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Books to read if you're planning a vacation in "Lane", sorted by average review score:
Obscene Profits: Entrepreneurs of Pornography in the Cyber Age
Published in Paperback by Routledge (01 April, 2001)
Author: Frederick S., III Lane
Average review score:

Porn to be Lane
From Lane's perspective on pornography, he should have surfed more porn and read fewer Time Magazines. Although he provides a very useful and entertaining history of porn in America, he lacks a real "insider's" experience. This could have come with more actual interviews with porn business pornographers other than over-publicised Danni Ashe.

This is not to say the book is bad. We all know the state of porn - or atleast you would if you're interested in reading this book. For what I required, Lane's book was almost perfect. He organized time, theme and place well, offered may other online sources and had a good chronology of events. If you're writing a TV pop documentary on the porn industry, it's a great resource. Lane's book ain't too heavy -but it's a good source for ideas.

Good, but not complete
Well, here's the scoop. I met Fred twice at Conventions. The first time was immediately after he closed the hardcover version of the book. The second, while he was reseraching for the paperback update. Now, I don't know how to say this without being arrogant, but Fred missed it. You see, I am the Inventor of the Virtual Sex Machine, the worlds first interactive sexual simulation system for use with a computer. When fred was doing his research for each of the books, he missed us the first time, despite the fact that we are very public (virtualsexmachine.com) and have been since early 1996. Had he done even a cursury search, he would have found us. We have been covered by all the major news sources (ABC, NBC, MSNBC, Playboy, Hustler, Gear, and others.)He talks of Entrpreneurs in the Cyberage, not just the adult industry. We are most definately Front and center and were not included. I could have MAYBE understood not being included in the original Hardcover as just missing us. But we met with him twice since then, and there is NO excuse for not even a mention in the update. I bought both books expecting to see something and was very disspointed. As far as I know, we are the ONLY adult company that has Patents pending on new technologies in this industry. A search of any of the normal research areas would have turned this up. We supplied him with full coverage and contact information regarding the product, and he interviewed us twice. You may say it's sour grapes for not being included, but the fact is, we are a company in this industry with the newest and most advanced technology, and it should have been included. Maybe he'll get it right in the next book. To Fred: I'm sorry Fred, but you have really dissapointed me with your research abilities. Despite that, I still have to reccomend the book, because it is well done for the coverage that it does deal with. I just think Fred doesn't quite "get it" beyond a pure dry research approach. The book is a slow read, and is very much technical. Written more like a textbook. (With some of the best and exciting parts missing)

Must Read for those who want to grow rich in a growing niche
This is an excellent book, written with a lawyer's research habits and a computer scientist's discipline. For anyone interested in the most profitable industry segment of the new economy, this is required reading material. It is interesting, entertaining, and informative. Pick it up, but know the following. Money doesn't mean power. It means freedom.

Summer Reading Is Killing Me
Published in Library Binding by Bt Bound (March, 2001)
Authors: Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Average review score:

Easy introduction to other great books
My son recently wrote the following:

The Time Warp Trio books contain amazing pictures by Lane Smith and humorous stories by Jon Scieszka (of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales fame). Time Warp Trio books are entertaining and easy to read and were probably written to encourage kids who don't usually read much to read more. For example, in Summer Reading Is Killing Me, Joe, Fred, and Sam are sucked through The Book into "storyland," where "the Boss" (a big teddy bear) is disposing of all of the protagonists (the "heroes") in books and making the antagonists ("bad guys") the main characters; thus, Curious Mr. Twit, The Devil in the Willows, etc. So, just by reading this one simple book, kids who aren't as interested in reading may become more enthusiastic about even better books, like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Hobbit, The Twits, Aesop's Fables, Dracula, Bridge to Terabithia, and Lord of the Flies, to name a few.

Summer Reading is Killing me
I like this book because it combines many characters and stories into a funny book.Fred, Joe and Sam accidentally put there Summer reading list into the book and get whisked into there latest adventure. Will the bad guy destroy all the good characters? Or will Fred,Sam and joe save the day? Find out in the latest book in the Time Warp Trio series! I think that if you are between the ages of 7 and 11 and like funny books,this is for you!

Absolutely Terrific!
The Time Warp Trio set out on their best adventure yet, when Fred leaves their school's summer reading list stuck inside the pages of their time travel vehicle, "The Book". Now, the three are stuck in literature, where the bad and evil characters are out to get all the good ones and take over the stories. This is a wonderfully written, witty, funny story that will have your kids laughing out loud. Perfect for third through sixth graders, kids will recognize characters from stories they've read and some that parents and teachers have read to them. A page turner to the end, this is the perfect book to read once the school year has ended. The only negative thing I can say about Summer Reading is Killing Me, is that it's over way too soon.

The House on Bloodhound Lane
Published in Mass Market Paperback by HarperTorch (July, 1997)
Author: Virginia Lanier
Average review score:

A real page-turner! I couldn't put it down!!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs, the south, and fiesty heroines. This is the first Virginia Lanier book I've read, but it won't be the last! I'm going to buy the rest of her books as soon as I can find them.

You'll fall in love with Bobby Lee and wish you had a bloodhound of your own.

Experience the Joy of Bloodhounds and the Thrill of a "Find"
Virginia Lanier continues the story of Jo Beth Siddon, a tough Southern Belle in a snake-proof suit who lives with her beloved bloodhounds. The reader experiences the joy of following the hounds with the nearly mythical sense of smell as they lead Jo Beth on adventures in saving lives. The humidity and animal life in the swamp drifts around you as you read. The story accurately portrays the great hearts of the dogs and also the owners who trust them enough to follow into endless swamp land. Jo Beth is a richly detailed character, battling personal demons while helping others. The reader will not only be entertained but also get a true feel for the mysterious powers of the bloodhound.

Superb reading
I have read all of Virginia Lanier's books (date of review 8/7/00). All five are full of excitement and suspense as well as romance and humor.

Being a dog lover myself, I was fascinated by the nuances of caring for, training, and working with bloodhounds.

I just finished her last book in the series and I will sorely miss Jo Beth and her adventures into the swamp with her magnificent dogs. I am eagerly awaiting the next one!

House of Glass (Buru Quartet , Vol 4)
Published in Paperback by Penguin USA (Paper) (July, 1997)
Authors: Pramoedya Ananta Toer and Max Lane
Average review score:

Who's Talking Now?
It took me awhile to realize that there is a different narrator in this book than on the previous three. While the story itself progressed as expected, the changeover is disturbing. I can't relate to this character as easily as I did to Minke.

A must-read book!
The book awakens national consciousness.It is an inspiration to those who dream of true freedom and oneness.

a masterwork
The entire quartet is an outstanding statement on the theme of universal freedom that all humans yearn for in their better natures. A message that should not be lost on the autocrats who commit all the things that Pangemenann does, ie, the rulers of Burma, Malaysia and Singapore

Aromatherapy Blends and Remedies: Over 800 Recipes for Everyday Use
Published in Paperback by Thorsons Pub (February, 1996)
Authors: Franzesca Watson and Christine Lane
Average review score:

Not very educational.
I am very new to the world of aromatherapy. I thought this book would give me more information on the how the essentials oils would work with each other. I also was looking for more information on how to make my own beauty products. This book gave a lot of recipes but dealing more with medical disorders. I was surprised that all of the recipes only had 3 ingredients. For some of the natural products that I have purchases, most have a lot more than 3 ingredients and I know good results can be obtain from only 2 ingredients as well. I rated this book a 3 because it had a lot of recipes not because of the additional content in the book. This book was somewhat helpful on some of the essential oil history (which I had already known). For the most part, the book did not meet my expectations.

This is a staple book.
Of the many superb books that I have and use on Essential oils, this is the one I reach for the most. It's thorough, consise and accurate accounts of each oil give me a qick and profound reminder of the information I need for professional use or at home. I adore this book and always recommend it to my students and customers for beginners or advanced levels. Whether it's the first or last book you'll buy on Aromatherapy I know it will be a valuable manuscript for you.

An essential working book
This book, along with Julia Lawless' The Complete Illustrated Guide to Aromatherapy has become so essential in my every day work, both professional and home.

It is easy to follow and you can find a remedy or synergy for just about any complaint. It lists the most useful oils and gives alternatives where possible. The recipes are also great with plenty of alternatives (its not practical to have every oil on hand.)

The section on holiday and first aid is great - this book and my oils go everywhere with me.

Strategic Brand Management, Second Edition
Published in Hardcover by Prentice Hall (03 September, 2002)
Author: Kevin Lane Keller
Average review score:

1950's Marketing Explained
Strategic Brand Management name is a paradox. Very little or useful competitive strategy is ever explained in the 600 plus pages of purely 1950's Eisenhower era mass marketing and mass media driven brand planning tactics. It's mostly tactics. Written by an academic who never worked his way up in brand management, the book sorely needs to be updated to the realities of modern marketing (e.g. the internet). Missing topics include competitve market analysis section, positioning, targeting, bonding, building communities, internet marketing. In fact, the entire book boils down one theme according to Kevin, "you can build brands with strong, favorable and unique brand associations." That's mentioned hundreds of times in 600 pages. Take it from the students, don't rely on Strategic Brand Management as your definitive source for understanding the strategic power of brand building. A few of his chapters are usable (e.g. brand awareness). My recommendation is to collect a hodgepodge of other titles such as Competitive Marketing Strategy by John Czepiel, The Handbook of Brand Management by David Arnold, Brand Asset Management by Scott Davis, Emotional Bonding by Marc Gobe and books by David Aaker (one of his is enough though as they just repeat). I look forward to Kevin's new edition.

Well Updated with Lot of Cases and Interesting Stuff

This book is great! I read the 1st edition, but that was a bit too academic. This time academic too, but less technical.

Cases on a number of world-class brands are already worth the dollars. That include Amazon.com, Nike, Virgin, Microsoft, IBM, and plenty of them.

This book is even more comprehensive than Branding Gurus David Aaker's Branding books. But I must admit that this book touches upon too little on e-branding, and its impact on online "brand consumption". Besides, Keller's branding paradigm needs to be updated. He got to invent his own new theory rather than drawing too much upon others' branding theories which makes this book both the Branding Bible (like Kotler's Marketing textbook for MBAs), and a thick book report.

On the whole, this book is great, it won't waste your hard-earned dollars, and Keller's diligent researcher attitude must be honoured and respected, by all means.

Great work, Keller, keep it up!

Brand building is important
The author gives out three main ways to build brand equity, and describes a new way of thinking about integrated marketing. Also, we can know whether than brand building is good or not. The branding strategy should be adjusted with change in place.

The Storyteller
Published in Paperback by Picador (November, 2001)
Authors: Mario Vargas Llosa, Helen Lane, and Mario Vargas Llosa
Average review score:

Beautiful
This book has the most amazing sense of voice and character I have ever read. The storyteller recounts the Machiguengas' mythology, day to day life, and even a few familiar stories (Kafka's The Metamorphosis) with an achingly beautiful love for the subject matter combined with the bitter knowledge that all this might be lost. The writer in Firenze sounds like a writer, constantly making connections between actions and the larger, metaphorical picture. The book delves into more than just a tribe, but the human mind as well. I think I'll read it again, next time in Spanish.

Insight of storytelling, writing, and the human mind
I picked up this book at a used bookstore, intrigued with what I thought would be an interesting storyline: a modern man goes through a stunning transformation into that of a savage, seen from the viewpoint of an old friend staring at his picture in Florence, trying to imagine the journey his friend had taken upon himself, alone, scarred, and in the dense jungle of magic.
After the first few captivating pages (one of the best beginnings I have ever read), It became apparent that there was much more to this book than a story about a Peruvian academic and outsider becoming a Machiguenga. It is a story of a writer's obsession with his craft, and his seeking of a deeper meaning in stories, and his exhaustive search into these mysterious storytellers of the jungle, and how it will validate his own strange seeking in the world of words.
It is the story of an outsider, now a central member of an exclusive and ancient order, of the determination and resolve, ("that of a lunatic or a saint"), that drove him onward. It blends the academic intelligence of Borges and the magic of Marquez, but better, and with a fervor and intelligence that betrays an intellect to be reckoned with.
It is a masterpiece. Bravo Llosa.

Storytelling at its best!
Dreamlike and unique, a picture in a European gallery opens the door to a world of myth both modern and ancient. Incandescent writing by a master describing the search for an old friend ending in a visit to an Amazonian tribe and a meeting with the Storyteller. Read it and enjoy this modern fable...I highly enjoyed this book!

Project Management in the Fast Lane: Applying the Theory of Constraints
Published in Hardcover by Saint Lucie Press (25 March, 1998)
Author: Robert C. Newbold
Average review score:

Good, but disappointing
Newbold covers the basic TOC concepts and applies the thinking processes to project management. He also has several helpful insights into implementing TOC in an organization. It is good information, but Newbold can't seem to decide what he is trying to accomplish with the book - teach project mgmt or implement TOC in an organization. There is lot's of good information and worth reading, but the information is a bit fragmented. I get the sense that Newbold has taken a set of isolated lectures and tried to make a book out of them. The materials need a class room discussion to really sink in. As it is, the concepts are rather isolated and disconnected. It probably makes perfect sense to an experienced TOC consultant, but was a bit over my head with only having read two TOC books prior to this one.

Proactively deals with inaccurate project estimates
The achilles heal of project management, especially in product development, are the estimates of time and resources. Traditional project management approaches do a lousy job of solving this. For example, although traditional PERT was developed to do this, it is not used. (In fact, in most environments PERT is not defined as the tool but as a network diagram because of this.) Finally, there is an effective approach to proactively dealing with inaccuracy in estimates. The critical chain approach can accomplish this, and this is the best book for defining what critical chain is.

Great book - very practical
Short review here - if you can't get projects out on time - read this - it will help a lot!

2000 Photographer's Market: 2,000 Places to Sell Your Photographs (Photographer's Market, 2000)
Published in Paperback by Writers Digest Books (August, 1999)
Author: Megan Lane
Average review score:

What would we do without it?
A must for editorial and/or stock photographers. A bible of contact information. A few photo buyers, like those who only buy one or two photos from freelancers a year, could be left out of the book.

Photographer's Market 2001
Photographer's Market is often refered to as the "Bible of stock photography" and this title actually fits quite well. This tremendeously valuable resource gives the photographer access to a wide market of photobuyers in all categories. Photographer's Market comes out with a new issue every year and there's always something new in every new issue. The latest one is no exception. Writer's Digest managed to find 480 new markets where photographers can sell their work in the 2001 edition. But, Photographer's Market is so much more than a mere listing of photobuyers. The book contains valuable information no photographer should be without. Things like information on names of people to contact at the various markets, how much the various photobuyers normally pay, what format they want submissions in as well as tips and hints. If you're only planning to invest in one photography book this year, do yourself a favor and make that book the 2001 edition of "Photographer's Market". Chances are you will get back the money you paid for the book faster than you can say "oups I didn't know that magazine had changed to accepting digital submissions this year..." For those of you out there who are thinking "I've been in this business for 20 years and know all there is to know", I must sadly inform you that you don't. New markets where photographers can offer, and sell, their images pops up all the time. One of the best ways to keep track of those markets is to make sure you get your yearly dose of Photographer's Market.

A must for every photographer wishing to sell his work
First time I have heard about this "Bible of stock photography" was 4 years ago. I was a keen photo-enthusiast wishing to find markets for his work, which after going through this book and using it become a reality. It took a lot of effort and patience to go through the all entries, then choose and address final "matches", but finally it paid off. I have started to buy the book every year and allways found it very useful. It is really topic and kept "up-to-date" every year and the one for 2002 is not an extemption. Should there be only one book I will keep buying every year I know it is going to be this one. I do recommend it.

Treason by the Book (Allen Lane History)
Published in Hardcover by Penguin Books Ltd (29 March, 1901)
Author: Jonathan Spence
Average review score:

Lacks Analysis
This is a solid book by a renowned China scholar. The author, Jonathan Spence, has written a number of books in which he focuses on one individual or episode of Chinese history to explore some important aspect of the Chinese past. Spence is an excellent writer and scholar who excels at weaving primary sources into a coherent narrative. In this book, Spence details the story of an obscure provincial who attempted to arouse resistance against the ruling Qing Emperor. This incredibly naive attempt is immediately crushed and the ensuing investigation is directed largely by the Emperor himself. Spence uses this story to implicitly portray several important aspects of the Qing state. Among these are the impressive reach and organization of the Ching bureaucracy, the tremendous involvement of the Emperor at the center of the Qing state, the insecurity felt by the Qing because of their non-Chinese origin, and the consequences of poorly defined succession for the Imperial throne. Other important aspects of Chinese society revealed by this story are the resentments felt by provincials unable to succeed in the Imperial examination system and the over-arching importance of Confucian ideology. This is an effective and very readable way of presenting historical information.
This vignette approach, however, has significant drawbacks. Spence makes all his points implicitly and there is no explicit analysis of the importance of the phenomena exposed by the story. For example, does this story tell us something about the Qing state in general (probably yes) or does the way events unfolded have more to do with the personality of the Yongzheng emperor? Both are relevant but Spence never provides the broad perspective needed to address this question. To be a first rate book, Spence would have to provide additional information about the nature of the Qing state, the nature and consequences of dissent, and how other emperors handled these questions. As shown in some of his other books, Spence is certainly capable of broader analysis.

Political thriller,philosophy & police procedural all in one
On the night of October 28,1728 the Governor General ,Yue Zhongqi, of China's Shaanxi and Sichuan province is handed a letter by a messenger that reveals a plot against Yongzheng, 3rd Manchu Emperor of China. TREASON BY THE BOOK by noted Chinese scholar Jonathan Spence examines a treason plot that is inspired by the writings of a dead scholar and the reactions of the Chinese government to the alleged plot. The book is a blend of political thriller, philosophy and police procedural. Spence clearly lays out the intricate workings of the government bureaucracy and law enforcement system whose skill would make a modern computerized police force green with envy. A suspect or witness only briefly glimpsed years before is easily found due to the intricate and labyrinth record keeping methods of the government on all levels. Equally fascinating is the Emperor's method of dealing with the plot. To Westerners it may appear strange but Spence has firmly laid out the cultural background that makes it understandable.The great detail that is found in the book is the result of that vast government bureaucrcy which kept voluminous records and correspondences covering every detail from great to appearingly trivial. Spence deftly brings clarity to all these sources and has given the reader the best kind of history- one that reads like a good story.

A Whodunit from 18th Century China
"Treason by the Book", by Yale historian Jonathan D Spence, is my early candidate for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for History. It is a slim jewel of a book about the investigation and prosecution for treason of a rustic scholar by the third emperor of the Manchu dynasty. Spence's book is so many-faceted that it is hard to summarize -- reflecting backward to the very origins of Chinese culture and forward into our own time. It sheds light on the nature of Chinese government and society in the early 18th century, relates a police-procedural story worthy of Ed MacBain, and tells the story of a book coauthored by an emperor and a traitor. "Treason by the Book is essentially a book about the power of words -- those written down and preserved and those spread by gossip and rumor that harden into myth.

The story begins in 1728 when the Governor General of a remote province is handed a letter by a stranger which contains a denunication of the Manchu emperor, Yongzheng. The writer, calling himself "Summer Calm", urges General Yue to "rise in revolt" and stop serving a "bandit ruler". "The barbarians(Manchurians) are different species from us (Chinese)...[and] should be driven out". The letter goes on to accuse the emperor of plotting against his parents, murdering several of his brothers, piling up material wealth, and living a debauched life. It praises a scholar, identified as "Master of the Eastern Sea" who has upheld the ideals of earlier times.

General Yue, though Chinese, is a loyal official of the "bandit ruler". He arrests the messenger, tortures and interrogates him to find out more about the conspiracy hinted at in the letter. His report to the emperor sets off an imperial investigation involving hundreds of officials in many provinces. Through detective work worthy of a modern police state, they net everyone connected to the messenger and, no matter how remotely, to "Summer Calm", a rural teacher whose real name in Zeng Jing. The roundup also includes the family, friends and former students of a poet-scholar name Lu Liuliang, the "Master of the Eastern Ocean" who has been dead for forty years. Not even dead poets can escape the long arm of a Chinese emperor.

One is awed by the efficiency of the Manchu emperor's administrative control over his vast country -- exercised through his Confucian-trained bureaucracy and a communication system unmatched in the west until the advent of the railroad. At about the same time Louis XIV's Intendants were just beginning to challenge the hereditary nobles for administrative control of the French provinces and the Hanoverians in Britain, a new alien dynasty like the Manchus, had no professional administrators. The British civil service, that would rule an empire greater than Yongzheng's, was a century in the future.

Under interrogation, Zeng Jing confessed that the "conspiracy" was mostly in his head, germinated by his reading of Lu Liuliang and nutured by gossip about the emperor he heard from a mysterious scholar named Wang Shu who had visited his schoolhouse six years earlier. After Zeng had been tried and convicted, the emperor decided that clearing his own reputation was a more important matter than executing a misguided slanderer. Zeng, he announced, was just a dupe of literary troublemakers like Lu Liuliang. To set record straight, the emperor published a 500 page book titled "Awakening from Delusion" Containing his own critque of the Zeng letter, an attack on the writings of Lu, and -- strangest of all -- a series of written exchanges between himself and Zeng Jing regarding the allegations of the letter. Zeng Jing confessed his errors of "understanding" abjectly, but in the process argued for land reform, more equitable distribution of wealth, and local "selection" of officals. The emperor made an enlightened argument for tolerance in a multi-ethnic nation. Both based their reasoning on the writings of Confucius and earlier scholars. Hundreds of thousands of copies of "Awakening" were printed and distributed throughout the empire together with imperial orders that it was to be read at bi-monthly public gatherings.

Neither of the principals lived to see the ironic conclusion of the decade-long affair. Nor could they have imagined that three hundred years later a "barbarian" scholar would use their story as a mirror in which his readers can study the reflection of their own times.

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