Tourism Satellite Account: Recommended Methodological Framework

Book Description

At the beginning of the 1990s, a massive speculative asset bubble burst in Japan, leaving the nation's banks with an enormous burden of nonperforming loans. Banking crises have become increasingly common across the globe, but what was distinctive about the Japanese case was the unusually long delay before the government intervened to aggressively address the bad debt problem. The postponed response by Japanese authorities to the nation's banking crisis has had enormous political and economic consequences for Japan as well as for the rest of the world. This book helps us understand the nature of the Japanese government's response while also providing important insights into why Japan seems unable to get its financial system back on track 13 years later.

The book focuses on the role of policy networks in Japanese finance, showing with nuance and detail how Japan's Finance Ministry was embedded within the political and financial worlds, how that structure was similar to and different from that of its counterparts in other countries, and how the distinctive nature of Japan's institutional arrangements affected the capacity of the government to manage change.

The book focuses in particular on two intervening variables that bring about a functional shift in the Finance Ministry's policy networks: domestic political change under coalition government and a dramatic rise in information requirements for effective regulation. As a result of change in these variables, networks that once enhanced policymaking capacity in Japanese finance became "paralyzing networks"--with disastrous results.

Customer Reviews:

A sorely needed update on Japanese financial politics.......2004-09-23

Amyx is one of very few scholars doing the kind of yeoman's work in political science today that is necessary for successfully integrating original source field research with rigorous theoretical analysis. The payoff is the kind of detailed and informed study that made Johnson's MITI and the Japanese Miracle a classic. Amyx's analysis of networks inclusive of the Ministry of Finance provides a rich explanatory framework for policy paralysis over the course of a dozen + years. A particularly interesting insight is that networks (i.e., people) make institutions durable even as institutions structure incentives for individuals. This reinforcing relationship, in Japan's case, led to intransigence and suboptimal outcomes for nearly all parties. I highly recommend this to readers interested in an update on bureaucratic politics in Japan, and those interested in the backstory to the grim headlines on Japan in the financial papers over the last decade. Even as Japan starts its long-delayed turnaround, this book will help readers understand where change is most likely to occur, and where the bottlenecks still exist.

Japan's Financial Crisis: Institutional Rigidity and Reluctant Change.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of East Asian Studies

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Japan's Financial Crisis: Institutional Rigidity and Reluctant Change.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of East Asian Studies
Hugh Patrick
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of East Asian Studies, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1044 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: Japan's Financial Crisis: Institutional Rigidity and Reluctant Change.(Book Review)
Author: Hugh Patrick
Publication: Journal of East Asian Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Page: 159(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Sure, college is a great option after high school, but there are many other worthwhile choices. This book details those choices with interviews and insights from young people who ventured off the four years of high school to college path.

Options covers in Choices include, apprenticeships, internships, early admissions programs, volunteer work, online and distance learning, and military service.

Choices was written for students, in a style that will keep their attention and help them to address the many issues surrounding their future.

Customer Reviews:

Supportive, clear, resourceful info for high school grad........1999-04-09

I wish I'd had a book like this when I graduated high school and wasn't quite ready for college. Fortunately, this book is available to my kids--it gives confidence, courage, clarity, and loads of information. And, it promotes flexible thinking, allowing them to see graduation and beyond as the next step to adulthood. This author really cares about kids.

Using Ropes and Knots (Elite Forces Survival Guides)

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Using Ropes and Knots (Elite Forces Survival Guides)
Patrick Wilson
Manufacturer: Mason Crest Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Military & Wars | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1590840178

Chicago at Your Door (Culture Shock! At Your Door: A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette)

Average customer rating:

Better for those who have never lived in the U.S., but...
Informative and interesting
"Chicago for U.S. newcomers" would be helpfully descriptive
Very helpful book for those new to Chicago

Chicago at Your Door (Culture Shock! At Your Door: A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette)
Orin Hargraves , and Crin Hargraves
Manufacturer: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Reference | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1558684247

Book Description

Whether you travel for business, pleasure, or a combination of the two, the ever-popular "Culture Shock!" series belongs in your backpack or briefcase. Get the nuts-and-bolts information you need to survive and thrive wherever you go. "Culture Shock!" country guides are easy-to-read, accurate, and entertaining crash courses in local customs and etiquette. "Culture Shock!" practical guides offer the inside information you need whether you're a student, a parent, a globetrotter, or a working traveler. "Culture Shock!" at your Door guides equip you for daily life in some of the world's most cosmopolitan cities. And "Culture Shock!" Success Secrets guides offer relevant, practical information with the real-life insights and cultural know-how that can make the difference between business success and failure.

Each "Culture Shock!" title is written by someone who's lived and worked in the country, and each book is packed with practical, accurate, and enjoyable information to help you find your way and feel at home.

Customer Reviews:

Better for those who have never lived in the U.S., but..........2005-04-25

Well worth the cost. If you are planning to move to Chicago, or have never lived in the United States, this work could be invaluable.

Informative and interesting.......2003-08-23

Well done to the author of this book. The book is very hard to put down once you start reading it. The author has a complete understanding of what life is like in Chicago, the book makes enjoyable reading, and the author covers all aspects of working life in Chicago. The book is complemented by including pictures in and around Chicago, and gives helpful advice on working life in the city.
Well done for producing such an accurate description of Chicago!

"Chicago for U.S. newcomers" would be helpfully descriptive.......2000-10-27

My rating - take it for what's it's worth - is based on the book's use to me, as a U.S. born Chicago newcomer. There are portions of this book, devoted to entertainment, dining, weather, and neighborhoods, that I found useful. Even the sociological aspects of America, as discussed in this book, were a bit of an eyeopener (seeing ourselves as others see us). Still, this is less of a Chicago guide and more "Welcome to America". For those of us who are already familiar with the logistics of opening a checking account, or the difference between a condo and an apartment, the definative published guide to Chicago culture remains to be found.

Very helpful book for those new to Chicago.......1999-11-24

I've just relocated here from abroad and I can't praise this book enough for helping me to find my bearings and get on my feet in Chicago. The author knows and loves the city, and as a bonus, he has also provided many fascinating insights into urban Americans and how they interact with each other and with foreigners. I would recommend this book to anyone unreservedly who intends to make Chicago their home, whether for a month or for years.

Living and Working in America, 5th Edition: A Survival Handbook (Living & Working in America)

Average customer rating:

Useful if you are British or Commonwealth citizens
Living & Working in America by David Hampshire
Another excellent guide to living in a foreign country
Highly recommended
A negative book with distorted views

Living and Working in America, 5th Edition: A Survival Handbook (Living & Working in America)
David Hampshire
Manufacturer: Survival Books, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Job Hunting | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Transportation | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Living and Working in America (How to)

ASIN: 1901130541

Book Description

The bestselling and most comprehensive book about living and working in the USA since it was first published in 1992, containing twice as much information as similar books!

Customer Reviews:

Useful if you are British or Commonwealth citizens.......2002-02-17

This book does have some bits of good information (usually these are practical information like "How to...") contained in it. However when you reach the sections on American culture it is very easy to find out biases creeping out of the book. These comments are written from a largely British or Commonwealth perspective (which is not surprising since Mr Hampshire himself is British). In the assessment about the American electoral system Mr Hampshire thinks the (continental) European proportional representative system is superior to "Winners take all" system that America uses. Ironically in his home country the Parliament (forget the Scottish and Welsh assemblies) is elected using the "First past the post" system - which is identical to the American electoral system.

The bottom line is: provided you are from New Zealand, Australia or Britain have a look at this book. If you are from countries with minimal British cultural heritage such as Russia, Germany, Indonesia or Taiwan, forget it. Many books about practical tips to live in America has been published in many EFL and ESL (English as a Foreign/Secondary Language) countries (using English or their own languages) without this type of naked biases. And secondly you won't have to figure out what cricket is before you understand life in America!

Living & Working in America by David Hampshire.......1999-11-29

A really useful, practical guide giving realistic and balanced views of what to expect from the States.Invaluable for those with no previous knowledge on which to base important decisions.

Another excellent guide to living in a foreign country.......1999-11-25

Previous to my move to Spain I bought David Hampshire's "Living and Working in Spain" and found it to be an invaluable aid and an excellent source of information. I'm contemplating a move to the US and so was very pleased and interested to see that David Hampshire has published a similar book for America. I wasn't disappointed with the book and again found it packed with useful information, and important time and money saving tips. this edition looks as if it too will prove invaluable to me as I find my way around America and the Americans. At least with "Living and Working in America" I've had all my questions answered so far and I feel I'm as prepared as I ever will be!

Highly recommended.......1999-11-19

I've read all the books on living and working in the States and this is probably the best book there is! The amount of information it contains is staggering - not only is there information on all the essential stuff - like visas and finding a job etc. - but everything else you might need to know, such as shopping, driving, finding a school for the kids, banking - even what to do in your time off. If you need to know anything about the US you will find it in this book. The book is also very truthful - telling you good as well as bad - and also very amusing in places, which might not suit everybody. Generally though I would recommend it to anyone.

A negative book with distorted views.......1999-07-03

When David Hampshire wrote his first book "Living and Working in Switzerland", he had some very good practical information for foreigners new to the country. There were a lot of prejudices and distorted views (most Swiss are rich, the country is sort of made of chocolate, banks and cheese, etc.), but there were so many practical information not easily found elsewhere in the country. With this new title the good practical information is now almost completely lost among his prejudices and negative views of America. The book will certainly almost scare the naive reader. The data is not always accurate and he seemed to have ignored the current economic boom in America (albeit his updated version). Worse, he seems to be totally ignorant of many aspects of life and work in America and of the American society itself. He has now also written books about buying homes in some southern European countries and about living and working in Australia and Britain (Canada was skipped...). Hopefully the good things of his Switzerland book will prevail somewhere in his writing, while the others will eventually disappear. Yet this one book on America shows quite the opposite. It should have instead been titled "What every patriotic and single-minded British person thinks of America, the ex-colony."

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USA Survival Manual
Robert Joffre - Mr. Freedom
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Labor & Industrial Relations | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Labor & Industrial Relations | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1553691873
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Product Description

Survival of Americans in America - 100 per cent taxation - Big Brother - Islam\'s onslaught - Rednecks - Blacks, Mexicans and the New Slavery in America

Customer Reviews:

UNDISCOVERED NURSING HOME FUNNIEST BY FAR!.......1998-02-10

This book of the hilarious Star Wreck series is the funniest volume by far. If you had to pick out any of the Star Wreck books, I would suggest you pick this one.

Star Wreck V (5) -- The Undiscovered Nursing Home

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Star Wreck V (5) -- The Undiscovered Nursing Home
Leah Rewolinski
Manufacturer: St Martins Mass Market Paper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTK3OK

Book Description

Great pianist-teacher's advice and specific pointers on piano technique, interpretation, performance.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read!.......2005-06-18

Probably the greatest pianist of our time telling us the secret of his success: how one should approach the piano and music, how Rubinstein taught him, what music to start with, the advantage and disadvantage of having a perfect pitch... a lot more. Most amusing as well as informative. It deserves more than 5 stars.

However, note that more often than not, a child prodigy wouldn't be able too tell you very much how he got there. And I dare say Mozart's father would be able to tell you more about it than himself.

Say, for instance, how would it be possible to avoid all but really good concerts as suggested by Hofmann? Without the benefit of both, how would we be able to differentiate the two? However, at a certain point of time this is so correct! Hofmann's insistence on the cleanliness of the keyboard, I suppose would carry different meaning for different pianists too. Likewise, soaking one's hands in warm water to warm them up may or may not work for all. And having a terrific memory, Hofmann is celebrated for his ability to learn, like Mozart, a piece by listening to it instead of sightreading any music. As such, Dohnanyi (the pianist), Richter, Gulda or even Nelson Freire might be in a better position to tell anything substantial about it...

All in all, this book is nothing like an anti-biotic that can cure your ailments within virtually a couple of days, but just some very general guidelines or principles which would, nevertheless, takes you years if not months of practice to accomplish, if at all. Nonetheless, there are some good suggestions that would lead you and guide you through some turning points, without which you may get easily lost or else need much more time to unlearn.

Piano Playing with Piano Questions Answered.......2003-04-23

I was slightly disappointed in this book. I did not feel that I learned very much that I didn't already know. There were a few
answers to some problems that I have been experiencing on the piano, however, for the most part the answers to the questions were rather simple and common sense.
I also felt that this book, written in the early 1900's, was outdated. I did get a good chuckle though from some of the advice.
I felt that a beginner may have gleaned more usefull information from this book than I did.If you are looking for in depth answers, and advice on piano playing, etc. this didn't do it for me.

For somebody serious about piano - amazing.......2001-08-05

I can't begin to tell you how many people make a poor attempt at learning very difficult piano pieces just so they can say "I can play this, and I can play that". However, if they're serious about piano, they will come to a point where they realize that, sure, they can "get through" the piece, but they can't actually "play" it. There is so much more to the piano that so many people are missing out on these days. Technique, dynamics, tempo, and even simple things such as how you are seated at the bench. Most teachers skip over teaching these key aspects of music because most students just want to be able to play what they want as fast as they want. This book covers all the things that many have missed out on. It covers nearly everything you need to know on how to be a great piano player. Combine this book with natural talent, and a desire to bring the piano to life, and you're set. Theres even over 160 pages of frequently asked questions that amatures sent to Hoffman over the years (and answers of couse).

If you're serious about playing the piano, get this book before your poor playing habbits are implanted in your head even further. If you're not serious, or just like to mess around... then skip it. It would be a waste of your money.

Hofmann offers practical advise!.......2000-10-10

This book, originally published as two separate volumes in 1906 and 1907, is a collection of articles Hofmann wrote as a regular feature of the LADIES HOME JOURNAL. Although Josef Hofmann was himself a phenominal talent, he offers thoughtful answers to the simplest of piano questions, and guides the reader with a practical, common sense approach. Most of the advise in this little book is timeless, and the pictures of Hofmann himself demonstrating correct and incorrect positions of the hand and body make this a pedagogical gem that his admirers will cherish.

PIANO PLAYING WITH PIANO QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY JOSEF HOFMANN

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PIANO PLAYING WITH PIANO QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY JOSEF HOFMANN
Josef Hofmann
Manufacturer: Theodore Presser Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JWFYBE

Piano Playing with Piano Questions Answered: A Little Book of Simple Suggestions

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Piano Playing with Piano Questions Answered: A Little Book of Simple Suggestions
Josef Hofmann
Manufacturer: Theodore Presser Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000T9RP3M

Piano Playing. A Little Book of Simple Suggestions. Also called Piano Playing with Piano Questions Answered

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Piano Playing. A Little Book of Simple Suggestions. Also called Piano Playing with Piano Questions Answered
Josef Hofmann
Manufacturer: Theodre Presser
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MT634Q

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Piano Playing With Piano Questions Answered by Josef Hofmann
Josef Hofmann
Manufacturer: Doubleday, Page
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PW4LMQ

Book Description

Inadequately described as the John Lennon or the Bob Dylan of his country, Caetano Veloso has virtually personified Brazilian music for thirty-five years. Now, in his long-awaited memoir, he tells the heroic story of how, in the late sixties, he and a group of friends from the Northeastern state of Bahia created tropicalismo, the movement that shook Brazilian culture--and civic order--to its foundations and pushed a nation then on the margins of world politics and economics into the pop avant-garde.

Tropical Truth begins with a childhood in the Bahian hinterland, where Caetano (as Brazilians of all ages now call him) first heard not only the musical traditions of his own country and her Latin neighbors, but also the giants of postwar American song: Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Chet Baker, to name but a few. While teenagers in America would soon be enthralled by the primal (and commercial) beat of rock’n’roll, in Brazil it was bossa nova, that sublimely sophisticated music, that was to become the soundtrack of a generation. Inspired above all by bossa nova’s supreme master, João Gilberto, Caetano and his crew would set about creating a totally new sound. Tropicalismo would aim to “cannibalize” the extraordinary beauty and richness of Brazil’s musical past but at the same time to assimilate eclectically the most original elements of Anglo-American pop, an influence many rejected as yet another form of imperialism corrupting Brazil’s “authentic” character.

The birth of tropicalismo coincided with the wave of counterculture sweeping Western nations, but in Brazil that wave would hit the breakwaters of a brutal military junta. While supporting resistance to right-wing oppression (and the terrible social inequities it perpetuated) the tropicalistas nevertheless rejected the automatic connection to the Left and its unreflective nationalism, then the politics de rigueur of the artistic class. Their third way foresaw a Brazil open to free markets but likewise free in itself. It was a vision so subversive of both the political and musical status quo that before long Caetano faced imprisonment and was then forced into exile until the early seventies. But when he returned, it was in triumph: Brazil, no less than the state of her popular music, would never be the same.

Rich with the satisfactions of a novel, weaving the story of a country with that of its most idealistic generation, Tropical Truth recounts the odyssey of a brilliant constellation of artists: Caetano and his sister Maria Bethânia, the queen of Brazilian song; the black musical genius Gilberto Gil, Caetano's closest collaborator, with whom he was jailed and then banished; the great diva Gal Costa; the revolutionary filmmaker Glauber Rocha; the brothers de Campos, those luminaries of concrete poetry, who were among the tropicalistas’ learned mentors. Here is an unparalleled confluence of highbrow and pop, and with it the genesis of what has become one of the most wildly successful cultural exports ever produced by a nation other than the United States.
By turns erudite and playful, dreamlike and confessional, Tropical Truth is an utterly unexpected revelation of Brazil's most famous artist, one of the greatest popular composers of the past century.

Customer Reviews:

Difficult to read in English.......2006-06-30

The problem is the translation. Not knowing Portuguese though, I can only assume that Caetano writes eloquently in his native language. I base this on having watched the DVD Outros Doces Barbaros, the 25th reunion of Doces Barbaros (w/ Gil, Gal, and Bethania). Here, based on the English subtitles, he articulates his ideas very clearly.
BUT, this book is very tedious to read: long complex sentences that I suspect are a result of literal equivalencies i.e. word for word--instead of conceptual ones. I had to start the book 3 times before I could finally finish it. I am a musician who is a great admirer of Brazilian pop music and this book is a great resource and reference tool. If you can wade through the verbiage, it is a very rewarding read. All in all, kudos to Caetano. Just next time, he should hire a better translator.

The wrong writer gives us a much needed book.......2006-05-04

This is a book that needed to be written. I am disappointed both in Caetano Veloso and in the English translation, however.

First, the translation of this book is incredibly annoying because the translator randomly decides to translate the names of some works of art into English and leaves other names in the original Portuguese. For example, I was confused by references to a movie called "Land in Anguish" until I realized Caetano was talking about Glauber Rocha's movie "Terra em Transe." Who in the world knows the movie as "Land in Anguish"? In other cases, song names were left in their originial Portuguese. Why the different treatment?

Besides the unpredictable translation, I admit that I read this book with bias. I have become disappointed and bored with the artistic directions in which Caetano has travelled since the mid-1980s. He has become increasingly self-indulgent, arrogant, and at times down-right condescending and snobby in his media presence and artistic performances, especially through the 1990s.

And so much of that sense of self-importance permeates Caetano's narrative memoir of his 50 year encounter with the Brazilian music industry... first as a fan and then as a music maker. So many events, stories, people, and performances are refracted through the lense of a narrator who feels no modesty at all. What kind of narrator would brag about having great philosophical and metaphysical insights as seven year old? Caetano does. It is interesting how Caetano remembers the origin of the name "Gal Costa." Apparently it was entirely a decision arrived by Guilherme Araujo over Caetano's objections. Over Caetano's Objections? Why does Caetano even think he had the authority to object or to speak for Maria da Gra?a Penna Burgos, either then or now. It is funny that nowhere in the account of the name does Caetano once mention how Gal Costa herself felt about her stage name. Did she like it quickly or was she uncomfortable at first? We don't know. Caetano doesn't care and apparently he doesn't think we should either... although he tells us how HE feels about it... that he now likes it even though it has taken him many years to get used to it... Please!!!

My judgment of Caetano was sealed by his accounts of his marriage to and relationship with his ex-wife. "Poor girl" was all I could think as Caetano describes how reluctantly he walked down the aisle - apparently just to make his future in-laws happy - and with what veiled contempt he holds for his ex-wife and his marriage to her: he subtly calls her "naive" at one point, and never talks about her as having been an intelligent woman or an intellectual, but rather as being "attracted to the literary and artistic milieu". Caetano sums up his wife when he says that his marriage gave him a "youthful happiness of social success (to have a girlfriend!)" and then adds that his wife "Ded? was the right person for that experience." From a historian's point of view, this book - or something like it - needs to have been written. Too much of the history of Brazilian pop music and pop culture from the 1960s is about to become forgotten. BUt it was very painful to wade through Caetano's arrogant, narcissistic dirty laundry just to learn about the history of pop music in Brazil.

best if you know brazil well .......2005-11-19

I read this book in portuguese, when it first came out in Brazil, and i absolutely loved it. This book is not only about Caetano Veloso and his music. Caetano Veloso has a very unique way to see people and to write about them, and in his life he had the privilege to meet some of the most important people in Brazil's cultural scene. In his book he tells us many precious stories about Chico Buarque de Hollanda, Gilberto Gil, Nara Leao, Paulinho da Viola and so many others. Some important moments of his life and also of Brazilian history are also told from a very personal point of view: stories of Caetano and Gil's prison and exile during brazilian dictatorship were specially moving to me. And then there are some fabulous stories about the beginnings of Caetano's carreer, how it all started. Caetano has such an insteresting point of view about everything, it's awesome to be able to get inside his mind, and that's how i felt reading his book. I actually ended up reading it twice. I think though, that this book can be better appreciated by people who really know brazilian music and culture well. Another reviewer mentioned that Caetano talks about lots of "obscure artists", but i don't think this is a true statement. He talks about very important people in brazilian culture, including writers, film directors and musicians. The people he mentions are very known in Brazil,and he also talks about important european and american artists. The people he mentions in his book are not obscure at all. Probably, if you know who he is talking about it makes for a much better reading experience. So, if you have a curious mind and are interested in art, music, and Brazil, this is certainly a wonderful book to read. And, like me, you may want to read it more than once...

An entirely Excellent Book.......2005-05-11

Despite another reviewer's shallow "Gas Attacks" about this work, this is an excellent book that depicts the realities of the revolution intertwined with the cosmos of Brazilian music. Kudos to the writer!

An unusual and fascinating memoir........2005-03-27

If one were to compare "Tropical Truth" with critical writings on Tropicália, it would seem unusual that Caetano Veloso writes more as an observer rather than a central figure in the development of an artistic movement that impacted contemporary Brazilian music. Veloso approaches the subject with remarkable erudition, surprising detachment, and subtle humor; and the result is as much a historical record as it is a meditation on the people, places and events of the time.

My only complaint would be regarding the editing. Veloso writes using long sentences--unwittingly imitating Saramago, perhaps?--and the translation could have used a bit more polish. Otherwise, it is an excellent work from an equally excellent artist.

Customer Reviews:

'A MUST HAVE'!.......2000-01-22

This is definitely a 'must have' book for all X-Files fans! Every person, place, company name, historical reference or 'you name it' ever mentioned in seasons 1-4 is covered here! Also serves as an episode guide! Mine stays right next to me whenever I am watching the reruns! Get it...now!

The Best X-Files Book Out There!.......1998-12-04

This is so packed with details that I am always searching for. It's awesome, it's so cool. It has everything that you need to know about the X-files, I have nothing but praise for the author. I love the fact that it told so much about all of the characters and stuff, and it's just so great that I recommend if you're as obsessed as I am about the show, to go and buy it. It's definitely worth the price. Again, really great book!!!

The book gives all the info you need up to season 4.......1998-06-23

I thought that the book had alot to give and I realy liked it. If any one has a good X-files book tell me what it is called

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE X-FILES.......1997-11-27

This is the COMPLETE reference guide to my favorite TV show. Idon'tthink the authors missed a thing in this book...it is absolutely mind-boggling to see so many entries. From A to Z, The X-Files has never before been put under such focused, affectionate, and meticulous scrutiny. The X-CYCLOPEDIA is the ULTIMATE reference book on the series and if I only had $15 in my pocket and could only buy one book about THE X-FILES, then it would be this one. Hands down, this is THE best reference book on THE X-FILES ever written. I give it two thumbs up, four stars, or whatever critics use as a measuring stick. No X-Phile should be without it! The truth is no longer OUT there...it is IN the X-CYCLOPEDIA!

Absolutely, positively, without doubt a must for X-Philes........1997-11-02

Absolutely, positively, without a doubt the best and most complete reference book that has ever been published on THE X-FILES. This incredibly detailed and beautifully illustrated book covers everything you ever wanted to know about THE X-FILES but were afraid to ask! It is a massive undertaking that covers everything in easy to use A-Z alphabetical format. Every entry cites the episode it came from and every character has the actor's name. Say for example, in the letter (B): you will find lengthy entries for everything from Bear ("Ice") to Bay Area Carpeteers (the Chinese employer of Shuyang Hsin in "Hell Money") and Big Blue ("Quagmire"), from Babcock ("Gethsemane") to Bright White Place ("Nisei") and Biodiversity Project ("F. Emasculata") and tons of entries in between. It is also a very timely book as it covers all previous 4 seasons. I also love the classy look of the book, the good-grade paper and the typeset inside and, especially the price. Oh, how could I forget the illustrations! No more reused stock photos (that we've all seen in every magazine), but the coolest artwork enhances the book. Wait until you check out Flukeman, Mama Peacock and Dr. Zama! THE X-CYCLOPEDIA is a BIG book (with thousands of entries) and for only $15 it's a better deal than the 2 or 3 X-Files magazines I buy each month that total more than $15. If you call yourself an X-Phile, then you don't want to be without this DEFENITIVE reference book to the series! This is THE book of the X-FILES, and I highly recommend it.

Book Description

Practical, comprehensive—a complete, no-nonsense guide to better project management...

This no-nonsense troubleshooting guide was written for frontline managers who want results, not rhetoric. Short on theory and long on practical, hands-on advice and guidance, it arms you with proven, easy-to-implement solutions to big ticket problems that plague today's software development projects, including those relating to personnel, quality, project scheduling and tracking, product requirements, product quality and usability, and much more. Written in a straightforward, conversational style and packed with realistic scenarios, Managing Software Development Projects, Second Edition shows you how to:

Identify, resolve, and avoid most common development problems
Improve the quality of your products and your customers' satisfaction with them
Shorten development cycles
Increase the productivity of your team members

Updated and expanded by over 50 percent to reflect many changes that have occurred in the field over the past four years, this Second Edition of the bestselling original is now, more than ever, an indispensable resource for every project manager or software developer.

Customer Reviews:

A good book for managers.......2006-05-24

I am continuously using this book to improve the productivity and quality in my company.

As a manager in the software area, this book is a must.
Every time I read the book, I find something new to change in the company.

A good practical Guide to the Art of PM.......2001-05-18

I have read many books on the subject of Project Management. Most fail , either because they try to treat PM as a science, or because they go completely the other way and lack any real substance. This book is different. It combines good sound PM methodology with common sense. This is complemented by practical examples of real life situations that I'm sure every PM can relate to. I would recommend every PM browse the chapter relevant to the phase of the project they are about to start on. It's amazing how much common sense we forget. This books demystifies PM and cuts out all the Jargon. It is a real asset to any PM who is serious about delivering software projects on time, within budget, to customer AND team satisfaction.

Project Managing.......1999-12-06

A good book about project managing, it's a knowledge that should be shared with all of IT managers and engineers.

Very well organized book.......1999-11-10

Very good book to read once and refer to it again and again. Practical scenarios make this book different from others. I have attended workshop by Neal Whitten. It was worth attending and surely he has enough number of issues with project management.

Perfect for first time software managers.......1999-11-03

It's simply a very easy to use book, it's structure is unique where it gives you what you need to know either by browsing the most common mistakes in software development process in every phase of the development cycle, or by reading the to-the-point lessons you should follow in each phase..I recommend it to new managers who need to be on the right track in a short time and also as a quick reference for every manager.

Managing Software Development Projects: Formula for Success, 2Nd Edition

Average customer rating:

Managing Software Development Projects: Formula for Success, 2Nd Edition
Neal Whitten
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LZJGD6

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