For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future

Book Description

Updated and Expanded Edition Winner of the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order 1992, Named New Options Best Political Book Economist Herman Daly and theologian John Cobb, Jr., demonstrate how conventional economics and a growth-oriented industrial economy have led us to the brink of environmental disaster, and show the possibility of a different future.

Customer Reviews:

Another fine book by Herman E. Daly........2007-08-23

This is a seminal work in the field of Ecological Economics, a real primer.

Neatly organized in parallel chapters dealing, one point-of-view at a time, with some of the main consequences from the fallacy of misplaced concreteness.

I just have restrictions to his views at the chapter on Population, where he advocates for abortion and euthanasia. See, on the former I'd rather advocate sending unwanted children for adoption. As for the latter, ortothanasia (no desperate measures) is ethically right, but euthanasia is quite selfish stuff, not to be advocated for by people bent on reconstructing community. That is why I didn't grade it as 5-star.

Except for that, just another fine book by one of the finest thinkers in our time.

Let's hear it for the common good!.......2005-07-05

I have been a fan of Professor Daly's for some time. This book has some excellent analysis and some truly great commentary. The writing is a bit dry; if you're new to Professor Daly's work, you might want to try one of his other books first, like "Beyond Growth." "For the Common Good" does have some wonderfully thought-provoking lines. Just to give you a taste: "Economics cannot do without simplifying assumptions, but the trick is to use the right assumptions at the right time." Or, with regards to relying on technological fixes for environmental problems: "It is one thing to say that knowledge will grow (no one rejects that), but it is something else to presuppose that the content of new knowledge will abolish old limits faster than it discovers new ones." Another on the same subject: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it; if you must tinker, save all the pieces; and if you don't know where you're going, slow down." On population control: "Nature's way is not always best, but in this instance it seems more responsible than our current practice of allowing new human beings to be unintended by-products of the sexual fumblings of teenagers whose natural urges have been stimulated by drugs, alcohol, TV, and ill-constructed welfare incentives." Daly's Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare deserves to be far better known than it is. The analysis of misplaced concreteness, especially as it relates to the nature of debt, is very good.
The authors sometimes come across as a little naive in this book. For example, they propose making the government the employer of last resort. I think they do not realize just how hard it is to make such programs work; they inevitably decline into a morass of dependency and corruption. The Washington DC municipal government has taken precisely this approach in the past few decades, with predictable results.
I think the authors would also do well to do some research on the failures of utopian communities; since I was raised a Mormon, I know a lot about some of these. The chapter on religion strikes me as a bit silly. They want to bring God into the building of a more humane society; this is not necessarily bad, but I tend to think that science will take us farther than God will. In my opinion, Christianity's idea that the Second Coming of Christ is not far off is a very serious barrier to giving humanity's long-term future the attention it deserves. Talking about ethics, the authors say "But to believe that God does exist makes the ethical life more authentic." Well, that's only true if God really does exist, which I doubt.
Overall, the book has some excellent points to make. If you're interested in economics and public policy, don't miss it.

Ethical, Humanitarian, Communitarian, Sustainable.......2004-01-01

Dr. Herman E. Daly may well be a future Nobel Prize winner ...he is especially well-regarded in Norway and Sweden, where he has received prizes one step short of the Nobel. He is the author, co-author, or primary contributing editor of many books that fully integrate the disciplines of economics and ecology. I bought the three most recent for the purpose of selecting one to give out at my annual Global Information Forum. I ended up choosing this book to give away to hundreds, in part because it is available in paperback and is not a more expensive "trade" publication; and in part because it is strong in laying out specific ecological policy areas in the context of a strong theological or ethical perspective.

Of the three books I reviewed, (the newest "Ecological Economics: Principles and Applications", the oldest, updated, "Valuing the Earth: Economics, Ecology, Ethics") the first, the text-book, is assuredly the most up-to-date and the most detailed. If you are buying only one book for yourself, that is the one that I recommend, because these are important issues and a detailed understanding is required with the level of detail that this book provided. It should, ideally, be read with "Valuing the Earth" first (see my separate review of that book, from the 1970's updated with 1990's material and new contributions), then this book ("For the Common Good"), and finally the text book as a capstone. But if you buy only one, buy the text book.

This is a second-edition work, updated from the 1984 first edition. I like it very much in part because it comes across as less academic and more common-sense in nature. Part One does a lovely job of tearing apart the fallacy of misplaced concreteness with respect to economics, the market, measuring economic success, the reduction of the human to a "good" that can be traded without regard to humanity and ethics and community, and land. Part Two gently introduces the reader to the many distinguished thought-leaders and practitioners who have gradually matured the discipline of economics to embrace humanity, community, and sustainability as non-negotiable realities that cannot be ignored.

Part Three, a major factor in my choosing this book over the others for broad pro-bono distribution, addresses the specifics of policies one element at a time: free trade versus community; population; land use; agriculture; industry; labor; income policies and taxes; from world domination to national security as an objective. Finally, Part Four, without being corny or preachy, describes the religious or ethical vision (I still think the Golden Rule works as a one-sentence definition of common interest).

An afterword on debt in relation to money and wealth is particularly timely as the American public foolishly allows the White House carpetbaggers to run up a $7 trillion deficit that our great-grandchilden will never be able to pay off if we continue is these evil and irresponsible directions, all in sharp opposition to the sensible and ethical constructs in this book.

Of the three books, none of which really duplicate one another in any negative way, albeit with overlaps, this is the second that I recommend for purchase, after the textbook.

Great ideas, will they work?.......2001-05-29

The opening criticisms of how economics is taught in today's university structure along with the inappropriate credence given this largely theoretical topic's conclusions are well-presented and well-received. Similarly, the general theme of the recommendations is presented very nicely. Basically, we must focus on more local goods, more self-sufficiency in communities. The authors take the time and care to address such technicalities as what exactly they mean by communities. In general their care is a strength of the book, though perhaps more of the details could have been put in appendices or footnotes rather than disturbing the flow of the text. My main complaint is that no EXAMPLES are given--real-life attempts, either successful or failed, at some of their recommendations. Without examples, all their suggestions seem unsubstantiated. A lengthy but decent read, with a nice underlying philosophy.

Humane and incisive.......2000-08-25

Because of the large number of issues and sometimes conflicting solutions proposed, this is a difficult book to classify. Key, however, is the authors' profound refusal to subordinate the common good of the community to the god of the free market. This does not mean the elimination of markets where they have proven effective and non-destructive. It does mean keeping their operation within strict limits, so that people can regain a sense of community and a sustainable environment. Much of the book is taken up with showing the limits of market theory and practice, and in that sense should be studied by all with an interest in America's secular religion. Proposed solutions are decidedly non-ideological and largely eclectic. Both the left and the right should find points of agreement. All in all, this is an invaluable guide to many of the planet's most pressing problems and should be required reading for college undergraduates.

Book Description

The median age of workers in the United States will reach 36 by the year 2000. The number of workers between the ages of 35 and 47 will increase by 38 percent, while those aged 48 to 53 will grow by a staggering 67 percent. This middle aging of the work force brings with it unique employee issues and personal mid-life stresses that affect work performance. Shirley A. Waskel suggests that as the number of workers aged 35 to 55 increases, human resource managers will have to deal increasingly with problems that once applied only to a minority. Her book addresses the need to retain mid-life workers, see them as assets, and provide avenues for them to enhance their own sense of self. Mid-life as a developmental stage has come into its own in the past fifteen years. Waskel presents the mid-life individual as an adult who has brought along the behaviors, coping mechanisms, sense of self, and problems developed from infancy to the present day. Her study explains the problems that mid-life employees can bring to the workplace, the need to recognize how the worker produces, and the recognition that mid-life is a time when people begin to deal more intensely with issues left over from childhood. These childhood issues, added to workplace problems such as age, sex and race discrimination, sexual harassment, ineffective job placement, and lack of appreciation for the skills and expertise of the mid-life employee can all work against achieving a highly productive work force. Waskel discusses why no organization with these types of problems can expect to thrive and suggests programs (such as the Employee Assistance Program) and counseling groups as ways for human resource specialists to meet the challenge of mid-life employee difficulties. Mid-life Issues and the Workplace of the 90s is an indispensable guide for students and teachers of business, psychology, counseling, and sociology, as well as mid-life workers and human resource specialists.

Book Description

Fruit technology draws on biology and engineering to maintain quality during storage, distribution and marketing. This book focuses on the biological processes that determine appearance, texture, taste, nutritional value, and flavor of fleshy fruits. It also focuses on the ways by which these biological processes can be manipulated to maximize quality for the consumer. The book discusses the advances in the understandings of these procedures at the molecular level and the mode of action and limitations of current technology for postharvest handling of fruits. A concluding chapter examines prospects for the genetic control of fruit development, composition, and quality.

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Fruit Quality and its Biological Basis
Knee
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing (UK)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N55VTC

Book Description

Millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren, watched in horror as the Challenger shuttle capsule exploded on live television on January 28, 1986. Coupled with that awful image in Americans' memory is the face of President Ronald Reagan addressing the public hours later with words that spoke to the nation's shock and mourning.

Customer Reviews:

A Journalistic Account of the Challenger Accident.......2004-01-20

Published in 1987 just a year after the "Challenger" accident, this book by journalist Malcolm McConnell explores what was then known about the events leading up to the decision to launch the shuttle on January 28, 1986. Stressing the immediate causes of the accident, McConnell highlighted the pressures to launch, the objections of engineers, and the internal debates on the subject. He argued that NASA leaders caused the disaster by pressing operations officials to launch when they did so that President Ronald Reagan could mention it in that evening's scheduled State of the Union Address. Of course, this was the mission that would have as a crewmember Christa McAullife, the teach in space who had a special lesson from orbit planned for millions of school children.

McConnell's accusations made in "A Majot Malfunction" have been condemned by proponents of the Space Shuttle, especially by NASA personnel, but those complaints require more dispassionate, critical, and technically and programmatically informed analysis than has been offered. This book is certainly not the penultimate word on the subject, but it is an important statement of public understanding of the subject not long after the time of the accident.

For an analytical, and exceptionally compelling, analysis of the "Challenger" accident readers should review Diane Vaughan, "The Challenger Launch Decision" (University of Chicago Press, 1996). Malcolm McConnell's book is mostly useful as a journalistic account that offers an overview of the accident and the reasons behind it.

Choosing "romantic myth over a practical space policy.".......2003-12-20

Malcolm McConnell, a renown author and reporter at Cape Canaveral to cover the Teacher-in-Space launch, writes a revealing account of the events that led to the Challenger tragedy as well as the launch itself. Here are some of the things covered in this book:
--The controversy over the issuing of contracts to Rockwell and Thiokol in the 1970s.
--How the campaigns of Nixon and Reagan influenced events that led to the tragedy, in the latter case, why the "Teacher-in-Space" program was so important for political image.
--How employees, especially at the Marshall Space Center, were treated.
--Concerns of pilot Mike Smith days before his final flight.
--Ways in which Reagan's Sate of the Union address, the Soviet's plan to examine Halley's Comet, and Congressman Bill Nelson's insistence on being on Columbia for the 61-C mission may have contributed to the event.
--Step-by-step details on the procedures and concerns leading to the ill-fated launch. It also covers the daily life of the crew from their big press conference to the end.

Published in 1988, the book does not go too much into the aftermath of the tragedy, although it does include an epilogue that tells the fate of some of the execs connected to the launch. There are sporadic references to the Rogers Commission's findings. It is written in the clear, precise in-the-moment style of an accomplished journalist who knows his subject inside in out. There are also two sets of photos.

Average customer rating:

The Challenger World Disasters

Challenger (World Disaster Series)
Timothy Levi Biel
Manufacturer: Lucent Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Aeronautics & Space | Astronomy & Space | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Transportation | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1560060131

Customer Reviews:

The Challenger World Disasters.......2000-10-06

This speaks clearly of the disaster that struck America in 1986. It focuses on the human error we could all face and how we could learn from the past. Reagan's words to the nation are included and the author does a fine job of explaining the malfunction. There is a works consulted list and an index which is very useful in a nonfiction book. Biel also has a suggested reading list which is useful for educators. Awesome book!!!

The Challenger 1986: The Challenger 1986 (When Disaster Struck)

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The Challenger 1986: The Challenger 1986 (When Disaster Struck)
Liz Gogerly
Manufacturer: Raintree
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1410922790

Average customer rating:

Challenger And Columbia (Disasters)
Kathleen Fahey
Manufacturer: Gareth Stevens Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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

Safety & First Aid | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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The Tragedy of the Space Shuttle Challenger (Space Flight Adventures and Disasters)

ASIN: 0836844963

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Christmas present

Nascar Trivia

Excerpts from an awesome book . . .

Good but...

GREAT

Official NASCAR Trivia: The Ultimate Challenge for NASCAR Fans
NASCAR
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Trivia | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul

The Wildest Ride: A History of NASCAR (or, How a Bunch of Good Ol' Boys Built a Billion-Dollar Industry out of Wrecking Cars)

Haul A** and Turn Left: The Wit and Wisdom of NASCAR

NASCAR: A Fast History

NASCAR For Dummies

ASIN: 0061073040
Release Date: 1998-05-06

Book Description

NASCAR, the No. 1 spectator sport in America, brings you this exciting jam-packed trivia book that takes you around the country to each of the 20 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race tracks. From Daytona International Speedway, to the California Speedway, Pocono Raceway to the Atlanta Motor Speedway, you can test your skill and knowledge of NASCAR facts and lore.

Modeled after the NASCAR Winston Cup Season, NASCAR Trivia lets you rack up points as you answer hundreds of questions on everything including:

drivers
cars
track lengths
individual race events and highlights
dates
and so much more!

Tally your score at each track and see if you too have the stuff of a NASCAR champion. Drivers, start your engines....

Customer Reviews:

Christmas present.......2007-01-12

Great stocking stuffer for my NASCAR fan, full of Q & A's, quizes in all kinds of NASCAR info. It was a real hit.

Nascar Trivia.......2005-08-09

The book was for a friend. It came in "new" condition and is being enjoyed.

Excerpts from an awesome book . . . .......2005-06-07

Fact: NASCAR was originally formed as "The North American Society for Christian Auto Racers" by Sir Baden Powell.

Fact: Early NASCAR regulations prohibitted drivers from "picnicking and/or vibrating" when operating at speeds in excess of 170 MPH.

Fact: Since African American drivers were first permitted to participate in NASCAR events in 1993, Michael Jordan has secretly been racing under the name "Hermie Sadler."

Fact: All NASCAR drivers, pit crew technicians, and car owners are required to wear jock straps through the duration of NASCAR race events.

Fact: Bobby Labonte only sleeps every other week.

Fact: Greg Biffle was once married to Maria Shriver.

Fact: Jeff Gordon wears an electric blue latex "rodeo suit" during the 72 hours preceding each race. Also he refrains from eating non-dairy products during this time.

Fact: Shane Hmiel has been operating his car with his feet since the 2002 season when he lost his arms.

Fact: This book is awesome!

Good but..........2000-02-14

This book was good and fun to do but it seemed that the questions they asked were more of from like 10 years ago. It's seems that if you were an older fan and been watching the sport really long you would be able to do it easy. I'm a Huge fan but I've only been a fan for about6 or 7 years and they had alot of questions about Richard Petty and others like Cale and the allisons...But it's a good book!

GREAT.......1999-03-27

C OO

Official NASCAR Trivia: The Ultimate Challenge for NASCAR Fans

Average customer rating:

Official NASCAR Trivia: The Ultimate Challenge for NASCAR Fans
NASCAR
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFJAE8

Average customer rating:

Storytelling vs. Writing

An inspiring book on the craft of writing

I use this as a reference book while writing

Writing the Breakout Novel

Writing the Breakout Novel

Writing the Breakout Novel
Donald Maass
Manufacturer: Writer's Digest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
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Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook: Hands-On Help for Making Your Novel Stand Out and Succeed

The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile

Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) (Write Great Fiction)

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print

Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies

ASIN: 158297182X

Book Description

A breakout novel is one that rises out of its category--such as literary fiction, mystery, romance, or thriller--and hits the bestseller lists. Maass explains the elements that all breakout novels share and shows readers how to use these elements to write a novel that has a good chance of succeeding in a crowded marketplace. They'll learn to:

* create a powerful and sweeping sense of time and place
* develop larger-than-life characters
* sustain a high degree of narrative tension from start to finish
* weave sub-plots into the main action
* explore universal themes that will interest a large audience of readers

Then, using several of his clients' experiences--including best-selling novelist Anne Perry--as case studies, Maass provides real-life, insider examples to show how this type of novel can generate agent and publisher interest, creating or enhancing a novelist's career.

* Includes an introduction by best-selling author Anne Perry
* Maass' insider examples lend the credibility and visibility necessary to attract a wide audience of writers

Customer Reviews:

Storytelling vs. Writing.......2007-07-14

Maass maintains that good storytelling (plot) is more important than good writing (dialogue, characterization, turns of phrase, etc.). With the examples that he holds up--Grisham, Crichton--it's hard not to disagree with him. Why do so many midlist and literary writers fail to "break out"? Low-stakes plots. True, not every reader wants to read about the world in peril...but many readers do, and upping the ante is one of Maass's techniques to be commercially successful. He also provides excellent advice for handling agents, editors, advances, promotion, etc. that will be sobering for many beginning authors.

Maass loses credibility when he moves away from tried-and-true book analysis into more esoteric (and religious) areas. Take, for example, the subsection titled "God at Work in the World": "God works in little ways as well as big ones...Have you ever felt that something that happened to you was fated?" The most egregious religious reference, however, is his citation of Tim F. LaHaye's "Left Behind" series as a breakout work due to its authors' special ability to "make the apocalypse feel real." Huh?

As an author, Maass has written either 14 novels (according to the text) or 17 novels (according to the book jacket) under pseudonyms. Since none of them are mentioned by name, I'm going to assume that he's still struggling as a midlist author. Why he doesn't use his own techniques to write his own "breakout" novel? That's a good question, and one that goes unanswered.

An inspiring book on the craft of writing.......2007-07-09

Donald Maass's book on writing the breakout novel is often cited by writers and aspiring writers I know as a "must-have" book if you hope to succeed in writng fiction. I've read a few books on the craft of writing (not as many as I should) and Maass's book, WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL is a must read.

This book is different than others. Noah Lukeman's THE FIRST FIVE PAGES talks about dialogue, adverbs, tone, point of view, and other specifics. That book is a must-read as well, but mainly focuses on writing specifics. Maass's book focuses on broader themes, urges you to think outside the box, forces you to "breakout" the expected.

This is an inspiring book because if anything, it'll convince you that you can write a breakout novel. Sure, its hard and difficult, but you can do it. Maass focuses on characters (forgiveness and self-sacrifice are the strongest character qualities), themes of the novel, time and place (use scene and setting to create a sense of time, history and destiny), point of view, etc. Basically he covers everything needed to create a breakout novel. He cites many examples of famous breakout novels.

This book encouraged me to think big, to go places I didn't think I could in my own novel in progress. While this book isn't a hands on workbook, Maass does offer a workbook that goes with the novel that might provide more application.

This book should be read by any aspiring novelist. Maass knows what he is talking about. The good news is everything he says seems simple and makes sense. Now it is up to me and you to go out and write the next "breakout" novel.

I use this as a reference book while writing.......2007-06-13

Writing the Breakout Novel expertly describes the basic principles that make literature interesting and compelling to readers -- whether you're writing a plot-driven thriller or a character-based literary piece. As a published author working on my first large action/adventure novel, I've found that keeping this book on my desk and reading through it periodically is instructive and inspiring. Invariably, it opens up for me a new possibility in plot or character development. It's probably the next best thing to having Mr. Maass on the other end of the phone as you proceed with your work.

Mr. Maass doesn't sugarcoat the process. Writing a breakout novel is, as he describes, a lengthy process that is not for the fainthearted. But the key word is 'process,' and I have become much more appreciative of the satisfaction that comes from writing, re-writing, and continually delving deeper into the underlying principles that drive compelling fiction. These principles are not arbitrary. They can be learned and applied, and give a more practical foundation than the general writing instruction I received as a four-year undergrad in English literature.

Writing the Breakout Novel.......2007-02-18

I found Donald Maass's book very informative and have already incorporated many of his suggestions in a novel I completed several years ago, but was never happy with.

Writing the Breakout Novel.......2007-01-16

Donald Maass gives a course in how to turn a good story into a breakout novel. He doesn't give advice on how to craft beautiful prose in the mode of Marquez or Naipaul. He's not teaching how to write the next To Kill a Mockingbird. He doesn't even attempt to supplant the craft as taught by the Iowa Writer's Workshop. What he writes about is turning a good story into a commercial success.

Like his advice, it's straightforward and a bit formulaic, but why would you pick this book up with the title, How to Write the Breakout Novel, if you didn't want advice on commercial success? That'd be silly if you ask me.

Maass knows the market as one of the top agents in publishing and as a successful novelist. He's given advice to his clients and it's propelled them to the top of the Bestseller List. Sure he uses personal examples and touts his client list, but it's an impressive client list, believe me. I don't like all the books he uses as examples, but that's personal choice and my choice hasn't impacted sales numbers at all.

I found his advice on Theme to be really good. To be honest, I hadn't considered starting with a theme and working to craft around something which resonates with the reader simply and clearly. I know all great stories integrate theme, but I didn't really understand that it could be a conscious thing on the part of the writer. Maybe that's my own naivety, but that's why I'm reading self-help books. It's completely changed the way I'm writing my next story.

The Checklist style construction makes recollection of what each chapter covered simple.

Want to know what it covers? Here are the contents:

Why Write the Breakout Novel
Premise
Stakes
Time and Place
Characters
Plot
Contemporary Plot Techniques
Multiple Viewpoints, Subplots, Pace, Voice, and Endings
Advanced Plot Structures
Theme
Breaking Out

Read each and every one. I found value throughout the book.

- CV Rick

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook: Hands-On Help for Making Your Novel Stand Out and Succeed

Average customer rating:

I use this more than the actual book
Helpful!
Not the same as the Breakout book
Good Hands On Exercises
It's good, but...

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook: Hands-On Help for Making Your Novel Stand Out and Succeed
Donald Maass
Manufacturer: Writer's Digest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 158297263X

Book Description

This powerful book builds on the success of it predecessor-Writing the Breakout Novel-and takes readers to the next level: improving their work with practical, hands-on lessons and exercises.

With patented techniques from his popular writing workshops, Donald Maass shows fiction writers exactly how to make their work stand out from the crowd. Readers will learn how to strengthen any novel-in-progress, with sections on: - Building Plot Layers - Creating Inner Conflict - Strengthening Point of View and Voice - Discovering Larger Than Life Character Qualities - Developing the Psychology of Place

Every workbook exercise is followed by examples from real-life breakout novels. This is one of the most accessible novel-writing guides available today.

Customer Reviews:

I use this more than the actual book.......2007-10-08

I have both workbook and book. I use this when I'm plotting or replotting a book. I find the exercises make me think hard about my stories and bring out my creativity. I'd definitely recommend it.

Helpful!.......2007-08-24

I finally bought this book after rechecking it from the library several times. I love the challanges presented and the advice given. This book has helped me dig deeper and develop my own novel.

Not the same as the Breakout book.......2007-03-14

Since he published Writing the Breakout Novel in 2001, Maass has taught a seminar of the same name at many writers conferences, and naturally learned from these experiences. The original book is here expanded by nearly three dozen exercises, which seem quite sensible, not hokey as are some by other teachers I've read.

I own the Breakout book and just now am comparing the workbook that I checked out of the local library. They're not the same, not by a long shot, despite what one reviewer here says. Though many sections have identical headers (such as Inner Conflict), they are completely rewritten, using different examples. The original book is 259 pages of 6x9, the workbook is 230 pp. of 8-1/2x11 format, thus it is by no means a condensation as TheCafeWriter asserts, and the original book is not necessarily more "in-depth." Some sections are, some aren't. The structure is substantially rearranged. Yet the concepts and the really fundamental points -- keep your story charged with tension, and so on -- do remain identical. These are essentially two complementary treatments of the same material by the same author

Maass asks his seminar participants to bring their in-process novels to perform exercises on, so the workbook is particularly useful if you are well into writing a novel already. With the discipline of the exercises, Maass teaches you to be your own draft doctor.

For me, there appear to be easily enough new perspectives and ideas here to warrant buying the workbook even though I have read the original and have it on my bookshelf.

Good Hands On Exercises.......2006-08-14

This book is most beneficial to writers who have already completed the first drafts of their manuscripts. The exercises made me review some of my characters' attributes and turn offs as well as making sure my secondary plots tied into my main plot. Mr. Maass' suggestions caused me to re-think my villians a little bit and show a side to them that could be somewhat empathetic. Also, adding tension on every page for me was tough, but I found creative ways to do it. I do believe my completed novel is better now after making suggested changes. I stuck to my own gut on some of the things he suggested I change, but overall I did use a lot of his advice. This is a good purchase but you must do the written exercises not just skim over them.

It's good, but..........2006-04-01

Maass has created a good workbook with some nifty ways to come up with information. He's also included some material that's new, especially in terms of how to put together plots and subplots, and he expands the theme section from Writing the Breakout Novel.

Two problems though: first, except for a few places, the workbook really retreads the original book, just barely expanding on the original. I was hoping for more nuggets of information.

The second problem is that it is a workbook. I hate workbooks, mostly because my brain simply doesn't do those kinds of questions. I work from story down, not parts of story up. The workbook gives the impression to writers that answering the questions will magically make the story fall into place, and I instinctively reject that attitude. No, Maass isn't deliberately trying to tell writers the process, but the impression is there.

I would have rather he put together a follow-up book and then listed these questions at the end of the chapters instead of formatting the book with lines to be filled in. I think I would have been more receptive to the content. As it was, I read hastily through, feeling nauseous that I wasn't doing my homework--a kid's attitude from far too many workbooks in grade school.

Basically, good but not great information, and formatting that puts me off means that I have a hard time recommending this book. But if you're a workbook type, go for it.

3 Books: 1) On Writing (Stephen King) / 2) Writing the Breakout Novel (Donald Maass) /3) The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition (by William Strunk Jr.) (Unboxed Set of Writing Books by Different Authors)

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3 Books: 1) On Writing (Stephen King) / 2) Writing the Breakout Novel (Donald Maass) /3) The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition (by William Strunk Jr.) (Unboxed Set of Writing Books by Different Authors)
Stephen King , Steven King , Donald Maass , William Strunk Jr , E.B. White , and Roger Angell
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000X7SQL0

Product Description

3 Books: 1) On Writing (Stephen King) / 2) Writing the Breakout Novel (Donald Maass) /3) The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition (by William Strunk Jr.) (Unboxed Set of Writing Books by Different Authors), in either Hard or Softcover, (See Seller Condition Comments), Shipped in one package to save on shipping costs.

Average customer rating:
Takers and Returners

Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0448171007

Average customer rating:
Takers and Returners

Manufacturer: Tempo Books, Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0448056615

Product Description

I've thought of a game, said my cousin Julian. We were all sitting around the hammock at the back of our yard, shielded from sight from the house by a row of lilac bushes, their leaves gone dusty in the dry days of late July. Kitty and I in the hammock, the three boys stretched out on the grass, and jenny playing with a doll under the lilac bushes.

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Takers and Returners
Carol Beach York
Manufacturer: Dutton Childrens Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0525662928

Book Description

It was a hot day and they had already seen the movie at the only theater in town. Yet the game that Julian devised to relieve the boredom--the game of Takers and Returners--was to affect the lives of all the children who took part in it. Julian was fifteen, and thirteen-year-old Ellen had always thought she might marry him someday--that is, until Mother explained that he had a kind of fatal fascination. It was the quality that made you want to follow his leadership. Otherwise, they would never have let the game get out of hand the way it did, for it was an unusual, frightening game, of which the adults would not have approved. In this skillfully written suspense story Carol Beach York provides an atmosphere so full of tension and anxiety that it becomes almost un bearable, and the reader soon realizes that it is also a story of evil and that the game the children play is one no one can win.

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A summer story

Takers and Returners

Manufacturer: Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1973
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
ASIN: B000HFJO3C

Customer Reviews:

A summer story.......2007-10-11

Card catalog description
Children divide into two groups and play a new and dangerous game to alleviate the boredom of summer: objects stolen from neighboring people and places by one group must be returned by the other. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

A great '70's story of summer rebellion and suspense for young adults.

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Takers and Returners
Carol Beach York
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
ASIN: B000OV9WZ4

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