A Butler's Life: Scenes from the Other Side of the Silver Salver

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A favorite resource

What the butler really did.......

A Butler's Life

The true art of butlering

A refreshing new look at the world of service:

A Butler's Life: Scenes from the Other Side of the Silver Salver
Kimberly Allen
Manufacturer: Authors Choice Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Business | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Book Description

Part memoir, part how-to, A Butler's Life -- the account of Christopher Allen’s real-life duties Behind The Silver Salver-- offers a contemporary peek into this fascinating, yet demanding profession.

Those for whom the mental picture of a British butler is the impeccable Jeeves or Remains of the Day’s prim Mr. Stevens will find Christopher Allen a surprise and a delight. The engaging Englishman, while no less a paragon of service than his literary peers, is charmingly human in his ongoing endeavor to master a profession whose most perfect representative is invisible.

And, for those whose homes might not be staffed with live-in servants but who would enjoy benefiting from their expertise, nearly two dozen sidebars reveal tips of the trade--everything from hints for seamless entertaining to advice on household management.

Far from a relic of a past era, Christopher Allen demonstrates that being a butler -- in villas on the Cote d’Azur and in California, on luxury yachts in England and estates in the Hamptons -- is still a very viable, rewarding way to make a living in the twenty-first century.

Customer Reviews:

A favorite resource.......2006-07-08

Actually written by Kimberly Allen, based upon the stories her husband, ex-butler Christoper, told her. This is a handy but brief look at a butler's training and life, with some colorful stories and useful boxed areas where hints on table service and caring for clothing and china scattered randomly through the text.

What the butler really did..............2005-07-01

This book is delightfully written and goes well beyond an interest in domestic helpers. Mr. Allen's experiences with people and places around the world hold the readers attention throughout. His humor keeps us anxiously expecting the next turn in a fascinating journey.

A Butler's Life.......2001-11-15

If you are in the industry of servicing the wealthy in private homes and estates, you will relate to this book and read it front to back with many giggles. If you are thinking of entering the industry of private home/estate employment, it is a must to forsee what really happens behind the scenes. Written by one of the best in the industry! I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the book and am a veteran agent to those who service private homes. A must for anyone in the industry!

The true art of butlering.......2001-09-11

This book is based on the experience of C. Allen, not only does he show how to do every day service. But he is the living proof that a true butler cannot be made at some school, it comes from the hard, as he writes in his book: a glorified waiter! Well this one earns my respect.

A refreshing new look at the world of service:.......2000-04-11

A Butler's Life by Kimberly K. Allen and Christopher Allen is more than the story of how the "other half" lives. It is a picture of dedication and work ethics which are much needed in our world today. It elevates the world of service to its rightful place of honor in the world and does so with a delightful sense of humor.

Book Description

At age 24, Tiger Woods is the dominant figure in professional golf. This newly-revised behind-the-scenes biography introduces young readers to Tiger¹s spectacular achievements and chronicles his unprecedented rise to the top of the pro golf world.

Customer Reviews:

Don't Miss This If You Like Golf!.......2002-05-08

Tiger Woods An American Master by Nicholas Edwards

Have you ever been interested in golf? Well if you have this is the book for you.

I like this book because it tells me all about Tiger's career. Another reason is I love golf.

The author's main idea was to tell us how much effort and confidence Tiger needed to play golf. The author also taught us to use perseverance.

Tiger Woods An American Master by Nicholas Edwards.......2001-01-10

Have you ever wondered how Tiger Woods became famous? Well in this book Tiger Woods An American Master by Nicholas Edwards you will find out everything. Tiger got started at golf from his dad. Every day when Tiger's dad went to play golf, Tiger would watch from a hightchair. At 11 months old Tiger took his first shot. He used a putter his dad cut down for him. At eighteen months old Tiger learned how to putt. At three years old Tiger already had perfect form. At five years old Tiger already has shelves filled with trophies. He loved golf and knew it would be his future. Tiger signed up for a golf club as a senior. In the golf game he made his way through the beginning. He almost got a record of 62 but only got a 63. As he went farther in the tournament he could be a master. Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to read Tiger Woods An American Master by Nicholas Edwards.

i like it because tiger woods is the best.......1999-08-28

tiger woods is the best ever i got all of his books.i love this one the best,it had the most info in it.tiger has meat my freinds sister befor because she is a pro girl golf.

Good book with a lot of info on Tigers career.......1999-05-21

Tiger Woods: An American master was a great book with almost everything you would want to know about Tiger and his lifetime of golf. The only reason why this book didn't get 5 stars is because the author, Nick Edwards, kind of over-did what he was sayin about Tiger, and believe it or not, made Tiger sound better than he really is (my personal opinion, although some of you may think you cant say enough about the man). But a well- written book that deserves to be read.

What I think about Tiger Woods:An American Master.......1999-03-09

This book is very well written and tells lots of information on Tiger.Nick Edwards did a good job in putting this book into a format where kids can read this book very easily.I think this book deserves 4 stars because it had a lot of information but it kind of over did what they said about Tiger.But Otherwise it is a fantabulous book.

Customer Reviews:

An invaluable contribution to film theory and criticism.......2001-10-17

Seeing Beyond: Movies, Visions, And Values is a compilation of twenty-six essays by William R. Robinson and an assortment of his personal friends on the subject of film theory and offering a wide range of commentary and criticism of American and foreign films. In addition to Robinson the contributors include Annie Dillard, Frank Burke, R.H.W. Dillard, George Garrett, Armando Jose Prats, A. Carl Bredahl Jr., Seve Snyder, Vincent B. Leitch, David Lavery, Elaine Marshall, J.P. Telotte, Walter C. Foreman Jr., and Susan Lynn Drake. Each essay is a small gem. Taken together as a whole they form a persuasive argument that movies are a fundamentally revolutionary moral force in contemporary life. Seeing Beyond: Movies, Visions, And Values is an invaluable contribution to film theory and criticism, and a highly recommended addition to both academic and community film library reference collections.

Book Description

Honey bees--and the qualities associated with them--have quietly influenced American values for four centuries. During every major period in the country's history, bees and beekeepers have represented order and stability in a country without a national religion, political party, or language.

Bees in America is an enlightening cultural history of bees and beekeeping in the United States. Tammy Horn, herself a beekeeper, offers a varied social and technological history from the colonial period, when the British first introduced bees to the New World, to the present, when bees are being used by the American military to detect bombs. Early European colonists introduced bees to the New World as part of an agrarian philosophy borrowed from the Greeks and Romans. Their legacy was intended to provide sustenance and a livelihood for immigrants in search of new opportunities, and the honey bee became a sign of colonization, alerting Native Americans to settlers' westward advance. Colonists imagined their own endeavors in terms of bees' hallmark traits of industry and thrift and the image of the busy and growing hive soon shaped American ideals about work, family, community, and leisure.

The image of the hive continued to be popular in the eighteenth century, symbolizing a society working together for the common good and reflecting Enlightenment principles of order and balance. Less than a half-century later, Mormons settling Utah (where the bee is the state symbol) adopted the hive as a metaphor for their protected and close-knit culture that revolved around industry, harmony, frugality, and cooperation. In the Great Depression, beehives provided food and bartering goods for many farm families, and during World War II, the War Food Administration urged beekeepers to conserve every ounce of beeswax their bees provided, as more than a million pounds a year were being used in the manufacture of war products ranging from waterproofing products to tape.

The bee remains a bellwether in modern America. Like so many other insects and animals, the bee population was decimated by the growing use of chemical pesticides in the 1970s. Nevertheless, beekeeping has experienced a revival as natural products containing honey and beeswax have increased the visibility and desirability of the honey bee. Still a powerful representation of success, the industrious honey bee continues to serve both as a source of income and a metaphor for globalization as America emerges as a leader in the Information Age.

Customer Reviews:

engrossing.......2005-12-20

Beekeeping in the American historical context.

Though the text is a bit academic, I picked up this book and couldn't put it down. I read it in about 3 days. The numerous ways that the honey bee and beekeeping has woven themselves into our history and culture is fascinating. Ms. Horn has done some tremendous research on the subject.

Pretty lame if you are a beekeeper..........2005-10-24

I've been keeping bees for 40 years and during that time have assimilated a lot of info from trade journals, academic texts, etc. I was pretty bored with the whole thing. I was not expecting a technical book but I just found it poorly edited.

history of bees.......2005-08-13

a very good book about the beekeeping and the history of bees
in a nation which envy by others

Bees In America: How The Honey Bee Shaped A Nation.......2005-07-20

Excellent review of history of bees-beekeeping in America from a historical, cultural and global perspective. It is not a technically laden text. This would be a great book for extra credit reading - discussion for an American History college/university course. It is highly recommended for both general and scholarly readers.

A Great Read !.......2005-06-12

This is a very enjoyable book. The author has taken a relatively unknown topic ( unless you're a beekeeper ), and written a book that is simply very interesting. She's blended history, science, economics, and even religion into a book that is easy to read. How did that jar of honey get into your shop ?
Why are people as diverse as rocker Tom Petty, disco diva Gloria Gaynor, and actor Peter Fonda included in a book about bees ? Not only did I learn why, but I liked the way the author took us on a journey thru bee-land.

Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation.(Book review): An article from: Canadian Journal of History

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Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation.(Book review): An article from: Canadian Journal of History
Roger M. Carpenter
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Canadian Journal of History, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2006. The length of the article is 843 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: Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation.(Book review)
Author: Roger M. Carpenter
Publication: Canadian Journal of History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 41 Issue: 1 Page: 150(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation

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Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation
Tammy Horn
Manufacturer: University Press of Kentucky
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N7CW74

Customer Reviews:

A rather tepid book.......2006-03-30

All I can say is don't spend your hard-earned money on this silly book.

I think the authors must have geared this book towards masculine women as it definitely has a feminist-oh-yeah-womyn-can-do-it-better slant.

A complete waste.

Not even for the recreational player.......2006-02-27

If you have even a basic knowledge of playing pool, I'd look elsewhere for a book. I just bought a table a year ago and am looking for a book to help me understand how to use the diamonds, bank shots, etc. This book doesn't help much with that. The easy stuff is well written but I pretty much knew all that already. The more advanced techniques are not well written and the author did not use many diagrams to explain the point better. I'm just a recreational player looking to get better and I don't find this book of much use.

Not the most useful pool book.......2005-01-26

With a plethora of quality pool publications that appeared in the last ten or so years, I find this effort rather unoriginal and uninspiring.

It has that "something borrowed, something plagiarized..." feel to it.

Caveat Emptor!

An amateurish effort.......2004-05-14

There is a definite lack of original material in this book. As I have almost all the pool books published in the last 20 years this new entry seems to offer slim pickings for any enthusiasts out there.

But hopefully this is the authors' debut effort and the next edition will be far more complete. Also the graphics and diagrams can use a great amount of sprucing up.

Great Book.......2004-05-13

The book is wonderful. It is not supposed to be some big fancy pool book. It is simple, clear, and most importantly, I am now playing pool with confidence. Many thanks to the authors!

Book Description

In his best-selling Irrational Exuberance, Robert Shiller cautioned that society's obsession with the stock market was fueling the volatility that has since made a roller coaster of the financial system. Less noted was Shiller's admonition that our infatuation with the stock market distracts us from more durable economic prospects. These lie in the hidden potential of real assets, such as income from our livelihoods and homes. But these ''ordinary riches,'' so fundamental to our well-being, are increasingly exposed to the pervasive risks of a rapidly changing global economy. This compelling and important new book presents a fresh vision for hedging risk and securing our economic future.

Shiller describes six fundamental ideas for using modern information technology and advanced financial theory to temper basic risks that have been ignored by risk management institutions--risks to the value of our jobs and our homes, to the vitality of our communities, and to the very stability of national economies. Informed by a comprehensive risk information database, this new financial order would include global markets for trading risks and exploiting myriad new financial opportunities, from inequality insurance to intergenerational social security. Just as developments in insuring risks to life, health, and catastrophe have given us a quality of life unimaginable a century ago, so Shiller's plan for securing crucial assets promises to substantially enrich our condition.

Once again providing an enormous service, Shiller gives us a powerful means to convert our ordinary riches into a level of economic security, equity, and growth never before seen. And once again, what Robert Shiller says should be read and heeded by anyone with a stake in the economy.

Customer Reviews:

The problem is ambiguity and uncertainty,not risk alone.......2005-09-08

The major problem with this book is Shiller's basic misconception of what the major problem is concerning decision making about the future ,given the incomplete amount of relevant information available in the past and the present,based on what D.Ellsberg called ambiguous probabilities, J M Keynes called probabilities with low weight(uncertainty),and Benoit Mandelbrot called wild risk(as opposed to the mild risk of the normal probability distribution).Shiller bases his understanding on the "new"behavioral economics associated with the work of Tversky,Kahneman,Thaler,etc.This kind of approach emphasizes not the major problems of ambiguity,uncertainty,or wild risk of Ellsberg,Keynes,and Mandelbrot,but relatively mild problems associated with the Allais Paradox(certainty,reflection,translation,and preference reversal effects plus other assorted anomalies).The problem is that the Tversky-Kahneman approach ,and other associated approaches allied with them, are based fundamentally on the view that the normal distribution is the correct distribution to use for educated,rational decision makers.The problem ,then,is that decision makers in general are not rational;they are irrational and uneducated decision makers ,who allow their emotions,combined with their hopes and fears,to influence their decision making .All the anomalous behavior can be traced to the basic irrationality and ignorance of decision makers,who supposedly resort to all kinds of heuristic shortcuts because they have not mastered the fields of statistics and probability correctly.The position of Ellsberg,Keynes,and Mandelbrot is completely different.The decision maker is rational,but must "rely" on probabilities that he knows are unreliable,vague,ambiguous,unclear,and uncertain.In such a world the attempt to gain additional information,as in the stock market,leads to herd,crowd,and cascade effects as each individual decision maker attempts to obtain a little, additional amount of relevant information from other sources that he feels are better informed.Thus,it is the ambiguity or uncertainty of the future that leads to the creation of bubbles,manias,panics,and crashes.These events have little to do with the Tversky-Kahneman approach.The normal probability distribution is completely worthless as a guide to action in the stock market and other financial markets in the face of ambiguity ,uncertainty,or wild risk.In his preface(pp.ix-x),Shiller claims that"...economic thinkers have been limited by the state of relevant risk management principles of their day".Shiller claims that Keynes did not have command of such risk management ideas.The fact is that Keynes,Ellsberg,and Mandelbrot have forgotten more about these ideas than Shiller will ever know.All seven of Shiller's new types of markets and new types of insurance totally ignore the fundamental problem of ambiguity/uncertainty.They are put forth in the misbelief that the kind of decision making problems examined by Tversky-Kanheman are the main explanation for the boom-bust nature of financial markets , the volatility that results,and the unstable nature of such markets in a capitalist system.Shiller needs to completely rewrite this book and base it on a foundation of Keynes,Ellsberg,and Mandelbrot.

Good for a Laugh.......2005-08-06

What an odd book. Shiller reviews the up-sides of multiple forms of insurance without a thought to the down-sides. How much would being insured for every possible eventuality cost the user?

At times, I tended to agree with the reviewer quoted on the back cover -- 'pleasantly utiopian'. At other times, I more agreed with my father, who said, after I read aloud a passage about the draconian surveilance measures needed to enforce some of the insurance contracts Shiller advocates: 'He's a very bad man.'

Interesting read, author is quite optimistic........2005-04-08

This book is very interesting, but I think that the author in may be a bit full of himself. This is the same guy who wrote the book 'Irrational Exuberance' months after the stock market peaked in January 2000 and claims to have predicted it. I feel that most of the hype about Robert Shiller is Irrationally Exuberant. However this does not mean this book is not worth looking at. It has some interesting proposals, although many of them are either far-fetched or dangerously close to a creating a corporate Orwellian state.

A fascinating alternative view of the financial system.......2004-09-22

Shiller is a visionary economist. The problem with visionaries is that they do not always see the world the same way as everyone else.

This book outlines how Shiller believes a range of innovative risk management products could change the international financial system, and at the same time raise the living standards of ordinary people. Shiller wants to create derivative products which would allow people to use financial markets to hedge against loss of income, or the decline in the value of their house, for example.

Now this is pretty daunting stuff for the average reader, and I doubt that most of the people Shiller wants to help would fully appreciate the complexities of the things he advocates.

The other problem I have is that I simply don't believe all of Shiller's ideas are feasible. Moreover, even he would have to admit it is impossible to eliminate risk from life, yet that is what he tries to achieve.

I think it is a terrific book for those who want to ponder "what if." It can be a hard read though.

A Must Read!.......2004-06-12

Economist Robert Shiller became a household name when he published his previous bestseller Irrational Exuberance just as the dot.com boom was peaking. In The New Financial Order, he capitalizes on his celebrity to put forward a thoughtful, detailed proposal for managing economic risks. This highly readable book portrays a future in which many serious individual financial risks are dispersed to savvy global investors, thanks to technology. Imagine violinists being able to insure their careers in addition to their Stradivarius instruments, developing countries securing generous loans from the first world by tying the repayment schedules to their future GDPs and a revamped tax system preventing the gap between rich and poor from widening. We suggest this book to risk-management professionals who want to step back and look at the big picture, as well as to anyone who has a stake in creating new financial products to meet twenty-first century needs.

The new financial order: risk in the 21st century [A book review from: Journal of Socio-Economics]

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The new financial order: risk in the 21st century [A book review from: Journal of Socio-Economics]
D.H. Goldenberg
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000PDT7SI

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Socio-Economics, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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The New Financial Order: Risk in the 21st Century.(Book Review): An article from: The Cato Journal

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The New Financial Order: Risk in the 21st Century.(Book Review): An article from: The Cato Journal
Kevin Dowd
Manufacturer: Cato Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Cato Journal, published by Cato Institute on September 22, 2003. The length of the article is 2918 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 New Financial Order: Risk in the 21st Century.(Book Review)
Author: Kevin Dowd
Publication: The Cato Journal (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2003
Publisher: Cato Institute
Volume: 23 Issue: 2 Page: 335(6)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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