For Here or To Go: Life in the Service Industry

Book Description

From the diary of a dishwasher to the grind of an exotic dancer, For Here or to Go is an astonishing eyewitness account of America's new service economy.

Customer Reviews:

For here, to go, or any other way you can get it.......2005-07-13

What a riot. I LOVED this book. Maybe I should provide a very brief history of my first jobs: My first job was as a dishwasher. Later, I was promoted to busboy, then to cook, then finally to waiter, all over a span of many years. Even if you've only held one such job (Cabbie? Bartender?), you will relate to all of the stories, since really, how many jobs can you name that AREN'T service oriented?

This collection of stories is simultaneously irreverent, entertaining, insightful, a little nuts and even disturbing. Actually, it is more than a great collection of stories. This book is also a collection interviews, photographs, drawings and even a graphic short story (for lack of a better description), all relating to one of a myriad of different service industries that everyone seems to have worked for at one time, or another. After reading the entire book, I must admit I am glad I never worked some of the jobs referred to in a few of the stories... That is one thing I love about engaging books, however. I enjoy reading stories that create new experiences for me (vicariously, that is).

About 1/3 of the way through the collection of stories, I started turning to each of the chapters that had Ryan's name attached to them (interviews or as the author). After finishing the entire book, I am dying to find other things Ryan has written or edited.

Attention: Leah Ryan! Where are more books by you? I need another fix.

Attention: Everyone else. Buy this book, and enjoy. Thoroughly.

If you ever feel like you're the only one suffering.......2004-08-10

Read this book! It's full of delicious anectotes and wry observations about the workplace and the tendency forpeople to treat those in the service industry like servants.

Ryan is able to, in a light and humorous way, portray the desperation of wage slaves and their plight.

Book Description

Are your family and job interfering with your golf game? Do you need more time to perfect your stance, swing, aim, and putt? Undercover Golf shows how to practice essential golf skills while appearing to perform genuinely useful household or work-related tasks.
You'll learn how to read the green -- while vacuuming a carpet. You'll practice adjusting your grip pressure -- while shoveling snow. You'll even learn how to assess your body and ball lines -- while washing your hands!
Each of these essential skills is presented with detailed instructions and helpful illustrations. With Undercover Golf, shopping for groceries and walking the dog will no longer interfere with your golf game -- in fact, they'll help you perfect it!

Amazon.com

From Publishers Weekly Calling this candid account "the autobiography of my voice," soprano Fleming details the years of study it took to master the art of vocal production and the discipline that brought her international renown. A former manager deemed her "the single most ambitious singer he has ever known," and given the tenacity with which she faced early setbacks—"I have a noble history of being rejected from a lot of places," she writes—his comment is understandable. After her first big break in 1990 (as the Countess in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro with the Houston Grand Opera), Fleming's rise to the top was steady. But she's quick to point out that the life of an opera star is not always glitter and glamour; the business side of singing—scheduling performances, arranging interviews and recordings, choosing a repertoire and marketing herself—is arduous. Although Fleming offers glimpses into her personal life, touching on her failed marriage and her loving relationship with her two daughters and concluding with a chapter describing what she experiences backstage during a Metropolitan Opera production, this is not a deeply intimate autobiography full of childhood vignettes, personal anecdotes and behind-the-curtains gossip. Instead, it's a realistic portrait of what it takes to succeed and a volume intriguing for its advice and honesty. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interview with Renee Fleming
Renee Fleming speaks about recent projects, including The Inner Voice and her recent Handel CD, in our interview.

Book Description

One of the most celebrated talents in today's music scene, soprano Renée Fleming brings a consummately beautiful voice, striking interpretive talents, and compelling artistry to bear on performances that have captivated audiences in opera houses and recital halls throughout the world. In The Inner Voice—a book that is the story of her own artistic development and the “autobiography” of her voice—this great performer presents a unique and privileged look at the making of a singer and offers hard-won, practical advice to aspiring performance artists everywhere. From her youth as the child of two singing teachers through her years at Juilliard, from her struggles to establish her career to her international success, The Inner Voice is a luminous, articulate, and candid self-portrait of a contemporary artist—and the most revelatory examination yet of the performing life.

Customer Reviews:

All The Things I Wish I Had Known.......2007-08-13

I only wish I had the opportunity to read this book as a young voice student. It concisely answers so many of the questions that young singers want and need to have answered. It's also an alert to carefully monitor the manner in which one is being taught. This book is not the glorification of Renee Fleming, it is a practical guide to music students interspersed with interesting anecdotes about the singer's life and career.

The Inner Voice: The Making of a Singer.......2007-08-06

Exremely helpful and enlightening book written by one of the finest Sopranos of all times!

A must read for every singer!

Opera divas especiale.......2007-02-08

The Inner Voice was a recommended read for me by my vocal instructor. I read the book in two days. It is very inspiring and resourceful for any one who is interested in an opera career. There need to be more books of this nature that tell it like it is. We all need entertainment. But reality is necessary for one's future.

Not great literature, but a solid read for the aspiring singer.......2006-12-15

I enjoyed this book, but cannot add to the breathless reviews already on this page. The writing is fine, if occasionally awkward, and Fleming does not come across as a temperamental diva. But the book still has some irritating and slightly off-putting "me, me, me" moments. The most grating are the periodic instances in which Fleming lauds her own groundedness, common sense, or other attributes with which she means to separate herself from the stereotypical image of opera star as temperamental pain in the butt. She fails. That said, Fleming is deservedly an international star, and voice students will appreciate her tips on technique and rehearsing. Non-musicians may have trouble with long passages of the book discussing (as mentioned in another review) "opening the neck" and so on. Voice students will understand what she means. I recommend this book purely for its substance, and not for an engaging writing style, or a fascinating story. It reads best as a manual for an aspiring singer.

RENEE FLEMING.......2006-11-06

I believe this book to be interesting to all but especially useful for vocal students. This is very thoughtfully written and contains no harmful gossip. It is very self-reflective.

The Inner Voice : The Making of a Singer

Average customer rating:

The Inner Voice : The Making of a Singer
Renee Fleming
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJH7XU

Book Description

The concept of ethnic, racial, and gender humor is as sensitive a subject today as it has ever been; and yet at no time in the past have we had such a quantity of this humor circulating throughout society. We can see the power of such content manifested continually in our culture's films and stand-up comedy routines, as well as on popular TV sitcoms, where Jewish, black, Asian, Hispanic, and gay characters and topics have seemingly become essential to comic scenarios. Though such humor is often cruel, it can also be a source of pride and play among minorities, women, and gays. Leon Rappoport's incisive account takes an in-depth look at ethnic, racial, and gender humor, and shows that despite the polarization that is often apparent in the debates such humor evokes, the most important melting pot in this country may be the one that we enter when we share a laugh at ourselves. This timely work displays ethnic, racial, and gender humor in both its aspects: as an aggressive instrument of prejudice and as a powerful defense against it. Rappoport explores the origins and implications of the various slurs, stereotypes, and obscenities that are typical of this double-edged form of modern comedy, as well as the ways in which irony has been employed by minority figures as a weapon against oppression. Broad in scope and lively in style, Rappoport's volume is enhanced by illustrative jokes and comedy routines, and should keep readers engaged, entertained, and provoked throughout.

Customer Reviews:

The perfect companion to all gambling books.......2003-06-25

Here you have a book that lets you in on the secrets of the language of gambling. No other book has ever been published that contains such a comprehensive glossary, from the funny to the bizarre, to the informative. Royer's book is the only one of its kind. For more than 15 years, Royer spent countless hours sifting through thousands of words, terms, expressions, slangs, and other sayings as they apply to casinos, casino games, and the literature of casino gambling. Finally, Royer selected the most universally applicable series of such terms and expressions, as they specifically apply to casino games, casinos, and casino gambling.

Every reader of every book ever written on or about casinos and casino games will benefit by reading Royer's book. Royer's Gamble Talk book is the perfect companion for any book about casinos, casino games, or casino gambling. No matter what the readers choose to buy as their book of choice about casinos and casino games, this book by Victor H. Royer provides them with the knowledge of the terminology used in all such books.

Additionally, Royer also includes new and traditional casino games, presented in an easy-to-understand format, allowing any reader to immediately gain enough knowledge to play any casino game.

Book Description

Demonstrating the most efficient and effective ways of using Premiere, this book goes far beyond the basics of simply operating the software. Readers develop a working knowledge of the application with lessons and tutorials that cover every essential method and technique, including importing, exporting, effects, transitions, system requirements, and interactions with other Adobe applications. The companion CDROM enables the user to view and practice the edit of an entire sequence, from storyboarding through the final render.

Go beyond the mechanics of Premiere Pro — learn how to edit with it!

Customer Reviews:

Not a resource you will return to........2006-04-04

When I purchase a book like this, I am always hoping that it will be a one-stop, exhaustive resource for the application. A lofty goal? Maybe. However, this text falls utterly short of providing an in-depth look at Premiere Pro. I am the proud owner of many volumes in the CMP Books, DV Expert Series. Most of them are excellent, this one is unsatisfactory. It describes only the basics, and I mean the basics. It is not much more than a user-friendly owners manual. I've actually found the Help resource within Premiere Pro to be more informative. This book is only good for the first two weeks you are using the program. After you are acclimated to the interface and common operations you will shelve it and scour the internet for tutorials or tips specific to your needs. An editor that is serious about his work, needs to know his software from top to bottom. Otherwise, the scope of his creativity is curtailed due to an innadequate knowledge of process. Let me stress that this book is only worthwhile to the most inexperienced editors and users new to the Adobe Product line. In addition, the DVD is total garbage. Most volumes in the DV Epert Series have pretty decent bonus/tutorial material. This one does not.

On the positive side - No gripes about the writing style, after all I'm looking for industry professionals here, not poets. It will get you up and running if you are brand new to Premiere Pro.

Overall - Would not recommend this text.

Great book for New and Intermediate Editors.......2006-01-12

I had never used Premier Pro so I decided to read this book before starting. When I sat down to import my first footage I was plesantly surprised at how much I had retained. Its written in a very visual way that really sticks with you and conveys the concepts going on behind the scenes as well as the actual nuts and bolts of the program. Its written in a logical progression from start to finish that allows new Editors to take it a step at a time. The author spent time where it was needed the most and moved along quickly in areas where the learning curve was easier, encouraging readers to start with solid fundamentals and build from there. I was able to get right into a big project with confidence.

Very well written.......2005-03-09

I have read numerous "how to" books on premier pro and editing, in general, but none as well written than this. By well written, I mean that he talks to the reader with the assumption that they know very little. Thus, his explanations and use of analogies are geared towards creating concrete images that one can use in understanding some pretty abstract concepts in editing. He makes the learning very visual. So, I would say this is an excellent book for visual learners. Despite the use of a great deal of text, he explains the processes in concrete visual terms so that you can better grasp and retain the concepts. Very well done.

A great place to start.......2004-09-04

Had used Premiere Pro for an 18 minute project and had some of the major concepts down already. Knew my way around the interface a bit, but found that I really didn't feel comfortable, and knew that there was alot of stuff beneath the surface that I could really use. I have several premiere pro books that are really just manual replacements and I didn't want one more step by step "do this, then this" hand holding books. I wanted to get a handle on how to get my projects done and what tools Premier Pro had to help me.
The book covered all the bases: Acquistion, rough cut, tim, sound, effects, color correction and even some basic integration with other products.
I found the Editing Worksop to be a pleasure to read, and it gave me a much firmer foundation on how this NLE works, and what is really happening to my clips along the way. It is a great book for the beginner to intemediate user. I still find myself going back to reread sections as I work or as I read more advanced books. The book is clear, concise and well illustrated. Many illustrations are well thought out and designed to illustrate concepts rather than just pages of screen shots. The book manages to give a very comprehensive grasp of all the major features, without becoming lost in useless detail. Not the last Premiere Pro book you will own, but one of the best, and the one you should read first.

Editing Workshop.......2004-06-03

OK I admit it, most of my work is done on a Mac. But I do keep a fully loaded PC in my editing bay for jobs that require PC apps. One of those apps I keep on board and up to date it Premiere.

What caught my eye about this book was the Editing Workshop concept.
This book not only benefits Premiere Pro editors, but editors in general.

I loved the illustrations in Chapter 5 on Trimming. You took the time to draw it out to describe Handles. A subject that causes many students much consternation.

Good job.

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