Book Description
Vicki Morgan, mistress to department store heir and Ronald Reagan confidante, Alfred Bloomingdale, lived beyond her years and died before her time—the victim of a brutal murder. Seething with power, intrigue, sex and obsession, it's a ringside seat into the darker habits of the world's rich and powerful.
Customer Reviews:
EXPECTED MORE!!!.......2006-07-07
"I know one thing's for sure," Vicki declared. "I'm not staying here anymore. Alfred wants this and Bob wants that. Meanwhile I'm stuck in here (Mental Health Center) with no place to go. To hell with it! I'll check into the L'Ermitage. With what it costs for a suite there, somebody better do something."
I finished reading The Vicki Morgan Story last night, and I can only say that I was disappointed. I thought that there would be more substance and more excitement but no way. I guess having a love for Hollywood stories I cast my expectations a bit too high; no fault of the author of course.
It is sad that poor Vicki lacked the proper guidance to pull her into adulthood, relying on the pockets of older men and as far as I could see anyone who would give her money,she never worked and counted on her looks to get her by. I cannot fault her if she knew no better but the older men whom she hung withand who desperately wanted her, should never have taken advantage of her for sexual favours and attention.
May God rest her weary soul.
Reviewed by Heather Marshall Negahdar (SUGAR-CANE 06/07/06)
The Romances of a Poor Girl.......2004-08-26
Young Vicki Morgan wanted to escape from her working-class surroundings in the Valley. She was exceptionally pretty, shrewd, and had native intelligence. Her charms attracted rich and powerful men who catered to her desires. Yet she became another victim trapped by greed and exploitation. Beauty does not trump class distinctions (p.7). Vicki lived fast and died young. The author compares her to Dorothy Stratten, Colleen Applegate, and Edie Sedgewick. Vicki got close enough to corporate rulers and political leaders. Did she know too much and become a threat to the established order (p.8)? Did Vicki's absent father affect her interest in older men? This book lacks a table of contents and an index.
After Vicki sued Alfred Bloomingdale, the tawdry sex life of this intimate adviser to Ronald Reagan was exposed. The author was introduced to Vicki by a movie producer, and began talks to produce a book. Vicki met Alfred Bloomingdale at 17 and became his kept mistress; she then learned the manners and morals of the upper class. Alfred Bloomingdale was a member of Ronald Reagan's kitchen cabinet. He was a co-founder of Diner's Club; personal information about the lives of the rich and famous were useful to intelligence services (p.41). Alfred Bloomingdale could have been a perfect case study for psychiatrists (pp.66-67). Alfred had the money and power to indulge his whims (p.60). Vicki stayed with him because she needed money to raise her son (p.63). But her spending habits suggest she considered it something to get rid of as fast as she got it (pp.81-82).
Vicki tried living with other men, but always came back to Alfred Bloomingdale. After he died, Vicki was left with nothing but shame and despair (p.87). When Betsy saw Alfred and Vicki together, she ended the affair (pp.110-103). Alfred gave Vicki a settlement. The rest of the book tells of Vicki's continued used of drugs and the ensuing decadence. The last 100 pages are a sort of low-key horror story that lead to Vicki's death. President Reagan appointed Alfred Bloomingdale to the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board; what kind of pay-off was this? Vicki's suit against Betsy created a scandal, and her friends departed. Needing money, Vicki took in Marvin Pancoast to pay expenses. But she had been warned against him! One night Marvin turned on Vicki and killed her. This book could serve as a warning to teenagers, but those who could benefit probably won't read it.
A Pretty Girl Gone Wrong.......2002-04-03
This is absolutely one of the wildest biographies I have ever read. If it wasn't true it would make great fiction, right up there with the sexy potboilers and confessionals I so love to read. This is the story of Vicki Morgan, longtime mistress to Alfred Bloomingdale, and the loved they shared, a strange and crazy kind of love that would lead to their mutual destruction. Here he was, scion of Bloomingdales Department Store, industrial magnate and member of Ronald Reagan's kitchen cabinet; and here she was a naive but gorgeous small town girl come to the big city.
This book has an epic sweep as Vicki Morgan, in a vain attempt to escape the married Bloomingdale, encounters a series of adventures with some of the world's most wealthy and powerful men. And women. It is not a tale for the faint hearted, but there are strong moral lessons--mainly there is a steep price for the glamour and the money men give for sexual favors.
The story is told from the author's point of view. He spent nine months with Vicki Morgan and was one of the last people to see her alive. The author, Gordon Basichis, gives us intimate insight into the making of a wordly rich girl who knows how to manipulate men for money, only to be trapped in the game she has profited by for so many years. Through the seventies and into the eighties she was getting at least a quarter millon dollars from these different lovers.
It's rare that I find a book so compelling. I love how the story describes the high life of power and money while showing, also, how this glitzy path leads to destruction and, in this case, murder. This was truly one of a kind.
POWER, SEX AND MONEY.......2002-03-19
Power, Sex and Money
I was totally caught up in this true tale of a naive and beautiful young woman, trapped in a world where power, sex and money reign. As the mistress to Alfred Bloomingdale, the department store heir and member of the kitchen cabinet, Vicki Morgan lived a life that few can imagine...a wild and ultimately tragic journey that ended in her brutal murder. What I loved about this book was its unwillingness to rely on predictable cliche. The author's insight sheds new light on a very old subject -- sex and power. The writing is personal, intimate, at times humorous and always engaging. If this book were published today, it would be a bestseller
TRUE STORY.......2001-12-04
this book was very moving. the story of a mistress, who never can seem to find her way, but found love in a married man. the author got to knew vicki before her murder and this gives us great insight into her thoughts and feelings. i highly recommend this book, a great read from beginning to end.
Book Description
The legendary rock climber who redefined the boundaries of her sport tells her story.
From the age of thirteen when she began climbing, it was clear Lynn Hill had an unusual gift. Before long she was arguably the best rock climber in the world, establishing routes so bold and difficult that few others could follow. And in 1994, Lynn succeeded on a climb that no one—man or woman—has been able to repeat: the first "free ascent" of the Nose on Yosemite's El Capitan, which means that she climbed 3,000 feet of vertical granite without using gear to aid her ascent—and all in under twenty-three hours.
In Climbing Free Hill describes her famous climb and meditates on how she harnesses the strength and the courage to push herself to such extremes. She tells of her near-fatal 80-foot fall, her youth as a stunt artist for Hollywood, her friendships with climbing's most colorful personalities, and the tragedies and triumphs of her life in the vertical world. More than merely a story of adventure, this book stands out as a genuine, singular account of a life richly and boldly lived. 32 pages of color photographs, 35 black-and-white photographs.
Customer Reviews:
how to be great........2007-07-03
i find the book fairly exciting to read and i finished it quickly. unlike many adventure, mountaineering or climbing books which there are the long treads in the middle, this book doesn't suffer from that. ok, rock-climbing is a much faster sport than mountaineering, but many of Lynn Hill's climbs lasted for days. Fortunately, she had so many stories to tell that she didn't need to stretch the parts decribing certain climbs. of course she still wrote in more details how she achieved certain climbs and overcame certain cruxes.
Lynn Hill was one of the greatest rock-climbers ever (male or female). it is also interesting to learn from the book how she attained that greatness:
1. obtain the necessary abilities, skills and knowledge by appropriate training and studies. (for e.g. Hill started running regularly to improve her aerobic endurance).
2. do the things that you are passionate and excited about, and have fun doing it. know what your talents are.
3. do not give up. work hard.
4. identify goals. then plan the steps to achieving them.
5. turn weaknesses into strengths. (for e.g. Lynn Hill turned her small physical frame to her advantage).
6. find the right partners.
7. be a nice person.
these lessons are so generic that all great men and women seem to practise them; the rest of us know about them but seem unable to follow through.
if i have one small complaint about the book, it is that Hill was quite repetitive about her reasons in choosing rock-climb over say other possible pursuits that came her paths (such as gymnastics, weigh-lifting, track running, etc). she said more than a few times how she couldn't understand the risks that mountaineers are taking, and that mountaineering is not what she would happily do. rock-climbing may be the best sport for Lynn Hill; but it is not the best sport for everyone.
Adventuresports Institute "Text".......2007-02-07
I utilize this book as the text for my Winter Adventure Skills course at the Adventuresports Institute of Garrett College. Very entertaining and full of wonderful winter camping tips. Not just for backcountry skiing, useful for all aspects of winter backcountry travel.
A young rock climber.......2006-07-04
I read this book and I found Lynn's story fasicinating and different. I thought it was inspiring how she tried to overcome the boundaries she faced as a woman rock climber. As a rock climber myself, I found this book particulary interesting but I think is a good story for anyone. I agree with many who wrote reviews of this book: the book is missing something. The writing itself would be better it had more emotion, flavor, texture...whatever you perfer to call it. Overall however, this was a good book. I particularly liked how there were pictures included in the book too.
Remarkable .......2004-11-19
Lynn Hill is well-known for her remarkable climbing feats in recent years, but this book opened my eyes to her amazing accomplishments from the first time she set toe & fingertip to rock.
The book offeres a glimpse of the mind-set that makes her natural athletic abilities turn into athletic performance that exceeds nearly everyone around her. She introduces us to numerous other climbers we know from climbing history tales, but we get more of a picture of who they are as people and as friends.
This is a fascinating and very inspiring story about a truly amazing woman.
Not quite a cliffhanger..........2004-04-01
This is an interesting book but hard to characterize in just a few words. The book certainly offers a comprehensive perspective of Hill's climbing experience from her first climbs as a teenager to recent years. The personal perspectives of many of the key rock climbers of the 70s, 80s and 90s that she offers in this book are often insightful, humorous and touching.
However, I think the reason why I give this 4 stars (versus 5 stars) is that I felt that it was missing a bit of the spirit that characterizes the best books of the climbing genre. Even the opening chapter where she describes her fall is missing just a little bit that make it less gripping. There is definitely a lot to like in this book but I can't help but think that it could have been just a touch better.
Average customer rating:
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CLIMBING FREE: MY LIFE IN THE VERTICAL WORLD
LYNN HILL
Manufacturer: HARPERCOLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0007102739 |
Book Description
The Cinema of Hong Kong examines one of the most popular and dynamic cinema traditions in the history of film. Providing an overview of major directors, genres and stars, from its origins to the present, this volume examines Hong Kong cinema in transnational, historical, and artistic contexts. Individual essays focus on Hong Kong cinema before and during World War II; the cinema of the turbulent 1960s; its rise to world prominence in the 1970s and its reception in the United States, and the revival of Cantonese cinema, among other topics.
Customer Reviews:
Inconsistent.......1999-04-24
Some of the articles are well written but others are very repetitious and not rich in analysis. They are usually very short, and chould have been developed more. @More careful analysis needed. They also use a lot of "I's" in their writing. They emphasize a lot on their own experience, not what others think. Not really academically written. Some authors just repeat the same thing over and over again, which makes the whole book dull. One advantage is that it is easy to read.
Book Description
New Chinese Cinemas analyzes the changing forms and significance of filmmaking in the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong since the end of the Cultural Revolution, with a particular emphasis on how film comments on the profound social changes that have occurred in East Asia over the past two decades. Considering in detail both conservative and progressive stances on economic modernization, it also demonstrates how film has been an important formal structure and social document in the interpretation of these changes. The essays collected here, which were specially commissioned for this volume, also offer extended analyses of the important trends, styles, and work that define Chinese filmmaking in the 1980s.
Average customer rating:
- Nice and handy, minor quibbles
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Call of Cthulhu Gamemasters Pack (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, 8801)
Aaron Rosenberg , and
Dustin Wright
Manufacturer: Chaosium
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Call of Cthulhu: Horror Roleplaying in the Worlds of H. P. Lovecraft, 6th Edition
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Call of Cthulhu (d20 Edition Horror Roleplaying, WotC)
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The Keeper's Companion 2: Prohibition, Firearms, Tomes, & Creatures (Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying, 2395)
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Call of Cthulhu: Nocturnum
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The Keeper's Companion: Blasphemous Knowledge, Forbidden Secrets: A Core Book for Keepers, Vol. 1 (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, #2388)
ASIN: 1568821662 |
Customer Reviews:
Nice and handy, minor quibbles.......2002-11-11
Since the amazon.com description doesn't give too many details, here's what you get with the d20 Call of Cthulhu Gamemaster's Pack: A tri-fold GM screen, four handy bookmarks, a booklet of official-looking forms, and a largeish booklet that comprises the Gamemaster Pack proper.
The screen is complete and stands up well, but is slightly smaller than most screens I've worked with. The side facing the players features the incredibly cool artwork for Chaosiums current edition of the Call of Cthulhu RPG. Unfortunatley, the screen doesn't have the game's skill list, so you'll need another method to keep track of which skills can be used untrained and other skill details. Other than that oversight, the screen is so handy that I hardly have to consult the rules book while playing.
The bookmarks are nice and functional. Each is customized for a different section of the rules and features a mini-index of relevent information. Between these and the information on the screen, finding information during a game session is not a problem.
The book of forms is rather useless to me. While it is nice to have official looking forms (dental records, asylum records, etc.) as play aids during a game, these are all customized for an Arkham setting - little use in my Chicago-based games!
The main Gamemaster Pack book is largely comprised of a nice adventure, "The Lost Temple of Yig". The 30 page strikes a good balance between adventure and exploration. Game stats are given for both the d20 and the original version of the RPG. Further background for "The Lost Temple of Yig" or your campaign is given about its Vanguard Club. The official errata follows, which isn't as bad as you'd think - it just seems that some of the authors of the original book didn't communicate too well as most of the errors are internal inconsistancies. A conversion system for using original Call of Cthulhu material with the new d20 version is pretty straightforward - you determine the level of the character you're converting and buy skills and feats from there. Next up are the record sheets, which along with the GM screen, are the shining stars of the pack. There is a redesigned two-page character sheet (with an old-school insanity track), minor character sheets, and monster master and minion sheets. The graphic design of these sheets (and the whole package) is outstanding.
Overall, while I would've preferred paying a little less for just the screen, bookmarks, and sheets alone (errata should always be free!), the adventure and background information is good enough that [this]is a bargain for the whole package. More than a screen, this is a pack to make any d20 Call of Cthulhu Gamemaster's job easier.
Book Description
Key Benefit-Carpenter/Sanders is the first book built around a dynamic perspective on strategy
Key Topics-Three themes constitute the dynamic perspective on strategy: (1) changing strategies for changing times, (2) the integration of formulation and implementation, and (3) strategic leadership. Crafting Business Strategy for Dynamic Contexts
- chapter 6 is the aggregate of much of the current research on dynamic strategies, including:
Competitive Dynamics,
Technological Changes, and Hypercompetition . After reading the chapter, students will learn models that guide them through formulating and implementing a strategy in a dynamic, or changing, environment.
Strategy Diamond: The strategy diamond outlines five key elements necessary for creating a complete strategy: arenas, vehicles, differentiators, staging, and economic logic
. The Strategy Diamond gives students a concrete model for considering all aspects of a strategy in order to create and implement a complete strategy. The arenas and staging elements deal specifically with the dynamic aspect of strategy.
How Would You Do That” exercises- There are two of these robust exercises in each chapter, immersing students in the implementation challenges real companies face. The exercises allow implementation to remain in the forefront of the student’s minds even in the formulation chapters.
Market- For undergraduate/MBA strategic management courses.
Customer Reviews:
Strategic Management: A Dynamic Perspective, Concepts and Cases.......2007-01-15
The book is very good. I'm fully satisfied.
Book Description
Strategic Dynamics: Concepts and Cases, by Burgelman, Grove, and Meza offers unique and valuable insight into strategy making for companies in information technology-driven industries. It is the product of over twelve years of teaching and research based on a unique combination of academic (Stanford’s Robert Burgelman) and industry (Intel’s Andy Grove) experience. The key themes and conceptual frameworks discussed in this book, along with its case studies and industry notes, provide instructors and students with a more complete viewpoint on the dynamic interactions of companies within industries and between industries than is typically found in books on strategy and technology strategy.
Customer Reviews:
The need for transformation during an on-going process of natural selection.......2007-05-21
According to Robert A. Burgelman and Andrew S. Grove, their primary objective when writing this book (with Philip E. Meza) was to find a way "to integrate action-based but reflective experience [Grove's] with theory-based but grounded academic research [Burgelman's] for the purpose of providing a novel learning experience for MBA students." Although I do not have an MBA degree, I have read and reviewed a number of books which have examined one or more dimensions of the general subject, strategic dynamics, and am especially interesting more about the evolution of information technology-driven companies (e.g. Intel, Microsoft, and IBM) as well as companies that heavily depend on digital technologies (e.g. Disney, Universal Music Group, and AT@T). Burgelman and Grove offer a wealth of information and insights about three interrelated conceptual themes: strategy and strategic dynamics (i.e. "the role of strategy in a company's evolution and the dynamic interplay between strategy and environment), strategy versus action (i.e. the reality of a given company's strategy resides in its execution rather than in its articulation), and industry change and corporate transformation (i.e. a company's adaptive capability depends critically on its strategy-making process).
When there are "divergences between a given company's stated strategy and strategic action and/or between its distinctive competencies and the basis of competition," Burgelman and Grove suggest, those divergences may indicate what they characterize as a "strategic inception point." Some of the most interesting material in one of Grove's other books, Only the Paranoid Survive, focuses on how Intel dealt with one. Here is a brief excerpt from his Preface to that book:
All other worries "pale in comparison to how I feel about what I call strategic inflection points. I'll describe what a strategic inflection point is a bit later in this book. For now, let me just say that a strategic inflection point is a time in the life of a business when its fundamentals are about to change. That change can mean an opportunity to rise to new heights. But it may just as likely signal the beginning of the end.
"Strategic inflection points can be caused by technological change but they are more than technological change. They can be caused by competitors but they are more than just competition. They are full-scale changes in the way business is conducted, so that simply adopting new technology or fighting the competition as you used to may be insufficient. They build up force so insidiously that you may have a hard time even putting a finger on what has changed, yet you know that something has. Let's not mince words: A strategic inflection point can be deadly when unattended to. Companies that begin a decline as a result of its changes rarely recover their previous greatness.
"But strategic inflection points do not always lead to disaster. When the way business is being conducted changes, it creates opportunities for players who are adept at operating in the new way. This can apply to newcomers or to incumbents, for whom a strategic inflection point may mean an opportunity for a new period of growth.
"You can be the subject of a strategic inflection point but you can also be the cause of one. Intel, where I work, has been both. In the mid-eighties, the Japanese memory producers brought upon us an inflection point so overwhelming that it forced us out of memory chips and into the relatively new field of microprocessors. The microprocessor business that we have dedicated ourselves to has since gone on to cause the mother of all inflection points for other companies, bringing very difficult times to the classical mainframe computer industry. Having both been affected by strategic inflection points and having caused them, I can safely say that the former is tougher. I've grown up in a technological industry. Most of my experiences are rooted there. I think in terms of technological concepts and metaphors, and a lot of my examples in this book come from what I know. But strategic inflection points, while often brought about by the workings of technology, are not restricted to technological industries."
In Strategic Dynamics, Burgelman and Grove provide a number of case studies (e.g. of AOL, Amazon, Intel, Nokia, Samsung, and Electronic Arts), some of whose contextual material may now be somewhat dated but nonetheless offer a wealth of insights concerning the strategic dynamics when the aforementioned divergences occur. Of special interest to me is the material that suggests how to prepare for them, and, how such preparations can enable decision-makers to respond effectively to them.
This is a longer review than I normally offer. However, given the cost of the book and - more to the point - given the demands it creates for readers such as I who have had little (if any) formal business education, I thought it would be helpful to suggest the nature and extent of the authors' coverage of both the perils and the opportunities unique to information technology-driven industries as their evolution continues.
Rare: insightful and useful.......2005-08-30
As a consultant working with companies forging the next wave of information driven businesses, this book offered me truly relevant insights, and strategies on 'how to' as well as 'how not to' make the most of my clients' business opportunities. It focuses on "information-driven" industries, covering not only computer-related companies but also any industry that seeks to leverage information. Cases such as those on H.P. and the VOIP space offered fresh frameworks for thinking about the challenges and opportunties available for companies in similar business lines. It details how various forces act on and shape these different industries, what managers can do to try to understand these forces and therfore, how to optimize their environments instead of reacting to the actions of others. Do not be daunted by the 'textbook' like structure of the book. The information provided is invaluable and the cases are easily read and enjoyable.
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- Colonel Albert Pope and His American Dream Machines: The Life and Times of a Bicycle Tycoon Turned Automotive Pioneer
- Contemporary Heroes and Heroines Book III (Contemporary Heroes and Heroines)
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