The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Insurance and Annuities
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Insurance and Annuities
  • too basic for most people
  • Almost everything you need to know
  • some good basic info, but....
  • Good, general guide
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Insurance and Annuities
Brian H. Breuel
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0028611136

Book Description

You're no idiot, of course. You have a responsible job, manage the family finances and help the kids with their science projects. But when it comes to buying insurance, you're so overwhelmed that you're ready to say yes to almost any policy. Don't sign on the dotted line! In The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Insurance and Annuities you get:

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Insurance and Annuities .......2005-09-08

I found this book very informative. I was studying for my Life and Health exam with the State and the licensing manual, that the test was centered around, did not make any sense to me. But when I read the "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Insurance and Annuities", I became an expert in insurance. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about getting into the insurance business, or who needs to know the "Why" about insurance.

1 out of 5 stars too basic for most people.......2004-04-27

this book should really be titled "Buying Insurance." there is almost nothing in it about annuities, which is the primary reason i bought the book. there is no explanation of guaranteed vs. current annuity rates, different provisions like MVA, etc. it did help me out with a couple of insurance topics, but if you are really sitting down and getting ready to actually make decisions or pruchase insurance/annuities, this book doesn't even begin to get you prepared for the real world. it's good bathroom reading for someone just curious about the subjects, but not a very practical book with real money/lives on the line. if you're a do-it yourselfer, or like to be prepared before meeting with financial professionals, i think you almost have to buy a few different books, one specializing in each subject.

4 out of 5 stars Almost everything you need to know.......2003-08-03

This is a wonderful explanation of all the terms you need to understand before buying life insurance. Just bear in mind this one thing. The insurance company will always try to get more money out of you then you get from them. So, life insurance is a bad investment unless there is a catastrophe.

1 out of 5 stars some good basic info, but...........2002-11-21

This book has some good information, but after reading the section on annuities, I put the book down and refuse to read another word of it and do not recommend it to anyone. This is because the author fails to even mention that anyone can purchase an annuity with no surrender penalties whatsoever with many no load mutual fund companies. Sorry Brian, but that fact you left that out reveals your bias perspective, and is just plain unacceptable for a book like this. Shame on you.

4 out of 5 stars Good, general guide.......2001-01-12

This is a good investment if you are looking at establishing financial security and your plan includes insurance coverage. This will prepare you with some good common sense tips and easy to understand explanations. It is a quick read but worthwhile if you are totally new to this area.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Insurance and Annuities
Average customer rating: Not rated
    The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Insurance and Annuities
    Brian H. Breuel
    Manufacturer: Alpha
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback
    ASIN: B000O93YLE

    Intuitive Manager
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Excellent treatment of the role of intuition in business decision making
    Intuitive Manager
    Roy Rowan
    Manufacturer: Berkley
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    ASIN: 0425130797

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Excellent treatment of the role of intuition in business decision making.......2006-08-26

    Rowan does an excellent job in this book in demonstrating the important role of intuition in business decision making.Intuition is not a priori thinking , guessing,fantasy,imagining different futures,or a shot in the dark. Intuition is an evolved mental capacity of the brain that allows the mind to sift the whole of an individual's past and present personal experiences and apply this aggregate knowledge to a new problem or question where some similarities exist with past problems.The entreprenuerial breakthrough is usually the " final stage of a slow fermentation process" .Creativity plays an important role in developing the new question that the entreprenuer will solve with his accumulated intuitive knowledge.The Eureka factor is only the final stage of a long discovery process during which all the loose ends are suddenly seen to fit into place perfectly in a flash of illumination.

    Rowan does not overlook the role of deductive logic,rational decision making or scientific management in business decision making.He clearly shows by numerous examples that intuition,creativity,and the courage to act are of equal importance.I have deducted one star due to the author's overlooking the important contributions in this area done by Joseph Schumpeter,Frank Knight,and John Maynard Keynes that were available to him at the time that he published his book.
    THE INTUITIVE MANAGER
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      THE INTUITIVE MANAGER
      ROWAN ROY
      Manufacturer: BERKLEY BOOKS
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback
      ASIN: B000PGNMO0

      Microperspectives (Food & Nutrition in History & Anthropology)
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Microperspectives (Food & Nutrition in History & Anthropology)
        Huss-Ashmore
        Manufacturer: Routledge
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

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        ASIN: 2881243320

        You Shall Be As Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • The Optimistic Jew
        • Highly interesting and very original
        You Shall Be As Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition
        Erich Fromm
        Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Company
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

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        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars The Optimistic Jew.......2007-08-31

        Fromm is a modernist, a humanist and an optimist and interprets Jewish tradition from this perspective. In this book he offers a radically humanist interpretation of the Old Testament: God evolving from an absolute monarch to a constitutional monarch - bound by the same morals and principles that govern humankind. This view is optimistic because it emphasizes our capacity to develop intellectually and become fully independent and free because of our ability to comprehend reality. This interpretation of Judaism could only have developed in the 20th century. It is an interpretation that has great attraction for me and without which I could not have written my own book "The Optimistic Jew: a Positive Vision for the Jewish People in the 21st Century".

        5 out of 5 stars Highly interesting and very original.......2002-05-29

        Erich Fromm is not only an interesting thinker but a fine writer, and in this book, one of many that he has written and all of which I have read, he outlines what he calls a radical humanist interpretation of the Old Testament and its history and traditions. In this interpretation, the concept of God evolved from that of a jealous, vengeful spirit to that of a constitutional monarch, and ultimately to a nameless God who is bound by the same morals and principles that govern humankind. Fromm is convincing in his arguments, and even for those readers who will remain unconvinced after the reading of the book, all will no doubt take away an appreciation of the depth of his scholarship.

        All of the three major Western religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, owe their origins to the Old Testament, whether this is acknowledged or not, and all have to this day a powerful influence on the lives of millions of people. And yes, as Fromm states in the book, the world's populations do hold a materialistic philosophy that is coupled with ever-increasing globalization and technology, but the acquisition of material goods and the indulgence of their pleasures coexists with a commitment to spirtual values and religion. This superposition of religious and materialistic philosophy shows no sign of abatement.

        The radical humanism of Fromm is a philosophy that is delightfully optimistic, and emphasizes the capacity of humans to develop their intellectual powers, to become fully independent, to understand reality as it is, and a renunciation of the initiation of force, the latter of which, Fromm argues, results in intellectual disintegration and emotional dependence. Eschewing a static allegiance to doctrines and concepts that therefore become divorced from experience, Fromm encourages the thinking of concepts as dynamic objects, and cautious that "they have their own lives", and can be aliented from the experiences by which they were invented (discovered). Forgetting the roots of a conceptual structure in experience will transform it to ideology, argues Fromm, and this ideology will usurp the underlying reality of human experience. History will become a history of ideologies, rather than a history of concrete, real individuals who produce ideas. Conceptual structures according to Fromm can never adequately express the experience from which they refer to, and the symbols used allow communication of experiences. But, this also allows an alienation of their use, since such structures are incomplete, and a rush to fill in the gaps, to pad the system, results in one that appears complete, but in reality is still fragmented. It then tends to a state of stagnation and sterility, making it inert and useless. Such is the history of religious concepts in particular, asserts Fromm.

        Fromm's interpretation of the Old Testament is essentially as follows: Stage 1: A dictatorial God as absolute ruler, jealous of the human potential to be God's rival. The use of force and brutality characterizes such a God, who expels Adam and Eve from Paradise and limits human lifetime to 120 years. Stage 2: God establishes a covenant with Noah and his descendants, promising to never again flood the Earth. For Fromm, the concept of the covenant is one of the most decisive steps in the evolution of Judaism, in that it leads to a conception of complete freedom for humankind, in particular freedom from God. God and human beings become partners in a treaty, this transforming God from an absolute ruler into a constitutional monarch. God then has less freedom to be brutal, to disrepect human life and other living creatures. Abraham's numerical challenge to God at Sodom and Gommorrah is offered in evidence. Abraham's confidence in the principle of universal justice is a departure from the concept of human beings as meek supplicants, fearful of God's reprisals. Stage 3: The rejection of idols and the subsequent concept of God as a nameless God. One must talk to God, not about him, the latter results in idolatry. The philosophy of Moses Maimonides is offered as evidence of this. The "negative theology" of Maimonides allows only the employment of attributes of actions of God. Both God and humans in this stage become subjected to the same universal principles of truth and justice, and their relationships is no longer confrontational . Conceptions of God then evolve to the more abstract, with God working through history ("horizontally"), and not into it ("vertically").

        Fromm's viewpoints on sin and repentance are also very interesting. He points out that in the story of Adam's fall, no mention is made of Adam having committed a sin. Fromm also gives interesting arguments that support his notion that the Old Testament scriptures do not state that humans are intrinsically evil. Humans can choose good with the same potential as their choice for evil, is his reading of these scriptures. The Biblical view, at least from the standpoint of the Old Testament, argues Fromm, is that humans can choose between life and death, good versus evil, and their does not exist any compulsion to choose one rather than the other. God points out the alternatives and asks us to choose life and the good.

        Erich Fromm has been away from us for 22 years now, but his writings are to this day still studied diligently by many individuals and they still have a lot to say about human beings, their beliefs, and their relationship to reality. With the complexity of life and knowledge increasing at an accelerating rate, humans now can make copies of themselves, can create thinking machines from mere sand, can travel in space, and can live their lives in ways that the ancient writers of the Old Testament never envisioned. Fromm translates Deuteronomy 30:19: "....I have set before you life and death, choose life....". I think if Fromm were alive, being the optimist he is, he would be proud of what humans now stand for, despite some areas of conflict in the world.

        Humans have indeed chosen life, and have become as gods.......
        You Shall be as Gods: a Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          You Shall be as Gods: a Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition

          Manufacturer: Holt, Rinehart & Winston
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover
          ASIN: B000GRGWMM
          You Shall Be As Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            You Shall Be As Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition
            Erich Fromm
            Manufacturer: Holt, Rinehart
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000PYQ50K
            You Shall Be as Gods - A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and its Tradition
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              You Shall Be as Gods - A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and its Tradition
              Erich Fromm
              Manufacturer: Holt, Rinehart and Winston
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover
              ASIN: B000PEBZ46

              Product Description

              A challenge to those who have inherited religious tradition and to those who have written it off, You Shall be as gods shows the spirit or radical humanism as it unfolds from the more archaic parts of the Old Testament through the prophetic writings and the later Jewish tradition. Erich Fromm's book traces the development of the idea of God in terms of gradual purification, stressing its consistent challenge to idolatry of all kindsand its logical conclusion in the absurdity of theology.
              You Shall Be As Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                You Shall Be As Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition
                Erich Fromm
                Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Co
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback
                ASIN: B000OA6398
                You Shall Be Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament & Its Tradition
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  You Shall Be Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament & Its Tradition
                  Erich Fromm
                  Manufacturer: Fawcett
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Paperback
                  ASIN: B000V8UQK0

                  Reducing Air Pollution (Improving Our Environment)
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Reducing Air Pollution (Improving Our Environment)
                    Jen Green
                    Manufacturer: Gareth Stevens Publishing
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Library Binding

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                    ASIN: 0836844289
                    Breath Taking: Stopping the Plunder of Our Planet's Air
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                      Breath Taking: Stopping the Plunder of Our Planet's Air
                      Edna Zeavin
                      Manufacturer: R & E Publishers
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback

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                      Ecology and the Quality of Our Environment
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Ecology and the Quality of Our Environment
                        Charles H. Southwick
                        Manufacturer: Van Nostrand
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback
                        ASIN: B000NXXK4M
                        Ecology and the quality of our environment
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          Ecology and the quality of our environment
                          Charles H Southwick
                          Manufacturer: Van Nostrand
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Unknown Binding

                          SociobiologySociobiology | Anthropology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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                          ASIN: 0442279213
                          Ecology and the Quality of Our Environment [By] Charles H. Southwick
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            Ecology and the Quality of Our Environment [By] Charles H. Southwick
                            Charles H. Southwick
                            Manufacturer: Van Nostrand Reinhold
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback
                            ASIN: B000JUSLFM

                            Mount Whitney: Mountain Lore from the Whitney Store
                            Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                            • Best of the best...
                            • Good resource
                            • Extremely Entertaining
                            • Brand New Second Edition Now Available
                            • Wonderful information for hiking Mount Whitney!
                            Mount Whitney: Mountain Lore from the Whitney Store
                            Doug Thompson , and Elisabeth Newbold
                            Manufacturer: Westwind Publishing Company
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback

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                            ASIN: 0965359611

                            Book Description

                            New, completely revised second edition of the most detailed Mount Whitney Guidebook on the market is now available. Expanded trail guide includes new photos. Brand new sections include: Bears, Wildlife, Weather, History of Trail & Summit Hut, and Mountaineers Route.

                            Customer Reviews:

                            5 out of 5 stars Best of the best..........2006-07-25

                            A great read. I think I have read all the Whitney books and this one, by far, is the best.

                            5 out of 5 stars Good resource.......2005-08-09

                            There is alot of great info about the hike, and the town of Lone Pine, and some historical info on the Mt Whitney as well, mostly aimed at beginners. The trial descriptions and map are good but not great. But over all the book gave me a great idea of what to expect. The trail is very well maintained so you don't really need a map anyway. We did the hike in 16 hours. Left at 2:45, summit by 11:00, back down to the portal by 6:15.

                            5 out of 5 stars Extremely Entertaining.......2005-05-11

                            In addition to being an excellent guide book, this book is also extremely entertaining. The FAQ section is hillarious.

                            5 out of 5 stars Brand New Second Edition Now Available.......2002-12-11

                            If you're planning a trip to Mount Whitney, you need this book. It contains the most comprehensive trail guide on the market, with detailed descriptions and photos to help you visualize the hike. There are also many other helpful chapters, such as: Bears, Wildlife, Weather, Your Success Factors (hints for mental and physical preparation), and background history of the trail.
                            Furthermore, this book carries a guarantee by the authors: "If you feel this book doesn't prepare you for a summit attempt, we'll refund your money." Written by the owner of the Whitney Portal Store, it's a gold mine of information and advice!

                            5 out of 5 stars Wonderful information for hiking Mount Whitney!.......1998-12-03

                            Before hiking Mount Whitney, I browsed a few books on the topic. This book was the most informative and interesting to read. Not only are there interesting anecdotes about the hike, including some of the messages left in the guestbook at the top, the book is well organized and readable. The book divides the hike into parts, making it easy to envision before attempting a hike to the summit. This is a wonderful book written by the owner of the Whitney Store.
                            Mount Whitney: Mountain Lore from the Whitney Store
                            Average customer rating: Not rated
                              Mount Whitney: Mountain Lore from the Whitney Store
                              Doug Thompson
                              Manufacturer: Westwind Publishing Company
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Paperback
                              ASIN: B000VXQH5I

                              Words Fail  Me: What Everyone Who Writes     Should Know about Writing
                              Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                              • Finally, a real book on writing.
                              • One of the best!
                              • A Nice Book
                              • What a help !`
                              • Add to your writer's desk collection
                              Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know about Writing
                              Patricia T. O'Conner
                              Manufacturer: Harvest/HBJ Book
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Paperback

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                              ASIN: 0156010879

                              Amazon.com

                              Patricia T. O'Conner's Words Fail Me is written in the same lighthearted tone as her snappy grammar guide, Woe Is I. This time out, O'Conner tackles the writer's art. "Good writing," she says, "is writing that works." This book is the perfect text for the novice writer who tends to gravitate toward comedic instructors. "Crummy spelling," says O'Conner, "is more noticeable than crummy anything else." Organizing your material "may be a pain in the butt, but it's thankless, too!" "Write as though you were addressing someone whose opinion you value, even if the reader is ... a stingy insurance company that won't pay for your tummy tuck." O'Conner's material isn't new--like many such books, Words Fail Me advocates the use of small words, fresh verbs, and only well-chosen modifiers--but rarely is a primer so amusing. And the clever titles strewn throughout--"Taking Leave of Your Tenses," "The It Parade"--provide added pleasure, particularly for anyone who knows how hard it can be to put a headline on a piece of writing. --Jane Steinberg

                              Book Description

                              Whether you are working on the novel that's been in the back of your mind for years or simply facing an increasing demand to write well at work or school, the fact remains: more and more of us are writing more often these days-reports, e-mails, faxes, and newsletters. But despite the increase in written communication, something has been lost-the fundamentals of good writing. Grammar maven Patricia T. O'Conner comes to the rescue with the most painless, practical, and funny writing book ever written. In short, snappy chapters filled with crystal-clear examples, amusing comparisons, and humorous allegories that cover everything from "Pronoun Pileups" and "Verbs That Zing" to "What to Do When You're Stuck," O'Conner provides simple, straightforward tips to help you sort your thoughts and make sentences that make sense. Push aside those stuffy old-fashioned rule books, because O'Conner has written the most accessible and enjoyable book yet for today's writer.

                              Customer Reviews:

                              5 out of 5 stars Finally, a real book on writing........2006-08-16

                              Over the years I have purchased many books on writing, only to find that most of the writing is about how to find a publisher, with very little devoted to how to write. This book is an exception. It covers many of the nuances of writing that slip through the cracks, and is written with humor.

                              4 out of 5 stars One of the best!.......2006-04-06

                              Indispensable tool for anyone that writes anything, be it novels, e-mails, memos, or book reports. Get it with "Woe is I" (all about proper grammar) and hit them with a highlighter & notepad handy. Together they may not cover everything writers need to know, but EVERYTHING they cover MUST be known by all writers. Basic rules are forgotten all the time & these 2 jewels read fast, providing easy to remember examples of proper English. Invaluable!

                              4 out of 5 stars A Nice Book.......2005-09-12

                              This is quite a nice book, most suitable for those who have not thought a lot or read widely about good writing but who are looking for a broad beginning. The book is light on grammar, and the science of clear writing is not to be found. It improves in later chapters, where examples of good writing are well chosen.

                              The book labors some points and underscores witticisms, which will irritate readers who read attentively. The prose in many places is unpolished. To that extent, it lives up to its title.

                              Much better is "Woe is I", Patricia O'Conner's first book.

                              5 out of 5 stars What a help !`.......2005-08-21

                              This little book gives the beginning writer many tips on nearly each page. It covers how to organize your writng, it gives basic, but often forgotten use of proper English, it gives the aspiring writer hope for sucessfull entry into the world of published writing. I can't say enough to sing the praises of this basic little book to start a beginning writer get off the ground.

                              5 out of 5 stars Add to your writer's desk collection.......2005-03-02

                              Reasons to buy/read this book
                              1. You have writer's block and need help.
                              2. You feel that you've confused the many rules of writing.
                              3. Your writing style bores you.
                              4. It takes you three pages to explain something that's complicated.

                              I read "Words Fail Me" for motivation while writing my second book. The best way to move past a writer's block is to lift your confidence by sharpening your writing skills. O'Conner delivers writing confidence in about 20 easy-to-digest chapters.

                              Patricia T. O'Conner's work is neither preachy nor boring. She speaks to the aspiring writer who may have forgotten some grammar rules while queuing you to times when you may not need to adhere to all the rules in the grammar book.

                              Her writing is witty and makes grammar fun, for once. It's a neat refresher book to add to your writing library.
                              Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing
                              Average customer rating: Not rated
                                Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing
                                Patricia T O'Conner
                                Manufacturer: Harcourt
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Paperback
                                ASIN: B000OJBSTY
                                WORDS FAIL ME: WHAT EVERYONE WHO WRITES SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WRITING.: An article from: Technical Communication
                                Average customer rating: Not rated
                                  WORDS FAIL ME: WHAT EVERYONE WHO WRITES SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WRITING.: An article from: Technical Communication
                                  Charles R. Crawley
                                  Manufacturer: Society for Technical Communication
                                  ProductGroup: Book
                                  Binding: Digital

                                  GeneralGeneral | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
                                  GeneralGeneral | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books
                                  ASIN: B0008H8YT4
                                  Release Date: 2005-07-28

                                  Book Description

                                  This digital document is an article from Technical Communication, published by Society for Technical Communication on May 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1423 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: WORDS FAIL ME: WHAT EVERYONE WHO WRITES SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WRITING.
                                  Author: Charles R. Crawley
                                  Publication: Technical Communication (Refereed)
                                  Date: May 1, 2000
                                  Publisher: Society for Technical Communication
                                  Volume: 47 Issue: 2 Page: 246

                                  Distributed by Thomson Gale
                                  Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know about Writing
                                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                                    Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know about Writing
                                    Patricia T. O'Conner
                                    Manufacturer: Harvest/HBJ Book
                                    ProductGroup: Book
                                    Binding: Paperback
                                    ASIN: B000OJFFMA

                                    False Start: How The New Browns Were Set Up To Fail
                                    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                                    • Run of the mill book as far as enjoyment value
                                    • A compilation of previous material
                                    • ANOTHER GREAT BOOK BY TERRY PLUTO
                                    • False Start
                                    • great book for true browns fans
                                    False Start: How The New Browns Were Set Up To Fail
                                    Terry Pluto
                                    Manufacturer: Gray & Company Publishers
                                    ProductGroup: Book
                                    Binding: Hardcover

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                                    ASIN: 1886228884

                                    Book Description

                                    It was supposed to be the dawn of a grand new era of football in Cleveland. Instead, it was a rude wakeup call. When the new Cleveland Browns took the field in 1999, legions of loyal fans—once heartsick, abandoned, and disgusted at the loss of their team in 1995—were ready to forgive the past and embrace the future . . . a new owner, a new team, a new stadium. They just wanted their Browns back. They didn't get what they bargained for. In the five years since a new team called the Browns arrived to play on Cleveland's lakefront, this has become clear: Browns fans got a bum deal. The NFL traded one of the most storied teams in football history for a franchise mired in mediocrity. These were the fans who, after owner Art Modell skipped town with their beloved Browns, became the only fans ever to take on the NFL, demand their team back—and win. Yet while they were celebrating the supposed victory that kept "our name, our colors, our team" in Cleveland, fans should have been looking over their shoulders and keeping a close watch on the NFL. There would be few reasons to celebrate in the years to come. In this book, award-winning sportswriter, Terry Pluto takes a hard look at the first five years of the new Cleveland Browns franchise and doesn't like what he sees. Pluto chronicles the backroom deals, big-money power plays, poor decisions, and plain bad luck that have dogged the new Browns franchise since its inception. Browns fans still stand by, waiting for a return to glory. How much longer must they wait? Pluto sifts through the clues from past seasons and looks for answers. This frank analysis will offer fans some solace along with an explanation for their misery.

                                    Customer Reviews:

                                    3 out of 5 stars Run of the mill book as far as enjoyment value.......2006-11-01

                                    Basically the Browns:

                                    1) Weren't given enough time to prepare for their initial season;

                                    2) The expansion draft rules were < favorable than 1995;

                                    3) Carmen Policy had no frame of reference on running an expansion team and he was overrated because he fell into a good situation in SF where Walsh did all the heavy lifting;

                                    4) Dwight Clark was over his head as GM;

                                    5) Because of the short time before their initial season the candidate field for head coach was limited unless they wanted a college coach;

                                    6) Brain Billick didn't want to coach an expansion team, nor did any other perhaps better qualified coaches. The Browns were desperate for a head coach and tried to pressure Billick into the job;

                                    7) Because of the constraints placed on hiring other NFL assistant coaches, Chris Palmer's pool of NFL assistants was limited to coaches who had been fired from NFL jobs; and,

                                    8) Did some lousy drafting.

                                    That's just about it.

                                    1 out of 5 stars A compilation of previous material.......2005-12-05

                                    For those who are looking for new material on the birth of the new Browns, forget this book.

                                    Terry Pluto, a long-time columnist for the Akron (OH) Beacon-Journal newspaper, takes the lazy way in spinning his conspiracy theory on how the new Browns were doomed to fail due to league officials literally tossing dog biscuits to Cleveland's political leaders, competing ownership groups and fans who demanded a new franchise when the team relocated to Baltimore.

                                    One should expect that a journalist with the years of experience like Pluto would pen a book based on new information or new angles to previously published information. Instead, he covers old ground through old columns; simply a cheap "best of" format.

                                    Time doesn't stand still, but for Pluto it had to so his theories would hold up in this thin book. Soon after False Start was published, an expose on the anatomy of the new franchise appeared in the sports section in The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. It used tangible statistical information culled from other expansion periods (Carolina & Jacksonville, Houston) which should have put to rest the fiction that many feel is fact concerning the new Browns.

                                    But Pluto as a columnist in the period covered in the book and Pluto as a columnist today will continue to play the everyman's victim card with the Browns. It is much too late in the game for him to turn back toward the field filled with the truth.

                                    Heck, in a year or so he may even get another book deal out of it.

                                    5 out of 5 stars ANOTHER GREAT BOOK BY TERRY PLUTO.......2005-09-03

                                    THIS IS A VERY SHORT YET DETAILED STORY CONCERNING THE CURRENT ADDITION OF THE CLEVELAND BROWNS. MR PLUTO STARTS FROM WHEN ART MODELL MOVED THE TEAM AND ENDS WITH THE RESIGNATION OF CARMEN POLICY RIGHT BEFORE THE START OF THE 2004 SEASON. HE TELLS IT LIKE IT IS, ESPECIALLY THE MANY BLUNDERS FROM CARMEN POLICY AND DWIGHT CLARK. THE TEAM WAS DOOMED FROM THE START, LITTLE TIME FOR PREPARATION THE MAIN PROBLEM. THEN THE MANY DRAFTS THAT WERE OF NO HELP TO THE HIRING OF BUTCH DAVIS. CARMEN POLICY PUT ALOT OF TRUST IN PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB AND HE TOOK A QUICK EXIT AND RETURNED TO WINE COUNTRY IN CALIFORNIA WHERE HE SHOULD STAYED IN THE FIRST PLACE. NOW BUTCH DAVIS HAS BEEN FIRED AND A NEW REGIME IS IN CHARGE NOW. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ALL BROWNS FANS AND FANS OF FOOTBALL TEAMS WHO START OR HAVE STARTED AS AN EXPANSION TEAM. TERRY TAKES HIS SHOT AT THE NFL GREEDY OWNERS AND IS 100 % CORRECT IS HIS ASSESSMENT THAT ALL THEY ARE INTERESTED IN IS $$$$$$$$. A MUST READ.

                                    3 out of 5 stars False Start.......2005-03-17

                                    A very light, superficial account of the new Browns. Terry Pluto is one of my favorite writers because he lacks any pretension, but I expected more from this book.

                                    There was obviously little heavy research that went into the story, other than a few interviews with the major players. The page count was fleshed out by dozens of only slightly interesting anecdotes from Browns' fans. Pluto also quoted liberally from his past columns.

                                    Pluto's done better, and I'm sure he knows it, too.

                                    5 out of 5 stars great book for true browns fans.......2005-01-13

                                    Terry Pluto has proven again why he is the top sports journalist in northeastern ohio..this book describes the ways Browns fan were ripped off and let down by the NFL for giving us an inferior team @ higher costs..it's not a total negative read,it's just an honest assessment from someone who truly cares about the Browns.a must read for "True" Browns fans...

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