Las mujeres inteligentes acaban ricas: 7 pasos para conseguir seguridad financiera y alcanzar sus sueños

Book Description

Providing the path and the inspiration to fearless financial freedom for women, this seven-step program offers tools for spending wisely, establishing security, and aligning money with values. Also included are long-term investment advice, information for teaching children about money, and Internet resources.

Ofreciendo para mujeres el camino y la inspiración hacia una libertad financiera sin temor, este programa de siete pasos brinda las herramientas para gastar sabiamente, establecer seguridad financiera, y alinear el dinero con los valores. También están incluidos consejos para inversiones a largo plazo, información de como enseñar a los niños acerca del dinero, y recursos en Internet.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent history lesson.......2001-03-14

I originally purchased this book after a general internet search on "Shreve". I have been working on Shreve genealogy for some time now. Israel is my 5th great-grand uncle. Being a relative of the Colonel, I had trouble putting the book down. The book gives an excellent view of the man's personality as well as a history lesson on the Revolutionary War. The book was also actually a suprise. Israel did not have the best of relationships with General Geroge Washington. There are several references to General Washington being somewhat frustrated by Isreal Shreve. These stories lead to very interesting reading which lead me to pursue further the relationship between Genreal Washington and Colonel Shreve. Numerous letters are also included between Colonel Shreve and his wife. These letters show how dedicated he was to his wife and also his new country. Other letters included are between Colonel Shreve and General Washington. Many of these exact letters can be read in original form at the national archives.

If your interested in the history of the Revolutionary War, this book gives an excellent view from a Colonel that was living day by day working to get home to his waiting wife and family.

Definitely worth you time.

Mark Shreve

Average customer rating:
Israel Shreve Revolutionary War Officer
Thompson William Y.
Manufacturer: McGinty Trust Fund
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UD7TF6

Book Description

For the first time in print, this extraordinary and beautiful story tells the tale of Annette Kellerman—the woman who became one of the highest paid and most adored Hollywood and vaudeville stars of her day. Kellerman won audiences the world over with her trademark performances, gained fame for her dangerous swims in the English Channel, participated in a vaudeville act in which she dove into a giant glass tank, and performed underwater ballet. After starring in Hollywood's first-ever million-dollar film, she soon became a household name who drew long lines to see her on the screen in her famous, provocative costumes. This biography beautifully captures how Kellerman stole the hearts of a generation and challenged standards regarding how women should look, act, and think.

Customer Reviews:

A Fascinating Read About a Pioneer Performer........2007-03-20

I'm completely amazed at the accomplishments of Ms Kellerman. Those who have watched and enjoyed the film 'Million Dollar Mermaid' only know a small part of the tale. What an inspiring story of a unique and fascinating woman, a pioneer athlete & performer who no doubt continues to inspire many of those in the aquatic performance field.

An excellent biography.......2007-01-29

Well worth reading. Annette Kellerman was an exceptional athlete, able to do virtually anything she set her mind to. She 'invented' underwater ballet and the modern women's swim suit. She was a star attraction in vaudeville, Broadway shows, and was an early film star. The book is well written and has two sections of photographs.

The Million Dollar Mermaid: An Autobiography

Average customer rating:

A Fun Read.
A Good Read
Ultimately a Dissapointment
A psychological mystery
Million dollar Mermaid debut as movie star

The Million Dollar Mermaid: An Autobiography
Esther Williams
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0156011352

Amazon.com

Her big movies are hard to find these days, and her name doesn't evoke the fan recognition awarded fellow MGM grads Lana Turner and Ava Gardner, yet for more than a decade during Hollywood's age d'or Esther Williams was one of the studio's most bankable leading ladies. An American beauty and swimming champ, she was hired at MGM in 1941 at age 18, and from then on starred in two or three thinly plotted "swimming musicals" a year--movies with titles like Neptune's Daughter, Million Dollar Mermaid, Easy to Love, and Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Her inevitable role was the pinup you could pin up at home, and it seems to have reflected her offstage personality too. Her long (400 pages) memoir is not always a miracle of narrative, but it includes a wealth of juicy gossip: Louis B. Mayer's rolling-on-the-floor tantrums; Gene Kelly's verbal cruelty on the set of Take Me Out to the Ball Game; her three failed marriages, including a long, draining one to Fernando Lamas; Lana Turner's name for Mayer ("Daddy"); Johnny Weismuller's backstage pursuit of her (naked); her own heat for Victor Mature ("unleashed"); and the LSD she tried in 1959 on Cary Grant's recommendation. Like so many other as-told-to books, the memories often feel self-serving, and there are plywood sentences even Lana Turner would choke on delivering. Disappointingly, Williams rarely shares what went on behind her lowered eyes and those buoyant cheekbones. --Lyall Bush

Book Description

During Hollywood's heyday, big studios battled over the next box-office attraction. While Gene Kelly danced and Judy Garland sang, Esther Williams swam into the heart of America with her dazzling smile, stunning aquabatics, and whole-some appeal. Hand-picked for stardom by movie mogul Louis B. Mayer, Esther shed her wide-eyed innocence at what she affectionately calls University MGM, a unique educational institution where sex appeal and glamour were taught, a school where idols were born. Once a national swimming champion and struggling salesgirl, overnight she became one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. And though fame came quickly, Esther's personal life was often less than joyous. Through troubled marriages, cross-dressing lovers, financial bankruptcy, she shares the ups and downs of her extraordinary career in The Million Dollar Mermaid, a wildly entertaining behind-the-scenes account of one of Tinseltown's classic dream factories.

Customer Reviews:

A Fun Read........2007-03-20

I was looking for something to read while traveling, and remembered hearing some positive comments about this book. It was a really great to read about Hollywood back in it's golden age, with it's "larger than life" productions and actors.

A Good Read.......2006-09-09

I found this book fascinating from cover to cover. The glimpse into the world of MGM at its grandest is wonderful, and Esther herself is never dull. A page turner for movie fans. I agree with other reviews that Esther can come off badly in her "Do you know who I am?" attitude--it reads like she got really full of herself somewhere down the road. Plus, what kind of person stays married to a man who won't allow you to have a relationship with your own children? Sorry--there's no excuse. But this is a review of the book itself, not of the person, and it's a good read.

Ultimately a Dissapointment.......2006-06-12

I started out in admiration of how tough Esther Williams was. But I kept waiting for her to start having a decent personal life. At first, I thought how sad it was that people were unfeeling and cruel with her. (How is it that every single man she meets, btw, with a few barely mentioned exceptions, are cold, heartless and entirely self-absorbed? An LA thing?) But by the time she started having affairs of her own and marrying the domineering Lamas (she knew what she was getting herself into) I lost all respect or sympathy for her. Even so, I can't help liking her somehow and wishing things had been different. She seems like a friend that lets you down and yet you still want to like her.
In a way, it seems like something is missing...almost like you never completely can know or understand her.
I did find it very interesting to hear stories about life within MGM.

A psychological mystery.......2005-11-27

This would be a good book for student psychiatrists to study and write papers on. Neither Williams nor her ghostwriter Digby Diehl put the pieces of her psyche together. They take the easy road, that everything Williams became was driven by her need to replace her dead brother as the financial savior of her family, and yet not much of the book after the beginning mentions her family. No doubt, her brother's death was an element, but so was an early and shocking two years of sexual abuse at the hands of a teenage boarder. And more shocking, her family was so fond of the boy, they weren't appalled at what he had done. He wasn't reported to the authorities. Esther says she was disappointed with her family's reaction, got the boy to move out herself, and yet continued to support her family and doesn't mention the event again in the book.

Although she is able to control her career and resist being sexually used by studio bosses and co-stars who don't appeal to her, she turns around and tolerates the most horrible of husbands for years and years. One, who routinely embarrasses her, spends all her money and leaves her in debt, another, the famous Fernando Lamas, makes her literally a slave for 22 years. Yet she was loyal to a decision she made to make up to him for the early loss of his mother. What's going on here?

The combination of early sexual abuse and having to be the family breadwinner made Esther demand perfection of herself in everything she did, from swimming to movies to being a wife. And sometimes the requirement of perfection becomes irrational, and yet she doesn't perceive it. It is most obvious when she talks about neglecting her children because Fernando doesn't want children -- hers or his -- around. Some of the reviewers here blast her for this, but they forget that all during their lives, they were essentially raised by a nanny. Esther's idea of motherhood was dropping in from time to time, or controlling things from a distance, and she continued to do this, farming the kids out with relatives, when she was with Fernando.

At no point during this book does Esther turn on herself and see any flaws or faults, which is consistent with the denial one goes into after a horrific childhood. She strove for perfection, achieved it in many areas, and is quite content. At this point, she might as well -- if she is still alive at this writing -- continue on with the illusion. No point in undergoing any psychiatric treatment when you've managed this far. I know of people in my own life who are trying to be "perfect" to compensate for some messed up stuff when they were younger and who are in extraordinary denial about reality, so it was interesting to see another example of it here.

As many reviewers have commented, the book does seem very arrogant and then wildly perplexing when you get to the whole Fernando bondage years, but it's a textbook psycho case.

After seeing her do a long interview on Turner Classic Movies and hinting at some of the wilder sexual escapades in this book -- and she does dish the dirt on how wild men can be about their packages -- I was intrigued and able to buy it for a penny on Amazon.com, so it was well worth it.

Million dollar Mermaid debut as movie star.......2005-10-19

I loved this movie even as a child.Red Skelton's sketch at the ballet class is not only a riot but a classic act. The story itself is simplistic.Red is left pactically at the altar by a
furious Esther Williams. Red follows his wife only to be confronted by the fact that she is teaching at an all girls school.And so the fun begins. Loved Xavier Cugat's numbers and
although not a fan of Harry James still enjoyed the movie.If
you are after an old fashioned 90 minutes of entertainement then I suggest you get Bathing beauty. Oh, it is also Esther
first staring role(I am enjoying her autobiography at the moment).Recomend it.
PS review refers to Bathing beauty movie and her book.

Average customer rating:

The Million Dollar Mermaid
Esther William
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PFNLEM

Average customer rating:

Million Dollar Mermaid
Esther (et al ) Williams
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O63E4Y

Average customer rating:

Million dollar mermaid
Everett Freeman
Manufacturer: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007H8OBI

Average customer rating:

The Million Dollar Mermaid

Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GWZ7GO

Average customer rating:

The Million Dollar Mermaid - An Autobiography
Esther; with Diehl, Digby Willians
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PK3D0E

Average customer rating:

The gospel of St. Esther.

Million Dollar Mermaid Bookmark
Esther Williams , and Digby Diehl
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0684009145

Customer Reviews:

The gospel of St. Esther........2003-06-14

If you would like to relive those glorious days of Hollywood gossip tabloids from the "good old days", you might like this book. Every one here is either a saint or a miserable sinner, as according to the gospel of St. Esther.

Esther Williams seems determined to make her life appear as interesting as possible, which is understandable, but often at the expense of others who are no longer able to protest at her catty, sometimes bitchy, reminiscing. Not that catty or bitchy can't be fun, but unfortunately Ms Williams has removed any light-heartedness by couching all of her gossip in an eternal litany of ego massage. One can certainly surmise that Williams never met a mirror she didn't like. All men wanted her, all women were either adoring acolytes or jealous of her beauty, athleticism, morality, All-American sweetness or a host of other self-described traits.

The self-absorbed tone of the book completely put me off, and the blocky style, whether dictated by Williams or contributor Diehl zaps any pleasure I might have gotten from her reminiscing.

In short, this memoir is sour, more like a chance to even some scores than to tell tales of a grand Hollywood life. The million dollar mermaid comes off as something which would have best been thrown back as not really fit for consumption. Sorry, Charlie.

Average customer rating:
Million Dollar Mermaid, an Autobiography, Fresh & funny Expose of Hollywood's Golden Era
Esther with Digby Diehl Williams
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NDMGAQ

Average customer rating:
The Million Dollar Mermaid: An Autobiography
Esther; DIEHL, Digby WILLIAMS
Manufacturer: Harvest/HBJ Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJFHUA

Customer Reviews:

Great book, lots of useful tips!.......2003-01-08

I read this book and we used the techniques she describes to put on our annual Fourth of July Benefit. We run an aid program locally (Idaho) for kids in trouble.

Our Fourth of July Fireworks Picnic/Yard Sale/Auction is our one big party and event fundraiser. She spells it all out -- preparations, materials, guidance lists, necessary schedule preparation, approaching potential donors, securing materials for our auction (silent and open bid), getting donated food and drink so that the entry price goes entirely to the charity.

First rate book! Very helpful and filled with useful ideas and suggestions.

Customer Reviews:

Promises More Than It Gives.......2000-06-07

The description of this book seems like a dream come true for a novice in the gift basket business. It is advertised as a hard cover Gift Basket Index: Gift Business Idea Reference. What the buyer gets is a loose leaf notebook with 59 pages of computer generated repetitive lists including lists of items to put into specific types of baskets,lists of customer sources for the baskets, and lists of container possibilities. What is missing is narrative related to the gift basket business. How to assemble a competitively priced basket is the most sought-out information for those in the gift basket business. In this book there are no vendors listed, no strategies for promoting your business, no suggestions on assembling baskets,and no tips on managing a business. I expected a large resource type book with several hundred pages of information which could be used by new or experienced gift basket business owners.

Other books I have read on the gift basket business are: The How-To's of Gift Baskets by Carol Starr; Great Ideas for Gift Baskets, Bags, and Boxes by Kathy Lamancusa; The Business of Gift Baskets by Camille Anderson & Don L. Price; and Start and Run a Profitible Gift Basket Business by Mardi Foster-Walker. All of these paperback books are very comprehensive and give ideas for assembling specific types of baskets, resource names and addresses for items and containers, and tips and strategies for managing and marketing the baskets. In most cases, there are pictures and diagrams. In comparison, the Carrol Communications book leaves out this essential information which is crucial for gift basket entrepreneurs. This book was a disappointment to me.

Average customer rating:
How to Escape the Bondage of Debt: A Guide to Personal Fiscal Responsibility
Jay D. Fluckiger
Manufacturer: Harmony House Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Budgeting & Money Management | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0972528903

Average customer rating:
World Stock Exchange Data Disk
Meridian Securities Markets LLC
Manufacturer: Meridian Securities Markets LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: 0964893029

Book Description

All the data from the World Stock Exchange Fact Book (ISBN: 0964893010) in electronic form. Puts an extensive repository of global stock market statistics at your fingertips.

Average customer rating:

World Stock Exchange Data Disk
Meridian Securities Markets
Manufacturer: Meridian Securities Markets
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 189151802X

Customer Reviews:

An Education of Emotions.......1998-05-04

If you think you know all there is to know about Sarajevo from news reports and critical analyses, read this book. It will change your mind. The letters can be heartbreaking, inspiring, utterly depressing, hopeful...even all at the same time. The accounts from children especially took my breath away. The only thing lacking in this book is an epilogue. You feel so close to the letter writers, the urge to know whether they've survived and, if so, how, is overwhelming.

Book Description

An award-winning kaleidoscope of a book that "shocks and stirs the urban heart," capturing city life on the edge of the twenty-first century.

Winner of the PEN/Jerard Fund Award, In the City is an idiosyncratic re-creation of the jagged edges and orphaned curves, stray bits of data and half-overheard stories that comprise the urban experience. Colette Brooks's remarkable eye traverses an unnamed contemporary city committing "random acts of awareness." Brooks relays vivid glimpses of the anonymous urban dweller's experience, history, and culture to create a portrait that is deeply familiar yet entirely fresh. "Colette Brooks, with In the City, invents a kaleidoscope of prose that shocks and stirs the urban heart and mindset into shifting forms and patterns—color, sadness, shock of recognition, slice of history; lostness, foundness. She wields her sensibility like the conductor of a wayward subway train, following its uncharted route from Wonderland to Oz....In the city, Brooks reflects, 'once the unlikely has occurred, it seems inevitable.' So do the eye and memorable voice of Colette Brooks."—PEN/Jerard Fund Award citation

Customer Reviews:

A world so familiar and yet like no other.......2002-07-31

In The City is a fantastic read. I never wanted to put it down and the few times when I did, the book immediately beckoned me back. Brooks' visions and ponderings are haunting and thought-provoking. With a language and structure that is incredibly unique and exquisitely poetic, she pulls the reader into the heart and soul of the city- a world so familiar and yet like no other. Any reader will quickly see that this is one of those ever so rare times when a writer will bring a brand new perspective to the world, and let us all look at the same old city for the very first time.

A very strong debut.......2002-05-31

This first book from Colette Brooks is the carefully constructed product of a lifetime of reflection. This genre-stretching work should appeal to any city-dweller who's ever spent a half hour on the subway looking around at his or her fellow passengers and wondering what it all means.

A classic!.......2002-05-28

Colette Brooks has joined the ranks of writers like E.B. White and Jane Jacobs with her beautiful new book, IN THE CITY. Brooks' subtly poetic prose, gentle humor, and eye for the telling detail open the city to the reader, revealing its soul. Anyone who has ever lived in, or dreamed of living in, a city will find this book resonating with echoes of their own feelings and dreams. It is impossible to put it down and impossible to leave it behind. One returns to the book again and again relishing special moments, phrases and insights. Ms. Brooks writes beautifully, sparely and with a unique voice.

This changes everything........2002-05-18

Colette Brooks blew my mind with this book. Everyone these days is so caught up in classifying literature, of putting people in their little boxes, of being able to say "It's like Gatsby meets Eggers on a road trip with Kerouac!" and then along comes Colette and proves that it IS possible to completely reinvent the form... or to invent A form. IN THE CITY is part short story collection, part prose poem, part historical novel, part autobiography. The text itself evades specifics-- every time you think you've got her pinned, know exactly what news item or neighborhood she's talking about, she spirits it away again and takes you someplace new. People talk about reading until they get to "a good stopping point". IN THE CITY has no good stopping point. You jump into the river of Brooks's prose and you're carried to the end, released back into the ocean of your life-- no matter where you live-- looking at it a little differently, a little more closely, and with a lot more affection for the lives around you.

Book Description

Text discussing marketing techniques for not-for-profit social service institutions. Covers the use of fundraising, target segmenting, and focus and task groups as tools for enhancing delivery of service. Includes tables and references. For administrators.

Average customer rating:
Real Estate Closing Deskbook, 2nd Edition: A Lawyer's Reference Guide and State-by-State Summary (Real Estate Closing Deskbook)
K. F. Boackle
Manufacturer: American Bar Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Complete Guide to Your Real Estate Closing: Answers to All Your Questions - From Opening Escrow, to Negotiating Fees, to Signing the Closing Papers

The ABCs of Title Closing

Title Insurance for Real Estate Professional

Essential Guide to Real Estate Contracts (Complete Book of Real Estate Contracts)

Maryland Real Estate Practice & Law

ASIN: 1590312082

Book Description

This practical guide provides a firm understanding of real estate concepts and explains mechanics of handling a closing.

Real Estate Closing Deskbook: A Lawyer's Reference Guide & State-By-State Summary (Real Estate Closing Deskbook)

Average customer rating:

Real Estate Closing Deskbook: A Lawyer's Reference Guide & State-By-State Summary (Real Estate Closing Deskbook)
K. F. Boackle
Manufacturer: American Bar Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

The story of Henning Kronstam, one of the greatest dancers of 20th-century ballet, is a testament of professional achievement and personal victory. Overcoming illness, family disapproval, and his own private torments, Kronstam dominated one of the world's most renowned companies, the Royal Danish Ballet, for nearly 30 years—beginning in 1956 when he created the role of Romeo at the age of 20 in Frederick Ashton's Romeo and Juliet until a new generation, trained by him, took the stage. In 1979, he organized and directed the Bournonville Festival, introducing the world to the rarely performed works of August Bournonville, the Danes' master choreographer.

Alexandra Tomalonis has documented Kronstam's major roles as recounted in his own words, revealing the genius behind the man and his art. A superb technician and impeccable classical stylist, Kronstam was also a great dance-actor. His range stretched from classical ballet to modern dance; his greatest roles included Bournonville's James; Balanchine's Apollo; Petit's Cyrano; and the Old Clown in Murray Louis's Hoopla. His refusal to substitute flash for style earned him the admiration of his peers, and he remains a beacon of artistic integrity and courage to the three generations of dancers he taught and coached.

In the writing of this book, the author conducted 200 hours of interviews with Henning Kronstam and talked with over 100 dancers and choreographers, including many who worked with him. She observed classes and rehearsals at the Royal Danish Ballet over a 10-year period to provide an unusually detailed view of backstage life. More than a biography of one man, this book tells the story of a great dance company. The 155 photographs accompanying the narrative showcase Kronstam's refined classical technique, unparalleled dramatic range, and the theatrical traditions of the Royal Danish Ballet.

Customer Reviews:

Henning Kronstam: Portrait of a Danish Dancer.......2002-11-25

I've had the rare pleasure of reading Alexandra Tomnalonis's book, "Henning Kronstam: Portrait of a Danish Dancer" and it is wonderful. The book is crammed with information; with Ms. Tomalonis's writing style I never felt I was plowing my way through an encyclopedia. The narrative flowed and my interest did not waver. Kronstam emerges a fascinating man. He was a silent Dane not given to letting others know much about him. An artistic genius, his style was all but lost in the era of the Ballet Boom and the following changes in the art. The book tells about his exciting entrance to Royal Danish Ballet, his dancing career, his dramatic excellence, the dancers of his era, and the nurturing of the Bournonville tradition. It continues with his career as artistic director and ballet master, and his influence on the dancers fortunate enough to be coached by him (there are many insightful quotes by his protégé's). He was a man of great detail and it is fascinating to read about those tiny details he'd add or subtract from a ballet in order to make it perfect. I highly recommend to book.

A beautifully written book about an extraordinary man.......2002-11-02

This remarkable book looks superficially like a ballet biography. It is so much more than that. It deserves, and I hope finds, a readership far broader than a ballet book would normally reach... In the book we learn that his first experience as a professional was as a child actor in the very theatre he would later dedicate his life to, so his destiny on stage in some capacity was assured. He danced the principal roles in all the major ballets, and was especially notable in the Bournonville tradition that he helped maintain. He had many new works created for him by modern choreographers, including the part of Romeo in Ashton's Romeo and Juliet. Whenever the Royal toured, which was not often enough, foreign critics and audiences singled Kronstam out for special recognition for both his dancing and his acting. But I venture to say that ballet lovers who know of Nureyev and Bruhn, who were roughly Kronstam's contemporaries, may not know Kronstam's name. This book gives some interesting perspectives that help explain why.

The fact that the book is called "Portrait of a *Danish* Dancer" (rather than simply "Portrait of a Dancer") puzzled me at first. But Ms. Tomalonis has thoroughly captured Kronstam's complex personality, and in many ways that personality was the Danish national character in microcosm. It seems that many of Kronstam's inherent strengths and weaknesses were reinforced by the societal expectations of both his family and his nation. This may have contributed, consciously or unconsciously, to Kronstam's choice to remain in Copenhagen for his entire career when others chose to leave to pursue international recognition with foreign companies.

The book succeeds on so many levels. It has all the hallmarks of a good biography. The author, who personally met with and interviewed her subject extensively and also spoke with scores of his relatives and colleagues, discusses Kronstam's personal matters with tact and dignity. She portrays Kronstam with a kind of tenderness that does not detract from her clear-eyed understanding of him. The fact that Kronstam, an intensely private person, was comfortable and candid enough to reveal as much as he did to her bespeaks a level of trust in the author that few biographers enjoy. Inspite of the pervasive sadness of Kronstam's story at the end of his life, when she met with him, Ms. Tomalonis is able to show Kronstam's warmth and humor as well. It gives Kronstam an aura of nobility which he, in his typical humility, would probably have derided.

For balletomanes, like me, the book showcases Ms. Tomalonis' depth of both historical and current ballet expertise. Her writing style is so fluent and graceful, however, that the wealth of ballet detail never interferes with the book's story line. One can sense that this very expertise was part of the common language between author and subject that made it possible for Kronstam to communicate his thoughts so effectively to the author.

Finally, for anyone interested in understanding the creative process, there is a unique opportunity to hear Kronstam's own recollections of how he developed his roles, how he was able to inhabit a role with his characteristic intensity. Several of the modern ballets in which he created characters contain harrowing psychological plot lines, and one can only wonder how Kronstam was able to both shield and use his own vulnerabilities to bring these works to life. This section of the book should be required reading for dancers, because it illuminates the thoughtfulness and dedication required of any intelligent performer who wants to do more than execute steps and pantomime emotions. Actors, I am told, embrace the opportunity to "be" their characters, to try on other lives. Here Kronstam conveys that process in a human and insightful way. Ms. Tomalonis somehow manages to make herself invisible during these passages, so that it is Kronstam who emerges with tremendous immediacy... Kronstam could have expected no greater tribute than to have his story told with so much grace and feeling.

The Self-Eclipsed Star.......2002-10-27

Although Henning Kronstam was a dancer of world-class talent and style, he chose to remain close to his beloved home, the Royal Danish Ballet. While Erik Bruhn made international headlines, Kronstam remained mostly at home, blessing the Danes with his perfect technique and great stage presence. I never understood why he had chosen so to shape his career, but Tomalonis' excellent book examines the artistic, psychological and social forces which informed him, and the reading is fascinating, whether the reader is a ballet fan or not. She writes compellingly and with grace and wit, so much so that one is almost loth to finish the book, which must, of course, end with its subject's death. One wishes men like Kronstam to live happily forever. Here is a story of a life well worth examining, and from which to learn.

Customer Reviews:

This book must be read by all interested in the Nez Perce Wa.......2005-06-07

If you've ever read Yellow Wolf and Hear Me, My Chiefs! then you must read this book. It's the not always glamorous behind the scenes of just how the books came to be. I had perhaps three very minor criticisms while reading the book but must say that Evans did a fantastic job. Long live Yellow Wolf, Peo Peo and the non-treaty Nez Perce. You have my eternal respect!

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