Book Description
A collection of case studies illustrates real-world techniques, implementation, and strategies on corporate restructuring
Over the period 1981-1998, public companies with combined assets of over half a trillion dollars filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Over the same period, over 400 public companies underwent corporate spin-offs, divesting businesses valued at more than $250 billion. Each of these companies, and all of these dollars, were in some way or another involved in corporate restructuring. Gilson's cases studies have been used extensively in executive programs and are perfect tools to refer to when faced with real-world corporate restructuring issues.
Stuart C. Gilson (Boston, MA) is an Associate Professor at Harvard University and a widely acknowledged expert on corporate restructuring. He has studied and published on the intricacies of both domestic and international corporate restructuring.
Customer Reviews:
Finance with Negative Signs.......2004-01-23
Someone (perhaps it was I) has said that bankruptcy is corporate finance with negative signs. This has always been true but it is amazing how far mainstream finance has gone to try to resist the comparison. The resistance must be, must have been more cultural than economic, because it is axiomatic that anything is a bargain at the right price, and that there is no more or less money to be made in "distress investing" than in any other. Two generations ago, there seems to have been only one person in American that really understood this point - the late Max Heine, who made his grubstake by investing in out-of-favor railroad bonds in the Great Depression, and then riding the wave of prosperity that emerged in World War II. In the same vein, 40 years ago just about any bankruptcy judge would have looked on an "assigned claim" as some kind of monster.
Times have changed. Now everybody's an arbitrageur. The "vulture investors" have their conferences, their social clubs, and for all I know, their own softball team.
Stuart C. Gilson"s "Corporate Restructuring" symbolizes the sea change from the old attitude to the new. It adds the imprimatur of the Harvard Business School to the notion that vulture investing is just another way of making money. As others have noted, this isn't a work of high theory - indeed it has a kind of slapdash, direct-off-the-photocopier feel that is remarkably common in business publications. For fancy theory, you look elsewhere - in law to the likes of Douglas Baird or Lucian Arye Bebchuk; in finance to the developing lore of "real options." But the case studies are an excellent device for getting a sense of the texture and possibilities of vulture investing. It can be read with profit alongside Hilary Rosenberg's "The Vulture Investors." Ambitious students who want the full theoretical framework will match it with David G. Luenberger's "Investment Science." But Gilson's work has merit on its own as one kind of introduction to this revolution in investment thinking.
Only usefull for students.......2003-03-04
What a waiste of money.... The writer has not included any anlyses or real solutions to the cases that a provided. Unless you are a student in a class that use this book, this book gives you absolute nothing.
Good book but needs a companion text.......2003-02-18
This is a very good case book, complete with intricate case studies illustrating numerous aspects of challenges often faced in restructuring in bankruptcy. However, the book assumes a level of knowledge about M&A concepts that many readers may not have. Consequently, I would recommend using this book in conjunction with another excellent text by DePamphilis entitled Mergers and Acquisitions: Integrated Approach. There are two editions. The second edition is more complete and up to date. It also tackles some of the problems illustrated in this book.
Just a collection of old cases.......2003-01-30
This book is a complete waste of time. It is just a collection of case studies bundled together and resold. There is no analysis done. The cases are merely reprinted word for word from the original HBS cases. There are three short intros to the different sections, but once again nothing useful. Great marketing ploy, lousy book.
Corporate Restructuring: It's Not Just for Lawyers Anymore.......2002-12-05
You'd be surprised by how few business schools offer courses on bankruptcy and restructuring. I know that I was. I came to Wharton this year to teach "Advanced Corporate Finance" in the MBA program. In preliminary "due diligence," I discovered there were no finance electives on bankruptcy and restructuring. To bridge the gap, I decided to conclude my course with two modules, one on Corporate Restructuring and the other on Bankruptcy.
Material for both modules came straight from Gilson's book. Students relished the case studies. They fueled many of the most lively and engaging discussions we enjoyed all term. Students are worried about the economy. For the first time, many also sense career opportunities in the area of distressed debt. When I planned the course, I counted on both to spur interest in the modules.
What I didn't count on was how well Gilson's cases would frame virtually all other material that I covered. Key lessons resurfaced from all modules: Financial Analysis and Forecasting, Capital Structure Policy, Capital Budgeting, and Mergers and Acquisitions. In each case, revisiting the ideas in the context of bankruptcy and restructuring threw them into high relief. So much so that I was able to substitute restructuring cases for those I had intended as "comprehensive" case discussions.
As important for educators, Gilson's cases provide all necessary background information about how key legal and procedural aspects of the Bankruptcy Code influence managers' decisions. In Gilson's cases, the decisions featured are crucial to determining how to maximize value in distressed situations, as well as how to distribute it when all is said and done.
In the final analysis, aren't these *exactly* the issues that MBA courses in corporate finance should address? My students at Wharton this term sure thought so. In the spring, my two sections are also already full. I've been told the "buzz" is mostly due to Gilson's restructuring material. Hopefully, some value was created in the delivery. Nonetheless, I couldn't recommend any material more highly for anyone planning to teach a spring term corporate finance course.
Average customer rating:
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Cases in Corporate Acquisitions, Buyouts, Mergers & Takeovers
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
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General
| Business & Investing
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Consolidation & Merger
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
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General
| Reference
| Business & Investing
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General
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
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General
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ASIN: 0787638943 |
Book Description
The legal documents you need on any given day!
Like most small business owners, you probably can't afford to hire a lawyer to draft the legal documents you need in the course of your day-to-day business.
Now there's an affordable solution -- Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business, which provides you with over 60 legal forms and documents and all the step-by-step instructions you need to use them.
This collection of essential legal and business documents helps you:
create contracts to buy, sell, rent or store goods hire employees and consultants protect your trade secrets create noncompete agreements prepare an LLC operating agreement borrow and lend money buy a business lease commercial space prepare corporate bylaws record minutes of meetings buy real estate and much more
The 4th edition is updated with the latest legal documents, contracts and other forms. Includes all the information and instructions you need to complete and use your forms effectively.
List of Forms
Amending Contracts Attachment to Contract Amendment to Contract
Forming Your Business Checklist for Starting a Small Business Partnership Agreement Pre-Incorporation Agreement Corporate Bylaws Stock Agreement LLC Operating Agreement for Single-Member LLC
Running Your Corporation Notice of Shareholders' Meeting Notice of Directors' Meeting Shareholder Proxy Minutes of Shareholders' Meeting Minutes of Directors' Meeting Minutes of Telephone Conference Directors' Meeting Consent of Shareholders Consent of Directors
Borrowing Money Promissory Note (Amortized Monthly Payments) Promissory Note (Balloon Payment) Promissory Note (Interest-Only Payments) Promissory Note (Lump Sum Payment) Security Agreement for Borrowing Money
Buying or Selling a Business Contract for Purchase of Assets From an Unincorported Business Contract for Purchase of Assets From a Corporation Corporate Resolution Authorizing Sale of Assets Contract for Purchase of Corporate Stock Bill of Sale for Business Assets Seller's Affidavit: No Creditors Security Agreement for Buying Business Assets
Leasing Space Gross Lease Net Lease for Entire Building Net Lease for Part of Building Sublease Landlord's Consent to Sublease Assignment of Lease Notice of Exercise of Lease Option Extension of Lease Amendment to Lease Attachment to Lease
Purchasing and Improving Real Estate Contract to Purchase Building Option to Purchase Building Contract to Purchase Vacant Land Option to Purchase Vacant Land Attachment to Real Estate Purchase Contract Amendment to Real Estate Purchase Contract Removal of Contingency Extension of Time to Remove Contingencies Exercise of Option to Purchase Real Estate
Buying, Selling, Manufacturing, Renting, and Storing Goods Sales Contract (Lump-Sum Payment) Sales Contract (Installment Payments) Bill of Sale for Goods Security Agreement for Buying Goods Contract for Manufacture of Goods Equipment Rental Contract Storage Contract Consignment Contract
Hiring Employees and Independent Contractors Employment Application Authorization to Release Information Offer of Employment Confidentiality Agreement Covenant Not to Compete Contract With Independent Contractor
IRS and Government Forms IRS Form SS-4: Application for Employer Identification Number IRS Form W-4: Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate IRS Form 2553: Election by a Small Business Corporation IRS Form 940-EZ USCIS Form I-9: Employment Eligibility Verification
The following forms are on the CD-ROM, but not included in the book: Disputes Resolution Clause Names Formats Signature Formats
Download Description
"Like most small business owners, you probably can't afford to hire a lawyer to draft the legal documents you need in the course of your day-to-day business. Now there's an affordable solution -- Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business. This book with CD-ROM provides you with over 60 legal forms and documents and all the step-by-step instructions you need to use them. The forms include: 7 employment forms and contracts 5 forms to start your business 8 corporate meetings forms 4 promissory notes 3 security agreements 10 commercial lease forms 10 forms to purchase and improve real estate 8 forms to buy, sell and store goods and much more All forms available on CD-ROM. "
Customer Reviews:
Much needed info inside.......2007-08-23
This book really helped us with all the forms that we needed to provide to the federal govt. & accountant.
great companion to Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business.......2006-10-28
After I got Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business I found about this Legal Forms title...made my day..This book is loaded with FORMS !
An easy-to-use "must-have" for small business owners and managers everywhere.......2006-03-03
Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, Legal Forms For Starting & Running A Small Business is a comprehensive resource packed with forms for getting a business off the ground, borrowing money, hiring employees, creating contracts, buying or leasing space, and much more. Legal Forms For Starting & Running A Small Business balances its wealth of reproducible documents with straightforward "how-to" instructions and advice, a new checklist to help first-timers, and an accompanying Windows and Mac compatible CD-ROM makes printing out the forms a breeze. An easy-to-use "must-have" for small business owners and managers everywhere. Also very strongly recommended are Nolo's two companion titles in their simply outstanding business instructional guide series: The Small Business Start-Up Kit: 3rd Edition (1413300405, $24.99) and Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn: 2nd Edition Updated for 2006 (1413303749, $34.99).
Amazon.com
Attorney Fred S. Steingold's Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business: Volume 2, Legal Forms, is a comprehensive self-help manual in the useful tradition of its predecessors from Nolo Press. In support of the cardinal rule for all corporate agreements--get it in writing--the book and an accompanying PC disk contain contract blanks for forming and operating a business, borrowing money, leasing space, buying and selling goods, hiring employees, and more. Helpful tips, valuable cautions, worthwhile suggestions, and references for additional information are also sprinkled throughout the book as appropriate.
Book Description
Like most small business owners, you probably can't afford to hire a lawyer to draft the legal documents you need in the course of your day-to-day business.
Now there's an affordable solution -- Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business. This book with CD-ROM provides you with over 60 legal forms and documents and all the step-by-step instructions you need to use them.
Average customer rating:
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Researching the Small Enterprise (Sage Series in Management Research)
James Curran , and
Robert Blackburn
Manufacturer: Sage Publications Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Management
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Management Science
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Small Business & Entrepreneurship
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
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Research
| Education
| Reference
| Subjects
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All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0761952950 |
Book Description
Although there are plenty of books devoted to small business and management research, few give much attention to the small enterprise. This book focuses systematically on researching the small firm, from basic issues of definition, to selecting topics and research designs, to fieldwork problems, analysis data and finally, writing and presenting results. The discussion is set in the wider context of issues and problems in business research. Quantitative and especially qualitative approaches are explored and illustrated by drawing in depth on a wide range of research on the small enterprise. The result is an extensive resource book for researchers at all levels to draw upon in planning and conducting effective research.
Book Description
This fully revised and expanded version of the best-selling gas griller's bible now has 300 recipes for easy and creative everyday grilling. Each recipe is designed specifically for use on the gas grill, and author Cort Sinnes provides lots of tips and information on equipment and techniques. He'll show you how to perfect your basic steak and chicken, and then he'll help you get creative with delicious recipes like Chuck Roast with Bourbon and Coke, Tunisian Tilapia, Barbecued Catfish Sandwiches, Hoisin-Chili Pork Satay, Lamb Chops with Blackberries and Lavender, and a whole lot more!
Customer Reviews:
Now you are cooking.......2007-08-13
This is an excellent grill book. It gives you new ideas on how to grill better. Well illustrated and it is written by someone that enjoys cooking on the grill. This is a keeper
Delicious recipes.......2007-07-18
However, many are too fancy or require ingredients that I don't have in my "meat and potatoes" kitchen.
Makes Grilling Even More Fun.......2007-02-06
I love this cookbook and have given copies to friends and family. I purchased this new edition because my old one fell apart from use.
A perfect companion for your Gas Grill.......2006-07-12
Let me first say that I love barbecuing, and I guess you do, or you wouldn't even be checking this or any other barbecue book. I try to grill my family dinners almost every weekend, so I would have to say that I have put on thousands of barbecues this far. I own several barbecue and grilling books, and this is one of the best. I consider this book great because with the recipes on it I can try every now and then to make something a little bit different (I guess just to avoid a mutiny among my family crew, Ja Ja).
I don't have to do a fancy or hard to find ingredients, or follow step-by-steps a recipe that might requires to long, but I get great ideas that help me introduce variations that keep the weekends barbecues interesting and fun the whole family.
In this book you will find some recipe or idea that you can try, or just learn something new from the "Basics of Gourmet Gas grilling" included at the beginning of the book.
Last, but not least, always enjoy the experience of barbecuing and grilling at home, with or without this book. With your own recipes or with borrowed recipes. Just enjoy the moment and have a lot of fun with family and friends around the grill.
Grass BBQ'ing taken to the next level!.......2006-03-03
I was always good at BBQ'ing with the Gas Grill, but i ran out of ideas on what to do next. This book is amazing, it opened up a whole new BBQ world to me, and encouraged me to experiment more. There isnt one recipie i tried that i didnt like. My personal favorite is the Briskett!
Book Description
Beyond burgers and steaks! 200 delicious recipes.
Customer Reviews:
The perfect companion for your gas grill.......2006-07-12
Let me first say that I love barbecuing, and I guess you do, or you wouldn't even be checking this or any other barbecue book. I try to grill my family dinners almost every weekend, so I would have to say that I have put on thousands of barbecues this far. I consider this book great because with the recipes on it I can try every now and then to make something a little bit different (I guess just to avoid a mutiny among my family crew, Ja Ja).
I don't have to do a fancy or hard to find ingredients, or follow step-by-steps a recipe that might requires to long, but I get great ideas that help me introduce variations that keep the weekends barbecues interesting and fun the whole family.
In this book you will find some recipe or idea that you can try. Last, but not least, always enjoy the experience of barbecuing and grilling at home, with or without this book. With your own recipes or with borrowed recipes. Just enjoy the moment and have a lot of fun with family and friends around the grill.
The 2nd worst grilling book ever written.......2005-10-02
Now I know, there are plenty of people on here tauting the greatness of this book. Which is why *I* bought it. In fact, I bought TWO copies planning on giving one as a present. So what you'll find here is an honest, educated, comparitive review. Not some "oh goody I just bought a grill at walmart and need to learn to use it!" kneejerk reaction to the first book I found.
This book is a complete and total waste of paper. The recipes are lackluster, very few if any are 'grill' related. There are NO PICTURES in this book whatsoever, just a few scrawled out hand sketches. So whatever you get when you're done, you're on your own. And here is what makes this book so incredibly bad, and why the author should legally never be able to write another grilling book - EVERY RECIPE in this thing says "turn one burner off and place food over it". Wha?!?? That's right, EVERY recipe. As anyone who has ever turned on a gas grill or ignited charcoal knows, there is a huge difference between direct and indirect grilling. There is no one perfect setting for all things grilled.
Run, do not walk away from this book. Invest your money in Weber's series of grilling books, they are the only ones actually worthy of recommendation. "Real Grilling" in particular is the best of all grilling books.
That folks, is total disclosure. No fluff here.
Search No Further...This is THE Book for Gas Grilling!!!.......2003-04-26
I have over five hundred cookbooks in my collection and fifty of these are dedicated to barbeque, grilling and smoke cooking. The Gas Grill Gourmet was one of my earliest purchases and remains my favorite reference for gas grilling. To be sure, it isn't fancy or larded with a lot of pictures (In fact there are NONE)but it is an indispensable source of information, tips, techniques and simply delicious recipes. It is the best discussion of indirect cooking that I have come across.
What I particularly like is that the recipes are for food that most of us will find easy to prepare, with ingredients that we have on the shelf or are readily available at the supermarket. You are also given a taste of a wide variety of grilling cuisines. In the poultry section alone, French, Jamaican, Indian, Southwestern, Italian, Mexican and Asian cuisines are represented with recipes that you will find both easy to prepare and delicious on the palate.
At the beginning of each section, Mr. Sinnes provides the reader with tips and suggestions to maximize your grilling experience. The recipes are listed at the beginning of the section and include the page numbers. You will particularly find the Introduction helpful as the author thoroughly discusses what you should look for in a gas grill, grilling techniques, safety and necessary accessories.
In short, whether you be novice or expert, this book will be a welcome addition to your grilling experience. It won't disappoint and your family and guests will be most impressed and will come back repeatedly.
Fire up the grill!.......2003-04-08
This is one of the best grilling recipe books I've found. The recipes in it resulted in tasty meals. This bible of gas grilling demystifies the gas grill! I've made chicken and vegetables that wowed even the harshest grilling critic.
Do you really want to be Julia Childs?.......2002-08-04
In a moment of passion -- having just purchaed a Weber Gold Grill -- I ordered this cookbook. However, I realized after looking at it for a week or so that I don't really want to spend two or three hours preparing ingredients just to cook some bloody good steak, or lamb, or (well cooked) chicken.
You'd be better off with either of the Weber Grill cookbooks, which I also ordered and think are very fine.
Average customer rating:
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Abingdon Clergy Income Tax Guide 2003: For 2002 Returns (Abingdon Clergy Income Tax Guide)
Charles M. Watkins
Manufacturer: Abingdon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Personal Taxes
| Taxes
| Accounting
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Money & Values
| Personal Finance
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Taxation
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ministry & Church Leadership
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Taxation
| Law
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0687045282 |
Average customer rating:
- What I've Learned Is Worth Much More Than the Book's Price!
- MUST READING
- Excellent insights and clarity.
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Investing in Latin America: Best Stocks, Best Funds
Michael Molinski
Manufacturer: Bloomberg Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| International
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Investing
| Business & Investing
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Introduction
| Investing
| Business & Investing
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General
| Personal Finance
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Finance & Investing
| Finance
| International
| Accounting & Finance
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1576600653 |
Book Description
Latin American markets, once virtually ignored by American investors, now have a place in most portfolios. Michael Molinski makes investors comfortable in the world of Latin American markets, explaining everything they need to know: where to find the hot companies, how to avoid getting burned, and how to profit over the long run.
Customer Reviews:
What I've Learned Is Worth Much More Than the Book's Price!.......2001-07-13
The author Michael Molinski makes complicated materials easy for the individual investor to understand. Written in plain, everyday English for the common man. Very insightful and informative. This book is not just about investing overseas, but overall, it is about investing wisely. It touches upon a lot of investing issues, such as diversifying a portfolio, risks aversion, time span and horizon, etc. Specifically, however, Molinski makes a strong and convincing argument for investing in Latin America and shows readers how to go about doing so. Finally, he examines 35 Latin American companies that he sees as having good potential growth in the future. Molinski seems like an authority in Latin America investing because his insights could only have come from someone who's lived in the region and worked there for some time. Having read the book, I will definitely invest money in the Latin American region.
MUST READING.......1999-08-06
Ideal for the investor who wants to venture into this part of the world
Excellent insights and clarity........1999-07-16
The best book I have read on investing in Latin America. Many interesting insights and valuable wisdom. The author has made use of considerable first-hand experience and serious analysis. An invaluable book for anyone involved with Latin American finance. I highly recommend the book.
Customer Reviews:
Complete rip off.......2006-09-11
I cannot imagine why a publisher agreed to publish this book. Of the purported 166 pages of text, from page 69 onwards are the text of three speeches to Congress. Of the 60 pages before that, every second page is a poorly reproduced picture. The result is that there is only 30 pages of actual material, and those are written in large font.
The book stats show that there are 5647 words in total in this book - maybe enough for a first year tax essay, but he would have failed on content. There is nothing to learn from this waste of paper. It should have been 15 pages long and given away as a pamphlet.
Save your money.
Please save your time.......2006-07-15
This "book" takes the least possible information that you could source and still call it a book. In fact, the publisher has done the history of income tax a disservice by foisting this material on us. Neil Boortz with his Flat Tax and Steve Forbes with his Fair Tax, for their diatribes, depend on the public staying uninformed about the matters that determine public policy. Mr. Federer has not enlightened us at all. He has taken two or three statements made by John Kennedy and tried to stretch it into a book. Save yourself the time and read any financial history by Steele or Bernstein or the Wiley Investment Series and you'll learn more about income tax and other historical matters of interest. This is about the only book I ever returned to Amazon.
Amazon.com
Best known as the author of scripts for such hit musicals as West Side Story and Gypsy, Arthur Laurents began his career writing strong, socially conscious plays like Home of the Brave and Time of the Cuckoo; he also has impressive credits as a screenwriter (The Way We Were) and stage director (La Cage aux Folles). Such a varied professional life makes for absorbing reading in this lively autobiography stuffed with famous names, including George Cukor, Katharine Hepburn, Barbra Streisand, and Stephen Sondheim, all of whom emerge vividly in thumbnail portraits ranging from affectionately frank (Stella Adler) to frankly unflattering (Jerome Robbins). Laurents, born in 1917, was a Marxist during his college years at Cornell, and he retains strong political opinions to this day: he has no use for bigots of any kind, and his memoir displays no inclination to forgive people like Elia Kazan, who named names during the 1950s. Yet the author also has a marvelous sense of humor (after critic Frank Rich inadvertently made public reference to Laurents's homosexuality, Laurents introduced him at a charity lunch as "the man who outed me as a liberal") and a zest for life that shines particularly in a loving portrait of his longtime companion, Tom Hatcher. --Wendy Smith
Book Description
Here is the original story of a true original, the celebrated and internationally renowned director, playwright and screenwriter Arthur Laurents, whose creative genius continues to energize American stage and screen today. Say his name, and images of West Side Story, Gypsy, Anastasia, The Turning Point, and The Way We Were appear. Laurents' highly praised memoir is a dazzling portrait of his life - as he recounts the great moments, the trials and the joys of his incredible career. He takes us into his world, peopled with the creative artists, directors, actors and personalities who came of age in the theatre and in Hollywood after WWII. Later, back in New York, he writes about jump-starting Barbra Streisand's career by casting her in I Can Get It for You Wholesale. He writes about the creation of Gypsy with Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim. And he writes about coming together in a complex, fraught collaboration with his three old pals, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein and Sondheim for West Side Story. Throughout, Laurents is funny, fierce, and frank - a life recounted as richly as it was lived. "This is a historic work. A 'must' for show biz mavens." - LIZ SMITH, Newsday and Syndicated
Customer Reviews:
Engrossing but self-absorbed.......2005-01-04
I just finished reading this fascinating but maddening autobiography last night. There is no doubt about it - Arthur has quite a story to tell. His storytelling pulls you in, making you feel as if he's telling the stories directly to you. He's met or worked with virtually every major star of the past 60 years so he's definitely got tales to tell. However, after reading for awhile, I found several things off-putting. Early on, Arthur starts to regale us with endless stories of sexual conquests. He inevitably describes his partners as "handsome", "beautiful", etc. A few stories like this would have gotten the point across, but I eventually came to the conclusion that Arthur was very insecure about his attractiveness and had to make sure that we readers knew that he was very desirable (even if pictures don't seem to tell that story). Then there's the sexual encounter he has with an old friend and sex partner who was starring in a play that Arthur was directing - it was simply creepy to me. As I continued reading, it just seemed that Arthur wanted to dissect and criticize almost everyone he came across, especially those who had disappointed him, and on several occasions I thought he was incredibly unkind. His portrait of Jerry Robbins is one-sided at best and mean at worst - he definitely comes across as if he has an ax to grind with Jerry. His coldness upon Jerry's death struck me as amazingly hard-hearted, considering all that they had done together in their lives. Arthur also never seemed to turn that critical eye onto himself. He generally comes off as good in all encounters, while others are usually immoral, dishonest, etc. I also had the sense that Arthur might have embellished the details to help himself come out so well in his stories. (This is especially ironic, considering his comments about how Gypsy Rose Lee did the same in her autobiography.) If you're interested in Broadway and the movies in the second half of the 20th century, this is a great read. Just beware the shortcomings of the author.
The truth........2003-01-06
An 86-year-old friend who grew up in Beverly Hills and Hollywood, and who had her own works on Broadway, gave me this book for help with my writing (I'm 42). Laurents is remarkably inspiring, even when he doesn't necessarily intend to be. His stories about writing for the war effort, writing radio plays, mapping plots of popular films, and turning out work for deadline demonstrate a TREMENDOUS work ethic and a resilient willingness to write and re-write.
..., but gay lives weren't well documented in that era. Worse, "liberal" Hollywood was thought to be generally accepting, when in fact the opposite was true. Laurents was under enormous pressure to stay in the closet, as were most writers and stars.
The narrative hops around a bit, but he's a gifted writer, and soon you'll settle in. If you want to be a screenwriter, read this. Some of the political nonsense that goes into making a motion picture still happens, even in 2003!
Arthur Laurents is an amazing man whom I hope has a magnificent decade as an octogenarian. If his vibrant words are any indication, then in spirit he'll always be 33 and ready for the next adventure.
Damned good..Go out and Read it!.......2001-09-12
The best thing a book can have is the author's voice, and Laurents' autobiography certainly has his: argumentative, discrening, opinionated, political, sexy, candid. He has a bristly side to him and he doesn't hide it. And this makes his book seem genuine and compelling, not the kind of "I loved them all..we had a great time" gush that many older entertainment types write. His take on the blacklist is wonderful. His backstage stories about how his play ("Time of the Cuckoo") was a hit and his movie ("The Way We Were") got chewed up in the editing room are fascinating. And he doesn't hold back: Sydney Pollack comes off a clever swine, Jerome Robbins is shown warts and all. You may find that Laurents is the kind of man you might have trouble liking in real life, but you won't be able to put his book down. That's because he's a real writer with a voice...and it's in these pages. One of the best theatre books in quite a while, certainly the best since Neil Simon's first book. Seems like good playwrites make good memoir writers. Read this!
VITAL, JUICY AND BLUNT.......2001-04-13
Now THIS is an autobiography! It is the story of a man, the last of his peer group, who, at 81, is healthy, athletic, sexual, productive in his craft, and in love. He is joyous and it reflects in his writing. Vitriol, if not burned away, has often been reduced to pithy one-liners that zing with word-play. Apathy seems to have replaced anger. Mr. Laurents is too busy living to show resignation or to bemoan the passing of relationships, so his book is vital, alive.
He is blunt and ruthless and he shows us the sage as scrappy youth and unformed man as well as (bad)businessman and lover, plus playwright, director and Hollywood hack. He has little respect for the movie industry and when black-listed,was more relieved than aggrieved! He spares himself nothing, is quick to offer accolades and in stories that are pay-backs, with time and acoomplishment to back him up, chummy fact can be damning! He has a gift for knowing that someone loves and respects the famous people he mentions and he writes accordingly, whether he shares their regard or not, and even when a relationship has lapsed, if praise is due, he generously heaps it on.
Incidentals are rampant. Some add to the whole, like how Geraldine Brooks' breast cancer led to her marriage with HUAC informer Budd Schulberg and how this impaced her friendship with Mr. Laurents, or how Lillian Roth's fight with alcoholism helped Mr. Laurents direct her in I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE. Other tidbits just make juicy reading, like the stoicism of Hal Prince learning to water-ski. It is so easy to link the vision of Prince dropping rather than veer out of the boat's wake, with his dogged direction of PARADE a few years back! It is fascinating to hear how life experiences made their way into his work, to hear the power 'stars' had to pervert an author's intent, and to see how some events became motivations or mere moments of dialogue in a play, while others became entire works. Sometimes, Mr. Laurents himself was unaware of where a line or a thought came from, and when he recognizes the origin, his delight is triumphant! Bad psycho-analysts become saccharine characters in admittedly mediocre plays, a handsome Jew in love with a Nazi becomes a portly Italian shopkeeper/love interest, and the Hollywood Witch Hunt becomes THE WAY WE WERE, before politics were 'expunged', Robert Redford collided with his role and the climax of the movie (not film) was edited out. (It seems Katherine Hepburn had a knack for turning her character into herself too, not the reverse!) Included too, is director Laurents' dealings with star-in-waiting Barbara Streisand, manipulative producer David Merrick, sweating co-star Elliot Gould, and costuming goddess Theoni V. Aldredge. He loved working with Jule Styne, Len Bernstein and Steve Sondheim and has high praise for master craftsmen Shirley Booth and Angella Lansbury. It was fascinating to hear him revisit GYPSY over the years as his role changed from author to director. Reading about Miss Lansbury performing the bows at the end of "Rose's Turn" was electric. I wish I could have seen an actual performance!
There is over-lap between Laurents and the ballet world through Jerome Robbins, Nora Kaye, and Harold Lang, and superstar Erik Bruhn makes a moon-lit naked appearance. Robbins seems to be the only one of the four Laurents didn't sleep with, and I question his use of 'balletomane' as a verb! His friendship with Robbins runs as deeply as Nora Kaye's and Robbins plays a major part in the book, as friend, informer, collaborator on famous works, and betrayer. To hear his stories of W.W. II, where he wrote training films, gays in the military should NEVER be an issue. Actually, he finds handsome men all over the world and his search to not only accept what he is, but to prefer it, turns up in much of his writing. Too much so in fact, if there is anything to criticize about ths book. His exploits during the war read like fiction!
Early on, he announces his intolerance of bigotry of any kind, especially against homosexuals, Negroes and Jews but I find this odd since he flatly dismisses his Bar Mitzvah as 'meaningless.' This is really the first book I've read that deals pointedly with McCarthyism and the Hollywood Witch Hunt. He voices what many must have felt, sharing freely his feelings of the time and his feelings now! Informers are pariah, yet some who informed remained Laurents' friend, some did not and we learn the whys of each, first hand. Judgments are presented factually along with consequences of decisions that were made.
This book is a wealth of history but for those interested in fair play and looking at all sides of an issue, don't bother picking it up. This is Arthur Laurents' story, and I not only respect his right to tell it, I revel in it! Five stars for this one, and the moon has come out again!
Enjoy the Ride!.......2001-01-17
If you live to be 82 years old and fortunate enough to have lived the life that Arthur Laurents has then you've earned the right to say what you damn well please. Arther Laurents does just that in his autobiography and in a very honest an entertaining style. Sit back and enjoy the ride, you just might learn something along the way!
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Theatre History Studies, published by Mid-America Theatre Association on June 1, 2001. The length of the article is 1011 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Original Story by Arthur Laurents: A Memoir of Broadway and Hollywood.(Review) (book review)
Author: Jeffrey Smart
Publication:
Theatre History Studies (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2001
Publisher: Mid-America Theatre Association
Page: 142
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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A Plant Once Uprooted Can No Longer Hug the Ground
Renee Fersen Osten
Manufacturer: S.P.I. Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
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Holocaust
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Family & Childhood
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ASIN: 156171898X |
Book Description
The story of a hidden child during the Holocaust years in France. Told through poetry and illustrations.
"A Plant Once Uprooted..." describes the life, the traumas, the joys and the sorrows of a small child caught in the web of the Holocaust during World War II in France. Is is based on Renee Ferson Osten's autobiography "Don't They Know The World Stopped Breathing?"
Forced to leave the safety of home and family and flee from the German occupiers, she was five years old when her parents were deported to Nazi concentration camps.
Before their capture, her parents brought Renee and her older sister Yvonne to a Catholic convent in Toulouse where they were converted to Catholicism, and hidden at great risk to the nuns.
After the madness of World War II ended, they were forced to redefine their lives and identities once again.
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