Get-out

I found the little I read of this book predjudice, trashy, and offensive. No dignified female should read this book. It is called a feminist book, but what I have read of it actully disgraces females. Don't waste your time or money on this book!

Cynthia Heimel is known for her angry-grrl rag, dished up with a healthy sense of humor, so I was up for a little good-natured male-bashing when I read this book. I was a little unprepared for the torrent of angry essays I found upon reading past the introduction.

Not an essay passes without Heimel wanting to shoot or stab someone because they don't agree with her or haven't acheived the same level of spiritual enlightenment. Women who want boyfriends? Shoot 'em. Sexist men? Shoot 'em. Women who are getting sex because they aren't feminists? Shoot 'em. Heimel's world is a bloodbath, with her unhumorous hand on the trigger.

I don't have a problem with women who write that men are jerks, since most of us are. But I can't advocate gunning us down because we're insensitive, not even in jest. When you pick up a book by a celebrated humorist, you expect to find some clever observations and maybe a few unpopular ideas. But this was just a barrage of meanness worthy of Sam Kinnison or Andrew Dice Clay.

Cynthia Heimel's Get Your Tongue Out of My Mouth, I'm Kissing You Good-Bye first got my attention in the bookstore because of its title (like most of her books) and the inside material, for the most part, did not disappoint. First of all, this book is funny but it is also, often, bitter in an angry urban way that can remind one of a downtown Dorothy Parker. But, to repeat, it is funny. She does not tackle any surprising issues, instead sticking to family, the battle between the sexes, feminism and L.A. (as only a New Yorker truly can) but she handles them with fresh insights and, once again, humour. A nice collection of pieces.

This book has 365 one-liners which should boost your creativity, but I found most of the tips uninspiring and lacking any depth. Most of the tips are in the area of a)doing something different than usual; b)doing things you should have done a long time ago and c)doing something ludicrous. Without the inspiration (like giving me the reason why I should accomplish a certain task) I can't see myself buying time to do this.

Read this small little book jointly with the author's other book entitled Whack-a-Mole Theory. The latter book, which has more depth, will put all the 365 ideas into a much broader and meaningful application perspective. Although this book contains mostly fun-filled one-liners, stretching over 365 days if you apply one per day, it's filled with excellent and yet practical stuff on paradigm-busting. Remember, adding fun, joy and play into your life - and business - will certainly give you more perspectives when looking at the same problem situation. The 365 ideas in this book will change - and reshape - your paradigms!

Great book to use igniting your imagination from time to time.

Don Betterton does a very good job of trying to take each type of student and setting them up with as many financial aid avenues as possible. However, no two students have the same need and the same financial background. Therefore it is difficult in order to resolve so many problems or opportunities for so many students. His many years at Princeton gives him the authority of saying in no uncertain terms "I have heard it all and here are a few options for YOU to think about". There are many books on this subject and this one does a good job of trying to educate the reader on the most options available.

I still remember Bill Walton's 44 point performance in the NCAA Championship game in 1973, maybe the greatest NCAA final performance ever. Walton followed his collegiate career at UCLA at the end of the 1974 college basketball season with an injury filled NBA career with just three full seasons, his championship year with the Portland Trailblazers in 1977 in his first full pro season (he was hurt most of the 1974-75 season and the 195-76 season)--still Portland's only championship--1985 with the LA Clippers (he missed all of the Clippers' 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons), and an unusual season as Sixth Man of the Year in 1986 as he won a championship with the Boston Celtics.

After more injuries Walton retired and started a new career as a basketball announcer for NBC, and I've been impressed:he's good, he's honest, and he's funny! And he's parlayed the broadcasting into a career as an entertaining writer, too, as his articles are a blend of former New York sportswriter Dick Young and every ultraliberal who ever played a guitar, protested, or smoked marijuana. So I was expecting a lot from NOTHING BUT NET, but as much as I hate to admit it except for the stories about his 3 seasons with the Boston Celtics--particularly a one on one game with Kevin McHale and his thoughts about Larry Bird--Walton leaves out too much of the obvious, like what happened to his wife, the mother of his 4 sons? And what about all the controversies involving drugs, the Draft, and Patty Hearst that he got into at UCLA? And what about the feud between him and John Salley at NBC?

Just like Walton's career, sometimes in NOTHING BUT NET Walton is there, and sometimes he's not.

Chari Krishnan RESEARCHKING

Having been a freshman at Helix High School in La Mesa, California when Bill Walton was a senior there, I had the privilege of seeing all of his home games in person. His playing was phenomenal, of course, and the team that year (1969-70) was exceptional as well. Although I didn't know him personally, we all admired him tremendously. He wasn't "just a jock"; he was also an A student and politically aware as well.

Having these treasured memories, I was more than a little motivated to find out more about Bill Walton the person when I happened upon this book.

After reading it, however, I was taken somewhat aback. While some interesting anecdotes are revealed, it leaves the reader thirsting for more substantive, human detail in many places.

First of all, this book is not a proper biography, so if that's what you're expecting, disabuse yourself. One gets the impression that his co-author plunked down a tape recorder, had Bill reminisce haphazardly, and then just transcribed the result with minor editing. There is no attempt to deal with Bill's life in a clean, logically connected, chronological way which is satisfying to the reader.

Secondly, the book gushes maniacally about basketball from cover to cover, but leaves one wondering about his non-basketball life as a human being. We learn very little about his childhood, and even very little about his time as a basketball player in Helix High School or as a student at UCLA. The absence of references to his personal life (except as they pertain to basketball) is so cold that it borders on the bizarre. (Perhaps this is what led to the "Nothing but Net" title.)

For example, he talks almost obsessively about his coach at UCLA and his influence on his life. But what did Bill major in at UCLA? What kind of life did he have? Sorry, nothing but net.

Another example: he mentions that he is a "single father with four sons", but nary a mention about who the mother(s) is or are or how he came about to have custody of (or adopt?) them or what his relationship is with them. He gives only passing reference to his love life. He mentions his "fiance, Lori Matsuoka" once -- but how did they meet, etc? Most authors writing about their lives would give greater importance to this side of their humanity.

Perhaps not unrelated to this is the total absence of any mention at all of the twin burning issues in basketball of drugs and sex. How did these issues affect his life personally?

Perhaps Bill was trying to maintain his privacy (a contradiction in an autobiographical work as this), but the overall effect is that of a still immature, shallow athlete narcisstically preoccupied with his place in basketball history. I'm sure that's not what Bill intended, and that's why I was disappointed in this book.

Perhaps someday when Bill has the maturity and the comfort to write more openly about his own humanity, and work with an author who can place the events in his life in a more satisfyingly coherent, chronological order, will we have a decent autobiography of this fine human being who has given us so much and who has suffered so much.

I liked this book. I had the pleasure of meeting Bill Walton a few months ago and I subsequently read his book.

What you get in the book is an honest discussion of basketball and life. It is not written so much to "entertain" you with juicy gossip or snide remarks as it is to explain what it is really like. What are the pressures of big time college basketball and the pros? That is the insight that I appreciated.

Bill clearly conveys his experiences, the successes and the failures. As a person of similar age, I found it fun to remember what I saw and thought and compare it to someone who was experiencing it first hand.

Bill Walton is a man of principle and honor. He doesn't necessarily say the popular or the politically correct thing. But, he speaks his mind and he makes a lot of sense.

Read this book with an open mind. If you approach it as a conversation, not a logical, step by step lesson, you will find yourself like I did, listening, reflecting, and thinking. Isn't that what you really want in a book?

I have seen Bill Walton go to great efforts to speak to ordinary people he meets on the street. I have seen him personally provide motivational materials and notes of encouragement to Special Olympics kids that he will never meet. I have seen the real Bill Walton. It is someone that you should meet. Your life will be all the richer for it.

You'd think Benson had never written a book before. THis book is horrible. Don't waste your money

This book had about as much information as a 5 year old on changing your identity. Any fool could figure out the methods the author uses.

It didn't have anything to do with fake ID's

Before Marvel relaunched this book, the Fantastic Four was on the verge of being cancelled for many years. This story can show why. It is full of plots that always contradict each other and the artwork is even worse then what you find in the Sunday newspaper cartoon strips. I think comics as a whole are dying as an artform and this book was just another example of it.

You want to know the reason why the Fantastic Four has not been all that fantastic for the last decade or so, read this book and you will see why. It's so convoluted that ou will not have a single idea what's going on from the first page to the last.

I couldn't agree less with the other guy. The art and writing in "Nobody Gets Out Alive" were great. 'Nuff said.

The title of the book states "101+ Ways To Get Out of A Traffic Tickets..a collection of excuses used successfully"

This title fools you into assuming that the excuses actually work. Well, do not be fooled. The book is a "joke" book. The excuses are actually funny things you can say to a cop...to make him even more pissed at you that he/she already is.

The back cover of the book does reveal that this is a humor book. It states "Do you need a good laugh? Then you need this book"

So, I repeat, it's really not a book about strategies you can use to have the cop excuse you from a ticket. It's just a funny book of things people have said to cops or could say to cops.

Here are some excuses taught in the book for when you are caught speeding:

Excuse #141:
"Please don't give me a ticket, sir. "I've never had one and I would just die if you give me one now."

Excuse #143:
"I was trying to catch up to that car in front of me. The driver was nude"

Excuse #128:
"Officer, it just seem like I was going fast because you were standing still"

So, does this give you an idea of what this book is about? ;-) NOT RECOMMENDED UNLESS YOU ARE UP FOR A GOOD LAUGH.

-Alina Uzilov / 2003

I did not think this book touched on the topics I was interested in. I was looking for a book that focused on planning and executing a "Sales Meeting"; more of a meeting planner book. The book is valuable for a Sales Person, it covers different ways of handling sales calls, more than Sales Meetings.

I got this book as a present and I hate it. Its so boring and they can't write and its ugly. DON'T BUY IT!!!!!

I read this book last night and was really disappointed. The author says in the beginning of the book that this book is not about her life as a medium, but it IS all about her. If you'd like to know what her sun sign is and where her planets are, what she was told during her own tarot, astrology, rune and medium readings, and how much she thinks of herself as a "trained" medium, then buy this book. She tells the reader not to call a medium for psychic readings or if you have questions. Well, to those of you interested, ALL mediums are psychic, and can answer questions from the "readee". She says not to tell the reader anything about yourself or the spirits you want to hear from. I agree with that. When pertinent information is given to the psychic/medium, it makes it harder for the medium to give the information without thinking it is her own imagination. (Although this is not exactly what the author says) Once you have the evidence from the spirit that the medium is truly communicating with them, it is ok to ask some questions. The author does not agree. I feel she takes away from other psychic/mediums by saying do not call a medium if you have questions. Mediums are psychics, but not all psychics are mediums. Basically, here is what the book says in a nutshell if you take out all the stuff about herself: Carole Lynne says: do not call a medium for anything other than communicating with spirit. Do not give the medium any information other than your name and phone number. Do not come to the reading close minded if other spirits come through other than the one you want to hear from. Be prepared to pay different prices for a reading. If you want to know about your love life, career, etc. get a tarot, astrology or rune reading......OR.... call a psychic! (Hmmmm, mediums ARE psychic!) Go to a reading with a good attitude. Basically it's all common sense. My opinion is if you call a psychic medium for a reading and do not really want to communicate with spirit, but prefer a reading about yourself, tell the psychic medium this so she knows what to focus on, but don't limit yourself by not calling a medium at all. One thing she did not mention in her book that I feel is VERY important is, if you call a person who calls themselves a psychic and/or medium, and they try to get you to send them more money to remove a curse, or claim to be able to bring back a lover or control anyone in any way, RUN as fast as you can! These people are only trying to take your money, not help you! If you have questions about what a reading is like and would like to know the beliefs and practices of a medium, by all means call her and talk to her. No one should charge you for interviewing the medium before hiring them for a reading. Then, after talking with the medium, go with your gut feeling. Good luck to you all who are looking for a medium. There are plenty of good ones out there who want to help you. Remember though, a reading will not cure grief, but it will help by letting you know the passed loved one is alive and part of your life; just without a physical body, which in turn will help you deal with your loss a little better.