Book Description
Tim Taylor's story is not simply that of a single individual, but a metaphor for an era that took us to the moon. Launch Fever is an inspiration not only to the rocket scientist but also to every entrepreneur starting or dreaming of starting his or her own company. The story covers both the Challenger and Columbia disasters with fascinating detail. This is a motivating insiders look at the kind of struggles that lie ahead (or behind) for every entrepreneur. Come face to face with the harsh realities and difficult decision of letting go the security of 9-5 to pursue a dream as Tim Taylor discovers the spark of enlightenment, which propels him into the world of entrepreneurship.
Customer Reviews:
Valuable nuggets of life experiences.......2005-02-12
I started reading this book on a flight from Birmingham to Madison. As I started on the first page of the book, Mr. Taylor got me hooked on to the book with his humble opening and inspirational message. As I read through the book, being an engineer myself, I could relate to several of his life experiences. His advise at the end of each of the chapter is simple in wording but full of wisodm and practical experience. I could not keep the book down even for a minute till I finished this book. Great read for anyone, especially an engineer who wants to be an entrepreneur.
Made my weekend to read this book........2003-06-25
This is a great book about starting a business and working your plan to be succesfull. I love how the author encourages the reader to tell their own story. He writes "Each of us have a compelling story to tell so I encourage you to write your story if you have that desire. You might notice from my lack of complex sentence structures and possibly the lack of a tight subject focus that if I can write a book so can you! Don't be discouraged by the elite publishing community and their agents. We all can't be Pulitzer Prize writers but we all have a story to tell nonetheless. Tell your story and leave the critics to their own misery."
Now how can you not like a guy who humbles himself right up front.
I was hooked when I read the first page from the first chapter..."Although bright and sunny, the day of the Space Shuttle Challenger launch was an unusually cold morning for central Florida. The combination of the cold and the moist salt air made it a very unpleasant day. The few times it gets cold in the Sunshine State, my body feels it down to the bone. No one had to tell me that January 28, 1986, was the coldest day that NASA had ever launched a manned rocket. For those who witnessed the event that day, it became an overwhelming personal experience for them. For three of my coworkers and I it was even more eventful because we were one of the closest people to the explosion, and Judy Resnik, Ph.D., the Challenger Mission Specialist Astronaut, was a coworker and friend of mine.
A sharp and quick to the point engineer, Judy became an astronaut in 1979 after having been a biomedical engineer and staff fellow in the Laboratory of Neurophysiology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. She was a classical pianist and pilot who didn't tolerate incompetent people in the space program. The Challenger mission would be her second time in space; she first flew as a mission specialist on STS 41-D, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 30, 1984. This was the maiden flight of the orbiter Discovery. Judy loved to fly and encouraged me to obtain my pilot's license.
My office was in the Deep Space Instrumentation Facility or DSIF, (pronounced "dee siff" by the locals) located on the east coast of central Florida, on the Cape Canaveral side of the Kennedy Space Center, only a quarter mile west of the Atlantic Ocean. In existence since the beginning of the space program back in the 1960's, DSIF had served as a central data house for all incoming radio signals. It was the building that received the first orbital communication signals from John Glenn and Alan Shepard. The décor was typical government gray with metal desk and matching swivel chairs, rotary dial phones and broken tile floors. NASA employees and their contractors worked in facilities and with equipment which looked like something out of an antique military museum. Only the space shuttle and its spotless clean rooms were new, high tech and state of the art. The majority of the 20,000-person work force worked in a musty, dull gray atmosphere, while a select few, like my group, worked in both the old facilities and the high-tech new. Working in a large government organization can be very compartmentalized although I was fortunate to be part of a group who worked across most boundaries. NASA, thank goodness, was in the process of converting our facility into a more advanced facility, and my colleagues and I were part of the team doing the upgrades. Our facility and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) were a special place to work, guarded by military personnel who wore M16 rifles.
Every morning seagulls hanging out in the parking lot greeted me as I drove up to work. There was a constant light ocean breeze, and a comfortable summer environment. If the wind blew from the east, you could hear the ocean and smell the salt air.
Oftentimes when I arrived at work, I felt like I was going to the beach for a day of fun and strolling down space history lane. Just over the trees I could see the original launch pads used for the Mercury program. The Mercury program began in 1961 when, only four weeks after the Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin made the first orbital flight, the U.S. followed with a flight by Alan B. Shepard on May 5th. Shepard's launch took place only a few football fields away from our office.
As soon as I arrived to work the morning of the Challenger mission, I began to listen over the local secured audio loop to the astronaut communications as they began their third attempt at a launch. The previous two launches had been scrubbed for various reasons and the media was starting to point fingers and cause what we referred to as "launch fever" - an emotion that overrides logic and entices people to take more risk than normal. NASA, being a federally funded political football, demanded we keep everyone happy, especially the media. The press wanted a launch, while we wanted safety and quality.
Kennedy Space Center was hectic as usual preparing the launch of the 25th space shuttle. It was Mission 51-L, the 10th flight of Orbiter Challenger, and the first launch from the new launch pad 39B. Because it was the first time a civilian, a schoolteacher, was going into space, the launch was highly publicized. Millions of people watched the historical event on TV because it represented an average person going into space for the first time.
As I continued to monitor the launch countdown process, I noticed some frustration on the part of the astronaut crew due to the cold temperatures. They were having a hard time with their gloves and equipment, and the entire process sounded more unorganized than with previous missions.
A consistent, timely and methodical program was followed for each launch. Organization was key because it reduces the chance for error and emotions. The customary routine for an astronaut on launch day involves steak and eggs for "breakfast" even if wake up time is at noon or midnight. Steak and eggs are served because they reduce body waste. The last thing an astronaut needs to eat before liftoff is something that will upset his/her stomach and make for large bowel movements. The astronaut's goal is to reduce the number of bathroom breaks in space hoping to reduce debris, smell and privacy issues. A birthday party type of celebration follows the breakfast, which includes birthday cake and several top prelaunch workers. Then the astronauts walk fifty feet to an ultra clean white room to suit up in their orange pressurized suits. The astronauts exit the large Operations and Control building and enter the van, which takes them on the seven mile drive out to the launch pad. From wake up call to liftoff is about four to five hours. On the day of a shuttle mission, instead of sitting horizontal like you would in a car, the shuttle is pointed straight up towards the sky so that the astronauts lie on their backs with their feet above them. The time lying feet first in the space shuttle restrained to a giant hydrogen/oxygen bomb is about one hour.
As time drew closer to what is called T-Zero...
Read this book and do it on a weekend when you need a boost and a day full of enjoyment.
Great book for small business owners!.......2003-06-25
If you are looking for a some inspiration to start your next business or complete the one you have started you will love this book. The writer tells a story that is a true page turner. I started reading this book and could not put it down mainly due to the subject matter and the dialog writing style which made it really easy to read. No fluff and long complex sentences to distract you but rather a good book you can read in a couple sittings out by the pool.
Great book for small business owners!.......2003-06-25
If you are looking for a some inspiration to start your next business or complete the one you have started you will love this book. The writer tells a story that is a true page turner. I started reading this book and could not put it down mainly due to the subject matter and the dialog writing style which made it really easy to read. No fluff and long complex sentences to distract you but rather a good book you can read in a couple sittings out by the pool.
Great book for small business owners!.......2003-06-25
If you are looking for a some inspiration to start your next business or complete the one you have started you will love this book. The writer tells a story that is a true page turner. I started reading this book and could not put it down mainly due to the subject matter and the dialog writing style which made it really easy to read. No fluff and long complex sentences to distract you but rather a good book you can read in a couple sittings out by the pool.
Average customer rating:
- engrossing life story of an unassuming champion
- Fabulous
- Surviving the Hungry Years
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Surviving the Hungry Years: Story of a West End Champion
Jimmy Lane
Manufacturer: Discovery Press (WV)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Biographies
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Boxing
| Individual Sports
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0966724658 |
Book Description
Jimmy Lane grew up quickly in the West End of Huntington, West Virginia. Boxing proved to be a way out, and his journey through the ranks as a Golden Gloves champion and professional fighter was marked by personal triumph and tragedy. With his brothersÑthemselves boxersÑby his side, Jimmy recounts the many stories and lessons he learned along the way as one of the finest amateur and professional boxers to come out of Huntington. Complete with photographs and clippings that document his journey, this book will appeal to both boxing enthusiasts and readers that enjoy a true success story of overcoming tremendous odds.
Customer Reviews:
engrossing life story of an unassuming champion.......2002-08-03
Jimmy Lane chronicles his life from his childhood to present. Born and raised in West Virginia, he was one of eight children in a very poor family. He details the trials and tribulations that he overcame to win the Golden Gloves title in 1953 and 1954. Fascinating and heartwarming tales from his amateur and professional boxing careers.
Fabulous.......2002-06-07
Was extremely interesting, could not set this book down until it was read cover to cover. Thought the story was really great and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Surviving the Hungry Years.......2002-06-06
Very Interesting Story of Triumph! Jimmy Lane writes with honesty and holds "no punches" I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an uplifting story!
Average customer rating:
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Look Alive: Behind the Scenes of an Animated Film
Elaine Scott
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Music
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Multilingual
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 068809936X |
Amazon.com
In books such as The FBI and Inside Congress, Ronald Kessler turned his journalist's eye, its focus honed during years at The Washington Post, to uncovering the scandals behind America's biggest institutions; his research even led to the deposition of a director of the FBI. So, what secrets has he uncovered that will change the lives of Palm Beach denizens? Not many, as it turns out. Mistresses, breast implants, and other high-living extravagances of the Palm Beach rich aren't secrets after all. Nor does Kessler have the literary gifts of John Berendt, who deftly explored small-town society intrigue in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The characters that populate The Season are straight out of Dynasty: "shapely" and "alluring," "raven-haired," or "spectacular blonds with impossibly tight behinds." If there's anything truly shocking about this book, it's witnessing Kessler's remarkable research skills put to such trivial use. As a frothy page-turner The Season earns its price, but as a cultural study it's as insubstantial as the lives it chronicles. --Maria Dolan
Book Description
The wealthiest, most glamorous, decadent, self-indulgent, sinful spot on earth, Palm Beach is home to billionaires like Donald Trump, trust fund babies, women addicted to staying beautiful, and the sophisticated "walkers" who escort them.
In this juicy, entertaining book, New York Times bestselling author Ronald Kessler introduces you to some of the most fascinating and bizarre people you'll ever meet. And he reveals the social rituals that culminate in the season, a five-month whirlwind of parties, balls, and charity events that no one who is anyone dares to miss. The very rich are very different. Find out how in The Season.
Customer Reviews:
LIKE READING SOMEONE'S DIARY.......2006-04-04
Basically a series of anecdotes. Like reading someone's diary.
The interesting anecdotes were that Marjorie Merriweather Post liked her gold bath room fixtures because gold is much easier to clean, that one of Bobby Kennedy's kids OD'd in room 107 of the Brazilian Court Hotel, and that the Kennedy estate was falling in and had no A/C when the family sold it. Of course, Donald Trump weighs in with his genius for self promotion. I guess one could have used it for a guide to the hot bars and restaurants in the late 90's when the book was written.
But the book is sadly lacking in insights and history of how Palm Beach became such a center for superficiality and messed up values. About the only insigths he offers is that super rich are often unhappy, and their children could care less when they die.
Don't bother!
I Hate Myself.......2005-07-25
I hate myself for having read this book right to the end. It was like reading aspecial double issue of Vanity Fair, packed full of scabrous gossip about a bunch of people I never heard of efore and never will again. The so-called "celebrities" who flicker through the pages of the book were just flying in, they don't live in Palm Beach, and who's left? Well, Donald Trump and a few others, all of them deadly dull.
Every page has some kind of cautionary tale about the straight men who rule the roost in Palm Beach and buy their love with money. This one "can't keep it in his pants." That one " has to get his affairs into order." It would be interesting if the reader cared about any of the people, or again, knew who they were. The author, Kessler, who wrote a fairy tale book about George Bush Jr's Presidential character, is obviously in great anxiety about his own social status, and he must feel that rubbing against these rich, spoiled people on vanity fair's bank account, is going to make him somehow less Jewish.
As many readers have commented, the book is filled with photos of Kessler and his wife ("Pam") meeting rich people, trying to look happy and relaxed. But their flop sweat is written all over them. Whoever the photo editor was for THE SEASON should have discreetly taken the Kesslers aside and told them how tacky their photos are, save them for the panelled den in their suburban home, or their cabin cruiser.
Kessler tries to imitate the highly worked novelistic shape of MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL by focussing on the dreary story of a male "walker," a single presentable man who is available to escort society women to parties--this character is called Kirby and he indulges in a passion for a so-called straight man named Bill, a loser ex-con who's always up to some drug-inspired mischief. Kirby would be pathetic, but at least he shows some emotion. Unlike the other people Kessler tries to impress us with.
As one woman says in THE SEASON, "There are a lot of floozies and fruits and nuts. There are also a lot of beautiful men and women here.. But the ones who are straight are taken. I live in a crazy town. People try to contaminate me with their bizarreness." Well, hey, I live in a crazy town too, but I never felt contaminated until I read this impossible, heartbreaking book about trying to mingle with your betters.
Interesting read but not earthshattering.......2004-04-04
I initially picked up this book because I thought that life in Palm Beach would make for an interesting story. I was wrong. Dead wrong. Instead I find tales of deceit and lies interwoven to form a web of snobbery, elitism, and low self-esteem. Yes, low self-esteem. For if one really reads betwen the lines and asses the information in Kessler's book, one will find that the people are lacking inmany ways that money cannot fix. Overll the book was interesting. However, I feel that Kessler indeed got bogged down with too much namedropping and with too many vague and uninteresting characters. The story could have flowed a bit better and perhaps would have been more interesting had he gone more indepth about the bigotry that currently inhabits Palm Beach. Still, this was not Kessler's best work.
Author's forum against anti-semitism???.......2003-12-30
The book was an easy read in that respect it was well written. It flowed well. However, I could not help but to think repeated throughout the book how the author harks on anti-semitism in Palm Beach by the upper class. For example, there is more than enough chapters about how the country clubs exclude Jews, over and over. I am not anti semitic, nor do I support anti semitic views and practices but I think the author mentions this way too much in his book. There is prejudice everywhere but what is so appealing in being a member of "members only" establishment is that it does exclude most.
There are more pics of author with the so-called "rich and famous" than the rich and famous themselves!
The book, I feel does give some insight into the lives of the inabitants of Palm Beach but not really into the lives of the original inhabitants, the "old guard". The people he interviews all seem to be poseurs trying to fit in and be a part of the "old guard" and even if theydo float on the "fringes" of "society" they don't really seem to be an insider or a real member. His sources are restaurant managers, real estate brokers, waitresses at hotel bars - how many of the old money-ed Palm Beachers would have these types of occupation? I just question how accurately these sources know the real workings of the truly wealthy, old money-ed Palm Beachers since they are not one themselves.
All in all, pleasant read but take the information with a grainof salt.
Interesting & Well-written.......2003-04-10
In THE SEASON, Ronald Kessler gives an interesting overview into life in Palm Beach. Palm Beach is very much America's Riviera, and Kessler offers his readers a bird's eye look into the resort's peculiar rhythms, and into its manners. In every situation, Palm Beach marches to the beat of its very own drummer, a drummer who is banging out his music with "D" color, Asscher-cut, flawless diamonds encrusted on platinum drumsticks.
My biggest complaint is a backward compliment: I wish that this book were longer, and that it could have covered more of PB's inhabitants and their fascinating escapades. Still, no question that author Kessler has done a thorough job of communicating what life is like in this gilded community. If the book is somewhat superficial, nattering on about Grand Dukes and Duchesses, famous charity balls that raise almost no funds for their charities, rare cars, exclusive jewelers, dressmakers and decorators, well, this also perfectly reflects the superficiality of the town itself.
I also found it disruptive to the flow of Kessler's text when he interjected personal comments about himself and his wife, such as the facts that he is Jewish while she is a member of the DAR. Really, this wasn't a family biography. Still, Kessler's own endnotes thank his editor for insisting on this literary device, so I guess that the inclusion of personal details was not his decision.
For those who are curious about America's own Cannes-off-Interstate 95, THE SEASON is the best book around!
Customer Reviews:
A good teaching vehicle........2000-11-19
I am a U.S.C.F. LIFE - Master. I teach chess for a living. I do a lot of teaching nowadays on the Internet. One of my former local students got this book. We spent a lot of time going over the lines and explanations in it. This is one of the better books of its type in the field. The author, a former World Champion, tells you about the opening. You get a brief history of the line, and often he will tell you about some of the general plans in key positions. If you are looking to play these types of openings from either side - or you are just looking for a general book on openings of this type; I can not help but think you will benefit from a careful study of the material presented in this book. Get it! Study! And get better!!
Book Description
Available for both the Mac and Windows, Macromedia's Dreamweaver 8 is a professional web design and development program used by millions of Internet professionals to build high-quality static and dynamic database-driven web sites. It offers drag-and-drop simplicity, streamlined HTML coding tools, and powerful database integration features. But Dreamweaver 8 is missing one vital component: a printed manual.
Enter Dreamweaver 8: The Missing Manual, the completely revised fourth edition of this bestselling book by experienced web site trainer, Macromedia Certified instructor, and Dreamweaver Advisory Council member David McFarland. This book enables both first-time and experienced web designers to create visually stunning and highly interactive web sites.
With crystal-clear writing and much welcome humor, this new edition offers features such as:
- Live examples: With McFarland's step-by-step annotated tutorials, you'll learn how to construct a state-of-the-art commercial web site, complete with working forms, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and dynamic databases.
- Tricks of the trade: The book is bursting with undocumented workarounds and shortcuts for easing the process of building, maintaining, and updating professional web sites.
- Design guidance: You'll learn to create virtually every modern web feature, including forms, animations, cascading menus, and more--and you'll find out which browsers you need to provide special coding or do extra testing with.
No matter what your level of expertise is, you'll also learn how to manage your entire web site-whether you've just launched or if it's been around for awhile and takes up thousands of pages. Beginners with no web design experience will appreciate the step-by-step guide to designing, organizing, building, and deploying a web site; long-time Dreamweaver users will appreciate the advanced, real-world techniques for controlling the appearance of their web pages with CSS.
With more than 500 illustrations, a handcrafted index, and the clarity of thought that has made bestsellers of every Missing Manual to date, this is the ultimate atlas for the complex and powerful Dreamweaver 8.
Customer Reviews:
Helping me start my own business.......2007-09-16
This manual has helped me catch up on the entire web design movement with Cascading Style Sheets that I need to brush up on. As an owner of my own graphic design business, I needed to refresh my skills on Dreamweaver 8 and this manual with its easy-to-follow tutorials and sense of humor sprinkled throughout certainly helped me do that. David Sawyer McFarland helps you each step of the way. Definitely recommended.
Dreamweaver-Missing Manual.......2007-09-04
This book works through every aspect of the Dreamweaver program, but is still a bit difficult to understand unless you are an experienced website creator.
This is THE Dreamweaver book.......2007-08-20
I went through every book review, then checked out all the books at the local Book Superstore and ended up getting this, although I wondered why it only had 4.5 stars.
It is the perfect book for DW8 and fully deserves 5 full stars! I had been using DW4 for five years and it is nice that this book is both understandable and not over simplified.
Thank god for this book........2007-07-21
I've never taken the time to review anything on the web before and have always been amazed by the numbers of people who do. That being said, I had to tell people how much I love this book. The last site I designed was a tiny static site back in 2001 using golive and I recently committed to building two database sites. I went though many, many books + tutorials and none are as good as this one. [...].
Definitely a Keeper.......2007-07-10
I very seldom take the time to write reviews, and usually do so to warn people away from an awful book. This is the exception; I loved this book.
To give some perspective to my review, I am a professional programmer but a complete "newbie" to web design and development. I've taken on the task of creating and maintaining a web site for a local summer swim team. I needed help and I needed it quickly.
My first stop was "Macromeda Dreamweaver 8" by Short and Green. This is a good book for beginners to get their feet wet with Dreamweaver 8. However, after doing all the exercises, I did not get the feeling that I actually could design a nice web page and knew for sure that I couldn't create a form with a working submit button.
Then I bought this book, "Dreamweaver 8 The Missing Manual". The first few chapters cover the basic building blocks of using text, images and links. The next section deals with how to design a web page; first using tables and then using CSS. Other sections of the book deal with forms and how to set up Dreamweaver to manage your remote site and a testing site. (I find it much easier to let Dreamweaver figure out what files are out of date rather than use a stand-alone FTP program.) The last section of the book deals with dynamic web pages and was the answer to my quest for a functioning "submit" button on my web forms. This section is what sealed the 5-star rating for me. The book's tutorials use the ASP server model, but you can download equivalent tutorials for PHP/MySQL from the author's web site. I found all the tutorials to work (and I did almost every single one), but do check the author's errata page.
For you programmers out there who are getting into the web, this book mostly stays with the Dreamweaver wizards and does not delve into code view (probably a good thing for the non-programmers). If you are into coding and PHP, a good next step is "PHP for Dreamweaver 8", by David Powers. The Powers book covers a lot of the same dynamic web ground as "The Missing Manual", but is not afraid to dive into code view.
All in all, I was very happy with "Dreamweaver 8 The Missing Manual". It's a big book packed with information, but easy to read. Based on what I've learned, I was able to create a decently attractive web site, some very useful forms and private areas for team administrators and coaches.
Books:
- Letters from A Self-Made Merchant to His Son
- Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street
- Management Innovators: The People and Ideas that Have Shaped Modern Business
- Marilyn, Are You Sure You Can Cook? He Asked: A Memoir
- Microsoft First Generation: The Success Secrets of the Visionaries Who Launched A Technology Empire
- Midas Of Rockies: Story Of Stratton & Cripple Creek
- Movers and Shakers: The 100 Most Influential Figures in Modern Business (Ultimate Business Library)
- My Road to Microsoft: One Woman's Success Story
- Newhouse: All the Glitter, Power, & Glory of America's Richest Media Empire & the Secretive Man Behind It
- Ninety-Six and Too Busy to Die: A Life Beyond the Age of Dying
Books Index
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