Just What I Said: Bloomberg Economics Columnist Takes on Bonds, Banks, Budgets, and Bubbles

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Just What I Said - Two Thumbs Up

A Great Read!

Not a bomb!

A Modern Emily Dickenson in the World of Finance

Just What I Said should be just what you read.....

Just What I Said: Bloomberg Economics Columnist Takes on Bonds, Banks, Budgets, and Bubbles
Caroline Baum
Manufacturer: Bloomberg Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1576602192

Book Description

For nearly two decades, Caroline Baum has produced influential, informed, incisive commentary on central bank policy, the ebbs and flows of the economy, and how they influence the bond market. She also covers government policies, currency and stock markets, and other topics that are followed worldwide throughout every trading day by participants in the capital markets. Her much sought after, real-time analysis is rad by a devoted audience on the Bloomberg Professional service. This selection from her more than 1300 columns for Bloomberg News, arranged by major themes and with new introductions by Baum, condenses and organizes that wisdom for the first time in print form. Paul H. O'Neill, former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, says, "Caroline Baum is one of the few topical commentators who write things that have lasting value. This compilation provides a history of the economic issues of the time and timeless insights."

Customer Reviews:

Just What I Said - Two Thumbs Up.......2007-07-19

"Just What I Said" will appeal to anyone who wants to learn how the real economy works, in easy to understand lessons cleverly disguised as light hearted articles. The book (broken out into 19 distinct recurring themes) is a collection of the best columns that she has written for Bloomberg over the past seven years, some 1300+ columns in total. The amazing thing is her columns are as pertinent today as when she originally wrote them. I give two thumbs up to the book.

A Great Read!.......2006-06-15

This book is informative, amusing and easy to read. I enjoyed it very much.

Not a bomb!.......2005-10-30

As an investment professional I have been reading Caroline Baum's articles for more than 15 years. Frequently, when one comes out I will receive a call or email from a friend telling me to read it! The reason is her insight, written in a pithy way makes you think. That is what we get paid for and how we make money for clients.
The way the book is laid out...by topic, chronologically...makes it a good reference to keep at hand when some topic comes up or just to read...if only one article.
It is particularly impressive to reread these articles years later and find they still make sense, a major accomplishment.
Think of it as economics without all those troublesome graphs.

A Modern Emily Dickenson in the World of Finance.......2005-10-26

By Caroline Baum, the Emily Dickenson of markets.

Every now and then you read a book like this that makes you want to stand up and cheer, and tell all your friends that this is the real McCoy, that Emerson or Emily Dickinson or Samuel Johnson is alive. That's the feeling I have while reading "Just What I Said" again. To see what I mean, consider this. The middle-of-the-road, mediocre, eponymous tennis player and economist Robert Samuelson says in a sap-filled sendup to his kids: "You've got to care more about the election, because it goes to the heart of who we are as a nation. The greatness of the United States is not McDonald's or Microsoft. It's our basic beliefs how how we should govern ourselves."

From long experience reading her columns I shudder when she quotes someone like this, especially the fake Dr. and poseur at the head of the Fed. She never lets them off easy and writes, " The greatness of the US, Mr. Samuelson is precisely
McDonald's and Microsoft. They are the product of how we govern ourselves They are symbols of liberty and democracy. If you tell that to your kids, they actually might come around. These companies identify a consumer need, conceive a product or service to satisfy it, and compete with other producers to deliver the best qualtiy at the lowest price."

My goodness, she sounds like ... one of my favorite personages.

The book is replete with poetic and poignant ways of looking at such important things as the yield curve, the Fed influence, the doomsdayist take on the stock market, first principles of economics, bureaucratic snafus in business and government and homely analogies of the kind that you'd expect a sagacious
all-knowing columnist to make. Some of my favorites in this regard are the lessons she learns from birds at her bird feeder about crowding and mobbing, the chapter that could have been entitled "I, Mop" about the nitty-gritty of what a mop
should do, the unhelpful help desks of the technology firms (never sell her a bad product if you dont want to be pantsed in front of the most knowing audience in the world).

One of my favorite examples of her insights is her use of the word McMuffin to hold up to ridicule "Dr." Greenspan's attempt to make Congress think he's much smarter than they are by trotting out one new indicator after another that one of his boys has developed and or researched for him recently.

The list of the great things she illuminates and the insights that you can get from this book is endless. Its a masterpiece that belongs in everyone's library. I have bought dozens of copies for my friends, and plan to buy more.

Just What I Said should be just what you read............2005-10-07

As a student of the economy and financial markets, I've long been an avid reader of Caroline Baum's columns. This book is a wonderful compilation of her best writing on the macroeconomy, bond market, interest rates, government policies, and related topics, about which only she would write.

Many of her columns are both timeless and timely. For instance, those wondering about the economic impact of Hurricane Katrina should read her column from Sep 16, 1999 on Pg. 40 titled, "Hurricane Sweeps Coast; Nonsense Sure to Follow." For those seeking a greater understanding of oil's economic impact, including why higher oil prices are really not like a tax, read her column on Pg. 80 and her chapter beginning on Pg. 201 titled, "Oil Things to Oil People."

Couple her plain speaking, common sense and didactic writing approach with her access to and relationships with many of the finest minds in economics and finance and the result is a very educational read for the economics student to the finance professional. She is the rare writer who is capable of explaining the complicated in a simple, interesting and often entertaining way.

Book Description

What are the secrets of successful teams? Why do some teams achieve remarkable success while others fail or are consigned to mediocrity? To find the answers, Carl E. Larson and Frank M. J. LaFasto conducted a three-year study of teams and team achievement. Interviewing a wide range of teams, including the space shuttle Challenger investigation team, executive management teams and a championship football team, Larson and LaFasto discovered a surprising consistency in the characteristics of effective teams.

In Teamwork, they explore the eight properties of successful teams: a clear, elevating goal; a results-driven structure; competent team members; unified commitment; collaborative climate; standards of excellence; external support and recognition; and principled leadership. A final chapter examines the priority of the steps that lead to the building of a high performance team. The authors strive to make the concepts concrete, coupling solid theory with straightforward, practical advice on how to apply it and with lively, fascinating anecdotes.

The volume will appeal to practitioners, scholars, and advanced students in the areas of organization studies and management, as well as interpersonal communication.

"We believe it is an important book that will be very useful to the sport psychology community. Its brief and readable nature makes it an ideal supplementary text for courses in the social psychology of sport or sport-related group dynamics. It could also be used in research methods courses to provide insight into qualitative data collection procedures. In addition, coaches and mental skills consultants will find much valuable information here about the evaluation and enhancement of team functioning. Finally, researchers will be intrigued by Larson and LaFasto's eight-category framework and their brief description of a rating-scale instrument designed to assess these dimensions of team effectiveness. Given this diversity of potential uses, we urge our colleagues to examine Teamwork for themselves."
--The Sport Psychologist

"(A) superb effort conducted by the authors. . . . A must read."
--HR Planning Newsletter

" Teamwork attempts an ambitious goal in a small number of pages and succeeds quite well. . . . The authors have useful and interesting things to say--things that fit well with what other studies and authors have concluded and with what the teams they studied experienced and concluded. A prime audience for this book would be managers and team members with a modest 'academic bent' who want guidance on how to make their teams work more effectively and who are willing to listen to the reasons why the authors make their suggestions and how they reach their conclusions. Students and academics who are looking for a wise and balanced attempt to capture what we seem to be learning about what works in groups should also find this refreshingly short volume valuable."
--Journal of Management

"Larson and LaFasto provide a brief, efficient, and well-focused checklist of principles for managing group processes. The authors report on the results of a relatively systematic, 3-year program on in-depth interviews with participants from 'successful teams'--e.g., a Mount Everest expedition; DeBakey-Cooley cardiac surgery teams; a Notre Dame championship football team; several business executive and project management teams; Presidential cabinets; and disaster response teams--to come up with some '. . . distinguishing features of effectively functioning teams. . . .' Practicing managers should have no difficulty identifying with anecdotes described in this book. A list of characteristics parallels the chapter outlines of this good organizational behavior textbook written from a management process perspective. . . . It is hard to imagine a more efficient way to capture the fundamentals than the way Larson and LaFasto have done it. Newly appointed supervisors without a formal organizational behavior and management process course--and any practicing manager who could use a quick brushup--will find this guidebook useful."
--Human Resource Planning

" Teamwork [is] one of the best and most concise handbooks on team management around. No one interested in teamwork should miss reading this guide."
--The Learning Edge

Customer Reviews:

A Rational Approach to Teamwork.......2002-12-14

There's an enormous amount of reading material on teams and teamwork and this book is one of the best. Its highly rational approach condenses studies of high performing teams. The authors found eight common characteristics and explain in enough detail why they are important. They include excerpts from the leaders and teams they have studied. They also state that the two most common reasons for team failure are politics and personal agendas. They include a quote from Duke Drake: "The minute the politicians take over and start worrying about what's in it for me, you're dead in the water."

A enjoyable and useful book.......2001-09-20

These authors studied all different sorts of teams (everything from a Mount Everest expedition and a Notre Dame championship football teams to the group that invented Chicken McNuggets) in order to determine what they had in common. The book is highly readable and describes eight common principles that could be implemented to improve the function of any team. It is also full of interesting comments and stories from the study. I highly recommend the book for any team member (not only managers) since the book also clearly describes how the individal can influence the success of the entire team.

Top-shelf book on teams. A foundation text........1999-05-14

Larson and LaFasto put their outstanding research into easy-to-understand language. The book is foundation reading for executives and team members who want to understand the key variables that spell success for teams. And it's an easy-reading 138 pages presented so anyone (5th grade reading level!) can understand their findings. I know the authors, and have the utmost respect for their scientific methodology and experience. We use the matching team/ leadership assessment and training program to help client organizations plan, build, and fix their teams. Really an excellent reader, and a foundation of our consulting practice.

Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong. (book reviews): An article from: Human Resource Planning

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Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong. (book reviews): An article from: Human Resource Planning
John A. Miller
Manufacturer: Human Resource Planning Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00092NLQE
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Human Resource Planning, published by Human Resource Planning Society on June 1, 1992. The length of the article is 449 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong. (book reviews)
Author: John A. Miller
Publication: Human Resource Planning (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 1992
Publisher: Human Resource Planning Society
Volume: v15 Issue: n2 Page: p86(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Teamwork : What Must Go Right - What Can Go Wrong (Vol. 1) (Series in Interpersonal Communication)

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Teamwork : What Must Go Right - What Can Go Wrong (Vol. 1) (Series in Interpersonal Communication)
Carl E.; LaFasto, Frank M. Larson
Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KXP732

Average customer rating:

TeamWork: What Must Go Right / What Can Go Wrong
Carl Larson , and Frank M. J. LaFasto
Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Organizational Behavior | Business Management | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0761927069

Book Description

Please contact:

marketing@sagepub.co.uk

for more information regarding this title

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Teamwork: What Must Go Right/what Can Go Wrong
Carl E. Larson
Manufacturer: Sage Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S0UGMO

Book Description

Genome sequence studies have become more and more important for plant breeding. Brassicas and Legumes: From Genome Structure to Breeding comprises 16 chapters and presents both an overview and the latest results of this rapidly expanding field. Topics covered include: genome analysis of a flowering plant, Arabidopsis thaliana; the sequence of the Arabidopsis genome as a tool for comparative structural genomics in Brassicaceae; application of molecular markers in Brassica coenospecies; the molecular genetic basis of flowering time variation in Brassica species; quantitative trait loci for clubroot resistance in Brassica oleracea; structural differences of S locus between Brassica oleracea and Brassica rapa; Brassica and legume chromosomes; sequence analysis of the Lotus japonicus genome; introduction of an early flowering accession ‘Miyakojima’ MG-20 to molecular genetics in Lotus japonicus; genetic linkage map of the model legume Lotus japonicus; construction of a high quality genome library of Lotus japonicus; genome analysis of Mesorhizobium loti: a symbiotic partner to Lotus japonicus; molecular linkage map of the model legume Medicago truncatula; genetic mapping of seed and nodule protein markers in diploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa); mapping the chickpea (Cicer arietinum) genome: localization of fungal resistance genes in interspecific crosses.

Book Description

Explains the fundamentals of the behavioral theory that is based on an integrated view of the personality. For the student and the professional.

Customer Reviews:

The writing is dated but the content is good........2006-09-07

Erv and Miriam Polster were two major stars in the pantheon of psychotherapy, Gestalt therapy in particular. They were strongly influenced by the ideas of Isadore From and Lore Perls, with whom they studied at the Cleveland Institute of Gestalt Therapy and in New York City. For many years they trained practitioners in the methods of Gestalt therapy through their training center in La Jolla. They also did workshops across the US and abroad. This book is written in the 1970's and shows it, with its somewhat flowerly and gushy style. However it is probably the best book around for someone who wants to know a bit about the theory and practice of this approach first-hand, from two people who really knew what they were doing.

very good and complete.......2005-08-02

This book really has what it offers: this is an integrated view of gestalt therapy, but not only that it gives a clear and very well explanation about the main concepts of Gestalt theraphy, I really recomend it.

An easy introduction.......2003-12-22

This basic introduction to gestalt therapy, first published thirty years ago, is relatively easy to read and covers quite a lot of concepts and practices. It also provides many anecdotal accounts of example cases to help illustrate its themes.

Gestalt Therapy Integrated: Contours of Theory and Practice

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Gestalt Therapy Integrated: Contours of Theory and Practice
Erving Polster; And Miriam Polster
Manufacturer: BRUNNER/MAZEL INC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OKX4RM

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Gestalt Therapy Integrated -Contours of Theory and Practice
Erving & Miriam Polster
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LZHNEK

Book Description

The goal of these two volumes is to help fill the gap between theory and experiment in membrane science. This is the only work available today which covers the domain of computer-aided conformational analyses of membranes. Written in a detailed, yet comprehensive manner, this book uses the semi-empirical approach as a way to give a molecular description of the membrane structure in organized systems. This interesting work establishes the validity and quality of the prediction by making a permanent comparison with the experimental data. This reference aims to use this comparison to open a new avenue in the molecular description of the biological membrane. Those involved with biochemistry, biophysics, pharmacology, and biology will find these volumes interesting and informative.

Average customer rating:

Interesting but aggravating

very good book

More Than Nostalgia

The Boys Who Were Left Behind: The 1944 World Series between the Hapless St. Louis Browns and the Legendary St. Louis Cardinals
John Heidenry , and Brett Topel
Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0803224281

Book Description

When the New York Times sportswriter Arthur Daley called the 1944 St. Louis Browns “the most astonishing ball club ever to reach the World Series,” he wasn’t handing out bouquets. An ill-assorted collection of castoffs, 4-Fs, no-accounts, farm boys, and brawlers with not much more than a few minor league games under their belts, the team was playing professional ball for only one reason: the best players had been drafted or had enlisted. Adding to the drama, these misfits were facing the fabled St. Louis Cardinals and their mvp, Stan Musial, one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. The story of this unlikely meeting between crosstown rivals—dubbed the “Streetcar Series” because so many fans took the trolley to Sportsman’s Park—is told here for the first time.

Mining a treasure trove of coverage, including on-the-spot commentary by the Hall of Fame sportswriter Bob Broeg, the authors bring this contest between baseball’s David and Goliath vividly to life, giving readers a sense of what this suspenseful six-day series must have meant both to those on the homefront and U.S. servicemen around the world. A marvel of American sportsmanship, patriotism, and boyish innocence, the Streetcar Series will forever be remembered as the best and the “worst” of an era long past.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but aggravating.......2007-05-09

As another reviewer put it about some of the items in this book, "it may be nit-picking, but"...with this book, there is a lot of nit to pick. In spite of the impressive resources links at the end of the book, there is a bundle of inaccuracies all through the pages. Just to mention a few more than he did: Vern Stephens became one of the best outfielders (he wasn't an outfielder); Dodger outfielder Billy Herman (Babe Herman maybe); some old codger at the '44 Series was a Browns fan since 1869 (give me a break!); Danny Litwhiler had an RBI average of 82; Stan Musial was to play in the Mountain League (it was the Mountain States League); Sanders was the lead-off hitter for the Browns and batted in 102 runs (nobody ever did that before); plus a bunch of undoubtedly made-up conversations between players and batboys, etc. So, in spite of the many interesting things in the book, it became somewhat of a tedious read.

very good book.......2007-01-05

why this hasn't been made into a movie yet is puzzling to me

More Than Nostalgia.......2006-05-28

Hey, I had to love this book -- and I did. It's the story of the 1944 wartime World Series between the formidable St. Louis Cardinals and the chronic joke called the St. Louis Browns. I was a ten-year-old St. Louis kid, an avid sports fan, and the reality of a city series in my home town on the then western fringe of the major leagues was some kind of Nirvana. It was sheer pleasure for me to live all that again.

"The Boys Who Were Left Behind" brought back a lot of memories and excitement, reminding me of things I'd forgotten, but it also expanded my knowledge and understanding of what the game was like during the hard days of World War II. Most importantly, the pool of talent was depleted by the draft to the point that in 1945 (but not 1944), as the military scraped deeper and deeper into the ranks of the possibly eligible, the Browns actually used a one-armed player, Pete Gray. Some of the players were 4-Fs, physical rejects whose defects precluded duty in the trenches but not limping around the bases of ballparks. Others divided their time between factory work in defense industries and baseball, some being able to play ball only on weekends. Some just plain got lucky.

Stan Musial was one. If a player came from a draft board with a disproportionate number of eligible men and had good fortune with the lottery, he could slide through unscathed, and the Cardinals were particularly blessed in this regard. Musial, enlisting in early 1945 but never called, was able to stay with them throughout the war. The Browns, on the other hand, were not so fortunate, and their 1944 team was a patched together fabric of virtual misfits, alcoholics and retreads who somehow managed to win games.

They won a lot of games, as a matter of fact, including their notable pennant drive in which they won eleven out of their final twelve, including the last four in a row over the New York Yankees. I remember that last day. I was taking an October walk with my parents through the countryside outside the city, carrying a portable radio, and can visually recall our whereabouts at the moment when Chet Laabs hit his critical home run.

The Browns gave the high-powered Cards all they could handle in the Series, much to the delight of the many underdog-lovers in my home town but not this boy. I was a red-dyed Redbird fan even in that time of split loyalties.

The book is not without defects. A Browns rally in a home game is described as occurring "in the top of the fourth". Vernon Stephens is recalled as "one of the best outfielders" when he actually played shortstop. Some names are messed up -- "Roy" Sanders for "Ray", "Jack Jagucki for "Sig", and "Bill" Verban for "Emil". A hit off the right field screen in Sportsman's Park is called "an automatic double", which it was not -- a ball remained in play after it hit the screen. A run is described as scoring on an infield double play -- such would not count. A hit sending Walker Cooper to third is represented as advancing "the Cardinal pitcher" -- Walker was a Cards' catcher, his brother, Mort, a pitcher. Etc. But that's nitpicking, a small detraction from a delightful overall effort.

In short, John Heidenry and Brett Topel bring the wartime era in American history and sport to life in "The Boys Who Were Left Behind", and they do so in 152 succinct but heartfelt pages. They succeed in creating a feeling of the times in general and baseball in particular, touching on the difficulties with travel, supplies, and rationed items and the very real possibility that professional baseball might disappear for the duration. That it did not was a measure of the determination of fans, players and owners but also of the national perception that baseball had importance beyond being simply entertainment. It was our national sport, and no one, including the service people overseas who followed it closely, carped seriously about its continuation. Baseball represented a continuing thread of normalcy in a time of national emergency and in doing so held out the image of placid summer days, relaxed people and better times to come.

Customer Reviews:

Analysis of Pop Culture with Mostly Accessible Essays.......2006-02-19

Signs of Life focuses on the way we are shaped by the media and advertising with nine chapters that cover "Consuming Passions," "The Signs of Advertising," "Video Dreams," "The Culture of American Film," "Culture and Contradiction in the U.S.A.," "Gender Codes," "Constructing Race," "Popular Spaces," and "American Icons." Many of the essayists, like David Brooks, Thomas Friedman, Thomas Frank, Eric Schlosser, Franine Prose, Gregg Easterbrook, Malcolm Gladwell, and Michael Eric Dyson are best-selling authors whose essays or book excerpts are published in popular magazines. Signs of Life is well served by these writers who, unlike some of the lesser known writers, don't indulge in heavy didactic, academic prose. Some might not like the book for giving too much space to overly didactic writers. For example, there is Fred Davis' essay about the cultural signs and contradictions of blue jeans, which is so steeped in academic speak and is so absorbed by its tiny topic that it seems a pardoy of scholarly writing. Read for example: "Paralleling the de-democratization of the jean, by the 1970s strong currents toward is eroticization were also evident." Or "Of all of the modifications wrought upon it, the phenomenon of designer jeans speaks most directly to the garment's encoding of status ambivalences. The very act of affixing a well-known designer's label . . . to the back side of a pair of jeans has to be interpreted . . . along Veblenian lines, as an instance of conspicuous consumption; in effect, a muting of the underlying rough-hewn proletarian connotation of the garment throug the introduction of a prominent status marker." This is tough going, especially freshmen college students who are not familiar with this type of heavy-handed writing. This essay selection should be further criticized because I don't think students should be encouraged to believe that Fred Davis' heavy-handed writing style represents a worthy model.

In spite of some of the book's excesses, teachers and students alike should appreciate Signs of Life for three reasons: 1) Integrating the aforementioned popular authors into the chapters about popular culture, 2) Providing excellent essay assignments at the end of each essay under the heading "Reading the Signs." With a half dozen strong essay options per essay, the students have over 50 assignment options for chapter. 3) The introduction has three excellent model essays that show the students how to write A-level expositions. The models are based on "The Personal Experience Essay," "Critical Reading of a Film," and "The Open-Ended Analytic Assignment." Each model shows how to integrate outside quotes, paraphrases, and summary into the writer's own voice and how to document outside sources in the text and at the end of the manuscript with an MLA style "Works Cited" page.

It appears that Signs of Life Fifth Edition is moving away from the academic lucubrations of scholarly authors and embracing more accessible writers, like those previously mentioned. This is a positive evolution for the fifth edition and hopefully points to less overly-done academic writing in future editions.

What the media is up to...........2005-09-22

There is a statement that is familiar amongst our society, especially those of us that are more liberal, and that is "to not always trust what the media offers as valid or true." This textbook is an attempt to characterize the ways that media manipulate or tangle the truth, and even goes as far as offering an explanation as to why they do it. Now this is where objectivity within a learning text can be lost because to offer opinion about why the media does such things is treacherously difficult to do without biasing a left or right view. Yet the book does offer many illuminating details about the workings of this incredibly powerful economic and political tool, and more importantly, it offers the reader tools for combating or deciphering the clouded messages it gives.

I believe that this is a book that must be read by every human being (not to mention our pets who more and more become economic targets) so as to arm himself or herself against the incessant onslaught of "buy me! Buy me!" and "I can make you better because God knows you weren't made right!" However, the book loses power in being a textbook because some fluidity is lost, and it can be at times rather bland.

Nonetheless, it is a great tool to have and a tool that has now more recently become important to the human in his newest, superficial society.

Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers with Other

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Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers with Other
Sonia Maasik , and Jack Solomon
Manufacturer: Bedford books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Readers | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Academic & Commercial | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0312404786

Signs of Life in the Usa Readings on Popular Culture for Writers Fifth Edition

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Signs of Life in the Usa Readings on Popular Culture for Writers Fifth Edition
Sonia; Solomon, Jack Maasik
Manufacturer: St Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LZQYDQ

Signs of Life in the USA 4e and Pocket Style Manual 4e: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers

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Signs of Life in the USA 4e and Pocket Style Manual 4e: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers
Sonia Maasik , Diana Hacker , and Jack Solomon
Manufacturer: Bedford/St. Martin's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312449143

Writer's Reference 5e with 2003 MLA Update and Signs of Life in the USA 4e: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers

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Writer's Reference 5e with 2003 MLA Update and Signs of Life in the USA 4e: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers
Sonia Maasik , and Jack Solomon
Manufacturer: Bedford/St. Martin's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0312415095

Book Description

Woof! Woof! Who let the dogs out? Perhaps the likes of those who throw luxurious soirees like Lola's Fancy Dog Party in The Pleasure of Your Company-a delightful book that invites everyone (and their dogs) to experience the splendor of a lavish party. An expert in the field of entertaining, Kimberly Schlegel enlightens readers with invaluable tips and creative ideas for parties from one end of the spectrum to the other. More than twenty soirees are profiled, each sharing the most respected hosts' and hostesses' secrets of successful party giving. From a Debutante Ball to a Wild West Shindig, enjoy your invitation to the events you normally read about in the social columns. Not only will you feel like you attended these extravagant parties, you'll learn how to give them! Kimberly Schlegel is a graduate of Southern Methodist University with an Honors degree in Art History. In 1999, Kimberly started a company, RSVP - Soiree Party Rentals, that advises others when planning the most important events in their young adult lives. Kimberly has traveled extensively, visiting such exotic locales as Turkey, Bali, Hong Kong, Italy, and Greece often providing her with inspiration for her events. She currently lives in Dallas, Texas.

Customer Reviews:

Highly Creative Entertaining .......2006-07-28

Kimberly Schlegel enjoys traveling as it provides her with inspiration for writing and entertaining. In The Pleasure of Your Company, she celebrates everything from luncheons to high-society bashes. Dinners, parties for pets and Wild West themes are all part of the pleasure.

Kimberly Schlegel's mother has also greatly influenced this work with her ideas for personalizing occasions for the guest of honor. She once flew in roses from England because they were named after the Princess Michael of Kent. This was for a luncheon in her honor.

The Basic Buffet, The Memorable Meal, Glamorous Gala, Special Occasion Parties and Themed Parties are all included. There are lists of possible occasions to host a party like Tea Time, Pet's birthdays, Anniversaries, Wedding Showers, Book Releases and Ladies Luncheons. Some of the highlights of the book include hostess checklists, theme ideas and how to make a guest list and send out invitations.

The first party is an extravagant doggie bash complete with bone-shaped cookies with messages like "Thank you for stopping by to wag your tail." Recipes for Puff Pastry Dog Bones and Homemade Dog Biscuits are also included.

A Night in Seville is shown in all its extravagance and then a party fit for a princess follows.

What makes this book especially fun are the recipes included in each section and many of the delicious offerings don't require you to hunt down exotic ingredients. The fascinating chocolate coffee cups set atop a cookie saucer look delightful and delicious. You can really make the Lemon Napoleon with Fresh Fruit quite easily with frozen puff pastry.

If you don't want to host your own party at home or find a location to decorate, hosting a party at a restaurant is always an option. But then again, why not host a party outside at your home in the Hamptons. The Book Party looks like a great reason to finish that novel and delicious food and music makes the party memorable.

Imagine creating a party with a peppermint theme, complete with strawberries and peppermint ice cream. The Debutante Ball has an amazing display of pink rose arrangements set in the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom.

Of all the party ideas in the book, the outdoor parties seemed to really get my attention and the recipes all look delicious.

~The Rebecca Review

The Pleasure of this Great Book! .......2005-09-07

This book is style and grace personified. Plus, it looks gorgeous on any coffee table. Ms. Schlegel-Whitman has captured the essence of what makes entertaining so fun and glamorous. From A Luncheon Fit for a Princess, to a holiday Peppermint-themed get together to a gala for a chic fashion designer, this book gets it right on ever page. In fact, all 200 pages are both magical and inspirational. Ms. Schlegel-Whitman is truly a brilliant hostess and author. Buy a few copies - you'll want to give them as special gifts, too!

Fantastic book!.......2005-08-03

This book was not only interesting and creatively done, but fun to read as well. The photographs are beautiful and the ideas for entertaining are amazing. I bought a book for myself and liked it so much that I bought one for everyone on my Christmas list.

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