Product Description

Product Description
Seeing a project through to completion involves not just technical knowledge--of tools like Work Breakdown Schedule, Gantt Charts, and Network Analysis--but also human skills, such as the ability to communicate, negotiate, listen, and lead. After all, it's people who do most of the work on projects, and "people problems" can derail even the most meticulously planned project. Practical and user-friendly, A Survival Guide for Project Managers covers both the technical side and the human side.

Now in an affordable paperback edition, the book has been revised to reflect the latest version of the PMBOK(r) Guide, and includes new material on topics including Project Risk and the Project Management Office. The book shows readers how to:

* develop the interpersonal and business skills required of a project manager* resolve conflicts and improve negotiation capabilities* understand and apply the technical tools of project management* establish project teams, and more

Packed with forms and other tools, this is the ultimate resource for project managers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Very pleased.
I've only just started using this book, but so far I've found it a great resource. It doesn't go into a huge amount of detail about the technical tools to use when managing a project, but it does tell you what to use and when. However the sections on managing resources, communications and negotiating are a great addition and just as important as knowing what technical tools to use.

Takes PMs to the next step in their professional development
When I am asked to recommend a good book on project management I always recommend Visualizing Project Management by Forsberg, Cotterman and Mooz.That book teaches project management the right way, in my opinion, by laying a solid foundation.However, at some point you will master the material through application and experience, and you'll want to go to the next level.That is where this excellent book will take you.

As you mature as a project manager you eventually discover that the technical aspects are a great foundation, but the 'soft skills' are essential to success. The book starts with these.The author provides some excellent material on how to make effective oral and written presentations, negotiation skills and leadership.

Don't get the impression that this book does not cover technical material.It does, and it goes pretty deep into some advanced techniques.For example, the author provides a very comprehensive discussion of work breakdown structures (WBS) and how to develop them. In my opinion the biggest failure of projects is the fact that a WBS is never developed before the estimating and scheduling is performed.I really liked the network analysis chapter.It presented in clear prose how to risk-adjust a critical path, which is something I learned over a decade ago, but am met with blank stares when I mention this to most project manager.Indeed, most project managers don't know what a critical path is (they use the term often enough, they just don't know what itmeans), much less how to perform a critical path analysis. This book will provide this information and a few easy-to-learn techniques as well.I thought that the chapter on earned value was adequate. I was glad to see it included in the book and give the author credit for his comprehensive treatment, but I almost fell asleep here.I recommend that serious project managers augment the earned value knowledge in this book with Earned Value Project Management, 2nd Edition by Quentin Fleming and Joel Koppleman.That book was written by authors who developed the 32 earned value criteria for the Project Management Body of Knowledge (2000 version).

The part of the book that covers managing a project is filled with great advice.I thought the chapter on project selection was particularly valuable because it is objective and based on financial formulae that should be applied to these kinds of decisions. The sample reports are also good templates that should be in every project manager's tool kit.

Overall, this book will give a seasoned project manager much sound advice and provide him or her with an array of advanced techniques. It is truly a project manager's survival guide earning it a solid five stars and a place on the list of the handful of books that I always recommend.

Good introduction to project management.
This book is exactly what I was looking for. I took a Project Management Course back in College, but did not remember much of it. I needed a book that would give the basics of this subject, without being too involved inparticular software.

This book does exactly that, and also lists some ofthe most frequent pitfalls for projects, with half the book emphasizing thehuman side of Project Management.

Read it and SURVIVE!
An excellent "survey" book on project management.It will be especially useful to new-comers to project management, both individuals and companies.Unlike other books, it shows how to adapt to the realitiesaround you, rather than jumping a rigid "analytical" approach. His emphasis on the human element is refreshing.

Great for beginners and seasoned project managers
Excellent book that provides real life examples along with projectmanagement theory.Lots of practical application ideas.Written in amanner that is easily understood by the non-technical reader.Veryinformative and provides lots of good references for additional reading onproject management.Brings the theory into reality.I highly recommendthis book for managers looking for answers. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Separation and Service - or Thoughts on Numbers VI, VII. is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by James Hudson Taylor is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of James Hudson Taylor then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
This study uncovers significant structuring techniques in "James" that prove to be beneficial in a number of ways. First, there exists a coherent, discernible strategy in the letter as a whole. Second, significant uses of inclusion, along with other transition techniques, draw attention to important recurring themes. Third, the quotation of Lev. 19:18 and echoes of the Shema (Deut. 6) occur in significant structural locations suggesting that the double-love command in the Jesus tradition (cf. Mt. 22:34-40) is a hermeneutical key to the interpretation of the letter. The study begins with an introduction to the research problem and its significance for interpretation. Chapter one summarizes and critiques past proposals of the structure of James. Chapter two explains the text-linguistic methodology employed in the study that is then applied in chapters three, four, and five. Chapter six offers a proposed structure for the letter that consists of a double introduction (1:2-11; 1:13-27) joined by an overlapping transition (1:12), a carefully crafted letter body (2:1-5:6) that is bracketed by a major inclusion (2:12-13 & 4:11-12), and a conclusion (5:7-20). ... Read more

Product Description

“Automated decisions systems are probably already being used in your industry, and they will undoubtedly grow in importance. If your business needs to make quick, accurate decisions on an industrialized scale, you need to read this book.”

Thomas H. Davenport, Professor, Babson College, Author of Competing on Analytics

The computer-based systems most organizations rely on to support their businesses are not very smart. Many of the business decisions these companies make tend to be hidden in systems that make poor decisions, or don’t make them at all. Further, most systems struggle to keep up with the pace of change.

The answer is not to implement newer, “intelligent” systems. The fact is that much of today’s existing technology has the potential to be “smart enough” to make a big difference to an organization’s business. This book tells you how.

Although the business context and underlying principles are explained in a nontechnical manner, the book also contains how-to guidance for more technical readers.

The book’s companion site, www.smartenoughsystems.com, has additional information and references for practitioners as well as news and updates.

Additional Praise for Smart (Enough) Systems

“James Taylor and Neil Raden are on to something important in this book–the tremendous value of improving the large number of routine decisions that are made in organizations every day.”

Dr. Hugh J. Watson, Chair of Business Administration, University of Georgia

“This is a very important book. It lays out the agenda for business technology in the new century–nothing less than how to reorganize every aspect of how a company treats its customers.”

David Raab, President, ClientXClient

“This book is an important contribution to business productivity because it covers the opportunity from both the business executive’s and technologist’s perspective. This should be on every operational executive’s and every CIO’s list of essential reading.”

John Parkinson, Former CTO, Capgemini, North American Region

“This book shows how to use proven technology to make business processes smarter. It clearly makes the case that organizations need to optimize their operational decisions. It is a must-have reference for process professionals throughout your organization.”

Customer Reviews (13)

Nothing new
There is absolutely nothing new in this book that I haven't read in many others. Some more money down the drain.

SOA Decision Services
If you are interested in learning more about decision services and what James Taylor calls Enterprise Decision Management read his book Smart Enough Systems: How to Deliver Competitive Advantage by Automating Hidden Decisions - coauthored with Neil Raden. I expected to just skim though the book since I have worked with BREs on several projects. I ended up reading this excellent book cover to cover. It's loaded with best practices and case studies as well as:

* How to automate operational decisions
* How decision services fit into SOA
* Creating a closed loop process for decision improvement
* Assessing and maturing your decision services capabilities

As SOA matures we are finding new ways to architect systems and receiving benefits from SOA in unexpected ways. How often have you seen improvement of operational decisions listed as a SOA benefit?

This was from my blog post at:

it.toolbox.com/blogs/the-soa-blog/soa-decision-services-27156

Eric Roch

Great Book for Application Architect
Rules management really a big thing these days.It is one of the best technologies for lowering IT costs.Rules empower business users and subject matter experts to view, change and simulate change impact of rules in an enterprise.This book is packed with great ideas and a good overview of business rules management from "why rules?", rule harvesting, rule management and rule execution.

The excellent section on Rule Templates was a turning point for my cognition of how metadata registries can be used with rules engines.Conditionals can reference data elements and actions can change states of XML instances.

One of the two author's is Jim Taylor who is a VP at Fair Issac.Despite this fact the book does a pretty good job of looking at the rule process not a specific rules engine.

My only criticism with the book is it is very light on the topic of semantics, metadata registries and rules.There is a little coverage of the process of getting business users to write precise, concise definitions for business terms and the management and traceability of those definitions.A rule is only as good as the definitions for the business terms they reference.If you combine a good rules management system with an solid ISO/IEC 11179 metadata registry you can get the rule precision you need.Anything less could lead to chaos when everyone uses private definitions of business terms to express duplicate rules.

Natural Successor to "Competing on Analytics"
Most business persons associated with the technology aspects of their firms now understand that the importance of intelligence in general to beat the competition has increased rapidly over the last couple decades. Much of the business world, however, has not been aware of this need until recently. For example, the September 15th-21st 2007 issue of the Economist magazine included an article entitled "Business by Numbers" that covered some aspects of business intelligence, but with an aura of mystery as though the reader was not yet aware of the subject matter. Just several months ago, Harvard Business School Press released the first mainstream work on competitive intelligence, which was long overdue (see my review for that work). While "Competing on Analytics" focused on introducing the reader to competitive intelligence, however, James Taylor and Neil Raden take the next step by presenting an exhaustive survey of current thoughts on business intelligence in general and how it might deliver on its promises to businesses by moving to the next step in providing automated decision making. In his Six Sigma related works, M. Daniel Sloan (see my reviews for his works) stresses the importance of evidence-based decision making that is based on data and not guesswork. The importance of using software systems to enable automated decision making is what "Smart (Enough) Systems" is all about. While chapters 1 and 2 start off slowly and are a bit academic in nature, they set the stage for the remainder of the text. Chapter 3 is incredibly well-written. It provides a history of how technology has been used in business decision making, and how data warehousing entered the picture. This chapter also provides some very well-worded discussions on what distinguishes data warehousing from business intelligence. However, the reader is repeatedly reminded throughout the book that enterprise decision management (EDM) does not just provide business data in different formats in order that business persons can interpret the information manually. EDM actually provides a large portion of these interpretations. The amount of data in software systems throughout the world is rising exponentially, and Raden and Taylor explain that this automation is necessary in order that crucial opportunities for more effective competition not be missed. Many of the decisions that need to be made with this data just cannot wait for human analysis. The next few chapters after chapter 3 expound on the earlier material, and the rest of the text explains the various ways that EDM might be adopted by businesses. Unlike "Competing on Analytics", the material in the latter half of "Smart (Enough) Systems" is not lightweight and cannot be read in an afternoon. Davenport and Harris explain very well the "what", but Raden and Taylor stress the "how". Both the content and the number of graphs and diagrams that Raden and Taylor provide are excellent and accompany the material well. Updated information on various topics that I have not seen elsewhere are also included in the book, such as Figure 10.11 which depicts how industry software project failures have dropped over time, but the portion of these failures due to requirements errors has remained consistent. In addition, side bars throughout the book present case studies that explain how the EDM way contrasts with the old way of doing things, and the benefits provided by EDM in these scenarios. I do not expect this seminal work by Raden and Taylor to sit on bookshelves but to be actively referenced by its readership.

A book that spans two worlds and helps you make better decisions
Smart Enough Systems is a book with one foot in two worlds.At one level, it is a business book addressing the issues of using information and decision support.On the other level it is almost a BI/DSS for the less intelligent in terms of its step by step guidance on working through these issues.Fortunately the books premise regarding automating hidden decisions requires a bit of both.

As a business book, Smart Enough covers the need to explain the concepts in business terms and provide a framework for generating ROI.It does not talk in great depth about how decisions drive competitive advantage.It is also a little weak on the explanation of where to apply this technique as I doubt enterprises will make the funding available to automate all of their decisions.

As a technology book, the author focuses on Enterprise Decision Management (EDM) is the primary focus of this book and it is described as applying a services approach to decision making.This looks to take business rules out of IT systems and put them into something akin to a decision service broker/service so the same situations are handled with the same set of rules.

The book is a solid and complete explanation of the author's ideas. Taylor and Raden focus on the systems aspects of EDM and their automation.This leads into a discussion of decision types and how they are automated.Here Taylor and Raden do well to illustrate these concepts, although the reader often encounters graphics and statements that are more than a bit dated.

The book would have been greatly helped with a clear and consistent case study application of its concepts. It also would have benefited from understanding the nature of decision systems support (DSS) a discipline that has been around for more than 30 years which is only discussed in a single sentence and again from a technology perspective.

This is a solid book by a professional who certainly understands the technical implications of his ideas - enterprise decision management.However, by trying to stand in both worlds it excels in neither.I would recommend this book more as a technical and implementation guide rather than as an executive business book.In that regard it has a place in IT but probably not in the Boardroom.
... Read more

Product Description
"Then go for Me to China!"He heard God's call and did not hesitate to fulfill it. Through many harrowing trials and tests of his faith, Hudson Taylor followed God and relied on Him only. Even when all around him seemed to be crumbling, he held fast to his Rock and his Comfort. And when God miraculously supplied his every need, he gave all the praise and thanks to Him. From Hudson Taylor's experiences, you will discover how you, too, can overcome hardships, witness miracles, and enjoy a life of contagious faith and joy! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good but there is better
I bought this thinking this was a new work on a man of great faith but it is just an abridged edition of the abridged edition of his original biography. The original is in two volumes. The first abridgment edition is entitled, "J. Hudson Taylor, God's Man in China" which is the one I have read.

This version is worth reading, but the more complete version I read is well worth searching out and reading. I can only imagine that the original two volume edition is even better.

Which ever edition you can get your hands on will be worth your time if you are interested in seeing what a life lived in faith looks like.

Refreshing read!
This book was powerful. It was well-written and captured the pioneering spirit of Hudson Taylor.I also appreciated how this autobiography captured firsthand the impressions that Dr. Taylor made on others.This book was truly inspiring - especially the sections where it chronicles Taylor's inner struggles of finding his joy and sufficiency in Christ, the many instances when God answered his prayers during times of his greatest need, and his devotion to his family.

A good book
I read this book and found it inspiring and helpful.I particularly found the secret that Hudson Taylor speaks of relevant to transforming and deepening immensely my own walk with God. Not only I, but years ago my father's life was dramatically changed as he was inspired to have faith in the God who took care of Hudson Taylor as a missionary in China.After reading this book my father was able to put confidence in the Lord to take care of him as he stepped out into full time Christian service.(Hudson Taylor relied on God to provide for all of his needs and would not tell others what his financial needs were.God was faithful to meet all of Taylor's needs as well as the missionary society he founded.But there is far more in this book than that).

If you are looking for a deeper, intimate walk with God then read this book.Or if you struggle with living faithfully, joyfully and consistently for the Lord then read this book.The spiritual transformation that occured to Hudson Taylor took place after years of service on the mission field.Many Christians, like Hudson Taylor did, will benefit to find the secret of that transformation.I did.

Inspirational and a testimony of God working in men.
A book for missionaries, which indeed we all are for Christ. This is a thrilling true story of one man's relationship to our Lord and what his life becomes in service to Him. All those who have dedicated their lives toChrist can learn a lot about living out the faith and what God can do whenyou put your entire being into His loving hands. What this man, HudsonTaylor, does in China, we have assurance that God also wants to do in ourlives even right where we are. A blessing for the indivual reader, andsubsequently for those around, affected by the ministry inspired. ... Read more

Product Description
As the world's only publication devoted to sideshow, James Taylor's Shocked and Amazed! On & Off the Midway is chock-full of carnival and circus midway madness and mayhem. Hear the truth behind this uniquely American art form from the lips of the human marvels themselves! Shocked and Amazed! invites you to explore and satisfy your curiosity for the strange, the weird, the bizarre, the odd and the unusual.Witness never-before-seen photographs from the personal collections of sideshow superstars from yesteryear! Marvel at the sideshow stories presented personally for your pleasure by sideshow performers! Thrill to these titillating tales of laughter and woe on the sawdust trail from the likes of: Frank Lentini, who could kick a football the length of the midway with his third leg; Melvin Burkhart, the Human Blockhead who could pound six-inch spikes into his head; Harold Huge, the sideshow fat man who needs "Six Gals to Hug Him, and a Boxcar to Lug Him"; Percilla the Monkey Girl and her husband, Emmitt the Alligator Skin Man; Bill Durks, the Man with Three Eyes and many, many more. (7 x 10, 288 pages, b&w photos) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Amazing book!
My shelf is loaded with books on the history of the Sideshow. Until thisbook joined them it was far from complete.

Amazing
You wouldn't know it on the East Coast due to all the rain, but summer is upon us.School's out, the days are longer, the nights are hotter, the beer goes down a little easier and in some parts of the country the fairs and carnivals are starting to roll through town.The fairs and carnivals of today are filled with shaky rides, artery clogging concessions, grifted games and not much else.Maybe you'll be graced by the occasional handpainted sideshow banner or, if you're lucky, perhaps you will come across an animal curiosity act, but the days of the old shows are long gone.The days of the ten in one, the talker working the tip, the days of THE SHOW have passed us by.The midway today is dominated by Bobo the Clown taunting passersby from his perch in the dunk tank.And while Bobo is a good show, he'll never replace the "good old days."Thankfully James Taylor and Kathleen Kotcher have been documenting the days of yore in the journal "Shocked and Amazed: On and Off the Midway" since 1995, and thankfully Lyon's Press has graced us with what is basically a Best of "Shocked and Amazed."
Lyons Press has included 21 pieces that they deemed most representative of the six earlier issues of the "Shocked and Amazed" journal and placed them together to form the bulk of this book.However, this book should not be looked at as simply a reprint of the journals of the past.Lyons, Taylor and Kotcher have added a number of never before seen photos, an introduction and an index, as well as updated some of the interviews to create a classic of sideshow lore and legend.
Included in this volume are pieces on the three legged man, the Human Blockhead, a sideshow fat man, the Monkey Girl and her husband the Alligator Skin Man, the Half Girl and her husband the American Giant, the Human Fountain, the Man with Three Eyes among others.Also included are pieces on P.T Barnum, Ward Hall, known as King of the Sideshows, Girl Shows, and Bobby Reynolds, the self proclaimed "greatest showman in the world."
There are other books that cover these topics on the shelves of your local mega bookstore/Starbucks, but "Shocked and Amazed" has one distinct advantage over those titles: it treats its subjects with respect and as people, and that comes through in the interviews.When reading this book you never get the feeling that Taylor is there to exploit his subject.Instead you get the feeling that Taylor has a genuine affection for, and interest in these people and is just there to document their stories and histories.The interviews are all very well done and offer the reader a candid look into the lives of these people and performers.Taylor does an outstanding job in this book of letting his readers get a candid and revealing glimpse into the world of the sideshow.
If you decide that this is a book that you should read (and it is!), then set aside a day in which to read it, because once you open it up you'll be hard pressed to put it down until you have devoured every piece of information contained in its pages."Shocked and Amazed!" is a must have book for anyone interested in the lore, legend and myth of the sideshow.

the best of ballyhoo
Finally, those who have been outbid on eBay trying to acquire the long out-of-print early issues of James Taylor's sideshow magazine can read all fascinating articles in this book, which acts as a sort of "Shocked and Amazed" greatest hits collection.Over 250 pages of memories, history and humbug straight from the carnie's mouth are compiled in one handy volume, generously illustrated with unusual photographs.

One can only hope that this is the first in a series of volumes to collect articles from the fabulous magazine.

James Taylor's Shocked and Amazed: On and Off the Midway
"Step down a little closer you don't want to miss a thing!" James Tayor's writing is as interesting and colorful as his subject matter. He really loves the sideshow business and it shows in his writing. He gives the reader an intimate,insider, look at the shows, their operation and their performers. The photographs alone are worth the price of this book. "The shows about to begin...get your ticket and go now!" ... Read more

Product Description

The Federal Reserve is the single most important economic policy institution in the United States. Its recent unprecedented actions and interventions have raised serious concerns in many quarters about inflation, as well as the independence and effectiveness of the Fed. In The Road Ahead for the Fed, twelve expert authors examine the recent actions of the Federal Reserve and debate key issues on how it can best navigate the road ahead.

The authors suggest directions for the Fed going forward by drawing on principles from politics, history, and the market. They then explain how the Fed decided to establish a number of large and extraordinary new programs and offer practical suggestions on how to exit. They also recommend a number of policy reforms to address risk in the financial system and reduce the need for crisis-driven intervention. Although they offer a range of views, they concur on the need for both market-based mechanisms and regulatory reforms to keep the Fed on the road to good monetary policy in the future.

Edited by John D. Ciorciari and John B. Taylor

Customer Reviews (1)

A Blind Alley
I must be the only person who bought this book, since nobody else has yet reviewed it. Actually, it is not a book, but a series of speeches and casual ruminations on events now more than a year old. Perhaps some publisher saw a chance to cash in on a few small ideas from some big names. This wouldn't be the first time.

This is not to say the book doesn't contain an isolated intelligent paragraph here and there, but you will find better value free on the web. You can get the stuff in this book any day on the editorial page of the WSJ. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Freakin' Great! Buy This Book!
James Taylor is a minor genius on the order of Typhoid Mary, or the guy who invented the wide-mouthed soda can.What I mean is that Mr. Taylor has distilled the sweetest and most powerful liquor out of the grease and rust of the sideshow, and packed it into the meaty pages of "Shocked and Amazed".If you have any interest in the sideshow, freakery, or the hard red underbelly of American culture, you need these books.So far there are 5 issues, with "Shocked and Amazed" Number 6 coming soon. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Very thin, but concise facts
If you are new to Land Rovers then this is an interesting book with lots of information, if you know LRs then you most likely have all this information in your head anyway.

Mostly covers UK-spec vehicles
Handy little book but focused on British spec Discoveries. That said, it does cover the US-spec rigs and provides some useful information. ... Read more

Product Description
Hudson survived his perilous maiden voyage to his beloved China. With his heart set in determined obedience to God, and trusting the provision of the One who had called, Hudson overcame persecution and almost overwhelming personal losses to bring to bring God's truth to the "ripe harvest fields" of China.
Today, Hudson Taylor's story continues to challenge and inspire believers young and old to carry the anchoring gospel message, regardless of personal trial or hardships, to those who are adrift and without hope. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

It's up to you if...
It's up to you if you want to get a picture of the struggles of Hudson Taylor on several fronts. He had to hear from God himself to endure the pressures of his calling. "Back to Jersusalem" is a movement that has it's roots in Hudson's ministry.

Contemporary Value
An adventure story about an early unconventional missionary!!This is a great read aloud book for older elementary age children and up.Although the setting is middle 1800s, the lessons are timeless.A great way to teach your children the difficulties faced by early missionaries, (5 1/2 dangerous months at sea just to get to China) and their complete reliance upon God to surmount seemingly impossible challenges.Although Taylor's faith is great, even he is surprised by the continual rescues and provisions that are clearly God orchestrated. My children thought it started slowly, but got more exciting when he finally reached China! Even adults will enjoy listening.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Composer, critic, author, and radio personality, (Joseph) Deems Taylor (1885–1966) was one of the most influential figures in American culture from the 1920s through the 1940s.A self-taught composer, the New York City native wrote such pieces as the orchestral suite Through the Looking Glass and the acclaimed operas The King's Henchman and Peter Ibbetson, the first commissions ever offered by the Metropolitan Opera.Taylor's operatic works were among the most popular and widely performed of his day, yet he achieved greatest fame and recognition as the golden-voiced intermission commentator for the New York Philharmonic radio broadcasts and as the on-screen host of Walt Disney's classic film Fantasia.With his witty, clever, charming, and informative but unpatronizing manner, he almost single-handedly introduced classical music to millions of Americans across the nation.

In this first biography of Taylor, James A. Pegolotti brings to life the remarkably multi-talented man within the context of his times.The captivating portrait recounts his formative years in the Bronx, his college years at New York University, where he composed four successive varsity musicals, his journalistic career first as a writer for the New York Tribune Sunday Magazine and then as the powerful music critic for the New York World, and his musical triumphs.Pegolotti also details Taylor's stints as editor of Musical America, president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), best-selling author of Of Men and Music and other books, collaborator with Disney and Leopold Stokowski on Fantasia, and even judge for the Miss America pageant.He describes how Taylor used his critic's pulpit to champion American music, opera, and musicians, and also chronicles his colorful personal life, including his third marriage at age sixty to a twenty-year-old costume designer.

Enlivened with such figures as George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ayn Rand, and Taylor's fellow Algonquin Round Table tastemakers, this in-depth, well-balanced, and objective biography will stand as the definitive work on the great American composer-critic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Tantalizing
Pegoletti's wonderfully researched book makes one long, not only for the days when a single figure, such as Deems Taylor, could explain all of contemporary music to a mass audience, but also for Taylor's own orchestral and vocal works which are so hard to find nowadays!Taylor may not have been much good for the women in his life, but he knew how to tell a story and how to build a career. Did he have what it takes to capture the interest of posterity?Time will make these decisions for him, but how i wish an enterprising record company would release at least the radio checks of his operas!Thank you, Mr. Pegoletti, for giving him one more shot.

Deems Taylor - A great read
Who was Deems Taylor?
A member of the Algonquin Roundtable, one of Dorothy Parker's many lovers, the co-author of an opera with Edna St. Vincent Millay, a collaborator with Leopold Stowkowski for Walt Disney's "Fantasia." He was also a commentator for CBS radio on its first day on the air; the president of ASCAP; a long-time commentator on radio concerts; and a close friend of the great musicians, artists, authors and wits of the last century, including: George Gershwin, Robert Benchley, Edna Ferber and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

In his biography, James Pegolotti weaves well the tapestry of events of this wonderful time for concert music and the theatre in New York.

A must-read for theater buffs and others who enjoy recent Americana.

great biography
The research on this book was very extensive. The subject matter was very interesting. There was always a new and fascinating aspect of Deems Taylor's life to learn about. Well written, historic, completely researched and a most enjoyable read. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
During the past 10 years the Mazda Miata, known abroad as the MX-5, has become far and away the world's most popular sports car. Reminiscent of classic British sports cars in its styling and performance, Mazda's now-famous two-seater has been produced in two series which have bred several derivatives. This compact and nicely priced guidebook is liberally illustrated with both color and black-and-white photography. The text guides readers through the range of MX-5 and Miata design and development, technical specifications and production histories. In addition, there is advice on purchase and ownership and accessories and equipment, as well as information on limited-edition models. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Nostalgia to the Future
Three weeks ago I purchased a new Miata, after being away from sports cars for 25 years. (TR3+BMW 2000ti) Oh how I wish I had gotten back into it sooner. It has been so much fun. I purchased the book last week, finished it and loved it. The book told the story of the early British influence, Triumphs, Healeys, etc, on the design, development and marketing of the Miata, brought it thru 1999. The struggles, hopes, fears of the individuals in the company, and the process of internal competition to ferret out the best car with a very high emphasis on handling and suspension. Wow, and the discussion about lack of Miata restoration projects, why, because the oldest ones don't need to be restored, they are still in great condition. And to think, I almost purchased an MR2, now, Maita's forever. The book gave me great background and justification for my exuberance.

Sold on the Miata
I read this book when considering the purchase of a sports car, and it sold me on the Miata. I bought the car a week later. Very positive perspective and professional tone kept me riveted. Even though I normallydon't enjoy detailed automotive description, Taylor's fine writing coveredthe ground in an easy and fluid way. His interweaving of the history of theMiata throughout the last decade was superb. Nine chapters include fabulouscolor photographs depicting international and local production,modifications and how to purchase and own. This book is highly recommendedfor those who own Miatas and those who desire them. I am happy to reportthat I am now in the ownership category, and incidentally, my new Miata istwilight blue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Guide to a Great City
This book is probably of most use to the seasoned New Orleans traveler, asit deals with the city from the perspective of a native telling you thebest places to go.Think about it - would a New Yorker send you to Tavernon the Green or to their favorite local hangout?Would a San Franciscansend you to Ma Maison or to a hole-in-the-wall sandwiched between a Chinesegrocery and a laundromat?Well, "New Orleans on the Half-Shell"is no different; local, unknown places take the front seat here, leavingthe touristy places to the other guides.

This is not to say that thereis no consideration for the casual tourist here.You'll get all theinformation you need from this slim volume, from shopping to dining, toursto bar-hopping.But I'd recommend that you use this particular guide inconjunction with another, more complete guide, specifically the terrificInsight guide that doubles as a history book and cultural primary.

On apersonal note, I found my favorite restaurant in all the world in "NewOrleans on the Half Shell", a place not mentioned in any otherguidebook.I won't tell you where it is; you'll have to read it yourselfto find it. ... Read more