NO ONE YOU KNOW: A Collection of Cartoons

Amazon.com

Bruce Eric Kaplan, cartoonist for The New Yorker, is a former writer for Seinfeld, and it shows--Kaplan's style of humor is observational, playing on modern foibles and putting new spins on clichés. His taglines are droll, slice-of-life bits of dialogue juxtaposed with slightly surreal situations. The Angel of Death bickers with his wife, a woman discusses the merits of dating a Cro-Magnon man, and preschoolers fret about innuendo on the playground. Kaplan's graphic style is spare, using bold lines, hollow "Annie"-style eyes for his protagonists, and very little clutter--nothing to distract the reader from the joke at hand. Which is a good thing, because the joke at hand is invariably hilarious. --Ali Davis

Book Description

Don't read this. It's boring. You want to have fun? Just look at any one of the side-splitting, eye-opening cartoons in this collection by Bruce Eric Kaplan.

Yes, he's the one whose drawings have the little initials BEK in the corner. You've probably seen them in The New Yorker. They're in there almost every week, for God's sake.

His stomping ground is the usual territory of classic literature -- love, relationships and the search for a meaningful existence. Like the work of James Thurber, his warring husbands and wives, world-weary children and hostile therapists convey the timeless absurdity of modern life.

Oh yeah, there's also a foreword by Neil Simon.

So, there's not much else to say. Just that No One You Know is the laugh-out-loud, can't-put-it-down, just-let-me-show-you-this-one book of the year. Now, stop reading this already.

Customer Reviews:

A literary star is born!.......1999-06-27

What a hilarious, insightful book! We have bought it for everyone we know! Can't wait for the next book and LOVE his cartoons in The New Yorker (it's the only reason we subscribe). Run, don't walk to you're nearest bookstore!

Oh, if only I could say it all as well as Bruce Eric Kaplan........1999-06-02

I can't get enough of this book. It has truly put me in stitches. I chortle to myself as I walk down the street thinking about it; I talk about it non-stop. Kaplan has a unique, endlessly gratifying talent. His humor is brilliant and insurpassable, and his firm, knowing handle on the motives and foibles of today's humans is flabbergasting. I couldn't stop turning the page to see what he would deliver next! This book is like a little glowing gem.

Piercing and Funny.......1999-05-27

You know BEK's work from the New Yorker even if you don't know his name. The cartoons are wonderfully funny and have a timelessness to them. He puts the most devastating words into the mouths of children and dogs. I highly recommend it to anyone, and especially those people who read the cartoons first in the New Yorker.

I could NOT stop laughing!.......1999-05-26

Oh, wow, this is the funniest book! Every one of these cartoons totally cracks me up--I was rolling on the floor. I can completely believe BEK used to write for Seinfeld--he's got that just-a-touch off-color sense of humor that is so deadpan and funny. I'm buying it for my brother (he could use a good laugh about now).

So funny! I loved it!.......1999-05-26

This book is so great. It's a beautiful thing, too, so nice to hold. When I get the New Yorker every week, I always look for the BEK cartoons first, and I'm so glad to have my own collection. It completely cracks me up--I keep faxing cartoons to my friends, and I even sent a copy of the book to my grandmother!

Book Description

Toward the end of nearly 2,000 years of imperial rule in China, the last dynasty, designated Qing, was led by the ethnically and culturally distinct Manchu people. The Manchu established a political organization using clothing fashioned after their nomadic roots to signify status and identity. Author John E. Vollmer details the characteristics of Manchu dynasty costume and its political, social, and cultural significance and influence in Chinese history. Included are descriptions of the various designs and symbology on the cloth, as well as diagrams illustrating garment-making technology and construction features, comprehensive notes, a bibliography, map, and chronology. A fascinating look at clothing and its strategic role in the politics of conquest, this book is an invaluable resource for scholars and collectors alike.

Book Description

Action, romance, and historical intrigue help make Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin, the tale of a wandering swordsman set against the backdrop of the Meiji Restoration, one of the most popular Shonen Jump titles among fans to date. Himura Kenshin, once an assassin (or hitokiri) of ferocious power, now fights to protect the honor of those in need.

Customer Reviews:

The end of one saga, the beginning of another.......2006-12-14

The battle with Enishi ends. Everyone returns home, beaten and battered yet somehow stronger than before they fought. Now come more tears as goodbyes are said. One leaves to help the people in her home province, another to see the world, and another forgoes the battle he's waited years to fight in.

Kenshin and Kaoru are now at a crossroads. Will they move forward as a couple? Can Kenshin let go of his past once and for all?

The only thing I dislike is that they put a short story called Meteor Strike and a preview for Buso Renkin in after RK when many fans thought they would include Yahiko's Sakabatou as an after story in this volume as the Spanish release had done.

Everything comes together in this beautiful, but sadly short volume that closes the great saga of Rurouni Kenshin.

Awsome Book.......2006-07-28

Wow this was a great ending. Some authors fall apart at the end of a book or series but he didnt. Wanted to know more of what happened to some of the characters but guess ill have to wait. I dont want to spoil the ending so i wont say anymore. If youve read the otheres and are thinkin if you really should by this book dont think just do it its worth it. If you havent read the other books read them first because this is truly a great series and a classic. At the end of the book it has somje previews of his other work.

Say-oro-nara!.......2006-07-05

3 years, 28 volumes, and over 200 dollars later, it has all come down to this. This one, and RuroKen fans alike, must say goodbye to the hitokiri that cheered me. A sorrow for its end, but a joy in the acknowledgment that there wouldn't be another volume that needs to be spent. That's a sad thing to say but we must move on, but we shouldn't forget the memories we have for this Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story. It's not a perfect series, but in the long haul, "Rurouni Kenshin" still has heart, action, laughter, not much on the perversion and stupidity in retrospect, but plenty on the et cetera. It's interesting how the manga changed in quality since the first volume.

For the first printing, this volume includes a double-sided color poster that I'll never use. Extras aside, what disappoints me about this volume is that Viz Media didn't include the side story of grown-up Yahiko Myojin. Granted it wasn't included in the Japanese version, but that would've been a much better addition than a preview of an upcoming manga series.

Anyway, we now come into the climax that is volume 28. Kenshin and the vengeful Enishi continues their pinnacle duel for the past: one fights for redemption, the other fights for the smile of his departed sister Tomoe, because everything else about her isn't important. We all knew of the inevitable outcome this final battle would occur, it's all about how it's done. Watsuki does a great job of concluding this battle without losing Kenshin's purpose in the process or making the villain see his wrongful doing so sudden. Kenshin wants to atone for his hitokiri past, and in the manner that proceeds outside the circumstances, he manage to achieve it without making it seem farce.

Not to say that his past has been cleansed, but with the influences of his allies and his un-killing bravado, he became more accepting to his past. His ambitions have finally been reached and now he must put down his reverse-blade sword. All these times of fighting using the style of Hiten Mitsurugi have been taking a toll for his little body, so in order to live strong, he must stop fighting.

Nobuhiro Watsuki promised us "Rurouni Kenshin" will have a happy ending, and he proceed on doing so. Though it build on the consistency of characters departing, the epilogue showed a new beginning four years afterwards and has shown a sense of development for certain grown characters regarding the past, present, and future. While the times have changed, the ways that Kenshin followed will never wither.

What a great way to conclude this long-running series. There wasn't much of a reunion to speak of, but the finale showed of the main characters moving on with their lives and do the best they can for themselves; it was especially touching on Yahiko's part. Until the very end, "Rurouni Kenshin" is still one of the few shonen manga that has a deep story while maintaining this light-hearted content that'll appeal to everyone. I've grown to love the action, the unorthodox characters (except for Misao), Kenshin's mannerisms, and the concept of honor and life, along with the readings of Watsuki's obsession over Samurai Showdown and action figures. I'll miss the series, but as long as Watsuki can draw, we can expect more of him in the future: "Buso Renkin" anyone?

- EXIT REVIEW

[Reviewer's View: The Jinchu Arc]

I do have some views about the Jinchu arc; I could talk about the arcs before, but most of you have seen the anime version, either on DVD or on Cartoon Network, so there's no need. Personally, I find the whole arc to be a hit-and-miss. The arc reveals Kenshin's morbid yet surprisingly-humorous past (compared to the OAVs) as a hitokiri, explaining how he got his cross-shaped scar (which leads to an ironic reputation, no less), and how one expression-less woman changed his violent ethics into the pacifist he is now. There was a huge character point in the arc when Enishi "killed" Kaoru (which is actually a fake corpse, which most of us saw this coming), which led to Kenshin go into this motionless emo phase, reminiscing and regretting about his failures until he's back on his feet when he realizes that the past shouldn't change the good of what he's doing now, and that was before he knew Kaoru's really alive. Those were the good parts.

My biggest irk about the Jinchu arc is the main villain: Enishi Yukishiro. I just couldn't see him as a bad-to-the-bone villian; he's not as dangerous as Shishio or Saito, and I'm sure even Jin-E could've whupped him. I can understand his reasons are more personal, and while his attempts are threatening, his persona couldn't match. Then again, he's not so much a villain as he is a viral fragment of Kenshin's bloody memories. It's more bothersome when the sub-villains, some are wicked like the long-armed "Carnage"-like freak, are taken out early in the arc. When I found out about Enishi's weakness and the capture of Kaoru, the story and the pacing starts to become lukewarm as if Watsuki's doing the manga on auto-pilot. Overall, the arc may be a heck of a lot [better] than the final arc created for the anime, but it just isn't as grand as I expected. At least it brought out a great closure.

Now I Can Finally Rest!!!!.......2006-07-04

Finally after 27 volumes da Rurouni Kenshin Series is finally over. i am gonna spoil da ending.......da fight between Kenshin and Enishi comes to a powerful climax wen both use there final and most powerful styles. It ends wit obviuosly Kenshin winning and Enishi goin 2 jail(but he escapes). Everyone is leaving Tokyo including Megumi, Sanosuke and Aoshi and Misao leaving just Kenshin, kaoru and Yahiko. After da sad departure from friends 5 years past entering the 15th year of the Meiji.

During this time Yahiko becomes leading instructor of da Kamiya Kasshin Dojo( unbeleivably he is known as da 5th best swordsman in all East Japan and has at least 18 pupils). Kenshin and Kaoru have a 4 year old son named Kenji (yea there married n had SEX). Kenshin faced Yahiko one more time because on the 15th birthday of a swordsman there is a tradition dat a master or guardian faces there pupil to see how much they matured over the years. It ends up in a draw and Kenshin gives Yahiko his Sakabato (reversed-blade sword). and den it ends happily with Kenshins family walkin and all dat.

One more thing about da book.......wen I saw how long it was I was expecting a long satisfying ending to da series but it ended up bein jus half of the book. the second half of the book is a short story from Nabhiro Watski called "Meteor Strike" and den after dat is a preview to another series Nabuhiro is workin on. so don't expect da whole 200 sumthin pages to be all bout Kenshin..............

A great end to the series.......2006-06-20

Enishi, a crazed young man whose sister was killed by Kenshin years ago, has come back to haunt Kenshin. After casting Jinchu (judgement) on Kenshin and 'killing' Kaoru, Kenshins love interest, he runs away with Kaoru captive to his remote island.

Kenshin, depressed he could not save Tomoe (Enishis sister and kenshins previous wife) and now could not save Kaoru, goes off and sulks. While he is finding the 'truth' of whether he, having killed so many, should die or live, his friends battle on and he is finally convinced to go off and find Kaoru.

This book depicts Kenshin and his final battle with Enishi. Although almost superhuman, Enishi ends up with real human feelings. The battle between crazed brother and depressed hitokiri is short, and ends with the secret move amakakeru ryu no hirameki. After Enishi is taken away by the police, kenshin and kaoru are reunited. I won't say anymore for those who haven't read it yet, but the ending is really sweet.

Book Description

Will Rogers was quoted more often than any other source besides the Bible and Shakespeare. Now his insightful, never vulgar wit is brought together in a collection of sayings organized by topic.

Customer Reviews:

A man its hard not to like .......2005-07-05

My father , of blessed memory had a great affection for Will Rogers. He always used to quote the famous ," I never met a man I didn't like". I think it was Rogers plain commonsense humor, a certain honesty and telling the truth as he saw it, which impressed my father. And perhaps also the Rogers ability to deflate great pretensions and poke quiet fun at those in power. He tells us that if companies gave us much money to developing their products as to advertising them then they wouldn't have to advertise them. He points out one very large group of unemployed people is the ' advice- givers'. He wryly remarks about the difference between agriculture in the old days when they paid you to grow things, and agriculture now when they pay you not to.
He was a much beloved America, a man of the people who seemed a living embodiment of the American faith that the small man who came from a small place could really be the biggest man of all.

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Comprehensive look at Chinese auteurs

Speaking in Images: Interviews with Contemporary Chinese Filmmakers (Global Chinese Culture)
Michael Berry
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Direction & Production | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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Chinese Films in Focus: 25 New Takes (World Film & Television)

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Chinese National Cinema (National Cinemas Series.)

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The Urban Generation: Chinese Cinema and Society at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century

ASIN: 0231133316

Book Description

"I always compare filmmaking to cooking. Shooting is like buying the groceries. You buy all kinds of ingredients and the better ingredients you get, the better chance you have of making the movie you want."-Ang Lee, from Speaking in Images

Speaking in Images offers an engaging and rare collection of interviews with the directors who have changed the face of Chinese and international cinema. Michael Berry's discussions with such directors as Ang Lee ( Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Zhang Yimou ( Hero), Chen Kaige ( Farewell My Concubine), Stanley Kwan ( Lan Yu), Tsai Ming-Liang ( Vive l'Amour), Edward Yang ( Yi Yi), and Hou Hsiao-hsien ( Flowers of Shanghai) offer an eclectic and comprehensive portrait of contemporary Chinese cinema.

In interviews that capture each filmmaker's unique vision, the subjects discuss their formative years, the ideas and influences that shaped their work, film aesthetics, battles with censors and studios, the mingling of commercial and art film, and the future of Chinese cinema in a transnational context. Berry's introduction to the collection provides an overview of Chinese cinema in the second half of the twentieth century, placing the directors and their work in a wider historical and cultural context.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensive look at Chinese auteurs.......2006-05-21

Fascinating interviews from virtually every prominent Chinese director working today, including Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Ang Lee, Hou Hsiao-hsien, and Edward Yang. Although, curiously, missing perhaps the most influential and "hip" auteur of all, Wong Kar-wai, it also includes some young up and comers like Jia Zhangke, Zhang Yuan, and Li Yang. The question and answer sessions, conducted by the author over the past several years from around the world, ranging from their home turfs to various promotional visits in New York, etc, show detailed research and preparation aforehand. The interviews delve into the personal histories of the filmmaker to see what cultural and historical experiences, especially during their adolescence and developing years, influenced their works (eg. parents dying during Mao's Cultural Revolution, social turmoil during the Taiwanese revolts against Nationalist hegemony). Interviews then follow into their filmographies, with their key works (eg. Tian Zhuangzhuang's "Horse Thief", Edward Yang's "A Brighter Summer Day") questioned in depth.

The filmmakers were usually very forthcoming about their works, such as the effect of censorship by the government, regrettable choices in project selection (eg. Chen Kaige's foray into Hollywood with "Killing Me Softly"), and the difficulty in trying success in Asia with the poorly developed distribution system and rampant piracy. Extensive bibliographies following each chapter offer more analysis if the reader is interested. Overall, a comprehensive and illuminating look into the minds and works of the most prominent auteurs in and around China.

Those interested in the prominently featured "Fifth Generation" may want to take a gander at Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy: The Genesis of China's Fifth Generation (by Zhen Ni).

Book Description

Featuring chapters by the world's foremost scholars in music education and cognition, this handbook is a convenient collection of current research on music teaching and learning. This comprehensive work includes sections on arts advocacy, music and medicine, teacher education, and studio instruction, among other subjects, making it an essential reference for music education programs. The original Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning, published in 1992 with the sponsorship of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), was hailed as "a welcome addition to the literature on music education because it serves to provide definition and unity to a broad and complex field" (Choice). This new companion volume, again with the sponsorship of MENC, explores the significant changes in music and arts education that have taken place in the last decade. Notably, several chapters now incorporate insights from other fields to shed light on multi-cultural music education, gender issues in music education, and non-musical outcomes of music education. Other chapters offer practical information on maintaining musicians' health, training music teachers, and evaluating music education programs. Philosophical issues, such as musical cognition, the philosophy of research theory, curriculum, and educating musically, are also explored in relationship to policy issues. In addition to surveying the literature, each chapter considers the significance of the research and provides suggestions for future study. Covering a broad range of topics and addressing the issues of music education at all age levels, from early childhood to motivation and self-regulation, this handbook is an invaluable resource for music teachers, researchers, and scholars.

Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning

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Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning
Richard Colwell
Manufacturer: Schirmer Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning: A Project of the Music Educators National Conference

ASIN: 0028705017

Book Description

NO OTHER GUIDE HAS:

        SOLUTIONS so complete we despise you for needing to use them!

        HINTS so subtle you've got to be a bit of a smart-ass to understand them!

        DESCRIPTIONS of natural language parsing engines and object-oriented
          programming by people who ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT!

        UNCENSORED PHOTOS of DOUGLAS ADAMS in the VERY ACT OF WRITING!

        ILLUSTRATIONS from people who've won REAL OSCARS!

        INSIGHTS into the SECRET LIVES of PROGRAMMERS!

        NO-HOLDS-BARRED back stories to all the CHARACTERS!

Customer Reviews:

Needed to get through it.......2003-07-06

If you have "Starship Titanic", Douglas Adams last CD-ROM game, this book will get you through it, plus there's some sly Adams wit sprinkled throughout.

Review.......2002-10-23

I loved the book that's why I gave it the maximum rating. I think it's the best book (sorry strategy guide) ever! Thank God they're making a sequle to Starship Titanic! (I got the info about a sequle at the Starship Titanic website.)

The book has a few sections which are: A) Table Of Contents, B) The Blerontin Bugle, C) Meet The Bots, D) The PET, E) Hints, F) Solutions, G) Index, and finally H) website information (well actually it's some "thing" about the website.) I also like the front cover. It's pretty.

In the middle of the Hints section of the book (well not in the middle they're spread out over the section) are some articles and footnotes on the making of Starship Titanic (the footnotes are just little notes ont the interior spaces and the areas ot the Titanic.) The Blerinton Bugle section of the book gives some good back story clues. Meet the Bots is funny but they left two bots out they are Rowbot (the gondaliers) and Boppy Headcase the pianist in the music room [he is the one who bangs his head}.) ThePET section is annoyingly stupid. Hints is a little too spefic. And Soultions is too step-by-step informative.

All and all I loved the book because the Solutions aren't stupid "try this" and "try that" kind of solutions they're "do this" and "do that" solutions. I think the book is superb and I say: "Bravo Doug you've done it!"

Starship Titanic Startgey Guide Review.......2002-10-23

When I bought Starship Titanic Gold Edition I got the Starship Titanic Stragety Guide Included. When I browsed through it I noticed the book had interesting subjects from the Starship Titanic game the problem is that it has an anoying part where you can accidently open to a spolier or too good a hint. Even though I loved it! It was an excellent book. I like it because it has 3 main sections: I)Blerontin Bugle, II)Hints and III)Solutions. It also has some lesser important sections called:1)Table Of Contents, 2)The PET and 3)Index. It also has a page that gives the website address. I'll give you one hint read the book!

Interesting background material, but weak hint section.......2000-06-28

This guide to the adventure game "Starship Titanic" wants to do three things at once. First, it gives more background to the Starship and the characters in the game. Second, there are stories from behind the scenes, telling how the game came to be. Interesting stuff, but unfortunately all this leave too little room for what I consider the most important part: The hint section.

The cover promises "subtle hints" and "complete solutions". This made me expect gradually more obvious hints for each problem, each hint on a separate line to avoid reading too far. In the book, each overall problem has its own section, but the section itself is one long description of how to solve the problem. This makes it VERY easy to read too far. I recommend reading the hint section one line at a time, with the rest of the page covered by a piece of paper. The hints are in themselves good enough, but not always subtle enough. And the prose flows TOO WELL: You read on where you should pause and return to the game! At least the most outright spoilers are kept in a separate section of the book.

I enjoyed reading about Douglas Adams' visions of the game and I found the sections on the creation of the game very interesting. If this guide had been sold as a hint book but as background material I would have rated it 4 stars (but to tell the truth, I would probably not have bought it in the first place for just that - I am a Douglas Adams fan, but there are limits).

All in all: The book contains quite a bit of interesting material, but personally I would have preferred a plain hint book of better quality.

The Strategy Guide that could not possibly go wrong...........1998-09-20

In the genre of PC Game Strategy Guides, it may be difficult or impossible to consider the book without reference to the game. That said, Neil Richards' "Starship Titanic: the Official Strategy Guide" is an essential, albeit well-padded, guide to an underwhelming gaming experience.

The guide begins with forty pages of fluff, mostly unhelpful, unfunny introductions to the main, animate characters in the game: the "bots" - well-meaning, malfunctioning, robotic crew of the Starship.

This is followed by sixty-some pages of what the author curiously calls "hints". In the best of worlds, a player, frustrated by the mind-numbing pedantry of the game itself, would expect this section of the guide to offer subtle suggestions on clues that may have been overlooked. In fact, it consists of verbose solutions to the trite, often silly, puzzles aboard the Starship Titanic. Unlike Myst or Riven, Starship Titanic requires little more "strategy" than hit-or-miss bumbling about and rudimentary linking of tasks, so perhaps these type of "hints" are appropriate to the situation.

The next section, titled "Solutions", is merely a repeat of the previous section, minus the blather. It lists the step-by-step procedures for obtaining and assembling each of the pieces of the puzzle. Don't be tempted to use this section to speed up the boring part of the game to get to the "good stuff", or you'll quickly find yourself at the end of the game with nothing to look forward to except -- perish the thought!! -- a sequel.

Average customer rating:
Starship Titanic: The Official Strategy Guide
Douglas Adams
Manufacturer: Random House Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K3QI9E

Average customer rating:

All Hype and Ego with a few scattered stats easily found elsewhere

Good content could do without the witty pilot narrative

Interesting, but a little creepy

An excellent resource

Life 2.0

Life 2.0: How People Across America Are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness
Rich Karlgaard
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Motivation & Self-Improvement | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Boomtown USA: The 7-1/2 Keys to Big Success in Small Towns

Cities Ranked and Rated: More than 400 Metropolitan Areas Evaluated in the U.S. and Canada, 1st Edition

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Best Places to Raise Your Family, First Edition (Rated)

Moving To A Small Town: A Guidebook To Moving From Urban To Rural America

ASIN: 0609810316
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Book Description

Do You Know Where Your Happiness Lies?

In The Purpose Driven Life, I consider the question “What on earth am I here for?” This book considers another important question: “Where on earth should I be living?” Is where you live worth the stress? No one is forcing you to stay where you are. It’s your choice. —From the foreword by Dr. Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life

Would you be happier if you lived somewhere else? A place where the quality of life is greater than the cost of living? Such places do exist—you just have to look a little harder to find them. The answer probably doesn’t lie in the big coastal cities: the cost-of-living gap between those urban areas and the heartland is an immense chasm. And yet the “sophistication gap” between these regions is steadily shrinking—cable tv, computers, fax machines, cell phones, and broadband Internet access are making it possible to work almost anywhere.

Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard wanted to explore the new appeal of “flyover” country, and he decided to sky-hop around America in a single-engine Cessna, talking to people—those with a nose for entrepreneurship, a faith in technology, and the willingness to take a chance—who found their bliss in places like Green Bay, Wisconsin; Des Moines, Iowa; and Bozeman, Montana.

America offers up scores of these gems—cities and towns with a winning combination of low cost of living and high quality of life—and Karlgaard provides an in-depth look at the country’s 150 cheapest (and greatest) places to live.

Life 2.0 is the story of those who are living larger lives in smaller places, and a road map for those who want to follow their lead.

Where is your happiness? Check out Life 2.0’s “150 Cheapest Places to Live” section, featuring dozens of cities and towns that offer the good life at a great price.

Customer Reviews:

All Hype and Ego with a few scattered stats easily found elsewhere.......2007-06-10

I was quite disappointed with this book. Having lived on both coasts as well as Alaska and the Heartland, I was expecting a book about the quality of life in various locations as promised in the book descriptives. It's not about quality of life -- it's all about how much more a high six-figure income (if moved as is) goes in one place vs. another (readily available on dozens of web sites). If you are the founder of an enormously successful hedge fund or the software guru behind a recent IPO that broke records -- then this book is for you. It talks about others just like you that have left NYC for Idaho. It's all about how much more you can buy in Montana than you can in San Francisco - assuming you have the financial ability to fund a move away (geographically) from your current source of income. It's not about re-inventing yourself or about "2.0" of your life as a departure (something different) from 1.0. It's all about the cost of big houses and country clubs in Big City XYZ vs Beautiful Small Town XYZ. The second most dominant charactertistic of the book is the author's piloting prowess ("I make a steeply banked turn left and keep it going round for a full 180 degrees...I go for the slip....it works...not a bad piece of flying for a rookie...") What those missives have to do with the book title is beyond me. I can usually find something useful in most any piece of non-fiction, but this book is a complete waste of time unless you're interested in flying trivia (someone else's) and stories about Fortune 5 execs deciding to move.

Good content could do without the witty pilot narrative.......2007-04-12

The narrative on his flights around the country became distracting, but at the end of the day his points are made in a compelling way, this was the book i was hoping for when I bought it...

Interesting, but a little creepy.......2006-12-01

I could relate, at first, to the author's feelings that a good salary doesn't buy much anymore on America's coasts. But after reading for a while I got pretty creeped out by how much the author is into status and competing with the Joneses. If you have to move to some ugly backwater town just so you can afford to belong to a "country club" and buy nice golf outfits, go ahead! I'd rather live in a condo in a place that has more going for it than neighbors who are transplants and care only about having a 3,000 sq ft house! Boooring. Who wants a huge house in a place where there's nothing to do!
I feel that the topic of how the middle class is suffering under oppressive home prices is a very important topic, but the author misses what matters. It's not that we need 3,000 sq ft houses! We just need something nicer than a rental apartment. Most people don't care so much about status that they're willing to live in the sticks in order to afford the ridiculous extravagances that the author seems to assume are a part of a middle class professional lifestyle: "private schools, European or tropical vacations, private club membership, a housekeeper who comes at least twice a week, a lawn crew that comes once a week, wardrobes that are contemporary, come from nice stores, and are plentiful enough to fit any occasion...serious business meetings, sports coats and golf shirts, and weekend garb for boating or fly-fishing." Come on!

An excellent resource.......2006-11-03

I was really looking for a book just like this in deciding where to move and I wasn't disappointed.

He does talk a fair amount about flying which wasn't as interesting to me, but it doesn't really detract from the point of the book.

If you are considering a move or particularly if you are interested in geographic arbitrage, this book goes a long way to helping you find places to investigate further.

Life 2.0.......2006-08-20

If you live on one of the expensive Coasts, this is a must read if you are serious about your future!

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