Book Description
Das Reich (Volume III), 1941-1943: The History of the 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich" by Knight's Cross recipient Otto Weidinger. Hard cover, small format (6"x9"), 496 pages with 85 photos and 19 maps. This is the third volume of the five-volume series of one of the most famous Waffen-SS divisions of World War II. This volume traces the path of the division from the late summer of 1942 until the beginning of 1943 and its evolution from a motorized rifle division to a SS-Panzergrenadier-Division. Follow the division through the initial stages of the campaign in Russia: Withdrawal from the Jelnja salient to the gates of Moscow to the brutal winter battles of the winter of 1941/1942. Continue on through its withdrawal from the front and its refitting in Germany and France, only to take part in the coup de main mounted against the attempted scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon. Finally, witness the division be rushed to the Eastern Front as part of the newly formed SS-Panzer-Korps, where it would participate in the epic fighting for Kharkov and the initial evacuation of the city. Making use of numerous primary sources — to include the war diaries of higher headquarters, the division itself and its organic subordinate formations and units — this is a first-class divisional history. In addition to a number of period sources, the book makes use of an abundance of first-hand accounts that make this unit history come alive. The reader is treated to a practically day-by-day account of this elite formation and is assisted in his efforts through many maps.
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- Flunking your 'Driving Lesson'
- Missed the Mark
- Three And One Half Stars
- Driving Lessons
- Ed McBain has left the City
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Driving Lessons: Sounds Like Murder, Volume III (Sounds Like Murder)
Otto Penzler
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
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Blood relatives: An 87th precinct mystery
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Like Love (87th Precinct)
ASIN: 0375402039
Release Date: 1998-05-19 |
Amazon.com
Ed McBain--author of the immensely popular 87th Precinct crime series--packs his plots with the kick of a .44. Driving Lessons--his entry in the Sounds Like Murder collection of original crime stories--is no exception. Written exclusively for audio production, it's a twisting tale of murder, deceit, and love gone bad that opens with an accident. One crisp autumn day, a woman steps off the curb in front of a student driver. It's the last mistake she ever makes. "She lay in the gutter some twenty feet from where a highway patrol car was just pulling in behind the Ford. Red coat open over a blue skirt and jacket. White blouse with a stock tie. Eyes closed. Hands at her sides, palms upward, fingers twitching." You might chalk it up to inexperience, just one more tragic blunder. But when a local detective starts digging she uncovers some troubling clues.
Tony Award-winning Broadway actress Barbara Rosenblat gives an impressive performance, switching between character voices and straight narration convincingly, while moving the action forward without striving. "Driving Lessons" is a short and not-so-sweet treat by one of the master craftsmen working the crime story beat. (Running time: two hours, one cassette) --George Laney
Book Description
Edgar Award-winning editor Otto Penzler presents
Sounds Like Murder
original, unabridged mysteries available on audio
1 cassette / 110 minutes
Unabridged
Read by Barbara Rosenblat
"This is old-fashioned story-telling at its best. Interesting and involving tales from some of the masters of mysteries."
-Michael Connelly, author of Blood Work
When a student driver and her teacher hit and kill a woman crossing the street, it seems like a terrible accident. But when blood tests show that the teacher was under the influence of a sedative, and the woman killed turns out to be the teachers wife, things get complicated. An apparent accident turns into a crime, and Detective Karen Logan's discoveries hit a little too close to home.
Other titles in the SOUNDS LIKE MURDER series include:
The Case of the Scottish Tragedy by June Thompson
Clean American Fun by Christopher Newman
The Poster Boy by Stephen Solomita
The Sedgemoor Stranger by Peter Lovesey
A Tale About a Tiger by S.J. Rozan
Customer Reviews:
Flunking your 'Driving Lesson'.......2002-07-31
The idea for this story is intriguing, but the result is as shallow and unconvincing as a 30-minute written-for-TV plot rather than what might have been an interesting story.
The plot hinges on the victim stepping into the path of a car at the precise moment necessary to be struck and killed. Half-a-second early, or half-a-second late, and the opportunity is lost by a car length. Yet, McBain suggests the car driver knows the precise instant the victim will step without a glance for oncoming traffic or other hazards into the path of a car moving at 44 feet per second.
Sorry, that just doesn't cut it.
Granted, life is sometimes inexplicably strange. But, the plot in this story -- homicide by car-pedestrian accident -- asks too much. It could have been a great story, the delusion of two people who fear their dreams may be impossible and desperately grasp each other in the vain hope of making something come true, but McBain asks too much of the reader by using an basically implausible plot.
McBain is an obviously talented writer, his 87th Precinct saga is the most celebrated police stories in the history of crime fiction. But, it sometimes takes more talent and ability to write a good 72-page short story than a competent full-length work.
It would be grossly unfair to judge his work on the basis of this book. And, unless you are addicted to the "reality" of tv-plots, it would be a waste of time to read this book.
Missed the Mark.......2001-07-27
I believe that it takes great skill to write a novella or a short story, and think that Ed McBain should stick to his conventional format. I can only compare this to Steve Martin's novella, "Shopgirl", which contained fully developed characters and a complete storyline within about the same number of pages.
Anyone expecting a full-scale Ed McBain story will be disappointed in this little novella. I was initially interested in the story but found it to be deficient in character development. The reader never really knew much about the characters....I felt that the man who found the purse , a very minor character, was described more fully than any of the main characters.
Not every author can write this kind of book, but I do know that it is possible to have fully fleshed-out characters in even a short story---it just did not happen here. That makes it very difficult to really care about what happens to anyone in "Driving Lessons".
Three And One Half Stars.......2001-06-25
Ed McBain has been described by one jacket endorsement as being so good he should be arrested. "Driving Lessons" is a novella and the first of his work that I have read. It is very well done, and demonstrates the man's ability to entertain with a mystery in a very brief period of time. It also is a guaranteed catalyst to continuing with the massive body of work that he has produced.
The description on the jacket will lead many to divine the outcome of the story and the guilty party. I would wager that many of those that would hazard a guess would be disappointed when they find they are wrong. This was the intriguing bit the writer created, he offers 72 brief pages, a description that seemingly tells the entire story, but in fact does not. It is akin to a novella of misdirection, he knows that most will look to what they believe to be the obvious, only to believe that which he wanted them to place their faith in.
Mr. McBain also does a great job of bringing the personalities of the main players into very sharp relief not only for a novella length book, but also for a novel that most Authors would require hundreds of pages to create legitimate characters that you feel familiar with. This is the reading equivalent of speed chess, when not given the normal length of time brilliant moves often arise.
Driving Lessons.......2001-04-27
Driving Lessons was a great book! I can't believe that Ed Mc'Bain has pulled off another thrilling book. Although it could have been much longer, and provided more detail. I guess people will just have to read the rest of the books (past and present) in the series.
Ed McBain has left the City.......2001-04-23
And it is a refreshing little trip away from everyone in the Big Bad City of which his familiar 87th Precinct is a part. Is this a new continuing crew, as he created with Matthew Hope? I hope so. The inhabitants of the Detective Division in the small city of River Close are just as interesting as their "Big City" colleagues. Driving Lessons is short and snappy. We don't know these people well yet, so there aren't as many concurrent cases and side stories going on. Maybe our next ride with them will be longer?
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Das Evangeliar Kaiser Ottos III. im Domschatz zu Aachen
Ernst Gunther Grimme
Manufacturer: Herder
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ASIN: 3451200716 |
Book Description
Imagine a hockey legend having a son whose skill and intensity match his own, a deadly accuracy and toughness passed on from one generation to the next. Well, imagine no longer. Brett Hull, NHL sensation and offspring of the legendary Bobby Hull, has filled his father's skates and then some, leading the NHL in goals over the last ten seasons, winning the prestigious Lady Byng trophy and the Hart trophy, and powering his way into the upper echelon of hockey stars.
Now a key member of the successful Dallas Stars, Brett tells his own story and shares his troubles and triumphs. Through all the pressure and controversy that comes with being an NHL great, he strives to stay on top of his game and to maintain an easygoing attitude. "My only game plan," he writes, "is to keep smilin' and shootin'. It's just the way I am."
Customer Reviews:
Very Enjoyable!.......2006-08-05
This is probably the most enjoyable book I have read regarding hockey or hockey players. Brett provides a light-hearted look at his life that is neither boastful nor "preachy". He is surprisingly modest given the extraordinary career he has had. I particularly enjoyed hearing of his days growing up in the shadow of his legendary dad and how he overcame his own personal obstacles. This book could easily have been two or three times as thick but I am guessing Brett would not have enjoyed writing a lengthy tome - and clearly Brett is motivated by fun more than anything else! A great lesson for anyone!
The Biography of Brett Hull.......2006-03-14
Brett Hull was a great hockey player. He worked very hard to become a star player. It was very hard growing up the son of a famous hockey player,especailly after his parents divorced. I think Brett Hull will be remembered and admired for his goal scoring and records he set on the ice. After reading this book I will remember him for how hard he works and how he never gave up his dream. I would recommend this book top everyone that is a hockey lover. I enjoyed the book and was happy I chose it.
GAME WINNING BOOK BY BRETT HULL.......2004-10-18
THIS IS THE STORY OF BRETT HULL IN HIS OWN WORDS. I REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK. BRETT DOES A NICE JOB DESCRIBING HIS CAREER, RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS DIVORCED PARENTS, AND HIS THOUGHTS ON BEING HIMSELF. BRETT FINALLY PLAYED ON A STANLEY CUP WINNER IN 1999. HE TELLS OF ALL THE PLAYOFF DEFEATS AND THE FRUSTRATIONS DURING HIS CAREER. HE ADDS HUMOR, HONESTY, AND ALOT OF INSIGHTS ON THE GAME OF HOCKEY. I RECOMMEND THIS TO ALL HOCKEY FANS AS A GOOD READ.
This is a great book..........1999-10-20
This is a great book, all of you brett hull fans or not, should go and get this book, it is definetily the best book i've ever read in a long time
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The 100th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's birth brought about numerous retrospectives of his career, but Hitchcock Poster Art is perhaps the most fitting tribute for such a master of visual images. This stunning compilation contains posters for each of Hitchcock's films--even one from an early silent for which Hitchcock served as screenwriter and assistant director. The collection is incredibly thorough, including posters from foreign releases, lobby cards, and cover art from movie tie-in novels. The art itself is splashy and gorgeous, but this title is far more than eye candy. What a delight to track the evolution of film posters themselves over Hitchcock's 50-plus-year career, and to witness the stylistic differences between countries--the posters from Poland are disturbingly stark, especially in contrast to the colorful work from Japan. Another fascinating visual progression is how Hitchcock's image was used as his career unfolded, whether looming over the characters in Marnie or slyly inserting an L into Strang[l]ers on a Train. Hitchcock fans and movie lovers of all stripes will relish this celebration of a true film genius. --Ali Davis
Book Description
Alfred Hitchcock's style was unmistakable, and his films more than ever are revered the world over. Any list of the greatest films of all time is sure to include titles like Psycho, Dial M for Murder, Vertigo, and North by Northwest.
In this lavishly produced book, Wolff and Nourmand have collected all the best promotional art--including posters, lobby cards, and other promotional materials--of Hitchcock's entire career, including material so rare that the copy photographed for this book is the only one known to have survived. Among the treasures displayed: an American poster for Woman to Woman, the 1923 film for which Hitchcock wrote the screenplay and served as assistant director and art director; a poster for the first film he directed, The Pleasure Garden of 1925; and material from classic films like Strangers on a Train and To Catch a Thief. Hitchcock Poster Art provides a fascinating look at the international scope of the master's influence and appeal.
Customer Reviews:
Even Hitchcock would be proud.......2007-06-18
Full of pictures. Posters. Colors. Relive the memories of the films. After reading the book, go watch another Hitchcock movie for the hundredth time. The book got it all. A word of warning: if you have never seen the movie, don't read the text...just look at the pictures. If you read the text, you will be spoiled. A word of warning... Anyway, the text is dumbed-down because it says nothing insightful about the posters and also the man himself.
three stars.......2003-05-07
the poster art is a nice blend of american and foreign and nicely captures the evolution of the medium, but the accompanying text is seriously worthless, consisting of synopses for each film written in the worst middle-school syntax and replete with glaring typographical errors. it would have been nice to read some informative blurbs about the poster art itself, and about how hitchcock, a master or self-publicity, advertised his pictures more broadly. the cover shot on the book is from the buzz-generating psycho campaign, yet the text accompanying the psycho posters mentions nothing of the policy of excluding tardy movie-goers from the picture so as to maximize the experience. the interested reader may find a broader collection of images online, although without the crisp clarity of the photographs in this book. three stars primarily because of the disappointing text.
if you like alfred hitchcock you will love this book.......2003-05-03
You have to have this book it tells so much about alfred hitchcocks movies ...
A very colourful, neato kind of book.......2002-08-07
I enjoyed looking at this book - I got it from the library. It's got many posters and lobby cards from Hitchcock's works, all in colour. And it's not just the same ones you see everywhere. This has posters from other countries too. Some of them are really WEIRD. Especially the Polish ones. But interesting. I think you should give this book a try if you like Hitchcock.
Buy it while you can!.......2000-07-13
A great tribute to Hitchcock's centennial, featuring not only movie posters, but also book and magazine covers, lobby cards and album (soundtrack) covers from 1925 to 1976. Here's a list of my favorites: Life (1963), Cahier du Cinema (1980), Strangers on a Trains, US (1951), To Catch a Thief, Italian (1955), The Trouble with Harry, Japanese (1955) and The Birds, Polish (1963).
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Overview: An Introduction to Music History, 2d ed.: An article from: Notes
Charles Turner
Manufacturer: Music Library Association, Inc.
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ASIN: B00093SF2S
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on December 1, 1995. The length of the article is 1758 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: Overview: An Introduction to Music History, 2d ed.
Author: Charles Turner
Publication:
Notes (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 1995
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: v52
Issue: n2
Page: p502(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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The Little Giant Book of Visual Tricks
The Diagram Group
Manufacturer: Sterling
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ASIN: 0806943459 |
Book Description
An incredible selection of visual trick puzzles and oddities. From hidden objects and lost people to find, mazes to unravel, double meanings to decode, and impossible objects to comprehend—as well as spatial confusions, optical distortions, and “warped” pictures. Brain-bending and out-of-this-world unbelievable.
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A Little Giant Book: Visual Tricks (Little Giant Books)
The Diagram Group
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ASIN: 1402749856 |
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Super Little Giant Book of Card Tricks
Diagram Visual
Manufacturer: Sterling
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ASIN: 1402739028 |
Book Description
Magicians have been asking people to pick a card, any card for centuries, and this amazing world of card tricks is revealed here so that anyone can fool their unwitting audience. With more than 40 classic card tricks explained in step-by-step instructions and colorful diagrams, it is easy to play your cards like a professional. Tricks using special “marked” cards, sleights, two decks, and props are all included. But, just knowing how to do the tricks is only half the battle. Preparation, presentation, and handling can either make or break your trick. So every one is accompanied by advice and tips on making the sleights look natural, and suggested patter to make transitions smoother.
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Super Little Giant Book of Magic Tricks (Little Giant Books)
Diagram Visual
Manufacturer: Sterling
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1402739052 |
Book Description
Abracadabra! This colorful super book is like a magic wand that makes fun things happen. With nearly 300 pages worth of tricks, it will have budding magicians grabbing their coins, handkerchiefs, and other paraphernalia and showing off dazzling feats of illusion. Easy-to-follow instructions and generously sized illustrations make it a snap to present such impressive stunts as “Color Mystery”—where the performer correctly guesses the color off a crayon placed behind her back. Every trick comes with guidance on preparation, a list of equipment, detailed how-tos for each step, and ideas for making an awesome presentation.
Book Description
Investors today are being fed lies and distortions, are being exploited and neglected. In the wake of the last decade’s rush to invest by millions of households and Wall Street’s obsession with short-term performance, a culture of gamesmanship has grown among corporate management, financial analysts, brokers, and fund managers, making it hard to tell financial fantasy from reality, salesmanship from honest advice.
In Take on the Street, Arthur Levitt—former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission—shows how you can take matters into your own hands. At once anecdotal (names are named), informative, and prescriptive, Take on the Street expounds on, among other subjects: the relationship between broker compensation and your trading account; the conflicts of interest inherent in buy-hold-or-sell recommendations of analysts; what exactly happens—and who gets a piece of the action—when you place an order; the “seven deadly sins” of mutual funds; the vagaries and vicissitudes of 401(k) investments; how accountants engage in sleight of hand to fake impressive company performance; how to find the truth in a company’s financial statements; the real reason for the Street’s hostility to full disclosure; the crisis in corporate governance, and, given these shenanigans and double-dealings, what specific steps you can take to safeguard your financial future.
With integrity and authority, Levitt gives us a bracing primer on the collapse of the system for overseeing our capital markets, and sage, essential advice on a discipline we often ignore to our peril—how not to lose money.
Customer Reviews:
Title is more aggressive than the content........2007-03-26
The book is full of inside stories of corrupt corporations and the SEC's involvement to correct them. As far as any portfolio use, chapter ten is 26 pages of 401(k)tips. Otherwise there was nothing truly useful for investing. I am self-employed, so this one chapter was of no help to me either. No disrespect to Arthur Levitt and his understanding of the market but this is more of a non-fiction or autobiography than a guidebook to "Take On The Street." If you like direct and helpful books such as the "All About ...." series of books by Richard A. Ferri or William Bernstein's style, you should overlook this one and it's similarly named clone.
Should be Required Reading for Every American Investor.......2006-02-03
"Take on the Street" should probably have been titled: The Most Corrupt Industry in America. Over the last 100 years (and more), the brokerage industry in America has to comprise the most corrupt bunch of crooks of any industry past, present, and hopefully in the future. Because of deception played upon investors with the full knowledge and intent of the major brokerage houses, individual investors lost trillions of dollars they had invested in the stock market. All the major brokerage houses practiced the art of recommending stocks to their 'customers' while knowing full well those stocks were already vastly overpriced.
Arthur Levitt has intimate knowledge of the situation having been the Chairman of the SEC. He pulls no punches in telling the secrets of the industry, even naming names of the biggest culprits to this travesty. When you read how these companies swindled their investors, you will get sick just wondering how the government could let them get away with this for so long. But, of course, significant political contributions by the brokerage houses have a way of making the government look the other way.
Are all of the abuses now in the past? It's doubtful, although Levitt is to be highly praised for his accomplishments in getting things at least to their current level of open information sharing for all investors. But, after you read this, you will think twice before you ever think about trusting a stock broker again.
The Pitfalls of Wall Street & How the Average Investor Can Avoid Them........2005-12-08
Arthur Levitt was the longest-serving chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), 1993-2001, the regulatory agency that oversees many aspects of the stock market. Coming from a background of 28 years on Wall Street as a broker and chairman of the American Stock Exchange, Levitt joined the SEC as the bull market of the 1990s was getting underway and would remain through the bust of the technology stock bubble, leaving the agency shortly before the accounting scandals of Enron, WorldCom, et al exploded into the public eye -just the sort of accounting deception he had fought to prevent during his years at the SEC. "Take on the Street" is a memoir of Levitt's years at the SEC and an argument for his philosophy of investor-friendly regulation. But, more than that, it is a how-to guide for small investors that explains the "web of dysfunctional relationships among analysts, brokers, and corporations" and how to avoid falling victim to them, whether you research and buy stocks yourself or invest in the market through mutaul funds or a 401(k).
"Take on the Street"'s 10 chapters are each dedicated to one issue -usually a conflict of interest- in some stage of the investment game, which can cost the investing public a great deal. Levitt explains each issue in detail, with examples, as well as what the SEC tried to do to remedy the problem when he was in office. And he always includes advise on how to avoid the pitfall in question. The first chapter is about brokers. The second addresses the "Seven Deadly Sins of Mutual Funds". Chapter 3 reveals the conflicts of interest faced by many analysts. Chapter 4 discusses Regulation Fair Disclosure (FD) in detail, which prevents analysts from getting earnings information before it is announced. Chapter 5 addresses the issue of accounting standards, which would come to a boil shortly after Levitt left the SEC, including his crusade to prevent accounting firms from providing both consulting and auditing services to the same company. Chapter 6 is a lesson for investors in how to read company financial statements or 10-Ks. Chapter 7 explains how stock orders were placed and filled on the NYSE and the NASDAQ. (Note that this is not up-to-date, as the NYSE just converted to a computerized system.) Chapter 8 talks about the role and failures of corporate governance boards (boards of directors). Chapter 9 is about Levitt's experiences with the powerful business lobbies and their influence on Congress. The last chapter, "Getting Your 401(k) in Shape", tells investors what they need to do to get the most out of their 401(k) retirement plans.
"Take on the Street" offers a lot of useful advice for the average investor. Even those who know little about their investments and prefer that others manage their money will find the chapters on mutual funds and 401(k)s invaluable. They just might save you a lot of money. Arthur Levitt is opinionated and is sometimes accused of advocating over-regulation. But he is, above all, an advocate of transparency, without which the stock market and all of its participants are ultimately imperiled. As in any memoir, Levitt takes the opportunity to grind his axe against his foes: the politicians who opposed the SEC's regulatory agendas during the 1990s. In Chapter 9, he says just who opposed Regulation FD, auditor independence rules, and expensing options -many of whom had to eat their words in the wake of the Enron scandal. But "Take on the Street" is mostly a book for the average American investor, whose cause Arthur Levitt always champions, if not always flawlessly.
Explains what's wrong with wall street and why it gonna change soon.......2005-10-15
Book has some fluf, but it's interesting.
The book give some insight into how courupt Wall Street and many brokers are.
Levittation.......2004-09-17
Arthur Levitt's "Take on the Street" is a worthwhile read for both those familiar and unfamiliar with the inner workings of investment banks, "numbers games" played by public companies to smooth earnings, and the role of regulators. All three are imperfect. Levitt exposes many of the abuses that have been known to most public market insiders. He has done much, helped by the market meltdown in 2000-02, to rectify some of these abuses.
He provides extensive background, from his point of view, on the difficulty of making the markets more transparent and consumer (retail) friendly. He details his butting heads with Wall Street chieftains, corporate CEOs, the high tech industry, and the very agencies and oversight boards charged with insuring fair markets.
There are many gems that are instructive. For instance, I was surprised to learn about the matching of buyers and sellers within a single organization, like Schwab, that increased profits...but to the detriment of customers. Now that there are new rules on this, I understand why Schwab and others are struggling with profitability and must redefine themselves. Schwab's success initially was derived from a rules change Charles Schwab supported, and now its difficulties are derived from a rules change the firm fought.
Levitt also shows regulatory zeal in areas requiring much more discussion and debate to insure the public good. Single-minded regulators, while they can do good, can also inflict great harm. While stock options may need a change in accounting treatment, we must make sure that we understand the "how" to insure that we do not drive a stake into development stage companies that have led the world in innovation, job creation, and value creation. Levitt's single-mindedness on this issue is scary.
He showed ignorance about development stage companies and the role of stock options. He frequently used companies like Cisco, Microsoft, and Intel as examples in his discussion. These are growth companies but they are no longer development stage companies. Stock options are a critical tool for the growth and survival of a true development stage company. Most, if not all, development stage firms only offer healthcare benefits, non-matching 401k plans, and an opportunity to fail (80% fail). Stock options provide an off-set to the personal and career risk one takes to join a start-up.
Development stage companies have proven crucial to the health of the US economy with jobs, and global leadership in areas like health and high-tech. We are the envy of the world. We as country must make sure that we do not throw the baby out with the bath water.
Those who are interested in these subjects and controversies will enjoy getting a behind the scenes view, courtesy of Arthur Levitt. A good book to complement "Take on Wall Street" is Andy Kessler's "Wall Street Meat" - a first hand account of a Wall Street analyst on the abuses Levitt moved to correct. These two books could serve as bookends!
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