I am a real estate investor for 10 years now. Have amassed a personal library of well over $10,000 of tapes and books on the subject. And personally involved in 40 real estate transactions in the yr 2000. With that said, this is the book to read.

My first year of marriage had my non-real estate wife read that book. In exchanged, I was forced to endure, Man are from Mars and Woman are for Venus. I wanted for her to understand financial philosophies.

This is a timeless book of philosophy. For you newcomers in real estate here's a precious idea... Look at 100 homes in a neighborhood. Talk to the realtor and the mortgage broker and analyse the deal. Guess what, at the end of those 100 homes you are the expert! Now every house you see in that area, MAKE AN OFFER! No more excuses after that.

Okay, I know you still have the no money excuse. Blah, just "noise" in your head.

Read this book if interested in real estate investing. Don't if you aren't. It's a fun read with cartoon character of workers going to work with carrots on their head. Dont worry that its written in 1980? It is timeless.

We used Mr Greene's book and began our own home rental business. In less than 2 years, with no prior realestate knowledge or experience we have acquired 8 homes, 2 duplexes, an apartment complex (hardly tycoon speed!) AND generated a large positive cash flow. We have also been able to take advantage of his tax strategies, and received unbelievable returns. Thanks to Mr Greene, our business is expanding rapidly, and my husband will soon be retiring from his job, never to work for someone else again. We see a very lucrative future ahead. The tax laws in this country were set up in a time when most everyone owned their own businesses. To take advantage of tax benefits, you must have some kind of business. Use his insight to see what YOU can do to take advantage of the benefits that were created for us all.

It really is possible to purchase real estate profitably with little or no money down, or even cash back. While some information is outdated, Greene provides a comprehensive, easy to read and funny introduction to the subject. The step by step plans work; more important, he shows you the principles of building a bank relationship, finding suitable properties, and negotiation. However, one should research the subject thoroughly, including talking to experienced and creative no-money-down investors in one's area, and looking at many properties,as Greene recommends. Greene also shares some of his Libertarian Philosophy, showing how average people can make money, while warning against some of the nuttier government regulations

Forget Shakespeare, Emerson, Plato and all. Bob Greene is the greatest writer of all time. It wouldn't make a difference if he published a grocery list, it would be perfect prose. This review could be interchangeable with any book he writes. Greene has the talent to find a story and then write it so the rest of us know why it is important to him. I've been a journalist for 20 years and hope and pray I'll get to be a 10th of Green's level. Quit reading this and go buy all his books.

Bob Greene gifts his reader with a compilation of articles that evoke a myriad of emotions. Each story has a point to be made, and that point could uplift you, enrage you, provoke you, encourage you, surprise you, or just make you exault life. Diverse in topic, they are poignant; they are inditing; they are sentimental; they are little gems of this most gifted writer's archives. I read one story nightly, before bed, and I looked forward to that ritual with great enthusiasm....our media is interested only in the sensationalist aspects of news, and at times it becomes exhausting. Bob Greene says there is another side and "the proof is in the pudding" of this fine book. It is good to know their is a reporter who cares about the "small story" that packs a big wallop.

Excellent style of clear, precise writing. Bob Greene bequeaths us back our pride in America, our belief in inherent good, and our desire to exhault everyday heros. If you are media weary, restore yourself with this infusion of hope, courtesy of one of the best newpaper columnist of our times.

When the subject of conversation is a Bob Greene book you hear many cliche's. Finger on the pulse of America aside, he's just a damn fine writer. Bob Greene is quite simply, a man you trust to get it right and give it to you straight.

Based on his notion that performance outcome is influenced by seven sets of factors (determination, energy, perspective, courage, focus, poise, resilience), the author elaborates on how we can arm ourselves with mastery in the above seven areas to undertake challenge in any field. That's quite the normal setting in any self help book. However, I do like the author's clear, logical and straight to the point writing, without the excessive and tedious examples anonymous commonly found in most self help books. The five page Chapter Eight, so named a synthesis: putting it altogether, (the seven set of factors were grouped into seven individual chapters), simply tells how "to the point" the author had been. In a word, a very good read.

p.s. I like the saying in front of each chapter much. They do tell much of what the chapter is talking about, especially chapter eight Resilience:

"Inside the ring or out, aint nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong."

- Muhammad Ali

As a professional actor I have searched the dusky shelves of libraries across the states studying the writen record of the craft of acting... and there are thousands of books offering endless advice about how to cultivate one's performance skills. The books are often esoteric and require some strange practices bordering on the mystical. From lying on the floor doing primal screams to over-analyzing the script as if it were a lab animal as opposed to a wild thing... these books always begin with promise and then lead me further and further into a labyrinth of confusion. Finally, I have found the book which contains a precise yet playful process which addresses the fundamental concerns of acting. Don Greene's book presents a technique for Mastery. As human beings we are constantly learning new skills and we rarely ask ourselves about how we learn. Don Greene gives a clear and practical account of how to cultivate not just 'skill,' but rather, the skill of developing skill, the mother of all skills. Prior to working with this material, I would come off stage after a good performance and have no idea how I entered into a creative state. Vice/versa, sometimes I would give a bad performance and despair that I couldn't act. I felt like I was at the whim of some unseen forces, the 'theatre gods' perhaps. Now I am discovering that my creativity is entirely within my control. I create my own states of creativity or blockage based on how I process the information coming to me all the time. How I interpret this information is largely responsible for the quality of my experience of life and how I perform in my own life. Whether I am performing Hamlet, dealing with an agent, auditioning, or enjoying liesure time at home, I find the new skills I am cultivating from Don Greene's book to be of immense value. Although the book is always scientific, precise, and practical, it suggests a profound transformation in the way we view what is possible for human beings. It challenges us to push the limits of the known and discover the vast resources within ourselves. Furthermore, Don's free online performance test helped me see clearly what my strengths and weaknesses were and thereby, focus my efforts on those particular skills which would improve my performance as effectively, efficiently, and economically as possible.

A lot of self-help books have just the opposite effect than is intended: You feel so overwhelmed, so daunted by the work in front of you, you want to just hide or lie down. Not this one! Here's advice you'll enjoy reading and can't wait to put into practice--and you'll see results immediately.Greene is inspirational without sounding mushy; he's insightful without sounding like a shrink; and despite his military background, his tone is anything but drill sargeant--he's actually funny. I usually hate spending $20 on a hardcover, but this is the least expensive and most effective "therapy" I've ever gotten.

Law School for Dummies is the six law school guidebook I've read so far in preparing to start my 1L career. And let me tell you it's by far the best. The chapter on "Thinking Like a Lawyer" was worth the price of the book alone. It really took an abstract concept--what "thinking like a lawyer" really means in law school--and boiled it down in a really understandable and memorable way. I also appreciated the helpful advice in the "Not a Moot Point: Getting Involved in Law School" chapter. Before I read this chapter I had been planning to just do every law school extracurricular I could but Greene helped me see that it's the quality of your involvement, not the quantity, that's important. Her discussion of law journals and exactly how much work they involve was eye-opening and very informative.

All in all--if you're only going to buy one law school guidebook--get this one. The subheadings make it very easy to find exactly what you're looking for.

What I really liked about this book was its thoroughness--it covered everything a law student would think to ask about--extracurriculars, getting the first summer job, how to choose your courses, and how to study for exams. I thought the sample exam questions and sample student outlines were great! Every topic was dealt with in an honest and realistic fashion, too, another reason why I'm recommending this book to all my friends.

I just finished my first year of law school, and let's just say that I'm having major doubts about whether law school is really for me (and I know I'm not alone here). I went into law school because I didn't really know what else to do with myself and lately I've been looking for books that might candidly address this issue (i.e. what to do when you've come to the realization that you don't want to practice law.) I hadn't found any until I read this one.

What really appealed to me about this book was that from the get-go the author doesn't assume that you're necessarily going to use your law degree to practice law. She points out all the other great uses of a law degree besides the traditional practice of law in a chapter about alternative legal careers and in other places throughout the book. Since my law school's career services office doesn't really cater to people who have a non-law firm inclincation, this book was really helpful in pointing me in a whole new direction!

The day my childbirth class was to start I was put on bed rest. Although I had read a lot about pregnancy and birth, I still didn't really know what it would feel like to have a baby. Reading these accounts of births helped a lot -- I felt I was much better prepared for the experience. I also liked Labor Day, edited by Ann-Marie Giglio, but that collection was relentlessly positive. This book include stories from women who weren't thrilled with their experiences, which seemed more honest.

The stories are organized by where the birth occurred: hospital, birthing center, home. Reading the different accounts reassured me that I had chosen the location that was right for me.

I'd recommend this book for anyone wondering what it's like to give birth.

This heartwarming book is a compilation of real women sharing their birth stories. Hospital births, births at home, and unexpected birth places. No matter where or how a woman has her labor and delivery, the end result is the same: the miracle of life, the birth of a baby. The stories shared here are bound to make you laugh and cry, and feel proud to be a woman.

Any mother knows that moms never get tired of the birth experience of other women. It is fascinating to read about the variety of way that women deliver their babies. You'll read about "normal" birthing experiences that take place in a hospital with doctors and epidurals, and you'll read about unusual experiences, such as a woman who gave birth to her baby in a tunnel. With each birthing story you will feel empathy and camaraderie with the women who share their story in this wonderful book.

Any woman who is pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant will be amazed to read how many different ways there are to have a baby. Reading Real Birth may give a woman a new perspective about the way she would like to deliver her baby and is a must read for all expectant woman.

The author Robin Greene says, "Women share their birthing stories the way men share their war stories." Any woman who has already had a baby will read this book and will feel priviliged to know that she is among the many, the proud, the moms.

I'm far beyond my pregnancy experience now, but this book gave me a look back. I so identified with these women. What struck me was that these narratives are more than women dealing with the pregnancy experience; these are their stories of the conflicts and struggles in their lives, stretching into the relationships with spouses, other children, parents, and themselves. This is a must-read for all pregnant women, and for mothers of pregnant daughters. Great stuff!!

I found these essays by Peter Greene to be an unmitigated pleasure to read. Incisive, witty and thought-provoking, Greene gets right to the heart of his topics, which range from the mundane to the profound. And, not surprisingly, it's the gritty details - in this case, on topics like small town fiefs and feuds to education to local personal heros - that make these columns so compelling. No fan of Russell Baker, Dave Barry, E.B. White and their ilk will be disappointed with this book. I hope Mr. Greene continues to make his points in print for a long time, and that more collections like this are forthcoming.

...Greene's writing displayed the kind of precision, vision, and individuality that can freeze a moment as if in amber. I remember where I was sitting when I first read his words. I remember stopping, and saying to myself, "Boy, this guy really has what it takes. I look forward to reading more by him. I want to see the world further through his eyes, understand it through his mind, touch it through his words." Read more by him I did. I find that I often see the world very differently than Greene does, but exposure to his perspective is always worth my time. His writing is so precise that I always know exactly where he stands. Even when where he stands is diametrically opposed to where I stand, I have been offered a clear statement of that with which I disagree. Precious to me, though, have been those moments when Greene articulated *exactly* what I was thinking, and he did so with power, humor, and crystal clear insight. Essays by him on the words one dare not say in a Politically Correct conversation, the Nice Guy Syndrome, and strippers grabbed my attention and fed me in the way that only the very best writing can. Greene is blessed with the sensibilities of an Algonquin Round Table regular, but, unlike too many writers, he has not, moth-like, surrendered to the allure of the big city or flashy literary trends. America is lucky to have a writer of his caliber devoting his considerable gifts to the warp and woof of small town life. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, and I sincerely hope that it is not Greene's last.

I have the privilege to be a resident of Venango County. I also have the privilege to enjoy Peter Greene's writings every week (and live in fear that I may do something silly to appear in one!!). And on top of all that, I have also had the privilege to have been a student of the author. Greene has a way of connecting with and bringing out that side of us that we all wish we could harness regularly. A dry sense of realism mixed with a little of the absurd is a hallmark of his style.

As a student, I can remember looking forward to diagramming sentences in his class.... Yes, you heard correctly; LOOKING FORWARD TO DIAGRAMMING SENTENCES!! Who could believe it?! Witty, obscure, unique, hilarious - everyone just couldn't wait to see what he would come up with next. From "pusillanimous cows" to "polka-dotted thingummies," we ate it all up. He taught that writing was not something to be afraid of... it was something to be embraced, a form of artwork and expressionism. He taught satire and cynicism, optimisim and reality.

You can see his connection with language, it is both symbiotic and honest. Greene is an Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer, so you may have already sampled his brand of humor and sense of society. If you haven't, please look him up. What you read is what you get. The person truly is represented by his written "voice."

A deeply personal work, this book is a collection of essays written about and for our community. And when I say community, I include not only Venango County, but the entire world. One tale can bring you to tears and the next can enrage you. Read about family foibles, add in some twisted humor, and you'll be laughing in the aisles before you know it. Everyone can relate to that big-time, "community-clueless" business in town or the need to recognize the heroes in your life or the death and loss of a mentor or the silliness of your own family.

These essays are writings that appeal to all peoples and all personalities and all sensibilities. Please do not miss a chance to learn a little about Peter and all of us that make up these Venango Tales. Who knows... you may find that a little of yourself resides in Venango too.

I like the format of this journal. You can track exercise, food intake, alcohol, fat and sugar along with writing your thoughts and specific food if you so desire. The only thing that I do not like is his use of the term "Bad Carbohydrates." I hate the whole good food vs. bad food terminology and think that it promotes some unhealthy food issues.

From Make the Connection to Get with the Program to Get with the Program's Guide to Healthy Eating to this Daily Journal, Bob Greene is down to earth, easy to understand, and is highly motivating and encouraging. I would recommend his books to anyone desiring to take better control of their health and fitness, and do it with a common sense approach. I see why Oprah likes him so much.

If one is to spend money and time on reading the book, then they should use the daily journal to put "words into action." Set up into twelve week increments, this is enough time to record your progress and also see the results. With this notebook one can organize and record their fitness goals, exercise, and eating patterns. You can keep track of fat, sugar, carbo and alcohol intake. You can tell if your staying on track with your goals, progressing or slipping. Use it or lose it.

Howard Greene, the most esteemed of all educational consulants, writes of the social, academic, and campus experience of college students. This book is a clear must for anyone interested in what really goes on inside of well known colleges and universities throughout the country. Honest and interesting, Greene has sucessfully accomplished another outstanding book! I can't wait to see what he will publish next! Perhaps a piece co-written with his daughter, a college freshman?

Very complete research on many aspects of life in "Select" colleges. Certainly a good book to read if you have a child, or are a student interested in the highly competitive colleges.

I have studied higher education for 20 years and my greatest frustration has been the public's unwillingness to look beyond the designer label when choosing a college. Prestigious universities get and maintain their reputations DESPITE their typically offering extremely poor undergraduate education. Not only are classes often large and poorly taught, many students find themselves stressed into fearful quiescence in classes and into depression or eating disorders outside of class (with the colleges doing little to prevent it. And for the privilege, the four-year actual total cost of attending such institutions is nearly $150,000, with only modest cash financial aid available to the middle class. Finally, there's a book which, with painstaking documentation, tells some of the tale. I would only add that even the vaunted career-boosting of an Ivy diploma is seriously overrated. Because these institutions attract the nation's best and brightest students (They really can't be that bright if they're willing to pay so much for so little) they would get great jobs no matter where they went to college. Indeed, at less selective students, these Ivy-caliber students would stand out, thereby getting to hold leadership positions on campus, receive superlative letters of recommendation from professors and administrators, and insider leads on jobs--none of which is as likely at an Ivy institution, filled with student superstars. This book is a MUST read for anyone considering attending or sending their child to a "prestigious" college. The truly wise choice is to send your Ivy-caliber child to a public institution that has a substantive honors program. Some of the small publics may be particularly wise choices: Mary Washington, Evergreen State, St. Mary's College of Maryland.

I checked this book out at my local library with two other college admissions guides to refesh my memory of what it's like to go through the college application process as a part of my efforts to help my young academically gifted cousin who is beginning this process. I found this book to be thorough and easy to follow for a college bound high school student looking to broaden their options. I can relate to what it was like to be in the world of a pretentious high school senior without real world experience to tell me that the name on your degree doesn't necessarily equate to how much your occupation and earnings after college will fit society's ideal of "success".I can see how this guide book could serve to reassure the ambitions while calming the anxieties of high school seniors who feel that their fate is based upon whether or not they get into a "name" school, which usually includes an Ivy League institution.
My response to a couple of other readers' reviews is that I can see how questioning the validity of the prestige of Ivy league institutions would seem to be a viable option. Everyone knows that "rankings" are subjective, and that each college has attributes that are more suitable for some students than others, but that doesn't mean we have to bash those schools for their ability to maintain their success. One of the previous reviewers questioned whether or not Penn or Cornell is really better than Amherst and Middlebury, which is really an unjustified comparison when Amherst and Middlebury are two small liberal arts colleges and Penn and Cornell are not only Ivies, but very large research universities with a multitude of undergraduate and graduate programs (not to mention Cornell's reputation of being a pressure cooker driven intellectual buffet with over-achievers representing not one, but seven undergraduate colleges). Those of us who didn't necessarily gain admissions to an Ivy don't have to take the resentful route of bashing them to stroke our egos. Yes, there are other colleges with top notch academic programs, and let me reiterate that going to an Ivy won't necessarily make you more successful than a graduate of a state university , but let's keep the goal of looking into other schools with highly regarded programs in focus, not down playing another school's prestige as one's own defense mechanism. Ultimately, I would recommend this book to be read in addition to other college guides.When it comes to selecting the institution where you will be spending probably the four most mind expanding years of your life, you can never do too little research.

For those who want more than the Ivies ---- not only an Ivy-rated undergraduate education, but, virtue, leadership training, personal challenge, proving what you're made of, pride in giving something back to your family and America ---- the answer is West Point. EVERYONE has a good chance at the full scholarship. If this sounds like you, go for it.
Recommended reading: "West Point: Character Leadership Education...", Norman Thomas Remick.

The Greenes' "Hidden Ivies" is the best overall guide to the best colleges that are not covered in their other book covering the Ivy League universities. The contents are up to date, detailed, cover all aspects of these schools, and are free of the kneejerk conservative agenda that underlie some of the other detailed college guides, e.g. "The Best 100 Colleges". The approach in this book is somewhat similar to Pope's "40 Colleges That Change Lives", although the latter is geared more to B students, while this book is geared to A students (to oversimplify!)

What comes across clearly in the Greenes' approach is that these schools are the equal of the Ivy League schools in every respect, with perhaps a bit less stress and pressure. In fact, a number of these schools (e.g. Amherst, Middlebury, and Pomona) are actually more selective than at least some of the Ivies. Additionally this book, like Pope's, gets the point across that there are advantages to the more personal learning approach of the liberal arts colleges versus the larger class environments of the Ivy League universities. Students at the top of their class really owe it to themselves to consider these schools in addition to the Ivies. After all, the fact that eight excellent universities decided to formally band together in the 1950s to form an athletic league hardly makes those eight universities "the best" per se. Are Penn and Cornell really "better" than Amherst or Middlebury? Some may think so, but even then it's not because they're in the "Ivy League" (By that measure Stanford, Chicago, and Johns Hopkins wouldn't be top tier either - an assertion that would be ridiculous). In any case, this book is essential reading for any high school achiever interested in going to a top school, i.e. any one of the top 30-40 schools!

I have tons of cookbooks but this is one of about 5 that never leave the kitchen. The recipes are easy to follow and always turn out well. It is definitely not for the calorie conscious (9 egg yolks for a quart of ice cream!) but everything is delicious!The writing style is simple and homey and the pictures make you want to cook everything immediately.

THIS IS A MUST HAVE IF YOU ARE A COLLECTOR OF COOKBOOKS, AND/OR ENJOY BAKING. MR. BAILEY'S BOOKS ARE NOT JUST FOR THE RECIPES, EVEN THOUGH HIS ARE EXCEPTIONAL--ESPECIALLY THE SNICKERDOODLE RECIPE LOCATED IN THIS BOOK--THEY ARE ALSO A FEAST FOR THE SENSES.

IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY YOU SHOULD ALSO TRY TO OBTAIN A FEW OF HIS OUT OF PRINT BOOKS, SUCH AS LEE BAILEY'S CITY FOOD, AND LEE BAILEY'S GOOD PARTIES. HIS RECIPES AND INSTRUCTIONS ARE VERY EASY TO FOLLOW. I HAVE NEVER BEEN DISAPPOINTED WITH HIS WORK, AND HIS PHOTOGRAPHER, JOSHUA GREENE, DOES JUSTICE TO ALL THE RECIPES THAT APPEAR.

This is a fantastic book! Just reading thru and looking at the pictures is a great experience. It brings back fond memories and rememberances of a more peaceful time. Every recipe therein makes you want to cook and entertain friends.