Technofutures: How Leading-Edge Technology Will Transform Business in the 21st Century.

Book Description

Technofutures provides a visionary and bold forecast of how leading-edge technology will transform business and society in the 21st century. This book is a blueprint for carving out competitive advantage. If you want an informative, entertaining and easy-to-access briefing of what innovations will shape the future then Technofutures is for you. Find out what the future holds for customers, lifestyles, and markets. Discover what the future of health care, financial services, entertainment, computers, nanotechnology and education will be. Hold on to your seat as Dr. Canton, who CNN calls the Future Guru forecasts the top trends you must know about now to thrive in the 21st century.

Customer Reviews:

Will Our Future Be Technofutures?.......2002-04-10

TechnoFutures is written by Dr. James Canton. Dr. Canton is one of the leading technology futurists, and he is editor-in-chief of the Canton Technology Report. This book is about how technology will continue to bring impacts and changes, both economically and socially, to our lives. With the evolution of technological development, the interaction between human and technology will become inseparable.

According to the author, in terms of economic changes, e-business will eventually dominate the traditional business practice. The industries that will be transformed by e-business included stock brokerage, insurance, travel, auto, chemicals, media and entertainment, computer and electronics, telecommunications, real estate, medicine and health care, etc. As Dr. Canton suggested, if we want to survive through the 21st century, we must learn how to adopt e-business technology.

In terms of social impacts, technology will bring impacts at both the personal and collective levels. In the future, our personal lives will involve computers, robots and virtual reality. Robots and computers will play a role as a companion such as a housekeeper, a secretary, or even a friend to human. And as for human, we will engage more activities via virtual reality such as playing golf. For the latter one, educational changes will be a good example. Educational institutions will change their formats of teaching. Instead of the traditional classroom learning, students and teachers will meet via virtual schools.

By means of frequent sidebars, the author has provided readers an insight of our evolving technological world with vivid scenes and dialogues amongst the robots, cyber companions and human. However, the design and placement of these sidebars, often of similar fonts right in between the texts proper, could sometimes be confusing. Also, the author could have arranged the hierarchy, if any, of the sub- and sub-sub-titles of his chapters better, so that the readers can better digest the often far-fetched subject matters. Indeed, the subject matters discussed sometimes verged on science fiction rather than scientific prediction. This is most evident in the author¡¦s discussion of cyborgs and androids, all, perhaps coincidentally, also prominently featured in Star Trek: The Next Generation. I do appreciate, however, the author¡¦s efforts in making technical matters easier to understand for lay persons. There is, as far as I can see, no one single formula in the book. The author is also good in presenting moral issues for deeper thoughts, such as that concerning eugenics.

Although Dr. Canton¡¦s future world may seem too advanced for most of us, we are in fact living in an information society. This book has provided me a chance to be aware of our technological developments and dare me to envision our future world from a non-traditional perspective. Overall, I enjoy reading the book.

A majestic tour de force of what is to be........2000-05-19

As a manager for the advanced technology practice of one of the world's leading executive search firms, I found Dr. Canton's book comprehensive, illuminating, and deeply insightful. It is a beautiful work of art, a majestic tour de force of what is to be, detailing how technology will impact our lives beyond our wildest expectations. The material is comprehensive, yet easily understood. I came to appreciate life in this era of aggressive change and discovery. Dr. Canton's book is a must-read for any inquisitive mind, young or old, and is actually difficult to put down. I have purchased additional copies as gifts for clients.

Inspirational, informative and captivating.......2000-03-01

Dr. Canton is Heinleinesque in the way he weaves a coherent, congruent, knowledgeable and thoroughly entertaining story about the future of technology and its influence on our lives. I believe his predictions serve as a blueprint for where to position your career, investments and personal interests over the next half century. I was blown away by his insight into the future of medicine, specifically and quite selfishly, his prediction that I may clone my favorite dog right down to its personality. Dr. Canton forced me to my learning and dreaming edge, right where you want to be if your goal is to endeavor into the technological fray, but aren't sure exactly how and where.

Your Life, Your World, Your Future.......2000-02-05

Technofutures is an eye-opening experience into the world we live in today and the world we will live in soon. If you have any desire to know how life will be on earth and in the heavens, this is the book to read.

Brilliant insight on key trends and innovations........1999-09-23

This is one futurist in a million that has it right! From the future of electronic commerce, robots, bioscience, computers and more--it is a comprehensive tour of the next century written by a noted futurist who makes sense. I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in preparing for the future and in understanding the tech chaos all around us. Easy to read, accessible and imaginative for the CEO or college student.

Book Description

Although Ulysses S. Grant is best remembered as Civil War commander and as president, documents included here demonstrate his importance in the intervening years. Grant interpreted Reconstruction as the means to preserve battlefield victories. He avoided taking a public stand in the bitter dispute between President Andrew Johnson and Congress because he believed that military men served the country, not partisan interests. Nevertheless, he recognized that presidential Reconstruction had failed and privately supported passage of the First Reconstruction Act.

Grant’s public silence on political issues led to lively newspaper speculation, and individuals from unreconstructed rebels to ardent Unionists wrote to him offering support and advice. Circumstances were forcing him inexorably onto the political battlefield.

Customer Reviews:

The Real U.S. Grant.......2005-05-25

The twenty-six (and counting!) volumes comprising all the known extant writings of Ulysses Grant are indeed a remarkable example of published primary source material. While every volume contains much material that is admittedly of trivial importance to even the most rabid Grant scholar, each book in this series also contains fascinating nuggets of information not found anywhere else. Anyone with even a casual interest in USG is sure to discover something worth reading in every volume. In gathering together not only all of Grant's known correspondence, but relevant peripheral documents, the editors of this series are doing a truly Herculean job and deserve great commendation.

I have only a few quibbles with the series. The first involves something over which the editors had no control. I refer to the fact that, in the first few volumes (particularly Volume One,) Grant's descendants insisted that certain passages in Grant's letters to his fiancee-turned-wife Julia Dent that had been crossed out (either by Julia or other family members) not be published. This idiotic decision is not only extremely frustrating for the reader, but, ironically, damaging to Grant himself. By all accounts, the deleted passages contain nothing that could be considered detrimental to Grant's good name, but by leaving them out, these descendants unwittingly gave the impression that there was something to hide. Hopefully, in an "Appendix" volume at the end of the series, the editors will be sporting enough to include whatever deleted passages can be transcribed, and the series will at last be considered complete.

My other complaints about this series are more minor. While each volume contains copious, and frequently illuminating, footnotes, the editors occasionally fail to provide enough context. That is to say, a brief, undetailed letter of Grant's will frequently be followed by several pages of footnotes providing other letters and documents on the same subject, without giving much information explaining what, exactly, it all meant. The reader who is not already fully informed on the subject being addressed is sometimes left feeling confused about what exactly is being discussed, and what its relevance may have been.

Another drawback is, simply, the price. While these books are certainly handsomely--and obviously expensively--printed and bound, those of us who study history as a hobby rather than as a profession could wish for editions that were more cheaply done, and thus more affordable. Unless you are fortunate enough to have access to a good academic library, these extremely expensive (even when you buy second-hand) volumes are simply out-of-reach for many people. That's a great pity, because in these books is an "insider's view" of Grant that does not fully come across in any regular biography.

A masterful achievement.......2000-07-03

"The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant" is a project begun in 1962 for the purpose of publishing all the known letters written by Ulysses S. Grant. Volume one was published in 1967 and there are now twenty-four volumes in the series. People who follow Grant's career are aware of the inestimable value of this project. The Papers contain all known correspondence written by Grant and letters received by him. The editing of the series is unparalleled and the volumes represent primary source material at its apex.

Those who believe Grant was a "drunkard" or a "butcher" should read his own words, which show Grant's humor, pathos and unique personality. Masterfully edited by John Y. Simon, these volumes are a "must have" for anyone with an interest in U.S. Grant as a general, a politician and as a man

Average customer rating:
THE PAPERS OF ULYSSES S. GRANT, VOLUME 17: JANUARY 1 - SEPTEMBER 30, 1867.
John Y. (editor). Simon
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois Univ. Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NHWPFI

Amazon.com

From Murasaki Shikibu (978-1015), author of the world's first full-length novel, to Tiger Woods, the youngest player and first of African descent to win the U.S. Masters golf tournament, the millennium has produced countless history makers. In this spectacular, international book highlighting 1,000 of these men and women, the editors take their cue from pop artist Andy Warhol, who said, "In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes." Their challenge was to include the most famous (and infamous) individuals, choosing among scientists, explorers, writers, artists, royalty, dictators, movie stars, tragic heroes, and unspeakable villains.

This fascinating book is packed chock full of big, gorgeous photos and illustrations. Each entry is listed chronologically, and includes name, birth and death dates, nationality and achievement, and a brief biography with cross-references to linked information. A continuous time line running along the bottom of every page tracks the millennium's history, and feature boxes zero in on important larger events, such as the Industrial Revolution and the surrealism art and literature movement. The editors make no claims to be all-inclusive; rather, they hope readers will be spurred on to pursue deeper explorations of the people and events that made their mark. This ultimate "who's who" is an excellent resource for the whole family. (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

The 1000 most remarkable individuals of the last 1000 years! Doers and thinkers, movers and shakers, rulers and writers, inventors and rebels, they're all here. Organized chronologically and covering the entire world for a truly multicultural approach, 1000 Makers of the Millennium tells the fascinating stories of the men and women who shaped the world we live in today. Lavishly illustrated in the best DK style, 1000 Makers of the Millennium also features thematic boxed features and a running timeline to place the biographies in their proper historical context. 1000 Makers of the Millennium will inform and delight young people and grown-ups alike as the dawn of a new millennium approaches.

Customer Reviews:

Makers of the millennium are from all over the world..........2000-11-26

This book was very okay. It offers a very anglo,Euro-centric view of the past 1,000 years, and is very skewed toward the last 50 years. Too many "rock stars" and sports figures for my tastes, and big gaps. I bought this book for my son, and found myself providing alot of caveats. Like how do Madonna and Tiger Woods and Andrew Lloyd Webber shape the world as compared to Albert Einstein, Mao Zedong, and Copernicus? This book makes it hard to imagine the profound influence of Chinese, Persian, Indian, Incan, African cultures on our own. Instead we get a 90 second, myopic refelction of the U.S. In 50 years you would pick up this book and say "who?" to the sports stars and actors, and wonder why they would share a page with Dr. King or Elizabeth I. I don't get it.

THE BEST HISTORICAL BOOK I'VE EVER READ!.......2000-04-04

1,000 Makers of the Millennium is a wonderful book that reveals the individuals who have shaped the last millenium. This book screams "Give me an award!" It's that good! It's a real shame if this book goes unrewarded by literary organizations. So much scholarship was put into it...it's very evident of that. If you find history boring, this is the book for you! This is probably the most interesting book about history if you ask me. This is a must-have for everyone's personal library. It'll definitely be the most used and most needed resource for ANY report that you have. But this for everyone that you know! You won't regret it. You'll only regret it if you don't buy this book.

God is a Woman: The Last Taboo and Hidden Secrets at the Millennium (Creation's edge series)

Average customer rating:

Setting The Record Straight
Fascinating
Poorly written
Hmmm....
A convincing argument that females created civilization.

God is a Woman: The Last Taboo and Hidden Secrets at the Millennium (Creation's edge series)
I. Chase Scott
Manufacturer: Greyden Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Goddesses | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Comparative Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Feminist | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1570744092

Customer Reviews:

Setting The Record Straight.......2001-12-13

Anyone who finds Dr. Scott self centered or opinionated due to her subject matter should not be reading this book. The ideas and theories and facts in this text are wonderful and I am glad to see that there are more books on this subject. Many readers such as devote Christians will not enjoy this book and will only seek to put it down in hopes to discourage exploration.

Fascinating.......2000-05-07

Loaded with new information and ideas. Excellent research.

Poorly written.......2000-04-26

The author presents a lot of interesting information and has a large bibliography. My main complaint is that it is difficult, if not impossible to discern whether the statements made are based on historical evidence, or are the author's opinion. Occasionally a reference is provided for a statement, but most of the book appears to consist of unsupported opinions. The History of Patriarchy by Gerda Lerner covers the same ground and is far better written.

Hmmm...........2000-01-25

What a surprise that "Dr. I. Scott" is a woman! When you see a first name as an initial, you know it's a woman who doesn't want anyone to know it. With the birth of religious relativity - i.e. all religions are the same - it's no surprise that people are crafting their religions around themselves, seeing in themselves the 'inner diety'. Hence Dr. Scott creates God in her image...

A convincing argument that females created civilization........1999-05-26

God is a Woman presents a convincing argument that not only were the original female religions stolen and refashioned into our present day patriarchal religions, but that most if not all of the advances which the human species calls civilization must be credited to women as well. Although on the surface this may seem like an outlandish claim, Dr. Scott presents a meticulously researched and well-documented case that is difficult to counter. In an absorbing saga, which covers the evolution of primordial human societies (which were female-led) as far back as 250,000 B.C. to the present day, she demonstrates the profound, pervasive and continuing influence the female gender has had on human advancement and culture.This book may be the only one in all the world's literature to declare that God is primarily a female essence. And overwhelming scientific evidence supports its fascinating thesis. The most ancient archaeological finds make it clear that the first societies were matriarchal and that they revered a female God. Despite being portrayed as primitive in the outdated anthropological literature, the social and religious cultures of these ancient civilizations were surprisingly advanced and sophisticated--even superior in many ways to their present day manifestations. Dr. Scott's exhaustive study and comprehensive analysis leave one little choice but to conclude that the major components of human civilization such as the arts, religion, language, writing, mathematics, logic, science and engineering, were developed under the leadership of matriarchal societies. These innovations are by far the most global and complex advancements made by humanity. The book also explains these monumental human advances as natural outcomes of the cooperative nature displayed by matriarchal groups not only in people, but also throughout the animal kingdom.Credible evidence indicates that patriarchal societies arose much later and, by virtue of their aggressive nature, subdued their pacific and matriarchal counterparts by violent means. Adding insult to injury, the male-dominated societies cannibalized the feminine cultures they conquered, adapted the plundered cultural spoils to their needs and left them to be inherited by future generations in a degenerative state. Then the patriarchies intentionally covered up their crimes and the origin of their "achievements," claiming them as masculine creations. One need only look at the obvious similarities between the stories of more ancient female religions and those of later male-oriented religious sects to be convinced that the later were plagiarized from the original matriarchal sources.Overall, this is an excellent book

Average customer rating:

Women of the Last Millennium
Arther S. Trace
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0738816183

Book Description

This book consists of biographies of the most famous women who lived and died during the last millennium, beginning with the 11th century. It illustrates what women have already achieved in the major fields of endeavor and what they have yet to achieve.

Customer Reviews:

A must for all Tom Hanks fans!.......1998-09-28

From author David Quinlan, the respected film reviewer for Britain's TV Times magazine, comes what is by far, the best--and most accurate--Tom Hanks biography to date.

The book is well written and easy to read. It is also nicely illustrated with a large selection of film stills and candid photos. There's plenty of information about Tom's personal life which is sure to satisfy even the most curious fan. The only negative in the whole book is that the author continually ridicules Tom's emotional Oscar acceptance speeches.

The book is divided into ten chapters, most of which are named after Tom's films. These include: "Making a Splash" (documents Tom's successful movie debut in Splash), "Nothing in Common" (Tom's failed marriage to Samantha), "Bosom Buddies" ((Tom meets--and marries--his beloved Rita), and "A League of His Own" (Tom's "Sleepless in Seattle" success and subsequent Oscar wins). There is also an index and detailed filmography which concludes with That Thing You Do! (The pending release of Saving Private Ryan is mentioned in the final chapter).

Customer Reviews:

A touching remembrance of a Jewish child's life in Slovakia........2003-03-05

I liked this book even though I didn't rate it highly.
Breznitz did a good job detailing his life in wartime Slovakia and his placement in a Catholic orphanage. His troubles surviving the war are touching. No one should be made to feel this sense of tragedy. What got in the way was Shlomo's rationalizing in the book. Some of these thoughts confused me because they made it hard to follow the story.
This book is a good read detailing the suffering of one person. However there are better books out there. If one wants to read about the Holocaust, there are some great books out there such as the Diary of Anne Frank.

A Jewish Boy remembers surviving the Holocaust in Slovakia.......2000-06-19

A fine, well written memoir of one of the few Jewish survivors of the "Shoah" in Slovakia. A young boy and his sister are sent to a Catholic orphanage to survive WWII. Very human, often sadly humorous; a wonderfully touching Christmas scene where the author and his sister sing "Silent Night", in German, to one of the occupation officers -- since the Slovak orphans do not know German... The author intimates, but does not divulge many, harsh Nun disciplines; but dispensed fairly to all. There are interesting notes about playing chess, learnt from his father; the whispered myth that a Jew would convert into a Christian and become Pope -- with the author learning many Catholic prayers by heart, in Latin, fanning hopes for such a possibility; snippets of fervent Nazi anti-Jew, anti-Catholic actions ("Jesus was a Jewish child..." as the Nazis murder a priest). A sad, moving ending. Recently translated into Slovak.

Memory Fields The legacy of a wartime childhood in Czechoslovakia

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Memory Fields The legacy of a wartime childhood in Czechoslovakia
Shlomo Breznitz
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0P7SQ

Book Description

THE MOST UP-TO-DATE EDITION OF THE GROUNDBREAKING
BUSINESS-SCHOOL GUIDE FROM THE WORLD'S MOST RESPECTED BUSINESS PUBLICATION

For years, prospective M.B.A. students seeking guidance on which business schools to consider have had to rely on rankings compiled with vague methodologies, subject to the biased opinions of students and school administrators. Now come The Wall Street Journal and Harris Interactive, the worldwide market-research firm, with their third annual survey that has become the single most important reference tool for students, school administrators, and corporate recruiters. Using a carefully constructed methodology and Harris Interactive's online polling expertise, The Wall Street Journal Guide to the Top Business Schools 2004 shows students what corporate recruiters -- the "buyers" of budding management talent -- really think of the schools and their students.

Each profile of the 50 top M.B.A. programs, as well as of the 50 runners-up, includes information on admissions, enrollment, test scores, the industries and companies most likely to hire the school's graduates, and graduates' expected first-year salaries. The Wall Street Journal Guide to the Top Business Schools 2004 also covers:

THE DEBATE OVER THE VALUE OF AN M.B.A. DEGREE • THE SMARTEST

APPLICATION STRATEGIES • SURVIVAL TACTICS FOR A BLEAK JOB MARKET

THE SALARY AND BONUS OUTLOOK • TOP SCHOOLS FOR MINORITIES

TOP SCHOOLS FOR WOMEN • ETHICS EDUCATION IN A POST-ENRON WORLD

and includes lists of:

TOP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS • TOP LARGE AND SMALL SCHOOLS

• TOP SCHOOLS BY REGION • TOP SCHOOLS BY INDUSTRY • TOP SCHOOLS BY ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE • "HIDDEN GEMS"

Customer Reviews:

Indispensable If You Are Considering An MBA.......2004-05-22

The editors of the WSJ have done an excellent job of summarizing in a useable format the strengths and weaknesses, as well as technical information on the top 50 business schools in the country (and the 50 runners up.) The beauty of this book over all others is the methodology of asking top corporate recruiters their opinions of the different programs (some of which are eye opening and controversial). This more readily gives someone seeking an MBA the relative value of a specific MBA in the marketplace, not as ranked by some elitist academic survey.

Of course, all these programs are excellent, and I think anyone would find some issue to quibble with in the rankings or synopses, but all told this is an enormously useful and complete source of information. No MBA candidate should be without it.

Book Description

Edited by high school students under the direction of John Michael Priest, 16th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry: Sergeant William H. Relyea" will offer the reader a detailed firsthand look into the career of an average Federal regiment. Sergeant Relyea served with the regiment from its creation in 1862 through its muster-out in 1865. During that time, he saw combat at Antietam, Suffolk, and in the backwaters of North Carolina. Although he did not participate in the Battle of Plymouth, he devoted a great deal of time to preserving eyewitness accounts of that fateful action of April 20, 1864. In between vivid descriptions of actions and skirmishes, he meticulously recounted the daily routines of camp life.

Customer Reviews:

A New Old Regimental History.......2004-06-04

John Priest calls the 16th Connecticut an "Average" Federal infantry regiment. I would rather call it an "unfortunate" Federal infantry regiment. Raised in Hartford County in August 1862, the 16th Connecticut was assigned to the Ninth Army Corps and found itself on the extreme left flank of the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Antietam in a cornfield facing A.P. Hill's Confederate division just up from Harpers Ferry, perhaps carrying US flags from the surrendered garrison. The 16th had been mustered in less than a month previously and the soldiers had never been taught even to load their muskets. Hill's men just walked up and opened fire and by the time the 16th's survivors ran to the rear, the unit had suffered about 200 casualties. Twenty years ago I was a museum director in West Hartford and we had a file of letters from a soldier in the 16th and he certainly never got over the trauma of this disaster. The 16th went on to fight well at Fredericksburg, and later in the Suffolk Campaign. However, its bad luck followed as nine companies were forced to surrender at Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864 when that garrison was captured by the Confederates. The enlisted men ended up in Andersonville where half of them died (including my letter writer). William Relyea was on detached service at the time of Plymouth, so he missed the surrender. His regimental history continues into January 1865 when it simply stops. But, as a result, this is a fuller history than Blakeslee's small history published just after the end of the war.

The editing is generally OK, although nothing fancy. There are no maps, but then again, Priest has had trouble with maps in the past. Because the work was done in Maryland, there is no feel for Connecticut history and locations. The historic town of Simsbury is given as Simburg on page 2, for example. The biggest shortcoming is that there is no account of William Relyea the author and how this manuscript came to exist in the Connecticut Historical Society. Priest and the boys and girls have not consulted pension files, but restrict themselves to printed Connecticut sources to ID the soldiers. I wish I lived within driving distance of the National Archives; they do. Sounds like a great class trip to me.

Unpublished regimental histories are like hen's teeth. I have been fortunate to edit and publish a history of the 1st Vermont Cavalry and have a copy of a fragmented manuscript history of the 4th New Hampshire Infantry. These manuscripts should be published. Priest and his class have done a good job on the History of the 16th Connecticut. Even though it might have been done a bit better, I highly recommend this book and this is a very useful addition to Antietam, Fredericksburg, and the coastal campaigns. Good job guys.

Book Description

In recent years, most of the economies of Eastern Asia have been absorbed into global capitalism. Capitalism has transformed these economies, but the process has not been one-way. The cultures of Eastern Asia have in turn shaped how capitalism organizes labor, capital, and markets in ways that could not have been anticipated even ten years ago.

On the basis of rich empirical analyses of East and Southeast Asia, and with theoretical insights from different approaches in the social sciences, Culture and Economy addresses these issues in both macroscopic and microscopic terms. Specific topics discussed range from the use and reinvention of Confucian and Islamic legacies in South Korea and Malaysia to promote a particular vision of the economy, to the role of family- and network-structured firms and the reliance on trust-based personal networks in Southeast Asia, to the cultures of labor and management in Chinese village enterprises and Vietnamese ceramics firms, as well as in South Korean export processing zones and the current Chinese labor market.

These careful case studies suggest that it is inevitable that Eastern Asia will shape, even remake, capitalism into a system of production and consumption beyond its original definition.

Timothy Brook is Professor of History, Stanford University. Hy V. Luong is Professor of Anthropology, University of Toronto.

Book Description

"MUSIC GOT ME THROUGH ALL THE TOUGH TIMES IN MY LIFE." Born into rock 'n' roll royalty, Lisa Marie Presley has spent her entire life in the spotlight. After seeking shelter in doomed marriages to Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage, she has finally embraced Elvis Presley's legacy and launched a career as a pop singer. Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll reveals the truth about Lisa's triumphs and struggles and her constant battle to step from The King's enormous shadow.

Customer Reviews:

Definitely a page turner..........2005-03-27

I have always been one that was intrigued by Lisa Marie Presley. Probably because the media spotlight has always been on her and her story has always been so mysterious. The only thing that anyone new about her was what the media has said, and some parts of the book address that. The book takes it's information through interviews and other books (about the Presley's). The only thing that would be better is if LMP would write an autobiography, but maybe a few more scandals and mishaps later, she might. But it is definitely an entertaining read, showing a side of Lisa Marie that isn't seen that often. Definitely a page-turner.

Customer Reviews:

Hard Times In the 1920s and 30s.......2007-01-02

One thing that poverty didn't diminish is Woodruff's powers of recall. Though, as soon as he becomes literate, one senses he'll inexorably transcend his meagre beginnings which ring most vividly in this tale. I loved the regional patois as much as the rising political conscience of the working class boy. The years roll by with the daily grind, humilities accompanying the unjust disenfranchisement of workers; Dickensian conditions that were worse in Lancanshire than other industrial zones. Woodruff's effortless prose is as tough as his father's persistent presence and as nuanced as his mum's mercurial mood shifts. Fortunately for readers,'Nab's End' is no end, but a beginning to further tales from post adolesence. Having just close the covers on Roy McFadyen's, 'at A Cost', I opened Woodruff to discover a parallel story in times bedevilled by poverty and dire economic depression. If you want to visit the comparison and find, at a pinch, an even more extraordinary childhood,'At a Cost' is published and distributed by its author @ 15 Maryann Street, Golden Beach, Queensland, Australia 4551.

This really is a superb social history.......2005-02-13

I came upon this book after hearing brief snippets of it serialised BBC Radio 4 and the World Service.
It had added interest for me as I know Blackburn (at least modern Blackburn) very well, it was later a surprise to discover I knew virtually nothing of the town.
The book is evocative and stirring as you follow the authors journey from early childhood to his 16th year, when he finally leaves a deprived, economically and spiritual broken town for London, in hope of work and a better life.
The journey in between is a rich array of colourful and long forgotton characters and ways of life. Most striking by far is the harshness of past societies in which the poor were virtually ground into the dirt and totally at mercy of commerce. Yet still the love and joy of these kindly, caring and sweet natured people shines through, it took a great deal to make them lose all hope. One cannot help but to think that these poor and hardworking forbares made more than a little of the muscle in the British national psyche.
The Authors journey is one of love, loss and curiousity, his intelligence is meant for better things than the dust and grime of cotton mills but so hard worked are his people and he that this realisation is a long time coming.
Highlights characters are Grandma Bridget and the lovley Aunts he visits in Summer. Quite a journey and very much a joy to read.

If you have never been there, you now know it.......2004-06-23

This is a wonderful book which, as an Anglophile, I loved reading. Just a word to those who feel it some of the terms are American. Remember, please, that the author is now living in the US, and new terms become automatically one's own after a while. And yes, there is a sequel to this book!

I implore any reader to read Woodruff - unbelievable.......2004-02-14

You don't have to have been born in Blackburn (as I was) to appreciate this wonderful true story of a childhood in poverty with all the wit and humour and honesty of the working class. Their hopes for a better and fairer future are vivid and the story ends with an emotional desire from the reader to know how and if this young man succeeds as he takes his steps away from Lancashire. Inevitably the reader will read the sequel Beyond Nab End which is even better but read this first.

superb book-leaves you wanting more.......2003-05-19

William Woodruff and I have something in common; we were both born and reared poor in Lancashire, doubly lucky as Mr Woodruff puts it. The book itself is a reader, you pick it up and you can't put it down. There is always something else you want to read in the next chapter. It is a shame the book had an ending to it as it leaves you wanting more.

Like one of the other reviewers I was a bit disappointed when the text was dumbed down, probably for our American cousins, as little discrepancies showed through the text. For instance, stating ten pennies instead of ten pence (we would have said it 'tenpunce') and the absolute glaring mistake of calling a tanner 6p when it should have been 6d and a dodger is 3d not 3p. Little details like this tend to eat at me.

The book was easy to read and if you know a little about Lancashire, specifically Blackburn, you will find it fascinating.

Tim Brimelow 19 May 2003

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