Tales of the Old North Shore: Paintings and Companion Stories

A Pictorial History of Costume: A Survey of Costume of All Periods and Peoples from Antiquity to Modern Times Including National Costume in Europe and Non-European Countries
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A Pictorial History of Costume: A Survey of Costume of All Periods and Peoples from Antiquity to Modern Times Including National Costume in Europe and Non-European Countries
Wolfgang Bruhn , and Max Tilke
Manufacturer: Players Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 088734920X

Book Description

In RAWHIDE KID, "Howard Stern Show" writer Ron Zimmerman and legendary Western comics artist John Severin take aim at the lovable red-headed Western scamp we know as "The Rawhide Kid". What happens when the Rawhide Kid rides into one of those beleaguered Western towns on the edge of nowhere, looking better than any cowboy has a right to? What happens when a gang of desperadoes ride into the same town with the intent of lootin' and pillagin'? What ensues proves that no one handles a hot rod like the Rawhide Kid.

Customer Reviews:

Oy..........2007-01-02

I just couldn't get into this book. The Kid's mannerisms were (ignoring the anachronisms) too over-the-top and caricaturish even for a heterosexual like me. I have a feeling some of Marvel's gay readers were alienated by this. Beyond the embarassing and pointless depiction of the Kid, most of the attempts at humor fall flat ("Mayor Bush", anyone?) Plus, the introduction mentions the Kid's background in the original books, and proceeds to ignore it later in the story. Mainly, I have to ask why they chose this particular character to "out". Still, John Severin's art is pretty good, and for that alone I'll give this book two stars.

Don't expect much depth, just enjoy the ride........2006-04-06

This graphic novel is not to be taken seriously. It plays upon a sterotyping of the original comic series in such a wonderful way that you say to yourself 'I knew it all along'. There are moments of plain old fashioned bad jokes and plenty of cowboy humor.

When the Raw Hide Kid rides in to town, trouble, bad guys, and plenty of fashion tips (mostly bad) are sure to follow. A little campy and straight laced, the Kid is not one to take anything lying down... unless you ask nicely.

If you have an open mind and want to enjoy a few quick laughs, get a second hand copy, it's worth it.

Camp Campy, Campy Campers!.......2005-09-27

This is called humor. And humor has never been about being correct historically. Humor has always been about doing whatever it takes to make someone laugh.

I will second the emotion that the Explicit sticker seems to be more for the added sales they believed it would bring. But if you're going to appeal to the majority of gay readers, you'd better have lots and LOTS of skin and/or ferocious sexual escapades.

Some may be placated by the Magna sort of just off camera stuff. But if you make something this gay, but don't have sexual/nudity then you are cutting your throat with the vast number of gay buyers and with it as gay as it is, and purely campy, you're not going to get many straight buyers either.

I don't know the sales totals on this. The publisher is very, very quiet about it. But the comic was not a big seller outside major metropolitan centers and the only folks who bought more than a couple must have been folks like me who would go buy it and hang with my straight male friends and we'd laugh our asses off at it.

Not in a bashing way, mind you. My friends are all very savvy folks. But it was sick funny. It just made me wish they wouldn't have done it to please me so much as have it please some large demographic. Like gay men who buy comics featuring twenty five inch salamis being used as battering rams.

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Don't knock it..........2005-04-02

Sure it would probably have been better if a new character was made gay versus an old standby. Everyone would have preferred that. But some people take what they can get. I enjoyed it.

Yes I had to ignore that it made anachronistic mistakes. But geez louis its not a history lesson. Give it a break. I mean do you look at Superman and think its a history book?

If you didn't like it... Is it that it was gay themed or was it that they changed some detail of a comic... Comic book characters change all the time. So did this one. If it was because it was gay themed then get ready to leave more bad reviews because it is not the last.

If anything I enjoyed it because it was making history.

Skew to the Left.......2004-01-10

With the recent emergence of Western comics coming out in the market, a great deal of time and talk has come out of this. Ay first it started with Apache Skies and Blazing Glory. Now, The Rawhide Kid. And to make matters even more complicated, the hero is gay.

When reading Apache Skies and Blazing Glory that were beatifully written and illustrated, the Rawhide Kid showed no indication that he was gay whatsoever. He was rough, rugged, had a stubble and long hair. His sexual orientation, like any Western comic book simply did not matter. This one, however, different. The way the character puts on his clothes and to the way he styles and grooms himself is simply not the same as the previous two books, which makes you think who is the real Rawhide. Even though it doesn't matter whethe the character was gay or not, his demeanour, which has some tinge of queer eye is simply not 1800s USA. "Puh-leeaze" and "Oh brotherrrr" are not the type of talk of that era. Though Zimmerman clearly tries to bring out the Kid's gay mannerism, his way of talking is incredulous, which takes away the book's charm.

Severin's art is outstanding, but also does not make justice to the story and the character's newfound gayness. The art is rough, in your face and purely and entirely Western. This does not go great when you want to portray the softer side of a character. The work, however, is commendable given the fact that the artist is in his 80s.

The book and story has garnered great publicity and made hiadlines in popular magazines when Mavel decided to make the Rawhide gay. While that did not matter, the presentation and incarnation of him in this book could have been better made. Worth the read though and recommended.

Customer Reviews:

What a Piece of Work is Man!.......2007-09-07

There is a line in an Eddie Murphy stand up routine from the 80's where he says "It's the fart game son you'll play it one day". I picked up this book because frankly I am a gaseous girl, who grew up playing the fart game in my house. My father used to lock the windows to our station wagon and made us guess what he had for breakfast, my sisters used to hold me down and poot in my face, we all did the pull my finger joke and we had our own names for the act:

The Barking Spider, "just stepped on a frog", Chocolate Zephyr, Rumbling Paducah, A Howdy, Perfwanky, Beefed, cat food pancake.

This book is like a bible for me, a reference book, and the encyclopedia fartanica if you will. It isn't just a book that you might put in someone's Christmas stocking to get a guffaw "oh look uncle bob got a book from Santa on farting, what a gas!"
It's full of literary references, Shakespearean sonnets, historical data, scientific facts, myths and legends, all you ever wanted to know but they never taught you in 5th grade biology! Besides all the learning you will accomplish, it's also just a funny read and that's really what the game is all about.

What a hoot!.......2007-05-12

The potty humor in this book and the laughter it evoked from me annoyed my wife in a most excellent way. My wife was, however, impressed by the allusions and citations from classic literature. It is a great book for the excremeditation chamber.

What can I say?.......2007-01-12

For a holiday gift that I purchased as a gag gift for my father..........this gift turned out to be a pretty big hit! The author presents this distasteful subject in a way that actually makes it culturally/historically interesting. This book has now been passed around my family and the subject matter has been dicussed at length and debated. Even my mom (who dislikes this kind of subject-matter) is in on the discussions. Pretty interesting stuff........

Funny and informative.......2006-11-26

An informative book that is funny and serves no purpose. What could be better?

Informative yet funny book!.......2006-02-02

A real "fartingly" funny book! It gives you the medical background information on farts, how they're formed, make the noise, smell, etc. Yet at the sametime you laugh your butt off in the way it's explained.

Who Cut the Cheese?: A Cutting Edge Way of Surviving Change by Shifting the Blame

Average customer rating:

Gross
A Sophisticated Demolition of Corporate Values
Crass, ugly. Don't spend your hard earned cash on this book.
useless toilet humor
Brilliant!

Who Cut the Cheese?: A Cutting Edge Way of Surviving Change by Shifting the Blame
Mason Brown
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Who Stole My Cheese
Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
Nobody Moved Your Cheese!
Who Cut The Cheese? - An A-Mazing Parody about Change (and How We Can Get Our Hands on Yours)
Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results

ASIN: 0743212355

Book Description

Who Cut the Cheese? uses a delightful little fable to encapsulate the fundamental rule of modern American management and the new economy: "Survive change by shifting blame."

The fable revolves around two malevolent rats and two spiteful "Punypeople" who find themselves trapped together in a maze, fighting over a dwindling supply of constantly moving cheese. Some characters adapt readily to this treacherous, shifting environment -- blaming the weak and overpowering the helpless. Others perish in horror, praying for death. Read this book and live!

Written for all ages, the story can be understood by even the youngest reader: The "maze"is a metaphor for life, and the "cheese" is a metaphor for whatever you desire in life -- be it worldly goods, spiritual well-being, or unspeakable sexual encounters too deviant even for the Internet.

The more advanced reader will also understand the secondary message of the book: "Resistance is futile." As soon as change happens, we must accept it immediately or suffer the consequences. This heavy-handed lesson is designed to engender unquestioning obedience to authority, and makes the book an ideal gift for subordinates.

Large companies would be well advised to give this book to each and every one of their employees, especially if they are considering a restructuring to bolster shareholder value. Extremely short, even including illustrations, the story takes less than an hour to read, but its unsettling conclusions on the nature of humanity should last a lifetime!

Download Description

This long overdue parody of the Number One "New York Times" bestseller "Who Moved My Cheese?" is a frank and hilarious look at how we bite, kick, and scream our way through life.

Customer Reviews:

Gross.......2006-03-20

This book is in poor humor. It is intended to be a comic parody of the book "Who Moved My Cheese." I found it to be gross and disgusting. Buyer Beware!!!

A Sophisticated Demolition of Corporate Values.......2005-05-12

Mason Brown's parody only occasionally uses "toilet humor"; vulgarity is used no more than any other literary device in this short volume. Rather, the whole point of Brown's writing is to expose how extended and simple-minded allegories are used to smuggle into a conversation indefensible premises. Flatulence is only one of many unpleasant implications of the WHO STOLE MY CHEESE? allegory. Brown shows what would happen if people in real life fully accepted the premises of American corporate culture: cutthroat competition, the acceptance of any "change" authority hands out, and the cult of the CEO. The painful passages are not about gassy diets but at the end where the references to HEART OF DARKNESS as middle management jerks cut each other down and tear down civilization.

In addition to "vulgarity" and sophistication, there are nice subtle touches, such as sly references to real life corporate disasters like Long Term Capital and Swedish Match Company. Brown is listed as the author of fictional books teaching the same quick fix cutthroat lessons of corporate business for other parts of life; my favorite is: CRY WOLF AND WIN! HOW TO FALSELY ACCUSE RELATIVES OF MOLESTATION AND GAIN ATTENTION AND SYMPATHY. Brown shows us that such immoral tactics are the ultimate meaning of the Jack Welch Way.

WHO CUT THE CHEESE? is, in short, a brilliant morality tale for our times.
By the way, someone should tell Amazon that the Forward's author, Krubenaker, is not a real person.

Crass, ugly. Don't spend your hard earned cash on this book........2004-11-10

Yes, it is a parody of "Who Moved My Cheese". But buy this book only if you are looking to read juvenile bathroom humor, or worse, humor that is sexist and crass.

useless toilet humor.......2003-11-26

a second star is given for the two times it made me chuckle. but if you're trying to decide wether to spend your 13 dollars on this book or in the diner down the street on a cheeseburger and a strawberry shake, opt for the cheeseburger.

unless you are a fan of fart jokes and toilet humor, which i haven't found funny since the age of 9, don't buy this book. there's simply not much there.

Brilliant!.......2001-10-12

My boss forced me to read the original, and it practically killed me.

This book took some of the pain away (though not the recurring nightmares).

As for some reviewers charges of "crudeness" and ethnic stereotyping, I found Brown's coarser jokes to be a refreshingly politically incorrect tonic. It's also what I would expect from the managing editor of National Lampoon. Funny and edgy.

I also liked the parallels to "Heart of Darkness," and the progression into madness and death, but maybe that's reading too much into a parody book with a fart pun for a title.

Who Cut The Cheese? - An A-Mazing Parody about Change (and How We Can Get Our Hands on Yours)
Average customer rating:

Haven't read yet

Rye humour meets stilton at your neighborhood deli !!

Cheesy? No. A truer (than the original) tale of the rat race

Behold, the Odor of Cheese!

One "Grilled Cheese" to go!

Who Cut The Cheese? - An A-Mazing Parody about Change (and How We Can Get Our Hands on Yours)
Stilton Jarlsberg
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Who Cut the Cheese?: A Cutting Edge Way of Surviving Change by Shifting the Blame

Who Stole My Cheese

Nobody Moved Your Cheese!

Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life

ASIN: 0609608916

Book Description

Parody

Who Cut the Cheese? is a parable (Latin for "terrible parody") in which four characters must find a way through a maze in their hunt for "Cheese." But please keep in mind that this cheese is actually symbolic of the things that we all want out of life: success and self-confidence, a nice house, a loving marital relationship, perfect children, a loyal dog, indoor plumbing, good Chinese food, several million tax-free dollars, and red-hot sex with multiple partners.

The "Maze" in this story is symbolic of the twisting, turning, confusing, mugger-filled blind alleys of Your Life. More important, since you're being compared to a rat in this book, the whole "Maze" analogy works like a charm.

When you come to see the "Psychobabble on the Wall," you can discover for yourself how to deal with change and how to find the Cheese that will make your life joyous and fulfilling. Failing that, feel free to take crayons and color in all the pictures. It's fun, it's therapeutic, and it will make it impossible for you to return this book for a refund.

Customer Reviews:

Haven't read yet.......2004-11-13

...because I haven't got it yet - ordered it correctly, and got "Who Cut the Cheese - A Cultural History of the Fart". Just wanted to warn shoppers that there are two VERY DIFFERENT cut the cheese books out there, and not all the used sellers can tell the difference!

Rye humour meets stilton at your neighborhood deli !!.......2003-02-21

Thank heaven for humour and humourists!!-Here I was, literally forced to read "Who moved my cheese" (the serious one!)which was given to me as an Xmas gift. While all the points made good common sense(stating the entirely obvious at a high price) I didn't think mice were entirely appropriate to illustrate the "game of life " or "law of the jungle". When Stilton Jarlsberg came along with the "RATS", that all changed. This parody tells it like it is, with a good many twisted jokes tossed in for good measure. Essentially, this book takes the "goody-two shoes" terms of the Spencer Johnson M.D. book and applies them to real life where things are as as they actually exist, not as you wish them to be. This book is essential to succeed in modern day management and to hone your street survival skills in our modern and turbulent world.
Enjoy!! Reread!! Absorb!! If worst comes to worst, you can always burn it!!

Cheesy? No. A truer (than the original) tale of the rat race.......2002-04-06

For those out there who have felt forced, or coerced by management, to have to read the book, "Who moved my cheese", you will immediately see the immense humor of this parody by Jarlsberg. Sadly, you will also see the truth. In page layout, writing style and book size, "Who Cut the Cheese" is an incredibly funny, yet all too true, twisted retelling of the small, best-selling management book.

Do not feel that you have to read "Who Moved My Cheese" in order to appreciate the humor of this book. It stands alone...and is a much better read, frankly. And if you must waste money on yet another business management book, why not have some fun with it? Change IS good after all!

One can only wonder if the sole purpose behind reading the other book, "Who moved my cheese" is just to make long-time, loyal employees pack their bags and leave their companies in search of real cheese elsewhere...and some respect. To seek out employment in a place where the people you work for might appreciate the fact that you do indeed have a brain. Because there is nothing in that book that most employees don't already know about managing change.

Jarlsberg's book, however, cleverly uncovers what's really going on in workplaces today. He shows how employees find their own unique, if not sometimes underhanded or downright evil, ways of coping with change, and that change can be good. And the authors didn't even pay me a dime to say all that, although they are laughing their way to the bank, I'd imagine. So, too, are the authors of that other cheese book...I think, buying this one instead, is money better spent.

Behold, the Odor of Cheese!.......2002-03-28

This is a funny little book with punny little sayings scattered throughout, drawn on the wall of the maze by the misfunctional little people , with "soft charcoal," that we can all figure is something else. It is a great parody of the original "Who Moved My Cheese" and is funny, even if you never read the original, sainted tome of anti-whiners. Just the title will get a snicker if you accidentally bring to a motivational meeting.

One "Grilled Cheese" to go!.......2001-05-20

Actually, the cheese that is being grilled is Spencer Johnson's "Who Moved My Cheese?" This book is, in my not so humble opinion, a perfect parody - the look, the feel, the whole mental state. The big difference is that "Who Cut the Cheese?" is gut rippingly funny! If you measure humor in laughs-per-page, this book is the value of the Millenium. If you're stressed out from work, or from self-help books, Dr. Jarlsberg definitely has the cure. Highest ratings!!

Who Cut the Cheese? A Parable of Personal Responsibility

Average customer rating:

Humorous yet thought provoking

Who Cut the Cheese? A Parable of Personal Responsibility
Molleen Zanger
Manufacturer: iotapress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0976235900

Book Description

Eenie, Meanie, Minee and Moe all enter the elevator at the same moment, then -- Blammo! It hits the fan. But who is responsible? Initially a wickedly funny parody of a similarly titled book, Who Cut The Cheese? explores multiple views of personal responsibility and becomes a call to admit it if you did it, fix it if you can, apologize if you can't, and learn something from the process.

Customer Reviews:

Humorous yet thought provoking.......2005-05-25

WELL, it started me off with huge laughter as "I got into the elevator with the crowd." I could just experience the feeling and haven't we all had that or similar ones? !! What a wonderful job of "entertainingly" helping us look at the many sides of responsibility. The author's mind is amazing in the way it works in discovering all of these situations that truly have a significance regarding personal responsibility. It certainly got me thinking. I plan on using the book for certain psychotherapy clients of mine who I think could really tune into the clever way of helping us all accept responsibility for our different actions. What a fun yet meaningful quick read.

The cheese: who moved it? Who cut it? Who ate it?(non fiction best sellers)(business success tips): An article from: Executive Speeches

Average customer rating:

The cheese: who moved it? Who cut it? Who ate it?(non fiction best sellers)(business success tips): An article from: Executive Speeches
K. Phillip Taylor
Manufacturer: Executive Speaker Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Executive Speeches, published by Executive Speaker Co. on April 1, 2004. The length of the article is 2384 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: The cheese: who moved it? Who cut it? Who ate it?(non fiction best sellers)(business success tips)
Author: K. Phillip Taylor
Publication: Executive Speeches (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2004
Publisher: Executive Speaker Co.
Volume: 18 Issue: 5 Page: 24(4)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

Who Cut The Cheese?
Allen R Brinkman II
Manufacturer: S & S NewYork
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1933570814
Release Date: 2005-09-01

Product Description

Allen has made the secrets of managing process, leadership and marketing intellectually available to a wide audience. There are many good ideas here, even for folks with lots of experience. As you read through the book, I would encourage you to apply the concepts to your business. While you will find some outstanding ideas that you can apply immediately, the real benefit of the book will come from better understanding the perspective that is needed to successfully operate any business in a challenging environment. As Allen clearly points out, large companies typically don't provide a conducive atmosphere for employees to flourish. Tactics that will work successfully on a larger scale often fail miserably at the line level. Allen has found a way to personalize his business unit and focus on people. He has clearly demonstrated an ability to attract and retain world-class employees. The 7 key method provides opportunity for every individual to reach his or her potential. Most importantly, Allen has learned how to have fun while expecting, rewarding and recognizing great individual and team performance. He thrives at the notion that employees see his business unit as a great place to work. Prior to this book, there has been little in the way of guidance in operating within a structured environment. I am very familiar with most of the academic and popular literature on leadership, and find little of it to be of much use for operating in a large company, because it is broad, general and frequently describes tactics that may be appropriate the company as a whole verses a business unit. Allen's book does an excellent job of adapting traditional leadership thought and FUN to the unique problems of business units.

Who Cut the Cheese?: A Cultural History of the Fart

Average customer rating:

Who Cut the Cheese?: A Cultural History of the Fart
Jim Dawson
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OYN82O

Book Description

This is the untold story of Rudolph Valentino, the first sex symbol of the silver screen. An amazing rags–to–riches tale—and one that Valentino himself said was too “wild and improbable” for his public to believe.

Customer Reviews:

A rehash at best.......2003-02-04

Noel Botham co-authored an earlier bio in 1975-76, this book is very much a rehash of the same material, much of it suspect. No index and notes make verification of the facts and sources difficult. Not worth hanging on to. My advice is to wait for the upcoming biography authored by Emily Leider.

Lightweight but pleasant telling of the Valentino legend.......2003-01-05

If you're a romantic, in love with the mysterious man that has kept women (and some men) spellbound for decades, read on. If you're looking for a scholarly examination of Valentino's life and work, this isn't the book for you.

`Valentino: The First Superstar' is a lightweight journey through the life of Rudolph Valentino, of whom too few decent books have been written. The author frames the bare details in theatrical vignettes, complete with all dialogue, giving a sense of drama but not necessarily of veracity. Such an approach is a suspect one; by putting words in the mouths of his `characters', the author sculpts history to his own liking. The overall impression is that of an afternoon television movie.

The lack of an index and the limited bibliography confirms the book as one of amateur, not professional interest. However, if you know nothing of Valentino beyond his name and reputation, this might be a good place to begin.

Represents more than twenty years of research and travel.......2002-12-05

Valentino: First Superstar is the story of the Latin lover who became the silver screen's first and greatest sex symbol represents more than twenty years of research and travel on the part of author Botham, who reveals missing answers about the star's brief but memorable life. Interviews with some of the costars and personalities of Valentino's time makes for a well-rounded biography.

GURPS Religion: Gods, Priestly Powers and Cosmic Truths
Average customer rating:

Useful for more than just campaign design

Thorough discussion on religion

GURPS Religion: Gods, Priestly Powers and Cosmic Truths
Janet Naylor , Caroline Julian , and Susan Pinsonneault
Manufacturer: Steve Jackson Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Gurps Space (GURPS: Generic Universal Role Playing System)

ASIN: 1556342020

Customer Reviews:

Useful for more than just campaign design.......2001-07-19

This book is the one that convinced me that SJGames had things really, thoroughly on the ball. Like most of their other sourcebooks, this book is the product of thorougly researching a subject and distilling out the information which is needed to write immersive scenarios and stories in that context.

The GURPS Religion book takes this task seriously enough that it is usable not just as a role-playing supplement but more generally as a handbook of comparative religion for storytellers. It has everything from roles of clergy to creation myths to the meaning of religious symbols, told from the perspective of how religions perceive themselves.

The one caveat is that this book will not walk you through the process of designing a religion for a campaign. While the chapters are essentially a checklist for any religion's design, each chapter contains a large reservoir of ideas rather than a step-by-step instruction list. For the experienced GM who wants a steady fount of inspiration, or for anyone who wants a good introduction to the varieties of religious symbolism, this book is a valuable tool.

Definitely one of the most useful items on my GM's workbench.

Thorough discussion on religion.......1998-06-16

GURPS Religion provides a thorough (almost too thorough!) framework for roleplayers to create religions for their campaigns. Although it is very complete, it needs to have more direction for the novice campaign creator. I felt lost trying to determine the best place to start. I still recommend it for game masters creating campaigns.

Ugly Americans: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions
Average customer rating:

An Exciting Read and Look into the Asian "Wall St"

Not even that interesting

Much ado about not so much

A story of the people, not of the business

Thoroughly enjoyable!

Ugly Americans: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions
Ben Mezrich
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions

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When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management

The Predators' Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk Bond Raiders

ASIN: 0060575018
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Amazon.com

Ugly Americans documents the "Wild East" of the mid-1990s, where young, brilliant, and hypercompetitive traders became "hedge fund cowboys," manipulating loopholes in an outdated and inefficient Asian financial system to rake in millions. Using a concept called arbitrage, they made their fortunes mainly on minute shifts in stocks being sold on the Nikkei, the Japanese stock market, collapsing banks and nearly bankrupting the Japanese economy in the process. Other schemes were also concocted, most of which were technically legal, though certainly unethical. This true story revolves around "John Malcolm," who, in exchange for anonymity, agreed to give Ben Mezrich all the access and information he needed to write this book. As a recent Princeton graduate in the mid-1990s, Malcolm accepted an undefined job offer from an American expatriate in Japan to work in the investments field. Though he had no prior experience, he facilitated 25 million dollars worth of trades on his first day on the job, and it just got more exciting from there. He soon joined a small group of expatriates, all in their twenties and mostly Ivy League graduates, who lived like rock stars, thriving on the stress and excitement of their jobs to create their own steroid versions of the American Dream half a world away. Mezrich tells this riveting story well, incorporating elements of the culture into his narrative, including the infamous and pervasive Japanese "Water Trade," or sex business, romantic intrigue, and even run-ins with the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. Though there is little real analysis of their financial dealings and how they ultimately changed the rules of finance in Asia, this entertaining page turner does offer a glimpse into a world little explored in print until now. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

Ben Mezrich, author of the New York Times bestseller Bringing Down the House, returns with an astonishing story of Ivy League hedge-fund cowboys, high stakes, and the Asian underworld.

John Malcolm was the ultimate gunslinger in the Wild East, prepared to take on any level of risk in making mind-boggling sums of money. He and his friends were hedge-fund cowboys, living life on the adrenaline-, sex-, and drugs-fueled edge—kids running billion-dollar portfolios, trading information in the back rooms of high-class brothels and at VIP tables in nightclubs across the Far East.

Malcolm and his Ivy League-schooled twenty-something colleagues, with their warped sense of morality, created their own economic theory that would culminate in a single deal the likes of which had never been seen before—or since.

Ugly Americans is a story of extremes, charged with wealth, nerve, excess, and glamour. A real-life mixture of Liar's Poker and Wall Street, brimming with intense action, romance, underground sex, vivid locales, and exotic characters, Ugly Americans is the untold true story that rocked the financial community.

Customer Reviews:

An Exciting Read and Look into the Asian "Wall St".......2007-09-12

For those who enjoyed the movie "Boiler Room," this book is a must-read. Mezrich tells the tale of wannabe big-time US investors who use the opening of the Japanese stock market to weasel in and stretch the law and their own morality to make deals and steals. It's an honest, gritty portrayal of the Asian nightlife and the ex-pat's who work hard by day and play hard after the bell signals close. You don't need to be a swing-trader to enjoy it; this is a great book for those who either want to learn about big stock trading or just read an adventure about a ex-football player who got roped into a shady, billion-dollar enterprise.
The characters are as real as they can get on paper. The protagonist is trying to make the one big score and get out and the antagonists are just reprehensible enough to remind you of business folks you know in your life. Add in Yakuza (Japanese Mafia), black market plotlines, and the urban backdrops of Osaka and Tokyo and you have a real grabber. It was tough to put this one down and the ending does not dissappoint.

Not even that interesting.......2007-07-31

I really enjoyed the author's other two works, which I read quite quickly. Whether they were totally factual or not was immaterial...they were fun and interesting reads. This book disappoints. I didn't find the story interesting or fast moving. The "danger" element seemed forced, almost as if it was added in to "spice things up".

If you're looking for a fast reading "true" story of big money makers, try Mezrich's other books. Avoid this one, whether you're a Mezrich fan or not.

Much ado about not so much.......2007-07-21

This book had a very similar tone to the "Breaking Vegas" book, which is not unexpected given that the books were written by the same author-- however, too much stylistic overlap is still too much.

On the good side:

1. The writing was fast, light, and easy to follow. Not needing of too much concentration, and something that can be picked right up and settled into.
2. There was some explanation about the concept of arbitrage.
3. There was interesting insight into the sex-for-sale culture of Japan. This alone could have spun off and made a whole new book.

On the bad side:

1. The explanation of the nuts and bolts of trading was too thin. It might have only taken one extra chapter to give us the details that many of us who bought the book were looking for.
2. I wonder how much the author *really* knew, given that he used the word "farang" to describe foreigners-- even though that word is 100% Thai. Was he throwing in technical terms to make it *look* like he had done his homework? And if he made that mistake, how many others did he make that we might not have recognized?
3. It might also have been interesting to get a better idea of just how much the Japanese government and Yakuza were in bed together. Is this really the case? Or is this poetic license? There were more than a few topics in this book that just weren't covered as much as a reader might have liked-- though I can appreciate that this is done for the sake of brevity. (An extra bit here and an extra bit there, and the next thing you know you have a book that is as overwrought with detail and most of what Ayn Rand has written.)

A story of the people, not of the business.......2007-07-15

This book is clearly written to entertain rather than inform, as it orders the exposition of events to maximize suspense rather than efficiency of information presentation. Additionally, it is a very shallow read, revealing absolutely nothing about the mechanics of trading or the business operations of the financial world, focusing instead on the lavish and crazy lifestyles of the rich and tasteless who run this world. For example, the author constantly refers to Nikkei trades done by the people in this book but never explains what it is about the trades that these men made that makes them so special. As an entertaining read, this book gets 3 stars, but as an exposition on hedge funds or stock trading this book gets 0 stars.

Thoroughly enjoyable!.......2007-05-19

A quick, smooth, fun read. Has all the tension and plotting of a good movie. Although the details might be somewhat inaccurate and/or exagerated, it's worth it for the inherent drama of the story, and the basic story is a corker.

Ugly Americans CD: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions

Average customer rating:

Ugly Americans CD: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions
Ben Mezrich , and Mezrich Ben
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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