Bob Ellis is an Australian Intellectual. He is a good writer but is politically left of most.

This book is a rant by a refugee of the 1970's. His opening definition of Economic Rationalism as "the refusal to spend money on the unneccessary" is sound enough, but the adventure from there on is unsound. It is still interesting to see his logic flow out of rational (pardon the pun) to the bizarre.

Ellis argues, by way of example, bringing democracy to Russia led to people dying and therefore Economic Rationalism is evil (Arguement 54).

His 202 Arguements Against Economic Rationalism are really the same one repeated: he is an old leftie and doesn't like anything that has happened since 1975.

Having said all that, I enjoyed the read. Get it and enjoy it. Anti-Globalisation folk will take it as gospel, the rest of us won't change our worldview because of it.

A spritely critique of economic rationalism, and general economic market theory, as it curently applies to everyday life. While i couldn't agree with everything argued, it provided necessary food for thought. The language is accessible, enjoyable, and sets out to be deliverately provocative.

To read Bob Ellis is to have your eyes opened. Mr Ellis explains through simple examples the misguided folly behind globalisation. Read this book and then spread the word - don't follow blindly upon the Thatcherite path of 'There is no alternative'.

This story is set in a small hotel on a remote Scottish island, where the characters have gathered to avoid having to celebrate Christmas. Having often wanted to do the same thing myself, I thought the book would be about Christmas, its true meaning, why we celebrate at all, what we accomplish by escaping it, and stuff like that. However, the story has almost nothing to do with Christmas. That's just the excuse the author uses for assembling this group of characters. I've never read anything by Ellis before, so didn't know what to expect. It's a quirky little story, what there is of it. The best parts of it are the characterizations; they are excellent. Each person is drawn and developed so uniquely. I could recognize aspects of myself or friends in each of her story's characters.

Ms Ellis writes about several disagreeable people all trying to be antisocial at Christmas time. Her descriptions of these horrid people are hilarious, especially the psychiatrist obsessed with getting his wife back to make him his supper. As usual, she puts a touch of the uncanny into the story. I recommend this and any of her books.

The Inn at the Edge of the World is based on the delightful idea of avoiding Christmas or at least what it has become in the modern world. An ill-assorted lot of guests ends up on a tiny Scottish island with secrets of its own, including the omnipresent smell of fish. As usual, Ellis mixes the real and supernatural deftly and believably. The writing is first rate, the characters real and the ending totally unexpected.

I've been using Ellis' book in some recent research into the fiscal history of the Irish Lordship. I'm afraid I agree more with the first reviewer -- remember, the popularity of a book often varies inversely with its quality. Yes, the book contains a great deal of useful information, but it is confusingly arranged. Dr. Ellis gets a few facts wrong, although it doesn't seem too critical except when he attributes certain actions of Richard III to Henry VII. Overall, however, the reader had better already have a working knowledge of the subject before using this book. A large number of assumptions are made concerning the identity of individuals; Ellis seems to take for granted the reader already knows who they are. For a foreigner such as myself reading this book, these lacunae make for irritating diversions from the flow of the narrative. No, it is not a book for beginners, nor an adequate introduction. What the second reviewer hints, however, is correct also -- there isn't much else in the way of material from which to choose, and this book does a better job than most.

Ellis' book is too complex and extremely difficult to read. It certainly is not a good starting point for reading up on the Tudor History of Ireland. It contains absolutely no pictures or illustrations of any kind re-emphasing its difficulty.

Has your reviewer actually seen the book? It has a colour picture of Cahir castle, Co. Tipperary on the dust jacket. It includes seven maps, three tables, a glossary of terms, and a guide to further reading. It is a revised version of the standard work on the subject used in universities in Ireland and Britain since the publication of the original work, TUDOR IRELAND, in 1985. The reason for this new edition was precisely the popularity and continuing sales of the original. Perhaps your reader wanted a more romantic, simplistic view of Ireland's past.

Very humorous. But it's only funny because it's so totally innacurate (I'm speaking, specifically, about the so called slang for San Francisco)... I don't know of any one who uses these terms, like 'The Mish' for The Mission. To do so while strolling Valencia would surely ID you as a tourist (or worse, an easy mark) in less time than it would take three Marines to dates on Capp Street.

I loved this book!!! If you have any interest in the English language, it's a must buy... It's a great gift if you're a traveler, and u want to fit in with the locals..

I do a lot of traveling for work and my wife picked up this book for me as I endlessly wait in airport terminals or somewhere over the un-friendly skies.

I've read it three times already! Each time catching things I missed before. This book is hysterical! As I flip each page, I learn a different phrase or tid-bit of information I never knew before about all sorts of places around the globe. Things you could never know without taking up residence in each region.

Even a seasoned traveler like myself was surprised about how little I knew about places like Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Denver, Columbus, Boston, Nashville, and even Scranton, PA. Places I once only thought of as stopovers between business meetings and my home in Portland, Oregon, I now think of as little worlds of their own, with their own rich traditions and idiosyncrasies. The book even informs you on things you should and should not say in places like Beijing, London, Tokyo, Paris, Rome, Rio and even Nairobi.

But the book also goes into gambling slang, golf slang, truck driver slang, day trader slang, military slang, ER slang, and even teenager slang (which will come in handy when my daughter becomes one next year). This book is a riot!

You won't have to be a world traveler like me to appreciate this book. You just have to be curious about the world around you and enjoy the subtle differences that make all of us interesting, wonderful and special. I don't know how the author documented all this, but kudos. What a fun and educational read! Highly recommend!

For the beginner this is a decent INTRODUCTION to water gardens but it is loaded with inconsistencies, lacks definitions (a glossary), is illogical in many places and left me frustrated many times trying to understand the basic stuff. Again a decent introduction to water gardening but the serious "gardener" would be well advised to look to other sources.

lots of great tips in here for a beginner. this helped me out a lot

Excellent guide that I highly recommend. This is well organized, clear, complete and is very well illustrated. This is an excellent book on water gardening that will be particularly helpful to beginners, but also contains interesting and creative ideas for the more experienced water gardener.

A friend suggested I read this because I'm interested in historical fiction. And this guy is published? Amazing.

Too many characters, each one "Forrest Gump"-ized into managing to meet or be involved with some Major Cultural Event of the great age of immigration. Shallow characterization, aggressively bad dialogue, this book reads as if it were written for one of those bad TV movies starring Meredith Baxter Birney and Perry King.

This was a book I really enjoyed, and as I went through it following five immigrants on their way to the promised land, it was educating as well. I got to learn about daily life, relationships and social standards in new york at the beginning of the 20th century. There are a lot of real happenings mentioned in the book, which, as for me, made it easier to put things in perspective. As I started reading, I could barely put the book down.

I just got through reading the book. It was really good I like reading books about the turn of the century. it had a lot of historical facts about early New York. it was interesting to see how Tin Pan Ally was and how racial prejudice was alive and well in new york too I would recomend the book.

I cannot believe I bought this book. At the time, there was only one review and (for some reason) it was given 5 stars. Euchre is NOT a difficult game to learn. But there are many strategies to learn if you want to be an expert player. This book covers none of them.

Basically, we sit through a make-believe hand of Euchre, while the author describes how to throw a card onto the table. After about 12 cards are thrown, you turn the page only to find that you're now looking at the back cover -- and you haven't learned a single thing.

Save your money. Do not buy this book. If you want to learn the basics of Euchre, have a friend teach you. If you want to learn about Euchre strategy, buy the Columbus Book of Euchre. I purchased it at the same time I bought this piece of worthless .

It's just too bad the author had to smear his grandpa's name by putting it in the title of this book.

I see that this is the third review. The first reader had modest expectations about the book and was well rewarded, as was I. The second expected an advanced strategy discussion and was disappointed. The fault here is the reviewer's, not the book's.

This short beook is clearly designed to get the reader to the table and to have some fun. It's EXACTLY what a first-timer needs. It won't give you the experience of a ten year player but will simply get you the basics. And that it did quite well.

I never played Euchure in the cafeteria in high school, so I was not prepared for my husband's family's Euchre marathons. I would just sit on the sidelines, trying to get the hang of the game, with no success. Even private tutorials were no help (we all know your husband can't teach you anything, right?).

So my husband bought me this book for xmas last year, as a last-ditch effort before I became permanently classified as Euchre-challenged.

This is one hell of a book. I sat out the tournament and read it, cover to cover, and now I get it. I actually get it! Thanks, Grandpa Lou. (Shame you're not related to my husband!)

It's about a redneck kid who hunts snakes and sells them for money. He lives in a swamp and lives like a pioneer.

I read this book when I was a child and loved it... Its an interesting story about a impoverished child's relationship with his father, and his relationship with a local legend, Ironhead, an alligator he encounters on trips to catch rattlesnakes to earn money. Although I have not read this book in almost 2 decades, it was a favorite and a cherished part of my childhood.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. ANYONE WHO HAS GREW UP OR SPENT TIME IN THE OUTDOORS CAN RELATE TO THIS BOOK. IT IS HILARIOUS. THIS IS A CLASSIC!

very basic. all fluff. While I understand this is a guide for people just getting into coaching, it is still very basic. After reading the manual I feel I got nothing out of it. There are far better books available at a fraction of the cost.

I am a Life Coach. I helped edit this book and I've coached the author. Life Coaching is my passion and my career. I love it and I love helping anyone who might be interested in becoming a Life Coach.

Many therapists and others who want to become Life Coaches are uncertain and hesitant because they are unfamiliar with this relatively new career. This book offers a very clear and thorough description of all areas of coaching. It includes specific information and practical strategies related to the logistics of coaching, coaching skills, professional issues, and even marketing your services. It dispells many misconceptions about Life Coaching and maps out a clear path to shift from whatever you are doing now to becoming a succesful Life Coach.

The model of Life Coaching described is clearly distinguished from consulting and "advice giving." This style of Life Coaching trusts the brilliance of the client to determine what he or she really wants in all areas of life and then to design multiple actions plans to achieve it. Some of the Life Coach's primary jobs include listening fully, affirming, and facilitating the client's thinking.

A suggestion to improve the book is that some of the items in the "Questions and Answers" section would fit nicely in earlier sections. In fact, the book could be re-organized to eliminate the "Questions and Answers" section completely.

I am comfident that this book contains extremely valuable and useful information that will help any potential coach become confident and masterful in this new profession.

Life coaching is a new career field that is growing and changing very quickly. If you want to become a successful life coach, or if you are a coach looking for ways to sharpen your skills, you need practical advice from someone with real experience. This manual provides just that, with easy to read, chapter by chapter instruction on all kinds of issues, including: how coaching differs from counseling, how to set up your practice, how to deal with different kinds of clients, how to handle mistakes life coaches can make and when to refer a client elsewhere. It also explains how to market your services so that your practice will be a lucrative one. There are books on the market about the life coaching process or how an individual can benefit from life coaching techniques, but this is the first really comprehensive book about how to become a coach and stay on top of the profession. That makes it worth having on your bookshelf.

Of all the Lonely Planet guides I have used, I found this one most disappointing. The layout is indeed enticing, with excellent integration of text, pictures, maps, and amusing graphics. The critical flaw, however, is that it makes a lousy companion for when you are actually touring New York City.

The walking tours are inane collections of random descriptions--I was shocked to discover that my free AAA guide gave me a much better sense regarding the character, history, and culture of New York neighborhoods than Lonely Planet's glossy, but shallow, approach in this book. Many of the things I would have wished to learn about New York, such as its rich architural, historical, cultural heritage throughout its different neighborhoods, were not to be found. In general, great on fluff and presentation, but lacking in substance for one of the world's most substantial cities.

This is one of the more comprehensive travel guides to New York that I have found. It includes lots of vital information on transportation and clear, helpful maps, which I found invaluable on my trip to the city. There was also a great deal of information of interest to visitors from outside the US, which I found interesting.

The sections on the outer buroughs are a little brief, but most tourist visitors to the city are probably more interested in Manhattan anyhow. A great travel guide, but if you're a resident or planning on moving to New York, another book might be more helpful.

I bought this book before my arrival to New York. I have lived here for the last year. I used this book so many times to walk around, I double-checked lots of small details in this book without finding a single out of date information. I already feel like a New Yorker, and love this city! This book can equally help a weekend visitor, a short-time tourist or somebody who moves to New York for good.