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Benjamin's Ghosts: Interventions in Contemporary Literary and Cultural Theory
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
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ASIN: 0804741263
Release Date: 2002-04-25 |
Book Description
This book explores the implications for today’s critical concerns of the work of Walter Benjamin (1892-1940). Although his writings are considered to be among the most powerful and suggestive theoretical enterprises of the twentieth century, his ideas are strangely resistant to cooptation by the established doctrines of various critical programs. The innovative essays gathered here engage this resistance by examining the notion of the ghostly in Benjamin’s work.
The contributors show that the urgent and haunting truths Benjamin offers point toward new forms of responsibility, even as they withdraw from straightforward meaning and transparent forms of expression. These truths reside in a figurative elsewhere, a ghostly space that his texts delimit but never fully inhabit, and these essays seek to do justice to the ghosts of Benjamin that are already on board with us.
Through close textual readings and thoughtful contextualizations, internationally known Benjamin scholars engage a wide range of issues, including: the status of the image in Benjamin’s literary reflections and in his meditations on cinema and visual culture; abiding Benjaminian notions of messianism, aura, reproducibility, semblance, and melancholy; Benjamin’s relation to Freud; his innovative rethinking of history, virtuality, and translation; and his reflections on tragedy and prophecy, the geometrical dimensions of writing, and the relation between eros and language.
The contributors are Norbert Bolz, Fritz Breithaupt, Stanley Corngold, Peter Fenves, Eva Geulen, Miriam Hansen, Beatrice Hanssen, Lutz Koepnick, Tom McCall, Kevin McLaughlin, Bettine Menke, Rainer Nägele, Gerhard Richter, Laurence Rickels, and Sigrid Weigel.
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- A book for the True "Princess Grace Wedding" afficionado!
- A Beautiful Depiction of Grace Kelly's Wedding Dress
- Grace Kelly - Icon of Style
- a good book about princess Grace wedding
- A must read
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Grace Kelly: Icon of Style to Royal Bride (Philadelphia Museum of Art)
H. Kristina Haugland
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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Grace Kelly, American Princess
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A Dress for Diana
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Grace Kelly: A Life in Pictures
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True Grace: The Life and Times of an American Princess
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Hollywood Icon Journals: Grace Kelly
ASIN: 0300116446 |
Book Description
One of the most admired women in the world, Grace Kelly (1929–1982) is remembered for her beauty, poise, and style. Her “fairy-tale” wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956 was one of the most celebrated of the century. To commemorate its 50th anniversary, this lovely book tells the story behind her wedding gown, cap, veil, shoes, and prayer book—all given by the new princess to the Philadelphia Museum of Art shortly after the ceremony.
Philadelphia-born Grace Kelly rocketed to Hollywood stardom, becoming a major box-office draw and winning an Academy Award. She also was an icon of classic American style, which became known as the “Grace Kelly Look.” After examining the development of the star’s on- and off-screen style, the book focuses on her magnificent wedding dress, designed by Helen Rose and made by MGM Studios under top secret security. Public interest in the star’s wedding dress was intense, and it remains one of the most popular objects in the Museum’s collection.
Stunning color images detail the wedding dress, accessories, and attendants’ dresses, which are also owned by the Museum. Numerous historical photographs illustrate the actress’s career, style, and famous wedding in Monaco.
Customer Reviews:
A book for the True "Princess Grace Wedding" afficionado!.......2007-07-01
I, for one, think that Grace Kelly was the epitome of the most beautiful, elegant brides of the modern edge...even to Princess Diana..that dress and the work that went into it is mindblowing. I've seen the dress in person and it TRULY is BREATHTAKINGLY stunning! The lace, alone, in this modern age (although no longer available) would be over $10K ALONE! I plan to copy some of Grace's elegance in my very own wedding...a Rose Point Lace garter, the beautiful Juliet Cap...all I can say is this: It's not a Grace Kelly Bio--this is strictly dedicated to the dress and it's making: fabrics and laces used and how they were all put together. Truly and informative book besides being a wonderful reference as well as a Keepsake. At LEAST 5 stars on this. Check it out..you won't be disappointed!
A Beautiful Depiction of Grace Kelly's Wedding Dress.......2006-10-08
This book gives a very detailed representation of Grace Kelly's Wedding Dress. It also gives lots of details of the events leading up to her wedding day. It is not a biography of her life. It focuses on her wedding day and the events leading up to it with the wedding day itself being the culmination.
Grace Kelly - Icon of Style.......2006-09-06
I was a bit disappointed when I received the book as I thought it would have more colored pictures of her wardrobe. Many were in black and white. The photos of her wedding dress were lovely though -- I guess that was the true focus of the book.
a good book about princess Grace wedding.......2006-07-05
i think this book does not give us a different view about Grace Kelly. It is only a book related to the wedding dress and some miscelaneous comentaries about her life. You can find some good photos about Grace, but nothing else. If you are a great Grace fan like me, perhaps you would like to buy next book about Grace : Grace Kelly, a life in pictures, by Pierre Henry Verlhac.
A must read.......2006-05-01
If, like me, you are a huge Grace Kelly fan, you will not want to be without this book.
It goes into detail about Grace's wardrobe, and in particular the wedding dress. I have read a great deal about Grace Kelly, and this book managed to surprise me with quite a bit of new details.
Finally, there are some great pictures of the wedding dress- which is probably the nicest wedding dress in history!
Average customer rating:
- Cool to the end
- fujimiya's girl
- Lots of twists and turns . . .
- Absolutely one of the best manga I have ever read
- TOTALLY WORTH BUYING!
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Hot Gimmick, Volume 11 (Hot Gimmick)
Miki Aihara
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
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Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Hot Gimmick, Volume 12 (Hot Gimmick)
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Hot Gimmick, Volume 9 (Hot Gimmick)
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Hot Gimmick, Vol. 8
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Hot Gimmick, Vol. 7
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Hot Gimmick, Vol. 5
ASIN: 1421507129 |
Book Description
In company-owned rabbit-hutch apartments live tenants who can't afford to live anywhere else, and the apartment complex in which high-school girl Hatsumi Narita lives is ruled over by the rumor mongering, self-righteous Mrs. Tachibana. Get on Tachibana's bad side, and life becomes hell. When Hatsumi has to buy a pregnancy test because her popular sister Akane is late, Mrs. Tachibana's son, Ryoki, who used to bully Hatsumi as a kid, promises not to tell the world about Hatsumi's secret.only if she becomes his slave. Suddenly Azusa, Hatsumi's protector in their youth, reappears to save her again! He's moving back into the neighborhood! Despite the budding romance between Hatsumi and Azusa, Ryoki has control over her through the secret that could ruin the lives of everyone in Hatsumi's family, and he hasn't forgotten who his slave is!
Customer Reviews:
Cool to the end.......2006-11-04
Well first of all I really did like the entire series. I read it till the end. I will not give it away for anyone else reviewing these comments, anyway. I love the series and I got the final manga volume like last week. It is worth all the money I spent -_-; anyway please note this is a manga meant for older teens. But to those who feel bad about that there is going to be a novel version that comes out in Feb.2007 that favors more Shinogu. It will be calling it Hot Gimmick S. and they are thinking of making a Azusa version too.
fujimiya's girl.......2006-07-08
I have been reading this series from the beginning. It has several unexpected twists! Hatsumi is a quiet teen who ends up in a "relationship" with Ryoki, who seems to be a jackass. As the volumes progress it begins to seem as though he really might care for Hatsumi but then there are two other guys that could be her main squeeze too! Even by the end of volume of 11 you just aren't sure who will get the girl. Though it looks like it might be Ryoki my vote is for Shinogu OR Azusa(I don't think he is really as bad as he wants you to believe!)
I can't wait for vol. 12 to find out if she really goes running back to Ryoki!
Lots of twists and turns . . ........2006-07-03
This was a great issue with an ending I did not expect. I can't wait for Volume 12 to come out!
Absolutely one of the best manga I have ever read.......2006-06-15
Hot Gimmick is my #1 manga and I have been a faithful fan to it from the first volume. The story is so exciting and the characters are so beautiful.
I like Shinogu much more than Ryoki and I kinda hoped that Hatsumi will end up with him instead of Ryoki but it seems that it is not going to end up this way. But hey, did Hatsumi really slept with Shinogu? It is so scandalous and juicy :D. Shinogu is so hot and if I were in Hatsumi's place, I would have gone for him.
I am so looking forward to have volume 12, but I cannot hold my horses here :D. What is going to happen? I think it is going to be the last volume of Hot Gimmick, which is a total dismay to me and to Hot Gimmick's fans :(.
Miki Aihara brought us a wonderful manga and I don't think that you can find a better manga out there. Her other manga "Tokyo Boys & Girls" is good but not as much as Hot Gimmick.
Recommended for fans of Miki Aihara
TOTALLY WORTH BUYING!.......2006-06-09
I have been a faithful fan ever since Hot Gimmick first started coming out! In the 11th graphic novel Ryoki and Hatsumi had just broken up and Hatsumi's ADOPTED (and totally hot) brother Shinogu wants Hatsumi to see him as a man and not just her brother. This series keeps on ketting better and better and more intense.
You've got to read the whole series bcause I know you'll love it!
PS: Root for Akane and Subaru!
Amazon.com
Many people spend their lives searching for their true calling, the one thing at which they excel and which will catapult them to fame and fortune. For Dan Kennedy, author of the darkly comic memoir Loser Goes First, that talent is decidedly not rock and roll. Kennedy details a life spent pining for the glory of rock stardom as a junior high student, an Austin, Texas, open-mic failure, and at various grim stops along the way as he shoots for the big time without the burden of talent or the tedium of learning to play an instrument. Kennedy's talent is also not acting, although he lands a gig as an extra in Sleepless in Seattle that leads, much to his chagrin, to nothing at all. Even his scrupulously cultivated talent of being an indie scenester is torpedoed when he willingly accepts an audition to be an MTV VJ, only to have the tryout be an unmitigated disaster. Finally, Kennedy discovers a pair of latent abilities. He finds, after he's into his thirties, that he has a knack for advertising copywriting that sets him on the path to his first financial success almost accidentally. And in writing Loser Goes First, he reveals a talent for relating his own dumb moves and embarrassing fiascoes with an honesty and wit that is vividly entertaining. Loser Goes First approaches narrative structure with the same indecisive distracted quality that Kennedy used in his actual life and the result is a chronicle of Kennedy's first 33 years peppered generously with film treatments, bullet point lists, imagined dialogue, and other snippets that seem transcribed from a very clever notebook. While such meandering could be perceived as too self-consciously quirky, it matches the story and keeps the humor crisp. --John Moe
Book Description
It all begins on Christmas morning, 1978. Dan Kennedy is ten years old and wants a black Gibson Les Paul guitar, the kind Peter Frampton plays. It will be his passport to the coolest (only) band in the neighborhood—Jokerz. He doesn’t get it. Instead, his parents present him with what they think he wants most, a real-estate loan calculator (called the Loan Arranger) and a maroon velour pullover shirt with a tan stripe across the chest. It is the first of what will become a lifetime of various-sized failures, misunderstandings, comical humiliations, and just plain silly choices that have dogged this “hipster Proust of youthful loserdom,” as author Jerry Stahl has so eloquently called Mr. Kennedy.
Dan’s hilarious and painfully awkward youth soon develops into a . . . uh . . . hilarious and painfully awkward adulthood. His first two choices for university are Yale (Lit or Drama) and Harvard (Business), so he reviews his high school transcripts and decides on Butte Community College in Oroville, California, where he studies for about four and a half weeks. We could go on here and describe in detail all of Dan’s good-natured stabs at ambition, but he, himself, sums it all up quite nicely: “If you’ve ever tried and failed miserably at being a rock star (no guitar/talent), a professional bass fisherman, an extra in the movie Sleepless in Seattle (guy drinking martini in bar while Tom Hanks makes a phone call), a Madison Avenue advertising executive, a clerk/towel person at a suburban health club (named Kangaroo Kourts), an espresso street-cart owner and operator (in the one neighborhood of that coffee-swilling town, Seattle, where, remarkably, no one really seems to drink coffee), a dot.com millionaire, an MTV VJ, or a forest fire fighter, this book is for you.”
Along the way, a few lessons are learned and we are treated to one of the most original, riotously funny, unsentimental, and offbeat memoirs in recent history. Dan’s a favorite in McSweeney’s and at the very popular Moth readings in New York City. We should be happy that he failed so miserably at so many things—and took notes!
Customer Reviews:
This Dan Kennedy Is Not The "Glazer/Kennedy" Dan Kennedy.......2006-09-10
I bought this book thinking it would be an amusing insight into the life of the master of all copywriting gurus, Dan Kennedy. Well, while the writer of this book is not that Dan Kennedy and I was dissapointed at first, I did find the book very entertaining and this Dan Kennedy does indeed have writing talent -- even if it's not really any help as far as commercial copywriting goes. I definitely recommend reading the book if you're looking for something hilarious to read. However, if you're looking for the Dan Kennedy of copywriting success -- you've got the wrong author.
Watch what you buy: There are TWO Dan Kennedys.......2006-05-30
There's the McSweeney's writer Dan Kennedy who wrote "Loser Goes First" and there's this "How to Kick Butt at Sales and Make Millions!" Dan Kennedy. Don't get the Kennedy's confused like Amazon does --- I sadly realized this after paying for a book about making millions from selling things to friends and relatives or something. Not that I wouldn't mind making millions or anything, but my friends and relatives aren't going to buy anything from me, TRUST ME. Hey, maybe I should try to sell them this book abotu how to become a millionaire over night! At least I'd get my money back!
Loser Goes First is funny, surprise, surprise. One would imagine it would have to be after reading the author's stuff on McSweeney's every week or two. I was actually hoping the book would talk a little bit more about how his job there came about, but it was hilarious reading about every other less successful, disasterous trial and tribulation that occured before he got there.
Dorks everywhere, unite!.......2005-05-17
Have you ever felt like you could conquer the world... if only that silly little thing called reality didn't get in the way? Dan Kennedy's wickedly funny life story is one that most of us can identify with, because at one time or another all of us have experienced painfully embarassing moments reminiscient of A Christmas Story or The Wonder Years. The writing is a little rough around the edges, which is fitting of the theme and the hilariously nagging reminder that we are all too human.
Absolutely Hilarious.......2005-01-03
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy edgy, humourous story telling. At several points during Loser Goes First, I had to put the book down as I knew I was going to laugh uncontrollably in a public space and didn't want to look like a raving lunatic. I purposely read this book slowly so to stretch out the enjoyment of it. It's that good. I enjoyed Dan's telling about all of his crazy jobs and experiences.
A funny memoir and enjoyable read.......2004-12-12
Dan Kennedy's first book, an autobiographical look at life, is a strong comedic effort which results in a light read you don't want to put down for long. He details growing up in Southern California and how various failures and near-successes were just par for the course in ending up in a respectable job and as a productive member of society.
Making mistakes that often remind me of myself and are often side-splitting yet mind boggling. In a way, you may have a hard time believing someone could fall into the same traps time and again, but it happens. At times one is left to wonder if Dan is suffering from some sort of mild mental disease or retardation, but that is just a sure sign his comedy and style of writing are working! Not to spoil it, but rest assured in the end (nearly) everything works out, and our narrator seems to actual stumble into some good fortune here and there. But getting there is one hell of a trip.
I recommend to all looking for a humorous, if not inspirational, look at life. It only makes you wonder what's coming next! I'll be "first" in line to find out.
Book Description
Iranian cinema is today widely recognized not merely as a distinctive national cinema, but as one of the most innovative in the world. This international stature both fascinates Western observers and appears paradoxical in line with perceptions of Iran as anti-modern. The largely Iranian contributors to this book look in depth at how Iranian cinema became a true 'world cinema'. From a range of perspectives, they explore cinema's development in post Revolution Iran and its place in Iranian culture.
Customer Reviews:
Cinema, mirror of society!.......2007-01-11
This book is an outstanding work since it covers a wide range of works by different renowned directors who have had the courage to break silence. Works like this reflect the through picture of Iranian society and nation and help Iranians gain their tarnished reputation and identity in the world.
Average customer rating:
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Sophisticated Ladies: Broadway Selections
Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Songbooks
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ASIN: 0769273599 |
Product Description
A song and dance extravaganza based on the music of Duke Ellington. 21 songs including: Satin Doll * Mood Indigo * Take the "A" Train. Caravan * I'm Beginning t o See the Light.
Average customer rating:
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Sophisticated Ladies: Broadway Selections
Manufacturer: Warner Bros Pubns
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ASIN: 1576238504 |
Book Description
The only thing more humiliating than losing a game quickly is to lose a game quickly to a known opening trap. On the other hand, the easy point scored by the trapper is a great confidence booster, and allows the winner a good rest before the next game in a competition.
This book shows that no-one should feel safe from an opponent armed to the teeth with cunning traps. Steve Giddins (who lived in Russia for a time) has collected his material from a wide variety of sources, some not normally available in the West.
Customer Reviews:
Ignore this review.......2007-09-21
I have not read this book! I ask that Amazon doesn't post this review and that they also remove someone else's review.
There is another review for this book that indicates 'Winning Chess Traps for Juniors' should not be sold by Amazon because the author ROBERT M. SNYDER is a pedaphile. That review has nothing to do with 101 Chess Opening Traps by Giddins. When I read that review I thought it was about Giddins' book, and that is just not right.
Terrific book on traps.......2005-10-28
I can't recall ever seeing such an awesome book on opening traps. The emphasis is on:
A: traps you can play for without compromising your position
B: traps that are easy for an opponent to fall into
Giddins has done a great job compiling this collection, and he gives background and history to bring each example to life. The traps are catagorized by opening variation, so traps 26-33, for example, feature the Caro, and traps 91-95 the QI Defense.
I spotted many old favorites, such as the Cambridge Springs trap and Fischer's Ne6 against Reshevsky, but also found loads of evil-looking traps that were new to me.
Highly recommended.
Stimulating selection - bound to win you some games.......2005-09-27
I've been meaning for a while to review this excellent little manual on pitfalls in the opening, as it is easily the best book published on this subject. Although written in a lively fashion, these are not frivilous opening lines. Numerous strong players have fallen for these clever traps. The author gives informative background on each, and the emphasis is firmly on lines a player might get to use in practical play.
Good idea, lacking in execution........2001-08-29
Someone got an idea that went "Hey, let's make a collection of quick opening traps that don't involve really awful play from one side", and an author must have said: "Yeah, I'd love to do that!" I then expect he sat down and realised what a large number 101 is.
This book contains a good number of opening traps covering a very large repertoire. It also contains a lot of stuff that doesn't seem particularly trappy, but just seems to have been put in there because the author had to reach his 101 target, and doesn't qualify as opening stuff, tactics or anything else for that matter.
I suggest giving Mr. Higgins another two or three years to gather more traps to put in there, and ask him to make a second edition, cause there's a good book hiding in there, but there is just so much pointless padding I wouldn't recommend buying it as it is.
Great for beginners and even better for advanced!.......2000-06-20
In this book you will find how to open your chess game perfectly.
Average customer rating:
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101 celadas de apertura/ 101 Chess Opening Traps (Jaque Mate/ Checkmate)
Steve Giddins
Manufacturer: Hispano Europea Editorial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Ajedrez
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ASIN: 8425517095 |
Book Description
"Everything you need to know to make millions by investing in real estate. Be smart -- take advantage of their invaluable experience to help you reach your financial goals."
--Jack Canfield, Co-author, The Power of Focus, Dare to Win, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul(R) series.
A proven formula for making a killing in small real estate investments in all market conditions
Millionaire real estate investor Mike Summey and nationally recognized negotiation expert Roger Dawson team up to offer a complete program for becoming a real estate magnate in your spare time. Unlike all the get-rich-quick real estate investment guides on the shelves, The Weekend Millionaire shows readers how to look beyond price to the fundamentals of what makes a property valuable and to leverage that value in order to build wealth, consistently, over years. It also teaches them an original, win-win negotiating strategy in which the buyer determines the terms of the purchase and lets the seller determine the price.
Readers get clear, step-by-step guidance on how to:
- Find great investment properties
- Approach sellers
- Structure a win-win proposal
- Get a proposal accepted--even with no money down and bad credit
- Negotiate a transaction
- Manage and maintain properties for increasing returns
Customer Reviews:
made 200K from my first real estate deal.......2007-07-30
I made 200k with my first real estate deal. I am hoping to do maybe one more later this year.
Great first read.......2007-04-09
It was my first book on real estate that I read and I thought is was perfect for that. High level stuff that introduces the reader to the key concepts in real estate. Lacks detail of the actual how to part but I don't believe it was intended for that. You will need to read other books to enhance your skills but this really gives you the big picture. I also love this book because it is not a get rich quick book. They tell you how to build long term wealth not quick cash. Since reading this book I have continued to read many others on real estate and leveraging but I recommend this to people as a great first or second read.
Complete in nearly every detail.......2007-02-24
Nothing is left to chance in this book. I have found myself reading chapters over and over! David W.
Simple beginner's book..........2007-01-09
This book is a simple regurgitation of the information you could find in a Carleton Sheets program. Good thing is that it is much cheaper. Don't expect a real detailed plan or anything close.
Rebuttal to Helder Gil's review.......2006-07-11
I would like to rebut some of Helder Gil's points in his popular one-star review:
First, In his review, Mr. Gill summarizes the "essences" of this book in four steps. In the fourth step, he states that one will "live a charmed life and wait for the paychecks to keep arriving in the mail each month." This is misleading; the authors point out that this is not a "get rich quick scheme" or even a "get rich fairly soon scheme", rather it is a "get rich slow scheme." The authors repeatedly insist that you must hold these properties until the mortgages are paid off, at which point you will receive almost the full cash flow from every property you own. There should be nothing controversial about this strategy, and Mr. Gil's implication that you'll be able to sit back and wait for the checks to come in is true only if you're willing to wait the 10 to 30 years it takes to pay off the property.
Now let's talk about his "reality problems":
1. Finding foreclosures is difficult
Sure it is, but:
- It's not impossible
- The authors do not sugarcoat the fact that finding them takes some work and is pretty unrealistic for the beginning investor
- That strategy is almost an afterthought in this book, this is not a foreclosures text
2. Finding cheap properties usually amounts to ambulance chasing and taking advantage of people's problems
This is probably true to some extent, but I have some issues with Mr. Gil's point:
- It's more than possible to find bargains that have nothing to do with death, divorce, or bankruptcy. Maybe the seller is about to move, and he or she is selling cheap because they want the quick sale. You'd be a fool not to take advantage of an offer like this that a seller is willingly giving you
- If you DO find someone who needs to sell because of life and/or financial troubles, you're almost always doing them a favor by buying the property before the bank forecloses. What's worse: getting less than you want or having your credit destroyed?
- The authors repeatedly urge readers not to take advantage of sellers in difficult situations. You should make them an offer that works for you, but don't try to squeeze every last dime out of them. This is a little better than "sugar coating," in my opinion
- This is business, not charity. You're not trying to be Mother Teresa and you're not trying to save the world. Sometimes you have to take advantage of other people's situations. You just shouldn't take advantage of the PEOPLE.
3. Asking Real Estate brokers to mortgage their fee
I agree with Mr. Gil, this is a BAD idea. Better to pass on the property if you can't make the numbers work or better yet make some connections with people who will find properties before they are listed.
However, the authors do make note of the fact that most brokers aren't likely to go with this, and it's not a major point of the book.
4. You can't find anything cheap these days
Sure you can! In any market, if you are persistent, you can find properties you can make work for you. I'm proof of this (we bought a duplex significantly under market, it was a fixer-upper). Now, it is true that some markets are going to be very difficult to pull this off (San Francisco comes to mind), but either by persistance or by looking at markets that are off the beaten path of extravagence a bit, you can find those properties
5. What about taxes, insurance, and extenuating circumstances?
Ok, I don't see where Mr. Gil is going with this at all. First of all, the authors make clear that you directly account for things like taxes and insurance before you even buy the property, and they show you how to do that with explicit charts and instructions. They give you more detail for this than Mr. Gil gives them credit for.
Second, it's true that they don't spend too many pages talking about the big unknown risks, but they do let you know that they're there and suggest putting pack as much money as possible for just those occurances. They also recommend spreading out your properties a bit so a disaster in one area won't wipe you out completely. Beyond that, what else is there to say? This isn't a book about advanced risk management.
As for the book itself, I give it four stars because it is very straightforward and no-nonsense, and it's written well. These days, that's quite a feat for books like this. There are some points with which I disagree with the authors (like always hiring a property manager, see www.johntreed.com for his thoughts on why that may not be a good idea), but overall it's a great book and I highly reccomend it to beginning investors.
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- Beyond Recognition: Representation, Power, and Culture
- Blood: Art, Power, Politics, and Pathology
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- Chinese Characters then and now (Edition Voldemeer)
- Cinematic Projections: The Analytical Psychology of C. G. Jung and Film Theory
- Crayon Shinchan, Book 2
- Culture in Action: A Public Art Program of Sculpture Chicago
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