Agent Books

I found this book to be very insightfull and fascinating. It goes into detail how the brain functions and developes. it talks about how,just through our diet we are damaging ourselves.

Agian it also shows us that the food manufactures are getting away with putting toxins into are food and the government is doing nothing about it.

This is a must read book. Especially mothers that are pregnant or have new borns. This book will tell you what to watch for when feeding you and your baby to protect their brain.

Dr. Blalock turns up a lot on the internet making dire warnings about all kinds of chemicals and additives that we encounter every day. I'm not sure how much to believe, but this book was well-written and totally believable. Dr. Blalock is obviously very knowledgeable, and the book is extremely well-written. I personally seem to suffer from glutamates gratuitously added to my food by the big food processors, so this book has helped me to understand why. This book answers questions that my MD has never even tried to answer. So -thanks Dr. Blalock.

Not that good. I've read a lot and just felt this book was a bad read.

I ordered this book along with another book on the subject of food additives. This book is written by a doctor and is much more technical. I was glad to have both books on the subject. This book is deeper and harder to read, but it leaves the reader who is willing to wade through the information some very somber knowledge of what is going to happen to many people in the long run if they keep ingesting these horrible food additives. Unlike myself not everyone has such immediate and violent reactions to these excitotoxins, but I am convinced that the long term use of these substances is harmful to almost everyone, and some will have catastrophic results. I am not sorry I have this book in my library.

I have had this book for many years and recently skimmed it again. I bought it during the years when my husband was having bizarre symptoms after eating almost any kind of food. He visited many doctors and specialists, and an allergist finally suggested that it might be MSG and referred him to a dietician (who was useless). Since then, we've been on our own fighting this, and this book lifted the fog of ignorance!

I'm an engineer, a conservative and a skeptic. I was not ready to believe that there is "bad stuff" in our everyday food. But based on my husband's experiences, the empirical evidence to the contrary is overwhelming. His symptoms initially only occurred after lunch but not after dinner, even if he ate the same thing. How does this make sense? Dr. Blaylock explains the mystery by pointing out how hypoglycemia exacerbates the effects of glutamate. I was ecstatic when I understood the phenomenon. My husband has a tendency, common in his family, toward hypoglycemia. With lunch being his first meal of the day, he was already in a hypoglycemic state and highly susceptible to the effects of MSG. By dinnertime, his brain had more glucose and was better able to clear the glutamate. Based on this theory, when he accidentally eats MSG and starts to experience the effects, he consumes a candy bar or sugared soda and it lessens the symptoms. (Dessert can be good for you!)

The explanations in this book are the only ones that satisfactorily explain what I see my husband go through every day. He has an immediate and recognizable response to glutamate, which makes confirmation of those theories simple, if not painless.

There is one hypothesis in the book that is contradicted by my husband's experience. He can consume aspartame (diet soda) with none of the effects that he experiences from glutamate.

I wonder how many people are capable of making the lifestyle changes required to avoid glutamate? If you don't have a detector (like my poor husband) to tell you what food does and does not have glutamate in it, you must avoid all prepared food that doesn't have an ingredient list. Yes, sadly, glutamate is that prevalent in our food.

Over the past few months I have been developing the idea of what I call the "new entrepreneur". This is someone who starts their own business, not because they have the entrepreneurial drive to start businesses, but rather because they provide a service and they prefer to work in an independent capacity. Some of them might not even have a choice, as corporations downsize and contract out much of their work.

Upon hearing about my idea, my friend Betsy recommended that I pick up Daniel Pink's Free Agent Nation. Daniel had examined the process of more and more people leaving the employ of large corporations and going out on their own. He calls these individuals "free agents" because they are free to work on their own terms, and their experiences can vary from a temp working as a secretary to a graphic designer running their own media company. Many of these individuals fall into my description of the new entrepreneur.

Daniel points out 4 factors that have helped shift many people into free agency during the end of the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty-first century:

1. The social contract of work (security for loyalty) crumbled .
2. The means of production were democratized (cf. The Long Tail).
3. Prosperity allowed people to work for meaning, not just money.
4. The half-life of organizations shrunk.

What this has really done is changed many work relationships from vertical (working in a hierarchical corporation) to horizontal (working with equal partners to accomplish specific objectives). And with the continuing changes in the American economy, I think that this pattern will become more prevalent in the near future.

One thing that stood out strongly was the free agent org chart. It's something that I've been seeing in my business and my clients' businesses over the past few years. It involves a revolving set of business relationships that coalesce over individual projects. It reinforces that one of the most important components to success as a free agent is the strength of a person's network. The network creates opportunities for referral business, but more importantly it creates connections to the "partners" that can help the free agent complete a project.

Daniel makes me feel good about my career choice by pointing out the importance of coaches in a work/life structure that's very fluid and exposes individuals to a lot more risk (no more hiding behind a veil of corporate security). As he says: "In a sense, coaches are shrinks without the couches, management consultants without the flow charts, and sympathetic bartenders without the shot glasses" (pg 181).

Did you know that the American system of tying health insurance to your job is an historical accident, and doesn't have logical precedent (the US is the only Western country that does this)? It keeps a lot of people tied to jobs they're not happy with and are unproductive in. Another reason for health care reform!

The idea of blending vs. balancing is very powerful and gives me a great way to talk to my clients about how to manage their time when they are working on their own. I've seen it a lot already, where a person will work in spurts throughout the day to include family responsibilities. For example, they create their work schedule so they can take their kids to school and pick them up in the afternoon. I think that looking at the process as blending is a lot less stressful than trying to create balance. The idea of creating balance seems to stress people out more because they think they have to work at it (and their afraid they'll fall out of balance).

I think this is a fun read for someone who is a free agent, or for someone in corporate HR who is wondering how to work with the ever-increasing population of free agents. Daniel does a bit of predicting, which even in the 5 years since Free Agent Nation was written has been pretty off. Besides that, though, he provides a great snapshot of the dynamic process of economic evolution in the U.S. in the last twenty years.

At a macro level Dan Pinks view of the "free agent nation" is interesting. The information is well presented and opens a vault of thought and consideration for taking a closer look at micro business. I was looking for more case studies. A peek into a few more examples of how individuals were making sustainable transitions away from the main stream. I looked to this title for inspiration and it didn't deliver to my expectations. A good read, but not compelling enough to re-visit.

I found this book inspirational in the sense that before the four-minute mile barrier for running was broken, people felt it couldn't be achieved. However, once the record was broken, others were inspired to strive for their own sub-four-minute records.
As Dan Pink presents the stories and lessons in Free Agent Nation which he gleaned from interviews with numerous "free agents" I felt my pace quicken in the self-employed race I run daily. It is motivational to run with the knowledge that I'm not running solo but part of a growing number of free agents striving for our own four-minute miles. And the summary of free agent guidelines at the end of the book gave me the confidence that I'm on the right track.

By varying accounts there are 25-30 million free agents at present in the United States. Most of these work from home. Add millions of micro-businesses and one comes to the conclusion that the 20th century will be known as the first and last century in which most working people were salaried. Up until the 20th century most working people were small farmers, merchants and independent professionals. If present trends continue - and there is every reason to believe they will - then by the middle of the 21st century most working people will be self-employed in one form or another. This will have revolutionary impact on politics, tax and social policy and the economic balance of power. Cultural attitudes that encourage innovation and risk-taking will have tremendous advantages in this emerging reality. This is why I claim that: "No people on earth (referring to the Jews) are better prepared by virtue of education, temperament and historical adaptability to embrace the challenges of the 21st century". This book provided me with much of the information that enabled me to open my own book "The Optimistic Jew" with the above lines.

Free Agent Nation by Daniel H. Pink is not entirely what it seems.

Daniel Pink is a former speech writer for Al Gore. He wrote for him when Al Gore was serving as Vice President, but not during the campaign for president.

When Mr Pink left the White House and became, as it were, a Free Agent, he was surprised at the number of people who earned income from running their own small business. It became apparent to him that if the Republican Party was the party of big business and the Democratic Party was the party of labor unions, then the growing demographic of the self employed had no real representation.

Therefore, Mr Pink explored who these people were, what they were doing, and what they needed. Of course, Mr. Pink is no economist or statistician. Therefore, his analysis seems a bit heavy on the anecdotal. Likewise, this is not a how to book that will tell you step by step what needs to be done to start up your own business.

Regardless, this is an interesting book that explores a growing social phenomenon of the post-industrial world.

A good mystery read, plus the Myron Bolitar adds some humor.
A good flowing story.

Myron Bolitar books are always hilarious and highly entertaining. The characters of Myron, Win, Esperanza, and the rest are all great. This book was a typical Myron Bolitar book in that it is complex yet easy to read, and there are no dull parts because it is so funny. I highly recommend all books in this series!

Coben knows how to weave a story that keeps you up all night finishing his books. This is no exception and his protagonist Myron is the best. A must read for all mystery fans. Excellent writing, plot and characters.

Harlan Coben is a superstar of suspense fiction, but didn't really become a major bestselling writer until his tenth novel, TELL NO ONE, in 2001. Before writing TELL NO ONE, Coben wrote a highly enjoyable murder mystery series involving a sports agent named Myron Bolitar. The Bolitar books have quite the cult following, but never achieved the sales success of Coben's standalones. DROP SHOT, the second novel in this series, is a fun read.

Unlike Coben's more recent novels, DROP SHOT is pretty much structured as a traditional mystery. A has-been tennis star gets murdered, and the murder may have a connection to one of Bolitar's superstar clients. As a result, Bolitar investigates the crime himself, and along the way manages to unearth a lot of skeletons from powerful peoples' closets.

I enjoyed this novel a lot. It's a fast read, filled with humor and a lot of fun dialogue. Coben knows how to plot a book in a manner that maintains the reader's interest, and I found the central mystery of DROP SHOT to be very intriguing. The characters in this novel are on the cartoonish side, but they are likable and fun to spend time with. I finished this book in a few sittings.

DROP SHOT isn't a particularly great novel, but it's a fun whodunnit, the type you enjoy reading on the sofa on a weekend afternoon. This book isn't as breathlessly exciting as TELL NO ONE or GONE FOR GOOD, but it's a solid book for people who like well written mysteries.

When a young female ex-tennis star is murdered at the gates of the U.S. Tennis Open, ex-lawyer turned sports agent (and pseudo detective) Myron Bolitar along with his slightly psycho pal, Win Lockwood, become involved in the investigation.

It seems the murder victim had intended to "make a comeback" and had been trying to contact Myron to engage his services as her agent before she met her untimely end. The mystery surrounding her death and its link to another murder six years earlier is pretty "run of the mill" and the identity of the killer is evident long before the last page of the book. The cop on the case is stereotypically stupid and stubborn, the "mob" boss comes across as an uneducated strong-arm goon, the tennis trainer is a twisted pervert, and all I can say about Myron's girlfriend, Jennifer, is "he deserves better". It's no wonder that his mother and his assistant Esperanza dislike her so intensely.

Drop Shot is a tennis term referring to the tactic of barely tapping the ball over the net thereby making it nearly impossible for your opponent to return the ball. This book is aptly titled, since the story itself barely makes it and is rescued by the interaction between a couple of the characters. The most interesting "couple" in the book are not Myron and Jennifer, but rather Bolitar and Lockwood. Bolitar has a sort of smart -aleck cerebral humor about him while Lockwood is the man of action with a skewed perception of society and together they are a the dynamic duo - - - - sort of like pairing Bernie Rohdenbahr with Jack Reacher.

Drop Shot is definitely not the best mystery you will ever read, but then again it's not the worst.

This book is good. It get's you going. My complaint is that he doesn't elaborate very much. He doesn't "go into" stuff in detail like I wished he would have. As a new agent I was left with more questions. But it gave me a good foundation to work with and some good ideas. One of the best bits of advice was to constantly educate yourself by listening to CDs and reading more books. Don't buy this book thinking this will be the end to your search for how to become that top agent... it won't. But it will get you going, get you thinking, and hopefully get you investing in more material.

I bought this book because it had great reviews on Amazon. I really don't think it's a good book and here's why:

I'm a new agent, and was looking for something to give me sharp ideas on how to win prospects and give good presentations.

The book has all the right ideas, but none of the techniques are really laid out very well... I felt almost as though Zeller was keeping the information from the reader as he didn't want to share it.

He'll talk about cold calling to generate business, but no scripts, ideas or suggestions of how to overcome the Don't Call or ideas about targeted cold calling. He'll just reference methods and whether he thinks they are effective or not.

Much of the material is the same as the Idiots Guide, which I thought was better.

Champion focuses more on the life style you can have (I've lost count of references to his 3 day weekend retreats which is unrealistic if you believe in the value of open houses) than what you need to do to get there.

Buy how to become a POWER AGENT by Darryl Davis, I borrowed my broker's copy and I like it so much I am buying my own copy. It not only provides real training but Davis holds back nothing in terms of material you can use - it is a real gold mine. Every page has scripts, print outs, ideas that Zeller doesn't even touch on.

Each to his own, I don't mean to disrespect the author but unless you already know all there is to know about the real estate industry there is no point reading a book by someone who doesn't give out all the details of how to follow his steps.

I don't think you need to buy into a costly training program to be a great agent - after all these are master salespeople so I find it hard to trust them when they turn around to me and say the only way to get ahead is to empty my pockets. I learned more from Davis's book than I did spending 4 hours with a trainer from Floyd Wickman - I guess we all have different styles and we need to find what fits.

I have read dozens of marketing books over the years. I am a CPA and run a real estate team that produces well over 100 transactions per year.
This book brought be back to the basics of running a business of selling, yes I said selling, real estate.

I am going to read it again. Maybe twice.

Dirk has put together a great resource for ALL Real Estate agents. From the beginner to the seasoned vet, this book can help to focus your activities in the areas most important to you in your career and life.

I have been listing and selling real estate for 24 years and have read many books on real estate sales and this truly is one of the best. I've read it twice in the last month and highly recommend that every real estate salesperson read it.

I am more familiar with the work of James M. Cain via the movies as the basis of such films as The Postman Always Rings Twice and one of the works under review here Double Indemnity. For classic noir films I like to read the works they are based on to see how true they are to the literary efforts. Thus, I picked up this book for Double Indemnity but along the way I got into the other two. The common theme here is the role of women in bringing a man down (or building him up, if that seems appropriate to her designs). You know the old Adam and Eve tale in the modern setting. If Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, Cain's near contemporaries, had the hard-boiled, no nonsense detective down Cain has the bewitching femme fatale and `gullible' smitten guy down in the same way. This little three story volume, moreover, has the virtue of an introduction by Cain himself where he essentially dismisses out of hand positive critical comments about the hard-boiled outlook on the world expressed in his work, his commanding sense of language and his deft craftsmanship with the twists and turns of a story. Ya, right.


Cain identifies Career in C Major as the story that he liked the best of the three presented here and the one that would hold up over time. I did not get that feeling mainly because the story line gets a little too bogged down by the narrator's efforts to become a male opera singer. The tension between his gratitude (if you can call it that) to his operatic paramour/muse and his catty, headstrong and over demanding wife (who also had musical ambitions) is what drives this little work. In the end, there is basically a Mexican stand-off between hubby and wife. I do not believe that either the theme or the moral hold up today. Let me point out that despite Cain's predilections for this little piece Double Indemnity, with a very much darker theme, is still remembered as a classic tale of murderous impulse. This one you can take or leave.

The Embezzler is, however, one you had better take, as its plot structure leads straight to the classics. This little sleeper of a story points to the fine twist and turns that Cain is rather noted for. The plot revolved around the complicity of a bank executive and the wife of a bank clerk to try to stave of family disaster (her's) by trying to "fix" the books of her philandering husband held in thrall by his fellow female employee, an accountant (go figure, right?). The twist and turns center, of course, around the attraction of the bank exec for the wronged wife who may, or may not be, on the up and up. Christ, this thing had me guessing for a while whether that exec was really going to take the tumble for a wrong "dame". Read this one. You will be glad.

I mentioned above that one of the things I want to read the original story of a film noir classic for is to see how close it is to the film version. Double Indemnity runs fairly close except as to the fates of the two lovers, if that is what they are. The plot here revolves around that old standard- life insurance- or rather more properly `death' insurance, for the insured. One hulky insurance agent meets one drop dead beautiful yoing wife of an insured older client. Said wife merely inquires about accident insurance for dear hubby. You know, he is in a dangerous business, producing oil in L.A. The rest is history- hubby is a goner. The double indemnity part? Oh, if you die in an accident on a train you get double. Get it? You will.

The core of the story goes to the compulsive nature of the actual murder once the wheels are set in motion, its cover-up and the falling out among thieves. Along the way we get an entanglement with the deceased insured lovely daughter, her `boyfriend' and enough duplicity to fill up the jails of 1930's California to capacity. No problem. Except the ending of this story doesn't match up with the film. Yes, the moral of both is that men (and women) must not do evil things to their fellows. Okay, but in the movie it is a straight proposition- the bad guys must pay back society for their crimes. They must die. In the book not only is that true but the bad guys had to feel guilt-ridden about it as well. So, instead of getting away with their nefarious deeds they must kill themselves. Moreover, as it turns, wifey didn't tell dear old insurance man that she had a little prior history of psychopathic behavior. So all of society's books are cleared on this one. Nice. I'll take the darker book ending, thank you.

I can't help it...reading through Cain's novel the voices in my head were those of Barbara Stanwyck, Fred McMurray and Edward G. Robinson.
Although this is a small book (128 p.) and a quick read, don't underestimate this little gem. It is perfectly written and packs an unexpected punch at the end. Highly recommended for anyone who likes noir fiction. And don't expect the movie ... Hollywood couldn't have possibly done it the way the author intended. A basic summary of the plot: Walter Huff is an insurance investigator who is able to smell a scam a mile away. But sadly, Walter isn't thinking with his brain when he meets Phyllis Nirdlinger, the wife of a customer. She wants to know about accident insurance; he knows without anyone even saying anything why she wants it. Walter is convinced that with his knowledge of the industry and how it works come paying out claims time that the two of them could plot the perfect murder and insurance scam. But the story's not over yet. During a period of time when the two have to cool their heels and avoid each other, Walter has time to sit back and think about things and realizes that there's more to the story here and that he must take some action before his company puts two and two together. That's the bare bones outline (I don't want to spoil the story). The book's ending is vastly different than that of the movie -- and I think more poetically just (if not a little strange). Cain's characterizations are well drawn and the writing is superb. A must for any fan of noir.

This book, more novella than novel, is intricately plotted and a very quick read. Wholly plot-driven, the book is a classic morality tale. A seductive woman, Phyllis Nirdlinger, desires to kill her wealthy husband. An otherwise intelligent insurance agent, Walter Huff, falls under her spell. Together they put together a seemingly failsafe plan to do the dastardly deed, making it appear as if it were an accident, so that the double indemnity clause in an insurance policy will kick into play. The problem is that all is not as it initially seems.

Written as a first person narrative by the insurance agent, the writing is tight, spare, and lean. No word is wasted. Yet, the minimalism works to the advantage of the story, as it makes the intricacy of the plotting clear to the reader. Having seen the film with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in the lead roles, I kept hearing Fred MacMurray's voice in my head as I read the book. While the film deviates from the book in a number of ways, it is classic film noir at its best and well-worth viewing. Likewise, the book is a classic in its own right, and those who like hard-boiled crime fiction will not be disappointed.

Maturation of James Cain's writing between "The Postman Always Rings Twice" to publication of "Double Indemnity" is obvious. To this reader, "Double Indemnity" is richer in text, more completely written, and truly incorporates a more deceitful and thoughtful murder(s).

"I know it's not true. I tell myself it's not true. But there's something in me. I don't know what. Maybe I'm crazy. But there's something in me that loves Death. I think of myself as Death, sometimes in a scarlet shroud. . .it doesn't seem terrible. It seems as though I'm doing something . . . Do you understand me, Walter?" Walter Neff, our protagonist narrator easily responds, "No."

By the book's end, in the last 15 pages, we learn a great deal about the meaning behind every word of every sentence of that paragraph. This paragraph explains Mrs. Phyllis Nirdlinger to us.

Like "Postman", the wife - Mrs. Nirdlinger - in this book is younger than her husband, she is pretty, came from Iowa and moved to then edenistic California. And, like "Postman", the protagonist is a gun for her to hire. Unlike "Postman", the woman is a black beauty incarnate. Walter does not know what to think of her. As he matures and learns more about her, the more he becomes perplexed. "I loved her like a rabbit loves a rattlesnake."

Eventually, like "Postman" each enters a "Prizzi's Honor" code of conduct - do unto the other as you would never allow the other to do unto you. Walter sets up a trap of the widow Nirdlinger, he thoughtfully sets her up for the kill and discovers, "I wasn't the only one that figured the world wasn't big enough for two people . . . I had come there to kill her, but . . . "

The next 10-15 pages outline who that woman is, where she has been and what she has done. Walter understandably acknowledges having been used, fesses up to his conduct and expects to be escorted to the electric chair. But like "Postman" the insurance company acquits evil - not with perjury, but in a manner as artful as the trial in "Postman." And, then. . . Cain delivers an ending which deciphers the second paragraph of this review - at that time we and Walter now can respond to her question in the affirmative. Oh, what a great ending.

Having read this book back-to-back with "Postman", each twists the plot like an all star mystery, but the more thorough and intellectual approach to murder described in this novel enticed this reader. And, the writing is more mature - not just dialogue as done in "Postman." Each is fun, each is great. I would never hesitate to recommend this book to anyone looking for a good mystery to read.

DOUBLE INDEMNITY is a noir classic, one of a handful of must-read noir books from the "hardboiled" school. Like his earlier book, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, another must-read, DOUBLE INDEMNITY gets into the action quickly. Both books are short because Cain doesn't waste words. He's a master of crime noir, and DOUBLE INDEMNITY is a great noir novel. Read this book. I've read it several times and I never get tired of it.

Rather than recount the story and plot, which too many reviewers here have already done, I'll say this: the movie is terrific, but the book is better. And the more I read the book, the more I like it better than the movie. So if you've seen the movie, read the book. If you haven't seen the movie or read the book, do both. It doesn't matter which you do first.

Also, spend a few more dollars and buy the Everyman's Library volume, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, DOUBLE INDEMNITY, MILDRED PIERCE, AND SELECTED STORIES. This high-quality hardcover volume weighs about as much as the typical Vintage Classic paperback, but includes Cain's three best novels, an appropriately-blood-red cloth cover, acid-free paper, and a chronology of Cain's life and works. This volume is one of the best book deals you'll ever find.

If you are already a winning poker player then this book is great to add to your poker library. There is no actual "poker" how to's but the information on tells is excellent. When I play live poker I have always tried to look for other peoples tells but was not really sure what was a tell. This book does a great job of letting you know what tells to look for and tells you how to decide if it is a tell or if it is just something that player does all the time. I am not a Phil Hellmuth fan at all but still think you should read this book.

I'm rating this a four. Its really a six. Don't want to tell anyone I've read this. My buddy at my regular game and I have an agreement not to tell anyone else at the game about this book. It must be studied to become an intregal part of your game if your serious about poker.

This book is certainly more relevant today than Caro's dated one. But, like Caro's work, some of the information is delivered as absolute and true, while we all know there are no such things in poker.

Read 'em and Reap has much to offer but everything in it needs a little salt for seasoning.

I read this book less than two weeks time and entered three poker tournments three weeks later- result 1st tournment third place, 2nd tournment 1st and 3rd tournment 1st place. This book is amazing. Worth the money spent!!!

This might be seen as competition for Mike Caro's excellent _Mike Caro's Book of Tells_ but it is better viewed as a complimentary work, covering different parts of the same theme.

Before we discuss the differences between the two, we have to mention the view that tells are not very important. That view, promoted by people as prominant as Daniel Negreanu, is simply wrong. While tells may not help you very often, a tell can win a very important hand for you or keep you from losing a very large number of chips. As long as tells exist, as Mr. Negreanu will freely admit, they don't have to be seventy percent of the game (a bizarre claim made by the authors of this book)to be important.

This book, in contrast to the Caro book, analyzes very basic neurological reactions, honest tells. In contrast to the "weak means strong" theme of the major tells in the book of tells, this book teaches you to see often subtle but almost always honest indicators of a player's confidence at a particular moment in time. The most important part of this book is the section on not _giving_ information.

The flaws in this book include the above claim that poker is seventy percent driven by reading tells. Most others involve Mr. Hellmuth and his ego and the amount of extraneous bragging that is done by both authors.

I couldn't put it down. Fade Away by one of my new favorite contemporary authors Harlan Coben is a rollicking and excellent read. A sort of guy's Stephanie Meyer, if you will.

The story of great hopes dashed by a white superstar basketball player at Duke, drafted by a Red Auerbach-type GM of the Boston Celtics, who suffers a horrible knee injury before playing a single regular season game. This Myron Bolitar, whom I take to be Jewish, doesn't look back. It's a good message to disappointment: don't dwell on what could have been.

Bolitar goes on to graduate from Harvard Law, found his own Jerry Maguire-like sports agency, and become an heterodox PI with the help of a couple of colorful side kicks: Esperanza, a former svelte female professional wrestler, and Win, a blond beast following the Superman ethics of Friedrich Nietzsche. This Win, a sort of Whit Stillman WASP with .44 magnum fists and impeccable timing, I found intriguing, living the dream I sometimes wish I could engage in if I didn't have to worry about the repercussions. But that's no way to talk to a girl, Win.

Ten years after Bolitar's hopes were dashed to play in the NBA he unexpectedly receives a call to play for the NJ Dragons, in order to search for a flaky superstar player who has gone missing again. Another white guy in the black-dominated sport who happens to have been Bolitar's big rival at UNC.

A murder is uncovered. And a female sports writer very quickly uncovers the cover story of Bolitar's hiring. We also meet Cyndi, a giantess whom we haven't seen the likes of since Mark Helprin's Soldier of the Great War, who celebrates being asked out for a date in a way that registers on seismographs. You'll understand once you read the book, which I think you should.

The narrative is wild. The ending will probably be a gotcha. And you'll find out what SWB means. My only criticisms are that Coben, a very skilled technician and obviously hard worker, neglected to hyphenate what my AP Stylebook says to do in writing eighth-grader, for example. Also, Bobby Hurley's picture kept coming up in my brain. He's from NJ and suffered injury that threatened his NBA playing days. But it's not a nice picture, Bobby Hurley that is. I hate Duke basketball anyway, being a Michigan State football man.

Tiny criticism in an otherwise very fun book, first published in 1996 but re-released in 2008 by Delacorte Press in hardcover. Four and a half stars.

I look forward to many more hours of enjoyment with Myron Bolitar as I have received from Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon. Thanks, Mr. Coben!

I've been on a bit of a recreational reading kick lately... probably trying to escape the stress of the economy. Anyway, my number finally came up at the library for the latest Myron Bolitar novel by Harlan Coben... Fade Away. It's been awhile since I've had the pleasure of reading Bolitar's irreverent dialog and his interaction with his partner Win Lockwood. And as always, it's a treat.

Bolitar, a sports agent and one-time promising basketball phenom (before his knee was blown out at the very start of his professional career), is approached by the owner of the New Jersey Dragons. They're a playoff-bound team with a minor problem... their star player Greg Downing has disappeared. He's a bit of a head case anyway, and the team is trying to sell it to the media as seclusion to rehab an injured ankle. The owner wants to sign Bolitar to finish out the season with the team, basically as a scrub player with some name appeal of what "could have been". But what he really wants is for Bolitar to investigate from the inside and see if he can solve the mystery. Bolitar's not sure he wants to subject himself to public ridicule as a player, but the chance to have his shot at the pros is too strong. He takes the case and quickly finds a number of people who could have wanted Downing dead, including an ex-wife and some underworld characters. As Bolitar digs deeper, no one ends up being exactly who they say they are (or who Bolitar thinks they are). He has to question everything, including his own past, to solve this case and find closure for his professional life that never was.

There's not much more to say other than this was just a fun read. Bolitar always seems to be one snide remark away from getting the pulp beat out of him. He basically says all the smart-alex things you'd *like* to say if you had time to think about it (and there were no repercussions). The dialog is one of the main reasons why I enjoy the Myron Bolitar series. Couple that with a plot that keeps twisting with no resolution until the end (and even then, there's still a few surprises), and it's my idea of a perfect book for killing a few hours at home or on a plane.

This is the second of Coban's novels featuring Myron Bolitar that I've read and like all of his books I found it quite enjoyable. I enjoyed Promise Me a bit more but Coban held true to form with last minute twists that always bring surprise. I've yet to read one of Coban's novels that I wouldn't recommend to others.

Writing on anything connected to sports gambling is always timely - and "Fade Away" is a good example. Coben's underlying theme, whether intentional or not, centers around the timeless questions of freedom and responsibility. Coben is not only an entertaining writer, but knows how to blend reality and idealism - and everything in between. (Reviewed by Jerry Marcus, author of four novels - including Broken Trust - The Murder Of Basketball Star Jack Molinas.)

I am a fan of Harlan Coben but have never read this particular series. In contrast to the majority of reviews, I found this to be tedious rather than witty and in need of additional editing. Lame, forced dialog on top of a silly plot...even taking it for what it is, there are better ways to spend one's time.

This was just OK for me ... I was expecting something a bit more exciting. His story was interesting, but it felt a little forced, especially on his investigative trips that felt more like a paper-pusher wanting to be more. I thought he did a great job relating the day-to-day stress that these agents live everyday, and the effects on their family life. It makes you appreciate what you don't know is done for your security.

I was very moved by the book, and the stories of how counter-terror work began with just 3 guys in a basement, and all of the difficulties encountered in trying to prepare a sleeping America for a new an ugly enemy.

Fred Burton: Straight laced American
First off fantastic book with great insight into the job for the state department. Pretty much just history and nothing post 9/11 but keeping that in your mind while you read it allows you to understand just how much we missed and why.

Fred Burton the author and star of this work is a straight laced American. He is nothing like the rouge 007's of the world and that makes him great in my book. He was not a field agent so that makes it difficult to compare but if you line him up next to Robert Baer, former CIA- Counter Terrorism, you will see they are very different. Burton is a give it all, work is life, patriot and the United States needs more men like him. All and all great book and if you are looking for a true to life James Bond thriller you have come to the wrong place.

NOTE**
Robert Baer is a great American and a Patriot he has served his country well and with distinction. His novel(s) and works of non-fiction are fantastic and somewhat on the lines of a James Bond novel, so if that is what you are looking for, there you go, Enjoy I know I did.

Very much enjoyed reading this book, no it is not like a Robert Ludlum or John LeCarre novel. It is a true testament to the real American Heroes who tread into dark and dangerous places and situations that most of us would fear to go. What stands out here is the dedication and patriotism of these men and woman, who, though obviously highly skilled and intelligent choose a life of sacrifice and service over money and fame. They seek to protect the rest of us from horrors that we can barely appreciate, while often suffering the criticism from the ill informed. The big payoff if they are killed in the line of duty is an anonymous gold star on a wall at Langley. I would hope more people read this book if only to understand that it is a dangerous world in which we live, and perhaps, if only for a moment, take a break from American Idol and Monday Night Football to appreciate these American public servants.

OK. After glancing at the excellent reviews, I probably will continue to read this book. I am giving a rating only because posting the review requires it. In fact, I haven't finished the book. But what caused me to leave the book to see what others thought of it is this:
On page 30, upon Burton's entering the CIA headquarters for the first time, I read "" ... a statue of Nathan Hale, a Revolutionary War spy who went to a British hangman's noose with the immortal words 'Give me liberty or give me death' on his lips."
Give me liberty or give me death? Those are certainly immortal words! Nathan Hale? It's been quite a while since I took American history, but that quote is attributed to Patrick Henry. Hale is remembered for the words "I regret that I have but one life to give to my country."
So what made me pause in my reading - and write this - is that I am perplexed. Did Burton dredge up an inaccurate memory? Worse, might that what is actually written somewhere in the mysterious places of the CIA. Or, finally, is the Random House editor a little deficient in his/her American history, to let this error slip by?
I know, I know, some will same I'm picky. But it's so wrong that it stopped my reading dead in it's tracks. Has that passage caused any other readers at least a short pause?
Well, as I said above, because of the excellent reviews the book has received her, I will return to it and continue my reading.

I am very pleased with this book and the service from this vendor was exceptional.

This is an excellent book for any real estate agent. I am a new agent, and I gave the title to my Broker, who purchased a copy. She has 30 years of experience in real estate, and she thought the book was awesome as well. I think that is a pretty good recommendation.

Finally, here's the new and improved version of the industry classic "21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me." It has everything in the original, plus it's updated with the latest industry trends. Here's the basic information on the real estate industry, and what new agents need to know to survive and prosper. Hard to believe -- but it's even better than the original! A must-read for every new agent!

This is a good book with time tested ideas. While none of the information is new nor earth shattering, it does cover the basics.

If you are considering a career in Real Estate, this book is a must read--even before you enroll in Real Estate school. You *must* know this information before you get started.

If you work at an office with little or no training, this book is also a must have. If your office provides excellent training, and some do, then the information in the book may be somewhat redundant.

Consider your situation carefully, if you need an extra push, considering a career in Real Estate, or struggling for information--then this is a must have addition to your library.

This is one great book about what it is like being a real estate agent. It gives you the good and the bad. Read this before deciding on a real estate career.
Gary

The merchandise was received within the promised delivery. It was well packaged so there was no shipping damage what-so-ever.

Great for a seasoned or newbie real estate pro. Addresses our stresses, challenges and opportunities in todays market with some out of the box ideas as well as reminding us to get back to the basics. Really spoke my language as a "real estate geek", I read it in 2 days! Make the time and read it!

Let's face it, we're in a crash and real estate prices in the United States across multiple markets are in a free fall. Gary Keller, in his newest book, SHIFT, accurately depicts this as a cycle.

But in human terms, this cycle is taking an emotional and mental toll on many of our agents and brokers across the country. The knowledge you will gain from this book will help put some reason and sanity back into your thought process.

For instance, you can learn about:

1. When we can get out of this hole, arguing that local markets may swing faster than national averages.

2. How to start being realistic on pricing.

3. How to start understanding market trends in your area; when inventories start shifting from a buyer's market to seller's and vice versa.

4. How to generate leads outside of your comfort zone [example: I have personally seen Europeans come in and start snatching foreclosures -- they are bringing in the euros. Start leveraging your web contacts in other parts of the world.]

5. Research into other real estate instruments such as other foreclosures, tax liens, etc.

Overall, recommended reading for the real estate agent to the real estate investor -- learn as much as you can about your market to give yourself an edge.

Don Sausa
Author of Complete Guide to Real Estate Tax Liens and Foreclosure Deeds: Learn in 7 Days-Investing Without Losing Series

This book just might be the best book ever written about Real Estate. It is current and up to date about what REALLY works in the market today. It might save your career!

I am glad I bought this book. I bought and enjoyed the Millionaire RE Agent and RE Investor.

That being said, I don't think it is a great book and that's why I gave it 3 stars. I think the author is a little too dependent on scripts and formulas to work your way out of a slump. If he would update it a tad to account for the fact that most consumers are extremely averse to script heavy agents, it would have been better.

But I do like the fact that he is inspiring, and stresses the can-do attitude that hey, no one's coming to help, you have got to do it yourself. I appreciate that inspiration. I wish he would have written more on that.

On the other hand, if you are a less tech heavy agent, you will like his very detailed and practical methods. It is not my cup of tea (yet, maybe the shift will change my mind!).