Abouts Books

By Susan Velez

We own a black pug and a yellow lab so learning how new dog training methods has always appealed to us. I have take the time to do this ebook dog training review - Sitstayfetch in order to assist anyone who is looking to begin training their dog at home. Hopefully it will provide some useful information as to whether it will work for your dog or not.

This ebook is loaded with dog obedience training information, including how to solve over 25 dog behavior problems,it involves real-life case studies,it will discuss what the best dog training techniques are, provides you email consultation with the SitStayFetch team, and provides you a ton of photos that will enhance your learning more quickly.

It is broken down into an easy layout and is easy to understand. I take it since you are browsing the internet on how to train your dog; that your dog does require some obedience. Do you fall into this category:

• does your dog embarrass you in public?
• does your dog chew, bark, or whine excessively?
• Is your dog aggressive towards other dogs or people?
• Are you looking to fix any of your dogs behavioral problems?

If you answered "yes" to any of the questions above then continue reading this ebook dog training review - Sitstayfetch and you will be amazed at how much this program will help you solve any of your dogs behavioral problems.

I am going to provide you with some of the topics that are covered in this training program. I believe that any behavioral problem that your dog has whether it is pulling on the leash, digging up your back yard or just stubbornness can be solved by using this ebook. The course is broken down into chapters and some of them are listed below:

DOG 101: It's A Dogs Life

DOG 102: Caring for Your Dog

DOG 103: Training Methods Revealed

Do some of these chapters seem like something that you could possibly utilize to help reduce your dogs behaviors? I am going to list the titles of the other chapters below:

As you can see this ebook dog training review is jam packed with valuable information that any dog lover can use to help train their canine "best friend." In my personal opinion I feel like the Sitstayfetch program over delivers and even provides you with several Bonuses. Some of the bonuses you will see on the program are:

Did you find this review on Sitstayfetch helpful? Get your FREE 6-part mini-course that will teach you little-known Dog Obedience Training Secrets to correcting dog behavior problems using REAL-LIFE scenarios.

By Tyler Tichelaar

My Tour in Hell: A Marine's Battle with Combat Trauma
David W. Powell
Modern History Press (2006)
ISBN: 9781932690221

Although a history buff, the Vietnam War is one area I have avoided studying simply because I felt it could only be depressing. I was surprised and re-educated about that simple belief by David Powell's autobiography of his tour in Vietnam and how Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affected his life after he returned home. "My Tour in Hell: A Marine's Battle with Combat Trauma" retells one marine's experiences on a personal and honest level that makes the reader understand the decisions made by American soldiers, often against their better wishes, and how their time serving their country was both unappreciated and misunderstood.

Most of "My Tour in Hell" is Powell detailing his tour of duty in Vietnam. I was instantly surprised that he only spent thirteen months in Vietnam-the typical length for a marine's tour of duty. I had expected the average Vietnam Veteran had spent several years as a soldier. Nevertheless, the time Powell spent and the experiences he had were enough to make anyone have PTSD. Powell faithfully and truthfully exposes his personality flaws and strengths as he recounts his experiences. The book opens with his first day in the field and the fear he felt. He then discusses various patrols and operations in which he was involved. His memory of events is excellent, and I was fascinated by his experiences several times of seeing events in slow-motion when something traumatic happened such as his watching an atrocity or realizing he was being shot. I had not known that slow-motion, so often depicted in films, was an actual human experience. I realize better now how the constant stress of potentially being attacked can cause disorientation, fear and even the sense of time nearly stopping.

Powell's experiences are all the stronger because he questioned his Christian faith during his tour. He asks himself how he can kill people, especially those not directly attacking him, and he comes to reconcile himself to shooting the enemy because they would kill him or his comrades if given the chance. At the same time, he is disgusted by his fellow soldiers' behavior, such as sharing a Viet Cong nurse whom they take turns raping before killing her. Powell discusses how difficult he found it to befriend his comrades because he feared being distracted by worrying about them, thereby putting himself at greater risk. When he breaks his own rule, he hurts all the more when his friend is killed. Powell discusses all these events without being overly emotional in his descriptions, but the pain he felt comes through perhaps stronger because of the scarcity of words.

PTSD became part of Powell's life almost from his first day in Vietnam. When he was on leave, he could not function normally in an airport from fear of the people around him. When he returns home, he finds himself unable to confront people from fear and distrust, resulting in failed marriages and frequent career changes.

The purpose of Powell's book is not only to detail his war experiences but also to explain how he was diagnosed with PTSD and how the use of Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR) helped him deal with his emotions and reactions to other people. While he gives us details about his treatment, I felt the book ended a bit too quickly, and I would have liked to hear his overall conclusions about his experiences and why he decided to write his story, but I don't think any reader will doubt the importance of Powell's story and how it adds to our knowledge of what it is to suffer from PTSD.

"My Tour in Hell" also provides several useful appendices, beginning with a study guide of questions for each chapter of the book to help people reflect on Powell's experiences. In addition, the appendices include Frequently Asked Questions about PTSD (including definitions and statistics relevant not only to veterans but civilians who have undergone traumas such as natural disasters or being raped) and a glossary of Vietnam War terminology.

"My Tour in Hell" is an extremely readable and informative memoir about a Vietnam soldier's experience. I appreciate that Powell was honest and straightforward without sensationalizing the Vietnam War. Squeamish readers will not find it gory or difficult to read, and they will come away with greater understanding and appreciation of the military men and women who serve this country. When Powell returned from his tour of duty, he told his wife, "I want to have someone, anyone, hug me and say 'welcome: all is forgiven.'" With "My Tour in Hell" Powell has found that forgiveness and been able to tell a story the American public has waited too long to understand.

- Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D., author of The Marquette Trilogy
March 22, 2008

Tyler R. Tichelaar holds a Bachelor's and Master's Degree from Northern Michigan University and a Ph.D. from Western Michigan University. His family's long relationship with Upper Michigan and his avid interest in genealogy inspired Dr. Tichelaar to write his Marquette Trilogy: Iron Pioneers, The Queen City, and Superior Heritage. Dr. Tichelaar is also a professional book reviewer and editor (Superior Book Promotions). For more information about Tyler R. Tichelaar, his writing, and his author services, visit: http://www.MarquetteFiction.com
http://www.SuperiorBookPromotions.com

By Keith Scott

The Expert's Guide to Collecting and Investing in Rare Coins is an enormous book. It contains over 600 pages full of information on coin collecting. The title is somewhat deceiving though in my opinion. I would not call it an investment book at all but rather a complete overview of almost any type of numismatic material made in the United States.

The book certainly does cover investing in rare coins as an investment. The book contains a whopping 34 chapters and the first 15 are devoted to investing or determining the value of rare coins. Within those chapters, there are discussions regarding the common basics of coin investing such as quality/grading, rarity, and demand. As with any commodity or collectible, if there is no demand there is no price appreciation. The best example of that is the 1909 S VDB Lincoln Cent. There are more of these coins available than many other rare coins from 20 to 30 years prior but the 1909 S VDB commands a much higher price because of the shear number of people who want that coin.

The next several chapters (chapters 16 through 30) are devoted to each different collectible type. For example there is a chapter on copper coins, a chapter on nickels, a chapter on silver coins, and a chapter on gold coins and so on. These chapters provide a very brief overview of each coin type. If you want to more detail of let's say the Buffalo Nickel, then you would want to spend the money on a book specific about Buffalo Nickels and fortunately, there are a few on the market. The same holds true for many other series such as Lincoln Cents, Shield Nickels, Mercury Dimes, and so on.

There are also chapters devoted to lesser known collectables. There is a chapter on proof coins, a chapter on colonial coins, a chapter on pattern coins, a chapter on commemoratives, a chapter on tokens, and more. Each of these chapters gives an overview of each particular item. There is even a chapter devoted to collecting Confederate paper money.

While these chapters are quite diverse, they offer a wealth of information that many collectors may not know. It is written in a manner that is very easy to follow and enjoyable to read.

Chapter 31 is devoted to developing your own personal numismatic library. If you are a series collector, it is not unheard of to spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on numismatic material. The old adage of buy the book first is true.

Chapter 32 delves into the world of coin cleaning and protecting your coins. Of course the best advice when it comes to cleaning coins is DO NOT DO IT. With that notion, the book discussed the various ways coins are cleaned. It also provides an overview of how to store and protect your coins.

I personally did not get this book for the advice on investing in rare coins, rather because I am more of a collector than an investor. Certainly we all want our collections to grow in value, but I read this book just because of the shear volume of general numismatic material. It is chocked full of information that for the beginning collector is priceless. It could certainly guide a beginning collector down the path of determining what he/she might have in interesting in collecting to become a true collector rather than a hoarder.

I highly recommend this book

Keith Scott has been a collector for over 30 years. His website has Coin stuff Reviews. For Coin Book Reviews go here. Visit his websites for a history of US coins.

By Lance Winslow

There sure are a lot of 'change gurus' these days, heck they are everywhere. As an online article author, I have noted that there are more management consultants about than just about any other type of consultant on the planet. Indeed, they all talk about change, change management, or introducing change in the corporation. There are probably a billion words on the subject or more in printed form and god only knows how many web pages?

Before you start talking about change or claim to be one with the only constant in the universe, perhaps you might read up on the subject yourself. At this time, I would like to recommend a couple of books to you on the subject to get you started:

"Winning the Change Game - How to Implement Information Systems with Fewer Headaches and Bigger Paybacks" by Kathy Farrell and Craig Broude. 1987

In a way this book although 20-years old has a special place and value due to its philosophical approach, tied to genuine effective strategies to understand and thus, weather change in any organization. Indeed, I seriously doubt that anyone who earnestly studies change will be blown away by the concepts or methodology introduced, however, the work taken as a whole is quite enlightening, even 20 plus years later. So, apparently, whereas things have changed, change its self has for the most part remained the same. As one famous quote has previously stated; "Change is the only constant."

The book explains how to win at the change game, even when the status quo fights it actively or passively without commitment to the new process or methods in the company.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

By Lance Winslow

Many people are quite high on themselves and yet fail to consider that there are others out there, who also have achieved, perhaps even well beyond their dreams. It is good for us to celebrate the success, wisdom and accomplishes of others, as it can humble us and helps us see the good of humanity for all it is worth. There are two-books which I have recently read that I thought I might bring to your attention, perhaps this will help illuminate my point and help you push beyond your personal achievements to become that better man:

"No Guts No Glory" by John M. O'Keefe 1985.

The subtitle of this book is; "A true life story that demonstrates that anything is possible - if you have the willingness to dream and the guts to try." I think that about says it all, however I would like to add a few things to this. Namely, that the story the book is about, the life of Roy E. Coats, is one about perseverance and will than anything else.

"Overdrive - a Personal Documentary" by William F. Buckley, Jr. 1983

This is a great book and it is wonderful to review the life of a great man who wrote so many great things and shared with us his literary prowess and most of all made us think. If you have never read much about him, you will find this book quite incredible and insightful. It is well worth the time to read. Although William F. Buckley has passed on, he left with us much intellectual stimulus and an incredible number of literary works.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

By Alan G. Scott

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Darakhovskiy in the gift shop at the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC where he was signing copies of his book. I spoke to him for a few minutes and felt that he was a warm and personable man. He had a friendly and affable demeanor.

I thought his book would be a biography of his life under Nazi German, then Communist USSR and finally the United States. But it was more of a social commentary on life under those three empires.

It would seem logical that someone exposed to oppression under the Nazis and Communism would be bitter and jaded. That is not the case with Dr. Darakhovskiy. He gives an even-handed and mostly impartial glimpse into the political and social environments under the evil empires. One can forgive Dr. Darakhovskiy when he tends to step up onto his soap box, since even then he shows great restraint and professionalism when discussing the events that took the lives of his mother, sister and many other family members during the Holocaust. These horrendous events would try anyone's ability to persevere and move forward.

He paints a candid and interesting view of Americans when he covers his immigration to this country. He received a great cultural shock when realizing an American's obsession with wealth and how it clearly defined one class of people from another. Coming from a country where salaries were determined by a government scale to a country of free enterprise, Dr. Darakhovskiy found the disparity of the distribution of wealth to be almost incomprehensible.

Even this did not cloud Dr. Darakhovskiy's views of the United States. He talks for many pages on the wonderful Americans he met after settling in Rochester, NY who helped him adjust to a culture and a country that were vastly different from anything he had seen before and beyond his wildest imagination.

He wrote about the frustration and barriers to getting employed and the typical responses from potential employers he dubbed as "masterpieces of bureaucratic writing." But many people can attest that these remarks are not reserved for immigrants. We've all heard these same statements.

The only fault I found with the book was the editing. Dr. Darakhovskiy should consider another publisher for his next work. I have never read a book with so many spelling and grammatical errors. I understand that the editor may have wanted to keep Dr. Darakhovskiy's own words pure, but as he doesn't have a firm grasp on the American language, grammar and proper word usage are more important to the reader than verbatim. Some sentences just did not make sense, and this is where an editor can give us at least an idea of Dr. Darakhovskiy's message.

I'm glad to have met Dr. Darakhovskiy and read his book. It is a pleasure to read and if you're not careful, you might learn something. It is a must-read for scholars or anyone interested in the Holocaust or Eastern Europe and Russia.

By Lillian Brummet

I had the honor of reviewing Free mind, Free Body - How To Use Your Mind To Achieve More Than Ever Before, Treatment and Healing this week and found this 162 page paperback book by DR Boisse lives up to it's claim: "A new thought-provoking and mind-expanding perspective". In fact the word "perspective" is perfect for this book, because over and over again readers will be shown how their perspective of situations, events or issues can twist and alter reality.

D. Boisse was raised in Rhode Island and currently resides in Los Angeles as a personal trainer and consultant. His dedication to motivating, empowering and helping other reach their potential has been an underlying passion since his youth. He holds many certifications in sports medicine, exercise, personal training, lifestyle and weight management and has worked with numerous medical and natural health professionals in the Los Angeles area.

Don't let the glossy white cover with little design to speak of fool you. Inside these pages readers will find many common sense applications to life, that aren't always so readily applied. After the introduction, there are 12 chapters dealing with freeing ourselves from self-imposed prisons, discovering who we are and how our mind works, the language we use in our minds and also in our communications with others, managing emotions and the importance of exercise and closes with encouragement for readers to use these newly learned skills to pursue the life they want to have. The author makes use of graphs, illustrations and text boxes to help readers digest the information contained in the pages.

While I could not find information on eco-printing options, environmentalists within the USA may find the fact that this book was manufactured within the country of some comfort.

Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars.
978-1-60264-034-4

~ Lillian Brummet: co-author of the books Trash Talk and Purple Snowflake Marketing, author of Towards Understanding; host of the Conscious Discussions radio show (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

By Lance Winslow

"Learn a lot about management in only three-nights time" I said to the MBA students working on a joint project for school at the local Starbucks. You see, they were designing a management team for a fictitious company and would later in the week turn in this project. They were having a bit of a time trying to come together in principal, philosophy and methodology on just how to set up this system. I thus, recommended three-books, each a one night-read;

"Real Bosses don't Say Thank You - a Guide to being a perfect boss" by Ellen Nevins 1987.

This is a tongue and cheek book about the corporate manager and executive and it points out all the hypocrisy along the way. This book is a quick read and well worth your time and if you read it carefully it will make you laugh and think about the reality of the modern work place and the ridiculousness of it all. Great quotes throughout the book such as; "When in doubt mumble, when in trouble delegate!"

"Putting the One Minute Manager to Work - How to turn the 3-secrets into skills" by Kenneth Blanchard PhD and Robert Lorber PhD. 1984.

This book is a remake of the One Minute Manager, which some millions of copies. In Putting the One Minute Manager to Work, the authors spell out exactly how to execute the plan of action for using the basic philosophy to lead. Some folks found the One Minute Manager cute and funny, but read it and immediately forget all the wisdom in that short book, this is a reminder book to get you to take action, so isn't it time that you took it seriously?

"The Role of Business in Society" by John Diebold. 1982.

This book shows us that for all the changes we have seen since the 1970's and 1980's nothing has really changed. In chapters such as "fighting the battle of private enterprise" and "the critical interface between private enterprise and government" Mr. Diebold discusses the challenges and problems that exist and how things must change. The final two chapter "making our institutions work" and "the role of business in society" he points out the starting point and reality that exists. This is information and philosophy that every business person should consider.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

By Allen L. Taylor

Between the Space of Grace and Gray is the first book of poetry by Dana Larkin Sauers, former poet laureate of Hanover, Pa. Sauers steps in from a world inhabited by beings that most of us never encounter, but only dream about. She is not an angel, but one could easily mistake her for one. Her irresistible charm comes across on the page as it does in person and it is a privilege to be able to read her verses or hear them being read.

One poem and you'll be up all night. Between the Space of Grace and Gray is as smooth as a glass of root beer, just as in the words of her self-disclosed signature poem, aptly titled "Root Beer":

A letter shouldn't mean so much

but yours was like

a frosted mug of root beer

in July

up and over

onto the countertop

so lathered and sweet

the aftertaste was long.

Dana Larkin Sauers takes life's sweetest moments and shares them as if on every page. She shows us that life is not all pretty dresses and daffodils in spring, but that life is about experience, pain, joy, suffering, and making our way through, not always unscathed, but always in tact and improved upon. She is genuine and passionate, intelligent, witty, and emotional. Lost innocence is a gem in her hands. Wisdom is more precious than a pearl and she has it all.

Between the Space of Grace and Gray is a self-publishing icon that one reads and re-reads and wonders why it wasn't published by university press or a small press with greater clout. That it was published by Xlibris may be seen as a fault, but in this age of overabundance in verse, good poets sometimes must take matter into their own hands. That's what Dana Larkin Sauers has done. She has taken her poetry into her own hands and produced a book of poems that is worth devouring over and over again.

Younger readers may not always relate to her images and metaphors, but older readers will love her. This collection of 39 poems makes us nostalgic for a time when faith was admired completely, but allows us to bask in the reality of today's postmodern realities with the knowledge that not all is black and white. Between the Space of Grace and Gray is modest, imaginative, and moral. As Michael Hoover says in the Foreword, "By paring her own life down to its smallest part, this poet invites us to peel away our own layers of gray to better see the grace within bursting to escape in perpetual song." Amen, and Amen!

Allen Taylor has been writing poetry for 20 years and has been published in a variety of journals online and in print. He is the webmaster of World Class Poetry and writes the daily blog at http://www.worldclasspoetryblog.com. Get a copy of Between the Space of Grace and Gray at http://www.world-class-poetry.com.

By Lance Winslow

Being one with ambition, winning and perseverance, I often enjoy reading about others in other lines of work who have indeed made their marks thru hard work, stick-to-it-ness and commitment to their concepts, ideas and innovations. Then there are others who fly to the top of human endeavors as corporate leaders and they often seem to be a different breed, but also have the strong desires to win. To illustrate the second type of ambitious man, I think I can recommend that you get acquainted with this book:

"Ambitious Men - their Drives, Dreams and Delusions" by Srully Blotnick. 1987.

This author is also the writer of the popular work; "The Corporate Steeplechase" which indeed, sold millions of copies. Although, this book somewhat irks me, it does point out many examples and observations that I, myself have noticed out in the business world, high-society and circles of king-makers, corporate image trickery constants and those who pander to the unearned ego of the super ambitious men. Many are quite fake under it all, while you may or may not agree that book is very much worthy of your time to read and consider.

Some of the book suffers from the same delusions that the author accuses superstars of humanity or those ambitious men of. To that specific point, well, I would say, I challenge the author to explain to me, what they have done other than merely written about it. Ever stood in an ambitious man's shoes? Perhaps not, yet the writer peaks into the sexual lives, businesses and personal minds of these men, without remorse, as if a super star of psychology himself. I would like to buy him a mirror, and yet to his credit, I would say in the book he got, well 3/4 of it right. So, for that reason I recommend it, as I have his other book in the past.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

By Christy Tuller

In the 1990's, a photo surfaced of a complete skeleton that was recovered from the Masada Archeological dig that had taken place between 1963-'65. These events were true. This thrilling novel is based on those events. What happens in this story however is fictional brilliance only Kathy Reichs could create. For Dr. Tempe Brennan, examining a badly decomposed corpse is normal procedure.

The body of an Orthodox Jewish man has puzzling damage, suggesting that it isn't an ordinary murder. Then a stranger hands Tempe an archeological photo of a skeleton and chilling ties between secrets long buried in Israel and the body on he examining table are uncovered. Tempe agrees to travel to Israel to meet an old colleague and is accompanied by Detective Andrew Ryan. There they are plunged into an international mystery centered on Jesus and the Christ family tomb. A controversial discovery that has everyone wondering what's real and what is being fabricated. Could Dr. Brennan have been lured into an elaborate hoax? Is all this real? If it is real Tempe could face rewriting two thousand years of history. Follow along as Tempe, Ryan, and colleague Jake work to solve this mystery and find the killer who so ruthlessy shot the man back in Canada.

If you've never read a Kathy Reichs Novel now is the time to pick one up. Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist in Quebec, Canada, is Vice President of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and serves on the National Police Services Advisory Council in Canada. Her Debut Novel Deja Dead was a New York Times Best Seller, #1 international bestseller, and winner of the 1997 Ellis Award for Best First Novel.

Christy Tuller is an expert on several topics and loves to read. For more tips and ideas check out my blog Christy's Book Cafe at http://christys-book.blogspot.com

By Cy Hilterman

This is an exceptional true book that John Grisham has given to his readers. The Innocent Man causes the readers to place themselves in the position of a prisoner when they are not guilty but have been charged as guilty and sentenced to death or life without parole. It is not a place anyone would want to be in but rather be FAR from it. The story occurs mostly in Oklahoma in and near the city of Ada. Peggy Stilwell's beautiful daughter, Debbie Carter, was one that liked to live by herself and do things that she wanted to do without her mother or anyone interfering. She wanted to be independent. Some of the places at which she worked or hung out were not the best places in town but as I said, Debbie was a free spirit.

When Peggy Stilwell found her daughter nude, bloodied, raped, and dead on the floor in her own apartment, she was horrified. The investigation began by tracing her activities from the time she got off work early to when her body was found. In 1982 many of the present day tools for tracing clues were not available but the shoddy work done by the inexperienced police force in Ada did not help the situation at all. Many possible suspects were interviewed, many of which were let go without close investigation. After several months the trail finally got to Ron Williamson. Ron had been a baseball nut, playing for his schools wherever he went and being quite successful until alcohol started dimming his ability to play. He would not accept that his career was over no matter how old he got. His mind always retained that he was a great baseball player and still could play with the best.

As time went on, his drinking and drug use became a huge detriment to his living and his ability to keep friends. His short-term marriage ended. He went from one rehab center to another. Eventually Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz were arrested and charged with the murder of Debbie Carter and the police suspected they were also involved in some other rapes and murders. Dennis Fritz was not nearly suspected as much as Ron so most of the attention and investigation and some very shoddy police work was done against Ron Williamson.

Ron was out of prison at times but he was repeatedly rearrested, again because of the uncertain evidence gathered by the police. Eventually Ron Williamson settled into his prison life while getting more and more mentally unstable as every week passed. He was sent to various psychiatric hospitals and was interviewed by many shrinks all of who thought he was very unstable. Life in prison was a nightmare for any inmate but especially worse for someone in Ron's condition. He aged very fast even though he wasn't an old man.

This true story will guide you though Ron Williamson's life from youth to his final days and all he endured in and out of prison. Another book that is hard to put down. Knowing it is a true story makes it even harder to absorb and makes one wonder about our justice system. Please read this great story by a terrific author.

Reader review by Cy Hilterman.
Reviewer of many types of books.

By Lance Winslow

There has always been much written about downsizing over the years and during each business cycle we see it again. No matter how you feel about it, well, it makes sense to understand it. Simply calling it evil or those who do the restructuring terrorists to the corporation, it makes sense to realize how companies can become more efficient through such efforts.

Indeed, there is a right way and wrong to downsize; if it is done incorrectly, it can cause more chaos and damage to the company than running inefficiently and ineffectually ever could. Well, to help you better understand my point here, I would like to recommend a very interesting book to read:

"Downsizing - Reshaping the Corporation for the Future" by Robert M. Tomasko. 1987.

This book discusses how to "prune the bureaucracy" in a way that is fair, smart and strategic. How to avoid the pitfalls that are inherent in downsizing, rightsizing and laying off folks are also considered. Re-inventing the organizational charts is also hashed out; what should that structure look like once the downsizing is completed, shouldn't you know before you start? Making cuts, just to make them without considering the whole leads to the unintended consequences of linear decisions.

How will the company operate and function while the restricting is taking place, what about lost productivity issues. Should you be looking for a new type of manager during the change and carrying forward afterwards? If you are redesigning the company for the future, will the future be there to greet you once you are completed? The book chooses numerous fortune 500 companies as examples such as:

1. TRW
2. Exxon
3. HP
4. GE
5. Xerox
6. Campbell Soup
7. IBM
8. Proctor and Gamble

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

By Scotie Keithlow

Even though reading as a habit seems to be dying slowly, there are still many people who love to snuggle in bed with a good book. I inculcated the habit of reading very early in life. There were a couple of reasons responsible for that.

One, I was an only child and did not have man friends in the neighborhood to play with and secondly and more importantly, my father had a four bookshelves full of books. These ranged from children's books to classics and thrillers and stories about the wars and also comedy. There is never a time and mood that did not suit one of these books.

This habit of mine has become so addictive that I cannot see myself in a situation when I am not currently reading a book. If you ask me the question 'which book are you reading these days? you will never find me answering back with 'none'.

But the sad part of the story is that the huge library that was built my father was sure to end at some time and soon I was in a situation when I had read each one of the books in his collection. And that is when reality hit hard. I had been in a situation where I was just not used to spending loads of money on buying books. I had always found something to read in the library that my father had built.

That's when I started my search for cheaper books and it led me to online books. The great thing about online stores is that you can find whatever that you are looking for at the click of a button. You can choose to opt for used books so that it is not too heavy on your pocket. Difficult to find books are also easily available. At least you do not need to waste time searching the whole bookstore for a book that is not there. And then again used textbooks give you the added advantage of having markings and highlights for the relevant portions.

These used books can be found on the regular Barnes and Noble website and they have a specific section for that. This section also provides a description of the state that the book is in. This ensures that you do not end up with loose leaves of pages out of a book when you are looking for a used book in good condition. You can also bid for a book on eBay and walk away with good rates.

So if you are the kind of people who cannot live without books and just have to be reading one all the time, check out these sites to ensure that your hobby does not become an extremely expensive one.

To find more tips on searching for and buying books online visit http://advice-books.com

By Lance Winslow

Many folks say that business is not fair and that many people have an advantage over the rest of us. Still, in the end we all have the same amount of time and it is how we use it that matters. How we leverage it and how we use it to our advantage determines how well we do and how far we go. To illustrate this point, I would like to recommend a very good book to you:

"The Management of Time" by James T. McCay. 1959 and updated in 1973.

This book is an update of the 1959 Edition, and it just shows how important time is, and has always been. As life has sped up due to technology, so has productivity, indeed, so too has the intensive distractions of everyday life. The book reiterates the challenges of the modern era, with an emphasis on technology and innovation. So, yes some things have changed and since 1973 some more things have changed too of course, still, in a way the time trap has always been there in some way or another.

The author introduces perhaps a new test of leadership in the preface; The leader has a following, which is voluntary and demonstrates to people the best method for getting what they want and is the best man in doing this. The author next describes in Part I; the challenges of time, the pressure and the best methods for breaking those barriers, again this information is as good today as the day it was written.

Part II discusses overcoming the time issues; increasing output, freedom to manage time, energy uses, shielding that energy, investments in time and comparing the progress with the past. Part III and IV explain to the reader how to develop an action plan, measure it, and manage it. I do not recommend this book to everyone, there are newer books that are probably better suited, but if you are into some of the philosophy and how we got from there to here in time, you will indeed like to read this book.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

By Philip Spires

Rosamund Stacey is the first person narrator of her own story in the Millstone by Margaret Drabble. Rosamund is a single mother - nothing strange about that, perhaps, at least in a twenty-first century Britain where now half of births are outside of marriage. But in the early 1960s, when The Millstone was written, unmarried mothers were not so common and it was a status to which considerable stigma was attached.

Consequently, when Rosamund visits hospital for her regular check-ups, she is summoned from the waiting room with a call of Mrs. Stacey in an attempt to maintain the privacy of her status. She longs for the day - and not too distant - when her thesis on Elizabethan poetry will be complete and she can prefix her name with Dr., thereby avoiding the deception.

The Millstone is written in Margaret Drabble's conversational, yet dense style. The characters are highly complex and seem to live their lives with a devotion to intricacy. Not much happens to them, however, and events are few and far between. Rosamund's life is a case in point. It was Cambridge, of course, followed by the relative comfort of a flat in central London, an apartment provided by her parents calculatedly close to the British Museum, where she does most of her research. She is definitely not the run-of-the-mill young lass who attends university nowadays, our Rosamund. She has a boyfriend at college, of course, but they never sleep together, not even on the occasion they jointly plan to accomplish the act.

Rosamund is not really into sex, she thinks. She has a tendency to see herself as an object from without, and her observation of the absurdity of various aspects of being human lead her to a life slightly removed from reality, lived apparently at arm's length from experience. Though she sees quite a lot of Joe and Roger - both quite different but eligible males - the idea of anything other than a chat and a drink appals her. Each of the two men, of course, think that the other is the boyfriend and so are loath to raise the subject.

Then, for some reason hardly known to herself, she takes up with George, a gay radio presenter, and sleeps with him. Just once. And yes, Rosamund is definitively pregnant. As ever, she cannot decide what to do and, even when she eventually plans her course, she is blown off onto a different tack. She has read that drinking a bottle of gin in a hot bath might do the trick. She sets an evening aside. And then, just as the bottle is opened, friends turn up, she offers them a drink and they share the otherwise-ntended gin between them.

Rosamund is thus never really in control, despite appearing to have a strangle hold on her life. Circumstances always seem to conspire to prevent her getting precisely what she wants. But this is eventually seen as an illusion. Perhaps she does get precisely what she wants, but does not tell us, or herself.

And so Octavia is born. The baby is a life that Rosamund contemplated ending, but when the child is ill, the thought of her coming to harm is too painful to admit. A friend, Lydia, moves in, shares the costs and sets about writing a novel. When this is complete, an unsupervised Octavia tears much of it up, though perhaps not disastrously. Rosamund reminds us that babies are persistent, not thorough, so most of the pages are preserved. It becomes the mother's trauma, however.

Rosamund could be described as measured, always apparently in control, yet always feeling she is swept along with the tide. Passionate she is not. When George, who still does not know he is Octavia's father, says she might do well with a husband, Rosamund agrees, but only because it would be nice to have someone who could help to fill in the tax return. George is no better, since for his the purpose of marriage seems to be to provide someone to iron his shirts. It's all terribly British.

But the characters are beautifully drawn, expertly pitched against themselves and their relationships. The Millstone, thus, explores motivation and achievement, and the relationship between selfishness and selflessness. In the end, we are who we are.

Philip Spires
Author of Mission, an African novel set in Kenya
http://www.philipspires.co.uk
I was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom and grew up in Sharlston, then a mining village. After London University I lived in Kenya. Then I taught in London before moving to Brunei and then the UAE. Since 2003, I have lived in Spain, completing a PhD and my first published novel, Mission.

By Heather Froeschl

There are some 577 officially named fears that people hold. Of 350 people surveyed, 99% had some kind of fear. From spiders to intimacy, blood to toads and tombstones, there is an official name for the phobia. How can we overcome those odds? Dr. Casalnnie O. Henry has written a book, "Neutralizing the Power of Fear" to help guide the reader.

The information covered in the book is extensive and in-depth. I applaud the amount of research that was done and the references given. Here you can learn the basis of fears and why we develop them is a good place to start; knowing how fear originates in humans is a beginning to understanding, and with understanding comes power. Knowing what fear can do a person physically, mentally, socially and emotionally is like knowing the side effects of medication you might take. So what can be done once the fear is realized? Dr. Henry has much advice.

He describes the various approaches to therapy, looks at how society has dealt with fears, and delves deeply into what religions can do for fears. He describes examples of common fears, like rejection, intimacy problems, abuse, self esteem, and more, in precise detail that will hit home for many readers. In many of these examples he gives advice on dealing with them, but here is where this reader had a problem, for some of the advice was to "leave it to God." I was hoping for practical absolute steps to take, not advice to leave it to a higher power. While the book is excellently written, if not a little overly scholarly for the average reader, it should be known that it is a Christian publication and not just a therapeutic guide. Non-Christians can still gain insight into the fear factor but may be a bit disappointed in the advice for some of them.

This highly qualified individual offers a book to possibly help a good portion of society. It is quite thorough and full of valuable information. Not a light read, it is meant to show readers "how to subdue your fears and make them harmless." Squash that spider fear and put your mind at ease. I recommend this book to the intended audience.

Heather Froeschl is an author, award winning editor, and book reviewer, at http://www.Quilldipper.com.

By Lance Winslow

Cold Calling done correctly can capture customers and clients for any corporation. For those who poo'poo the concept of cold calling, well, let me be the first to stand up in protest. You see, there is nothing wrong with cold calling or using the telephone to make sales, indeed, it is those who do it incorrectly, which give this process a bad name. Telephone calling is the ultimate leveraging of technology with a personal touch.

There are some things that a fax machine, email or direct mail piece just cannot do. Telephone sales have been around for nearly a century now, and it is amazing the misuse and incorrect use that goes on. Before you pick up that phone as part of your cold calling efforts, perhaps you might like to learn a little history and brush up on some time tested telephone techniques? Let me recommend this oldie but goodie book to you:

"How to get More Business by Telephone" by Jack Swartz. 1953

If you are wondering how to develop a "telephone smile" well this is one book that will explain it, in fact there is a whole chapter on this exact subject. Also in the book are ways to develop your telephone voice, creating a pleasant tone and proper voice inflection. Getting past the secretary is also on the list of information discussed.

In Part II of the book are chapters on selling insurance, real estate, retail, services, wholesale, collecting money, non-profits, prospecting and political campaign contributions. Why is this important today, when the Do-Not-Call Lists are so stringent? Well, because the Do-Not-Call List is a complete scam, and so many groups are exempt and there are so many loop-holes that today, there are nearly as many phone calls as there were before the law was enacted. Thank you FTC for nothing.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

By Alden Jerry

The books take us to the journey of long, deep and adventurous feelings & emotions. And thus, they are highly entertaining too. There are more than one hundred categories of books available in both national and international market. No matter whether the book is a fiction or non-fiction, magazine or handbook, novel or bibles, each word written in these manuscripts are precious and helpful. Nowadays, novels are treated as one of the biggest sources of inspirations.

One of the most inspirational novels of the recent years is Atonement. This amazing piece of literature is written by a British writer Ian McEwan. This work is considered as one of the best works of Ian McEwan. This story was short-listed for the Booker Prize wards 2001. Furthermore, Time magazine had named it the best fiction novel of the year with inclusion of its name in their list of ALL-TIME 100 GREATEST NOVELS. In addition, "The Observer" quoted it as one of the 100 best novels ever published.

Beside these distinctions, the Atonement won numerous other awards too. The Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction 2002, National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction 2002, WH Smith Literary Award 2002 and the Santiago Prize for the European Novel 2004 are some of the highly reputed awards that have been awarded to it.

This fiction title basically focuses on a high class British family and their values. This entire story runs around three key characters named Briony Tallis, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner. This narration also focuses on the social terminologies such as premarital sex, reconciliation, nursing, class system and lots more. The story is really very emotional and influential. It is sure to touch the soul of readers.

In the year 2007, a film production company of Hollywood named Working Title Company adapted the Atonement. They launched it on the silver screen and created an unstoppable sensation worldwide. In this film, the role of Briony Tallis was played by Saiorse Ronan, whereas the role of Cecilia and Robbie Turner was played by Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. Other characters of the story were played by various actors and actresses of the International Cinema.

Like the book, the film was also a huge success. It won seven Oscar Awards in the 80th Academy Award ceremony. The awards were from the categories like Best Picture, Best Writing, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Score and others. The film has also won the Best Film of the Year award in the BAFTA ceremony. The film was appreciated by the audiences all over the world.

Alden Jerry is an expert author. Visit to know more about AS/A-level English Literature: "Atonement" and other cheap books at price comparison shop

By Scotie Keithlow

Friends and parents and teachers some time or other will tell you the names of some books that you must read before you die.

You may ask what is in a book. What is in a classic novel? Well! Particularization of the specifics of a book, current or classic may be hard but one thing is sure that when a serious book reader enjoys reading a good book, he/she, for sure derives a typical pleasure from recommending the same to friends, students and prot้g้s.

Although The Holy Bible remains the most read book of all times, some works of fiction and non fiction do deserve a mention here for those who have not already read these all time greats.

Best of the Best Books by Title

1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four), by George Orwell
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
The French Lieutenant's Woman, by John Fowles
Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
Native Son, by Richard Wright
On the Road, by Jack Kerouac
Seize the Day, by Saul Bellow
Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Bridge on the River Kwai by Pierre Boulle
Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham

Best of the Best Books by Author

James Joyce -Try something simpler and start with The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. first and then move on to Ulysses or Finnegan's Wake

Toni Morrison - Read everything, especially being sure to cover The Bluest Eye, Sula, Tar Baby, and Song of Solomon.

Ayn Rand - An intelligent and philosophical author wrote thought provoking fiction on altruism. Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, and Night of January 16th give superb reading pleasure to those of philosophic frame. Ayn Rand remains unparallel by any other author save perhaps by Camus and Jean Paul Satre.

Ernest (Papa) Hemingway - He wrote in realistic and to the point style. All his books are worth reading especially Old Man and the Sea, The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast, as well as the early stories collected in our time. If you prefer Hemingway's more popular themes of war, for example, read A Farewell to Arms, for starters.

Thomas Hardy-if you find old world tragic plots charming. Tess of the D'ubervilles, Mayor of Casterbridge and The Return of the Native will take you back in the time.

Jane Austen- for great readings in 19th century romantic stories, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma and Persuasion depict romance woven in excellent plots.

Virginia Woolf - Woolf's writing is primarily stream-of-consciousness, and speaks to a time and a mindset (, at that), so definitely check out Mrs. Dalloway or To the Lighthouse.

John Irving - A most accessible and engaging writer, Irving brings us such poignant works as Hotel New Hampshire and the World According to Garp and such provocative novels as A Prayer for Owen Meany.

John Updike - for a contemporary but full writing style, Updike will delight you with his brilliance and accessibility to his brilliance. Read about the ex-basketball star, following him through the decades of his life in the series of Rabbit titles, or get steamy with Couples, or have a tryst with mysticism in The Centaur.

James Mitchner - for in depth analysis on the topics he write about. The Source, Chesapeake and The Covenant make excellent reading about Jews, Chesapeake Bay and South Africa respectively.

This should be enough to keep you reading into the November of your life by which time you too may find at least a few titles for your own best of the best list to pass on to your students, friends, or loved ones.

Here is one wishing you happy reading.

To find more information on some great best selling books visit http://advice-books.com

By Lance Winslow

Do you ever wonder what makes a great executive in government or business? Why is one CEO able to do so much and another fall in failure wiping out millions or even billions of dollars in the stock price or the companies goodwill (brand reputation). If we look at the top corporate executives of the 1990's and since the turn of the millennium, one has to ask what do they all have in common? Believe it or not things have not changed much when it comes to corporate leadership, indeed the 1970's and 1980's were fairly similar. To help me bring home this point, I would like to recommend the following book to read:

"The Anatomy of a Great Executive" by John Wareham. 1991

This book will help you understand how to get past the fa็ade of the modern executive to "size up virtually anyone quickly and accurately" and this should assist you in making yourself a competent and effective leader yourself. Have you ever wondered how to look at someone who appears to have it all together and know instinctively if they are real or just another big hat with no cattle? It is my contention that you should own this book and read it, think about what the author is saying and then perhaps you will understand the reality behind the mask as Mr. Wareham puts it.

Reviewers of this book have labeled Mr. John Wareham as shrewd, I tend to agree and nothing in this book is very shocking to me, although I am sure you will read it and see how valuable it is. After reading this you will "get it" and understand exactly how to lead in all types of situations and see beneath the scenes of other leaders and understand them too.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

By Michael Samms

Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle is an ebook that has achieved great status in the weight loss niche due to its popularity. It spouts the same principles of eating the right food combinations and nourishment, and on how to make the body metabolize more efficiently to build muscle and burn fat. However, many people probably don't recognize the difference between good and bad nutrition, and chiefly, the good fats from the bad fat. Let me give you a lowdown on the subject, in consonance to the book, about just how good the proper fats can be, in what ways, and what food combinations.

THERE'S MORE TO WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW

At the onset, it may appear that there's little in the book that we don't know yet. It covers a great deal of significant points that are a essential in weight control -- proper intake of liquids and foods and how crucial exercise is.

Tom Venuto, the writer, also gets into the nitty-gritty details of what foods should and shouldn't be eaten. A bonus would be a fine list of substitutes for some of the bad foods that we just can't resist. In this list, from which you are able to get an almost personalized program, one can find supplemental reports for which foods make us fat and those that do not.

WHICH FAT TO BURN?

Scientific studies show that it takes fat to burn fat, so this is really one thing to consider in weight loss. There are in reality good fats and they come by the name - unsaturated. These are further divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are both beneficial to our cholesterol levels.

Perhaps the most prolific source of our good fats would have to derive from our cooking oils, particularly if you're using those that are primarily of unsaturated fats. When it comes to cooking oils, each type of cooking oil varies in its ratio of monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fats. Two oils stand out the most healthful of all oils, which are canola oil and olive oil. Some cooking oils that are high in saturated fats include coconut oil and palm oil, although it can be argued that both are still beneficial particularly for their fatty-acid composition which are metabolized differently in the body.

The rule of thumb is that, a good fat is still a fat in calories and the "light" labels on cooking oil are more referring to the taste or coloration and not calorie content.

Other sources of good fat come from margarine which comes from vegetable oil (contrary to butter, which comes from milk). Nevertheless, one has to choose for light margarines and spreads that have not been hydrogenated, and these are commonly indicated on the labels and can be seen as soft and typically sold in tubs rather than sticks.

Generally, minimize using commercially packaged foods which are high in trans fats and remember to always read the labels. Most of the saturated fats are found in animal products, so when it comes to something as healthy as milk, use lower-fat versions of the dairy such as 1% or skim milk. You can also personally remove fat physically yourself by trimming visible fats and skins from meat products.

At the end of the day, not all fats are created equal and this is the key thing in a no-nonsense approach to good nutrition. Fitness is not just about counting calories, the author of Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle stresses the importance about how there are no quick fixes to fitness. In spite of "Burn the Fat", weight loss is still not the same as fat loss and that the book embraces not just fat loss but also great health in general.

Michael Samms is an internet entrepreneur who specializes in personal health and vitality. His team personally reviews and analyzes popular weight loss programs on the market and gives them honest reviews. If you would like a complete honest burn the fat feed the muscle review, you can visit his website at http://www.onestopmuscle.com.

By Karen Reddick

Online methods of promoting your book are fast becoming the most cost effective way to market and promote your new book. Authors are discovering the Virtual Book Tour, which allows you to promote your book via the Internet through articles, blogs, podcasts, interviews, radio shows and Web sites without the issues and financial burden that can be associated with in-person signings.

Sound intriguing? Not sure where to begin? Listed below are ten tips to help you create a successful virtual book tour.

1) Create a Web page

Set up a Web page specifically for the Virtual Book Tour (VBT). This is where you will send potential tour stop hosts so they can sign up to join your VBT. This site should also capture contact information and put it in your shopping cart system for future email promotions.

2) Create a book trailer

Create a dynamic book trailer. Don't skimp on this step. This will be one of the main reasons people sign up for the book tour. A good book trailer acts along the lines of a movie trailer. It's your hook to draw people in; get them curious and have them asking for more.

3) Do your research

Spend a lot of time carefully doing Internet research to find areas that fit your target market. (Are you writing about self-help, women's issues, business, a fantasy novel?). Search blogs, web radio, newsletters, article submissions, and social networking sites.

4) Create a killer pitch letter geared toward your target market

Create a pitch letter, stating who you are, what you are doing, and add links to the Web site and the book trailer. Personalize the letter and specifically gear it toward your target audience, and make sure it doesn't sound canned or come off as a mass email.

5) Offer more than blogging

Podcasts, Q&A sessions, live interviews, phone interviews, articles for newsletters, Internet radio interviews; all work, as well as blogs. The easier you can make it for your tour stop host, the better response you'll receive.

6) Create a tracking spreadsheet

Create a spreadsheet to include the sites you've found, the contact information, when you contacted them, what you can offer that particular contact (i.e., will you blog for them, do a Q&A session, live interview, podcast?), and make a column for responses. Then use an online calendar (Outlook, Google, Yahoo all have calendars that will work just fine) to see who's doing what, when, and where.

7) Follow up at least four (4) times

Once you have all these steps in place, you are ready to start contacting each person on your list along with their personal pitch letter. If you don't get a response right away, follow up (at least four times) with a different pitch letter each time. (It's not as necessary to personalize these follow up letters.) If you still get no response after the fourth try, move on to a new group of contacts.

8) Start your own blog

Post what's happening with your VBT in your own blog. Add each tour stop date and plug the tour stop host's company, their Web site and their contact information.

9) Send Goodies

Offer to send a copy of your book to your tour stop host along with other possible freebies, (i.e., a workbook, a report, an audio CD, etc.). And don't forget a thank you note.

10) Ask for referrals

Ask your tour stop host for referrals of people they know that would benefit from your book. You'll find that if you offer quality content and are passionate and enthusiastic about your book then others will be too.

ฉ2008 Karen L. Reddick, MVA, author of The A-Z Guide: The Best Ways To Work With A Virtual Assistant and Grammar Done Right! has more than 30 years of administrative experience, with the last six as a successful virtual assistant. She owns V-And-E-Services and The Red Pen Editor providing virtual assistance and editorial services to authors, writers and small businesses.
Blog: http://vandeservices.com/blog
Websites: http://www.TheRedPenEditor.com * http://www.VandEServices.com
Listen to Red Hot Grammar Tips from The Red Pen Editor on iTunes

By Thomas Ingram

You're just finished you latest masterpiece and your publisher is waiting on the final draft. The champagne is still on ice and you're wondering what will happen after the launch party. Will sales take off? Will there be a sequel? All these thoughts run through your mind as you close the final chapter...

These days if you want to make a big splash with your book then you have to learn how to promote like a celebrity. When celebrities open a restaurant, write a book, start a new clothing line, or even spend a few nights in jail, everyone always finds out about it. They're able to use the attention they get to promote just about everything they do.

Fortunately you won't have to serve any time or perform community service just to get your book noticed. Thanks to the internet and sites like MySpace and Facebook, you can build your own community of friends that you can share stories, ideas and communicate in way that allows you to connect with thousands of people who share your interests.

In some ways it's like becoming a celebrity. As a result you can use the attention you get to promote your book. But like any great launch you should always plan everything from the start, especially before you start writing. Here are a few things you can do to ensure a great launch:

Use Social Media To Promote Your Book

Early on setup accounts in places like Amazon, Facebook and Myspace to grow your network of friends. Social media is a powerful force in these days in online marketing and you should take advantage of it. Once your book is ready for release, you can announce it to all your friends online. Just like a gossip magazine, if your book is good (or even controversial) people will start talking about it and buying it to see for themselves.

Start Your Own Blog

This is another great way you can get attention. Blogging also allows you to interact with anyone who likes reading your blog. You can update your readers on your progress, discuss ideas, get feedback and find out what's really important to your audience.

Conduct Virtual Book Tours

Virtual books tours are a great way to sell more books since you can reach thousands of people at one time and never have to leave your home. Also unlike traditional books tours, you aren't forced to spend time and money traveling from city to city hoping there will be enough people at the venue to buy your book.

Have Follow Up Products Ready To Go

The best time for you to make a second sale is right after the first one. This can be an audio tape, a seminar ticket, a workbook or even past books you've written. Make it easy for customers to purchase your other products by directing them to a website or giving them a free bonus when they register online.

Create A Compelling Promise

In other words create a compelling paragraph that powerfully describes the benefits and advantages of your book. It should be no longer than 4-5 sentences. You'll use this whenever you describe your book to potential customers and joint venture partners. If it's a fiction novel, be able to tell the main plot in 4-5 sentences.

Except for virtual book tours, you should do of all these months before you actually finish writing your book. That will give you time to grow your audience and add more friends. It will also allow you to join other online communities and build great relationships before your big launch.

Of course there are dozens of other things you can do to market your book online. To learn even more strategies and discover how you can do months of research for your books in just a few hours just visit http://www.Researchwizardpro.com/bookmarketing to claim your free gift.

Research for this article provided by ResearchWizardPro, the ultimate research tool for infopublishers, authors and writers. You have my permission to publish this in your blog or ezine as long as you reprint it in its entirety.

By Arindam Bhattacharya

You can always write a book...that's one thing. You don't have to do much for that. But what's the use, if your book doesn't get readers, though it carries some excellent contents. As an author don't you think it's your duty to see that whatever you create reaches to the maximum number of people? Yes, you know you've got to make your self published editions marketable and it's high time you get to it.

But how? You know it's a million dollar question.

In this article, you get some very useful tips as how you get your self-published book hit the market.

Here are your tips:-

1. Start early-Even before you complete the manuscript, you should be ready with a concrete plan to promote and market your product. Remembers, many authors falter here, and by the time they start, it's just too late.

2. Press release-This can be one of your most effective tools. Make sure that your press release is transparent and vivid and clearly spells out the 'who, what, where, when, and why.' This method of promotion is getting more and more as publishers discover the prevailing benefits of using press releases.
3. Nonstop mailing-Merely designing a good press release and posting it to one or two sites is not going to suffice. Make sure that your press release reaches at least 1000 print and broadcast contacts before you publish your title. And repeat the process again even after you publish. Also, remember to mail the press-release to all the trade journals in your field. Ideally, you should send at least 10 press releases to the print and broadcast media in your area every month.
4. Use software- It will be quite a smart idea if you invest in press release submitting software. Again, every week you can set aside time to send out a press release online to the press directories. You can also have at least one good press release, written in AP style which you can send out for the lifetime.
5. Articles-Make sure thatyour articles are submitted to online article directories. Your such articles must have a focus on your book's topic so that it pulls traffic to your website. A good idea is if you have a website that It's important to publish a website that centers on your title. Once you do it, you can refer all interested people including editors and your prospective readers to your book information with the click of a mouse.
6. Testimonials-Get in touch with the renowned experts of the subject you are writing about. Obtain as many testimonials as you can from them about your book, and use on your fliers and back of books.
7. Telephone calls-Yes, even this is crucial..use telephone to market your book. Make it a point to make five callsa day that relate to marketing your book.
8. Internet-You cannot overlook this either. Make sure that you're interviewed or profiled for sites both about writing, publishing and about the topics covered in your book. You can even give away your book in a sweepstake at any local function. This will sure to give you more recognition for your book.
9. Headline-An eye-grabbing headline in your sales letter can be of immense help to catch attention of the buyers.
10. The non-bookstore sellers-Contact them and offer to leave your stuff on consignment.
11. Online contest-This is another very smart idea. Design an online contest and list it in online contest directories to drive traffic to your website.
12. Get it listed-You must ensure to get your book is listed in Books-in-Print. Your mere assumption that it's already listed isn't enough.
13. High quality sales letter-Remember that it's our sales letter or flier that's going to promote your title formally to the prospective buyer. So, make it of top class.
14. Your website-Build a site which should be like an online press kit. You can exchange links with those sites that relate to your topic and subject. Let me tell you that your site could provide another avenue for ordering.
15. Women's market-Another very smart idea is to ensure that your stuff fits into the women's market. If you go by a survey, women do buy more books than men.
16. Online and offline promotion-Make sure that youmarket your books in both ways. When you see that your book fits into a particular sphere, you can look for a store that sells your type and offer to leave books on consignment. Do you know that many publishers have minted money this way?

So, why do you want to delay?

Don't ever loose your focus..apply yourself and make it a point to promote your book everyday. Remember that how good you might write, but unless you can sell it, you won't be known as an author... many a talents die as they're never noticed.

So, don't fall by the wayside, do some smart marketing of your stuff and soon you would see yourself reaping in the profits you deserve.

You can always check-in with renowned organizations like www.writer4me.com or lulu.com who are there to take you through.

By Rick Frishman

Before starting your book proposal, make sure that you have a strong book concept, an interesting approach and a catchy title.

Clearly identify your market, your niche, and understand what your proposal is intended to achieve. Make sure that your book is of the best quality:

that it is interesting, well written, and filled with information that will really help readers.

*** 6 Action Steps****

1. Be honest. Does the world need another book on your topic? Check bookstores and get in the know about what books exist.

If you think that your book is better and brighter, then perhaps it's meant to be.

2. Don't let anyone talk you out of your dream. If you believe in your idea and it does not exist, then don't postpone success.

Many agents have turned down ideas and said, "It's just a magazine article," but those ideas sold.

3. Search online. Search everywhere. Talk to bookstore owners; see what's out there. Study your competition.

Learn what other authors have done. Were their books successful?

4. Research your book's title. You might be surprised to find that your title already exists. Was it on your topic?

The same title could be used for a book for kids and one about pets. Don't rule out a great title, but make sure that your book won't be confused with or be considered derivative to another book unless that's your intent.

5. Create an outline. Outline your book and see if you are still glued to the project after you set up what your chapters are about, etc. Sometimes people discover they really don't have a great deal to say, whereas others find the proof in the outline.

6. Write a Dear Reader letter. Try this assignment: write a letter to your reader and state what you plan to deliver in your book. It's a promise to the reader. You'll know after writing this letter and sharing it with others if there's a burning passion in you to write this book.

Then, keep your promise! Get your Million Dollar Rolodex at http://www.rickfrishman.com

Rick Frishman, the founder of Planned Television Arts, has been one of the leading book publicists in America for over 30 years.

Working with many of the top book editors, literary agents and publishers in America, including Simon and Schuster, Random House, Wiley, Harper Collins, Pocket Books, Penguin Putnam, and Hyperion Books, he has worked with best-selling authors including Mitch Albom, Caroline Kennedy, Howard Stern, President Jimmy Carter, Mark Victor Hansen, Nelson DeMille, John Grisham, Hugh Downs, Henry Kissinger, Jack Canfield, Alan Deshowitz, Arnold Palmer, and Harvey Mackay.

In addition to his work at "PTA" Rick has now taken on the new role as Publisher at Morgan James Publishing in New York. David Hancock founded Morgan James in 2003 and in 2007 "MJ" published over 130 books. Morgan James only publishes non fiction books and looks for authors with a platform who believe in giving back. Morgan James gives a portion of every book sold to Habitat for Humanity. (http://www.morganjamespublishing.com)

http://www.rickfrishman.com for the million $ rolodex

By Victor Epand

A professionally published book has the obvious advantage of its outward appearance at the first impression. On the other hand, a self-published book, perhaps lacking the professional touch, makes a poor impression. As a result, the self-published book kills its own chances of commercial success. The following list of suggestions will help ensure your success by avoiding common mistakes.

1. Find a subject with a wide appeal, rather than limited, niche subjects.

2. For an eBook, ensure the title with "dot.com" contains your name and the title of the book.

3. Make sure your title does not appear as a self-published work, even though it might be.

4. Make sure the publisher does not overcharge you for printing costs or keep the ownership rights from you.

5. Seek help from a professional for selecting the title and the cover design of the book.

6. Do not publish your photograph on the front cover unless you are a famous personality.

7. Make sure the URL is there on the back of the book.

8. Sometimes high-volume buyers, or the CEO of the company engaged in marketing your book, would like to be associated with your book, such as writing the foreword, etc. Ensure commercial benefit from such opportunities.

9. Get it proofread from a professional proofreader before printing.

10. Do not sell the rights of the book to any big publisher unless you are sure of getting a six-figure advance from them.

11. Remember, it is entirely up to you to promote your book. Do not rely on anyone else.

12. Get your book marketed by the major distributors.

13. Find locations with sales potential rather than relying heavily on bookstores where your book might be ignored among other interesting titles.

14. Try to create sales of high volume rather than single-copy sales.

15. Make best of all the sales opportunities available, such as the interaction started after sending a review copy, opportunities to speak on the subject of the book, etc.

16. Direct the sales of your book from your own website and keep all the profit, rather than appointing other sites to market your book and paying commissions to them.

17. Make it a point to send review copies to potential high-volume buyers.

18. Establish yourself as an author, educator, consultant, or whatever role you want to envisage for yourself through the book. Such a role can give you recognition and an increased income, rather than the mere status of an author. Seek opportunities to give speeches, coaching, and consultancy, etc. as the author of the book.

19. Concentrate on making the book you are writing a success with a well-planned promotional program.

20. Remember, a one-man network is not going to promote your book. If required, seek the professional services of a publishing coach.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about books. When shopping for books, we recommend you shop only at the best bookstores for used books, autographed books, and vedic books.

By Elizabeth C. Judd

Curious about what happens to your book manuscript after you turn it in to the publisher? This article provides a step-by-step overview of the second stage of the publishing process. You'll learn what happens after your book goes into production. The roles of the production editor, copyeditor, typesetter, proofreader, and printer are explained, and the bound book date and publication date are clarified.

Copyediting

After any preliminary editing and revisions have been done, your book officially goes into production. A production editor or project editor supervises the publication process from here on. She or he first sends the manuscript to a copyeditor, who will put it in the publisher's house style (often based on the CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE), edit it for grammar and other mechanical problems, and try to catch inconsistencies and factual errors.

Manuscript Review and Cleanup

The file is returned to you for your review of the editing, for any final revisions, and, in the case of scholarly books, to add missing reference information. The production editor or copyeditor then does the "cleanup," which involves reviewing your changes, inserting your responses to queries in the manuscript, and resolving other editorial problems.

Book Design

The book designer finalizes the interior design of the book at this time, and the production editor codes the text elements to correspond to detailed type specifications.

Typesetting

The manuscript then goes to the typesetter (sometimes called the compositor). Because you were almost certainly asked to submit your manuscript in the form of an electronic file, it won't usually be necessary for the typesetter to keyboard or retype it from an edited hardcopy. But the typesetter may still have to do extensive work on the format and other aspects of the electronic file to prepare it for the printer. If there are tables, they are typeset separately, as are figure captions. The typesetter makes up the pages, placing the text, figures, and tables according to the book designer's specs.

Proofreading

Next, a set of page proofs is sent to you--and another set to a proofreader, if your publisher provides proofreading services--so typos and other errors can be corrected. ("Galley proof" is an old-fashioned term rarely used any more. Galley proofs are long strips, or galleys, of typeset text that have not been made up into pages. Page proofs represent the actual pages as they will appear in the printed book, with figures and tables in place.)

After you've marked any errors you've found on the page proofs and returned the proofs to the publisher, they're collated with the proofreader's master set of page proofs (if any). The typesetter makes the changes indicated, and the proofreader or production editor reviews the corrected pages to verify that all changes have been made. There may be two or more rounds of corrections. The index is also prepared at this stage.

Printing and Final Review

The book then goes to the printer. The printer supplies the publisher with digital proofs (once known as "blues"). The digital proofs represent the output of the final corrected file supplied by the typesetter. The production editor does a final check of the title, author name, ISBN numbers, continuity of text, and figure quality, among other details.

After the printing is done, the production editor reviews the F&Gs (folded and gathered sheets), which represent the actual printed signatures (blocks of pages) run off by the printer. This final check provides an opportunity to catch disastrous mistakes (misspelling of an author's name) or horrible printing before the book is bound.

Bound Book Date and Publication Date

One fine day, you'll receive a shipment of sample copies of the book. This is referred to as the "bound book date." Typically, six to nine months will have elapsed from the time your manuscript entered production to the time you receive the bound book. About five weeks after the bound book date, all the books will be in the publisher's warehouse, ready for purchase. This is the official publication date, and ask your colleagues and friends to come celebrate at your book party.

Elizabeth C. Judd, PhD, is the owner of Casco Bay Literary Services, an editorial services firm that provides book editing, ghostwriting, manuscript evaluation, consultation, and other publishing services. Our goal is to create the best possible publishing outcome for you, at prices you can afford. Click on http://www.cascobayliteraryservices.com for more information and writers' resources, including other articles on publishing topics.

By Victor Epand

Best selling books are not called best sellers only because they have been well written. There is another important factor, and that is they are smartly sold. A good marketing, distribution and advertising campaign helps to make a good book become a bestseller, whereas a good book without the marketing will likely never become one.

Books are written with the objective to convey your thoughts, experience, knowledge, opinion, fiction, facts, and philosophy to the widest possible audience. Come to think of it, if you have written a great book and only a few copies are sold, the very purpose and the effort of writing the book is defeated. Selling a book requires imagination and skill. Here we will discuss a few things that made my books become bestsellers.

Book talks are the first thing I focused on. I began exploring opportunities where I could speak about my book and also sell it duly autographed. I personally planned and arranged for book talks. Where there was no opportunity, I created one.

I approached all the major bookstores in Singapore such as Kinokuniya, MPH online, Popular Book Company, Times, and others. I sought an appointment with the owners or managers and talked them into arranging book talks on weekends. I made sure that each store I went and spoke at had enough copies of my book.

Every single weekend I would reach the bookstore one hour before the talk and prepare myself. I would take care to be presentable, yet informal in my attire. I would speak and draw attention. I would generally give only a brief talk. I would make sure that the talk had generous amounts of humor and I took care to connect with the crowd.

It is very difficult to maintain the crowd's interest in a monologue, so I made my sessions interactive and encouraged the audience to ask questions and make statements. I sold the greatest number of books during these talks.

Another important sales promotion exercise I did was that I started calling school principals and school administration staff and requested permission for conducting free talks. These talks would be held during the school assembly session in the mornings. This activity continued for more than a four month period. This was the much desired engine I needed to drive the sales of my book forwards. This effort paid off and the sales started picking up. It also got a lot of people talking about my book. This also kept my name alive in the minds of all prospective readers.

The next thing I did was release color advertisements in the local and national newspapers. A lot of my friends and well-wishers advised me against doing this. They thought that this was not such a good idea as it was expensive. A small color advertisement would cost me $3000 -- a fortune considering my financial position. The ads eventually paid back by drawing crowds to the bookstores. Another important thing to consider, is your book's placement on the bookstore shelf.

With all these tips, you are sure to succeed like I did!

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about books. When shopping for books, we recommend you shop only at the best bookstores for used books, autographed books, and vedic books.

By Monica F. Anderson

You've spent months or years researching and writing that literary masterpiece. Perhaps, like me, you self-published or you have a book deal with a major publisher. You have a national distributor ready to ship your books anywhere in the country. Online book sales are beyond expectations. Life is good. So why on earth would you go on tour? Why would you stand in a bookstore for 2-4 hours trying to get perfect strangers to buy a book they don't think they need?

Why? One, it's a great way to connect with readers. People like autographed books and they like bragging about meeting you. Two, it's good networking with bookstore owners and employees who will promote your book long after you leave if they like you. Three, let's be honest. You've been dreaming of doing a book signing since the day you decided to be a writer. Amazon sales are great but they don't fulfill that burning need to read your book out loud to glassy-eyed people in folding chairs.

As a multi-published author and veteran of four national book tours, I've gleaned a few tips from industry insiders on successful signing events.

Do...

� Promote the event yourself. Email or call your friends and family in the area. Ask them to attend AND bring friends. Send a press release to local newspapers and radio stations.

� Stand up. Yes, your feet hurt and you're tired but you are selling something! Think car salesman. Are they sitting down, texting on their cell phone? Smile. Greet everyone. Be enthusiastic. Make eye contact. Stand to the side or in front of the table, if possible. It's more personal and inviting.

� Dress appropriately. I know you're a sexy, romance writer, but if it's Children's Story Time, Soccer Mom doesn't want to see cleavage or that tat on your lower, lower back. And Soccer Moms often enjoy reading romance novels during soccer practice.

� Have something to give away. Short excerpts of your book, bookmarks, and post cards with your title information and website work well. Make sure it will fit in a purse or pocket. Even if they don't buy your book today, they may go online and order or come to the store later to purchase your book. I've even had people who walked around the store and returned to my table because they enjoyed the synopsis on my book mark.

� Confirm the signing with the owner or manager a few days before the event. I learned this the hard, expensive way. There's nothing worse than having someone say, "Was that today?" when you walk in the door. Wait. There is one thing worse. No books. Always have a case in the car or bring extra books in a rolling bag if you're traveling by plane. Better safe than sorry.

� Think CIRCUS. Meaning--have something eye catching in your display. i.e. PowerPoint presentation on your laptop, colorful sign, candy in a bowl (lure the kids and the parents will follow), a drawing for bath and body products, a funny hat or music...anything to make them look your way. It's harder to do this when you're traveling out of town, but it works. A table with nothing but books on it does not have much appeal to the typical consumer.

Remember, signings are for sales, publicity and networking. You may or may not sell a lot of books depending on many factors beyond your control. However, if you plant the right seeds, the harvest will follow. Good luck!

Monica "Dr. mOe" Frazier Anderson
http://drmoeanderson.com
info@drmoeanderson.com

By Linda Lavid

What makes a reader pull out his wallet and buy your book? The answer is close at hand - What motivates any one of us to buy?

For myself, I buy books that I hear about, that I can look over, that are on sale, and that are written by certain authors. To meet my purchasing criteria, several factors play a part. Let's say you want me to purchase your book.

For me to hear about you, you must put yourself out there, i.e., give talks, interviews, do book readings/signings or catch my attention in some way. You also have to figure out in what corner of the world I'm lurking. Am I reading the newspaper or online blogging? Do I sleep during the day, fish on week-ends? Clearly a sustained, focused advertising program is one way to reach me. And once you find me, tell me about your book. What type of story is it? Then show me an excerpt and some reviews. To sweeten the pot, put your book on sale and make it easy to buy. Lastly, and most importantly, write a great book to be followed by another. Get me hooked as one of your regular readers!

Here are some specifics to assist you with selling.

Tips for selling in person: Be friendly, enthusiastic, and maintain good eye contact. Speak clearly and smile. Ask questions. Present an attractive display where your book can be picked up and scanned. Have reviews readily available and the price of the book in clear sight. Encourage readers to take the book, look it over and bring it back. Offer free gift-wrapping. For any function where there are crowds, raffle off a reader's basket (books, chocolates, coffee cup). On the raffle stub ask for an email address and if it would be okay to contact them with any further promotions. When signing a book, make sure the inscribed name is spelled correctly. A book is signed on the title page with the date noted.

Tips for selling online: Place book with Amazon's Search Inside or Google's Books Partner Program. Have a sustained marketing campaign that focuses on sites where readers of your genre visit. Update website content regularly including keywords. Network with groups. Send out monthly newsletters. Put fewer clicks between the book and its purchase. Include a one-click link in your email signature to where your book is sold. Sell author inscribed copies on the secondary market at Amazon. Have different payment options such as PayPal, Google Checkout, personal check or money order. Be accessible and answer all correspondence. Mail book orders promptly. Pack books so they'll arrive in excellent condition. Maintain an email database of your readers.

Selling is hard work, but you are to be congratulated. Selling signifies you have made it through the gauntlet of writing, rewriting, publishing and marketing.