Running a One-Person Business

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Basic Information for the True Novice.......2007-03-03

If you haven't a clue about running a small business then this book is for you. For more advanced topics - look elsewhere. This book is good for what it is; a treatise on the ins and outs of managing the small enterprise. You'll find many helpful suggestions but much of the information is quite dated. Still there aren't very many books that tackle the unique problems of the one-person business. So for a unique perspective on your fledging operation, check it out.

The best business book I've ever read!.......1999-09-02

I loved reading this book. It gave clear and concise methods of running a small business yet also inspired with ideas of how to do what you really love. The book gave good arguements why this is the only way to live and told many stories to back it up.

Covers subjects that no other biz book addresses.......1997-09-17

There are many new small business books being published but this is truly one of the classics. Rather than emphasizing information about getting permits, writing a business plan, etc., Running A One Person Business discusses how to keep from being isolated, how to separate your work life from your personal life, how to go on vacation when you're self-employed, etc. I recommend it to my small business students. Jan Zobel, EA, tax preparer/lecturer and author of Minding Her Own Business: the Self-Employed Woman's Guide to Taxes and Recordkeepin

Best Practices for Running a One-Person IT Department

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Best Practices for Running a One-Person IT Department

Manufacturer: Info-Tech Research Group Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

Being the only IT person in an organization presents unique challenges. Discover and adopt best practices for running a department of one. Info-Tech White Papers deliver comprehensive information and advice on selected topics of keen interest to information technology managers. The Info-Tech Research group specializes in creating concise directions that busy technology managers and professionals can put to use right away.

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The Real American Dream, Creating Independence & Running a One-Person Business

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Very helpful. Readable and useful.
Best way to start a solo business I know
Creating Independence and profits

The Real American Dream, Creating Independence & Running a One-Person Business
Sally Petersen
Manufacturer: Media Weavers LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Motivational | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Home Based | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0964721279
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Customer Reviews:

Very helpful. Readable and useful........2005-06-15

This book was very useful in helping me decide whether to start a business and go out on my own. The worksheets helped me to define myself and my aspirations. Very easy to understand and follow. A lot of helpful information in setting up a business the right way the first time.

Best way to start a solo business I know .......2004-08-17

I read this book in my leisure in the desert and every chapter, every experience, every word made sense to me. I have started a number of small business's and only wish this manual was in my hands when I started. Give this to any friend who says to you,
"I'm thinking of starting my own home business." They'll love you for life. Jim Misko, Anchorage, AK

Creating Independence and profits.......2002-09-07

This book was right on target with its user-friendly guidance and advice. It gave me hope for a simpler way of living and working. It coached me every step of the way toward creating my own one-person business. Now I'm reading it again as I strive to increase my business, become profitable, yet maintain independence in my professional life and freedom in my personal life. This book's workbook format, checklists, and no frills advice made me feel like I had a professional career coach right by my side. It is the best business investment I've made yet.

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Running a One-Person Business
Claude and Rasberry, Salli Whitmyer
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GR0HNM

Book Description

Protect your rights, and your hard work!

The laws covering website and software development are complex and confusing, but if you don't untangle them, it could cost you thousands of dollars in attorneys' fees and lawsuits.

Fortunately, Web & Software Development decodes this complex area of the law, thoroughly and in reader-friendly English.The book also provides contracts, agreements and legal forms on CD-ROM, with step-by-step instructions for filling them out, so you can protect your software and website without paying a lawyer's ransom.

Use Web & Software Development to learn:

*what kind of intellectual-property protection you need

*the strengths and limitations of each type of protection

*how to avoid infringement

*which provisions you need when drafting an agreement

*how to obtain permission to use other people's materials

You'll find complete, step-by-step instructions to draft:

*employment agreements

*contractor & consultant agreements

*web & software development agreements

*license agreements

The 3rd edition is completely updated to include website development, as well as the latest in intellectual property law.

Customer Reviews:

Well worth the money for the do-it-your-self-er, small business!.......2007-07-26

After careful research, I choose this Nolo book when it came time to license my company's software. I guess it's silly after spending so much moola to develop software, to not go to an attorney, but I like to think I can figure out all this stuff on my own. I looked at a lot of user agreements online, I figured I could just put together something the big guns paid a lot of money for. If their agreements worked for them, they should work for me. But, I didn't want to plagarize them, and, well, you never know what you don't know and you can't be too careful in business these days. What you don't know is what will bring you down. I have used many NOLO books as guides and trust them. They are always easy to skim and read. I also bought Quicken's Legal Business Pro 2007 software. The sum of the 2 is way less than attorney fees, and now I understand it myself as well. I am so happy I bought this book with a CD because it made me realize how important it is to also protect our work with copyrights, trademarks, agreements, etc. Most importantly, I found out who owns the software we paid to develop, and it's not us, surprisingly! So I have to get that signed off before I can license it to someone else. It's not in depth but I don't think it's meant to be, it's a GUIDE, people. Now I will buy NOLO's books to guide me through the process for legal protection. The employment & consulting agreement chapters were not useful to me, but they may be to someone else. There are other books devoted to that and NOLO has them too. (check out their website and e-mail newsletters.)I feel I got more information than I expected and know what to do to take the next steps. Very important info for CA users, the laws are not the same as other states,(what's different?) and this book points the differences out. The format is such that one is able to cut and paste together the different parts and verbiage you need which will apply to your needs. Buy the book and get your bright yellow highlighter out!

Fastest, cheapest, 200-level education out there!.......2007-04-18

Nolo delivers again with its guide to web and software development. The book is easy to read, has sufficient tips and examples, and is a great primer.

It does not get into incredible detail on any one subject, but that's not its purpose either. It gives you sufficient resources (including the necessary forms) to get a software company or product started. When the product / company start growing fast, it's worth doing a review with an attorney, but not until then.

I recommend buying this if you are: a software developer looking to go freelance; starting a software company; or doing any consultant work in web or software development.

Excellent Legal Contracts.......2006-10-18

I found this book most useful for the CD-ROM's legal contracts. As a consultant, I use these for all my clients.

I have found my clients legal contracts to be biased entirely in their favor rather than this CD's contracts which tend to be fair and balanced, protecting both parties.

Good content, bad editing.......2006-10-16

There is a lot of good information and discussion in this book about the topics which a contract should cover. It falls down, however, when it comes to the actual contracts. Just comparing the website and the custom software contracts, there are differences where there shouldn't be. In the software contract, it's the Customer, in the website contract, it's the Client. A bit more than half of the contract sections with (mostly) identical headings and purpose have unexplained differences between them. Many of these differences are not trivial. In the text, the contracts are interleaved with explanations, but often the commentary/annotations are just restatements of the contract itself, which is a real time-waster, especially if you've read the background material earlier in the book. Other occasional editing snafus include explanatory comments inside the contract text, formatting syntax commands on the page (END SECTION), and a less than clear and concise structure for indicating optional clauses (the intended combinations aren't always clear, even though customization is to be expected). Given the fuzzy line between a website and a web application (ie 'custom software' (and really, what website is NOT custom?)), and given the marked similarities in over half of the two contracts, why not cover the overlapping sections just once, instead of twice, but inconsistently? And the sections that don't overlap, or overlap badly? No real explanation as to the reasons for the differences. I hope I don't have the same problems with the two versions of the independent contractor agreement. Fishman has written a pile of legal books for the layman, including the more recent "Consultant And Independent Contractor Agreements 5th Edition". I have to wonder: "Quantity over quality?" Perhaps when he is working on the next edition of this book ("Legal Guide to Web & Software Development", due out 8/2007), he will take the time to re-organize some of the content and get a capable editor. A determined reader can sort out the differences on their own, but it need not be so difficult. The content is 5 stars (including 24 documents in RTF format), but making it work for you is a real pain if you care about details.

This Book Delivers.......2005-08-09

A straightforward and well organized book.

I needed a brief on copyright ownership, a draft software licensing agreement and a software maintenance agreement. I got all 3 with this publication.

It is nice to find a book so fit for purpose.

Legal Guide to Web & Software Development (book with CD-Rom)

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Legal Guide to Web & Software Development (book with CD-Rom)
Stephen Fishman
Manufacturer: NOLO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Digital Law | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Gardening requires time and planning. My North Carolina Garden: A Gardener's Journal is the perfect planning tool for anyone who enjoys and wants to improve their garden. It is arranged by week and is not dated so you can start journaling at any time of the year. There are weekly tips on each page, as well as space to record notes, such as "Garden Observations," "What's the Weather Like?" and "What Have I Planted/Transplanted?" Each week also features a page to record any notes you want to add in order to personalize your journal. My North Carolina Garden: A Gardener's Journal is a perfect gift for anyone who enjoys America's favorite leisure pastime.

My diary North and South. By William Howard Russell.

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My diary North and South. By William Howard Russell.
Russell, William Howard, Sir
Manufacturer: Scholarly Publishing Office, University of Michigan Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Librarys preservation reformatting program.

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My Diary North and South
William Howard Russell
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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William Howard Russell wrote MY DIARY NORTH AND SOUTH while traveling through the Union and the Confederacy from March 1861 to April 1862 as a war correspondent for the TIMES of London. Along the way he met and interviewed an impressive number of Union and Confederate leaders--including Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, William H. Seward, and General George B. McClellan--but he also canvassed average citizens on both sides, recounting their manners, appearance, values, and habits in remarkable detail. This memoir of his journey provides a vivid snapshot of American life and culture at the dawn of the Civil War.

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My diary North and South.

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OECD's annual survey of the Belgium-Luxembourg economy. This issue's special feature covers the health care system.

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"You are about to read the tale of the toughest Irish lass who ever took on Hollywood and became a major leading lady....In a career that has lasted more than sixty years, I have acted, punched, swashbuckled, and shot my way through an absurdly masculine profession....As a woman, I'm proud to say that I stood toe-to-toe with the best of them and made my mark on my own terms. I'm Maureen O'Hara and this is my life story."

-- From Chapter One of 'Tis Herself

In language that is blunt, straightforward, and totally lacking in artifice, Maureen O'Hara, one of the greatest and most enduring stars of Hollywood's "Golden Era," for the first time tells the story of how she succeeded in the world's most competitive business.

Known for her remarkable beauty and her fiery screen persona, Maureen O'Hara came to Hollywood when she was still a teenager, taken there by her mentor, the great actor Charles Laughton. Almost immediately she clashed with the men who ran the movie business -- the moguls who treated actors like chattel, the directors who viewed every actress as a potential bedmate.

Determined to hold her own and to remain true to herself, she fought for roles that she wanted and resisted the advances of some of Hollywood's most powerful and attractive men. It was in the great director John Ford that she first found someone willing to give her a chance to prove herself as an important actress. Beginning with the Academy Award-winning How Green Was My Valley, she went on to make five films with Ford and through him first met the great John Wayne, with whom she also made five films.

In O'Hara, Ford had found his ideal Irish heroine, a role that achieved its greatest realization in The Quiet Man. And in O'Hara, John Wayne found his ideal leading lady, for she was perhaps the only actress who could hold her own when on screen with "The Duke." Ford, however, was not without his quirks, and his relationship with his favorite actress became more and more complex and ultimately deeply troubled. The on-screen relationship between Wayne and O'Hara, on the other hand, was transformed into a close friendship built on mutual respect, creating a bond that endured until his death.

Writing with complete frankness, O'Hara talks for the first time about these remarkable men, about their great strengths and their very human failings. She writes as well about many of the other actors and actresses -- Lucille Ball, Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn, John Candy, Natalie Wood, to name a few -- with whom she worked, but ultimately it is about herself that she is most revealing. With great candor and a mixture of pride and regret, she reflects on just how this young girl from Ireland made it to America and onto movie screens all around the world. There were missteps, of course -- a troubled and deeply destructive marriage, a willingness to trust too readily in others -- but there were triumphs and great happiness as well, including her marriage to the aviation pioneer Brigadier General Charles F. Blair, who tragically died in a mysterious plane crash ten years after their marriage.

Throughout, 'Tis Herself is informed by the warmth and charm and intelligence that defined Maureen O'Hara's performances in some sixty films, from The Hunchback of Notre Dame to Miracle on 34th Street to The Parent Trap to McLintock! to Only the Lonely. 'Tis Herself is Maureen O'Hara's story as only she can tell it, the tale of an Irish lass who believed in herself with the strength and determination to make her own dreams come true.

Customer Reviews:

One of the last women from the golden age of Hollywood Maureen O' Hara's autobiograhy 'tis a triumphant delight worth reading.......2007-03-04

I happened to come across `Tis' Herself' an autobiography by Maureen `O Hara with John Nicoletti by mistake really. I was looking for a book on Olivia De Havilland from `Gone with the Wind' and actually thought Maureen `O Hara was the actress who played Scarlett `O Hara's mother in this 1939 classic movie. The woman I had in mind was actually Barbara O' Neill who played Ellen mother of Scarlett. I really didn't know anything about Maureen `O Hara until I read this book. From the blurb it told me of Errol Flynn and how she had out-fenced him. I knew Olivia De Havilland starred in many films with Errol Flynn, so this book was taking my fancy. Even though it doesn't mention much on Olivia, it seems she was a lovely woman. That's really all I need to know. You see, I have seen a few of Errol and Olivia's films. They were `Robin Hood' and `Captain Blood'. I'm so glad Maureen and Olivia share the same book together. I'd still like to read something on Olivia though. In 1939 Maureen made the film 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame', and missed out on working with Alfred Hitchcock again for 'Rebecca' . Another film she missed out on was 'The King and I'. She was considered for the singing voice of Audrey Hepburn, but Audrey refused to have anyone but herself sing the tunes from 'My Fair Lady'. So yet another movie offer that didn't come to frition.

I knew I had to read this book that my grandmother got for Christmas in 2006, and let me borrow when I read the review 'An essential book for anyone interested in the golden age of Hollywood' - Mail on Sunday.

Maureen's real name was Maureen FitzSimons. Only it was too long for movie screens or billboards so got changed. One thing I loved was the talent of her family members. They all loved the theatre and opera. Movies were not really Maureen's thing, and it's a shame that nothing really came of her stage career. Instead she was cast in 'Jamaica Inn' an early Alfred Hitchcock picture. She found working with Alfred a great experience but adored Charles Laughton. Maureen didn't have much experience with men but she certainly was popular. She found herself married to George Brown for a time but got that annulled. The next man in her life was Will Price who was an alcoholic. He was also a big spender of money. Together they had a daughter together. Maureen called her Bronwyn and I actually like that name too. Named after Anna Lee's character Bronwyn Morgan in 'How Green was my Valley'. Life was indeed hard with a husband who charges everything to your name and leaves her with nothing. It's a marriage that lasted an amazing ten years. There was even a point where Maureen might have undergone an unnecessary medical procedure at the insistence of her husband's friend and ended up dead. It does seem that at every point Maureen had to keep her wits about her to save being drawn into traps.

Maureen starred in five pictures for renowned director John Ford. A brilliant it seems but less likable person. He is described as an enigma. Of his films I've only seen `The Grapes Of Wrath', and `My Darling Clementine'. He certainly wouldn't be a director I'd want to work with after reading about him in this book. He could have been in love with Maureen that wouldn't surprise me. I have seen a few John Wayne films, and Maureen O' Hara had an incredible friendship with this American icon. I've seen `Blood Alley' with Lauren Bacall and `Rio Bravo', so more John Wayne films are in store for me so I can see this amazing pairing. `The Quiet Man' does indeed sound interesting. Howard Hughes also features in a small role in this book, unlike he did for Katharine Hepburn. I was very glad to also see a short mention of Ava Gardner. Natalie Wood has taken my interest now too and the short life she led. I've only seen her in `Rebel without a Cause' with James Dean, but `Splendour in the Grass' and `West Side Story', and `Miracle on 34th Street interest me too. Hayley Mills `The Parent Trap' is another one. Walt Disney also plays a small part, as does John Candy in `Only the Lonely'. How interesting to be writing this thirteen years after John Candy's death. Doesn't seem that long ago.

Maureen 'O Hara will never tell what she whispers to John Wayne in 'The Quiet Man'. I find this similar to 2003's 'Lost in Translation' with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. Director Sofia Coppola doesn't know the answer and would never tell if she did. It's for the audience to decide for themselves. Maureen also made sure scandalous magazine 'Confidential' went out of business, never to return again. She also soared to great hights without Hollywood as a high flying aviator's wife to Charlie Blair. I'm delighted with the level of insight in this book and love that Maureen is still alive to share her experiences. Thank you so much. You must be an inspiration to us all. I can't help but think wish you had better luck in films but you've survived to tell your story, and it is special. I have many more movie stars to discover if I so desire thanks to you. Here's hoping you reach one hundred and two years of age. Maureen fills 369 pages full of thoughts, no one else can now recount. She could fill many more empty pages if she wanted to. Thank you for this wonderful story of your life that isn't over yet.

A True Irish Lass...........2006-08-21

After reading "Tis Herself," I have more respect for Maureen O'Hara than ever before. I realize now why John Wayne held her in the very high regard that he did for over 39 years and how she came to be his very best friend during that period. John Wayne was part Irish and they both had a tremendous work ethic; likewise, during filming - it was strictly business while the cameras were rolling and they always knew their lines.

Throughout the book, I kept waiting; kept expecting to encounter signs of personal ego and pettiness in Maureen O'Hara that a few reviewers have described here. I found their criticisms to be so unjust. Frankly, I'm wondering if they read the book at all or had their own personal agendas! For Maureen O'Hara was anything but petty! The book is an honest and revealing account of many events that went on in Hollywood, but in many instances - she did not "name names." And think of how she could have destroyed some of these careers if she had spoken while they were still alive?! She was generosity in itself. At the height of Hollywood's Golden Age, she was a huge star - and she remained surprisingly down to earth.

I had always presumed that Maureen O'Hara had been this beautiful Irish lass that was discovered by a Hollywood agent, traveling in Ireland, and that she became an overnight star. Actually, she was discovered by Charles Laughton of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame fame;" she came from a theatrical family; and she took music, dance, and drama lessons six days a week from the time she decided that she wanted to be an actress at the age of six. She trained herself to be very disciplined from a very early age.

Likewise, I don't believe many readers can understand what it was like in the late 30's and 40's for a young, inexperienced Irish woman, who had been protected all her life. There weren't any televisions in Ireland at that time to expose her to the sophistications of Hollywood and how some men can often be deceitful before marriage. She spent her youth either taking drama, music or dancing lessons or else was with her family. She was raised in a catholic school (with probably lots of guilt encouraged by the nuns daily) and she was rushed into an unconsummated marriage by an older man when she was about 18.

Maureen O'Hara had the marriage annulled - only to discover that her next husband was an alcoholic. So is it any wonder that in an age where divorce was still somewhat frowned upon, she was expecting a child, and image was everything in Hollywood, that she held off on the second divorce? Plus, I imagine that with the very long hours and back to back movies and promotions that she was required to do, that she didn't have to endure her husband's company that often.

I am glad that she found happiness with Charles Blair. Ironically, we purchased an albatross from her after his death. I never met her, but I probably would have just ended up talking about John Wayne anyhow! LOL We restored the plane and I know that her husband would have loved to see how the plane was outfitted with jet skis. In the book, she mentions that her husband was killed due to certain knowledge that he had from working with the CIA. Given what I personally know about the organization during that period, I wouldn't be surprised one bit.

She endured such maliciousness from John Ford that I was appalled. In our present times, his behavior would have landed him in a lawsuit! And yet, she forgave John Ford in the end as well. He was a creative genius and yet - so often I feel that it isn't good for anyone to have that much power as they begin to push people more and more in an attempt to have boundaries set. And it made me wish that Duke had knocked Mr. Ford on his can just once when he berated Maureen! I'm sure that he would have liked to!

I think if Maureen O'Hara had one fault - it was that she was too trusting. She allowed her financial manager to continue handling her money - even after he handled it so badly when she was married to her second husband. (However John Wayne fell victim to allowing his funds to be mismanaged as well, so I suspect that many actors were prey to this at that time.)

And did you know that it was Maureen O'Hara who first pitched the idea of Mary Poppins to Walt Disney? Again, I would have had everything in writing! (Disney probably made the movie just to get back at her!) Walt Disney was a genius in many ways, but he was noted for disregarding contracts and paying his employees very poorly. If her contract stipulated that she receive top billing in "The Parent Trap," it was only right that Disney do so. Good grief, it had nothing to do with her relationship with Hayley Mills - she liked her, but it had everything to do with business. Do you think that Julia Roberts wouldn't expect the same thing today?

I honestly could not put the book down and read it in about 4 hours. I literally wept when I read about her final days with John Wayne. I remember watching her on television when she petitioned Congress to award him the "John Wayne - American" Congressional Medal of Honor. What wonderful words! She knew that those three words would mean more to the Duke - than any flowery speech. In fact, I would bet that those three words inscribed on it meant as much to him as the medal itself. I was so in love with John Wayne - a little girl as a 6th grader with a huge crush on a man 50 years older, but throughout my life he has remained the image of what a true man represents.

I came away from "Tis Herself" knowing exactly why the Duke considered Maureen O'Hara his best friend. She was beautiful and feisty and down-to-earth....and still a lady. Is it any wonder that Charles Blair, John Wayne, Charles Laughton and so many others have worshipped the ground she walks on?

How Bitter Are My Memories?.......2006-04-07

Never have I read such a bizarre and self-absorbed celebrity memoir (and I've read a bunch). I expected to come here and read the glowing reviews by O'Hara fans. Instead I find most agree with me, even when they like the actress. Maureen O'Hara, Lovely Queen of Technicolor (as she never ceases to remind the reader) is paranoid, bitter, in denial of reality, and full of invective. She purports to be hurt and angry that Disney teen star Hayley Mills was given billing over her in "The Parent Trap," despite O'Hara's contract clause stating that she must have star billing. How could she not realize that, as Disney was making the movie for the teen market (who could not care less about a middle-aged actress), there was no way she was going to get star billing?

As ever out of touch with reality, O'Hara relates her idyllic childhood in the briefest of terms, until she was swept away at age 17 by Charles Laughton to star in "Jamaica Inn" in 1939, after having won every acting award Ireland bestows. The beautiful Maureen is also pushed into two early marriages, one unconsummated with a man she barely knew and wedded while in the midst of packing to go overseas, and one with an alcoholic couch potato who stole her money and threatened to kill her, yet she stayed with him ten years and had his child. There is no thoughtful introspection on O'Hara's part on why she let herself be a total doormat for these two men. But, with ever-magical thinking, claims she is a "tough Irish broad" and was the only woman "ever to go toe-to-toe with Duke Wayne and hold her own." Perhaps some introspection would be helpful here. What is more important: Pretending to be a strong woman on film or really being one in real life, not merely an ornamental Kewpie doll "rushed into" two marriages she didn't want without a peep of protest?

Maureen does dish some mild dirt, nothing too outrageous, about stars such as the wicked Errol Flynn, Lucille Ball, and Charles Laughton, and an unnamed major leading man she caught embracing legendary director John Ford (semi-outing him in the process). Ford, with whom she has the strangest relationship ever committed to paper, looms large in this memoir. Ford's behavior towards O'Hara ranges from silly and annoying to creepy and insidious to downright nasty and illegal. He breaks into her house, steals her things, leaves her cryptic threatening notes, sends her love letters, punches her in the face for no apparent reason, has her dragged through piles of sheep poop during a scene, etc. I am seriously not exaggerating. Still, she refers to him as "Pappy" and never hesitates to be his leading lady over and over again. Enabling behavior, anyone?

O'Hara never misses an opportunity to let us all know that she is the World's Greatest Actress and just generally the Bee's Knees. Why, oh, why is everyone out to get her? From the U.S. government to the catty witches of Hollywood to Elsa Lanchester and everybody in between, poor Maureen will never get her due. She will never win an Oscar because everyone is plotting against her. Her third husband was mysteriously murdered by the CIA. Elizabeth Taylor stole her moment in the spotlight by presenting an award to Roddy MacDowell, one that she expressly FLEW IN FROM IRELAND to bestow!!!!!! The horror!! The paranoia drips from these pages like Irish whiskey.

If you are looking for an entertaining Hollywood read, look elsewhere. If you are a fan of Miss O'Hara's, I suggest you skip this book and remember her as the leading lady in those nice Technicolor movies where she pretended to be the strong capable woman she wasn't offscreen.

A Great Read-- Maybe Because it's mostly Fiction?.......2006-03-20

This book was exactly what many star's autobiographies are like-- Self serving, yet entertaining. I could not put this book down, although I wonder if everything Miss O'Hara says is true.. Aside from the needless bashing of Joan Crawford, Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball (according to M.O. Desi didn't really want her) and Walt Disney, this book is an interesting look into Hollywood's Golden age by a fiery, and talented actress.

She doesn't hesitate to tell you who she thinks is gay, rude, self absorbed, etc.

I was particularly amused by the way Maureen explained her marriages-- as if she played no part in their demise-- OR THEIR beginning!! And also in the fact that she was so bitter about not receiving top billing for The Parent Trap over H. Mills, who is obviously the star of that film, who cares if she IS a kid? Kudos to Walt Disney for sticking to his guns.

Overall, a great read, I recommend it.

Maureen O"Hara, one classy lady!.......2006-03-18

Tis Herself is a beautiful book about the lovely actress Maureen O'Hara behind and in front of the scenes. She shares some of her most cherised memories and also some very tough ones. She captures your heart from the first page to the last page and it's very hard to put down. The book will make you want to watch her movies all over again because now you have background information on what went on behind the making of these movies, plus what was going on with her personal life as well. My all time favorite was the "The Quite Man", find out how long it actually took to get this movie made, how important it was to the stars and director and go behind the scenes as the movie was made. Fantastic! She came out of Hollywood with life long friends such as, John Wayne, John Ford, Roddy McDowell. I just wished the book had never ended. It was a beautiful read.

Average customer rating:

'Tis Herself
Maureen O'Hara
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OPJ5QQ

Tis Herself: A Memoir (ISBN: 0743246934)

Average customer rating:

Tis Herself: A Memoir (ISBN: 0743246934)
Maureen with John Nicoletti O'Hara
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQKF24

Book Description

Born into Turmoil is an autobiographical reflection of Bruno W. Lange, a little German boy growing up under the NAZI regime of Adolf Hitler during W.W.II and as a young adult in the postwar era. His story gives an intimate insight into the life, prevailing customs, and attitudes of a German family trying to survive the horrors of war.

Bruno grew up in Düsseldorf, a city targeted for destruction by the enemy. To escape the merciless bombardments, his family moved to Zichenau, Ciechanow, near Warsaw, Poland. The Hitler Youth movement introduced him to Anti-Semitism through the NAZI propaganda book Der Giftpilz that raised considerable doubt in his mind about Jews being depicted as evil people. He knew two Jews, Katja, an orphaned Jewish girl, his parents harbored, and the Goldfarb family, his neighbors in Düsseldorf. They were his friends and did not resemble the terrible cartoons and stories of the NAZI propaganda book. His Christian upbringing and the morality instilled by his parents ultimately prevailed. When the Russians invaded Poland his family hastily fled to Germany where they lived with his aunt Paula in Harsewinkel. When the war ended his young mind could not comprehend why Germans welcomed the Allies with open arms. Didn't the enemy demolish his country and kill millions of innocent people?

Surviving the postwar era presented the biggest challenge of his life. His family was starving and almost froze to death. As an imaginative teenager he tackled any problem that presented itself. He found solutions, some not so legal, by stealing coal from guarded freight trains destined to France. He earned money on the thriving black market, started small businesses, and traded items for food with farmers. Adventurous at heart, these extracurricular activities were dangerous and exciting. Living on the edge was thrilling and became a way of life. Although he had a few close calls, he and his family survived.

Bruno became obsessed with American movies. He was stage-struck and became enamored with the glamour and lifestyle of the rich and famous in America. While in high school he took ballroom dance lessons that opened a new world for him. For the first time in his young life he was exposed to the glamour of competing in elegant dance tournaments. He met Olga, the beautiful young daughter of Bruno and Melitta von Kayser who owned the dance studio, which he represented in tournaments. Olga became his first girlfriend. A tender, platonic love affair ensued. When his regular competition dance partner, Helga Thieme, moved to Frankfurt, Bruno and Olga were trained to perform Exhibition dances. Their youthful enthusiasm and skillful performances were heralded by the press as masterful. During one of their exhibitions a television producer discovered Olga and offered her the lead role in an upcoming television play. She excelled in this new medium but could not pursue a career in televisi! on because her parents sent her to a finishing school in Lausanne, Switzerland, for two years. Missing his girlfriend he was lonely and lost. Bruno decided to see the world and contracted to go to Canada for two years.

Bruno W. Lange's Born into Turmoil spans the periods of prewar Germany, W.W.II, and the postwar era. His heart-warming stories are emotional and laced with humor. They invite the reader to experience the war from the other side through the eyes of boy.

Customer Reviews:

On Born Into Turmoil...A Book Review by Sean T.Taeschner.......2003-02-26

I just finished reading Bruno Lange's book, Born Into Turmoil.
The book is universally appealing in its portrayal of young boys in search of adventure in a world of chaos and/or peace.
Reading it reminded me of the many stunts pulled by Tom Sawyer as written by Mark Twain.
Bruno gives a refreshing, yet solemn biography of what it was like to grow up as an indoctrinated, Nazi youth. His father was drafted into the German Army as a medic in Poland while Bruno, himself, was drafted into the Hitler Youth movement. Hiding Jews and helping Poles were only a few examples in the book of the kindness of his parents.

Bruno gives examples from a Nazi propaganda book, The Poisoned Mushrooms, in which Jews are depicted as animals and thieves and slaughterers of innocent animals...not to be trusted. One can only imagine the effects it had on the minds of young German youth at the time.
Luckily, with the advance of the Allies into Germany, Bruno's family is captured and re-indoctrinated...able to let go of the hate that was sown into a country so full of beauty and promise.

As a German teacher, I will make it a must read for my students. I feel it is a story they would be able to relate to on a personal level.
Bruno tells of having lied about having appendicitis in order to skip school, and ends up with his appendics actually being removed! He finds a bazooka in the woods and fires it into a tree...knocking him and the tree to the ground and setting the surrounding grass on fire. He is starving for food and invents ingenious ways to feed his family, including making himself potato pancakes. Lacking lard or butter to fry them in, he resorts to using Singer sewing machine oil...only to discover that it turned out quite delicious.

From leaping onto a moving Allied train to steal coal to keep his family warm or bicycling with a buddy across Europe on $3.85, he keeps the reader intrigued and squealing in delightful laughter the whole way through. It took me six hours to read and I recommend it to anyone who wants to see war from the German side.
This is a MUST READ for those who would believe that HATE is the only way to resolve conflict.

THIS BOOK IS A LOOKING GLASS WITH MANY WWII REFLECTIONS!.......2002-11-13

Bruno Lange's story of a child caught up in the ravages of WWII and his struggle to survive the deadly bombings and the war's aftermath, will touch your heart and lift your spirits. The account of this young boy's wartime experiences will make you laugh, smile and cry, but is never boring. And like a bird fluttering against the wind, young Bruno's struggle moved him upward and onward. With the strong will and determination of a Rhinelander, Bruno emerges from his wartime experiences a whole person; a person who leaves the normal scares of hatred and resentment behind. Bruno Lange's book, "Born Into Turmoil" will inspire and strengthen all who read it.

A Struggle to Survive.......2002-06-20

I have always been fascinated by the events of WW II. No other incident in modern history has left us with such a dreadful, and far reaching legacy.
"Born into Turmoil" will offer the English speaking reader something different and fresh. Mr. Lange chronicles his experiences as a child growing up in Germany during the Second World War. Together with Mr. Lange you will experience the dreadful bombing raids, and the daily struggle to survive during an unbearable hardship. The theme which keeps surfacing throughout his book is his families love, and how this love managed to preserve the family through the war.
When the war ends we witness the resourcefulness of Mr. Lange and his family as they try to survive while being threatened with starvation, and roaming hoards of "liberated" criminals. As time progresses we are given an insight into what things were like in post war Germany through Lange's eyes.
No serious student of these times should be without their copy of "Born into Turmoil", It will give the reader a better understanding of the "other sides" story, and a more complete picture of a larger whole.

There are always two sides to every story!.......2002-06-15

Bruno Lange's book 'Born Into Turmoil' gives us a growing German boy's account on how his family endured their hardships during WWII and in the Postwar years. How the family helped each other out during these unthinkably harsh years of the war. Bruno Lange has meticulously written this book to show both sides of the war. He introduces his story by showing us what led to Hitler's Germany and why so many Germans supported him. He pointed out the Treaty of Versailles and it's Points against Germany, which created a blue print for the coming of WWII. I enjoyed reading 'Born Into Turmoil' immensely and would like to see a sequel to it written. Bruno Lange is a well versed author with a sense of humour, who manages to write a story taken from hard times but yet the reader feels comfortable reading it. He adds his warmth and personal touch to many of the Chapters. His pointing out the morals of the time shows us how much change we have gone through in such a short span of time. I found this book to be written compassionately but yet factual and historically precise. Unlike many of Hollywood's movies, which are constantly being altered and made more Politically correct to appease the public and profit from it, Bruno has not altered any of the events that he wrote about in 'Born Into Turmoil' at all. He writes actual historical and documented facts as they occurred during those years. Bruno Lange's 'Born into Turmoil' gets a five star review from me and I hope that more books like it will be written by many more Germans that lived during those years and have kept silent until now. The new generation needs to know what really happened to so many innocent German civilians during WWII

This Much Needed Story Finally Is Told!.......2002-05-24

What a tremendous book this author has written,- one that takes you right to the heart of the German family before, during, and after the war. Amazingly,- all youngsters have their own ways of dealing with situations forced upon them. Bruno Lange dealt with his in wildly funny ways. The family love is such an inspiration to the reader. This book tells so much of what many have never learned in school,- a must for every library!

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