Guidance

I'm always hesitant to recommend a book to others; each of us is subjective, and what may be great for me, might be not-so-great for you. But this book is an exception --- in many ways. It is, at the same time, pertinent, impertinent, readable, funny, _very_ applicable, and altogether a walloping tribute to a guy who really seems to understand what "working alone" is all about. Very, very highly recommended...

I too work alone. I've not been able to find another book on the subject that is as precise and accurate (as well as readable)as is this one. Every one of the sixty-plus little chapters has been an eye-opening guide for me. Good piece of work.

I admit that (1) I don't work alone; (2) I've never worked alone; and (3) I never thought that I ever would want to work alone. I'm a born "groupie" who has always been most comfortable immersed in a "team effort, melding my work with the works of others. Unfortunately, I was given this book by a friend who thought I deserved a "better life," and unfortunately a read it. Twice. I keep saying "unfortunately," because I have now been turned around,having been harshly bitten by the workalone bug. I want to go out and see what I can do on my own. I'm going to do it, and it's all the fault of this book. I'll let you know what happens...

Success 2000 is a basic tool in my coaching toolbox. It is the starting point for all of my clients, whether they are seeking a change of employment, feeling unsure of their future, or looking for fulfillment in life. I have suggested for family, friends and those inquiring about coaching to read this book as a way of beginning to examine what is important in their lives. Are most people innately able to look at themselves and figure out what to do next? I know I was not able to do so, despite having advanced professional training in an allied medical field. I did not know where to start to make the changes I felt somehow were necessary for me to find fulfillment. Vicki Spina presents a user friendly format to assist the reader in self-assessment, and to start the process of reflection which precedes change. I appreciate the straight-forward philosophy and techniques which gently move the reader forward on the search for meaning. This is a book worth reading and rereading. It is a great resource for learning to move from A to Z in finding what one wants in life.

Thank you Vicki Spina for this awesome book. Success 2000 and the wisdom and exercises within have changed my life. Not to mention the author herself! The overall tone of the book is down-to-earth and accessible, at the same time as it fully honors spirituality. It's a bit like having a personal trainer for the soul on your bookshelf! Easy to understand, yet importantly stretching comfort zones. Have fun with this book.

This is a great tool to use continuously to help focus one's thoughts and actions on setting goals and staying on track to realize them. Keep it handy, it will help you every day of the year with it's timeless and practical applications.

This book has changed my way of thinking. Gary Keller and Dave Jenks do a remarkable job of mapping out the path to netting over a million dollars. I am currently reading this book for the second time and I plan on reading it ten more times. Our team has made some serious changes after reading this book and we are seeing the benefits and how easy it can be accomplished. Remember we are all in the Lead Generating Business. I wish you all the success after you follow the MILLIONAIRE REAL ESTATE AGENT Book.

Tremendous!!!,
Gary Keller, Dave Jenks and Jay PApasan have really laid this business of real estate sales out for the Real Estate agent that views their practice as a business. Agents that read this book-- get ready to get control of your business. He talks about mastery in the areas of lead generation, Profitablity, accountabliity, tracking, Recruiting help, grooming lead help and growing a Mega Agent practice within your current work environment. I've already experienced unbelievable results by using the principles taught in this book. I have made adjustments in my practice that are already producing significant results and profit after just a few short months. I'm on my second reading of this book and I am discovering things I missed the first time around. I think this book may revolutionize the real estate business form the agent's prospective. This is a must read for anyone that wants to take their business to its full potential!! Buy this book!!!
Tom

Anyone building a real estate business would do themselves a great favor by picking up this book. I've used the models in the Millionaire Agent as a framework to coach my real estate clients to their next levels of success. In fact, my other business clients have also gained great benefits by applying the model of using solid models, as well. The authors boil down the real estate game into something simple and tangible, the 3 L's -- Leads, Listings, and Leverage. Many agents understand the leads and listings part of the equation. My clients tend to struggle with the 3rd part, leverage. Instead of building leverage, they find themselves battling with the 4th L -- Liability.

Ideally, leverage results when you have a clear system and good tools for getting the work done. Liability and struggle occurs when you don't. Leverage occurs when you find the right people to plug into your team. Liability occurs when your people cause you more work and headaches than they save you. The people problem generally rears its ugly head when you aren't clear about your standards for operating and how you'd like a team member to fit into your system. This often occurs when you hire from a position of "needing a warm body" or trying to help someone out by providing a job. Instead, it's necessary to take the time to research successful real estate models, implement a solid work system, and search for the right person(s) to plug into it. The result is a great big opportunity for you and your ideal employees.

Regardless of where you find yourself in the real estate industry, chances are you will see yourself in this book and discover a few great millionaire models to emulate.

Develop a compensation package as suggested by the author before you start the search process. Stick to your guns, if using an agency, make them understand they are not doing YOU a favor. Don't get hooked into an agency by paying an application fee. The consumer information in this book is great! The abcnanny website is very helpful, the one shortcoming is the limited directory of nanny training schools. That however is not the fault of the webdesigner and author. The forms in the book give you a lot of information about the many aspects of the search and it is important you develop a packet of documents to use during each process. We found the interview techniques and questions very helpful. The author even has developed a language of her own, I like the term "child care trio" , and having a had a nanny snatched away from us, "Nanny Napper" is a very appropriate term! This book is great, don't be concerned about the page count, every time you run off the forms from the included CD, the page count increases. You can also download the forms you need immediately from the website.

A new novel about nannies says all the wrong things about nannies and the families they work for. This hiring handbook will help you make the right choice. Check your nanny's background and use the needs assessment questionaire. Working as a nanny is a full time commitment and you need to make sure the nanny working for you isn't more committed to her education and social life than she is to your children The online appendix abcnanny allows you to down load all the forms you need. Downloads are a way of life today, but this site links to the forms you need as well as the irs site.The direct links save you a lot of search time, every form you need is designated in the book. The forms in the book and on the CD proivde a lot of information about the hiring process.

We bought this book four years ago and are pleased that it is still a top match on amazon.com. The forms disk is really a big help to parents and we have seen this book mentioned in major magazines. Also this nanny book is on the NOAA employees reading list and that is a good recommendation. We just bougt the author's second book, The ABC's of Credit and it is a great little book also. The fact that there are several nanny related businesses that link from this listing speaks well for the author. I noticed visiting agency webpages that many agencies now require the TB test before accepting an applicant for placement. This was unheard of until Hernan pushed hard on the issue.

I find this book very useful. I don't live, nor plan to go to L.A.. I live in Miami and work for the spanish speaking market, and the information Judy provides in this book, is unbelievable. What I did was to apply the tips and information she gives, to my city. I had to do a little research for my area, but who cares if the spirit of the book is what counts.

I can't believe that someone took the time to do all the research Judy Kerr did, talk to all those people, compiled all those materials. After you read the book you will see that she didn't do this for the money, but for love of the art. If she does everything like this book, I supose she must be a profesional in the whole sense.

I recommend this book for the working actors and the serious aspiring actors. If you are not serious I advice you not to read this book, because after you finish it, you won't have an excuse to don't finding a job in acting .

Thank you Judy for this Book

Wow! This book was so good and it was packed with so much information. I loved it. It tells you everything you'll need to know about acting. It starts off answering the questions of what is acting and can acting be taught followed by many quotes from famous actors. It discusses all the different types of acting teachers, like cold reading and audition technique teachers, private coaches, voice teachers, etc. It also goes into talking about photographers and agents. It goes over resumes and pictures and has samples of resumes and pictures. What I was most pleased with was the fact that she named several impressive and skillful acting coaches and photographers,etc. Plus, if you don't already live in California it has a section on how and when to move to California. She was very honest and positive which I greatly appreciated. She had so much information packed in this one book. It's definitely worth it's money. I can't even begin to tell you how excellent this book truly is. If you don't already have it, I highly recommend that you buy it as soon as possible.

This book is absolutely amazing. It covers everything! It is packed full of insightful advice and great, reliable resources. I have read many acting books and Acting is Everything is definitely at the top of my list. This is not a book that you read once and put away on a shelf to gather dust. It is a resourceful book that you will refer to over and over again. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about pursuing a career in acting, no matter where you live. Enjoy!

Finally, here's a book that gives us the tools and wisdom for navigating a career in human resounces. While there are hundreds of management and organization development books or books that describe one aspect of the human resource function, this is the first book I've seen that offers itself as a trusted friend that will help you not only do your job better but also take your career to the top. Coming from Libby Sartain, it's not just theory. She's been there herself every step of the way. Warning. If you're used to the typically formal business book personality, HR From the Heart will come as a shock. Sartain's person-to-person style breaks the mold. Read this book and you'll want to invite her to your house for dinner. In fact, you'll feel as though you already have!

If you're employed in the human resources field, you'll get a lot out of this book. You'll enjoy a conversation about a wide range of relevant topics with someone who's become a sort of legend in the human resources (HR) field. If you're not in HR, thinking about going into HR, or related to someone in HR, this book will have less value for you.

That said, we must appreciate that a book written in one specialty field may also have value for professionals in another field. While many of the stories and perspectives won't be germane for marketing people, financial folks, or sales professionals, there are some cross-functional lessons to be learned. Although the book is obviously intended for an HR audience, it will have value for people in other professions in the corporate world.

Over the course of 44 chapters, Sartain, who gained fame as Vice President of People for Southwest Airlines, shares her experiences-and some advice-with readers. She shows how valuable HR can be to an organization and how meaningful a career HR can be. This volume will be powerfully reinforcing for people in the field, describing some of the ups and downs and lessons of the author's experience. Anyone contemplating entering the field-or debating about staying in HR-should read these pages.

Readers will gain a better understanding of what Sartain did to build her career, as well as where things didn't go so well. This is not a touchy-feely gushy book as the title might imply, but a realistic report that confronts a wide range of issues in the profession head-on. The chapters are full of advice, some presented directly and some inferred by the lessons learned by the author.

HR from the Heart is the kind of book that will be read thoughtfully by a senior or mid-level professional in the HR field, then passed around to colleagues. Thought-provoking, its reading will stimulate conversations that will raise sensitivities, intensify reality, offer balance, and probably hold some people in the profession that have given some thought to leaving. HR is a field in transition, in search of its rightful place in the corporate design. The contents of Sartain's book, assembled with the able assistance of the insightful professional writer, Martha Finney, comfortably address issues in a way that will aid in the growth of respect for HR and its influence on the corporate world.

Libby and Martha have written an excellent book reflecting the learnings of many years of HR Experience. For those with lots of experience and a caring heart, you will reflect on your HR career and say "hey, that's what I've learned in 20 years." There are good ideas on how to be a strategic and caring leader that will help you be more successful.

For those newer to HR, the book will provide insights that may prevent you from making the same mistakes that us older folks have made. There are also insights on managing your HR career.

I would also recommend the book to CEO and other high-level Execs that 1) want more from their HR department or 2) don't know what they want or what HR can be.

The book is well written and inspirational. Thanks to the authors.

This book served no purpose other than it's nice contact indices in the back (for which I gave the 1 star). Other than that, it was a waste of money. I wish I had bought it at Borders so that I could have skimmed through it first. Then I could have also just ripped out the index list and taken it home. Shhh! Don't tell anyone.

Breaking Into Film by Kenna McHugh Reviewed by Alan Dorfman

Have you ever spent $7.50 on a movie? Have you ever considered a career in film? Well, for the cost of only two movie admissions, independent film producer, writer and public relations professional Kenna McHugh has provided you with your ticket to that career. In her own words, "It is a step by step manual on how to get work in film." Be forewarned, however, it is about getting work behind the cameras. This is not a book meant for inspiring actors, screenwriters or directors.

Actually, McHugh has provided a realistic blueprint for a career in any field. The information she offers about networking, letter writing and interviewing is the same you'd receive from any certified career counselor, but, at $14.95, for a lot less money.

Admittedly, a lot of the information here should be obvious. To get your foot in the door, offer to work for free or try to get an internship. If you get that foot in that door, show up on time (preferably early), have a great, positive attitude, work hard and never lie. A much repeated mantra is "Act like a pro before you are one."

The real value of this book comes from its sample letters, its checklists and the many lists of contacts for networking, including production companies, film studios, industry publications and professional organizations. These are found throughout the book and in three appendixes.

Having worked extensively with a career counselor, most of the information here was not new to me. This made for a less interesting read. My guess is that the average reader will find much of this information a revelation and be thoroughly fascinated.

This book should be required reading for all first year film students. I wish I'd read it six months and several thousand dollars ago.

Reviewed by Melissa Katherine Lankhaar

Like many, if not all, of the film students that surround me, I hope to one day break into the film industry. We've all had those visions, those dreams where our first spec script is recognized for its inherent brilliance and sold for six figures. Surprisingly, beyond that many film students have little idea how they're really going to break into the industry; we've heard how difficult it's supposed to be, but don't want to think about it until we have to.

Thankfully, Kenna McHugh explores this somewhat intimidating terrain in her informative book, Breaking into Film. McHugh recognizes how unfamilar the film industry and its innerworkings are to so many, and how few of us really understand what truly goes on behind the camera. Sure, we all know that a film needs a writer, a director, and a producer behind the camera, but how many of us know exactly what it is a gaffer or a unit publicist does? McHugh begins her book with an introduction of sorts to the industry, providing the reader with a working knowledge of what goes on behind the camera, and detailing the myraid of possible jobs available to an eager, motivated individual. With the groundwork thoroughly laid, McHugh moves on to the all important issues of networking, interviewing, and breaking into the industry. By the time the book is completed, the author has given us a richly detailed portrait of the tools necessary to get a foot in the door, and the additional knowledge and information to advance that position.

Breaking into Film is a book aimed at an audience that knows next to nothing about the industry. Thus, while the book is highly informative and useful, the writing style employed by McHugh is at times grating. The eternal optimism and eagerness of McHugh's tone undercuts the importance of the knowledge being imparted, rendering it slightly less reliable. The book is also honest, which may turn many off. While many sources will tell you that you must be highly motivated and aggressive to work in the industry, Breaking into Film goes a step further and details just how much energy and determination you need, at every step of the game. Those readers looking for an easy way to break into film will be frustrated to find there is no such thing; succeeding means knowing the rules, networking, interviewing, and having luck on your side. McHugh obviously knows what she's talking about, and if you're willing to spend the time reading what she has to say, there is no doubt you will learn something.

In addition, McHugh includes three appendixes at the conclusion of the book, all of which are helpful and vastly important to those just starting out in their struggle. McHugh gives the reader a list of "Key Employers and Film Commission Offices" (complete with with phone number, fax number, and address), a list of colleges that offer film majors, and a list of potential internship opportunities. These lists alone make Breaking into Film worth your while. For those who want to get started in the film industry, but have no idea how, Kenna McHugh's book is a useful, informative tool that can get you on your way.

As a freelancer who has been writing for publication almost all of my adult life, I admit that my bookshelves are crammed with books about the business of writing. Some of these books are excellent resources, and I return to them again and again in order to learn and relearn the "ins and outs" of the literary marketplace. Others, that I bought in moments of impulse because their titles or coverlines promised fame and fortune to all who opened their pages, proved, upon further perusal, to be downright disappointing. Often they were very lofty in tone and "talked down" to experienced writers and beginners alike; usually they presented very little new information, and instead rehashed trite old "saws" in a horribly boring, pedantic way. But there is absolutely no book on writing that I have ever encountered that presents such a wealth of material in such a fresh, entertaining manner, as THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED by Sheree Bykofsky and Jennifer Basye Sander.

Now how often does a writer come across a manual about writing for publication that's a real "page-turner," one that she simply can't put down, even at 3 a.m. when she's dead-tired and has a business function to attend early the next day? I picked up this remarkable book at a bookstore one day last week, and ended up staying awake most of the night reading it---something I've never done before with a book of this nature. Bykofsky (an agent) and Sander (an author and former editor) obviously know their stuff, inside and out. They offer a virtual encyclopedia of practical information from their combined thirty years of publishing experience, but the style of the book is anything but that of a dry academic tome. The authors include many fascinating personal anecdotes and zillions of sidebars (serving up detailed advice, liberally laced with humor), which make this book a very interesting and enjoyable "read."

Among the many topics covered in great detail (besides the usual ones like query letters, contracts, and ways to avoid the infamous slush piles) are publicity and marketing ideas, ways of extending the shelf life of a book, and even a blow-by-blow description of a harried book editor's typical day.

For the aspiring writer, reading this book should prove as invaluable as taking a University-level marketing course, or attending a top-notch writers' conference. Yet enough solid information is presented to satisfy the most seasoned professional.

I wish so much that a book of this caliber had been around more than twenty years ago, when I was a fledgling writer. If I had only had a chance to read something like it back then, maybe I wouldn't have made so many mistakes when I tried (by countless trial-and-error methods) to market my work. I wholeheartedly recommend---no, I URGE!---every writer, whether novice or experienced pro, to run out and buy (or order from amazon.com) THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED. I consider my own purchase of the book a solid investment in my writing career.

This book helped me transform a factual but understated book proposal into an engaging and enticing document, making me wish I were the agent or publisher receiving it.

The book is easy reading. It entertains as it informs - providing a quick overview of the publishing business, why and how to appear businesslike, what steps to take towards getting your book published (assuming that it is print-worthy), tips you can use, and blunders to avoid. Furthermore, it shows, with examples and quotes from credible individuals, simple and effective ways to get the job done - from writing the query letter to publicity for the book, after it is published - so people will know about your book and will buy it. Is'nt that why you wrote your book? Well, The Idiot's Guide to Getting Published, can help you transform your work from that of a writer to a book by a published author.

I have no hesitation in stating that this book has made a significant contribution to my journey to become a published author in the business sense of the word. Although I am a professor, with more than one hundred technical papers to my credit, this book taught me much that I did not know about book publishing - and showed me how I can succeed at it.

Finally, I teach management, ethics and economics. So, I did the math for the investment in the book. If you believe, as I do, that this book can help you get published in the first place, and then you assume that the advice will earn you fifty cents more per book (than the $1.50 you'd get without it), and you sell an additional 20,000 books (more than the 100,000 books you'd sell without it), you'd earn an additional $80,000 because of this book - you do the math! Even with different assumptions, it is impossible to deny the benefit of a $16 investment in a helpful book such as this.

So, if you want to learn about publishing, and improve your chances of getting published, think smart and buy this 'Idiot's Guide.'

I did and, most of the time I believe, I'm no idiot.

Since I received this book two days ago, I have been mesmerized by each page. "Talk about a page turner!" I am getting very close to reaching the first draft of an approximately 75,000 word manuscript and, like many others, never thought about the mechanics of actually hooking up with a good agent, getting through the many revisions and myriad editors before the book hits the presses. There is certainly more to it than that, but the jist is that this is a wonderful and informative book.

For parents wanting a story that describes in great detail a successful out of autism journey - this book is definately for you. I would sincerely recommend this book for all families entering their journey thru autism. Autism does not need to be the end result for your child - this book will help you begin navigating thru the myriad of options from someone who has succeeded. Pick up this great book. Share it with your doctor and family.

This book should be on the shelves of all professionals dealing with the diagnosis of autism in children, so that they can hand it over to the parents who have just received the news.
Lynn Hamilton, the mother of an autistic child herself, deals first of all with the difficult time parents experience as they come to terms with their child's condition. But she then goes on to do what many so-called experts in the field do not do - she tells us what we CAN do, rather than leaving it there. This book covers the essential topics of diet, supplementation and biomedical treatments such as anti-fungal therapy and secretin, which made a big difference to her son's condition.
There are comprehensive lists of helpful websites. She gives details of various resources for Occupational and other therapies.
She also gives an overview of the main educational approaches, in particular describing more fully how a home-based ABA programme has greatly helped her son, who is now in mainstream school. While she, herself, is based in the USA, this information, and contact addresses for training courses and support groups, is given for other countries too.
However, although this is indeed an 'essential guide' and handbook containing all the information you need as you start to investigate how to help your autistic child, it is also much more. In a very down-to-earth, honest and readable manner, Lynn Hamilton shares her own experiences...........her hopes, fears, pain and ultimately her joy in her son's triumph over many of his former difficulties.
I read this book about 15 months after my own son's diagnosis, by which time I had accumulated a great deal of knowledge, and collected piles of printouts from the Internet! However, in this one volume, there was still much for me to learn, as well as a welcome encouragement to continue to have a great deal of hope for my child.
Lynn's faith shines out from this book, and it has certainly helped to lighten my own path through this maze that is Autism.

Lynn Hamilton's "Facing Autism: Giving Parents Reasons for Hope and Guidance for Help" has an amazing wealth of information on so many topics of interest. Lynn has researched and skillfully organized information on many different treatments and therapies. She describes in detail her experiences with Applied Behavior Analysis, provides information on cutting-edge biomedical treatments, and discusses dietary intervention. You will find explanations of sensory and auditory therapies, plus much more. A must-read guidebook for parents of autistic children. This is one book that I would not advise you check out from a library. I think you should have your very own copy. You will find that you want to underline information, mark pages, and have the book on hand for future reference. Lynn points you to helpful Internet sites, provides addresses for further information on many topics, gives practical tips on keeping records, tax deductions and funding sources. She lists ten things every parent can do right now to help their child. You will find pages and pages of solid, no-nonsense information for parents, especially those new to autism, and to help you find the resources you need.

I am so glad I found this book.
It does't just give overwhelming information that makes you feel like having a professional acting career is impossible.
It empowers you.

It teaches you how to create your own projects.
Acting like any profession is a step process. I've just been to four years of acting school and taken numorous seminars, and no one before this book showed me how to get out of that catch 22 cycle.

If you want to get work, you needed to have worked. This book illustrates how to make your own work, how to network, and how and where to have a little fun in the process.

I just graduated from NYU and I feel reinspired that I can actually have a career and a little fun while I'm at it. It gives me excercises on self preservation, as well as, hot spots to go at night. It even gives practical advice on how to save on car insurance. My mom gave it to me for christmas and I highly recommend it, if your in LA or your thinking of going to LA. If you want to stay sane happy and sucessful, read this book and carry it with you. It will be your bible.I cant say enough

Dion Gold

I have read absolutely every acting book out there, and there is nothing like this. Not only does it give you great acting advice but it is funny, informative and really guides you.It's like having a personal coach and mentor with you 24/7. It literally walks you through your first year in LA, day by day. There is no other book that breaks the business down in such an easy to follow steps- by-step way.

What was also great about it,is that is was written by a therapist,so it gives you excercises to keep your spirits up when things get a little tuff. it's the Artist's Way for actors in LA.

Dont step off the plane without these two books in hand, if you really want to create a full life as an artist or an actor.I can't say enough.

Tom julia
NY

After struggling for many years as an actress, a fellow 12 stepper handed me a copy of this book. Reading many books on recovery and acting, I did not really give it much thought and let it sit on my shelf collecting dust for several weeks. Finally in a moment of despair I picked it up and began following the steps. Within a few short months it began transforming my career and my attitude.

The stories made me laugh, the steps were logical, but most importanatly it was inspirational. I can't tell you this book is going to give you a career, but it is definately a step in the right direction. This is a book for anyone with an open heart and an open mind looking to better their lot in life.

More than answers, it gives you the questions you need to ask yourself. It will help you to clear the baggage in your life, if you often feel stuck, unproductive and why not me.