How Writing Came About

Book Description

"Discoveries in the history of writing are rare, but Denise Schmandt-Besserat made one in realizing that phonetic writing in the West descends not from pictography, a view repeated everywhere, but from abstract, nonphonetic, mostly noniconographic accounting tokens used in Neolithic farming communities of the Near East beginning from about 8000 B.C. A condensation of volume I of Before Writing ...this book is a perfect production, utterly lucid, thoughtfully illustrated, and thoroughly convincing."

—American Journal of Archaeology

In 1992, the University of Texas Press published Before Writing, Volume I: From Counting to Cuneiform and Before Writing, Volume II: A Catalog of Near Eastern Tokens. In these two volumes, Denise Schmandt-Besserat set forth her groundbreaking theory that the cuneiform script invented in the Near East in the late fourth millennium B.C.—the world's oldest known system of writing—derived from an archaic counting device.

How Writing Came About draws material from both volumes to present Schmandt-Besserat's theory for a wide public and classroom audience. Based on the analysis and interpretation of a selection of 8,000 tokens or counters from 116 sites in Iran, Iraq, the Levant, and Turkey, it documents the immediate precursor of the cuneiform script.

Customer Reviews:

An interesting scholarly book........2007-01-29

This book will take you through the ruins of an ancient city in Mesopotamia and then will explain the meaning of certain tablets and clay coins found there. The author is very clear in her explanations, there are plenty of pictures and graphics which make your understanding of the text easier. This book is for those who like reading scholarly material because it is very concise and precise on the subject but it could seem dry reading to those who prefer the material to be presented in a more entertaining way.
I found it very interesting, and it helped me understand the transition from letters to numbers. I loved it!

You Owe Me.......2005-11-20

Holy Moley! By Internet standards, the first (and only, until mine) review of this book is of a seemingly archaeological date, seven years ago, that is. Well, I suppose this review won't make much difference when (if) it's read seven years from now! This book is, obviously, a work by a scholar, which is an entirely different category of "being smart." We don't call upon scholars to fix our plugged-up toilets or change the flat tire on our car or restore the electricity, but, if you know just enough history to be grateful to live in our consumer-friendly epoch, you'll be grateful that some out there have dedicated their lives to recording and analyzing the long process of human growth, and the growth of civilization. You can have your Back To Nature fantasies--I'll take the hot shower and electric coffee maker, thank you very much. This particular work, apparently, is a condensation of a two-volume scholarly work, one which, I am sure, that I will never read. But the current volume (the second half of which I read last night, while eating fancy crackers and drinking humble red wine--giving me a connection, I felt, to the agrarian Past of Sumer and Uruk, etc.) is about as good as it gets for laymen (me). For me, it's almost like a religious text, transcending race, language, skin color, nationalism; it's like a Time Machine that takes you back within the range of a subtle sniff of our "egalitarian" prehistoric ancestors; "egalitarian" meaning a small-population culture where you pretty much fed yourself and participated in the group without the framework of authority other than myth and ritutal. A fun read for those who have exhausted the cultural potentialities of SIMPSONS reruns. I wholeheartedly agree with the author's thesis that counting preceded writing. In fact, it was my hunch--from my own reading and thinking--that this was so that prompted me to search for a book with this theory. It just makes sense. I highly doubt that any early resident of a city started the road to high civilization talking about "ennui" or "existentialism." They talked about, "Hey! I paid you this much last month. And you owe me this much tomorrow." Makes sense to me. Just the evidence-supported argument alone that breaking the counting-beyond-three barrier took thousands of years was worth the cover price to me. The single concept (and revelation) that in no way is the faculty of counting beyond three inate to brain function and hence, inate to our modern minds, is simply stunning to me, and adds a dose of gratitude to my daily life, a realization that makes it easier to laugh off the troubles of modern life. We owe so much to the hundreds of generations of men and women who have gone before us, most just living day to day. A good read, especially when enjoyed with fancy crackers and red wine...and about forty years' worth of reading, living and reflecting. So far as what the next review will address: I ain't holding my breath--and that is a very archaelogical attitude.

An expert traces language.......1998-09-30

Schmandt-Besserat is not only an acknowledged leader in epigraphy, she is one of the only linguists to study the slowly evolving history of the assyro-babylonian literary culture. This book, and any other by this author, is strongly reccommended for any library or archeological department.

Writing lessons: author Patricia Hampl tells how she came to actually believe the advice: write about what you know. (Special Fall Book Section).(Excerpt): An article from: U.S. Catholic

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Writing lessons: author Patricia Hampl tells how she came to actually believe the advice: write about what you know. (Special Fall Book Section).(Excerpt): An article from: U.S. Catholic
Patricia Hampl
Manufacturer: Claretian Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from U.S. Catholic, published by Claretian Publications on November 1, 2002. The length of the article is 2252 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Writing lessons: author Patricia Hampl tells how she came to actually believe the advice: write about what you know. (Special Fall Book Section).(Excerpt)
Author: Patricia Hampl
Publication: U.S. Catholic (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2002
Publisher: Claretian Publications
Volume: 67 Issue: 11 Page: 18(3)

Article Type: Excerpt

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

spirit of 55.......2000-06-20

This book by Ted Polhemus give a reasonably objective view of the Diesel Fashion philosophy/empire, although it does not expand very much on the Renzo Rosso penned "Forty" book published by Diesel previously. One of the big problems with the fast moving fashion industry is that books that attempt to describe an organisation can only really reflect the organisations progress at a given time. Consequently, although there are good attempts at explaining the fact that Diesel largely split its organisation into those areas catering for Denim (D-Diesel), The extreme sports range (55 DSL) and the fashion ranges it cannot reflect the fact that the high fashion range had now been termed Diesel StyleLab and been given its own flagship stores in New York and London. The book also deals with other aspects that Diesel is well known for, aside from clothes directly, with good coverage of the highly impressive (but maybe agressive) Diesel advertising campaign (For Successful Living) and also the Pelican Hotel (Diesel's very own Hotel, styled in typically Diesel manner, at South Beach-Florida). To summarize, Diesel:world wide wear is an interesting read both for all those people interested in The Diesel philosophy and for the casual reader.

Book Description

Jiro is a student of the KoZu Sword School, an underground training camp in midtown Manhattan that takes in orphans and twists and transforms them into Bushido warriors. The Yakuza use these kids in death matches staged across the city rooftops where Japanese businessmen gamble heavily on the always-fatal outcome. This killing life is all Jiro has ever known. But a rendezvous with fate is about to change all of that. In one moment Jiro realizes that everything he has lived for is a lie.The Samurai live by the Bushido code, one of which is RECTITUDE: the righting of wrongs. Now with the only ally he has-his sword--Jiro is forced to make the hardest decision of his life.

Customer Reviews:

Five Star Review!.......2003-09-02

For many years I have collected comics. Unlike alot of folks that consider themselves collectors, I usually base my purchases oh who is writing and or illustrating the books. So, unlike a fan of let's say the X-Men, I do not go to my local shop (MCCOMICS.com)each week and pick up 14 different titles based only on those characters. I will instead pick up an X-Men book if it is being handled by someone like Michael Avon Oeming. No, Michael isn't doing any X-Men books that I know of, and that isn't the point. My point is that Mr. Oeming is the type creator that I follow from book to book, be it his ongoing series Powers with Brian Bendis or his personal project Hammer of the Gods (both with Image comics by the way). Michael also does solo projects with fellow artists and writers, and for my money, Bastard Samurai has been the most rewarding of those types of collaborations.

Yes, I do own the original comics from the mini-series that comprises this collection. Even with those original issues I was more than happy to get another version of the story, this time in a handsomely designed collection by Image Comics. Besides getting the main story and the back-up stories that ran in each book of the series, you also get some behind the scenes information on how the series was created. In the era of dvds, where even "chick movies" have tons of extra features on their discs, it's kind of cool to see that some comic book creators have adopted this to book form, and in the case of Bastard Samurai, did a quality job of it.

Regarding the actual book, what can I say? Beautiful bright animation-style illustration with a very tight story that you will find yourself reading over several times. Although I'm not particularly crazy about movie comparisons, in the case of this book, it is warranted. Mike and his creative team expertly crafted a tale that rolls along the pages like a feature animation...

When is the movie coming out?.......2003-09-02

Wow what a ride...get this book if you can and for the price not a bad deal!!!!!!!

when's the movie coming out?.......2003-09-02

Okay... ok,i was thinking out loud but man this is a great find especially for the price.the story is so cinematic that the writer must of spent years doing the research.And i must say it shows!do your self a favor and get this book/Graphic novel/ tradepaperback. .

Oeming proves he's the 'Bastard'.......2003-09-02

This is a great little comic. I didn't care for it much at first, but the more I got into it the better it became. It was originally touted as a samurai-Fight Club, but it's a lot more. High octane action, wove around a gripping tale of a lone samurai's quest. In this story, Oeming proved himself as a more than competent writer in my eyes. And the artwork by Gunter is just really amazing and fitting for the tone. The only problem I have with it is that it's much too short.

really good.......2003-05-21

sure the title for the review is short but the comic book is great. the story takes place in modern day new york and revolves around Jiro the best killer in his class. the background of most of the fights takes place on rooftops and the occasional apartment. the illistration and story are top notch i can't wait for the second one (if they make one that is).

Bastard Special Edition Vol. 1 (Basutaado Kanzenban) (in Japanese)

Average customer rating:

Bastard Special Edition Vol. 1 (Basutaado Kanzenban) (in Japanese)
Kazushi Hagiwara
Manufacturer: Shueisha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: 4087826619

Bastard Vol. 1 (Basutaado) (in Japanese)

Average customer rating:

Explosive Wizard Bastard
Venom!

Bastard Vol. 1 (Basutaado) (in Japanese)
Kazushi Hagiwara
Manufacturer: Shueisha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
Similar Items:

ASIN: 4088710630

Book Description

Bastard is acclaimed for its mix of striking artwork, sexy characters, and graphic storytelling. The kingdom of Metallicana is under siege by evil armies of monsters. The desperate defenders turn to a legend that a virgin's kiss may awaken the wizard "Dark Schneider" from his slumber inside the innocent boy Lucien. Thanks to his sister Yoko, Lucien metamorphoses into the powerful, lecherous wizard. With demons, dragons, and other dark forces roaming the land, and Dark Schneider barely under control, the question remains: will Metallicana ever know a lasting peace?

Customer Reviews:

Explosive Wizard Bastard.......2005-09-17

Good stuff, now if only they'd translate the rest of this series.

Venom!.......2005-08-25

I'm a recent convert to the manga genre so I have been a litle picky about what I buy but I couldn't resist Bastard! I have the amime and really enjoyed it.That being said I was glad to see that the anime had not strayed to far from the manga, and I was able to enjoy Dark Schneider again this time in print.
If you know nothing about Bastard then let me introduce you to the rock and roll post apocaylpse world where the only thing standing between the forces of evil and the good people of Metallicana is the former leader of the evil forces? Enter Dark Schneider a wizard of enormous power and only one control switch a young girl named Yoko. So let the fun begin as we watch Dark Schneider defeat wizards, save the girl and stay true to himself.
Of note however, is that this is a fun and action packed shonen manga that does show women as " sex objects". So if you have a hang up about that this is not the manga for you.On the opposite side of the coin if you are open to the possibilities and think that Dark Schneider is a "cutie" then this is a good read. There is only one other detractor from this manga by Kazushi Hagiwara for me and that is there is a litle too much background filler in the scenes that tends to make it a little dificult to read at first but still an over all excelent manga for your collection.

Average customer rating:

The Bastard Vol. 1: The Kent Chronicles

Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HN5Z6E

Selected Editions Vol. 1 2000: Black Notice, Eddie's Bastard, Boundary Waters, The Innocents Within

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Selected Editions Vol. 1 2000: Black Notice, Eddie's Bastard, Boundary Waters, The Innocents Within
William Kowalski, William kent Krueger, Robert Daley Patricia Cornwell
Manufacturer: Reasders Digest Assoc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TV1PXQ

Average customer rating:

Bastard Samurai Vol 1 #2
Michael Avon Oeming
Manufacturer: Image Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IMPE4C

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Bastard Samurai Vol 1 #2
Michael Avon Oeming
Manufacturer: Image Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IMPE3S

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Bastard Samurai Vol 1 #3
Michael Avon Oeming
Manufacturer: Image Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IMLNTW

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Bastard Samurai Vol 1 #3
Michael Avon Oeming
Manufacturer: Image Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IMK0QE

Book Description

Club throwing is an art! It relieves stress, burns calories and it keeps the other players on the course on their toes. So there's no need to lie, no need to be embarrassed. You're a club thrower--welcome to the club.

Here's your official guide to the art of club throwing, and it includes:

--Throwing clubs for distance and accuracy

--Club throwing Q&A

--The 20 basic throws

--What to do when you're REALLY teed off

Book Description

Half of Flash is AUDIO, not just visual: Don't let bad sound ruin your great looking Flash site. Flash Audio Magic is organized into six projects-based sections, each of which contains several stepped-through tutorials for mastering a critical component of creating and integrating audio with Flash. These six sections are followed by four appendices completely covering the myriad resources on the book's CD and how to use them, keyboard shortcuts, bibliography (books and web sites), and more. The CD-ROM includes trail version of Flash, ACID Pro 3.0, copy of ACID Xpress, Vegas Audio 2.0, SoundForge XP, 4.5, library of ACID loops, FLA, SWF and WAV examples, list of online resources. Flash Audio Magic is not tied to a specific rev of Flash.

Customer Reviews:

Finally a Book Dealing with Audio in Flash.......2003-11-01

As with any book of this type, you buy it and hope that there's something you can glean from it that is useful.

This book, while far from a complete reference, has already provided me with some good tips on a current project. Flash and audio is partly the subject along with the programs that create or enhance audio such as Acid Pro and SoundForge, and how you use the results in Flash.

If you don't have any advanced audio applications, don't buy this book; you'll likely be disappointed because you'll have to rely on whatever demo versions of this software are available. But, if you are a multimedia professional and have one or more of these integral audio tools, you'll find some good information along with what you already knew -- and it's information that will prove valuable not only for Flash, but also Director and DV if you do that too.

I'm still waiting for the definitive "audio in multimedia" reference, but this will give me some stuff to work on and think about until I find it.

This Book is not for everyone.......2003-10-27

I'm somewhat new to Flash, although I understand Flash well enough to design most things seen on the web, the actionscripting used in the book was far more advanced than I anticipated. I bought the book because I'm interested in better audio for my projects, but after reading about 1/2 the book, I'm going to have to put it away until I have a better understanding of actionscripting. I would not recomend this book to the beginner or even intermediate designer.

Flash designers need not ignore this book!.......2003-03-21

I love Flash, and I am an audio designer for over 20 years. It has baffled me how so many great Flash designers wow me visually and totally ingore the power of streaming audio in Flash. Brad Kozak has organized this information and hit the nail on the head of what it takes to make quality audio, covers the tools and techniques to do it right are allin this book. I bought it as a reference, but I suggest it be required reading for anyone designing Flash presentations for the web and CDroms. Silent movies didn't last very long in Hollywood and there is no reason Flash movies should remain silent or contain mindless music loops when audio that supports the visuals is so easy to deliver in Flash.

Great book for Multimedia!.......2002-11-05

This is a great book, especially the style used in writing the actual code. Great instruction on using audio editing programs, and how they relate to the Flash projects. Excellent instruction for linking audio button to animated button. Amazing demonstration of "Multiple Logic" for button behavior. Great video game instruction. I like that there is a website for it, and I really appreciate that the entire project is included on CD-Rom to study. I am inspired by the chapter illustrating how to define the project with the client. It really helps when an author discusses how to actually run a web-based business.

Book Description

Paul Williams has been writing about pop music for decades, never flagging in his enthusiasm or his emotional and intellectual openness to the newest music. He has been doing this ever since he founded the rock magazine, Crawdaddy, in 1966. His insight into how it feels when we listen to certain performers or certain performances makes a connection between music and reading that is rare and fascinating. Whether its Bob Dylan or Brian Wilson, Pearl Jam or Nirvana, Paul Williams can reveal something we didn't know we knew when we listened to the music. This is what rock criticism was invented to do, back in the 1960s, and he has been doing ever since. It's as much fun to read, as the music is to listen to.

Customer Reviews:

Almost as Fun as a Stack of Motown 45s.......2002-04-17

A great, passionate collection of rock criticism penned by one of the best writers of the genre. Paul Williams loves music. He also loves his job and, more than anything else, that love is projected in his writing. Williams portrays a zesty sense of enthusiasm that is sorely missing in present day rock journalism.

While his style is exuberant, Williams never slips into the holier-than-thou stance that has become all too familiar amongst rock scribes. In fact, reading "Miracle Factory" is like hanging out with an older sibling or friend who has an amazing record collection and who, instead of making you feel stupid, wants to share the wealth with you. Sifting through an eclectic mix of artists including Pavement, Neil Young, Liz Phair, Uncle Tupelo and the Grateful Dead, Williams digs deeply into the music. He encourages the reader to open his/her sense of awareness and to discover a freshness even in songs which are more than familiar to most ears. Case in point: his bubbly portrayal of Smokey Robinson's "Bein' With You" cleverly picks out nuances that, no matter how many times you've heard this particular tune, causes you to go back and really disect it. And that, afterall, is precisely what good rock writing is all about -- it's supposed to make you WANT to listen.

The knockout punch, as far as this reader is concerned, is the mesmerizing account of the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" box set. Williams doesn't miss a beat while covering all five discs and gives an especially passionate read on the illustrious "SMiLe" tracks included in that package. (Yep, after finishing the book, I went back and listened to all five discs with headphones. I'd be willing to bet some of you will do the same.)

Overall, "Miracle Factory" is a wonderfully refreshing book which harkens back to the days when great rock critics (Bangs, Marcus, etc.) were almost as famous as the stars they wrote about. A time, might I add, when reading the articulate ramblings of such crits was nearly as fun as listening to records.

Book Description

How smart are you? Though these tough little quizzes offer plenty of entertainment, they're designed to be similar to the ones found in actual IQ tests. Five sections focus individually on verbal, visual, numerical, calculation, and logic skills, while a final chapter called IQ Testers brings every type of question together in twenty tests, with fifteen questions in each. That way, testers can see how well they do in each discipline, and identify their particular strengths and weaknesses. Those with a competitive streak can check out the performance guide-or make it harder by going against the clock.

Average customer rating:

Very enjoyable but a little formulaic
Excellent fun!

Super IQ Tests
Fraser Simpson
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Logic & Brain Teasers | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Testing & Measurement | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0806912472

Book Description

How smart are you? Take 22 fun and challenging tests and you'll know if your IQ is really super. Start with these: 1. In how many ways can you make change for $3.00, using combinations of only dimes and/or nickels? 2. Change one letter in each word below to make a new word. The five new letters, in order, form a word. What is this five-letter word? PROPANE REDNESS IMPRESS REVERIE NOUGAT 3. What four-letter word completes this analogy? PULP is to PUMP as BURY is to ________. Answers: 1. 31 ways. Ignore the nickels. You can use any amount of dimes 0 to 30 dimes, filling in the remaining amount with nickels. 2. FRESH. The new words are proFane, redRess, Empress, reverSe, and nougHt. 3. BUSY. Move the third letter one place forward in the alphabet. Moving L to M makes PULP into PUMP. Similarly, moving R to S makes BURY into BUSY. The author lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 96 pages, 8 x 10.

Customer Reviews:

Very enjoyable but a little formulaic.......2003-02-18

This is a very enjoyable little book. I have used some of the examples (involving pattern matching) in teaching students the bones of computer based reasoning. The questions are mostly good to challenging in quality. However as you plough through the tests, a pattern begins to emerge (somewhat like learning to unravel cryptogram based crosswords) and I suspect this helps improve performance.

The one quibble I have is that the wording of questions is not always clear - perhaps one to two in every fifteeen questions. Just to check this for myself I asked my wife, who is the sharpest blade in our household, to look at a few that I found unclear. She agreed (surprisingly ;-). It is worthwhile digging out the GRE general test for comparison on this point, and you'll readily grasp the importance of clarity in question wording. That being said, it is a worthwhile book and I derived a good deal of satisfaction from it.

Excellent fun!.......2000-12-17

I love puzzles, but usually stay away from these "test your IQ" books (most of them are just ego trips for geeks). I picked this book up at the store, flipped through it, and fell in love with it. Yes, there's a scoring system, but the author makes it clear that's not the point. The puzzles are clever and well presented, and the overall format of the book is perfect. An excellent book for people who like keeping their minds sharp.

Average customer rating:

Fun and Challenging Tests!

Brain-Flexing IQ Tests
Fraser Simpson
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Puzzles | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 080699391X

Book Description

How great is your brain? Check yourself out with 22 teasers, with 15 parts each and a time limit-it's the first-ever fun-and-games way to rate your intelligence. Some samples you won't find on any regular IQ test:
1. If a shameless grape is a BRAZEN RAISIN, what would you call a little stone in the resistance movement?
2. Three related words have been written in a row, with the vowels removed. Add the vowels to complete the words: L P H N T R M D L L N T L P
3. What common English word contains the consecutive letter sequence XOP?
Answers: 1. REBEL PEBBLE; 2. Elephant, Armadillo, Antelope; 3. Saxophone.
Still more goofiness: Instead of the old scoring method (150 = genius; 70 = dunce), you grade yourself by a chart that rhymes.

Customer Reviews:

Fun and Challenging Tests!.......2005-08-10

I've had the privlege to have Mr. Simpson as a high school math teacher, and I can say that he simply makes the cleverest and wittiest puzzles ever. It's reflected in his series of IQ paperbacks. Of course I'm a bit biased, but hey, at these prices, you can't go wrong!

- A satisfied reader and pupil,
L.H.

Average customer rating:

do not buy............

Sobering

Better than average read

Dead on!

not as good as it could be

Sell Now!: The End of the Housing Bubble
John R. Talbott
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Buying & Selling Homes | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Investments | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Coming Crash in the Housing Market : 10 Things You Can Do Now to Protect Your Most Valuable Investment

Cash in on the Coming Real Estate Crash: How to Protect Yourself From Losses Now, and Turn a Profit After the Bubble Bursts

America's Housing Bubble: The Real Estate Outlook for 2006-2012

How to Profit from the Coming Real Estate Bust: Money-Making Strategies for the End of the Housing Bubble

House Poor : Pumped Up Prices, Rising Rates, and Mortgages on Steroids: How to Survive the Coming Housing Crisis

ASIN: 0312357885
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Book Description

Sell Now! offers a controversial and convincing new explanation of why house prices have been driven to unsustainable highs by government policy and banking interests, and examines what will happen when the bubble deflates. This important and timely book answers the key questions for millions of American homeowners wondering how much their house is really worth, and will prices keep going up? The book addresses: Why are the Fed, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac keeping interest rates low and driving consumers to adjustable rate mortgages? What happens when rates on those mortgages rise quickly? How bad can it get? What to do about it, when, and how. John R. Talbott brings years of experience in investing and economic trend-spotting to bear on these key issues.

Customer Reviews:

do not buy...................2007-05-24

waste of money, a very hard read, and it seems the RE market is doing great in many of the areas he said would tank. After the slowdown late '06-early '07 the RE market has bounced back to the crazy over bidding days.

Sobering.......2007-03-12

Beneficially sobering for anyone considering a house purchase, or for a heads up on a crisis that may very well affect us all! More a concerned warning than an investment plan, the author does a good job explaining the multiplicity of root causes for our current housing predicament. Good news for families unable to afford the current overall ridiculous pricing of housing, bad if you've already bought in.

Better than average read.......2007-03-12

Nice insight into the dark underbelly of US real estate. Slightly paranoid, esp. concerning the Fed,etc...But definitely worth reading

Dead on!.......2006-08-01

I was amazed by this book. Not because of the facts that he proposes within. But the facts that he got right since it's now August and everything he says that would happen at this point (back in January) has. The chickens are coming home to roost folks!

not as good as it could be.......2006-07-05

I liked his other housing boom book much better. This one is not as good and too opinionated. What a shame...

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