The Portable Curmudgeon (Plume) Review

The Portable Curmudgeon (Plume)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
What is so admirable about a curmudgeon? I suppose that one answer is to ask what isn't so admirable about non-curmudgeons: People whose advise may reassure them more than you. After all, don't worry, be happy.
Sometimes just acknowledging the cranky, bilious soul is more effective than drowning it in bland sweetisms. This book recognizes your (or someone else's) bad self, and implicitly encourages you to go with it. Perhaps it's the mix that makes us more human.
This very funny collection of sarcastic, witty, cynical, caustic, and sometimes just downright... quotes will "speak" to you like the blues. Quotes are arranged alphabetically by topic, so that you can look up "G' for gratitude, and plagiarize Rochefoucauld: "Gratitude is merely the secret hope of further favors." Cynical--of course--but perhaps containing a grain of wisdom. This topical organization doesn't work that well; the categories are too fine grained (who would think of "dinner theatre?").
The best feature are the multi-page sections devoted to one of the masters: W.C. Fields, Oscar Wilde, George S. Kaufman, Dorothy Parker, Quentin Crisp, Oscar Levant, and others. These sometimes take the form of interviews, biographies, and/or several pages of quotes. However, sprinkled liberally throughout its 299 pages are gems ("If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me." -- Alice Roosevelt Longworth) by such notables as Marx (Groucho), Mencken, Bierce, and Twain and contemporaries such as Vidal, Woody Allen, and Rita Mae Brown.
Oh--in case you were wondering--it was Paul Fussell who said the following about dinner theatre:"...a way of positively guaranteeing that both food and theatre will be amateur and mediocre, which means unthreatening and therefore desirable."
To its credit, the book stays away from most sexist and all racist "jokes," it doesn't confuse humor with stupid attack. Still, you may need a thick skin for some of the acidity here. Recommended for its humor and eclecticism.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Portable Curmudgeon (Plume)

The world's greatest cynics, critics, and grouches--from H. L. Mencken to Groucho Marx--use their wit to cut down every subject under the sun in a compendium of quips, barbs, profiles, and interviews. Reprint. 75,000 first printing. $50,000 ad/promo.

Buy NowGet 24% OFF

Click here for more information about The Portable Curmudgeon (Plume)

Read More...

You Are the Message Review

You Are the Message
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Some key points:
The assessment of you that's formed in the first 7 seconds creates a lasting impression of you in anothers mind.
Communication starts with good conversation.
Television has set the style of communication for today - relaxed, informal, crisp,quick,entertaining.It has made us impatient- make your point quick and interesting. Be visual.
You are The Message:
We are the message no matter what the medium.
Take a personal inventory of your asets that help you communicate
A good communicator takes responsibilty for the flow of communication.
Audiences respond to visual over verbal signals.
Make read speeches look conversational.
Test your powers of observation and description.
Review your past performances and communications and figure out how you would improve it.
Be natural, don't force an emotion.
Model the best professional communicators.
Perception counts more than content.
Record yourself on video and audio in interactions.Evaluate your performance.
4 Essentials of a Great Communicator:
1. Be Prepared
- your audience must have confidence that you know what you're talking about, and feel you know more about your topic than they do.
- you should appear that you have been thorough in researching your topic and analyzing the audience.
- you should be purposefull- goal is to inform, entertain, inspire, or all three.
- hostile or skeptical audience- show understanding of all side sof an issue
- supportive audience- reaffirm shared values
- be relaxed, calm, maintain a sense of humor, take your work seriously, avoid criticizing and disagreeable behavior, empathize.
2. Make Others Comfortaable
3. Be Committed- know what you are saying and why, and care about saying it.
4. Be Interesting- Use analogies from other fields, metaphors, visuals, technology, etc. At least 30% of your reading should be from beyond your own field.
The Magic Bullet: Being Likable.
-Likable people are optimistic, concerned about other people's welfare, see opportunity in difficulty, handle stress, laughs easily (especially at himself), perform well in crises, humble in prosperity.
The Double-Edged Sword: Emotion
- you reveal yourself to your audience through visible and expressed emotion.
- people want to see a range of a speaker's emotions expressed with committment and colored with humor, sincerity, energy, and enthusiasm.
- facts provide information, emotions provide interpretation. Alternate facts with genuine emotions- balance head and heart issues..
- Success= integrity+talent+good communication skills
Beyond Charisma:
-Charismatic personalities never doubt their ability to add value to a situation through their presence, prestige, style, competence, optimism, and/or enthusiasm.
- Charisma is the ability to cause other people to respond to you.
- Winners set the tone and climate as opposed to reacting to the climate and tone set by others. They control space, time, tempo, pace, voice, eye contact, flow of dialogue, emotional tone, and topic. This occurs through assertion of skill, personality, knowledge, belief, energy, and enthusiasm.
-Charisma quotient measures self-confidence, leadership qualities, definable goals, control of one's life, and the attitudes of making oneself and others feel comfortable.
An ounce of energy is worth more than a pound of technique.
The essential responsibility of any employee is to be positive, enthusiastic, and friendly. Advancement comes mainly from communication and motivation skills.
No one can manufacture an image for anyone. All a consultant can do is advise and guide you on capitalizing on your personal assets.
Have an "At-Your-Best" checklist to know how to et yourself into peak performance.
Audiences remember concepts (idea clusters formed by words) and emotional expressions.

Fears of failure and embarrassment are the biggest stops most people have to doing things.
Insecure communicators see themselves as worse than they are.
Antidotes to fear are preparation and use of energy in delivery.
Media relations:
-Safest way to deal with the press is to not make off-the -record statements. Avoid wisecracks. Give true and complete information.
- You are always on the defense with media, but you caan use it to score.
- Never go into an interview unprepared. Stay composed at all times.
- Have an agenda with at least 3 major points you want to mention in the interview.
- Don't go beyond the bounds of your stated position.
- Be friendly, brief, direct, and positive. Explain things in layman's terms.
- Answer the question and add a point(s) from your agenda.
- Be aware of the reporters agenda.
- You're not obliged to reveal confidential information, but give a rational explanation why, not "No comment".
In the end, we're all human and vulnerable, so show that side of yourself and you'll gather sympathy and rapport.

Click Here to see more reviews about: You Are the Message

"You are the message." What does that mean, exactly? It means that when you communicate with someone, it's not just the words you choose to send to the other person that make up the message. You're also sending signals about what kind of person you are--by your eyes, your facial expression, your body movement, your vocal pitch, tone, volume, and intensity, your commitment to your message, your sense of humor, and many other factors.The receiving person is bombarded with symbols and signals from you. Everything you do in relation to other people causes them to make judgments about what you stand for and what your message is. "You are the message" comes down to the fact that unless you identify yourself as a walking, talking message, you miss that critical point. The words themselves are meaningless unless the rest of you is in synchronization. The total you affects how others think of and respond to you.

Buy NowGet 32% OFF

Click here for more information about You Are the Message

Read More...

Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991 Review

Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
For all those who have read and loved a Rushdie novel, Imaginary Homelands provides more of the same biting humor, insightful thoughts, and elegant prose as Rushdie shares with us his thoughts on everything from censorship to Stephen Hawking. A fair amount of time is spent on criticisms of various novels and authors and I, for one, found it fascinating to see what such an acclaimed author thinks of his peers. Given that this volume contains numerous essays, you will definitely want to pick and choose what to read and will probably end up doing so over an extended period of time. But you must at least take the time to read a little. As always, Rushdie's language is beautiful and forthrightness admirable.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991



Buy NowGet 29% OFF

Click here for more information about Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991

Read More...

My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging Review

My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Change of life does not always mean hormonal changes. After life threatening illnesses which are now considered chronic, I broused Amazon and have purchased many books which spoke of the nature of illness and the changes which occur during their life in your body. The books spoke little of the soul. They spoke little of being dependent on others, feeling awful most of the time, asking questions of the gods which went unanswered and so on and so on. Very boring stuff. Then this book. Rachel Naomi Remen: you have answered my questions. You have polished my soul. You have taught me the lessons which meditation could not, soothed me when food could not, enlivened me when wine could not. Sitting in my doctor's waiting room, crying just reading your introduction to your Grandfather, I was called into the examining room and while having a PAP smear, read a portion of your book to my internist. I am blessed with a doctor who not only is a fine diagnostician, but a man of great humor. He said this was a first for him. Me, too. There is no time in life when reading a chapter of that book is not in perfect accordance with the rules of medicine, both physical and emotional. Thank you does not say it. I thought I was beyond words. Obviously, not. I recommend this book to everyone, sick or well....but especially to those for whom illness is a constant companion. There are many road to healing. I read somewhere: "My illness is a friend who brings me great truths." It brought me your book as well. I bless you.

Click Here to see more reviews about: My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging



Buy NowGet 32% OFF

Click here for more information about My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging

Read More...

The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith Review

The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)

I was attracted to read this book because of my familiarity with Peter Hitchens and his brother Christopher Hitchens. Both have become public intellectuals of varying degree. And both, as it turns out, have books being released this summer. I was excited when I got the opportunity to read this book, so provocatively titled "The Rage Against God."
This book is very much a testimonial (and an apologetic as well) of a man's life lived in the rapidly changing Britain (and West) of the post-WWII ear through today. Hitchens description of the Britain of his youth is accurate in the narrative of a nation that has slowly ossified and changed from what was a person living in Great Britain would have known prior to WWI. The public confidence in British institutions has greatly changed (witness the wrangling over Princess Diana's death by Queen Elizabeth II, for example) The relevance of Christian life in public life that was common-place and expected, whether at Christmas time or Easter was unquestioned.Hitchens describes how these touchstones have rapidly disappeared to the point where public pronouncements of religious faith are mocked and shunned to the extent that expression becomes an oddity. Witness the Church Of England abandoning so much of the liturgy that was known prior to WWII by almost all Brits. Today, even Biblical history is rapidly disappearing from public life.
Hitchens goes on to make three counterpoints of common lodestars of what non-believers argue as reasons for abandoning faith: religious faith causes conflict, moral relativism and atheism in nation/states. Finally, Hitchens goes on to debate the arguments of how the alternative to the "Christian" state, i.e. Marxist/Leninist states (such as the Soviet Union) are inherently and inextricably linked to the idea that a Godless state does not lead to 'excesses.' Of course, knowing the backstory of Peter and his brother, Christopher Hitchens as agnostics/atheists made this part far more compelling.
Frankly, I breezed through this book in just a few hours. Yes, it is short (clocking in at around 200 pages), but it is a very interesting and fascinating take on modern life (many of his observations seem undeniable for better or worse). Though this book may be thought of as a Christian testimonial, it is never preachy or judgmental. Rather, it is fascinating and compelling in illustrating why this particular former Trotskyite (!) was compelled to renounce his atheistic ways and find religion.
I really enjoyed this book, almost unexpectedly because I just didn't know what to expect from this book. But, I found myself thinking about my life in a different way, and indeed, it gave me a new perspective about thinking of how contemporary events are shaped.
I look forward to reading his brother's last book as a counterpoint. Indeed, in the marketplace of ideas about faith on both a personal level and on a communal level, this book is a valuable tool.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith



Buy NowGet 33% OFF

Click here for more information about The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith

Read More...

I Ain't Never Been Nothing but a Winner: Coach Paul Bear Bryant's 323 Greatest Quotes About Success, On and Off the Football Field Review

I Ain't Never Been Nothing but a Winner: Coach Paul Bear Bryant's 323 Greatest Quotes About Success, On and Off the Football Field
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
you don't have to be a sports fan to love this book. The quotes are inspiring. If you're looking for a motivational book, this is it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: I Ain't Never Been Nothing but a Winner: Coach Paul Bear Bryant's 323 Greatest Quotes About Success, On and Off the Football Field

I Ain't Never Been Nothing But A Winner features legendary college football coach Paul Bear Bryant's 323 greatest quotes about success, on and off the football field.Quotes are as fresh and colorful for football fans as they are motivational for business-types.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about I Ain't Never Been Nothing but a Winner: Coach Paul Bear Bryant's 323 Greatest Quotes About Success, On and Off the Football Field

Read More...

Southern Horrors and Other Writings; The Anti-Lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells, 1892-1900 Review

Southern Horrors and Other Writings; The Anti-Lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells, 1892-1900
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)

Ida B. Wells was an African-American woman of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. She was born and grew up in the South, born in Mississippi during the Civil War. It is significant the impact of the legacy of slavery on her life -- she recounts how her parents, who were married as slaves, remarried each other as free persons after the war. Wells was a determined and intelligent woman -- her parents died while she was young, yet old enough to be left with the responsibility of her younger brothers and sisters. At the age of 14 she found herself at the head of a household with five younger children.
She worked hard to make sure that her education did not suffer, and eventually (a rarity for women of any colour in America at the time) went to work for a newspaper.
In an incident that foreshadowed Rosa Parks, she was once removed from a train for sitting in the wrong section, despite her ownership of a valid ticket for the seat. She sued the railroad and won (newspaper headlines read 'Darky Damsel Gets Damages' without concern for the racist tone), but the judgment was overturned on appeal, and she later discovered her lawyers had been paid off by the railroads, and the appellate judges had thought she was just being uppity to pursue the matter.
Such was the state of the African-American community that none came to her assistance as she pursued this fight. This made her more determined to organise and fight.
Several of her newspaper partners and other friends in Memphis were lynched for these efforts, and Wells was threatened herself, and left the South, but did not give up her crusade. Where ever she went, through cities and towns in the North as well as over to Europe (where, she said, she felt like she was treated as a real human being equal with others for the first time) she decried the injustice of laws which dismissed charges or gave light sentences if victims were coloured, and prosecuted more strongly, gave out harsher sentences, or even resorted to lynch mobs if the defendant (who was often not guilty) was coloured.
She continued speaking and publishing up to her death in 1931. She was never afraid of making herself unpopular, and often upset the African-American community by being critical of their complacency (especially the upper and middle classes). She became unpopular by standing against the military service during World War I, because of prejudicial and discriminatory practices, and never quite recovered in popular esteem from that.
But Wells had courage and determination that is rare in persons, male or female, of any colour, of any time, to take on such a task as the exposition and combat of lynching in the South during the post-Civil War decades. Talking directly with governors and even a president, Wells made her voice heard, and it was a difficult hearing in a difficult time.
This book, edited and introduced by Jacqueline Jones Royster, includes three primary publications of Ida B. Wells:
Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases
A Red Record
Mob Rule in New Orleans
These three publications highlight the problem of lynching, something that continued well past Wells' death in 1931. Despite this, Wells' campaign made significant strides to bring media attention and organised resistance in different ways to the problem of this violence. Presented in the text, the reader gets to read the actual writing of Wells, as well as introductory and appendix information helping fill out the context and additional details.
This is hard reading, but necessary for understanding some of the more tragic parts of American history.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Southern Horrors and Other Writings; The Anti-Lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells, 1892-1900

Ida B. Wells was an African-American woman who achieved national and international fame as a journalist, public speaker, and community activist. This volume collects three pamphlets that constitute her major works during the anti-lynching movement: Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases, A Red Record, and Mob Rule in New Orleans.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Southern Horrors and Other Writings; The Anti-Lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells, 1892-1900

Read More...