Individual & Family Markets, 5E

Book Description

This course looks at the requirements of successful life insurance marketing, then focuses on the major markets that agents will encounter: families, juveniles, college students, young adults, homeowners, the affluent, farm or ranch owners, business owners and retirees. It delves into the basic needs each market has and how these needs can be addressed with life insurance.

If you are taking this course for CE, the CE exam will automatically be added to your basket when selecting CE credit. Certain states require that a proctor or monitor supervise the exam taking process.

Book Description

China's explosive economic growth since 1988 has not resulted in an equal increase of income among all Chinese citizens. The authors explore a range of reasons for the disparity and base their conclusions on strong empirical evidence--especially the 1996 survey conducted by the State Statistical Bureau.

Inequality and Poverty in China in the Age of Globalization

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Inequality and Poverty in China in the Age of Globalization
Carl; Khan, Azizur Rahman Riskin
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKBJSI

Amazon.com

Opening with a 12-page chapter that gives a sharper impression of the great American composer's personality than many full-length books, this superb biography goes from strength to strength as it elucidates Aaron Copland's background, beliefs, affiliations, and achievements. Music historian Howard Pollack depicts Copland (1900-90) as a man whose inner serenity and self-confidence enabled him to encompass "startling dichotomies" in his life and work. "A participant in the avant-garde, he wrote works of popular appeal," comments the author. "A Jewish, homosexual, liberal New Yorker, he became a national hero." Moving forward in a generally chronological manner, the narrative mixes two kinds of chapters. Some pursue themes over time: his feelings about European music (he adored Stravinsky, was ambivalent about Mozart), his political commitments (which got him into trouble during the McCarthy era), and his relationships with fellow composers and a host of nonmusical artists all equally determined to give America its own distinctive culture. Others concentrate on describing and analyzing groups of compositions: perennial favorites like Appalachian Spring and Billy the Kid, of course, but also the concertos and symphonies respected by his peers. In either mode, Pollack writes with a clarity and dignity eminently suitable to his subject, who seems as warmly appealing as his music. --Wendy Smith

Book Description

A candid and fascinating portrait of the American composer.

The son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Aaron Copland (1900-1990) became one of America's most beloved and esteemed composers. His work, which includes Fanfare for the Common Man, A Lincoln Portrait, and Appalachian Spring, has been honored by a huge following of devoted listeners. But the full richness of Copland's life and accomplishments has never, until now, been documented or understood. Howard Pollack's meticulously researched and engrossing biography explores the symphony of Copland's life: his childhood in Brooklyn; his homosexuality; Paris in the early 1920s; the Alfred Stieglitz circle; his experimentation with jazz; the communist witch trials; Hollywood in the forties; public disappointment with his later, intellectual work; and his struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, Pollack presents informed discussions of Copland's music, explaining and clarifying its newness and originality, its aesthetic and social aspects, its distinctive and enduring personality.

Customer Reviews:

Great approach and thorough biography.......2005-01-29

When Pollack wrote this book, Copland desperately needed a biographer, and for a initial comprehensive effort, Pollack's book more than fills the bill.

The book is a hefty 550 pages, not counting notes and index, but its unorthodox organization--the chapters are chronological, alternating, for example, a history of a few works with an analysis of some aspect of Copland's life--keeps the story moving. In fact, this organizational gambit is about the only thing that makes a life so sprawling as Copland's manageable. By grouping together everything having to do with, say, Copland and European composers, in one chapter, he makes it much easier for the reader to sink his teeth into the subject and to refer back to a topic later on.

This book is almost a hagiography--Pollack clearly adores Copland and, if anything, views him as underappreciated. In particular, Pollack seeks to revive Copland's reputation as a "serious" composer, right up there in the 20th-century American canon with Ives. Along with such staples as "Appalachian Spring" and "Fanfare for the Common Man," Pollack wants us to recognize the achievements of his later, twelve-tone works. Further, he attempts (somewhat convincingly) to show the relationship between his "popular" works and the less-accessible ones, whereas Copland's works have often been seen as belonging to different "periods."

I wouldn't be surprised if someone supersedes this biography in another 15 or 20 years, but for now, Pollack's book is a great introduction to the man and his work. Not only that, but it places Copland's ascension from struggling artist to eminent public figure in such a way to inspire young artists in all fields. A great read.

Modish in parts, but still an essential guide to Copland.......2001-01-03

Whilst Esquire as early as 1948 called Copland "America's No. 1 Composer", secondary Copland literature (which, given Copland's habitat and distinction, one automatically credits with a forest-wrecking amplitude) proves surprisingly scarce. The first words of Pollack's own book are, in part: "For many years I took Copland for granted ... he remained a shadowy figure at some distance from the central concerns of myself, my classmates and my teachers".

Amazingly, between 1955 and the present volume not a single comprehensive study of Copland's life, by an outsider (as distinct from Copland's own explications of his aesthetic), appeared. "Essential" biographies of someone or other emerge, if we are to believe the book trade's spin-doctors, at least once every week; the account under review actually deserves this adjective. Its author (Professor of Music at the University of Houston) shows his love for Copland's oeuvre on every page, which helps; here is no glorified doctoral thesis where the authorial jargon struggles to drown out the authorial yawns.

Yes, as other reviewers have complained, modish identity politics get too indulgent a treatment; yes, as they have also complained, Pollack makes too small an effort to integrate his insights into a coherent structure. But we're not likely to encounter a better guide to the subject.

Variations on Copland.......2000-03-28

While occasionally indulging in tendentious "theory," University of Houston professor of music Howard Pollack's ambitious, uneven book is redeemed by the author's encyclopedic knowledge, informed affection for Copland's (1900-1990) person and music, and the biographer's ability, more often than not, to write technically sophisticated musical analyses without obscuring the music.

Given the identity politics dominating the new musicology, for all its flaws, Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncommon Man, is a good and valuable book. It contains information from previously unavailable letters and interviews with the late composer's friends and relations. But why does a tenured, respected professor writing for a trade house adopt the method of cobbling on end chapters dealing with tendentious, identity-political theory that can only detract from the work? And yet, at present, this may be as good as can be hoped for: Some theory as encore, to satisfy the commissars. The alternative is, increasingly, all tin-eared theory, and no music.

The finest book on Aaron Copland written thus far........1999-09-04

Howard Pollack has, quite simply, written the finest account of Aaron Copland' life and music thus far. I have all of the other biographies - including the excellent autobiography by Copland and Vivien Perlis. As worthwhile as these earlier publications are, it is Howard Pollack who has given all Copland devotees the quintessential story of the life and the music of America's greatest composer. I can think of no better place to start exploring Copland's genius than with this book as an introduction to the music, without which the world would be a poorer place and the 20th century would be missing a unique body of sound. It is inconceivable, to me at any rate, to imagine a world without Copland's music. No one else comes close to creating his sound world.

Thank you Mr Pollack for making it so clear to all of your readers that Aaron Copland is not only America's greatest composer but is, historically, and without question, one of most important composers the world has ever produced.

the finest biography written on the life of a composer !.......1999-07-26

I have just finished reading Howard Pollack's biography of Aaron Copland.This monumental work provides the diffinitive account of the life and works of America's greatest composer.This is a "must read" for classical music lovers or anyone interested in American culture in the 20th century.

Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncommon Man.(Review): An article from: Notes

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Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncommon Man.(Review): An article from: Notes
Larry Starr
Manufacturer: Music Library Association, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on March 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1803 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: Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncommon Man.(Review)
Author: Larry Starr
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2000
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: 56 Issue: 3 Page: 724

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

In the context of the ongoing de-standardization of young people's lives, this book explores changing patterns of household formation amongst contemporary 20-somethings and the implications of these changes for the ways in which they relate to friends, parents and partners. The book points to the growing polarization between the experiences of graduates and non-graduates, and highlights changing expectations and attitudes towards intimacy and "settling down" amongst these groups.

Young, free and single? Twenty-somethings and household change.(Book Review): An article from: Youth Studies Australia

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Young, free and single? Twenty-somethings and household change.(Book Review): An article from: Youth Studies Australia
Shiela Allison
Manufacturer: Australian Clearing House for Youth Studies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00082BLXK
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Youth Studies Australia, published by Australian Clearing House for Youth Studies on March 1, 2004. The length of the article is 434 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: Young, free and single? Twenty-somethings and household change.(Book Review)
Author: Shiela Allison
Publication: Youth Studies Australia (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2004
Publisher: Australian Clearing House for Youth Studies
Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Page: 54(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Nancy K. Baym’s Tune In, Log On is an ethnographic study of an Internet soap opera fan group. Bridging the fields of computer-mediated communication and audience studies, the book show how verbal and nonverbal communicative practices create collaborative interpretations and criticism, group humor, interpersonal relationships, group norms, and individual identity. While much has been written about problems and inequities women have encountered online, Baym’s analysis of a female-dominated group in which female communication styles prevail demonstrates that women can build successful online communities while still welcoming male participants. In addition, a longitudinal look at the development of the fan group allows an examination of the endurance of the group’s social structure in the face of the Internet’s tremendous growth. Lively and engaging, Tune In, Log On provides an entertaining introduction to issues of online and audience community.

Customer Reviews:

A "Must Buy!".......1999-11-27

If you're a fan of soap operas, and communication about them on the internet, this is the BOOK for you! Ms. Baym's book is filled with insightful and thought-provoking information on a group of individuals in a newsgroup on the internet who all came together to discuss the good and bad of their favorite soap opera(s). And along the way, found a community of friends they never thought possible. In her long and dedicated research, Ms. Baym delves into the communication she discovered, both verbal and nonverbal of a group of people, many women, but also men, and discovers much more about them than what appears on the surface. Her conclusions are quite intriguing! She finds the common bonds between them and shows how they are not only gifted and talented individuals, but how they are able to personify themselves through they're words, acts and deeds. She also talks at length about the changes over the years and gives factual evidence as the internet became larger. The growth is written into her story. It is a fun-filled odyssey into one group of people brought together with one common bond from all walks of life, from locations all over the world and it is quite a fascinating journey. Don't waste any time - get this book!

Brava Nancy Baym!

Book Description

This exam (70293) is an MCSE core requirement and an MCSA elective
Now updated for the new version of the exam covering Windows Server 2003 R2 and revised with enhanced troubleshooting guidance and new case studies
The CD-ROM includes the cutting-edge WinSim simulation program, hundreds of sample questions, the entire book in PDF format, and flashcards
Over 2.7 Microsoft certifications have been awarded to date

Download Description

This exam (70294) is an MCSE core requirement and an MCSA elective Thoroughly revised to cover the new version of the exam, which includes questions on Windows Server 2003 R2 and Windows XP Professional SP2 Offers improved troubleshooting coverage and more scenarios and case studies

Customer Reviews:

Some of the Authors were good --- others were not.......2006-09-25

You could definitely tell when they switched authors. There were two chapters when I could tell the author really didn't know the subject and was merely regurgitating information. I stopped midway through those chapters and skipped onto the next chapter. I later got the info I needed for Certificate Services and High Availability Services from Whitepapers and I also discovered the MS Press book on this test. It was much better. Reading the Sybex book I had very little confidence in the author. Reading the MS Press book I had complete confidence in the author.

For example in the Sybex book, when they were describing High Availability Services, I kept seeing a single point of failure. After a while I got disgusted and looked for better sources of information. I printed out the chapter from the MS Press book from Safari and my issue was addressed within a few pages. My point being is that the author of the MS Press book obviously knew how the brain of an IT person works and was able to answer my questions and concerns as they arose while reading. This was not the case in Sybex.

I would say the MS Press author definitely understood the subject and me (as an IT professional) much better.

Sets you up for a fail........2005-07-19

The book is an easy read, which is good. You'll have an easy time getting through the questions, but when you go to take the test you'll fail. This book is no where a good match for the exam. I suggest this book for people who want to learn about Win2k3 AD, but if you're getting it to prepare for the test you should think twice. Nothing this book discuss could have prepared me for the test. Bummer.

More books needed.......2004-06-20

This book will teach you the basics. iT does not prepare you for the test. I read the whole book cover to cover and understood it completely. The test is nowhere as easy as this books questions. It does not go into depth with scenerios that can be helpful. I recommend you get the microsoft books for this test. If you are currently working with 2003 it will help alot. but do not plan to only use this book unless you luck up and get the perfectly tailored test to what this books covers.

Passed the exam with this book.......2003-12-13

I used this book and some separate practice questions to study for the exam, and I passed on my first try. The practice questions i bought were ok, but they didn't really explain any of the topics very well. This book covers all of the exam objectives very thoroughly, with lots of theory AND practical information. It also includes what they call "real world scenarios" that do a good job of adding some context to the rest of the information in the chapters. The extra CD content could have been better, but I bought the book for the book, not the CD. The chapters are clearly laid out, explaining the exam objective coverage at the beginning of each one. This book has everything you need to pass the exam and actually learn the material. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone studying for the exam.

Great book for passing the exam.......2003-12-13

I'm working on my Server 2003 certification and I'm using all of the Sybex study guides. This book follows the traditional Sybex format with lots of screenshots and exercises, as well as thorough background and theoretical information. All of the information in the book is geared towards the exam objectives, which is great. You don't have to sift through too many topics that you won't see on the exam at all. So far I've passed all of the exams that I've taken, so I'd have to say that this book and the entire series are great.

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