farley mowat is special, no doubt about it: a wonderful way with words, just weaves them together, and his subjects are fascinating, intense, powerful, often quite humorous, and his looks into the human and natural world are worth sharing. if you like farley mowat, and have read anything by him before, or even not, this is a good sample selection of a great and multi-talented writer.

If you've read Le Grand Meaulnes and liked it, then I can highly recommend Robert Gibsons superb biography of Alain Fournier (alas out of print) called "The Land Without a Name". As haunting and evocative as the novel itself, Gibsons chronicle of Fourniers life gets as close to the heart of his obsession with the Lost Domain as anything I have read. The best literary analysis of the novel (in English at least) is Stephen Gurney's book length study simply titled "Alain Fournier" (also out of print!). Many critics consign Le Grand Meaulnes to the "minor masterpeice" category, however Gurney provides a compelling argument for regarding it as one of the great novels of the 20th century. For another novel on a similair theme, I can also recommend "Picnic at Hanging Rock" by the Australian writer Joan Lindsay. This is a book which bears an uncanny resemblance to Le Grand Meaunles, both in its plot, and in the effect it has on the reader (similairly the brilliant film based on it directed by Peter Weir).

I was interested in reading "Le Grand Meaulnes" after seeing that the English novelist John Fowles cited it as a major influence on his masterpiece "The Magus." I'm not disappointed, to say the least. This is a rare gem of a novel that weaves mystery, adventure, intrigue, romanticism, and realism into a unique package that must have been way ahead of its time and still puts many modern "suspense" novels to shame with its superb prose and sheer elegance.

The novel takes place in a rural French village in the 1890's. The narrator, Francois, is a young teenager who lives and studies at the village school, where his father is the headmaster. One day a boy named Augustin Meaulnes, a couple of years older than Francois, enrolls as a new student and boarder. Meaulnes is somewhat quiet and aloof, but he soon becomes popular with the other boys in the school.

One day Meaulnes expropriates a carriage to go to a nearby town on an errand and mysteriously disappears without explanation. He returns to the school a few days later, but he admits that he doesn't know where he's been. All he knows is that somehow he found himself in a strange, vague place -- a surreal, dreamlike realm that seemed to exist outside of the real world -- where he met a beautiful girl named Yvonne. He pores over maps and searches for clues about this place -- the "mysterious domain" -- so that he can see Yvonne again, while Francois, fascinated by the story of his adventure, is determined to help him.

I would be doing a disservice to the potential reader by revealing any details of the nature of the "mysterious domain" or any more of the plot; so I will only say that every aspect of this novel is nothing short of brilliant, not only in its invention and unpredictability, but in the way it transforms itself by highlighting the contrast between the carefree dream-world of adolescence and the harsh realities of adulthood, and how our childish pastimes and fantasies inevitably give way to our sense of responsibility as we grow and mature. In this manner, the plot actually "matures" with its characters, so that by the end, we see how "grand" a person Meaulnes really is.

This is one of those little remembered novels whose remaining fans firmly believe it to be one of the unacknowledged masterpieces of the 20th Century. Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy and Halldor Laxness's Independent People inspire similarly fanatical devotion in small groups of faithful adherents. In this case though, one of the devoted fans just happens to be the great novelist John Fowles who proselytizes relentlessly for it, including writing the afterword to the edition I read, and crediting it as the inspiration for his first novel, The Magus (itself a Modern Library Top 100 entry). I don't know that I'm willing to join them yet, but all three of these cults may have a point. At any rate, The Wanderer, or, Le Grande Meaulnes, to give it the original French title, is certainly a unique and wonderful book.

The Wanderer of the title is Augustin Meaulnes, a charismatic, restless, youth who transfers to Sainte Agathe school in Sologne and befriends Francois Seurel, whose parents are teachers at the school. Meaulnes quickly earns the nickname Le Grand, or The Great, both because of his height and because he is the kind of natural leader who other boys flock to and emulate. The author portrays the school as an island, cut off from the rest of the world, and Meaulnes as the castaway who is most anxious to get off. He runs away several times and on one occasion has a mystical experience which will shape the course rest of the rest of the boys' lives.

When Francois's grandparents come to visit, another boy is chosen to accompany the cart to town to get them, but Meaulnes sneaks off in the carriage. Irretrievably lost, he stumbles upon a pair of young actors who take him to a dreamlike masquerade ball at a sumptuous estate. There he meets Yvonne de Galais, a beautiful young blonde, with whom he becomes hopelessly infatuated. They spend only a few moments together and do little more than exchange names, but this fairy tale adventure becomes the pivotal experience of his life, one which he, with the help of Francois, will spend the rest of his life trying to recapture, with tragic consequences.

Alain-Fournier was the pen name of Henri-Alban Fournier (there was another, already popular, writer of the day named Henri Fournier.) The novel is apparently very autobiographical : his parents were teachers; the boys supposedly incorporate aspects of his own character; and, most importantly, he had an experience on June 5, 1905, wherein he, age 18, encountered a beautiful young woman named Yvonne in the streets of Paris. This event became a central moment in his life. He imagined a parallel reality, or Domain, which we only come in contact with during such transcendent moments and he became obsessed with recapturing his. This imbues his writing with a profound nostalgia, a melancholic sense that those moments of epiphany that we experience can never be retrieved, that the best parts of life lie behind us, not ahead.

Fournier was killed in battle on September 22, 1914, fighting on the Meuse. Dead before his twenty-eighth birthday, this was his only finished novel, though Fowles suggests that his letters are also worth reading. In a sense, this is a novel that we would have expected from someone who survived WWI (see Rebecca West's Return of the Soldier), harkening back as it does to departed days of youth. His obsession with one event in his life suggests that Fournier might never have done much more than rewrite this story in subsequent years, but it's useless to speculate. What we do know is that he left behind one poignant and haunting novel which, rightly or wrongly, captures the inchoate sense of lost innocence and opportunity missed that we all feel at one time or another. Masterpiece or not, it is certainly unforgettable.

GRADE : A

The Stranger follows the "adventures" of Meaursault, a French-Algerian, as he tries to make his way through the Universe in a life he neither asked for, nor understands, but is doing his best to navigate. The action is muted and secondary to the motivations and thoughts of Meaursault and the revealing of Camus' philosophy.

If you haven't read anything else by Camus, you probably had to read The Stranger in high school. But now may be a good time to give it another chance. The novel falls into three parts, each marked by a death. Straightforward and simple, the novel presents its plot clearly enough, a good foil for the philosophy of the author. Camus said of this book that it portrayed "the nakedness of man when faced with the absurd" and every life is absurd. Meaursault is not what you would expect as the hero of a novel; he is just an everyday guy, perfect for the role, really, since his job is to reveal the author's version of the truths that are universal, not applicable only to a few. As an atheist, he has no preconceptions about his life or the direction it should take and is at the "mercy" of the world.

An Existentialist, Camus is not always a bundle of laughs to read, but always has interesting commentary to make about the world and the importance of accepting who you are and learning to deal with your true strengths and weaknesses. It isn't saying you should be this or that, but saying that you should just be. Don't concentrate on becoming some other person's version of success, because, after all, we're all just going to end up dead anyway. A kind of Existentialist carpe diem message for anyone who has ever felt like a stranger, and that's probably everyone. As Meaursault himself would say, "the truth shall set you free." It is a difficult read in some ways, but it will leave you changed.

This book was great. I had to read it for a French class and was warned that it was quite depressing. I found it depressing in some areas, but Camus has a style of writing that made me want to keep going. Meursault is not the typical hero of a book because of his seeming lack of compassion, but because of that he made the book interesting. This book, as well as La Peste, made me want to read more of Camus' works

When I had to study L'Etranger for my school exams, I at first greeted it with mild distaste - that is, until I got to know Mersault. This lead character made you want to strangle him and protect him from society at the same time. He truly illustrated the absurdity of life and the hypocrisy in which we all take part. I LOVE THIS BOOK!! I have read it no less than ten times and as soon as I start University next month guess what's going to be the first book I borrow from the library?!? P.S. If anyone out there wants to send me a free copy of the book (in FRENCH of course) please feel do so!!

One of fine examples how much the good images and ilustrations from historical litterature add to the value of the book. While I was reading the chapters about empires, cities, revolutions and adventures, I had the feeling of authenticity of the experience. It took an effort to leave the book every night. Such a pleasure !

This excellent compendium starts with pre-historic hunter-gatherers and pastoralists and then progresses to the big three ancient civilizations of the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Harrapans and then moves on to the Minoans, Mycenaeans, Greeks, Persians, and Hittites. What you will marvel at in this book is how people lived, worshipped, fought, and even what sort of career choices people could make! To be or not to be a scribe or a soldier in ancient Egypt. We also get insights into Eurasian hordes such as the Scythians, Huns, Vandals, Mongols, and other tribes from the steppes. There are also great sections on the black plague which ravaged Europe and the life of the Samurai in ancient Japan. This book spans the globe as it looks in on how people survived in difficult times. Things we take for granted today such as abundant food, health care, and transportation were sometimes luxuries enjoyed only by elites. This book is a real eye-opener and well worth checking out.

A great overview of daily life in many cultures and countries from 100,000 BC to the present day. This book is an emminently suitable reference for libraries and a godsend for the writer who needs just one quick fact or the ineffable flavor of a past time. Highly recommended!

I found the book to be very helpful if a little too detailed. My only real complaint is that some of the French humor doesn't translate well into English, leading to some distracting prose.

This book has to be the most complete single book on sailing. Among the topics covered are sailboarding, fiberglass repair, and catamaran trim. The book does have a European bias, however, so the sections on weather and buoyage aren't as useful for an American audience as, say, those in the Annapolis book. It also has quirky sidebars, like how to make a collapsing log. It's an invaluable reference and a good read.

The Glenans school has been teaching sailing since WWII, and the wealth of practical experience they have shows in this book. This is the best single volume on sailing that I have seen; it combines clear explanations of the physics behind sailing with a vast amount of hands-on knowledge.

For American readers, I will point out two caveats: firstly, in the chapter on meteorology, the book spends a fair amount of time discussing Mediterranean weather. Secondly, when discussing bouyage, the book uses the European system, which is different than the American one (the difference is explained in a sidebar.)

I highly recommend this book to any sailor.

The lengthy title for the 1598 printing was "The History of Henrie the Fourth, With the Battell at Shrewsburie, between the King and Lord Henry Percy, surnamed Henrie Hotspur of the North, with the humorous conceits of Sir John Falstaffe".

Surprisingly, Hal, Prince of Wales, (later Henry V) was not even mentioned in this verbose title although many would consider him to be the central character. This play is clearly the dramatization of a struggle for a kingdom, but it is equally the story of Hal's wild and reckless youthful adventures with Falstaff and other disreputable companions.

Shakespeare did not write his plays about English kings in chronological order, but these plays do have a historical unity. It is helpful (but not essential) to read the tetralogy Richard II, Henry IV Part 1 and 2, and Henry V in chronological order. Whatever route you take, I highly recommend buying a companion copy of Peter Saccio's "Shakespeare's English Kings", an engaging look at how Shakespeare revised history to achieve dramatic effect.

A wide selection of Henry IV editions are available, including older editions in used bookstores. I am familiar with a few and have personal favorites:

The New Folger Library Shakespeare is my first choice among the inexpensive editions of Henry IV. "New" replaces the prior version in use for 35 years. It uses "facing page" format with scene summaries, explanations for rare and archaic words and expressions, and Elizabethan drawings located on the left page; the Henry IV text is on the right. I particularly liked the section on "Reading Shakespeare's Language in Henry IV" and Alexander Legget's literary analysis (save this until you have read the play). The fascinating article "Historical Background: Sir John Falstaff and Sir John Oldcastle" adds a religious dimension to the play that I had not previously noted.

The Bedford Shakespeare Series provides an excellent study text (edited by Barbara Hodgdon) titled "The First Part of King Henry the Fourth". It is a little more expensive, is about 400 pages, and provides a broad range of source and context documentation. It would be excellent for an upper level course in Shakespeare. The context documentation is fascinating and informative; it ranges from the Holinshed Chronicles to Elizabethan writing on Civic Order to detailed cultural studies of London's diverse populous. Other chapters address the OldCastle controversy and the "Education of a Prince".

I also like the Norton Critical edition (edited by James Sanderson), "Henry the Fourth, Part 1", particularly for its extensive collection of literary criticism. The essays are divided into two parts: 1) the theme, characters, structure, and style of the play and 2) a wide variety of interpretation directed toward that roguish character, Sir John Falstaff.

Having just completed Henry IV Part I, I must say that I came away delighted and impressed with Shakespeare's genius once again. Shakespeare's ability to intertwine the arduous dichotomy of the impcomparable comedy of Falstaff and the meaningful history of Henry IV, Prince Hal, & Hotspur is impressive to say the least. It comes as no surprise that this was one of Shakespeare's most popularly staged plays during his day and enjoyed an unusually long stage run.

Falstaff is undoubtedly the most infamously famous literary comic character in the history of English literature. The scenes of him being robbed by Prince Hal, feigning his death, stabbing the already deceased Hotspur in the leg while claiming victory, and his employment of beggars as his foot soldiers galvanize the comic aspect of the play and make for a hilarious & farcical sublot. Interestingly, in the bar in Eastcheap, Prince Hal alludes to his future persecution of Falstaff when he is crowned king.

I strongly recommend Henry IV Part I to all Shakespeare aficionados seeing as I deem it in the top five of all Shakespeare's works along with Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, & Henry V. Now on to Part II. Adieu.

"The better part of valor is discretion." - Falstaff

henry iv is misnamed since the play isn't really about king henry but about his son, prince hal, and his enemies, especially henry percy (aka 'hotspur') who is a rival to hal. hotspur is one of the leaders of the rebellion against the king and, at a tender age, is already an accomplished soldier. his story provides the drama of the play. hal, on the other hand, has fallen out of favor with the king, and is whiling away his days in the company of dissolute company, led by sir john falstaff, one of shakespeare's great characters. his adventures with sir john provide the comic relief. fortunately for the king, hal sheds his prodigal ways in time to save his father and his crown in the battle at shrewsbury, where, coincidentally, hal meets and slays his rival, hotspur.

this is one of shakespeare's best plays. the story of the rebellion is intriguing, and the adventures of hal and falstaff are laugh-out-loud hilarious. the culmination of the two stories in the final battle scene is wonderful. this is a fitting sequel to richard ii.

note that there are some historical inaccuracies and even outright inventions in this play. foremost is the character of falstaff who is pure invention (and genius). the story of hal's adventures stems from his reputation, enhanced by legend, as a playboy. falstaff was the perfect foil for a carousing prince. the biggest inaccuracy is hotspur's age. he was actually of the generation of henry iv, and not as young as he's depicted in the play. shakespeare made him younger to enhance, maybe even create, the rivalry with hal. there are other inaccuracies here, but better for the reader to consult 'shakespeare's kings', an excellent book by saccio that explains the history of the period and the discrepancies in the play.

A very, very good book, clearly written, packed with information, "Titan" is an enjoyable narrative as well.

And why not? Rockefeller, his family, his business associates -- as characters they are as fascinating as any you'll find in a first-rate novel.

But this is biography. Balance is important. And while lots of people have said this book presents a balanced, objective view of Rockefeller's life, I'm not so sure it does.

("Titan" can't compare with Judith Therman's biography of Colette, for instance, which allows one to feel empathy for the subject, to be charmed by her -- and yet to be revolted by her, too.)

In "Titan," Chernow has a habit of extolling Rockefeller's superior (modern, even!) managment practices...

Marveling at his foresight...

Extolling him for living below his means (Rockefeller "only" owned several large mansions, a string of expensive horses, his own golf course etc.)...

Praising his massive giveaways (he "invented modern philanthropy")...

Aand THEN Chernow drags out Rockefeller critic Ida Tarbell (with her silly, old-fashioned name) from the closet as a strawman (andthen whips her soundly).

This reader couldn't help but think, "Ida, get with it! Ol' John D. was just too good, that's all!"

Chernow does level his own criticisms. But they amount to a little finger-wagging , a little tch-tch-tch'ing. For most of the the book, it's clear that Chernow admires his subject a little too much as a business-man to criticize him as a hu-man.

When it comes right down to it, Rockefeller was not a good guy. In fact, he was revolting, in a cold, reptilian way.

Ruining every oilman and refiner in several states was clever. But it was also such low-down cheating, we created an entire area of law to handle it.

For all his steely business nerve and religious resolve, Rockefeller (like most of us who live, and live well, off the capitalist system) was a weak man who loved money.

He lied, cheated and crushed other people to get more and more of it, or even worse -- he allowed his underlings to do it for him, and turned his head.

His company bribed so many politicians, the entire government became corrupt.

He spent nearly every waking hour thinking about how to get money. And he told himself pious lies to justify it all.

There's a little bit of John D. Rockefeller Sr. in all of us. "Titan" gives us a good look at the man, and a small glimpse of the man in each of us.

He mastered the world of business, but not his own impulse to have more, more, more. In fact, he died a slave to that impulse.

... something in between these two extremes. How should we view John D Rockefeller Sr? There are many biographies of the man and they usually see him as one of these extremes. Chernow explains it this way "like many moguls of the Gilded Age, Rockefeller was either glorified by partisan biographers, who could see no wrong, or villified by vitriolic critics, who could see no right". Chernow hopes to find that "often elusive voice - neither too sympathetic nor too sharp". He is a good candidate to do so having previously written an excellent biography of JP Morgan and because he writes with a clear, readable prose and very easy style. Does Chernow succeed in striking a balance between the good, the bad - and I dare say some would argue, - the ugly aspects of 19th Century American business culture and it's leaders, as represented in the person of JD Rockefeller? Yes, I think Chernow does find a middle ground. Let's look at some of the characteristics of Rockefeller mentioned in the book and you can judge for yourself.

Rockefeller grew up with a tremendous respect for his mother and later developed an "abiding respect for women" in general. A lot of it stems from what his mother put up with and went through married to a bigamist husband. Rockefeller's father actually brought his pregnant mistress into their home. Rockefeller also learned something else from his mother - a deep love of God. This was strengthened with his marriage to Laura Celestia Spelman (Cettie), a pious, church loving woman. Rockefeller himself became very active in the Baptist church and practiced an evangelical faith which guided his personal and working life. According to him, sacrifice and hard work were the basis of a sound moral charcter. He is quoted as saying "I have always regarded it as a religious duty to get all I could and to give all I could". This, we all know, Rockefeller demonstrated later in life by donating millions of dollars to charities and funding numerous endowments. Chernow also portrays him as a good father who frequently left work early to play with his children.

We can't talk about Rockefeller without talking about Standard Oil, which prior to Microsoft and IBM, was the best known case of the US Government and a private company at loggerheads over business practices. To say that some of Standard Oil's behaviour was 'improper business practices' though, would be like saying Microsoft is a supplier in the computer industry - a vast understatement! Standard Oil has been responsible for some of the most nefarious acts in US business history such as the 'Cleveland massacre' in 1872 and the 'Ludlow massacre' of 1914. The first of these 'slaughters' showed Rockefeller at his ruthless best. Through an underhand deal that would please any robber baron worthy of the name, Rockefeller, in one move, struck down and swallowed up 22 out of 26 of his competitors. The victims in the second massacre were not companies but people. Colorado militiamen engaged in a battle with striking miners - 13 were killed, 11 were miner's children. As an industrialist, Rockefeller had no use for labour unions, nor as we have seen did he much care for competition. Rockefeller's solution to "ruinous competition" was deliberate, straightforward and simple. He "conspired to kill competitive capitalism in favour of a new monopoly capitalism" - a system which he intended to rule and in fact did rule when he reigned as America's most powerful industrialist and the world's richest human.

The book is best in describing his early years, the development and growth of the oil business and Standard Oil and also Rockefeller's later years when he became a philanthropist and likable old eccentric. From start to finish a balanced, well written, easy to read, detailed analysis of a man, a company and a time, not so long ago in America's past, but surely none of which we will ever see again.

Challenging, long, and inspiring, the biography of the richest man to ever live by Ron Chernow really holds up to the name given to the book, "Titan". Wonderfully written, the reader is allowed to trace Rockefeller's roots of his granparents to his parents all the way to his grandchildren.

The book also gives excellent details on the paths he chose to follow in business, where he received his "education", and the philanthropy that he was well known for.

Though the book is not short on length, if you have a good length of time, then I do recommend the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the richest and most giving man of all time. By learning about Rockefeller, I was able to realize the magnitude of the impact he has had on American society. I can't imagine society if had not been so great!

Also, the book does a great job giving real insight into Rockefeller's true character. He was not such a ruthless businessman, but actually compassionate as he not only gave money to his charities but also to his poverty stricken church going brethren.

Rockefeller left very big shoes to fill, and the book even goes into how Jr. did his best to replace his father's momentous work.

Long, difficult, but VERY rewarding, I highly enjoyed and recommend reading "Titan". What a great name for a biography of such a character!

I bought this book on the strength of its good reviews and the interesting partyharvey website, but I just couldn't get into it. I tried several times, pushing grimly on from the beginning or giving another chapter a go, but it just seemed stilted and contrived. All a matter of taste, I'm sure -- so before you buy, do try to read any posted pages this book may have available.

This is truly a remarkable book. It was recommended to me by a professor at my college who teaches comparative literature, and that's exactly what it is. The entire novel is a dialogue between the greatest literary masterpieces of Western Literature. The main character, Captain Harvey, travels around Europe retracing the "steps" of Homer, Don Quijote, Dante, Van Gogh, to name a few, living out the adventures of both fictional and non-fictional characters in what becomes a humorous and profound parody. Clearly, it helps if you have some knowledge of the classics, especially Greek mythology, Dante, and Shakespeare, but even if you don't you can follow the story on a more superficial level as simple series of travel adventures. This is not a cookie-cutter John Grisham-type novel that you can read in your sleep, it requires a reader who is awake and is willing to stop and think about the very serious question, "What is the essence of personal identity?" If you are willing to ask questions, this novel will supply endless rewards.

5 Stars for Roland Twelves, "The Adventures of Captain Harvey"! This tome is a startling saga with refreshing views on life, love, and the perception of reality. In a brand new approach, Roland Twelves peals away the idealism of everyday existence to reveal the basic, naked self. In a state of vulnerability the book overpowers one's identity to impose one of it's own. The fundamental super ego vacuum of Captain Harvey drift's down upon the unsuspecting casualty only to transform the now bare slate into everyone and yet no one at the same time. In fact, I was so overcome by this narrative that I believed myself to be a rock for some time...

Allanbrook is on the faculty at my alma mater, so I had something of an interest in this book for that reason. It's basically a very frank recollection of his years in Italy, both as part of the Army during World War II and afterwards, when he returned to the country on a fellowship. Actually, it's a bit confusing (yet another book that could be chronological but isn't) because it starts out with the later phase of his life and only eventually gets to his first experiences in Italy. Like one's recollections, it jumps around as one is reminded of other events. He will repeatedly relate anecdotes from a different time but the same place as he is or was reminded of them.

It is a very frank recollection, holding nothing back when it comes to dealing with his sex life throughout with both prostitutes and lovers. The style is a little convoluted. I wish at times that he'd chosen to be plain-spoken rather than clever in his choice of words.

Still, this does provide a clear view inside his head and that, at least, makes it an interesting read.

This is a wonderful book about the harsh truths of modern warfare--the constant mud, cold, and idleness, the perfidy of generals, the humble face of occasional heroism. It certainly deserves a paperback edition--should not be allowed to go out of print.

Here is an extremely talented memoirist who is particularily adept at giving us character sketches. As a civilian, this book gave me a realistic glimpse of what life as a soldier was like in WWII's European theater. I would rate this book second only to Norman Lewis' "Naples '44" if you want to get a feel for wartime Naples. That is saying a lot because Lewis is widely recognized as one of the greatest travel writers of the 20th century.

If this is your first band, buy this book. If you're in school and think you want to have a performing music career, buy this book. If you're midcareer, this book may also be useful. And if you want to become a manager but not sure how to start, buy this book. The main attraction for all readers is that it has very specific checklists that may seem insultingly simple, but are really helpful in keeping tasks organized and everyone's energy focused. It's worth the $-$ just for the sample worksheets, suggestions as to how to keep doormen honest, and other "duh" stuff, when you consider it will probably stop you from losing at least $ on your next gig. It may not get you a record deal, but it will help keep you from pulling out your hair during the day-to-day part of building an act.

As a member of a Seattle-based band struggling to survive in the post-grunge era, I found salvation in this book. Everything you need to know is here; promoting yourself, getting those shows that everyone around you is competing for, making the most of your stage time, and GETTING PAID!

There are many, many books out there about the music business, but many of them deal with the level beyond--courting a label, for example, or how to hire a press agent. This book is a bible for bands that are just getting started and need to learn the ins and outs of the scene. Worth every penny, and then some.

Despite some of the negative reviews written here, I purchased this book based upon the table of contents. After reading it THREE TIMES, I'm convinced that those reviews where written by people who never read the book or authors of competing books.

ALL AREA ACCESS is the best 380 pages I've ever read on this business. Finally, someone attacked the fundementals. I came away feeling much more enlightened about the industry and what it requires from me as an artist.

If you're a know it all loser like so many artists out there who have nothing better to do than complain about no one giving you a break, this books not for you. Then again nothing is.

I read it, followed the advice, especially the booking elements and the recording elements and I've got my band playing more shows and getting paid at least double what we did prior to reading it. If Mr. Davison is anyone, he's an elightened member of the business who took some time out of his life to teach those of us who know nothing other than how to play an instrument the most basic elements. Thank you sir!