In a town where everyone knows everything, the author of this lovely, unconventional memoir came to live in a place no one knows exists. In "Still Life with Chickens" (Hudson Street Press, $21.95), Catherine Goldhammer wakes at midlife to find herself newly separated and several tax brackets poorer, forced by circumstances to move from the affluent New England suburb of her daughter's childhood into a new, more rustic life by the sea. Against all logic, partly to please her daughter and partly for reasons not clear to her at the time, she begins this year of transition by purchasing six baby chickens, whose job-she comes to suspect-is to pull her and her daughter forward, out of one life and into another. As she gradually transforms her new home-with its tawdry exterior but radiant soul-she watches her precocious 12-year-old daughter blossom into a stylish and sophisticated teenager. And as she tends to the needs of six enigmatic chickens, Goldhammer's life slowly shifts from chaos to grace. Beautifully written and quietly profound, "Still Life with Chickens" is an unforgettable lesson in hope, in starting over and in the transcendent wisdom that can often be found in the most unlikely of places. The brave, funny and heartbreakingly beautiful memoir is available wherever books are sold. Jim Wicht has requested a thin black line around the photo.
Tremblay, Francois - Atheism in a Post-religious World - Suite101, 2004 "If a man would follow, today, the teachings of the Old Testament, he would be a criminal. If he would strictly follow the teachings of the New, he would be insane" (Robert Ingersoll) Is ours a post-religious world? Ask any born again Christian fundamentalist, militant Muslim, orthodox Jew, and nationalistic Hindu. Religion is on the rise, not on the wane. Eighteenth century enlightenment is besieged. As the author himself often admits, atheism, as a creed, is on the defensive. First, we should get our terminology clear. Atheism is not the same as agnosticism which is not the same as anti-theism. Atheism is a religion, yet another faith. It is founded on the improvable and unfalsifiable belief (universal negative) that there is no God. Agnosticism is about keeping an open mind: God may or may not exist. There is no convincing case either way. Anti-theism is militant anti-clericalism. Anti-theists (such as Tremblay and myself) regard religion as an unmitigated evil that must be eradicated to make for a better world. This treasure of a book - it is incredible how much the author squeezed into 50 pages! - is about anti-theism. Tremblay labels religion a swindle and mental terrorism and explains, convincingly, why he chose these epithets. He demonstrates the inextricable link between the belief in the afterlife and immorality and castigates religion's intolerance coupled with its ever-shifting philosophical goalposts. Its dogmatism leads to a loss of experiential richness and to negative cognitive consequences to both the believer and his milieu. Religion, observes Tremblay with undisguised repulsion and bitterness, scams people with false promises of the hereafter, its texts are objectionable, it is unnatural, and it promotes falsities. In other words, it is a criminal enterprise. In the chapters he dedicates to refuting the bogus arguments from design, he refers to the works of George Smith, Michael Martin, and Corey Washington. His own treatment of the issue is even more original and refreshing - complexity and order do not a design make, he shows. The book is not without its flawed arguments - but these only add to the fun of mentally sparring with this thought-provoking author. For instance, he does not distinguish between established religions and cults or sects. Similarly he defines theocracy as the rule of religion (lexically correct) when, in the real world, it is the misuse and abuse of religion by rulers. I missed references to the plethora of relevant discoveries, theorems, hypotheses, and theories in the exact sciences and in formal logic. Consider this example: it can be proven that God cannot and does not exist ("strong atheism"), Tremblay argues, because having a God leads to either meaninglessness or to contradictions or to both. But this is precisely the Gцdel theorem: formal logical systems can be either complete or consistent, but never both. It is a pity he neglects to mention it. Finally, to my mind, Tremblay misses the big picture. As Freud correctly noted a century ago, religion is a mental pathology. You cannot rationally argue with people whose judgment and reason are suspended. Distinctions between personal and objective beliefs are lost on delusional fanatics. Religious people have faith in a god because it fulfills basic and entrenched (and unhealthy) emotional needs - not because its existence can or has been proven. We all - even atheists - hold irrational beliefs to some extent. Religion just happens to be a particularly virulent and insidious strain of irrationality. If you want to survey the emerging battle lines between the regrouping forces of reason and the resurging Dark Ages - read this book. It is a gem of a guide to the real Armageddon that is upon us.
Dear Dr. Gilda, My teenage daughter suffers from acne. As a result, she has a poor self-image. With the summer upon us, I've noticed she is becoming less social than she's ever been. While other teens are having fun in the sun, my daughter is hiding in the house. It breaks my heart to see her missing her friends because of her insecurity. Please help! -Very Worried Mom Dear Very Worried Mom, For most teens, summertime means freedom from school, more socializing, and fun. But for those who suffer from acne, the summer months can be dreadful. The beach, outdoor activities and excessive sun can cause heavy perspiration-which worsens acne and a teen's self-esteem. You are right to worry about your daughter. If she gives in to low self-esteem, she will let her acne rule. But there is hope. As my Gilda-Gram says, "Sometimes it takes a breakout to get a breakthrough." Millions of teens suffer from breakouts of acne. But they have breakthroughs when they choose not to live with it. Help your daughter Take Charge of her skin and her summer. A clear complexion will renew her confidence to be a happy teen again. Show her that she is ready to come out of hiding NOW. Visit a doctor and ask if Differin® (adapalene) Gel or Cream, 0.1% can help her beat her battle with acne. Differin® is the number-one-prescribed acne treatment among the top 50 topical d-class products.
Want the inside track on what fuels the stars of NASCAR? Get it straight from the winner's circle with grill master, Big John Youk. Big John changed the way NASCAR eats by making winning food for champion drivers. In his new book BIG JOHN'S SPEEDWAY GRILL: Racing Tales & Sizzling Recipes from the NASCAR Tracks, he brings his straight-shooting techniques for great barbecue from the speedway to your driveway. BIG JOHN'S SPEEDWAY GRILL is more than just food. The book is an inside look at NASCAR literally straight from the gut with stories and anecdotes about stars like Kyle Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart alongside the food they love to eat. Foods from In the Pot-Hole Chicken to Teach Those Brats a Lesson to Swimming to Freedom Swordfish to Dumpster Divin' Pecan Bars (named for Kyle Petty who literally dumpster dove for them), Big John Delivers. Big John puts tailgating and backyard bashes on track with his surefire recipes, all of them easy to prepare and hearty enough to satisfy a fierce appetite. The recipes contain no obscure ingredients. This is grilling for the everyday barbecue chef, without any complicated maneuvers. "Big John's Speedway Grill" serves up sizzling platters of easy, crowd-pleasing winners like these: • I Want My Baby Back Ribs: Big John shows how to grill 'em to perfection-so tender the meat is falling off the bone, with every bite delivering the sweet-and-sour flavors of brown sugar, onion and garlic. • Oh Say Can You Sea Lobsta & Steamas: A turkey fryer becomes a lobster pot. • Holy Cow Ribeyes & Spuds: The secret is to start marinating the meat hours in advance, and give the potatoes plenty of grilling time. • Barbecue Beef Sandwiches: Chuck roast, Louisiana hot sauce and onion buns are the trifecta in this juicy speedway favorite. • Dumpster Divin' Pecan Bars: They're so good they sent Kyle Petty bounding into a Dumpster to retrieve a batch tossed out by mistake. Categorized by region, from the Carolinas to the Great Lakes and the Southwest, with stops at world-class tracks in between, "Big John's Speedway Grill" is also packed with insider NASCAR memories that readers will relish while they're chowing down.
: Who isn’t familiar with Dan Brown’s provocative book, The Da Vinci Code that stepped on, what Christians consider, very sacred ground? His absorbing tale of Jesus’ earthly lineage through Mary Magdalene sparked passionate debates around the world. Was Jesus married? Were original documents destroyed to keep his secret safe?
Is his claim to divinity a charade? Before Da Vince had a Code there was an Antichrist Code that blows the Da Vinci Code out of the water. The Blueprint of Deception The Antichrist is known by many names all related to the same goal of discrediting God, reducing Jesus Christ to an ignoble prophet or do-gooder; but behind the masks there is one central character who has been with mankind from the beginning—the Antichrist spirit, who is Satan himself, spinning his web of lies. Satan’s blueprint of deception and plot to destroy the human race can be traced to the ancient writings of Enoch and Adam. Adam had first hand knowledge of Satan’s intrusion into this dimension and quotes Satan as saying, “Inasmuch as we do not know the day agreed upon with you by your God, nor the hour in which thou shalt be delivered, for that reason will we multiply war and murder upon thee and thy seed after thee. This is our will and our good pleasure, that we may not leave one of the sons of men to inherit our orders in heaven” (1 Adam and Eve 57:8–9). Breaking the Code"Breaking the Antichrist Code: The Blueprint of Deception", authored by Drs. Eric and Maria vonAnderseck, delivers on its promise to uncover the truth that Satan has tried to hide.
This Christian book uncovers the shocking depth of resentment Satan holds against God that directly spawned six thousand years of war upon Adam’s race. Satan’s wish to suppress the truth about himself and hide God’s original plan for Adam began the most strategic and successful disinformation campaign humanity has ever known. Enthralled by the intrigue of mystery, many “holy grail” industries have arisen, seeking to unlock the secrets of life in many DNA codes.
From the astrobiologists who examine microbes from Mars to unlock the mystery of “are we alone,” to alchemists who seek to escape the curse of death, everyone is looking for the “elixir of life.” Other such “holy grail” searches include the hunt for the chalice of the Last Supper, a variation of which hints at a blasphemous “royal” bloodline to Christ through Mary Magdalene. For centuries, humankind has been influenced by many Arthurian legends that enchant the mind with information that would lead to power over evil.
Books like The Da Vinci Code demonstrate how the soul is fascinated with codes, mystery, intrigue, and the possibilities of unlocking a hidden power that can transcend mortal restrictions to experience the God-Code that intuitively rings true about our original creation and potential. Uncovering the Truth The authors conduct a complete step-by-step analysis of Satan’s code of deception that he has used for six thousand years to acculturate the world to his system. Central to their analysis is an examination of Satan’s psych history. The authors put Satan on the psychologist’s couch and picked his brain to uncover the truth about his expulsion from heaven and the cause of his madness. What made Satan step outside of the divine order that God had given to him? What prize did God seemingly withhold from him that drove Satan to countermand God and steal the prize for himself? Satan is said to have had his eye on the throne of God. If the throne of God was never promised to Satan, yet Satan aspired it, to whom did God make the promise to share His throne? The spirit of Antichrist dates back to that history. Uncovering the truth about that history also unlocks the mystery of good and evil, the fall of man from the grace of God, our changed reality, the human condition, and the motives of fallen angels’ intercourse, both spiritual and physical, with the human race. With apostolic authority and precision apostle Eric vonAnderseck weaves together scriptures from the Bible, the books of Enoch, and 1 Adam and Eve to put together the most comprehensive study of human history ever written, answering deep spiritual questions that have plagued mankind since the dawn of time.
The life of a guy is not as easy as it looks. It's not just about holding down a job or being a father figure to his kids. It's throwing a football, grilling a steak, fixing things around the house and coaching sports teams. It's telling jokes, playing golf and picking a beer. And it's easy to get lost. Now there's help. "50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do: Celebrity and Expert Advice on Living Large" (Plume, $13), edited by Daniel Kline and Jason Tomaszewski, provides hints and tips on those essential guy skills and more-including tricking out your car, playing poker, dressing for a date, lasting in bed and even starting your own business-from knowledgeable people including "Queer Eye"'s Carson Kressley, poker legend Amarillo Slim, comedian Carrot Top, movie critic Leonard Maltin, former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar and "The Surreal Life" producer Mark Cronin. This book is an all-in-one resource to help you handle all the demands made on men in modern life. It makes a great gift for any man who wants to know how to weather life's tough spots and enjoy the pleasures of manhood. It takes more than combat gear to be a man… it takes the advice in this book.
Bruce Schwartz, playwright, producer, children's author and novelist -- most recently of the critically acclaimed psychological thriller, "The Twenty-First Century" -- lost both of his parents to Alzheimer's disease. As his parents' main caregiver, he witnessed firsthand the heartbreaking effects this devastating disease has on its victims and their loved ones. "I watched in horror as my parents forgot who I was, then who they were, forgot how to talk and eat, and turned into skeletons I no longer recognized," said Schwartz. "I felt I was in the twilight zone, helpless and alone, which sent me spiraling into a deep depression for many years." Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disorder that, over time, destroys a person's memory and, consequently, his or her ability to do the most simple, everyday tasks. After years of watching his parents' mental and physical functions deteriorate, Schwartz is on a crusade to help other families living through the same ordeal. "Alzheimer's is absolutely the worst disease anyone can imagine, and more and more cases are being diagnosed every year," Schwartz said. "If we all help in this drive, and ask the same of our friends and family, we will all win in helping eliminate this threat to our lives." More than 4.5 million Americans have the disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. By 2050, the number of Americans who will die from the disease will reach 16 million if nothing is done. The average lifetime cost of care for a victim's family is a staggering $170,000. "Buying a copy of 'The Twenty-First Century,' which NPR called 'the best thriller of the year so far,' may one day save the life of someone you love or know," Schwartz said of his mission in life. "This disease and its effects can last 10 to 20 years, as happened to President Reagan. No one wants anyone to suffer like that." Of the royalties that Schwartz has been donating to the Alzheimer's Association, half is being given to the national headquarters for research and the other half is going to each state to directly help the victims and their families. "If you believe in miracles, miracles will happen," Schwartz said. "It's time we create one."
Consumers today are bombarded by a wide variety of anti-aging products for the body and face, whether they are simple cosmetics or surgical procedures. But the fountain of youth really just comes from better nutrition, one health expert says. A survey by the American Academy of Dermatology found that 94 percent of women are confused by all the available anti-aging treatments (over-the counter and prescription) as well as the procedures available in a doctor's office. Yet according to Cherie Calbom, author of "The Wrinkle Cleanse," you can look younger starting with your next meal. Her book outlines a four-step approach to getting softer, younger-looking skin, explaining that a diet rich in raw foods, vegetable juices, whole grains and lean protein can cleanse the body of toxins and protect it from the causes of wrinkles and other symptoms of aging. The mention of vegetable juices might ring a bell: Calbom, who has a master's degree in nutrition, is better known as "The Juice Lady" for her work with juicing and health. She has appeared regularly on the QVC channel for the last eight years and is the author of several books, including "Juicing for Life." Calbom stresses that several factors affect how our skin ages, including environmental toxins, sun exposure, free radical attacks on the cells, inflammation and a weakened immune system. Her approach to creating a better diet geared toward reduced wrinkling has four components: * Step 1 involves quick cleanses with either an all-day vegetable juice fast or a two-day raw-food program, designed to help repair damaged cells. * Step 2 introduces a low-carbohydrate diet for 14 days that has plenty of vegetables, sprouts, vegetable juices, low-sugar fruit, whole grains and lean proteins. One key aspect of this stage is lowering caloric intake overall. * Step 3 is composed of cleaning programs for your intestinal tract, liver, gallbladder, kidneys and blood. Detoxification is key, according to Calbom, in the effort to fight wrinkles. * Step 4 outlines the vitamins and minerals needed to fight the symptoms of aging and how they can be incorporated into your diet. Calbom offers several nutritional guidelines and more than 75 easy-to-make recipes and menu plans. Her strategy emphasizes what she calls the "wrinkle fighters" - foods that are rich in nutrients to help strengthen collagen and elastin for better skin. Some examples include carrots, which add luster to the hair; artichokes for better energy; and almonds, a good source of vitamin B. "The Wrinkle Cleanse" is published by Avery/Penguin Group USA. It's available in bookstores now. - NU
A provocative new book has caused people to take a closer look at the products they use every day. Kevin Trudeau, author of the number-one New York Times best-selling "Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You To Know About," has written his second important book. Like his first groundbreaking publication-which sold more than 4.5 million copies-Trudeau's new book exposes what the author says are ways food and drug companies hide the fact that their products cause disease. Called "More Natural 'Cures' Revealed: Previously Censored Brand Name Products That Cure Disease" (Alliance Publishing, $24.95), the new book features material the Federal Trade Commission actually censored from the first book, as well as new eye-opening information. The book says the FDA and FTC do not protect consumers, but instead protect the profits of multinational corporations. These types of allegations have earned Trudeau the dubious honor of being called the most daring corporate and government whistleblower of all time. In fact, he has risked potential criminal prosecution by writing his new book. He answers his critics by sharing story after story about individuals who are using non-drug and nonsurgical, natural methods for their illnesses and diseases. This book picks up where his first book left off: • The 20 most commonly asked questions Trudeau received from his first book are explained in detail. • Specific clinics and licensed health care practitioners from around the world are listed with complete contact information. • 101 specific diseases are listed with the specific brand names that Trudeau believes will prevent, treat or cure the condition.
This very fun, exciting, fast-paced, warm novella - Bob the Dragon Slayer by Harry E. Gilleland Jr. – was a great afternoon read. In only 99 pages, this poet and author takes readers on a glorious adventure. Bob, an orphaned peasant lad witnesses a dragon destroying an entire village and dreams of becoming a knight. Within a short time Bob is presented with a historically important magical sword by a strange wizard named Stephen. The trouble is that no one else can see the wizard who only appears when people are not around. This does not damper the doubt in the minds of those around the ambitious peasant boy. Bob’s fierce, but chance victories with dragons build respect from the people throughout the land. Soon it is discovered that Bob has royal lineage – in fact the brave peasant dragon-slayer that had once desired to be a knight above all else, is actually the rightful King. Bob becomes the only hope of uniting the people of his land against an evil King bent on conquering and destruction. Saving the kingdom with the help of his mighty sword, a meddling wizard and loyal friends takes the young man on adventures he had never dreamed of before. Far beyond involving dragons, damsels in distress, civil war and romance, he also had to think his way around of legal obstacles along the way and politics between peoples. This is an excellent book for anyone over the age of 10. " ISBN#: 1411633156 Author: Harry E. Gilleland, Jr. Publisher: Lulu Press
If you've watched a TV show with a hospital setting, you might have a notion - albeit exaggerated - of how the interactions between patients and doctors can create dramatic scenarios. A new book written by a doctor-nurse couple says similar dramas are playing out in real life. It warns of how we should be concerned about the lack of quality care that patients can receive in hospitals. "Hospital Battlefield: A Field Manual For Survival," written by Lynne and Joseph Golonka, explains that inside knowledge and a lot of questioning will go a long way toward improving health care in the U. S. While being critical of hospitals - to the point of receiving their fair share of backlash from the medical establishment - the Golonkas are quick to stress that the power to make change begins with the patient. "We want to stir up this closed-hospital system, not fight health care professionals," says Lynne, a registered nurse. The real enemy, she says, is illness. The book gives practical advice to help patients avoid hospital errors and infections and ensure a quick and safe recovery. The "going into battle" metaphor is not intended to pit patients against doctors and nurses in a war-like fashion, the authors explain. But it does convey the urgency of "survival" within an imperfect system. Chapters titled "Securing Allies" and "Chain of Command" are not difficult to equate with possible traps and troubles in hospitals. But the self-help guide is also peppered with medical-themed cartoons for a tongue-in-cheek approach to some of the challenges patients face along the way. Yet the issue itself is a serious one, and the authors say preparation must be made for potential hospitalization. Some questions and ideas raised include: * What are the right questions to ask medical professionals? Specifically, to whom do you address the questions and how do you ask them? * Why is it so important to demand accountability from hospitals? * What is one of the major reasons health insurance medical directors deny claims? Ultimately, the book presents a realistic view of hospital health care and cites a surprising 1999 study as the basis of its argument. As many as 98,000 die in hospitals each year as a result of serious medical errors, according to the Institute of Medicine. The Golonkas say that progress to improve the hospital system has been slow, and therefore they urge patients and families to be ready for battle.
Did you ever wonder if some of those age old sayings about marketing are true? For instance, we’ve all heard “It costs five times more to acquire a new customer than to retain a current customer.” But does anyone have any proof of that? That is exactly what a group of authors set out to do in Loyalty Myths: Hyped Strategies That Will Put You Out of Business – and Proven Tactics That Really Work. The authors, Timothy L. Keiningham, Terry G. Varva, Lerzan Aksoy, and Henri Wallard are all experts in consumer loyalty and use their wealth of knowledge to dispel common myths and offer insight into what really works. The book chooses and interesting format – the first six chapters are devoted to dismiss over fifty common ‘loyalty myths’ and the final two chapters are used to learning about why customers are loyal and how a loyalty program should be managed. Each of the ‘loyalty myths’ chapters contains several ‘myths’ grouped together by common themes, such as Loyalty Myths That Subvert Company Goals and Loyalty Myths Regarding Employees. The chapters both begin and end with an example pulled from industry that encompasses all of the myths mentioned in the chapter, with the actual myths discussed in the middle. The authors spend a couple of pages banishing each of the fifty three myths. Some of the myths are things that we tend to take for granted, such as “Companies tend to know their customers,” while others like “share-of-wallet increases as customer lifetimes increase” would seem intuitively true. For each and every one, the authors use solid historical data to dispel the myth and show the negative business effects of believing it. The final two chapters focus on seven ‘loyalty truths’ such as “Don’t manage for customer retention before you manage for customer selection” and “Customer loyalty and brand imagery are far from independent; you must manage them hand-in-hand.” The authors do a good job of going through how to build and measure a loyalty program around these ‘truths.’ The book is an extremely fast paced, entertaining read. Anyone reading the book with an open mind will agree with the authors’ solid reasoning. In particular, business owners, CEO’s, and anyone in marketing or consumer affairs will directly benefit by eliminating these ‘myths’ from their business and implementing the ‘truths.’ This book can have a very real impact on your company’s bottom line. Many businesses mindlessly pour money into customer loyalty programs without taking the steps outlined in this book. For some companies, a loyalty program doesn’t even make sense. For others, their program needs a significant overhaul. This book will help you identify where your business is and give you the tools to make improvements. The only downside with the book is the shear number of myths. Many of the ‘myths’ blend together and readers would probably be more likely to retain the ‘myths’ if there were ten as opposed to fifty-three (similar to the seven ‘truths’). The amount of myths also doesn’t allow for the authors to go into quite as much detail as one would like for each ‘myth.’ There are several myths that aren’t so much dispelled in the paragraph or two devoted to it, but within the context of the entire chapter. It just seems like it would have made more sense to combine many of the myths. Overall, Loyalty Myths: Hyped Strategies That Will Put You Out of Business – and Proven Tactics That Really Work is a tremendously entertaining and enlightening read. Anyone that has an interest in consumer loyalty will learn a great deal of directly applicable information that can save their company money and help differentiate them from the competition.
: Looking for a heartwarming frolic through the life of a dog? John Grogan new bestselling book Marley & Me : Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog delivers. This story of a young family making their way through life with the help of a neurotic dog will have you laughing out loud one moment, and then wiping a tear the next. Maybe your thinking "I don't like dogs... why would I want to read an entire book about one?" Let me confide with you: that is exactly what I thought when I picked Marley & Me off the shelf. I have never owned a dog, and don't especially like my neighbor's dog. I have no plans to ever own a pet dog... this book definitely served to solidify my determination never to own "man's best friend". However, whether or not you are a "dog person", there is still an awful lot to gain and enjoy while reading this book.
The memories are so personal and heart-felt, at times you can completely forget Marley has anything to do with the book. But then he comes barreling back in the next paragraph, bringing humorous antics with every step. The book starts with a young couple, John and Jenny, newly weds in Palm Beach, looking for some new challenge in life.
They were deeply in love, with a great house, great careers, and not a care in the world. That lasts about 2 pages... that is until they bring Marley home.
Little did they know that their lives would never be the same again. As a ninety-seven pound Labrador retriever with more energy that an Alaskan oil rig, Marley's entry into John and Jenny's life is a whirlwind of disaster. Crashing through screen doors, destroying carpets, gouging drywall, eating jewelry are all in a day's work for the pup. Yet through it all, the book points out the unconditional love Marley has for his family, and they have for him. Just as his ruinous powers appear endless, his love and loyalty know no bounds. In this book John Grogan takes us along to some of Marley's craziest adventures. The story of Marley being thrown out of obedience school is hilarious, mostly because of the hard nosed dog trainer who eventually has her pride fed to her by Marley in a silver doggy bowl.
When Marley is cast in a local film production as the "typical family dog", we all cringe at what damage this dog can do. Sure enough, after a full day of filming a 15 second clip, the only thing Marley has accomplished is destroying the set and chewing through his leash. One of the most memorable stories is that of the Grogan family going out on the town for a family dinner. With Marley in toe, they decide the Florida weather justifies eating outside on the patio of a ritzy restaurant. Marley is secured to the cast iron dining table, and drinks are served. However, when Marley spots another dog strutting down the road, he charges after, dragging the metal table with him, and clearing a wake several yards across.
Needless to say, the family didn't take Marley out on too many family dinners there after. A big part of Marley & Me : Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog actually has very little to do with the big animal. The book reads like a well written journal, describing the new couples excitement over their first pregnancy, and heartbreak over the subsequent miscarriage. John overcomes deep-rooted family concerns, while Jenny copes with serious depression. While the book is primarily a comical, laugh-a-minute adventure, it is definitely not without its sober moments.
However, these honest and intent pages give Marley & Me the sole it needs to rise above other light-hearted tales. Overall, Marley & Me : Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog is an excellent book that can be enjoyed by all sorts of people (even cat lovers). The stories are funny and meaningful, the drama is heartwarming and sincere, and the dog is a complete mess.
In the end, Marley reminds us all that life should be lived to its fullest, that we should love people unconditionally, and that shredded upholstery is a small price to pay for a life-long friend.
Everyone loves to read other peoples success stories. It provides us with evidence that amazing things do happen to normal people. By learning what they did to succeed we come one step closer to success ourselves. Such is the case with the ten stories told in Net Entrepreneurs Only – 10 Entrepreneurs Tell the Stories of their Success by Gregory K. Ericksen and Ernst & Young. Ericksen interviewed ten of the most successful entrepreneurs at the turn of the century and presents their stories with a unique but effective use of lengthy quotes from the entrepreneurs. The quotes leave you with a feeling of having actually interviewed the entrepreneur yourself rather than reading a story about them. Each story is about 20 pages long but reads more like 10 pages because of the big print and free flowing pace. The 10 entrepreneurs chronicled in the book are Jay S. Walker (priceline), Mike McNulty and Mike Hagan (VerticalNet), Christina Jones (pcOrder), William Porter and Christos Cotsakos (E*Trade), Gregory K. Jones (uBid), Russell Horowitz (Go2Net), Ken Pasterna (Knight/Trimark), William Schrader (PSINet), Pierre Omidyar (eBay), and Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner (broadcast). Each entrepreneur has a unique story of how and why they saw the internet as a viable place to start a business, and each had a different way of getting there, but after reading all ten stories you can see some common threads between these extremely successful net entrepreneurs. Although this book was written at a time when internet business success was substantially easier (the book was published in 2000), many of the core competencies that these entrepreneurs possess can be applied in any era to any industry. Each is extremely passionate about what they do to the point that they inspire others around them to have the same passion. Each is not afraid to take a risk, regardless of whether or not other people disagree with it. Along with that, each knows that failure is inevitable when taking risks and understands that future success depends on the ability to learn from failure and move on. Another interesting thing that was mentioned in three of the ten stories is the fear of being blindsided by an opponent that they can’t see coming. They all talk about the proverbial kid in his basement or garage that comes up with the technology that puts them out of business. When talking about Mark Cuban, Todd Wagner said: “I know Mark worries, among other things, about the proverbial 12-year-old in the garage [coming up with technological breakthroughs] and us being blindsided.” This commonality is particularly interesting, and I suspect it comes from the fact that many of these entrepreneurs WERE THAT KID and they fear the second coming of themselves more than anything else. They probably fear that this “kid” will have the same passion and determination that they once had, and that, more than anything else scares them. If I had read this book when it was written I would certainly have recommended it to any young entrepreneur. However, years later I recommend it EVEN MORE. I think that it’s a must read for anyone looking to go into business or currently in business. The thing that you can do now that you couldn’t do when the book was written is find out what’s happened to these entrepreneurs and their companies in the time that has passed since the book’s publication. One of the biggest joys of reading this book was trying to guess whether or not these companies still existed and whether or not the same entrepreneur was still running them. Knowing that there was the dot-com boom and subsequent crash around that time, I figured there was less than a 50/50 chance that these businesses were still around. I’m not going to ruin the individual surprises, but there was a fairly vast array of directions that these companies and entrepreneurs went after the dot-com crash. Some of the entrepreneurs we’ve all heard of (Mark Cuban), and some of the companies we know still exist and are very successful (eBay), but many the average reader won’t be familiar with. Doing the research to find out where they are today adds an extra dimension to the book that a reader wouldn’t have experienced if they read it when it came out. Net Entrepreneurs Only – 10 Entrepreneurs Tell the Stories of their Success by Gregory K. Ericksen and Ernst & Young is an extremely interesting for anyone who enjoys a good success story. However, it’s truly inspiring if you are that entrepreneur who strives come up with the next innovating breakthrough that puts one of these ten entrepreneurs out of business.
