Introductory Econometrics: Using Monte Carlo Simulation with Microsoft Excel

Book Description

This highly accessible and innovative text (and accompanying CD-ROM) uses Excel (R) workbooks powered by Visual Basic macros to teach the core concepts of econometrics without advanced mathematics. It enables students to run monte Carlo simulations in which they repeatedly sample from artificial data sets in order to understand the data generating process and sampling distribution. Coverage includes omitted variables, binary response models, basic time series, and simultaneous equations. The authors teach students how to construct their own real-world data sets drawn from the internet, which they can analyze with Excel (R) or with other econometric software.

Customer Reviews:

Blows Away All Other Intro Texts.......2006-05-31

I am only half finished with this book, but since there is only one other review, I want to get my thoughts up NOW. I may add to them when I have finished.

My wife is an econ major at a small school with very few econ majors. Econometrics is not offered as a course. Although as a practical businessman with a preference for Austrian school economic theory I have a healthy scepticism about quantitative macroeconomic (especially) formulas, I have told my wife that she can not be a part of today's theoretical discussions without a basic understanding of econometrics. I promised to help her self-study this topic, and have reviewed a number of supposedly "introductory" texts (to remain nameless, but they are standards)that have lost me within 50 pages. Neither my wife nor I have calculus or matrix algebra. However, even those texts that say they do not rely on such math knowledge are still confusing. Until now.

Barreto's text is a wonder. The other review gives solid examples of why this is. Let me just say that you will be able to see econometric principles in action. The explanations are incredibly clear, and the work on the beefed up excel spreadsheets effectively demonstrates those explanations. I know this will be difficult to believe, but the text is actually fun to read. My wife and I both have college algebra, business statistics, and basic excel. That's all you need to use this book.

Every university should adopt this book as the intro econometrics text. It provides an approach to learning the topic that is accessible to any intelligent econ student. Those going on to PhD work could supplement with calculus, matrix algebra, and one of the other so-called intro texts. Barreto provides a way for normal econ students to understand econometrics, something that all econ students should be required to do. (Even though much of econometrics is nonsense, knowledge of its applications and mis-applications is still the ticket to being taken seriously in economic debate.)

I only wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. It is a stunning achievement.

Interactive Guide to UNDERSTANDING econometrics.......2006-02-16

When I was a new graduate student I ended up buying several different econometrics texts. No one text had the best explanation for each topic. The problem remained that for many topics I never did find a book which translated the formal mathematical presentation into a practical worked out example, so that I could understand the procedure and how to implement it.

This book and accompanying CD-ROM does that and much more.

Every topic includes guided Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and add-ins which illustrate the topic being addressed. The text clearly explains not only the HOW, but the WHY. The economics and the econometrics are presented with such clarity and unity; bridging the two in a way that none of the other texts do.

In Barreto and Howlands book/CD package you interact with the data and the graphs (they include a superior add-in for creating histograms), and run Monte Carlo simulations to see the behavior of the estimators in repeated sampling. These are "live" spreadsheets that invite you to experiment. For example; there is an Excel workbook which illustrates the correlation coefficient. Rather than a dry recitation of formula and proof, you can interact with the spreadsheet and see exactly how the same coefficient can apply to data having very different patterns. It is one thing to see an illustration, and quite another to actually be the one creating the diagram, simply by running the macros and changing parameters. This "hands on" approach is so vital to actually getting an understanding of the material. I have only a basic understanding of Excel, and have had no difficulties in using the workbooks.

While the limits of Excel are pointed out by the authors, it is important to note the reason for using Excel. It is widely understood and available; there is no learning curve. By using Excel there is no software barrier between the student and understanding the principles of econometric modelling. In less than 1/2 hour I took the data and example of a Probit model using Maximum Likelihood estimation from a course web site from across the country and replicated the results using the add-in provided. Most of that time was used to extract the data from a .pdf file and get it formatted properly for Excel. Once I had the data in Excel, it took less than 2 minutes to run the Probit estimation (my first time using that add-in!) By the way, the results using the authors add-in for solving Probit models with ML estimation were the same as the results from GAUSS code to do the same. The add-in had a distinct advantage though in that a choice for Probit or Logit model estimation using either Non Linear Least Squares or the Maximum Likelihood estimation was just a radio button away! This text can complement any course, regardless of the software used.

Again, the beauty of the book is that you are not just left with Greek formulas that leave you wondering how to do the computations, and you are not left with computer output leaving you to wonder how to interpret that output. The text explains the meaning so powerfully that you are not only armed with an understanding which is useful for success in your course work, but also for applying the quantitative tools in real world analysis and applications. The text is like going to see your favorite professor who is sitting there with you one on one, giving you insight which only comes from experience.

I've been through courses that use Greene, and Judge, as well as introductory texts. This text stands alone in making use of the computing power we have at our disposal today, not to produce more computer printouts, but rather to increase our understanding--providing the sound reasoning for applying that power.

I should add that even after two years of statistics and econometrics I learned quite a lot from the statistics review chapters. Don't be misled by the "Introductory" title. I had learned and executed Artificial Neural Network models in graduate courses, but still learned a lot from the section on correlation in this book. For undergrad students this book will put you on the right path. For grad students it will correct blind spots and misconceptions.

I highly recommend this book/CD package to any econometrics student and to practicing analysts that use regression analysis. The authors have created a product that I wish I had when I was in school, but am glad I found now for applying in my career.

Detailed info on contents as well as the Excel files and add-ins are available from the authors' web site which I found prior to ordering from Amazon. Once I tried the workbooks, I knew I wanted the book. It's 800 pages of solid information and inspired teaching.

http://www.wabash.edu/econometrics/index.htm

Amazon.com

Zero Space, by Frank Lekanne Deprez and René Tissen, is both a thought-provoking argument for truly open organizations--occupying the ephemeral region of their title--and a practical manual for developing them. Lekanne Deprez and Tissen, Amsterdam-based consultants who have separately and together written five previous books, are certainly not the first to suggest that intangibles like knowledge are far more relevant today than tangibles like machinery in the creation of corporate value. They do, though, give fresh insight into the type of company that successfully incorporates these 21st-century assets, and they propose a feasible framework others can use to tear away from traditional, but counterproductive, thinking and create the "all brain, no body" organization that truly meets ongoing challenges. In part 1, the authors discuss why their defining concept of "zero-mindedness" has become so critical. In part 2, they examine it in contexts that corporations will actually confront, such as time (dealing with sped-up consumer demands and business relationships), technology (making it so ubiquitous it is taken for granted), and alliances (forging the proper ones with customers, suppliers, and even competitors). In the final part, Lekanne Deprez and Tissen leave the theorizing behind to offer concrete suggestions for utilizing their ideas in the real world. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

Zero Space defines a business model in which an organization achieves success without owning assets or needing management, by being, in the authors' words, "all brains and no body." In a zero space organization, knowledge is the only true currency, and people are the business's assets and its investors in future success.

Through eight new organizational principles the authors illustrate how "zero-mindedness" is essential for the new economy. Just as organizations will have to exist in less tangible, less prescribed forms, so will thinking have to become less departmentalized, less closely guarded. This new open-mindedness or "zero mind-set" targets knowledge so that an organization applies it when and where it is really needed.

Customer Reviews:

Big difference between an idea that sounds good.......2004-03-27

and a good "sound" idea.

A book built on platitudes not repeatable results.

Zero space defines a cutting-edge management model..........2002-10-09

A very impressive book! Zero Space defines a cutting-edge management model that is relevant to both managers and consultants alike. I see this theory as a natural extension and integration of the research on high-speed management and virtual organizations. John Jones, Ph.D., Author, "The Virtual Entrepreneur"

Zero Space rates "Zero".......2002-09-10

I rate the book as "Zero." In "Zero Space" that is the highest rating!

Authors address organizational change in a knowledge-based economy. Their short stories and analogies make the book fun to read. Examples include the comparison of Zero-thinking companies to a maneuverable and highly adaptable "Tugboat" rather than a large ship. They talk of the value of communication and value of sharing information with the concise sentence "Two friends meet for a drink." The knowledge sharing, over a drink, leaves both men richer and no man poorer. This is an excellent story and representative of the superb readability of the book.

Easy and fun to read does not translate into "Easy to understand." This reader needed two passes to begin to appreciate the "Zero Space" concept and. Some of the concepts are abstract and require the reader to think in unconventional terms. Fortunately the authors offer Eight Key Features" associated with the "Zero" thinking. For example, "Zero Learning Lag" talks about training in today's businesses. The chapter is less abstract than others and presents a very good case for integration of learning with job activity in which the two become indistinguishable.

Lastly, the authors quote much of modern business literature thus offering the reader additional ways to explore the "Zero" concepts or merely to link to alternative ideas.

Zero Space Nearly Zero Value.......2002-08-08

How does one summarize a book that is impossible to understand? Simply stated, this frustrating read crumbles under the weight of its own foolishness. For example:
The reader is is advised not to share knowledge indiscriminately. But to get to "zero space" (whatever that is) one is encouraged to do just that. But, later, we are told it's OK to share all knowledge because competitive advantage is only gained by someone acting on that knowledge. Are they overlooking the fact that in order to act on something, one must first have that knowledge? Whoops.
The authors arrogantly state, "Human resource management is out and people relationship is in." This is cute but not substantiated.
The trend toward operational standardization is well appreciated, but then to leap to the assumption that this means the knowledge worker is a myth is dubious. And, again, unsubstantiated.
The first "concrete" step we are to take on this voyage to zero space is to become zero-minded, to empty our minds of preconceptions, and to allow it to move freely where it may never have gone before. The authors have evidently followed their own advice.

Book Description

This work takes a multidisciplinary approach to grain storage research, applying knowledge from the fields of biology, cereal chemistry, economics, engineering, mathematical modelling and toxicology to the study of the complex interactions among physical and biological variables in stored-grain bulks that cause the deterioration of stored grain. Details the prevention and control of pests and contaminants.

Book Description

Metacognition offers an up-to-date compendium of major scientific issues involved in metacognition. The twelve original contributions provide a concise statement of theoretical and empirical research on self-reflective processes or knowing about what we know.

Self-reflective processes are often thought to be central to what we mean by consciousness and the personal self. Without such processes, one would presumably respond to stimuli in an automatized and environmentally bound manner -- that is, without the characteristic patterns of behavior and introspection that are manifested as plans, strategies, reflections, self-control, self-monitoring, and intelligence.

A Bradford Book

Customer Reviews:

An excellent sample of a young but promising research area.......2003-09-18

Cognitive psychology started to study the self-monitoring and self-control possibilities of the human mind in the 1970's. The topic configurated a promising research area in the 1990's. Metcalfe & Shimamura have selected for this book a representative sample of the field until 1994. The selection includes basic and applied research focused on memory monitoring, problem solving monitoring, metacognition development, and some classic methodological issues. A reedition would probably need to include a chapter on attributions monitoring, and a chapter on the philosophy of mind.
This book gives the best state-of-the-art until 1994. All the researchers on metacognition should read this selection carefully to avoid ill-structured studies.

Average customer rating:

Metacognition: Knowing about Knowing
Janet Metcalfe
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQOBZK

Average customer rating:
Nature at the desert's edge;: Studies and observations in the Bagdad oasis,
R. W. G Hingston
Manufacturer: H.F. & G. Witherby
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006AJJF6

Average customer rating:

Great book for urban owners

Great place to start training your puppy.

Highly recommended, a must read for spaniel lovers

Urban Gun Dogs - A hunters review

Excellent book for both spaniel and retriever owners

Urban Gun Dogs: Training Flushing Dogs For Home And Field
Anthony Z. Roettger , and Benjamin H., III Schleider
Manufacturer: Writers' Collective
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Dogs | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Training | Dogs | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Hunting | Hunting & Fishing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Shooting | Hunting & Fishing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Hup!: Training Flushing Spaniels the American Way

Gun-Dog Training: Spaniels and Retrievers (Gun Dog Training)

Training Spaniels

How to Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves

Training Retreivers and Spaniels to Hunt 'Em Up!

ASIN: 1594110506

Customer Reviews:

Great book for urban owners.......2007-04-13

I believe the author hit a need that has been overlooked in many other books. Not everyone has the fields and equipment readily available to teach their dog how to flush and retreive like the pros do it. He also makes an excellent point that many gun dogs live in urban homes and must have the training needed to meet people politely and walk well on a leash, not just hunt birds. He does a good step-by-step instructions with tips for finding ways to expose your dog to the sounds and enviroment of hunting in an urban setting. I've used several of his ideas with my Springer Spaniel and she has responded extremely well.

Great place to start training your puppy........2007-02-15

I am 21 and have been hunting since early in life. I finally have the space and got my first hunting dog, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. I have had other dogs, and have been successful in basic obedience, but wanted a book to help me along with training this pup. I am wanting to train him as a flushing dog for pheasant season and a basic retriever for dove season. Chester is now 11 weeks, and even though it is too early to tell what type of dog he will be, this book has given me confidence in what I am doing for his training at this early age. He is doing great in my eyes, and we are making great progress in early stages of obedience training. This book takes you from basic obedience, to basic bird dog training, on to more advanced training to polish your dog into whatever you want him to be. I enjoyed reading the book, and am looking forward to running more of the drills as Chester gets older. Its great to read a book that doesn't assume that we all have birds to use, and acres and acres of fields to go to whenever we want. We live in a small town, and I was raised in the country so its not like I can't go home on weekends to train, but the simple and quick drills that this book describes that you can do at home make complete sense to me, and I have confidence that Chester will benefit greatly from them if I do my part. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a good bird dog, and loving companion.

Highly recommended, a must read for spaniel lovers.......2007-02-15

Tony and Chip have taken the time to de-mistify the training experience for the avarage hunter and flushing dog lover. From the obediance basics through steadying, retrieving, blinds, gone-aways and the always difficult "back" command, the material is loaded with fabulous tips to make you successful. The technique to "not looking the dogs in the eyes when delivering to hand" was worth the price of the book by itself. Working on steadying the dog by throwing the dummy over your shoulder is another example of professional technique spelled out for home trainers. Lastly, when to get professional help and how to avoid the e-collar craze are excellent common sense sections of this fine book. You may not train a field trial champion, but the potential is here to produce a master hunter.

Urban Gun Dogs - A hunters review.......2006-01-04

Urban Gun Dogs fills a niche that is long overdue in the hunting dog training literature genre, how to train a working gun dog with limitations imposed by residing in an urban/suburban environment. The authors have done a thorough and insightful job of provding practical advice and training drills to develop a well behaved and effective hunting companion considering the urban environment many people have to train their dogs in. The obedience section alone is worth the price of the book, and applicable to anyone starting a new dog or wishing to improve the manners of their existing dog, not just those in the hunting dog community. The book leaves behind the assumptions made in much of the classic literature on gun dog training.... that people have Edwardian era unlimited time, property and birds to train a gun dog. The program outined in this book will produce results!

Excellent book for both spaniel and retriever owners.......2005-11-20

This book was an excellent "start to finish" guide for training a retriever or spaniel as a hunting companion or to perform in field events, at least through the intermediate levels. I particularly liked the underlying grasp of the temperament and learning style of the "soft dog." This made the book very suitable for owners of IWS and poodles as well as of the flushing spaniel breeds. I just wish we had had the book a long time ago!!

Book Description

Now learning non-Roman-alphabet languages is as easy as A-B-C!

Readers wanting to learn the basics of reading and writing a new language that employs script will find all they need in the Teach Yourself Beginner's Script series. Each book includes a step-by-step introduction to reading and writing in a new language as well as tips and practice exercises to build learners' skills. Thanks to the experts at Teach Yourself, script will no longer be all "Greek" to language learners--unless of course, it is Greek script! Teach Yourself Beginner's Script series books feature:

Origins of the language
A systematic approach to mastering the script
Lots of "hands-on" exercises and activities
Practical examples from real-life situations

Customer Reviews:

Good but not enough writing instruction.......2007-07-22

I am in the process of learning a bit of Arabic so I picked this up. I read through once tracing characters with my fingers and got through it in a few hours. I decided to go back with a pen and actually follow the directions (e.g. "read and write" followed by 12 or so vocabulary words), actually do the exercises, and actually do the tests at the end of each unit. I'm finding it takes about an hour per unit and I'm learning a lot more by actually doing this.

Once I'm done with that, I intend to do it all over again with the handwritten versions of the letters.

However, I wish the writing were a bit larger and there were more hints for how to write the characters and get them right. For example, I still don't the proper way to make a mim that is connected to the letters on either side and there is no information on the order to write letters in. Do I make all the toothed character lines and fill in the dots later? Or make the dots on each tooth? Since my goal is just to read (probably the real goal of the book anyway), it's not too important to me, but I still feel it's a bit of a deficiency.

Still, I am very happy with my choice to pick this book up. I'm spending hours upon hours with it, and my hand is getting sore. I can see my progress, and actually completing each exercise with a pen (not just tracing with my finger) is proving to really drive the writing system home.

Very good beginners book.......2006-12-06

Very good and informative content. I wish it was more "user friendly" in terms of layout.

Good for a Start.......2006-12-03

This book is pretty good for starting out. It was a little confusing but over all broke down the language learning process and made it quite simple to understand and learn.

i wish he would write one of these for chinese characters.......2005-12-15

i've studied a lot of chinese character books and recently picked this one up because i've decided to learn arabic script as well. this is the best beginner's arabic book i've ever seen. in the introduction mace gives you clear tips on memorization that you can apply to anything else you might ever want to learn. the book is only 168 pgs long- but the wealth of information inside is astounding. the book is easy to follow, teaches you pronounciation, and grammer in a very clear manner. i've looked through many of the beginner's arabic books- but this is the only one i decided to purchase.

Good intro to script, just *part* of learning the language.......2004-06-14

As was pointed out by another reviewer, Frank Gibbons, the vocabulary is very much geared to a bureaucrat who may travel to an Arabic-speaking country, and need to read road signs, talk to officials, etc. If one needs only to be able to read script this is a good book; it has exercises and self-tests and the units are not too much to absorb in a half-hour, so one can absorb the material in one section without too much trouble and make quick progress.
The book also introduces some English/American words spelled phonetically in Arabic, that a traveller or foreign worker might come across.
What I would have liked that that I know more would be an index by word roots, with all the derived words under the root. While I know that some older dictionaries are organized like this, and I wouldn't want that exclusively, it seems like it would be a good mnemonic aid while building vocabulary.
What I appreciate about this book is that it is clear, well-written and explains about word forms, showing patterns that you can extrapolate from in writing/reading plurals, definite articles, etc.

Beginner's Arabic Script (Teach Yourself)

Average customer rating:

Beginner's Arabic Script (Teach Yourself)
John Mace
Manufacturer: Teach Yourself Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Grammar | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Reading Skills | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Writing Skills | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0340757841

Book Description

Bobby Darin examines the entertainer's entire life, from boyhood in the Bronx, where he was born, to his rise as a musical sensation. Interviews with close friends and relatives will give the book a special intimacy and provide a deeply revealing portrait of the man.

Customer Reviews:

Okay book, but I was disappointed.......2006-10-28

If you're a huge Bobby Darin fan, you will probably find this book more interesting. I liked some of his songs, but wasn't necessarily a huge fan. The book has a lot of quotes, but I would have preferred more narriative from the author.

Decent, albeit slightly dry, bio of the great Darin.......2006-01-06

Any bio on Bobby Darin is welcome and inherantly interesting, and this one is respectable if a little dry. Not the best, Dream Lovers has that honor, but still recommended.

Cookie Cutter Bio.......2005-11-15

This book reads as if were written in a week. It is truly a cookie cutter biography, full of copious quotes from old movie magazines. What a disgrace to the memory of the great Bobby Darin. Awful.

ANOTHER BK ON THE GREAT BOBBY DARIN: THIS ONE MISSES THE MARK.......2005-08-14

I've been a Bobby Darin fan most of my life and as such have read pretty much everything I could get my hands on concerning this sadly underrated entertainer. For obvious reasons I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately, Mr. Starr failed to deilver the goods. Why? Quite frankly because he got so much obvious information just plain wrong, it leaves the reader doubting anything new the author may have uncovered. Indeed, the interview quotes are colorful but for the record: Bobby Darin's character in Captain Newman M.D. did NOT "Come to terms with his grief and is sent home a happier soldier" as Starr writes on page 126. Watch the movie all the way to the end Mr. Starr and you'll see what I mean. Also, where did he get the idea that Gary Busey won an Oscar for the Buddy Holly Story as he writes on page 219? These are just 2 quick examples of known mistakes from a text that also derides movie magazine articles and then quotes from them extensively as source material! By the way, a bibliography would've been a nice touch so the reader can see where the author may have made his mistakes. All in all a nice try that missed the mark on a fascinating subject. Better luck next time. . . . .

A MUST-READ FOR BOBBY DARIN FANS.......2005-04-24

A comprehensive chronicle of the troubled and all-too-short life of one of America's greatest entertainers. Michael Starr masterfully weaves together great anecdotes about Darin from those who knew him best.

Bobby Darin: The Incredible Story of an Amazing Life

Average customer rating:

A Must for a Fan
Beyond "Beyond The Sea"
The first of the bios of superstar Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin Rules!! Great Biography!!

Bobby Darin: The Incredible Story of an Amazing Life
Al Diorio
Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0762418168
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Book Description

With the pending release of a major motion picture (Beyond the Sea) about Darin, directed by and starring Kevin Spacey, Al DiOrio has revised this look at the performer's life, first published by Running Press in 1981, now featuring a new epilogue and catalog of Darin's works in music and film. Bobby Darin was a brilliant vocalist, song stylist, six-time Grammy nominee, as well as a singer-songwriter, an Academy Award nominated actor, and a stage performer who dazzled crowds in Vegas. He was just beginning to savor fame when he died, of complications from childhood rheumatic fever, at age 37.

Customer Reviews:

A Must for a Fan.......2007-09-16

This book is special and I have read & reread it. So informative no punches pulled but written with love & affection. Don't miss it.

Beyond "Beyond The Sea".......2007-08-04

A Well-written Bio of a very talented singer/composer/actor/performer. I learned a lot about Mr. Darin (Sorry, but I can't remember his Birth Name.) Apparently Dodd's book , rather than this one, was the basis for the movie. Too bad, says Bobby's Half Brother. HOWEVER I do not see any glaring differences between the film and this bio. But the scene in the movie where Bobby acknowledges his "real" Mother, apparently never happened. If you had a competiton back in the 60s (Ala ESPN's "Who's now") between Bobby and (say) Ricky Nelson I think Bobby would've done very well.

The first of the bios of superstar Bobby Darin.......2006-01-06

I really appreciate this bio because it was written long ago, before the recent flurry of Darin bios, when there was little info out there on the subject. It was also the first (I think) to report on Darin's family secret about his mother and sister.

Tho' it's written in a fairly dry style and has some errors, it's recommended to any Darin fan. Diorio have expertise on Darin; he appeared on both video bios - the A&E Songmasters bio and PBS's Beyond the Song.

Bobby Darin Rules!! Great Biography!!.......2004-07-15

This is a great biography of the late,great singer entertainer Bobby Darin.Bobby,we all love and miss you!!

Average customer rating:

More like Roman Meal...........................................
Great Title
Great read
The Candle Burns At Both Ends
One of the more colorful Darin bios

Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin
David Evanier
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1594860106
Release Date: 2004-10-21

Book Description

A sensitive, startling portrait of the legendary singer-timed to hit stores just as the Kevin Spacey movie Beyond the Sea has kindled intense new interest in every aspect of Darin's life and tragically early death.By age 8 Bobby Darin knew he was doomed to die young. So he set out to become a showbiz legend by age 25. From his Grammy-winning smash hit "Mack the Knife" to his Oscar-nominated supporting role in Captain Newman, M.D., Darin left his mark on every aspect of show business that he touched. Now, 32 years after his death at age 37, we finally have an elegantly written, multilayered portrait of this brash, gifted artist. Author David Evanier has:o Interviewed all the key principals in the Darin saga and culled rare photographs from the singer's closest friendso Pored through scores of videotapes, audiotapes, recordings, documents, and filmso Re-created the rock-and-roll and Broadway showbusiness milieus of the 1950s that Darin emerged from, and the sharply changing musical, political, and cultural world of the 1960s that had such a profound impact on him.The result is a moving, insightful portrait of one of the greatest-and most complex-performers in the history of American entertainment, whose restless voice and spirit seem as alive today as ever.

Customer Reviews:

More like Roman Meal..................................................2007-09-17

This book was a difficult read because it was poorly written and edited. Bobby Darin was presented, and it may be a true picture, as a complete narcissist. Everything was about him, similar to the antics of many teens today. Unfortunately Darin was unable to grow out of it. Anyway, I would pick another of the several books available on Bobby Darin's life were I given the choice anew. This one was just plain disappointing.

Great Title.......2007-09-16

I have read all the available books and this one brought both my husband and self to tears at the end. A must for Darin Fans knowing none of us are perfect human beings, I pray for his soul every day.

Great read.......2006-07-13

To Lois Lane, et. all:
How would you have written this biography, sans the quotes from the people who knew him best? The form inherently lends itself to this technique, as any journalist will assure you.
The comparison between Evanier and McCullough is irrelevant. They are two completely different animals.
Glad I didn't take your misguided attempt at egalitarianism for gospel. I would've missed a great book, one I highly recommend to other Darin fans.

The Candle Burns At Both Ends.......2006-07-09

David Evanier's biography of Bobby Darin has many interesting sequences, telling of the singer/actor's struggle from the sidewalks of the Bronx to the big time in Hollywood. The heart condition that threatened to take his life before he reached thirty, propelled him to set out and achieve as much as he could in the limited time he had on earth, as well as the tortured, volatile relationship with his family, which is enough to move one to tears. Glowing reminices from friends elevates this biography. Despite his success, he never felt it was enough - he was constantly searching for other outlets through music, acting and politics.

But there are some negative aspects - namely, the writer's
description of Sandra Dee. He seems to paint her in a less that flattering light as a mentally disturbed, alcoholic starlet without any redeeming virtues or talent. As she was sexually abused as a child and prevented from having a normal childhood thanks to her controlling stage mother, she could hardly be expected to live a carefree, ideal life, much less while married to Darin. Evanier also downplays the intense love they shared, and doesn't seem to make any connection of the disentagration of the marriage to Darin's infedelities, grueling schedules that took him away from home from long periods of time, and Bobby's own demons, causing him to be restless and sometimes cruel. The blame falls on Dee, since she was suffering from alcoholism, anorexia, as well as a series of miscarriages, and as she was in very poor health in her last years, it seemed to have made her an ideal scapegoat. Very few people speak favorably about her, with the exception of the one person whom some would have thought would have slammed her - Bobby's close friend Steve Blauner. Although an arguement between Steve and Sandra is described, he rarely puts her down and shows some compassionate understanding. Dee sadly died not long after the book was published (she and son Dodd Darin did not particpate in it), and Blauner again spoke of her in very glowing terms. Also, the book erronously states her second film, "The Restless Years" as her debut, and of course, there is the annoying mistake of the reference to Bridget, rather than "Gidget" (attention, editing!). And there is a debate over Sandra's actual birthdate - was she 16 or 18 when she married Bobby?

Andrea Yeager, who would become Darin's second wife for a few brief months in 1973, is made out to be some kind of a flawless saint, when in fact, as soon as they got married, their relationship, which had been almost ideal, began to deteriorate. It also omits the fact that Bobby was in fact, unfaithful to her as well, getting Sandra pregnant again (resulting in her final miscarriage).

Bobby Darin wasn't perfect. Because of his medical condition, the painful revelation that the woman that he thought was his sister was actually his mother, and his own ruthless ambition, he could seem to be cold and cruel to those close to him - his family was often at the receiving end of that. But his touching love for his son Dodd, his passionate support of the Civil Rights movement, his devotion to his friends and the women that he loved and lost, not just his wives but also Connie Francis, and his unstoppable drive and talent endears him to our hearts. His indelible spirit and contributions to the world of music and film will never die, and will endure forever.

One of the more colorful Darin bios.......2006-01-06

I think this is one of the less dry more colorful Darin bios. The condom revelation alone would qualify it as colorful. Weird stuff...but in conjunction with other info available about Darin, and available Darin recordings, the assertion is credible. Incredible yet credible.

I really appreciate the fact that, unlike some other Darin Bios, it's not just a boring list of dates and events.

It relies a lot on interviews with devoted Darin boosters like Blauner and Wasser, but I love them for loving Darin and would welcome their input in any Darin bio.

Oh, and in response to an earlier reviewer who was sceptical; Sandra Dee was indeed just 16 when she married Darin. This bizarre fact is confirmed in son Dodd Darin's book "Dream Lovers."

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