I've alread read it once and now twice, hi-liting for more emphasis. I run a very successful graphic design business, and consider this book a #1 resource. I recommend it to everyone in the design and freelance field. From starting out with minimal resources to planning the future and long-term success. Excellent strategies in pricing, sales, and working with clients. . .good and bad!

I am not even half-way through this book and I already realize it is one of the best books I've bought in the last five years! As a web designer looking to start my own business I am just devouring the pages which are full of wisdom based on experience.

This would be a great resource for anybody who owns their own business, wants to start a business, or wants to start freelancing. It also applies across disciplines: graphic design, illustration, writing, photography, web design, multimedia, etc.

This is not a fluffy book. Every page is a great resource. I cannot say enough good things about it! Buy it now!

I bought this book shortly after I started out on my own in '99 doing web site development, working from my apartment. Over the last several years I grew my biz out of my apartment, moved to an office space, hired a full-time employee, hired an intern, and switched from a sole proprietorship to an S-Corporation. Cameron Foote's book is a resource I have turned to again and again and continue to use to work through the short- and long-term scenarios of owning and operating a small business. It's simply a terrific resource. If you have questions about anything from profitability to creating estimates to dealing with difficult clients to health insurance -- buy this book. If you are looking for nuts-and-bolts info on running a small business, I don't think you can go wrong with this purchase...

It never fails to amaze me that people just walk away from problems without trying to solve them. Well, walk away no more. Phillips is a master at clearly showing just how consumers can get results by writing complaint letters about products and services.

It doesn't matter if you're too busy or can't find the right words for complaint correspondence. She takes care of both. Your time is quick and the words are there for you--no matter the situation. She proves that big business does listen to us and that most want to make amends.

No more excuses--unless you just don't care that you throw your money away. Otherwise, Shocked, Appalled, and Dismayed! is the best book you'll ever buy.

I've been dealing with a "reputable" contractor for three months who has procrastinated the whole time. With my kitchen unusable and his excuses for non-completion on time, I finally got "shocked, appalled, and dismayed" enough to write a strong letter. I followed Phillips' expert advice and sent copies to everyone she suggests. The upshot of my complaint letter? The attorney general and my county's consumer protection office, among others, has warned him he has one month to complete the job per my satisfaction (and the contract)or else!

Thanks, Ellen Phillips. Your book is my bible from now on.

I only wish Phillips had written her book years earlier before I wasted so much time and energy on letters that DIDN'T work. Her first hint - to calm down - (I didn't)is only the start of so much superlative advice to achieve consumers' desired results.

While this book is full of funny anecdotes and language, the really important information is how to protect ourselves from shoddy products and services and then, if we fail to follow this advice, how to write a great complaint letter (and in many instances all we have to do is follow her sample letters).

The appendices tell who to write and to whom to send copies - everyone from attorneys general to consumer advocates to the federal government and everyone in between. As far as I'm concerned, this section is well worth the price all by itself.

Phillips means business and it's obvious that companies take her seriously. By reading her book and doing as she advocates, they will take us all seriously as well.

Worth the price of admission for "mystery lights," and "wrong film." You'll have to read it to know what I refer to!

Gary's book is chock full of useful information, with an inside view from a corporate photographer's perspective.

Definately a must-have!

This book is full of helpful advice, the majority of the content not about how to take Photos, but how to organise your own business practically. There are a lot of excellent photos in this book, of course, accompanied by the small stories filled with the experiences of a real photographer. But what is even more important are examples of contracts, tips to plan your shooting and advice to get through it. I can highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in becoming a corporate photographer and wants to know how to manage.

One of the best books of its kind. Pictures are good, text is good, style is good and even the jokes are good. I rarely saw so much useful information put in such a writing style that it just flows. This is a book worth every penny I spent. I wish there would be more like this one. This book is definitely a must for the corporate shooter. Gary shares some secrets that other photographers would have kept for themselves to stay on top of the competiton. Very generous.

Frederic Neema::::

I love Final Fantasy!! I have been a die hard fan since part one was released in 1990. There are several books out that show the visual effects from the Final Fantasy series, but this one is by far the best. It is strait forward, art, from the original designer of FF characters, Yoshitaka Amano. Page for page you will see the steps that he followed making this characters shine.

The main reason that I took one star away was because most of the art in this book is finished up designs from Amano. I am a very big fan of his work, ex. Vampire Hunter D, FF1-6,and 9 adn several other Japaneese work. I enjoy his early sketches better, they are much more fantasy like. But that does not mean that this collection is not beautiful as printed.

This is a beautiful editon to any Final Fantasy collecton or just plain art or drawings collection. Dont pass this up.

When I bought this book, I expected mostly black and white photos and small screenshots from the game, but when I opened it up I was happily suprised with a book full of large, colorful artwork. Being a fan of the game series itself, this book especially appealed to me, as it probably would to many other FF players. But even those who do not play the game will find them selves impressed with the tons of fantastic artwork that fills its pages. I definitely recommened this book if you are a fan of the game or just love great art!

The Art of Final Fantasy IX is a great artbook worth getting--even for a person who doesn't even have the game could enjoy this and get to know the all of the charicter's personalities before even getting the game. Besides being an art book, it has lots of informaition about the game. In a few sections, it shows how they created the charictor. The art is beautiful and any Final Fantasy fan will truly admire this creative and well-put-together book. ---plus, its in English and has some Japanese writing.

I have the 1996 hardcover edition of this book and do not know what revisions have been made to this latest addition, however I imagine the text and content will be very similar.
I have found this book to be an excellent source of information on skyscapers in general and the buildings featured in particular.
It has a very easy to read format, witch follows the developement of the skyscraper, with two pages at a time dedicated to one building. This makes it ideal for flicking through and just reading here and there at what ever catches your eye. There are also small gerneral interest and overviews pages troughout the book that help to explain the developement of these buildings.
Not a lot of technical details also make this an easy read and ideal for younger readers.
This is one of the best books I have seen on the subject and I have no reservations recomending this book to anyone even remotely interested in these large buildings.

When I first saw this book, I knew that it had to be on my Christmas "wish list." Upon receiving it, my excitement knew no bounds for this is an exquisitely produced homage to the skyscrapers of the past, present, and future. All the famous are here, from the cover featuring the oft-photographed Chrysler Building in New York to The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to The IBM Tower of San Francisco. Included are many less known mammoth structures from foreign lands, such as Malaysia's Petronas Towers, touted presently as the tallest of all, and the uniquely designed Bank of China in Hong Kong.

When one says, "The sky is the limit," the pages of this book showcase the adage perfectly.

By Jeffrey K. Herzer -- The jacket notes accurately describe the author's work as exploring "the interaction of text and image on the printed page". This book is wonderfully presented, a collage of big pictures and little treasures -- like under construction photos, sketches and diagrams, or other "trivia bits". You will find some new and precious treat every time you crack the cover. "Skyscrapers" is primarily a history of fifty important and world-famous skyscrapers, beginning with the Washington Monument and the Eiffel Tower & finishing with the Petronas Towers (Malaysia), the Jin Mao Building (Shanghai), and the planned Kuningan Persada Tower (Jakarta, Indonesia). A book about tall buildings should have tall pages...and this book is 18 inches tall and 7-1/2 inches wide. The format is entirely black & white, but most enjoyable. Ms. Dupre's text is short and direct and a perfect complement; it illuminates without getting bogged down in technicalities. Whether you're a skyscraper fanatic, an architect or engineer, or just plain fascinated with tall buildings, it matters not...this is a book everyone can enjoy.

This is an absolutely fantastic inside look at the design process of Disney Imagineering. The book details the past, present and future projects along with great anecdotes from the Imagineers themselves. The book is also filled with rich pictures, illustrations, and sketches from projects both built and left on the "shelf". As one who wishes to pursue a thempark design career, this book acts as a great reference tool and both inspires and motivates your creative juices.

-Ken G.

Let me start off saying that I am a Disney fanatic. Particularly anything that has to do with the construction and design of the disney parks. This book has it all everything from the idea of a ride right up to the installation process. I keep this book with me at all times, constantly rereading it time and time again.

I was lucky enough to purchase it (in hardcover) 2 years ago in Walt Disney World, and I have not stopped reading it since. I only wish there were more imagineering books out there. To the Disney Imagaineers- Thank you for giving us a peek at what must be a very rewarding job. A job I hope to have someday.

I absolutely cherish this book and reviit it time and again just to look at the photos and drawings. Contains detailed information about how the Imagineers go about creating the Disney theme parks and hotels and shows all of the imagination and attention to detail that goes into that process. No wonder these are some of the most magical places on earth. Everything is engineered to the human experience.

Contains photos from WDW, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo, and sketches and models of some attractions never built. Shows the entire process from conception of an idea to developing color schemes, to building models, to actual contstruction.

I picked this book up as part of our adoption package as we adopted our greyhound, Titus. This book is great for a number of reasons:

1. READABILITY: This book is a very quick and easy read. You'll be able to read through it in 2 or 3 evenings. It's an easy-to-see type, and written at a level that even a grade-schooler could understand.

2. CONTENT: Of course, even though this is an easy read, that does not mean that there isn't anything to this book. Inside you will find page after page of sound advice for the greyhound adopter. The author covers almost every concievable question that you might have about your greyhound, and the index is very helpful in locating these answers to your specific questions.

3. VALUE: For [the price], you get a wealth of information about transitioning a greyhound from a racer to a pet. If you own a greyhound or are just thinking about it, this book will show you the ropes without breaking the bank.

If you have a greyhound, he or she will thank you for the knowledge that you will gain from it. Titus highly recommends it!

I am involved with an ex-racing greyhound adoption group, and I recommend this book to everyone who is adopting, or considering adopting, a greyhound. Cynthia Branigan has written the "bible" of greyhound adoption, covering all aspects of caring for these wonderful dogs. Her love of greyhounds (and all animals) is evident on every page. If you are thinking of adopting a greyhound, this is the book to have.

Branigan's excellent book is a wonderful resource for anyone who has thought about adopting a Greyhound. Even for those with a passing interest in dogs, 'Adopting the Racing Greyhound' is very interesting reading.

Branigan gives the potential Greyhound owner a very clear, very readable account of the breed. The book includes a history of the Greyhound, what took place during their racing careers, and how it will affect the dog when he reaches you. The author also addresses special needs that Greyhound owners should know. Many organizations are listed so that you can contact them for further information. Highly recommended!

This is one of the best books to read among all the 'tell-all' novels about airlines and their managers. Unfortunately, Petzinger zig zags around characters and events that become confusing and annoying. Many of the significant facts are lost as a result and the reader must go back to truly understand particular concepts and processes of airline management.

Another problem is that the author does a tremendous job explaining the history and ramifications of what the airlines and their managers did, but only takes one small chapter at the end to explain the future of the airline industry and its new leaders.

For the size and comprehensiveness of the book, a few more pages devoted to his best estimates for the future would have only made it perfect.

As an airline professional with one of the carriers covered extensively in the book, I was skeptical as to whether any author could present a clear picture of the industry's inner workings. "Complex" is somehow an inadequate word when applied to the airline industry, especially since Deregulation. Mr. Petzinger, however, has succeeded not only in telling the story; he has done so in an entertaining style which makes for a fascinating and highly informative trip through all of the turmoil wrought by deregulation. The reader comes away with an understanding of the cause and effect of every relevant force affecting the airline business over the last few decades. This, combined with a comprehensive overview of the industry's formative years, makes this book a treasure. The book would be a 10 except for a couple of minor research errors. The content, however, is outstanding and compels me to use an overused cliche: this really is a must-read for everyone in the industry and anyone with even a passing interest in the airline business.

because I would love to go through the experience of reading it for the first time again.
I work in the Airline Industry in Australia in an operational role that has aspects of Industrial Relations associated with it. To read a book that relates so many interesting and insightful stories into the trials and tribulations of De-reg in the US and the power plays between the various airlines and the Unions was nothing but fascinating.
Well researched, well written and very enjoyable. I recomend it to anyone employed or aspiring to airline management

Much as I hate to admit it, editors add more value than authors often appreciate. This book is a good example of missed potential for good editing.

The book contains almost 500 Absolut ads, and some of the rejects. What I did not realize until I looked at this book was how much bad Absolut advertising has appeared. Clearly, this volume would have been greatly improved by eliminating about 450 of the images in it. There is also a lot of text about how the ads are created, with a lot of pats on the back for the importers and agency involved. But there is relatively little about the creative process, and what works and what doesn't.

If you want to learn more interesting details about Absolut, I suggest that you acquire the newer book, Absolut, the History of the Bottle, instead.

Absolut advertising is all built around the formula of the word "Absolut" followed by some other word or words intending to say "Absolute X." While the lines are almost always good, the execution of how well the images fit with the text often leaves something or a lot to be desired. In other cases, the visuals are just plain ugly.

As the text suggests here, the idea was that "Absolut would be a product that could laugh at itself." That position is missed when the image is either almost irrelevant or unattractive. It just makes Absolut seem like it is a reflection of bad taste.

The mood for the ads was supposed to be light to " . . . add a dollop of humor so the 'We're the best' claim wouldn't be quite so boring or prententious." Well, you'll have to judge for yourself, but the ads seemed to have badly strayed from that standard.

Just so you won't think I dislike the campaign, here are my favorite ads in the book (I have eliminated "Absolut" from the titles to save space): Perfection, Joy, Peak, 19th, Harmony, L.A., Manhattan, Haring, and Appeal.

The other thought that bothered me was treating expensive vodka advertising as art. What's the social benefit here?

After you have finished considering the book, I suggest that you examine how you can add beauty to the world through your life and your work.

A votre sante!

"Absolut Book" covers the evolution of advertisements for Absolut Vodka and the people behind these ads. Most of the book is dedicated to the actual ads, broken up into groups, with captions detailing the ideas and providing additional information. Fascinating for its insight into the Absolut ads creation process. The book also includes some never published prints. An absolut must for collectors or anyone who enjoys print advertising.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in photography , advertising and art in general. You get hundreds of beautifuly printed images for a good price. After reviewing the book , I also came to a conclusion that the Absolut ads "forte" was (is) the combination of photography and clever ideas. The fashion and painted art ads to me were repetitive and has little impact when compared to the clever product shots. It was great to see this collection in a book format though. lous@mail.idt.net

I bought this book in early Sept. after "The Today Show" named it one of the fall's top books (with "Black House" by Stephen King & Peter Straub, Nancy Milford's biography of Edna St.Vincent Millay, etc.) After Sept. 11th, I waited several weeks to begin reading this: a plane crash story seemed too hard to take on. But I must say, this book made me feel better about life and old-fashioned goodness, and it made me understand Sept. 11th in a new way. The stories in this book about the two pilots, the flight attendant and a young passenger named Jennifer Grunbeck made me understand what real heroes are made of. Their courage reminded me of New York city's firefighters and the passengers on United Flight 93. This book is filled with courage, optimism and hope. It's even more important to read now after Sept. 11th. I loved it!!

This is a well-written narrative. While the crash of ASA flight 529 is the pivotal event, Pomerantz covers pertinent events years before, and years after, the crash. Unlike other non-fiction about aviation disasters, which tend to lean to the technical, there is a continuous focus on the people directly involved, all the way back to an original examination of the part that brought the plane down.

Pomerantz story's strength is its concise and unambiguous nature. The story is not complicated in its writing--it is rich in its detail.

Every named character is portrayed as a good soul, if not outright heroic. Again, compared to other stories in this genre, the lack of a personified villain may give you the idea that there's a CBS movie of the week in there. This may be a flaw to some.

Highly recommended for the aviation buff looking for a less technical read or those interested in a good human interest story.

I am a Flight Attendant, so I read any book I can related to this subject matter. The events are usually written from a technical standpoint. However, I soon discovered that this book was very different. Mr. Pomerantz brought incredible humility and heroism to this story - he lent a voice that allowed us to understand that kind of toll that this took on all involved, rather than the toll it took on the airplane. I applaud the bravery of each and every person involved in this tragedy and am very happy that Mr. Pomerantz allowed these people to have their story told in such a dignified manner. Don't pass this up.