the intersection between human creativity and the bottom line is now widely available to bookstores. It will be a must-read for any manager looking for new ways to invigorate employees, and any professional who wants to achieve his or her best, most self-expressive, most creative and fulfilling work.
Customer Reviews:
Anecdotal Book on How To Compromise to Avoid the "Hairball"..........2007-10-06
Unfortunately for me, I have bad habits- like eating good food and sleeping in the climate controlled indoors. That means getting paid, and in corporate America you don't get paid orbiting the hairball. You get paid only if you're in the thick of it. This book is essentially a book on compromising to avoid, rather than confronting the obvious problems of working in the typical corporate environment.
I rated it three stars because some of the information is actually useful, it's well written (though the artwork and type are annoying) for the fence-sitters it's aimed at.
I enjoyed reading it in the context of vague memories of corporate life I have dating back to 2002 and prior. When I finally lost my last job-- well, I didn't actually lose it, I know where it is (Bhopal I think)-- I decided I'd stay way far away from the hairball. Orbit is too close.
Read it for what it's worth- but if you're reading it because you're really discouraged with life in the cubicle, and being on the electronic leash with your laptop and crackberry wherever you go-- I suggest OUT, not up.
Inspiring, creative, and a thought-provoker. Not to miss........2007-09-22
"Orbiting the Giant Hairball" by Gordon MacKenzie is a not-to-miss book for anyone who is looking to tap into their creative mind.
The book is not for the dull-minded, however. MacKenzie recalls several situations in his career at Hallmark cards, and offers advice in the form of examples.
The last chapter of the book was what made this book completely worth while. I highly recommend this book to everyone. I guarantee you will not regret it.
A Guide to Chaos, Confinement, and Creativity.......2007-08-21
What Orbiting the Giant Hairball (OTGH) is not is another book on corporate management, although heads of creative departments would do well to understand the principles Gordon MacKenzie suggests. OTGH is a guide to chaos, confinement, and creativity. As an artist, I've worked most of my career in the corporate world (the Hairball). The paradox is that creation takes an entirely different set of rules (mainly the defiance of them), which puts creativity at odds with the organizational compulsion of the Hairball. On the one hand, a company can't exist without structure; on the other, artistic expression is antithetical to defined limits. How do you find congruence as a Creative hemmed in a left-brained organization? MacKenzie suggests the middle ground is an orbital path that is free to explore the infinite, but not independent of the organization.
MacKenzie's book is an effortless read, laid out to take advantage of white space. Doodles mark the margins and gaps, with chapter heads and illustrations taking up 4-page spreads. Some chapters break out in freeform cartoons on lined notepaper, with Chapter 19 devoted to the statement, "Orville Wright did not have a pilot's license." Often digressing, you feel there's always a point to the random character of the work. The book presents itself as an artistic exploration, even if the drawings are primitive in the style of a child's hand. What MacKenzie has to say is thought-provoking. Don't get tangled in the hairball, becoming another crony of the institution. Mentoring is not the same as managing. Dynamic forces exist in the chaos of uncertainty. Orbit provides a place for creative expression that isn't stifling. Find your unique voice and express your one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
How to become a Corporate Fool !.......2007-05-26
What a delightful book! You have to read this - if you interested in fostering creativity within a corporation.
The author is Gordon McKenzie, who worked for Hallmark Cards (the main greeting card company here in the US) for 30 years. His last title at the company was ¡¥Creative Paradox¡¦.
The main point in his book is that corporations come into existence through the creativity of their founders, but subsequently start to become stratified and ossified because of the need to do things ¡¥that we know work¡¦, thereby discouraging creativity.
The bias against creativity does not just exist in large corporations. I particularly liked his story about asking school children in different grades how many thought they were artists. Invariably, the older the kids, they less hands would go up. They have been taught that they were not creative, or that being creative is not ¡¥normal¡¦.
The giant hairball is his analogy for the corporate body with all the rules and regulations, and his prescription is to know how to keep within the orbit of the corporation without being absorbed and suffocated into the main mass. Another useful analogy is how when water-skiing, you do not need to follow directly in the wake of the boat, but can at times move in an arc around the back of the boat, or even sometimes get ahead of the boat.
This is a small book full of gems! I highly recommend it.
Here is a quote I really like:
¡§If we do not let go, we make prisoners of ourselves¡¨
The book¡¦s subtitle is: ¡§A Corporate Fool¡¦s Guide to Surviving with Grace.¡¨ So, go ahead and read it. You too can become a Corporate Fool º.
Ignore How It Looks.......2007-03-15
This book sat on my shelf for five years before I ran out of things to read and picked it up. Had I know then what I know now, I would have dropped everything and read it then and there. Mr. Mackenzie encourages individual thinking and creative looks at how things can be in a corporate culture, where dollars and cents are more important than pressing forward and being truly innovative. There is not a business where this sort of creativity cannot be applied.
Average customer rating:
- Heard it all before!
- Great Book!
- Outstanding!
- Not what it claims--how to REALLY do it
- Very different than most relationship advice books.
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How to Make a Man Fall in Love with You: The Fail-Proof, Fool-Proof Method
Tracy Cabot
Manufacturer: Dell
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Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
ASIN: 0440145368
Release Date: 1987-01-01 |
Book Description
Forget about learning how to make love to a man. First you have to learn how to make a man fall in love with you.
Customer Reviews:
Heard it all before! .......2007-10-02
I would say, don't bother with this book. First of all it's jam packed, the print is tiny and its just an endless stream of sentences so you get bored and loose track and its just a pain! Then the information in the book is pretty useless It has a lot to do with old fashioned seduction techniques which men see through a mile away and has absolutely nothing to do with the magic ingredient that actually makes people fall in love with each other. I think to be honest if someone ever found out what that magic ingredient was they'd bottle it and be world famous by now! The truth is, you can seduce anyone into liking you or fancying you, but 'love', 'real love' I don't think so! Obsession and dependence perhaps... but do you really want that?
Great Book!.......2007-09-06
Another new best seller that I love and recommend - How to be a Super Hot Woman: 339 Tips to Make Every Man Fall in Love with You and Every Woman Envy You
Outstanding!.......2007-08-14
This is great book. Every woman should read it. You will be surprised how iformative this book is!
But you must read another new besteller which I highly recommend - "How to be a Super Hot Woman: 339 Tips to Make Every Man Fall in Love with You and Every Woman Envy You" by Mandy Simons
These two books are fascinating!
Not what it claims--how to REALLY do it.......2006-12-31
As a person who loves the dating/relationship genre, let me assure you that there are MUCH better books out there. This book repackages the techniques usually recommended to salesmen--mirroring the other person in order to build rapport, and "speaking in their language." And that's exactly what you'll be doing--selling a falsified version of yourself in a marginally effective and pretty awkward way. (In spite of her exuberantly triumphant intro, Tracy Cabot is now divorced. I imagine it was hard to sustain this manufactured "bond" for very long.)
If you really want to learn about love languages, "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman is much better. It will teach you how to truly interpret and sincerely relate to expressions of love between you and your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner. And if you want to make a man fall in love with you, "Why Men Love Bitches" by Sherry Argov is hands-down the best. It takes the also-fabulous prinicples behind "The Rules" (which have worked for me beautifully) and makes them practicable for the modern and/or professional woman. (I highly recommend The Rules--loosely interpreted--as well). You can read any of these books in 2-3 hours. I have read the latter two more times than I can count.
If after reading Why Men Love Bitches and The Rules, you haven't solved your dating problems, you probably need to read "He's Just Not That Into You"--which is not about dating as much as it is about recognizing the excuses women make for men when the truth isn't what we want. (Gems include "No, he's not too busy to call you. Calling you takes less time than going to the bathroom. If he's into you, calling you is the bright moment in his otherwise busy day.") This should definitely help build the correct mentality for expecting--and getting--both interest and great treatment from men.
And, finally, "What Southern Women Know About Flirting" has some tips and ideas that will help anyone, but particularly those inclined to play the "Damsel in Distress" card. This one's just the icing on the cake.
Very different than most relationship advice books........2006-08-23
This book presents a unique approach to snagging guys. It teaches you how to use psychology to your advantage. The author argues that there are 3 types of men: visual, auditory, feelings. You speak to and treat each one differently. For example, when talking to a visual man, you say stuff like, "I SEE why you have that opinion". It makes them think that you really are on the same level and that you understand them. I can see why, from a logical point of view, that her advice and techniques would be successful. I was intrigued very much so by her "method" and have yet to try it for myself. To be honest, it wasn't what I expected. Sometimes, it got too wrapped up in psychology that it started to make relationships a little impersonal and mechanical. Well, at least she has her PH.D., so I guess her approach is accurate. I'd still recommend this, though, if you want a different read.
Average customer rating:
- A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms
- Hurtling into the abyss.
- Not her best
- cute
- A nice book but others were better
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Fortune's Fool (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 3)
Mercedes Lackey
Manufacturer: Luna
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ASIN: 0373802668 |
Customer Reviews:
A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms.......2007-09-29
I really liked this one. my friend complains that as soon as the girl finds herself a man she lives happily ever after...but she says that about all Mercedes Lackey books. I think that this whole Five hundred kingdom series is fantastic, but then i am a sucker for fairytale stuff...and this has a lot of it...seventh son of a seventh son and all that.
Hurtling into the abyss........2007-09-29
I'm a long time reader of Mercedes Lackey, and as such, I've seen watched her stories go hurtling farther and farther into the abyss. The 500 Kingdoms stories have a great premise and world, but the characters, writing and plot continue to deteriorate into an unbearable mess. Though Lackey tries to make her fairy tales "postmodern" and break from "Tradition", the stories fail to break course from typical plot conventions. Fortune's Fool is the most predictable and uninteresting of the three so far released. I hardly had the heart to finish the story because I knew exactly where the story was going and how it was going to end, a fourth of the way through the book. The characters have little original depth, mostly because while attempting to be their own person, they're still relying on "Traditional" conventions; Katya is the same "can take care of herself" heroine in many fantasy books, while Sasha is the typical "means well, but isn't quite necessary" male role. Overall, the story was predictable, the characters uninteresting, and the writing simple and lackluster. It's really too bad because this concept, in the hands of someone more capable, may have been really something.
Not her best.......2007-08-30
After reading and absolutely loving Fairy Godmother, the first installment in M. Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms series, I've waited for sequels with bated breath. One Good Knight was good, though not quite as much fun as its predecessor. Fortune's Fool was... uninspired. I feel like the wonderful Ms. Lackey wrote this book with her mind elsewhere. It lacks the fun of earlier installments and the tight plotting and characterization of her other series. Most of the charm of the Five Hundred Kingdoms is the tension of the Tradition acting on people's lives with them all unawares or with only a few characters (such as Elena, our Fairy Godmother protagonist of the first book) able to see the effects of its force in order to counteract them. In Fortune's Fool, most of our characters are well aware of the Tradition they live with and already know how to combat it... it's like she wrote this book as quickly as possible and with half an effort. I still love her and I'll probably still buy the next one on its release date at full price, but in the hopes that it will far outshine this book rather than emulate it.
cute.......2007-08-11
I enjoyed it. Sasha, the hero, was sweet and endearing. His character was beyond good. He even had female unicorns swooning over him, and if you have read the two previous novels, you would know what THAT means. Katya was tough, she had to be to be the seventh daughter and spy for the Sea King. There was definately some funny moments in the story. I gave it four stars instead of five because the story did lag behind a bit and then sped up at the very end to solve the problem. I just didn't feel like the plot reached a natural climax in-between and it left me a little off.
A nice book but others were better.......2007-08-02
This book started off okay but dove right into...weird. I enjoy most of Mercedes Lackey's books but this one is just not easy to connect with. I like Prince Sasha but can't establish much for Katya. So, I recommend it to the majority of her fans because it is well written (if weird) but the other books in the 500 kingdoms were MUCH better!
Book Description
A young woman caught in the rivalry between Queen Mary and her half sister, Elizabeth, must find her true destiny amid treason, poisonous rivalries, loss of faith, and unrequited love.
It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of "Sight," the ability to foresee the future, is priceless in the troubled times
of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward's protector, who brings her to court as a "holy fool" for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up in her own yearnings and desires.
Teeming with vibrant period detail and peopled by characters seamlessly woven into the sweeping tapestry of history, The Queen's Fool is another rich and emotionally resonant gem from this wonderful storyteller.
Customer Reviews:
Recommended.......2007-09-14
This is the first Philippa Gregory novel I've read, and I chose this one because of the slight fantasy of the main character's "sight" that she uses to foretell events. This aspect I would have enjoyed had the author used it more; however, then it would be even more of a fantasy than historical fiction. Regardless, the story held my interest and I liked the characters.
A Fool No More.......2007-08-27
Another drama of the Tudors by Philippa Gregory. I enjoyed this one more than "The Other Boleyn Girl" because the main character had spunk and independence, unusual for a girl in those days. Although a vassal to a Lord with his own agenda, she developed a deep love for Queen Mary and was a loyal friend to her through all her suffering. For the first time, I got a clear picture of the conflict between Mary and Elizabeth before and after the death of their young brother the King. Both made huge mistakes but were strong women to be reckoned with. Hannah serves both but is still her own woman. Very exciting events unfold as the balance of power shifts back and forth between these two woman and their supporters. Adding to the drama is the fact that Hannah and her family are Jews passing as Christians during a time when heretics were burned at the stake.
How can I like this more than Philippa Gregory's Boleyn stories??.......2007-08-07
I don't know how it's possible that I liked "The Queen's Fool" even more than "The Other Boleyn Girl", and "The Boleyn Inheritance" which I loved. I think it's partially the addition of Hannah Green the young jewish girl escaping the Spanish Inquisition and becoming the Queen's Fool, telling the story. Having Hannah tell the story introduces how great an effect all the european countries and their politics have on other European countries.
I am sure it is also the fact that these stories build on each other, with characters whose families and circumstances are already familiar from the book before. I encourage you to read in sequence - and I encourage you to READ these stories and learn some history. Even if it is couched in some fiction, you still learn and this way is so much more fun. My friends are now as hooked as I am -- this many people can't all be wrong.
The Queen's Fool: A novel.......2007-08-02
Intriguing! Great descriptions of the Tudor court in a suspense filled, exciting time in history. Had me hooked.
WONDERFUL.......2007-07-19
Ms. Gregory's The Queen's Fool is as beautifully written as her other historical fiction novels. We continue the story of the Tudor line in England, but instead of being guided through a queen's view or a princess's view, we read through the eyes of Hannah the Fool. Hannah is a wonderful character who grows from an apprentice tomboy to a desirable woman. We pick up the story from Henry VIII's last wife to see his son, Edward IV, on the throne. Edward, ruled through the Duke of Northumberland, dies and the throne is shoved into the hands of Jane Grey (Northumberland's relation). The victory is short-lived, because Mary (Henry VIII's first and only child with Katharine of Aragon) raises an army to fight for her as Queen. Though she wins, it is not long before her sister, Princess Elizabeth (Henry VIII's first and only child with Anne Boleyn), conspires to take the throne. Hannah is thrown in between the half-sisters and must use her Sight as a gift to help both women. The story line is filled with historical fact, tweaked enough to give a well rounded account of The reign of Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I. WONDERFUL!
Amazon.com
In a wise and witty manner, brothers David and Tom Gardner, founders of the multimedia investment company The Motley Fool, impart their investment strategies to the adolescent masses with The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens. In eight teen-friendly sections, the brothers Gardner and writing partner Selena Maranjian demystify the stock market by describing and defining mutual funds, banking practices, IRAs, and drip investing. The authors also include numerous quotes from money-savvy adolescents who detail some of their rookie market moves in an attempt to help their peers steer clear of similar mistakes. Parents will approve of the strongly worded sections on credit card debt and the costly financial and physical tolls a smoking habit takes on both wallet and health. In fact, parents would do well to pick up this investment primer for their own edification, if they find the stock market a confusing and chaotic business. Loaded with worksheets, helpful Web sites on a variety of financial subjects, a concise glossary, and a comprehensive index, this is one investment guide that both generations can and will turn to again and again.
Traditionally, teens have been known for having a hard time seeing the proverbial Big Picture. But the Gardners respond admirably to this characteristic, by constantly emphasizing the fortune teens can make in the future by investing now and reminding them that investing money is the least labor-intensive way to make more of the desirable green stuff. A perfect gift for the burgeoning Warren Buffet in your life. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert
Book Description
From the personal-finance duo Fortune magazine called "funny, smart, cynical, opinionated" comes savvy financial advice for today's street-smart young investors.
The Motley Fool has made investing fun and easy for millions of people. Now, it custom designs its wit and wisdom for today's money-savvy teens.
The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens helps teens stand out from the ho-hum mutual-fund crowd, build a portfolio of stocks they can actually care about, and take advantage of the investor's best friend -- time -- to watch their profits multiply.
- Strike a blow for financial independence. The Fool shows you how to:
- Question authority when it comes to managing your money
- Save cash (for investing, for college...and, yes, even for having fun!)
- Dodge the spending and saving pitfalls that trap so many adults
- Get started investing -- online and off -- with just a few dollars
- Discover up-and-coming businesses that could become future blue chips
Warning: this is not your parents' money guide! From identifying companies that are both cool and profitable to building a portfolio that makes tracking investments exciting, The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens shows young investors the way to financial freedom.
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From the personal-finance duo Fortune magazine called "funny, smart, cynical, opinionated" comes savvy financial advice for today's street-smart young investors. The Motley Fool has made investing fun and easy for millions of people. Now, it custom designs its wit and wisdom for today's money-savvy teens. The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens helps teens stand out from the ho-hum mutual-fund crowd, build a portfolio of stocks they can actually care about, and take advantage of the investor's best friend - time - to watch their profits multiply. * Strike a blow for financial independence. The Fool shows you how to: * Question authority when it comes to managing your money * Save cash (for investing, for college...and, yes, even for having fun!) * Dodge the spending and saving pitfalls that trap so many adults * Get started investing - online and off - with just a few dollars * Discover up-and-coming businesses that could become future blue chips Warning: this is not your parents' money guide! From identifying companies that are both cool and profitable to building a portfolio that makes tracking investments exciting, The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens shows young investors the way to financial freedom.
Customer Reviews:
Good Book For All Ages.......2007-02-14
This book has reinforced what I have been preaching to my 17 year old for years......1) save and invest your money early, 2)live within your means as you get started in life (used vs new car), 3) attend the local university (keep student loans to minimum) and 4) practice a healthy lifestyle and you will soon learn that by the time you are 30 you will have more financial freedom and less debt than 90% of Americans.
I wish I had been taught the discipline for the first two items as it wasn't until age 40 that I reached financial freedom. Fortunately for him, he is a believer after reading this book. Maybe along the way he will guide others in the right direction.
The Best Way to Enjoy Finance & Economics.......2006-02-27
This books gives the true value of savings: a life worth dreamings about and investments we make for it to see it happen. This is a sweet and funny little book that makes money look exciting as a tool and token. I see this book as the clues to playing a cool video game. (More, like the hint book.) It's so casual that you think your reading Reader's Digest. You never feel confused! Math teacher's, parents, middle schoolers, high school students, college students, retirees: you'll love this book.
Yes, a good money book for teens, but the voice is annoying........2005-05-03
This book will basically focus on the way the stock market works and how to invest in it. It also tells you how much you can save in the future. It is the meat of the book when it comes to the stock market, but the book will also teach you the cost of bad habits such as smoking and the upsides of credit cards if used right. The book teaches you how to get your money's worth in the bank, teaching you everything from how they make money to what a cd is. The worst thing about this book that annoyed me so much, I took off a point, was that they try to write the book in a type of slang format. Going from saying the word dawg and writing rock lyrics about the book. This is very annoying, but the tips this book gives are just too valuble to detour you alway.
I recommend it to anyone of any age.
Great intro financial / investing book for **everyone**.......2005-02-08
I only skimmed this book (after all, I own almost all the other TMF books!), but I think this book is by far one of the best financial books for **any** new investor, regardless of age. While other books may have more content, this is one of the most approachable financial and investing books I've read. (Plus, its worksheets **force** you practice what you read!) Readable by adults, too!
This book is the beginning of your future.......2005-01-24
I am in college. I guess I got this information kind of late. I actually started my first job way later than other kids.
I think this book inspired me to save and invest in my future. I did not know a freaking thing about investing till this came along. The thing I found most suprising was that you don't need any knowlege of the stock market to come out ahead. They make it so simple...and its life changing. I recommend this book if you want to be able to survive comfortabley when your retired.
Start saving and investing now! buy the book.
Book Description
Much has been written about the mighty, egotistical Henry VIII: the man who dismantled the Church because it would not grant him the divorce he wanted; who married six women and beheaded two of them; who executed his friend Thomas ore; who sacked the monasteries; who longed for a son and neglected his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth; who finally grew fat, disease-ridden, dissolute. Now, in her magnificent work of storytelling and imagination Margaret George bring us Henry VIII's story as he himself might have told it, in memoirs interspersed with irreverent comments from his jester and confident, Will Somers. Brilliantly combining history, wit, dramatic narrative, and an extraordinary grasp of the pleasures and perils of power, this monumental novel shows us Henry the man more vividly than he has ever been seen before.
Customer Reviews:
Details, Details, DETAILS!.......2007-09-23
If you want to know about Henry VIII, read this book! The author has compiled an amazing history rich in detail, spiced with lust, tempered with love, touched with madness and murder. The book balances nicely between extremely detailed religious and political matter and the scandalous personal life of Henry VIII. She does a bit of introspection offering possibilities of why Henry behaved as he did from his absent mother and domineering, miserly father to beliefs of the time about witchcraft. Henry's life was one situation after another and how Henry interpreted each of them - thus leading to a long chain of events enveloping his family and friends, the court, the country and the church. Easily influenced by his advisors, he could just as easily turn on those closest to him. It seems that the best place to be during Henry's reign was FAR from where ever he happened to be! The book is quite long and amazingly detailed - at times too detailed for my taste. This is a work of fiction and while knowledge of the political dynamics helped to understand some situations, the author went to great lengths to detail political proceedings and I found myself bored and ready to move on long before she finished with the details, details, details. About 100 pages could have been cut and the book would have been as enteratining and all that was necessary for FICTION. When I want intense step-by-step details, I'll read non-fiction. I did like her depictions of the wives of Henry VIII. Each were vivid and aided in understanding Henry's attraction to them and eventual reaction to them. Anne Boelyn was particulrly interesting - as the author pulled no punches. Many books sympathize with Anne while others depict her as power hungry - this is one of the few that portray her so poorly. Of course, the premise is that HENRY is describing her as such. Either way, it was very colorful and entertaining. I knew only "common knowledge" of Henry and had been to Hever Castle and many of the other locations mentioned in the book - which helped. However, I know enough now to be more interested in all of the key characters than I had ever been before. It's an undertaking - its an undertaking just hauling this massive volume around with you until you finish it - but it's worth the time and workout.
A Wonderful Historical Novel.......2007-08-14
Margaret George was born in Nashville Tennessee. When not continuing research for her novels in such places as Egypt, Rome, Israel and England she lives with her husband in Madison, Wisconsin. She is the author of many best selling historical novel including The Memoirs of Cleopatra and Mary, Called Magdalene
The Autobiography of Henry VIII is a novel, but it is not just interspersed with the odd factual detail it is full of them. Henry was a monarch who instigated a great deal of change during his reign perhaps more than any other English monarch in the last one thousand years. He is probably known to most people as the king who had six wives and very little else is known about him. In his younger daus he was a brave man who liked to follow the knightly code. He was also very good at sports. Real tennis being a favourite of his, and of course as we all know he had an eye for the ladies.
Henry could be a charming friend, or a dangerous and vindictive enemy as many people who crossed him found out. As he became older his temper flared more and more often and he was not a well man and was often in constant pain for long periods of time.
Margaret George has once again come up trumps with a book that is both of educational interest and also a good story, written from henry's own point of view, but with irreverent comments from Will Somers - Henry VIII's confidant and jester. Many books of this type can become tedious or boring but Margaret George's writing style is a joy. I enjoyed it immensely.
A detailed, expertly womven tapestry.......2007-07-09
I obsessively read anything I can find on Henry VIII, be it history or historical fiction, and this book is by far my favorite. George put a lot of work and study into this giant book, and it definitely shines through in the text. Henry VIII emerges as a real man, if a fatally flawed one, and after reading this book it is difficult to look at him the same way again. George lovingly paints a picture of the good intentions of an intelligent man going awry in a world of privilege and swirling factions.
Henry VIII: murduror or misunderstood?.......2007-07-08
Everyone knows about him. People love him, people hate him, most people love to hate him. Henry VIII, the one who started a holy war and started a whole new church to marry a women he ended up exicuting. Who started off as a god among men and ended his life a senile, dissatafied man whose claim to fame was he married six times. Though many would say he was a murdurous, raving lunitic that seemed to have no compassion or love for his two daughters, i think he is completely misunderstood. He was just trying to find the right woman, produce an heir, and run a country. The fact that he excuted many people, including two of his wives, started a whole new church and declared his daughters illigitamet because his marrages to their mothers were not so successful, shouldn't tarnish his reputation at all. Under all that, he had a heart and like most people feelings.
Margaret George made the man inside apparent. Though some would be dissopointed in this book, I say it is a masterpeice that only Ms. George could write. Yes, Henry is probably one of the most pompous people in the world but who the hell isn't. Who doesn't think they are the best thing that happened to this earth. Though to people who aren't like us normal humans, aren't you intrigued about what he was thinking all the time?Don't tell me you didn't want to know how a human can just seemingly out of the blue disside he and his wife was never married. How could he watch as the world crumbled around him and keep a straight face? All questions are answered and he is seen in a whole new light. Although i can agree with people who thought it wasn't Margaret George's best book it is certainly well-written. P.S. To all you freaks who don't love yourself you need to seriously have some me-time.
Margaret George "the great".......2007-06-27
I loved ALL of Margaret George's books. Her writing style and historical accuracy makes it easy to breeze through a book that looks so dauntingly long.
Amazon.com
Enron was a $100-billion-a-year company in October 2001--America's seventh-largest. The Houston-based energy firm enjoyed warm ties with newly installed President George W. Bush. Earnings were up 26 percent from the previous quarter, while Fortune magazine had named Enron the country's most innovative company six years in a row. Less than two months later, Enron filed for bankruptcy in the biggest corporate failure in history. Enron became synonymous with the greed and fraud of the go-go high-tech stock bubble of the late 1990s--the worst of a series of spectacular corporate collapses that also took down WorldCom, Tyco, and Global Crossing.
What went wrong? Veteran New York Times financial journalist Kurt Eichenwald does an epic job of telling Enron's story in his 742-page tome Conspiracy of Fools. Eichenwald, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2000, also authored The Informant, an acclaimed account of a vast international price-fixing scandal at Archer Daniels Midland. Conspiracy of Fools tells the Enron tale with a cinematic narrative style, relying almost exclusively on scene and dialogue to bring his account to vivid life. We see how federal regulators opened the doors for the Enron fraud early on when they let the company loosen up its accounting rules and essentially cook its books. We read how Enron bullied Wall Street firms into issuing favorable reports about its share price by threatening to take away lucrative banking fees. Eichenwald also reveals how Enron manipulated electricity prices during the California energy crisis of 2000. Eichenwald's book is less successful in situating the Enron debacle in its wider context--the cycle of market speculation that reached a historic summit in the dot-com bubble. Was Enron just a cautionary sign of the greed and lack of ethics of a few bad apples, or was it more symptomatic of an entire market system? That may be a debate for another book. --Alex Roslin
Book Description
From an award-winning New York Times reporter comes the full, mind-boggling story of the lies, crimes, and ineptitude behind the spectacular scandal that imperiled a presidency, destroyed a marketplace, and changed Washington and Wall Street forever . . .
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In 2000, when The Informant was published, few would’ve imagined that a story about price fixing at Archer Daniels Midland could be as un–put–downable as the best crime fiction. Yet critics—and consumers—agreed: The New York Times reporter Kurt Eichenwald had taken the stuff of dry business reporting and turned it into an unparalleled page–turner. With Conspiracy of Fools, Eichenwald has done it again.
Say the name “Enron” and most people believe they’ve heard all about the story that imperiled a presidency, destroyed a marketplace, and changed Washington and Wall Street forever. But in the hands of Kurt Eichenwald, the players we think we know and the business practices we think have been exposed are transformed into entirely new—and entirely gripping—material. The cast includes but is not limited to George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Paul O’Neill, Harvey Pitt, Colin Powell, Gray Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alan Greenspan, Ken Lay, Andy Fastow, Jeff Skilling, Bill Clinton, Rupert Murdoch, and Michael Eisner. Providing a you–are–there glimpse behind closed doors in the executive suites of the Enron Corporation, the Texas governor’s mansion, the Justice Department, and even the Oval Office, Conspiracy of Fools is an all–true financial and political thriller of cinematic proportions.
Customer Reviews:
Tells the Enron story halfway.......2007-10-10
I really enjoyed "Conspiracy of Fools," although it feels as if it only told half of the story about Enron's collapse, ending before the plea deals and convictions of the company's top executives. The book traces the history of the company and its chairman, Ken Lay, describing his early innovations in launching a market for natural gas during a time when the industry was being deregulated. It then describes the rise of company president, Jeff Skilling, a former consultant at McKinsey & Co. and graduate of Harvard Business School, and his role in advancing the career of Andrew Fastow, Enron's CFO. While the book is sympathetic to Lay (portraying him as an unwitting victim of the company's collapse) and less so to Skilling (portraying him as a tortured alcoholic who urged underlyings to cook the company's books to gin up earnings), it portrays Fastow for the crook that he was. Not only was Fastow completely incompetent as a corporate CFO, but he also schemed and schemed and schemed for his personal enrichment, and surrounded his greedy self with other willing participants in his financial machinations (including Michael Kopper and his boyfriend, wife Lea Fastow, treasurer Ben Glisan Jr., chief accounting officer Richard Causey, chief risk officer Richard Buy, executive vice president J. Clifford Baxter, executive Kenneth Rice, and lawyer Kristina Mordaunt). The head of Enron's international group, Rebecca Mark, is portrayed as an incompetent spendthrift. Meanwhile, Arthur Andersen was populated with dunderheads, including David Duncan, who kowtowed to Enron's every wish, and lawyer Nancy Temple, who ordered the mass shredding of Enron-related documents. Merrill Lynch fired its oil analyst, John Olson, because Enron didn't like his stock opinions and wanted Enron's banking business, according to the book. And Enron's law firm of Vinson & Elkins appears particularly incompetent and all too willing to assist Enron in cooking its books. The book climaxes with the bankruptcy filing of Enron, but the criminal trials of key executives had yet to occur (and Lay died of a heart attack in 1996).
Comprehensive Character List and Complex Issues.......2007-08-04
Without going in to great detail about the book - I am sure we all know it dealt with the collapse of one of corporate Americas' big swingers. The book contained quite a deal of information about events from inside Enron. I guess the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because the author had a way of really annoying me by trying to write the book as a novel (in places). I look forward to the movie - hopefully the ending is better for the investors.
How easily the "system" failed........2007-07-28
You will be amazed at how Enron was able to frustrate every check and balance in place in American Finance. The SEC, individual and institutional investors, auditors, lawyers, accountants, rating agencies, banks, creditors, peers, and even insiders were blindsided by a couple of smart but foolhardy executives who were willing to exploit every loophole in the name of manufacturing *profits* (and not products).
All in all a very readable and addictive book.
Couldn't put it down!.......2007-06-24
I do *not* have a high degree of financial acumen, but this book laid out what was really wrong with Enron in a thoroughly engaging manner. I couldn't put it down, and I finally understand the financial reasons for the collapse, not just managerial incompetence...which was EPIC, by the way.
This review is for the audio cds.......2007-06-16
I borrowed these cds from the library because I'm interested in corporate governance and case studies. I'm not an expert on Enron, but this felt like fiction from the first couple of minutes. When the narrator speaks for Ken Lay, he uses a deep, fatherly voice. Andy Fastow's voice is whiny and child-like. Its content is obviously biased and selective. So from a factual standpoint, I'm not learning a heck of a lot.
As fiction, it's way too long at 25 cds; should be abridged by about 2/3. There's just not that much content, and it's often painful to listen to. If I didn't have a one-hour commute to fill, I'd have given up on it hours ago.
I highly recommend The Smartest Guys in the Room instead.
Book Description
The acclaimed Farseer and Liveship Traders trilogies established Robin Hobb as one of the most splendidly imaginative practitioners of world-class fantasy.
Now, in Book 2 of her most stunning trilogy yet, Hobb continues the soul-shattering tale of FitzChivalry Farseer. With rich characters, breathtaking magic, and sweeping action,
Golden Fool brings the reluctant adventurer further into the fray in an epic of sacrifice, salvation, and untold treachery.
Golden Fool
Prince Dutiful has been rescued from his Piebald kidnappers and the court has resumed its normal rhythms. But for FitzChivalry Farseer, a return to isolation is impossible. Though gutted by the loss of his wolf bondmate, Nighteyes, Fitz must take up residence at Buckkeep and resume his tasks as Chade’s apprentice assassin. Posing as Tom Badgerlock, bodyguard to Lord Golden, FitzChivalry becomes the eyes and ears behind the walls. And with his old mentor failing visibly, Fitz is forced to take on more burdens as he attempts to guide a kingdom straying closer to civil strife each day.
The problems are legion. Prince Dutiful’s betrothal to the Narcheska Elliania of the Out Islands is fraught with tension, and the Narcheska herself appears to be hiding an array of secrets. Then, amid Piebald threats and the increasing persecution of the Witted, FitzChivalry must ensure that no one betrays the Prince’s secret—a secret that could topple the Farseer throne: that he, like Fitz, possesses the dread “beast magic.”
Meanwhile, FitzChivalry must impart to the Prince his limited knowledge of the Skill: the hereditary and addictive magic of the Farseers. In the process, they discover within Buckkeep one who has a wild and powerful talent for it, and whose enmity for Fitz may have disastrous consequences for all.
Only Fitz’s enduring friendship with the Fool brings him any solace. But even that is shattered when unexpected visitors from Bingtown reveal devastating secrets from the Fool’s past. Now, bereft of support and adrift in intrigue, Fitz’s biggest challenge may be simply to survive the inescapable and violent path that fate has laid out for him.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Prince Dutiful has been rescued from his Piebald kidnappers and the court has resumed its normal rhythms. But for FitzChivalry Farseer, a return to isolation is impossible. Though gutted by the loss of his wolf bondmate, Nighteyes, Fitz must take up residence at Buckkeep and resume his tasks as Chade's apprentice assassin. Posing as Tom Badgerlock, bodyguard to Lord Golden, FitzChivalry becomes the eyes and ears behind the walls. And with his old mentor failing visibly, Fitz is forced to take on more burdens as he attempts to guide a kingdom straying closer to civil strife each day.
The problems are legion. Prince Dutiful's betrothal to the Narcheska Elliania of the Out Islands is fraught with tension, and the Narcheska herself appears to be hiding an array of secrets. Then, amid Piebald threats and the increasing persecution of the Witted, FitzChivalry must ensure that no one betrays the Prince's secret -- a secret that could topple the Farseer throne: that he, like Fitz, possesses the dread "beast magic."
Meanwhile, FitzChivalry must impart to the Prince his limited knowledge of the Skill: the hereditary and addictive magic of the Farseers. In the process, they discover within Buckkeep one who has a wild and powerful talent for it, and whose enmity for Fitz may have disastrous consequences for all.
Only Fitz's enduring friendship with the Fool brings him any solace. But even that is shattered when unexpected visitors from Bingtown reveal devastating secrets from the Fool's past. Now, bereft of support and adrift in intrigue, Fitz's biggest challenge may be simply to survive the inescapable and violent path that fate has laid out for him.
Customer Reviews:
the subtleties of relationships [no spoilers].......2007-07-18
FitzChivalry Farseer narrates "The Tawny Man: Golden Fool", the second novel in "The Tawny Man Trilogy", resuming his Tom Badgerlock persona. The storyline slowly builds surrounding the Chalced and Piebald threats upon the kingdom and Prince Dutiful's betrothal with the Outislanders' Narcheska. Further concerns from "The Liveship Traders Trilogy" could potentially impact the overall plot.
Fitz adjusts to city life at Buckkeep among the associated court intrigue, yet he spends more time complaining about his own duties and arguing with everyone else. Web, a charming person of the Old Blood, and Swift, one of Burrich's sons, emerge near the end as prospective companions. Sadly, the hedge-witch Jinna has been reduced to more of a more minor role after an engaging initial appearance.
In a series based on relationships and the motivations thereof, the loss of Nighteyes not only made a noteworthy impact on the former assassin but also left a gap in the cast of characters and changed the plot flow after four novels. Fitz places significant emphasis on the strain between he and the Fool with their roles as the Catalyst and White Prophet in addition to the burden of the student and teacher interaction. A more detailed map of the significant terrains and comprehensive appendix would have been useful.
I highly recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre.
Thank you.
Hobb strikes back..........2007-04-14
This book is much better than the first book in this series, as it has much more to offer in terms of plot. However, most of the substance of this book is dervied from small events, and small revelations, which fill the book up like puzzle pieces that provide little clue as to how the series will conclude. Few things happen in this book that seem to have a lot of signficance in terms of the master plot (which is incredibly vague) or taken on their own account, but they offer lots of room for speculation (which some space is devoted to Fitz's own speculation as to what is going on) and on the whole it provides a slightly different form of entertainment.
The other theme of this book (really the series) is relationships. Fitz deals with the loss of the wolf. Fitz's relationship with his estranged daughter. Fitz's relationship with the minstrel Starling. Fitz's relationship with the hedgewitch Jinna. Hap's relationships with girls and work, combined with Fitz's fatherly relationship with Hap and his associates. Fitz's relationship with the half-wit Thick. Fitz's relationship with the queen Ketricken. Fitz's relationship with Chade. Fitz's relationship with the huntress Laurel and the Old Blood, and the Piebalds. The Queen's relationship with the Witted. Prince Dutiful's relationship with the Witted and with the Narcheska. Fitz's relationship with Prince Dutiful. And, finally, Fitz's relatioship with the Fool.
If that doesn't sound confusing, you missed the point. There is a lot going on here, relationship-wise, and this, for this book IS the story. Well, if you toss in spying and speculating and the Skill then that is pretty much the story.
This series has a similar plot derivative of the first series. If you compare both series, you notice Book one, 1) Fitz develops 2) Conflict is explained; Book two 1) Conflict develops further 2) the Quest is found to fix it 3) Fitz nearly dies; Book three 1)Conflic climaxes 2)Quest develops and concludes. Now in the first series, Fitz actually does die, but he is revived so neatly, you might consider it a "near death" experience like in this series. I haven't read the third book in this series, but I pretty much expect it to be similar.
As in all my reviews, I protest Fitz ever being classified as an assassin, but the use of that title is minimized in this series, and actually, Fitz seems more brutal in this series anyway. Not necessarily assassin type, more of a thug, and capable of casual violence (in the previous series it was self-defense or defending the king)... just not steathful like an assassin. It's not that I love violence, but I like characters to be described accurately is all. Assassins should at least seem capable of despicable behavior.
My other qualm in this book particually is the magic of the Skill. I don't understand:
1) why it is common (in this book we learn that there are many weakly skilled people: does this mean many royal bastards had illegitamate children who became common folk? Remember Shrewd said that even Fitz should marry someone who was a noble?)
2) why not everyone is trained (like in the first series, and I believe it was explained that it should be limited to royalty, but in this series there are many people who have it and develop it all on their own with no training, so holding back training prevents what?)
3) why you can heal with it (isn't the Wit the one that has to do with "life-force?") What does telepathy have to do with healing?
I expect more explanation in the third book, and Hobb can be good at tying up loose ends, but overall the experience in these books pales in comparison to the live-ship traders series. I feel Fitz never developed properly as a character, despite all his hardships. There should have been more conflict in his life besides Regal's torture and his own problems dealing with his inability to marry the girl he chooses. Conflict that could have brough out some inner strength, some heroic qualities, some more solid formation of Fitz's identity. These are absent, and since Fitz takes a break from reality and postpones finding himself a purposeful life in the first half of Fool's Errand, Fitz is left with this bizarre array of relationships with no clear direction.
The parallels in this book are there. The parallels with what Fitz wants for Hap and what Fitz wants for himself. The parallels with what Fitz wants for Dutiful and what Dutiful wants for himself. Now, Fitz has a high born son and a common son, and does he want something different for both?
Clearly the ending has something to do with both the Skill and the whole Robert Jordan inspired "wheel of time" type thing with the white prophet and the catalyst. I must say, I am eager to find out how the series ends, because there are a lot of things here I am anxious to see resolved.
The rating is high because of the anticipation created rather than my actual enjoyment of the book itself. The book itself I would rate a three, but since I am overall harsh on the Farseer and Tawny Man trilogys, I will be gracious with my four star rating...
Brings the Farseer and Liveship trilogies together. Excellent!.......2007-03-13
Hobb continues to impress in this 2nd book of the Tawny Man trilogy. Intricate plot lines keep you thinking, guessing, and reading. You'll fall in love with these characters and agonize over their problems and mistakes. Robin Hobb can bring a story to life like a true master and I'd consider her to be one of the very best authors out there.
Golden Fool brings together the first two Hobb trilogies, with Bingtown traders coming to Buckkeep to petition for aid against Chalced and revealing the rebirth of true dragons to the world. Mysteries about the Farseer trilogy are further explained here, principally about the nature of the Six Duchies dragons and the Elderlings. Additionally, the nature of the Fool is further revealed, and his ties to the White Lady and opposing destinies adds to the wonder of the tale.
In this book, Fitz, Dutiful and co. are all at Buckkeep, working to prepare for the future. Court intrigue and diplomacy replace the breakneck action from the first book. Negotiations with delegations from the Out Islands, Bingtown, and the Old Blood take up the majority of the book, each adding its own element of mystery to an increasingly complex (and beautiful) plot. As Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is kept busy as Lord Golden's bodyguard as well as secretly training the prince and Thick in the Skill, while being distressed by his daughter Nettle and an even stranger voice (whom you suspect to be Tintaglia the dragon). As a part-time spy for Chade, Fitz observes a number of puzzling things, including the intricate (and painful) tattoo on the Narcheska's back. As usual, distrust runs rampant through Buckkeep, with friends keeping too many secrets from one another. The reader gets the feeling that many mysteries could be solved with a little better communication between Fitz and his comrades.
The book ends on a high note, with all of the companions safe and together and the prince about to journey to the Out Islands on what will surely be a monumental quest. Many questions and mysteries are left for the final book in the series, and I'm sure that it will be terrific.
The gripping nature of this tale continues.......2007-02-25
The second book in The Tawny Man series continues along at a speedy pace, drawing the reader further into the machinations of the Farseer court. The political intrigue involving Skill, Wit and prophesying is still a page-turner and one cannot stand to put the book down. One always wants to know what happens next. You won't be disappointed!
No sophmore slump here.......2006-09-22
In Fool's Errand we were introduced to Ms. Hobb's outstanding ability to surprise us - yet again - when we think we've heard everything there is to know about the world she's created and the characters we've come to love and enjoy. And this book is no different. We are introduced to a considerable amount of "new things", and "possible new things".
Dutiful's betrothed is the Narcheska Elliania of the Out Islands - the same Out Islands who peppered the Farseer trilogy with the Red Ship Raiders and created horrors from citizens in the Six Duchies that were dubbed the Forged Ones. The two kingdoms are attempting the typical "medieval truce", but when the Narcheska arrives with her retinue, it is obvious that their cultures are so considerably dissimilar that any pairing between the two seems unlikely. Not exactly Eleanor of Aquitane and Henry II.
And as always, with everything that Robin Hobbs has written, there is more here than meets the eye. Luckily, our Catalyst, Fitz, is quite adept at his role of "royal spy", and sees just enough to know something is very wrong. What he sees is fascinating.
Robin Hobb gives us just enough information to intrigue us, but not enough to give anything away. This is not a skill to be undervalued - this is one of the skills that separates good writers from great writers. I would place Ms. Hobb squarely in the latter.
Serving as almost more of a foreground than a background is the need for the prince to learn how to both Skill and use the Wit. Chade demands that Fitz be his tutor, for who else could do both, but Fitz finds himself considerably at odds with the ethics of teaching anyone to use the Skill. Chade does not share these ethical qualms (unsurprisingly), and has designs of his own with the Skill.
While the Out Islanders are at Buckkeep Castle, Bingtown traders arrive unannounced asking for help from the Six Duchies in their seemingly never ending war with the Chalced states. This upsets the Out Ilsanders, but as you get to know them you have to wonder what doesn't. The Bingtown traders bring some startling revelations about the identity of Lord Golden, and Fitz finds himself fitted with yet one more burden as a result. As if he needs more. Robin Hobb spent three books in the Farseer trilogy practically slaughtering him, and she's back at it again. She took Nighteyes from him in Fool's Errand (not a spoiler because it's on the jacket of this book), and now he juggles a relationship with Dutiful, who is his physical son, and other relations of his that come into his life unannounced and certainly unlooked for. If Fitz survives this trilogy intact, it will amaze me. Ms. Hobb has hit Fitz harder than Donaldson hit Thomas Covenant, and that's saying a lot.
But she hasn't done it gratuitously. Her treatment of Fitz, so to speak, has arisen out of his role as the Fool's Catalyst. There was/is no one else suited to bear his burdens by the nature of his existence.
Back to the story...
The Prince is a child. The Narcheska is a child. The Prince spoke out of turn, and the Narcheska believes that he slighted her. Therefore, in her youthful genius, she commands of him a ridiculous and impossible task: to bring her the head of a dragon, and not any dragon (as if there are multitudes), but her people's legendary "champion". Dutiful foolishly accepts the quest before his mother can put a stop to the nonsense, and as he has given his word, she must go along with his decision.
Now Chade has all of the ammunition he needs to demand that the Prince have a coterie, but what the Prince gets isn't quite what Chade expected. It might be, however, just what he needs.
Robin Hobb fans - enjoy this. It is a feast.
Amazon.com
Should you let a Fool tell you where to invest your money? If he's a Motley Fool, the answer is a resounding YES! David and Tom Gardner launched the most successful investment information service ever to grace cyberspace, and now they show you how to beat the market, even if you don't know a dividend from a divining rod. With this guide, you'll find out how the information revolution can put money in your pocket.
Amazon.com Audiobooks Review
"Thanks to online communication," say David and Thomas Gardner, founders of the Motley Fool investment Web site, "it is now little-guy investors, not huge-guy brokerage firms, who hold the most valuable cards." The Gardners, narrating their own Guide, lay out their Foolish market-beating techniques like the college economics instructors you wish you'd had. They explain, in everyday language (and with just the right touch of sarcasm), exactly why some people do better than others when they invest their money. Most important, they tell how you can be one of the few who do better. (Running time: 1.5 hours, one cassette) --Lou Schuler
Book Description
For Making Sense of Investing Today...the Fully Revised and Expanded Edition of the Bestselling The Motley Fool Investment Guide
Today, with the Internet, anyone can be an informed investor. Once you learn to tune out the hype and focus on meaningful factors, you can beat the Street.
The Motley Fool Investment Guide, completely revised and updated with clear and witty explanations, deciphers all the new information -- from evaluating individual stocks to creating a diverse investment portfolio.
David and Tom Gardner have investing ideas for you -- no matter how much time or money you have. This new edition of The Motley Fool Investment Guide is built for today's investor, sophisticate and novice alike, with updated information on:
- Finding high-growth stocks that will beat the market over the long term
- Identifying volatile young companies that traditional valuation measures may miss
- Using Fool.com and the Internet to locate great sources of useful information
Download Description
For the millions eager to make sense of today's world of investing comes a completely updated edition of the Motley Fool's bestselling guide. Includes a new Foreword by the authors and information on non-traditional business models, the 50 best companies worldwide, new ways to capitalize on fast growth industries, and investing in the U.S. from abroad.
Customer Reviews:
Their stock picking strategy to think about............2007-10-03
This is a well-written, easy to follow, and a solid book for people who attain a basic knowledge about mutual funds and stocks. This book is a must read for people who are interested in learning, exploring and testing stock picking techniques. The book offers a useful eight-item checklist that investors and speculators most follow when choosing the best small cap growth stocks. Also offers the pertient ratios from balance sheet,income statement, and cash flow that investors need to pay careful attention to when picking the right small cap stocks.
Although this book is generally good, there is one chapter on dow investment technique that people should be wary and skeptical about. The brothers give false hope to investors that anybody is guaranteed a 25.5% annual growth return for 20 years if they buy 2 of the second lowest and 1 of third,fourth, and fifith lowest price from 30 dow stocks or called foolish 2-2-3-4-5 approach. This might be true in the past 20 years but due to our unstable and unforeseeable economy in the future, a stock return of 25.5 % for 20 years is highly unlikely to happen. A likely situation we can experience is witnessing another stock market crash or seeing a rise of inflation 4 % every year making 25.5% return look a dismal 14%. The only aspect on their approach to Dow investment that I agree with is their claim about the safeness of dow stocks. Nobody can argue this claim since Dow stocks consist of 30 well-established companies which have been in business for a century and it would be hard picturing them filing bankruptcy.
Fool Some of the People All of the Time.......2007-08-09
The Motley Fools, for a novice investor, can be a life changing experience. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating" and their savvy insights regarding investments have served me well. Their stock market insights are delivered with wit and wisdom, and I was actually sad when I turned the last page and realized I had finished the book. That's my personal criteria for a well written book, does it leave you wanting more. The Fools deliver.
Book.......2007-05-13
Took the full 10 days to get here, after the 3 days until it shipped. But the condition of the book is excellent since it was a used book. And can't beat the price. Better than taking notes of the contents in Borders.
Motrley Fool Investment Guide.......2006-06-25
Good primer for the beginner stock trader. Also an excellent review for those who have "been around"
The Best Investment Book For Beginners- seems too good to be true, but it is RIGHT!.......2006-02-19
1) I read the book, and tried it out without actually spending money; my portfolio soared.
2) I put money in; my portfolio soared.
3) I added more; my portfolio soared.
4) The market dropped; my portfolio soared.
5) The market soared; my portfolio soared more.
It's so simple; it does seem too good to be true; but it is all correct! I hoped to beat the market by 1-2 %, and to beat pro's by 3-4% (since they do underperform the market 90% of the time!).
I have absolutely hammered the market, just like the Gardeners say in this book.
Two of my closest friends have done/ been doing so also.
In my last 3-4 years I have averaged 43% average COMPOUND gain. I trebled my money in 3 years.
I have bought this book for other friends, and recommended it to many, many more.
Basically, it teaches you to only buy very, very safe companies that are small enough to increase substantially in value (as more and more analysts start to cover their financials). It works.
Books:
- Friends in High Places
- Getting a Life: Strategies for Simple Living Based on the Revolutionary Program for Financial Freedom, "Your Money or Your Life"
- Gorilla Doctors:Saving Endangered Great Apes (Scientists in the Field Series)
- Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
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Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)
Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, Book 3)
Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, Book 4)
Death Masks (The Dresden Files, Book 5)
Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, Book 6)
