Book Description
The biggest paradox in golf is that the harder you try to "hit" the ball, the worse you do so. In The Keys to the Effortless Golf Swing, Michael McTeigue offers you a simple system of sequential body movements that produces a true swinging motion with every club in the bag. The result is increased distance and greater accuracy for all sizes, shapes, and ages of golfers for a minimum investment in learning time.
The clarity and simplicity of McTeigue's frell-free approach to the golf swing leads the reader to a new experience of power and effortlessness. He truly shows how to "build a swing you can trust and keep for life."
If you love golf but have never played to your potential, here is a book that you will quickly come to treasure.
Customer Reviews:
Simplicity.......2007-06-11
I have probably read 50 different books on golf instruction. This one is not only the best, but a remarkably easy one to follow and implement. It has done wonders for my golf swing in a very short period of time. If you are religious in following its simple steps to learning (in most cases without a golf club in your hands), you will be amazed at your improvement.
The Ultimate Golf Swing Tip Eluded Me - Until Now.......2007-06-09
The very first time I played golf I got a hole-in-one.
It's been downhill ever since.
I was 15 years old and 35 years later I was still struggling to break 80. I'd hit the ball OK some days, but usually I always put too much pressure on my short game to score. I read all the books, took all the lessons and beat balls on the range until my hands bled. Mechanically everything always looked copasetic, but yet I was never consistent in ball striking. Thin, fat, toe, hook, push, etc.
I knew it was important to be in a relaxed and "athletic position" at address. My inherent problem was with excess tension THROUGHOUT the swing. I mistook power for the "coiling of the spring", (bad metaphor!). At the top of my backswing my arms, shoulders and torso were tied in one big connected KNOT. Like most men I thought muscle strength was the key to distance and I would try to over power everything without knowing it. Think Vijay Singh, Fred Couples, Ernie Els. Swing easy, hit hard.
So I took to the range after reading this book with yet another tip to experiment on like I've been doing on and off almost all my life; low and behold, once I relaxed my arms and shoulders throughout the swing and hit the ball in a much more free flowing fashion, I swear to God I felt like the incarnation of Ben Hogan. Solid, straight shots like never before. Feeling the ball compress against the face of the club each time was sublime. Working it right and left at will.
I'm now regularly shooting in the seventies from the pro tees and focusing more on the short game to start beating old man par. I may even start competing in some amateur events next year. The key is ZERO TENSION in all muscles throught the swing. Tension destroys the golf swing. Let the club swing itself. As Sam Snead said, "Feel oily".
The reason a good teaching pro could never help me is because they could not "feel" what I was feeling at the top of my swing. Thanks Michael McT. You saved a once putrid golfers soul. This book is a "diamond in the rough", no pun intended!
Old golfer says:.......2007-04-15
I've been trying to learn to play golf for some years now and found some very good help in various places. Swinging too hard and just trying to hit the ball have been my constant downfall. Tis book is finally helping me to understand and execute a smoother more fluid golf swing. FHurray.
Not only that: this book has helped me understand a number of concepts that I have been constantly encouraged to do and never understood.
I wish that I had found it years ago.
Gary
All About Golf.......2007-04-10
Learn why all those hours spent on the green aren't making your game any better. This book will also help you develop the perfect golf swing.
If you love golf and want to play better, do yourself a favor and work with the ideas in this book.......2007-03-10
I am 46 and have been playing golf since I was in my late teens. There is no question in my mind that the better you can play this game the more enjoyable it is. Those players who say it doesn't matter are simply not being honest with themselves. Sure I love being on the course especially with good company, but what is supposed to be a pleasurable hobby can be far from it when you are playing poorly. Lets face it; all of us have been there, and all of us want to improve. Unfortunately golf is not like many things we do in that practice doesn't neccessarily make perfect. If what we are working on (based on information we are given) is even slightly flawed, improvement is not likely to occurr despite our best efforts. Since golf is one area where there's no shortage of instructional material, our success will largely be determined by the effort we put in and information we use. Fortunately the author of this book, Michael McTeigue, has presented in his words "everything you need to know." I could not agree with him more. As a dedicated student of the game who wanted to improve, I went from book to book and theory to theory until I came across this little book. The book gave me a systematic method by which I have enjoyed considerable improvement in only a few months. If you're tired of hours of unproductive practice, I highly recommend you work with the ideas in this book.
Average customer rating:
- I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
- Ellen Hopkins Does it Again!
- Okay...
- This book touched me
- Hmmm...
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Impulse
Ellen Hopkins
Manufacturer: Margaret K. McElderry
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Fiction | Parents | Family Life | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Fiction | Friendship | Social Situations | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Illness | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Fiction | Suicide | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books
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Burned
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ASIN: 1416903569 |
Book Description
Sometimes you don't wake up. But if you happen to, you know things will never be the same.
Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act -- suicide.
Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the blade.
Tony, after suffering a painful childhood, can only find peace through pills.
And Conner, outwardly, has the perfect life. But dig a little deeper and find a boy who is in constant battle with his parents, his life, himself.
In one instant each of these young people decided enough was enough. They grabbed the blade, the bottle, the gun -- and tried to end it all. Now they have a second chance, and just maybe, with each other's help, they can find their way to a better life -- but only if they're strong and can fight the demons that brought them here in the first place.
Customer Reviews:
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!.......2007-10-06
wow, this is probably my favorite book from Ellen Hopkins. the story follows these three teens who all have one thing in common, they tried to commit suicide. and you follow them through their process of i guess "fixing" themselves so they don't try it again. and these three different people all become so close to each other and help each other in their recuperation. you see what factors help them, and what hurts them and makes things worse. i almost cried when i got to the end. Ellen Hopkins writes in a way that evokes so much emotion in so few words, its amazing.
Ellen Hopkins Does it Again!.......2007-08-23
OK, I admit I pretended to buy this for me niece but it was really for me (I am a grown up, which may immediately make me not cool to the teens reading this review. But that doesn't mean what I'm saying is invalid!). I sooooo loved the author's other book Crank that I couldn't wait to read this one. I got so into it I not only couldn't stop reading it but actually found myself praying for the main characters at church (chalk up another on the "uncool" scale, eh?).
It also took me a while to realize that each character had their own specific writing style; forgive my ignorance of poetry but Conner's writings were all neat and trim in four line stanzas, Vanessa's was free flowing, and Tony's tended to wander around the page more like a concrete poem. It totally matched their personalities. I hope I am not doing the book a disservice but describing it that way but when you read it you'll see what I mean after a few chapters, it's really amazing that the author can get into the heads of such different characters so well. It got to the point I could remember who was speaking just based on how the lines were arranged. I also liked how the characters grew, or didn't grow, and I COMPLETELY disagree with the person that said the end was predictable, no it certainly wasn't. It was a possibility, sure, but not a foregone conclusion.
A fantastic read. Of course nothing will ever beat CRANK in my mind but this book is very close in it's mastery (if that is even a word). Ellen Hopkins is an amazing author, and I will read anything else she writes.
Okay..........2007-08-06
I liked everyone's personal stories, but together they were boring. I really was expecting something shocking to happen. It was good, but kind of a letdown.
This book touched me.......2007-08-02
Since I have been in a mental hospital before, this book touched me incredibly. I love how Hopkins split the book by writing it in 3 different characters' point of views... it made it quite unique... I related to each of the characters in different ways; Vanessa the most. I pre-ordered this book before it came out but just got around to reading it this week.. I finished it in about 3 days, I simply could not put it down! The ending made me cry... but I will not spoil the book for anyone who hasn't read it yet. This book is a must read, especially if you have a history of mental illness. Even if you don't, this book is just plain incredible. I would probably read it again! Crank is another good one by Ellen Hopkins, I can't wait for Glass to come out.. I will probably be pre-ordering that later this week.
Hmmm..........2007-07-24
I wasn't very impressed by this novel, considering the expectations I had from Crank. Honestly, it's not the worst book I've ever read - but it's not the best, either. It didn't flow as Crank did, and it wasn't quite as poetic, except for from Vanessa's viewpoint. Perhaps this is because she's a female, and the author may have wanted to put her in a more beautiful perspective.
I would recommend this book for those familiar with the author already, but not as a first read for those just getting into her work.
Book Description
This volume presents an overview of the arts in the Western tradition; within the contexts of the philosophy, religion, aesthetic theory, economics, and politics surrounding them. It is an historical introduction to the humanities yielding a basic familiarity with major styles and their implications, as well as a sense of the historical development of individual arts media.
Chapters present and discuss a formal analysis of works of art in the following periods: the Ancient World, the Aegean and Archaic Greece, Greek Classicism and Hellenism, the Roman Period, Judaism and Early Christianity, Byzantium and Islam, the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, Early Renaissance, High Renaissance, the High, Renaissance and Reformation, the Baroque Age, the Enlightenment, the Romantic Age, Realism, Impressionism, Modernism, and Postmodernism.
For art history enthusiasts and those interested in a familiarity with major styles and their implications, as well as a sense of the historical development.
Customer Reviews:
very good book.......2006-12-24
a very good introduction and simply introduced art from different eras ,what i like about this book its very well organized
Customer Reviews:
Oldies still classics.......2006-05-09
When reading Nora's first books compared to her newest, there is a tremendous difference that some readers my not like. The old stories are shorter, purely romance-driven, often single-point-of-views by young, sheltered virgins--not much like the savvy, worldly, women of the newer books, whose plots are tense, full of twists and turns, unexpected villians and surprising developments.
But if you take Nora's early work in the proper context--that of the mid- to late-eighties romance genre, you see something else--the pure, focused talent of a woman who would become a driving force in the industry--not just in romance novels, but in woman's fiction, suspense, and futuristic novels.
Read the Nora books being reissued--and then read two or three other romance novels published in the same year as Nora's book. See the difference? Non-romance readers may not see it, as the differences are a bit subtle, but they are there. Nora and a handful of other female writers from the same period--many of whom, like Jayne Ann Krentz and contemporaries, still write and recieve almost the same fame as Nora--redefined the romance industry and novel, taking the guidelines established by publishers and male editors about romance and working around, under, or right over top of those rules.
Eventually, they were able to through those guidelines in the trash where they belonged, paving the way for the diverse romance industry we know today. Nora and those like her refused to be ashamed of writing romance, using their own names instead of pen names-virtually a requirement at the time. They made their heroines strong and clever and not to be manipulated by their older, worldlier male suitors. They gave those same males a voice, becoming the first writers to present fully-formed, human male protaganists whose point-of-view came across--hard to imagine your favorite romance written from only the ladies' point-of-view, isn't it? Men, even written ones, cannot be understood unless you can read minds, as we do now in stories told from multiple perspectives. These were the writers that began blending romance and suspense, adding fantasy and the supernatural to their stories. Some took their characters to other worlds (Jayne Ann Krentz as Jayne Castle); some to the future (Nora as JD Robb) and some into the past in a way only Austen and the Brontes every came close to managing (Stephanie Laurens, Mary Jo Putney).
Those of you who love romance, do not read these reissues books as relics, or scorn them as weak predecesors of the suspenseful romance we all love--read them with thanks and appreciation for their place in the development of the female-driven industry that we may not realize we should be grateful for. Enjoy them, look for Nora's phenomenal talent developing as she and her stories test their wings. Love these well-written early stories for what they are--the first lines in a lifelong achievement of storytelling and authorship.
Okay.......2006-02-17
Nora Roberts' early work is just not that good...its an enjoyable afternoon read if you pick it up at the library (actually its great beach reading), but I wouldn't pay for it. The plots are typical romance...nothing new or exciting here and unlike her later work the plot isn't in depth or exciting.
A Bit Dissapointing.......2005-08-31
I must say I was dissapointed with those 2 stories. First story is so far from reality (I know, I know, sometimes we want to get away-but not That Far!!!) I couldn't read even half of the 2nd story...It was written very poorly. Sometimes I felt like something just wasn't enough, at times opposite - like it was way too much! Anyway, I wouldn't recomend bying this book...
Nice Blend of Old and New.......2005-08-18
Comprised of two novellas, "Impulse" and "The Best Mistake," this book serves as a showcase of Nora Roberts' talent from the early years to later. "Impulse" stars a likeable young heroine, Rebecca Malone, who impulsively quits her job, sells everything she owns, and goes on vacation til the money runs out. We catch up with her on Corfu, where she meets wealthy magnate Stephen Nicodemus. Stephen romances her, charmed by her enthusiasm for new things, while she frets over giving him the wrong impression of herself, even though she told him no lies. Typical of 80's romances, the heroine quietly longs for a man she thinks is out of her league while he's spellbound by her freshness. It was the 80's when first released, so I guess I can't complain.
It is obvious Nora had really blossomed as a writer, and started making a few of her own rules, by the time she wrote "The Best Mistake." It's the story of beautiful Zoe Fleming, working two dead-end jobs to support her son Keenan. To help make ends meet, Zoe rents out her upstairs apartment to Cooper McKinnon, a sportswriter. Coop quickly gets sucked into Zoe and Keenan's lives and feels his bachelorhood slipping through his fingers, and freaks out. Things really get bad when Zoe shrugs him off for being a jerk, and he comes to his senses. This was a cute, well-written modern family romance with a heart, showcasing Nora's talents in a quick read.
The entire book has merit, simply for showing the progressing talent of a major writer, and it was also a nice, quick read for those times a person wants to enjoy a good story, but doesn't have a lot of time.
Romance when you least expect it.......2005-08-17
As usual the women are strong, competent, intelligent, and beautiful. The romance is the kind to bring a tear to your eye and a wish to you mind.
The first story "Impulse" while enganging and interesting is not very believable but nonetheless a good story. Filled with colorful descriptions and great characters.
"The Best Mistake" is more down to earth. A simple plan to earn more money by renting the houses extra apartment to help a single mother earn enough to cut back on her work hours to be with her son leads to more than she bargained for. I doubt if there is a single mother who doesn't wish a Coop could show up on her doorstep no matter how happy, confident, and competent she was.
If your in the mood for a romance you can't go wrong with these two.
Average customer rating:
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Beyond Impressionism: The Naturalist Impulse
Gabriel P. Weisberg
Manufacturer: HNA Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
History | Subjects | Books | Africa | Americas | Ancient | Arctic & Antarctica | Asia | Australia & Oceania | Books on CD | Books on Cassette | Europe | Gay & Lesbian | Historical Study | Large Print | Middle East | Military | Military Science | Russia | United States | World
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Impressionism | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0810919222 |
Average customer rating:
- Almost unreadable, at least for me
- A good read
- Huh?
- WOW!!
- Very Good!
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Impulse
JoAnn Ross
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1416501657 |
Book Description
Hazard, Wyoming, is a quiet mountain town where there's snow on the ground from October until June, the wind blows all the time, and nothing much ever happens. But that's all about to change. Because, just when the wind suddenly stops, a killer comes to Hazard -- a hunter as deadly and primal as evil itself.
When Sheriff Will Bridger sees the murdered teenage girl, it's the worst scene he's ever witnessed. But there's worse to come. Much, much worse. While the nights grow longer and the winter snow gets deeper, the violence intensifies. As does the blazing passion between Will and late-night radio host Faith Prescott. Harboring secrets as potentially dangerous as his own, Faith knows all too well the dark side of the human heart. She can help Will. If he'll only let her.
It won't be easy, though. The man who was once the boy raised by wolves is no ordinary serial killer. Fortunately, Will Bridger is no ordinary cop.
Customer Reviews:
Almost unreadable, at least for me.......2007-06-16
After reading Ross' books Blaze and liking it, I thought I would enjoy this one as well. Wrong! This book just downright sucked. There wasn't a single aspect of this book that I bought into at all. So it kinda shocked me to see all positive reviews on Amazon and BN. I don't know what book those people were reading because I didn't find anything redeemable about Impulse.
Right from the beginning I had problems. Ross sorta just plops you into the situation where all these nuances and and events that already exist. It made me feel like I'd missed a quarter of the book, like there were preceding chapters I should have read. Only there weren't, and I found the beginning irritating and somewhat confusing because of the way you are just plopped in there. There was a similar issue throughout the book. Ross skipped over a lot of scenes that, in my opinion, really needed to be written out. You'd be waiting for this scene, and then she'd skip right over it and give you a sentence or two recap. It sucked the life out of the book.
As for the rest...I thought the identity of the antagonist was obvious, and his whole "backstory" you might call it, made no sense to me. The romance between Will and Faith was lame. The ending was too curt. The overall flow of the story was choppy and stunted. I didn't care about the characters, the romance, or anything. I pretty much couldn't wait to finish the book once I started.
Basically, reading the book, I felt like Ross didn't care about the story; that she was just wanted to rush and get it over with and didn't put much effort into it. It made for bad reading. Why there were only positive reviews of this book online beats the heck out of me.
A good read.......2007-05-09
This was the first JoAnn Ross book that I have purchased. I thought that the book was well written and flowed well. The story had quite a few plot holes and flaws and since I am a novice Ross reader, I do not know if that is typical of her writing or if it is a one time occurance. This is definitely worth reading and I will pick up another of her books in the future.
Huh?.......2007-04-04
I must be missing something the other reviewers are reading. I haven't finished the book yet, and am not sure I want to. I have many problems with the book:
1. The background story between Faith and Will was only touched on, therefore I didn't get any chemistry between them or see anything but the sex pulling them together. There needed to be more to their relationship to be believable or for me to care. I was rooting for Faith and her husband to get back together after his confession.
2. The whole sub-plot of Faith constantly on the run, changing her name, in fear of her husband finding her was just silly. When he finally did find her that plot fizzled right out. Suddenly she had spent 18 months in fear for nothing. And there was not nearly enough background story for that sub-plot. It just felt like it was thrown in there. And for a man who loved his wife and was chasing her down he gave her up awfully quick and easy. I didn't get this.
3. Will got over Faith being married and keeping her past from him too quick. His reaction to her confession of her sordid and tragic past was to basically say "oh, well, let's have some more sex." No emotion tied to it whatsoever.
4. Faith's personality seemed to be inconsistent with her past and what she had to go through to survive to adulthood. Right off she was giving Will advice on parenting his troubled teenage son. Where, in her running from town to town and job to job did she gain parental experience and knowledge and insight? Then she is quoting Rudyard Kipling like she was a well educated, well-bread adult. At the beginning she is a scared, vulnerable person, just hiding out and trying to lay low, then suddenly she is all confidence and comfortable and wise beyond her upbringing. Her speach patterns and dialogue just didn't fit. Think Eve Dallas, and that is more what I expected from Faith.
5. Finally, I stopped reading when Josh walks in on them after they had sex and being troubled and unsure of his fit with Will, stomps out angrilly. Will's response was "He'll get over it" and goes back to kissing Faith. Will had been a parent for all of 3 months and suddenly he is knowledgeable and confident in his response to Josh's upset. Will finding out he has a teenage son and trying to parent him could have been interesting reading and would have given the characters more depth, but for most of the book Josh is off with his grandpa and not even part of the story.
Will and Faith are just silly characters and there are too many red herrings that just seem in the way. I may finish the book, but I know who the killer is. Though, I can't fathom how he is made who he is from what he was supposed to have come from also. But that would just match the rest.
I liked Ross' Irish stories and her Louisana Bayou trilogy. I even liked Blaze. This one just seemed uneven.
WOW!!.......2006-11-02
Will is back in Wyoming with his son in tow. Waiting in Wyoming is a woman from his past...maybe she's a woman for his future? Unless that future is cut short by a killer.
As always, Ross mixes a gripping plot with a sizzling romance! She never disappoints!
Very Good!.......2006-09-29
I won't go into the plot as that's already been covered. This was definitely suspense/thriller at its very best. The chemistry between Will and Faith was intense.
There were a few things that could have used more background information:
1. The boy raised by wolves.
2. Will and Faith in Georgia.
3. Faith's life in Las Vegas.
Book Description
Are you a sinner when it comes to investing? During his long and successful career at Salomon Brothers, Maury Fertig witnessed many smart people making very bad investment decisions--all because they let their emotions influence their judgment. He realized that whether the result of ego, competitiveness, or just plain laziness, these dire behaviors were rooted in seven common and recognizable human weaknesses:
* Envy: focusing on the success of others * Vanity, or Pride: an unwillingness to take advice * Lust: an infatuation with an investment, despite warnings that it is not sound * Avarice: a tendency to hold onto a stock for too long, decreasing its return * Anger, or Wrath: irrational behavior that sacrifices steady progress for a quick hit * Gluttony: compulsive and excessive investing * Sloth: ignoring finances altogether
The Seven Deadly Sins of Investing helps readers recognize their investing vices, and offers practical strategies to help them correct the error of their ways. Illustrated by real stories about real investors who have given in to temptation, the book provides solid financial advice for avoiding common pitfalls and staying on the path to "salvation"--and wealth.
Customer Reviews:
Probes the psychology of investors and investments.......2006-10-16
SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF INVESTING: HOW TO CONQUER YOUR WORST IMPULSES AND SAVE YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE probes the psychology of investors and investments, sharing the knowledge Maury Fertig has gained from a long career at Salomon Brothers to help save investors from their self-defeating impulses. Each investment decision holds possible dangers: the author analyzes common problems and paths and offers up solutions based on psychological insights.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
the light bulb went off.......2006-08-27
This book was a revelation, I see too much of myself and mistakes I made. A must read for any investor!
Critically Important Book for Investors.......2006-08-24
This is an unusual book on investing, as it provides neither advice on investing nor investment strategies. Instead it focuses solely on explaining the negative impact of specific investor emotional traits on investment performance. It is written in an easy-to-understand, friendly, conversational style.
Specifically, Fertig covers seven psychological factors that result in causing investors to perform poorly. These factors include: envy, pride, lust, greed, anger, gluttony and sloth. He covers these topics one at a time, and includes interesting personal stories and examples that clearly illustrate his key points.
From my own investment experience spanning 49 years, I can attest to the critical importance of keeping your emotional behavior and psychological weaknesses in check, otherwise investment results suffer. Too many investors buy at the top and sell at the bottom, because they were never strong enough to overcome their weaknesses. Hopefully, by reading this enjoyable book and thinking about their own situations and need for discipline, and taking corrective ACTION, the reader will improve his/her investment performance.
We live in an age of instant gratification, instant messaging, and an overabundance of stock market commentary from the TV talking heads and media outlets. All this extraneous information (not knowledge) negatively impacts investors thought processes. Investing is not a game and should be considered a place to have fun. Investors need to get control of their internal weaknesses and realize what factors need to be overcome to be successful. This book fills that need very well. Along with books on charting and stock market strategies, this book is part of the trilogy of books that potential investors need to read to become successful.
Overall Great Finance Read.......2006-08-11
It is a must read for anyone who is serious about investing. Great investment details with personal stories, and it can be beneficial to both experts and beginners.
Great rule book for loaded issue.......2006-08-10
It was helpful to read an investment book that understood what my investment tendencies were, and yet, talked me out of repeating what hasn't been working so well. The psychological yet rational approach really spoke to me. It wasn't too dogmatic either. Enjoyable examples too.
Book Description
The dynamic fifteen-year saga of the enduringly popular jazz record label guided by legendary saxophonist John Coltrane.
Following the path of its star musician John Coltrane, Impulse Records cut a creative swath through the 1960s and 1970s with the politically charged avant-garde jazz that defined the label's musical and spiritual identity. The House That Trane Built tells the story of the label, balancing tales of individual passion, artistic vision, and commercial motivation. Weaving together research, dynamic album covers, session photographs, and nearly one hundred interviews with executives, journalists, producers, and musicians—from Ray Charles and Alice Coltrane to Quincy Jones, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, and others—this is the riveting tale of an era-shaping jazz label in the age of rock. The thirty-eight Album Profiles—a veritable book within a book—offer a consumer's guide to the best and most timeless titles on Impulse. 120 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
The House That Thiele Built.......2007-04-13
Blue Note gets all the hype about jazz labels, but this book makes the convincing case that Impulse was every bit as influential in its recordings as that that other legendary jazz house. Coltrane, and the musicians around him, such as Archie Shepp, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Alice Coltrane, were the bedrock of the Impulse label, and still are 45 years later. In more than 300 titles issued in its heyday of the '60s, Impulse built a library of timeless classics. Some big Impulse stars back then don't get their due today: Gabor Szabo, Pharoah Sanders and Gato Barbieri, to name three. But some of their Impulse titles are still available and worth looking for. This book centers on the producers: Bob Thiele, Creed Taylor, Ed Michel, Steve Backer and Michael Cuscuna, as architects of the label, but there are more than 30 two-page album profiles and ample interviews with many of the musicians. GRP did a great job reissuing Impulse titles a few years back when it owned the label. Jazz is primarily a reissue proposition today. But this book takes you back to when new jazz records had people talking. It's a fun nostalgia trip.
Excellent overview - nitpickers need not apply.......2006-11-28
I'm glad someone came out with a behind the scenes look at Bob Thiele & Co. since I had not known much about him or read his book "What A Wonderful World" that came out a few years back.
The pictures of Van Gelder's studio are beyond words and some of the mini-reviews have inspired me to check out the likes of artists such as Sam Rivers, Pharaoh Sanders and Alice Coltrane. Even if it lacks any in-depth information about them, it gave me a taste for further investigation.
I guess if you are looking for a musical theory book, or a tome on race relations & guilt trips from the 1960s, then this book isn't for you. True, the music matters, but this is about a specific record label, not just any specific artists that were on it. Do a Google search and you will find plenty of other books out there about that.
Besides, if it weren't for the likes of "head white men in charge" (as another reviewer contemptuously put it) like Bob Thiele or Creed Taylor, Impulse would never have happened in the first place.
I consider it a valuable book for a newcomer who wants to be introduced to the subject.
No jazz library would be complete.......2006-09-24
This is the 45th anniversary of the Impulse record label, and to mark the occasion is a powerful review THE HOUSE THAT TRANE BUILT: THE STORY OF IMPULSE RECORDS - which is, concurrently, a story of the roots of jazz recording. Paired with a 10 'best of Impulse' cd collection plus a 4-cd companion to the book, THE HOUSE THAT TRANE BUILT has also become a radio program and provides a close analysis of the relationship between jazz great John Coltrane and Impulse Records. Nearly two decades of artistic creation are chronicled from marketing wins and insider experiences - derived from interviews with over fifty musicians, industry executives and producers - to other powerful artists and recordings to evolve from the Impulse record label. In its heyday Impulse fostered new technologies, new sounds, and new artists: no jazz library would be complete without THE HOUSE THAT TRANE BUILT, which shows how all this was achieved.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Too much left out.......2006-07-29
Ashley Kahn laid the foundation for this book length retrospective with his last book which told the story of the recording of John Coltrane's monumental album A Love Supreme. This book aims to tell the whole story of Impulse Records, for which Coltrane recorded as did other avant-garde luminaries like Pharoah Sanders and Albert Ayler. On the positive side, Kahn writes well and there are some wonderful photos of the musicians that have passed through the Impulse ranks over the years. The problem I found with the narrative however, was that much of the book too often on the producers and record men (i.e. the "head white men in charge") rather than the musicians involved and the music they produced. It's a novel angle, but as important as men like Bob Thiele were, at the end of the day, it's the music and the men and women who made it that will be remembered, with the producers and administrators a mere footnote.
Since these were turbulent times in America and many of the musicians involved in Impulse were active in the civil rights movement and in spiritual concerns (especially Albert Ayler - what really happened to him?), I would have liked to read a little more about that as well, there must be some great tales to tell. This is something of a missed opportunity for readers, but not for Verve Records (current owners of the Impulse catalog) who have raided the vaults yet again to promote compilations of dubious value in conjunction with the book. One wonders if that crass marketing plan is the reason for the somewhat sanitized account of the label. This book would have made a solid feature article in a magazine, but as a monograph there is too much left out to recommend it.
Finally a history of Impulse Records.......2006-07-17
For years I wondered why no one had written a history of Impulse Records - now I am indeed very happy to see it in my hands. It does a very good job of trailing the road to one of the greatest achievements in the history of modern jazz, and it is a good read for anyone interested in the music of Albert Ayler, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp and other icons of jazz.
Average customer rating:
- Simply great!
- A great story but not certainly his best
- National Bestseller ?
- first book i've read by the author, but won't be last
- Page Turner Of The Week - People Magazine
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Irresistible Impulse
Robert K. Tanenbaum
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Legal | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Tanenbaum, Robert K. | ( T ) | Authors, A-Z | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0451192613 |
Amazon.com
Robert K. Tanenbaum spent the first part of his career as an assistant district attorney in New York City's homicide bureau, and he has been artfully recapturing that period in his terrific books about D.A. Butch Karp and his wife, private detective Marlene Ciampi. "He still had his hair at thirty-seven, and he kept it shorter than was fashionable then, at the start of the eighties," Tanenbaum writes of Butch at the start of Irresistible Impulse. It is one of the few places in the book where the exact time is spelled out; otherwise, Tanenbaum relies on an ambiance of attitudes and characters to root the action in its period. A tough Vietnamese immigrant who goes to work for Marlene's new detective agency is a fascinating creation, and the two main stories--Karp's difficulties with a high-profile case that could stir up racial strife, and Marlene's attempts to protect a prominent musician from a stalker--are perfectly set and brilliantly executed. Other books in this fine series available in paperback include Badge of the Assassin, Corruption of Blood, Depraved Indifference, Falsely Accused, Immoral Certainty, and Justice Denied.
Book Description
National bestselling author Robert K. Tanenbaum brings Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi back in his latest thriller of street justice and courtroom intrigue!
Butch, the chief of the Manhattan District Attorney's Homicide Bureau, faces the toughest legal challenge of his career, facing off against one of the most brilliant defense lawyers in America in a murder trial laced with racial overtones. Meanwhile his private detective wife Marlene has her own hands full seeking a stalker who preys on the weak and vulnerable. Their relationship will be put to the test as the pressure of the two cases mount and collide into the hottest controversy New York City has ever seen!
Over 5 million copies of Robert K. Tanenbaum's books in print! Irresistible Impulse is the ninth novel to feature the husband and wife team of Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi Will be published to coincide with Robert K. Tanenbaum's new Dutton hardcover, Reckless Endangerment Starred review in Publishers Weekly
Customer Reviews:
Simply great!.......2003-04-23
Unlike one of the critics I find this book was written by a very intelligent and gifted author, a master of stylistic means and rich imagery that makes the reading of this book a real pleasure. But this is not the only reason why this book is perfectly written. Tanenbaum's feeling for "plot" is enormous. The constant twists in the actions, the characters' conflicts with each other and in themselves result in a remarkable novel full of suspense. And this book contains some criticism of the legal system: it is not about justice, but a legal Darwinism is described, in which the lawyer is considered a failure who is not able to play the jury as well as his opponent. Justice is of no importance. I recommend this book to everybody who appreciates a well written thriller. I will read more of Tanenbaum's books!
A great story but not certainly his best.......2000-10-30
A true really good book but not a great book, I liked the ending but the beginning was a slow start for me. Ronbert is such a great writer that I thought it was going to be another hit. It wasn't as good as the earlier court room thrillers he wrote.
National Bestseller ?.......2000-07-25
This book is good for readers with low than average IQ. Is it enough for the writer? Read the review written by Jonathan Kellerman at the begining of the book. Try to understand his esteem. It's absolutely fair. At the same time Mr. Tanenbaum has a gift to write. I would recommend him to think more about quality of his books. I have no reason to hurt the writer. I only want to tell him that his books, in my opinion, should be on higher level of intelligence. Regards, Boris
first book i've read by the author, but won't be last.......1998-10-11
i really enjoyed reading about butch karp, chief of manhattan's homicide bureau, and his private detective wife marlene ciampi . . . they are both involved in two separate, yet interesting cases . . . but what made the book was the fact that these two characters seemed "real," and i enjoyed reading about their home life too.
Page Turner Of The Week - People Magazine.......1998-06-12
"As head of the Manhattan DA's homicide bureau, Butch Karp is preparing to prosecute a twisted scion of Long Island's upper crust - a young creep who has taken to cruising Harlem in blackface and snuffing out old ladies who remind him of his childhood nursemaid. For Butch, it is the case of a lifetime, but he's almost upstaged by his wife, Marlene Ciampi, who has more irons in the fire than U.S. Steel.Butch gets down and dirty with star defense lawyer Lionel T. Waley and Marlene confronts an array of bad buys - one of who she plugs herself. The ninth book in a popular series, IRRESISTIBLE proves to be just that."
Book Description
Acting on Impulse is a new approach to the art of improvising. Carol Hazenfield combines new theory with practical exercises and a unique understanding of the rewards and challenges faced by performers. This in-depth look at improv is written in a conversational style with an easy blend of humor and passion. Acting on Impulse seeks to challenge the status quo (and slay some sacred cows) in the pursuit of dynamic, spontaneous theater.
Part One teaches players to perform truthfully from their instincts, emphasizing physical and emotional work as the basis for vibrant interactions. Part Two presents practical, accessible guidelines for narrative, character development, environments, group scenes, genre work and long-form improvisation. Readers will also learn the essentials of spontaneous acting through the use of objectives and tactics. A special chapter on how to make scenes work takes the mystery out of improv mastery. Instructors will appreciate the Appendix for Teachers, which offers tips on class design, constructive note-giving and additional exercises.
Customer Reviews:
Incredible Incredible!.......2003-12-18
What a fantastic book! I think it's close to genius and I'm not exaggerating. The more I read it the more I like it and I liked it a good deal from the first reading. It is a marvellous book for both the actor and the improvisor alike and not only that, it's actually a pretty darn good book for learning about life.
Beyond the hit and run.......2003-12-13
In her book, Acting on Impulse, Carol Hazenfield challenges improvisers to go beyond the quick hit and run comedy scene and find the depth and breadth that is available - if the improviser is willing to go there. Yes, this can be scary, but Carol holds your hand through the entire process. Not only does she explore and explain improv theories in an easy and accessible way, but offers up many exercises to walk you down the path. Many books will espouse on all the things you should be doing, but don't do anything to help you get there. Acting on Impulse does.
Carol's observations about improv are amazingly insightful and well written. She dares to question the status quo, tells you why, and tells you what you can do to challenge yourself to become a better improviser. And yes, you can still do those funny scenes, but now the audience will enjoy them even more because they're invested and connected to your character in a truer way.
As an improviser, teacher, and actor, I have found this book to be invaluable in every arena. I know this book will gather no dust as I am often grabbing it off the shelf to refer to an exercise, an idea (explained oh-so clearly) or because I just want something good and fun to read! Own this book, cherish this book, it is a good thing.
Answers the big questions.......2003-12-13
"Carol Hazenfields 'Acting On Impulse' finally asks and answers the big questions of improv! An absolute must read for improvisational artists of all levels and theater theorists everywhere."
Forget the rest, this is the improv book to read!.......2003-03-01
Life is improv. None of us was born with script in hand, but practicing and performing improv is a whole different enchilada, and moving away from stand up comedy to fun and inspiring scenework is a fantastic goal many aspire to, but so few reach. In a sea of improv and acting books, Carol Hazenfield's "Acting on Impulse" is beautifully written, easy to follow, and damn funny. It's a virtual blue print toward the goal of inspired improv, which leads the reader past the twin obstacles of treating improv like stand-up's less funny stepsister, and believing it can't be as real as scripted theater. I loved her writing style, her succinctness and the book in general. Her presentation is wonderfully simple and beautiful, and the book is funny to boot, which is always a bonus with me! It had been recommended to me by virtually every improviser I know, and when I read it I knew why.
I turned around and recommended Carol's book to everyone in my improv troupe, and then decided to purchase a copy for each of them because I wanted them to share my joy at this discovery. When I read it, I couldn't put it down; started over at the beginning as soon as I finished it, with highlighter in hand; laughed out loud in some parts and figuratively smacked myself on the forehead in recognition in other parts. There wasn't a moment during reading the book (or since!) that I haven't devoutly wished our group might have a Carol of our own. She is a wonderful teacher who uplifts without patronizing, and who moves her own ego out of the way in order to really see what her students and fellow improvisers need.
Whether you've been doing improv for years, or you're just starting, Carol's book is a MUST HAVE.
Rasing the bar for Improv Acting.......2002-10-17
Carol is truly an amazing teacher. I've been waiting years for her book, and low and behold, here it is. Carol focuses on pulling a higher level of theater out of the genre of improv, raising the bar from silly throw away games to truly great acting. When I walk out on stage, I probably use the skills I've learned from Carol more than any other teacher's I've ever worked with. Acting on Impulse is a must own for any improv actor. - Christian, owner of IMPROVACTOR.COM
Books:
- The Living Trust : The Failproof Way to Pass Along Your Estate to Your Heirs
- The Mistress's Daughter: A Memoir
- The Night Before Easter
- The Only Game in Town: Baseball Stars of the 1930s and 1940s Talk About the Game They Loved (Baseball Oral History Project)
- The Patience of the Spider (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries)
- The Pocket Parent
- The Searching Hearts
- The Seducer (Get Connected Romances)
- The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Awakening, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND: 10 Keys for Unlocking Your Personal Potential, Achieving Spiritual Awakening, ... of Humanity's Ultimate Cosmic Destiny
- The Still of Night (A Rush of Wings Series #2)
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