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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism
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Book Review The Zapatista Reader Edited by Tom Hayden

Written by Gina Ruiz
Published March 28, 2007

Part of Corazon y Alma: Chicano and Latino Books

The Zapatista Reader is one of the most amazing collection of essays, interviews, stories and insights by some of the greatest writers of our time: Jose Saramago, Paco Taibo II, Octavio Paz, Naomi Klein, Elena Ponitowska, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Carlos Monsavais, Manuel Vazquez Montalban, John Berger, Andrew Kopkind, Eduardo Galenao, Alma Guillermoprieto, Pascal Beltran Del Rio, Saul Kandau, Jorge Mancillas, John Ross, Regis Debray, Jose de la Colina, Mike Gonzalez, and many more.

There is a brief historical timeline and an introduction by Tom Hayden, who also serves as editor of the collection.

The Zapatista Reader is an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to learn about the movement. Some of the finest reporting and commentary ever are in this collection. It contains eyewitness accounts of that New Year's Day back in 1994 that the Zapatistas took the world by storm, the writings of Subcommandante Marcos and essays by some very fine and thoughtful writers.

Paco Taibo II, one of Mexico's foremost writers, wrote an article which was originally published in The Nation in March of 1994. His thoughts of what is happening around him are wonderful. He is awed by this development and angered for the people of Chiapas. He states in this article, “Chiapas lies at the asshole of world, where Jesus Christ lost his serape and John Wayne lost his horse.” He says of living in Mexico City at the time of the uprising, “I haven’t left the house in three days except to buy the newspaper. I talk on the phone, listen to the radio, watch television with the fascination of a blind man seeing an image for the first time."

Eduardo Galeano in his Chiapas Chronicle, which originally appeared in La Jornada on August 7, 1996, says “Marcos, the spokesperson, came from elsewhere. He spoke to them; they did not understand. Then he entered the mist, he learned to listen and was able to speak. Now he speaks from them: His is the voice of voices.” Galeano is at his most poetic when speaking of Chiapas.

There are less poetic parts of this books, statistics and important pieces of information. It is remarkable to have all these articles and essays compiled into a single book.

Now, as the Zapatista battle is in its 13th year, as Marcos has issued a Red Alert, as the massacres and injustices this book is more important than ever in the war against oblivion. It should be in every library, it should be read and re-read, quoted and used. It is the thread to keep pulling, it will lead to more and more books on the movement, research, and will give impetus to find out more.

Gina MarySol Ruiz has worked in the entertainment industry for the past 15 years including the completely online publication group specializing in the animation and visual effects industry worldwide, AWN.com.

The Power of Persuasion: How We’re Bought and Sold

Updated paperback edition: John Wiley & Sons, 2006

Reviews

Robert Levine offers readers an incisive new take on the mindsets of those who prod, praise, debase, and manipulate others to do things they never thought they’d do—and are sometimes later sorry they did. He takes a hands-on approach by attending training sessions for magicians honing their craft and by taking jobs as a door-to-door salesman and a used car salesman. Levine explores the remarkable effect and power of subtlety on effective persuasion, the great illusion of personal vulnerability, and the unlikely similarities across a wide range of persuasive strategies, from parents to con men to lovers to religious leaders.
--from the publisher

This valuable and nonacademic guide reveals the extent to which we are surrounded by persuasion, and how we can resist. Levine (A Geography of Time), a professor of psychology at Cal State Fresno, opens by demonstrating that all of us (including himself) can be persuaded under the right circumstances. He goes on to study financial manipulation and the use of the sense of obligation (which exists in all cultures, even if it is most strongly visible in Japan), and then proceeds to a nuts-and-bolts analysis of salesmanship by describing what he learned and did (and had done to him) as an automobile salesman. He offers an admirably concise and unemotional analysis of the famous Milgram experiment, involving the (claimed) administration of ever-stronger electric shocks to test the impulse to obedience. Inevitably, he moves to cults, the Moonies and the ultimate persuasion horror story, Jonestown. Not so inevitably, he avoids hysteria and demonization, even of Jim Jones, and points out that brute force is required at the extreme end of the persuasion spectrum. Levine's final chapter offers ways of dealing with unwelcome persuasion while remaining part of a society in which some persuasion is part of almost any social interaction. The final results are about as far as possible from the shrill Hidden Persuaders tradition or the cult deprogrammers who become cult gurus themselves-and quite persuasive about the author's credentials, common sense and ethics.
--Publishers Weekly

Levine puts such analysis in the service of his real mission -- to arm the reader against manipulation.
--The Wall Street Journal

If you're like most people, you think advertising and marketing work--just not on you. Robert Levine's The Power of Persuasion demonstrates how even the best-educated cynics among us can be victimized by sales pitches."
--The Globe and Mail

One of the ten most influential books of the year.
--Kingstone Books

Read this book if you’re interested in how to persuade others and reduce your own chances of being manipulated.
--Skeptic News

Written in a jovial style, not just for the psychology reader. . . Levine's style of writing makes the reader feel as though they are in the story with him, often feeling 'cheated' themselves when he tells of yet another incident when his or his student's naivete was tested by a good persuader. . . An excellent read and well-recommended to those particularly interested in advertising, group dynamics and occupation psychology.
--The Psychologist

Happily, Levine does not write in the academically pretentious style often found in books by college professors. Instead, he provides authoritative insights into the way persuasive words and images affect the thinking of most Americans. “The Power of Persuasion” will help readers convert attempts to influence their thinking into a sensible perspective.
--Tulsa World

. . . an engaging, highly readable survey of the sophisticated methods of persuasion we encounter in various situations. From television to telemarketing and from self-deception to suicide cults, Levine takes a hard look at all the ways we attempt to persuade each other - and how and why they work (or don't). . . Besides being a cracking good read, it's fully footnoted, indexed, and so stuffed with information as to make a worthy addition to anyone's reference library. The next time you wonder what possessed you to pay $50 for a medallion commemorating the series finale of Friends, you'll know where to turn.
--Slashdot.com

He repeatedly amuses the reader with his rueful descriptions of occasions when he has been conned; but then analyses the experience in detail to show the persuasion technique used.
--AdLib

The distinguishing features of this book are its readability, clarity, timeliness, and use of many examples. . . Highly recommended as a concise sourcebook to learn the negative aspects of manipulation in sales, advertising, politics, and religion.
--Cultic Studies Review

If you've ever felt manipulated by smooth-talking salesmen, but didn't understand the psychology behind his pitch, you'll be fascinated by “The Power of Persuasion.”
--Fresno Bee

Be sure to read "The Power of Persuasion," a hypnotic work by psychologist Robert Levine. It's being hailed as the successor to Cialdini's classic work on influence. Levine studied everyone from magicians to con artists to discover how they so easily manipulate us. And don't think you don't need his book. His first chapter is titled, "The Illusion of Invulnerability." Read this one to better protect yourself, as well as to better understand the process of persuasion and influence.
--Vitale Marketing Newsletter

Granted, this might be the anti-marketing book, but it is a fascinating read. I'm three-quarters through it, and I still vacillate between reading it as a marketer and reading it as a consumer. The Power of Persuasion : How We're Bought and Sold by Robert V. Levine will definitely get you thinking about what we fall for as consumers and what we strive for as marketers.
--Sharon's Marketing Monthly

Persuasion is powerful and pervasive in our lives, as this wonderful book by Bob Levine demonstrates in a most engaging style filled with wit, wisdom and plenty of street smarts on the side. It is a noble successor to Cialdini’s masterpiece on Influence and my work on Influencing Attitudes and Changing Behavior. It will change the way you think and act in many realms of your life.
--Philip Zimbardo, Stanford University

Levine has written the rare book that is both very important and very interesting. He covers one of the most important topics in psychology—how humans influence one another -- and he does it in a most interesting style. Both our students and the public should read it.
--Edward Diener, University of Illinois

This witty and wise book blends social psychology's hard-wrought persuasion principles with fascinating street-smart examples. I couldn't put it down. A great book for anyone who wants to be a more discerning consumer or a more critical thinker.
--David Myers, Hope College

Bob Levine has a rare talent for combining a discerning eye with psychological knowledge to reveal the secrets of persuasion. Levine's masterful analysis reveals plainly and often shockingly how human nature is manipulated in everyday life by con artists, salespeople, politicians, and others who seek to control our minds and our wallets. Written in clear, no-nonsense language, this outstanding and thoroughly engrossing book provides a must-read survival guide for resisting unwanted influence in the 21st century.
--Harry Reis, University of Rochester

I can't say enough about this book. This book is like a bible of persuasion/influence and contains an enormous amount of research about how you and I might not know each ourselves as well as we think. Get this book! You will get new ideas and tips that I had not seen prior to this book and that is rare indeed. Buy this book. It is one of the best in the field.
--Kevin Hogan, author, “The Psychology of Persuasion”

Note: An updated, paperback version of The Power of Persuasion was published by Wiley & Sons in 2006.

Media review copies
http://psych.csufresno.edu/levine/power.persuasion.html

Books For Children - A Reading List

Books for Children has been published by the Children’s Literature Center in the Library of Congress since 1964 for parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, and those interested in the best of this country’s current children’s literature.

HOW SELECTIONS ARE MADE

The editor and an advisory committee of children’s book specialists meet on an average of once a month during the year to examine newly published titles-well over five thousand hardcover and paperbound books in 1993-to choose about a hundred titles they consider to be the most noteworthy.

Selection criteria have remained constant over the years. Quality of plot, theme, style, pace, characterization, and setting is essential for any story to be satisfying. In addition, for the picture-story book, the art-its harmony with the text-is vital. For nonfiction books, accuracy, organization, timeliness, and clarity of presentation as well as quality of writing and illustration need to be evaluated.

WHAT IS SELECTED AND FOR WHOM

The selected books run the gamut from rhymes, concepts, and picture-stories to adventure, fantasy, natural history, biography, and science. Books are chosen for readers from the toddler stage to the teenage years. Some are to be read aloud; some are for instruction; some are for fun; some are to be borrowed from a school or public library or bought as gifts. All were chosen with the intent of stimulating the imaginations of children and adults alike.

up to 4

CHRISTMAS CAROL A poem by Sara Teasdale. Pictures by Dale Gottlieb. New York: Holt. 1993. unp. $14.95 ISBN 0-8050-2695-9 Brightly colored, childlike pictures enhance the appeal of this simple little poem celebrating the birth of Jesus.

DINOSAUR ENCORE (By) Patricia Mullins. (New York): Perlman/HarperCollins (1993) unp. $15.00 ISBN 0-06-021069-9 For the youngest, a guide to dinosaurs using fold-out flaps to compare various prehistoric beasts with animals of today while supplying brief facts and a glossary.

JOHN BURNINGHAM’S ABC (By John Burningham) New York: Crown/Random (1993) unp. $13.00 ISBN 0-517-59503-6 An uncluttered fresh-looking alphabet book, with letters, capital and small, representing a wide range of images, from fruits to birds, to people, animals, and flowers.

NOAH’S ARK Retold & illustrated by Lucy Cousins. Cambridge, Mass.: (1993) unp. $14.95 Candlewick Press ISBN 1-56402-213-7 A simple retelling of a favorite Bible story for the youngest features the artist’s bright, cheerful pictures, naive in style.

THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF Retold & illustrated by Glen Rounds. New York: Holiday (1993) unp. $14.95 ISBN 0-8234-1015-3 Droll, unpretentious pictures and spare text make this work a welcome addition to collections of illustrated nursery favorites.

5 to 7

EVERYTHING HAS A PLACE By Patricia Lillie. Pictures by Nancy Tafuri. New York: Greenwillow/Morrow (1993) unp. $14.00 ISBN 0-688-10082-1 Reminiscent of Jessie Willcox Smith’s work, these clear, uncluttered pictures show various creatures in their natural habitats-the cow in the barn, the bird in the nest, the human baby in a mother’s lap.

GO AWAY, BIG GREEN MONSTER By Ed Emberley. Boston: Little, Brown (1993) unp. $12.95 ISBN 0- 316-23653-5 Scraggly purple hair, long blue nose, and little squiggly ears, and a monster is fashioned feature by feature with each turn of the die-cut pages, then quickly banished by its creator, not to return 'until I say so.'

IN THE SMALL, SMALL POND (By) Denise Fleming. New York: Holt (1993) unp. $15.95 ISBN 0- 8050-2264-3 The busy life in frog’s pond as the seasons change is chronicled in exuberant rhyme and vibrant collage.

ADVENTURES OF SNAIL AT SCHOOL Story & pictures by John Stadler (New York): HarperCollins (1993) unp. (An I can read book) $14.00 ISBN 0-06-021041-9 Three funny stories about Snail who manages to find a highly improbable adventure each time his teacher sends him on an errand.

BY THE LIGHT OF THE HALLOWEEN MOON (By) Caroline Stutson. (Illustrations by) Kevin Hawkes. New York: Lothrop/Morrow, 1993 unp. $15.00 ISBN 0-688-12045-8 A cumulative tale, in which a cat in pursuit of a mysterious tapping toe triggers a procession of wonderfully imagined Halloween creatures.

THE COW WHO WOULDN’T COME DOWN Story & pictures by Paul Brett Johnson. New York: Orchard/Watts (1993) unp. $14.95 ISBN 0-531-05481-0 How Miss Rosemary outwits a stubborn cow who takes to flying is told in lively text and pictures.

COYOTE STEALS THE BLANKET: AN UTE TALE Retold & illustrated by Janet Stevens. New York: Holiday (1993) unp. $15.95 ISBN 0-823-409961 Vigorous pictures and rhyming text show trickster Coyote, for once, getting his just desserts.

DARCY AND GRAN DON’T LIKE BABIES By Jane Cutler. Illustrated by Susannah Ryan. New York: Scholastic, 1991. unp. $14.95 ISBN-0-590-445871 A nice twist on the sibling rivalry story, with beguiling pictures and a satisfactory ending.

GRANDADDY AND JANETTA (By) Helen V. Griffith. Illustrated by James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow/Morrow (1993) unp. $14.00 ISBN 0-688-11226-9 For grandfathers everywhere, this engaging companion to Grandaddy’s Place (1987) reveals new delights that Janetta and her Grandaddy share-fanciful stories, night noises, and a new litter of kittens.

GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY Written & illustrated by Allen Say. Boston: Houghton (1993) 32p. $16.95 ISBN 0-395-57035-2 Elegant paintings and spare text capture the bittersweet emotions of an immigrant grandfather and his grandson whose hearts are divided between two dramatically different countries, Japan and America.

THE FIRE CHILDREN: A WEST AFRICAN CREATION TALE Retold by Eric Maddern. Pictures by Frane Lessac. New York: Dial/Penguin (1993) unp. $14.50 ISBN 0-8037-1477-7 Brilliantly colored, primitive paintings complement this West African myth about the creation of the world’s different peoples. Fine for story hour and reading aloud.

FOX ON STAGE (By) James Marshall. New York: Dial/Penguin. 1993. 48p. (Dial easy-to-read) $10.89 ISBN 0-8037-1357-6 Young readers will savor the comic adventures of Fox and his friends, told tongue-in-cheek in text and pictures.

GARTH PIG STEALS THE SHOW By Mary Rayner. New York: Dutton/Penguin (1993) unp. $13.99 ISBN 0-525-45023-8 Another thoroughly satisfying story about the Pig Family in which the ubiquitous Mrs. Wolf, still in pursuit of Garth Pig, disguises herself as a sousaphone player, only to be outwitted by the intrepid William Pig. Beguiling pictures.

HOW YOU WERE BORN (By) Joanna Cole. Photographs by Margaret Miller. New York: Morrow (1993) 48p. $15.00 ISBN 0-688-12059-8 A revision of a 1984 stanby, with fresh, engaging color photographs.

I LIKE MONKEYS BECAUSE.... (By) Peter Hansard. Illustrated by Patricia Casey. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press (1993) unp. (Read and wonder) $14.95 ISBN 1-56402-196-3 An appealing volume, one of six Read and Wonder books, introduces young children to the various species of monkeys found around the world. The series includes Think of a Beaver (Karen Wallace; illustrated by Mick Manning); Think of an Eel (Karen Wallace; illustrated by Mike Bostock); and What is a Wall, after All? (Judy Allen; illustrated by Alan Baron), all published in 1993.

IF ANYTHING EVER GOES WRONG AT THE ZOO (By) Mary Jean Hendrick. Illustrated by Jane Dyer. San Diego: Harcourt (1993) unp. $13.95 ISBN 0-15-238007-8 A fanciful tale, perfect for reading aloud, about a spirited young animal lover whose wish to have the animals at the zoo come to her house comes true.

MATTIE’S LITTLE POSSUM PET By Ida Luttrell. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. (New York: Atheneum, 1993) unp. $14.95 ISBN 0-689-31786-7 Take a sentimental human, a dog and a cat, add a possum, and you have a rollicking tale of misplaced kindness. Bouncy pictures.

NANA’S BIRTHDAY PARTY (By) Amy Hest. Pictures by Amy Schwartz. New York: Morrow (1993) unp. $15.00 ISBN 0-688-07497-9 Two young cousins, Maggie and Brette, pool their talents to make their grandmother the best birthday present ever.

RAVEN: A TRICKSTER TALE FROM THE NORTHWEST Told & illustrated by Gerald McDermott. San Diego: Harcourt (1993) unp. $14.95 ISBN 0-15-265661-8 Geometric pictures in vibrant colors enhance this retelling of a Northwestern trickster tale in which Raven manages to steal the sun for his people.

THE REAL MCCOY: THE LIFE OF AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN INVENTOR By Wendy Towle. Paintings by Will Clay. New York: Scholastic (1993) unp. $14.95 ISBN 0-590-43596-5 A well-illustrated, straightforward biography of the Canadian- born African-American, son of runaway slaves, who invents the first successful automatic oil cup for locomotives.

THE OUTSIDE DOG Story by Charlotte Pomerantz. Pictures by Jennifer Plecas. (New York): HarperCollins (1993) 62p. (An I can read book) $13.95 ISBN-0-06-024782-7 A childlike story, flavored with Spanish words, concerns a little Puerto Rican girl and the stray dog she wants her grandfather to adopt.

OWEN (By) Kevin Henkes. New York: Greenwillow/Morrow (1993) unp. col. il. $13.95 ISBN 0-688-11449-0 In this beguilingly pictured, satisfying story with a cast of mice, Owen’s mother finds an ingenious way to separate him from Fuzzy, his treasured yellow blanket, before school begins.

SEVEN CANDLES FOR KWANZAA (By) Andrea Davis Pinkney. Pictures by Brian Pinkney. New York: Dial/Penguin (1993) unp. $14.99 ISBN 0-8037-1292-8 Handsome woodcuts and succinct text take a family through the seven days of Kwanzaa, from December 26 through January 2, as they celebrate their African-American heritage, the family, and the harvest.

TEN SLY PIRANHAS: A COUNTING STORY IN REVERSE (A TALE OF WICKEDNESS AND WORSE!) (By) William Wise. Pictures by Victoria Chess. New York: Dial/Penguin (1993) unp. $13.50 ISBN 0-8037-1200-6 A tongue-in-cheek counting rhyme featuring ten of nature’s most ravenous creatures who are done in by their nature.

THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG (By) Eugene Trivizas. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. New York: McElderry/Macmillan (1993) unp. $15.95 ISBN 0-689-50569-8 Sly pictures give a nice fillip to this twist on the familiar nursery tale that casts the pig as the sinister villain.

WHERE ARE YOU GOING, MANYONI? (By) Catherine Stock. New York: Morrow (1993) unp. $15.00 ISBN 0-688-10352-9 Wonderfully detailed paintings take the reader with Manyoni through a peaceful Zimbawe countryside on her way to school. The appended list of unfamiliar words and picture glossary of animals add to the pleasure of the book.

YO! YES? By Chris Raschka. New York: Orchard/Watts (1993) unp. (A Richard Jackson book) $14.95 ISBN 0-531-05469-1 Cartoonlike drawings and minimal text depict with humor the beginnings of a friendship between two hip youngsters. Fun for the older reader.

THE CUCKOO CHILD (By) Dick King-Smith. Illustrated by Leslie W. Bowman. New York: Hyperion (1993) 127p. $13.95 ISBN 1-56282-350-7 With the unwitting help of his two pet geese, Jack manages to raise an ostrich from the egg, with astonishing results.

DINAH IN LOVE (By) Claudia Mills. New York: Macmillan (1993) 143p. $13.95 ISBN 0-02-766998-X Here Dinah, as impetuous as ever, throws herself into sixth-grade life-the class debate, the class play, a sock hop, and a feud with a boy.

DINOSAURS ALL AROUND: AN ARTIST’S VIEW OF THE PREHISTORIC WORLD By Caroline Arnold. Photographs by Richard Hewett. New York: Clarion/Houghton (1993) 48p. $14.95 ISBN 0-395-62363-4 Numerous photographs and an informative, well-organized text present the work of paleoartists who construct life-size models of dinosaurs for museums and exhibits.

8 to 10

AUTHOR’S DAY Written & illustrated by Daniel Pinkwater. New York: Macmillan (1993) unp. $13.95 ISBN 0-02-774642-9 A hilarious account of the horrors experienced by a celebrated writer during a visit to an elementary school.

THE BOGGART (By) Susan Cooper. New York. McElderry/Macmillan (1993) 196p. $14.95 ISBN 0-689-50576-0 Catastrophe dogs Emily’s heels when the ancient, mischievous Gaelic spirit she has inadvertently transported to Toronto in her suitcase encounters the wonders of modern technology. Funny, fast-paced.

GREEK MYTHS Retold by Geraldine McCaughrean. Illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark. New York: McElderry/Macmillan (1993) 96p. $18.95 ISBN 0-689-50583-3 An attractively illustrated edition of sixteen familiar Greek myths, freely retold.

THE HAPPY HOCKY FAMILY (By) Lane Smith. (New York): Viking/Penguin (1993) 60p. $13.99 ISBN 0-670-85206-6 A glorious spoof of the classic 'Dick and Jane' reader, complete with stilted language and two-dimensional characters.

HARRIET AND THE PROMISED LAND (By) Jacob Lawrence. New York: Simon & Schuster (1993) unp. $15.00 ISBN 0-671-86673-7 The new, enlarged format for this reissue of a 1968 title lends an extra dimension to the full-color paintings and verse that tell the story of Harriet Tubman for young readers.

LADY DAISY (By) Dick King-Smith. Illustrated by Jan Naimo Jones. New York: Delacorte Press (1993,c1992) 131p. $14.00 ISBN 0-385-30891-4 A soccer playing nine-year-old boy finds, to the consternation of his family, that his greatest treasure is an antique doll who, unbeknownst to them, is able to communicate with him.

LYDIA, QUEEN OF PALESTINE (By) Uri Orlev. Translated from the Hebrew by Hillel Halkin. Boston: Houghton, 1993. 170p. $13.95 ISBN 0-395-65660-5 An engaging narrative about Lydia, a young Romanian Jewish girl and self-proclaimed Queen of Palestine, who remains her

indomitable, ferociously imaginative self despite the hardships of World War II, her parents’ divorce, and the structured life of a kibbutz.

THE MAN IN THE CEILING Written and illustrated by Jules Feiffer. (New York: HarperCollins, 1993) 185p. (Michael di Capua books) $14.89 ISBN 0-06-205036-2 Witty and sophisticated, this story focuses on Jimmy, a young cartoonist, and his struggles to win acceptance in a world that ridicules his talents.

MUMMIES & THEIR MYSTERIES (By) Charlotte Wilcox. Winneapolis: Carolrhoda Books (1993) 64p. $22.95 ISBN 0-87614-767-8 A well-organized, profusely illustrated examination of burial customs, concentrating on mummies and the cultures which produced them.

OF SWORDS AND SORCERERS: THE ADVENTURES OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS By Margaret Hodges & Margery Evernden. Woodcuts by David Frampton. New York: Scribner (1993) 96p. $14.95 ISBN 0-684-19437-6 Nine well-told stories from the Arthurian cycle, including the coming of Merlin to Wales, the sword in the stone, and the passing of Arthur.

MATTHEW AND THE SEA SINGER (By) Jill Paton Walsh. Illustrated by Alan Marks. New York: Farrar (1993) 46p. $13.00 ISBN 0-374-434869-3 This gem of a fairy tale for young readers tells of staunch young Birdy who cleverly manages to save Matthew, the boy she purchased for a shilling, from the seal people who kidnap him because of his golden voice.

MORE ROOTABAGAS Stories by Carl Sandburg. Pictures by Paul O. Zelinsky. Collected and with a Forward by George Hendrick. New York: Knopf (1993) 94p. $18.00 ISBN 0-679-80070-0 A selection of heretofore unpublished Rootabaga stories, for reading aloud. Illustrated with fanciful pictures.

POW WOW Photographs and text by George Ancona. San Diego: Harcourt (1993) unp. $16.95 ISBN 0-15-263268-9 A 'kaleidoscope of feathers, beadwork, fringe and facepaint' characterizes this full-color photographic essay of the biggest annual powwow in the United States.

SCOOTER (By) Vera B. Williams. New York: Greenwillow/Morrow (1993) 147p. il., part col. $15.00 ISBN 0-688-09376-0 Spunky, engaging Elana Rosen illustrates a notebook to record the friendships, drama, and pleasures of New York urban life as she explores her new neighborhood by scooter.

WE’RE ALL IN THE DUMPS WITH JACK AND GUY By Maurice Sendak. (New York: HarperCollins, 1993) unp. (Michael di Capua books) $20.00 ISBN 0-06-205014-1 Powerful illustrations link two little-known nursery rhymes to tell the story of homelessness and abandoned children.

11 and up

ANN FRANK: BEYOND THE DIARY: A PHOTOGRAPHIC REMEMBRANCE By Ruud van der Rol and Rian Verhoeven. In association with the Anne Frank House. Translated by Tony Langham and Plym Peters. With an introduction by Anna Quindlen. (New York): Viking/Penguin (1993) 113p. $17.00 ISBN 0-670-84932-4 Captioned photographs from the Frank family album and succinct commentary make a gripping addition to what is known about the girl who kept a diary and died in the Bergen Belsen death camp.

THE CHAMPION (By) Maurice Gee. New York: Simon & Schuster Books (1993. c1989) 212p. $14.00 ISBN 0-671-86561-7 Set in New Zealand during World War II, this tightly constructed, thought-provoking novel tells what befalls a young, black American soldier who is sent to an all-white small town to regain his strength.

CHAMPIONS: STORIES OF TEN REMARKABLE ATHLETES By Bill Littlefield. Paintings by Bernie Fuchs. With a forward by Frank Deford. Boston: Little, Brown (1993) 132p. $21.95 ISBN 0-316-52805-6 An inspiring book about ten men and women who excelled in their chosen sport after overcoming such obstacles as severe poverty, disability, and prejudice.

BEHIND THE SECRET WINDOW: A MEMOIR OF A HIDDEN CHILDHOOD DURING WORLD WAR II By Nelly S. Toll. New York: Dial Penguin (1993) 161p. $17.00 ISBN 0-8037-1362-2 A Jewish child’s experiences in Nazi-occupied Poland are vividly recreated in this memoir, and illustrated with the vibrant pictures she painted while in hiding.

BLACK SHIPS BEFORE TROY: THE STORY OF THE ILIAD (By) Rosemary Sutcliff. Illustrated by Alan Lee. (New York): Delacorte (1993) 128p. $19.95 ISBN 0-385-31069-2 An elegant and simple retelling of the siege of Troy and its aftermath.

BULL RUN (By) Paul Fleishman. Woodcuts by David Frampton. (New York): Geringer/HarperCollins (1993) 104p. $13.95 ISBN 0-06-021446-5 These compelling vignettes that lead sixteen fictional characters to their destiny at the Battle of Bull Run give an unusual perspective on the Civil War.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: A LIFE OF DISCOVERY (By) Russell Freedman. New York: Clarion/Houghton (1993) 198p. $17.95 ISBN 0-89919-862-7 Striking photographs and perceptive text tell the story of a remarkable woman, undaunted by an anguished childhood, who became a successful, albeit controversial First Lady.

FREAK THE MIGHTY By Rodman Philbrick. New York: Blue Sky/Scholastic (1993) 176p. $13.95 ISBN 0-590-47412-X In this compelling novel, eighth-graders Max and Kevin join forces to overcome their considerable physical and emotional problems, and almost beat the odds.

THE GIVER (By) Lois Lowry. Boston: Houghton, 1993. 180p. $13.45 ISBN 0-395-64566-2 Twelve-year-old Jonas, who is chosen to bear the burden of his society’s memories, must decide whether to accept his destiny or take flight. A thought-provoking, Orwellian novel.

HAVELI By Suzanne Fisher Staples. New York: Knopf (1993) 259p. $18.00 ISBN 0-679-84157-1 Sequel to Shabanu, this powerful novel chronicles the determined struggle of Shabanu to survive and protect her small daughter after the death of her husband puts her, the youngest wife, at the mercy of his other wives.

MAKE LEMONADE (By) Virginia Euwer Wolff. New York: Holt (1993) 200p. $15.95 ISBN 0-8050-2228-7 The lives of two teenagers-one a high school drop-out and single mother with two young children, the other, a fourteen-year-old girl trying to earn money for college by babysitting-connect at a crucial point, with bittersweet results.

TONING THE SWEEP (By) Angela Johnson. New York: Orchard/Watts (1993) 103p. (A Richard Jackson book) $13.95 ISBN 0-531-05476-4 Set in the New Mexican desert, this powerful, tender novel concerns the complex relationship between three generations of African-American women who are brought together by the grandmother’s terminal illness.

WINDLEAF (By) Josepha Sherman. New York: Walker (1993) 121p. $14.95 ISBN 8027-8259-0 To rescue the girl he loves from her implacable father, young Count Thierry finds himself engaged in a desperate, bitter contest with the proud Lord of Faerie.

MALCOLM X: BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY By Walter Dean Myers. New York: Scholastic (1993) 210p. $13.95 ISBN 0-590-46484-1 A gripping picture of a controversial figure who, despite great odds, was able to turn his life around and use his considerable intelligence in the struggle for justice.

PLAIN CITY (By) Virginia Hamilton. New York: Blue Sky/Scholastic (1993) 194p. $13.95 ISBN 0-590-47364-6 A 'mixed' child, twelve-year-old Buhlaire tries to unearth her past and her family history as she learns that the long-missing father who she thought was dead, is alive and homeless.

A SHORT WALK AROUND THE PYRAMIDS & THROUGH THE WORLD OF ART By Phillip M. Isaacson. New York: Knopf (1993) 120p. $20.00 ISBN 0-679-81523-6 A well-organized introduction to the many forms art takes, from sculpture, painting, pottery, and photography to furniture and city shapes.

family fare

A. NONNY MOUSE WRITES AGAIN! Poems selected by Jack Prelusky. Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. New York: Knopf (1993) unp. $13.00 ISBN 0-679-83715-9 This delightful mixture of traditional and original verse is enhanced by the artist’s jaunty pictures. A continuation of Poems of A. Nonny Mouse.

BROWN ANGELS: AN ALBUM OF PICTURES AND VERSE (By) Walter D. Myers. (New York): HarperCollins (c1993) unp. il. $15. ISBN 0-06-022917-9 A nostalgic glimpse of turn-of-the-century African-American children.

CHRISTMAS GIF’: AN ANTHOLOGY OF CHRISTMAS POEMS, SONGS, AND STORIES Written by and about African-Americans. Compiled by Charlemae Hill Rollins; illustrated by Ashley Bryan. With a new introduction by Dr. Augusta Baker. New York: Morrow (1993) 106p. $14.00 ISBN 0-688-11667-1 Ashley Bryan’s stunning black-and-white linoleum prints enrich this anthology of African-American Christmas customs, traditions, poems, stories, and recipes.

FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA: A TREASURY OF AMERICAN FOLKLORE AND FOLK SONGS. Illustrated by Eleven Caldecott Medal and Four Caldecott Honor Book Artists. Compiled by Amy L. Cohen. New York: Scholastic (1993) 399p. $29.95 ISBN 0-590-42868-3 A fascinating compendium of Americana-stories, songs, legends, and traditions from the various cultures that have shaped the country from its beginnings.

MOOMINPAPPA AT SEA (By) Tove Jansson. Translated by Kingsley Hart. New York: Farrar (1993,c1966) 224p. $17.00 ISBN 0-374-35044-2 A tale that tells what befalls the Moomintrolls after they leave Moominvalley and go to begin their lives afresh in a lighthouse on an island.

PRAISE FOR THE SINGING: SONGS FOR CHILDREN Collected by Madelaine Gill & Greg Pliska. Illustrated by Madelaine Gill; arrangements by Greg Pliska. Boston: Little, Brown (1993) 64p. $18.95 ISBN 0-316-52627-4 An inviting collection of religious Americana, including African- American spirituals, Shaker and Jewish songs, and traditional melodies. All are arranged for singing.

LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING (By) James Weldon Johnson. Illustrations by Elizabeth Catlett. Introduction by Jim Haskins. New Yorker: Walker (1993) unp. $14.95 ISBN 0-8027-8250-7 A celebration of the African-American’s long journey from slavery to liberty, in powerful linocuts and stirring words.

THE STORY OF THE CREATION: WORDS FROM GENESIS (By) Jane Ray. New York: Dutton/Penguin (1993) unp. $16.00 ISBN 0-525-44946-9 Evocative, folk art paintings add to the pleasure of the verses selected from the King James version of the creation of the world. Available in Spanish (ISBN 0-525-45055-6).

Editor: Margaret N. Coughlan Children’s Literature Center

Assistant to the Editor: Divna Todorovich Children’s Literature Team, History and Literature Cataloging Division

Committee members:

Nell Colburn Prince George’s County (Md.) Memorial Library System

Sharon Grover Arlington County (Va.) Public Library

Elizabeth Guldseth Montgomery County (Md.) Department of Public Libraries

Steven Herb Pennsylvania State University (University Park, Pa.)

Ilze Long Reston (Va.) Regional Library

Caroline S. Parr Central Rappahannock (Va.) Regional Library

Maria Salvadore District of Columbia Public Libraries

Jewell Stoddard Cheshire Cat Bookstore (Washington, D.C.)

Victoria Velsey Georgetown Day School (Washington, D.C.)

Martha Walke Thomas Jefferson Middle School (Arlington, VA)

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How to Sell Your Story to Publishers

By: Roberto Bell

Making a living exclusively as a novelist or freelance writer is the dream of millions of people around the world, yet only a handful of people are able to realize this dream. The reason is that many novice writers simply don't know what it takes to be a professional writer. However, if you can learn the skills and techniques used by successful authors you too can start making a good living as a writer.

Know Your Market

The first thing that you need to learn about when entering the professional writer's market is what publishers are looking for. Simply having a good story idea isn't enough to make a story sale. To make a sale you have understand your market niche and you need to understand what publishers are looking for. You also need to stay on top of writing trends and keep your material fresh. You don't want to submit an article or story for publication that examines a topic that has been covered from every conceivable angle. Publishers want material that appeals to the current tastes of readers, but that also presents a unique perspective of the topic.

Edit Your Work

One common mistake that novice writers make is not editing their submissions. Publishers expect that the material that they receive for consideration will be perfectly formatted and composed. They don't have the time to correct your spelling mistakes and grammar errors, nor do they have the time to coach you to a publishable copy. If you want to make consistent sales, your work needs to be formatted properly, be free of spelling errors, and be grammatically correct. If you are not a good editor then you need to partner with someone who is. This partnership will help improve your sales volume and profit margin.

Always Put Your Best Foot Forward

In addition to submitting a grammatical gem to publishers, you also need to produce material that is worth reading. Most novice writers think that everything that they write is worth publishing, and for the most part this may be true. However, you need to realize that not everything that you write is going to be a pearl of wisdom. To help you to weed out questionable compositions you should ask a friend or colleague to read the piece and give you their candid opinion. By getting a second opinion about your composition you will be able to determine what pieces need further revisions, what pieces should be scrapped, and what pieces are ready for submission. This filtering system will also help you to establish yourself as a quality writer with publishers because they will only be exposed to your best writing.

Follow Directions

The final method for improving your chances of being published is to read submission instructions provided by publishers carefully. Every publishing house and magazine has its own unique set of submission rules. If you don't want your submission thrown away without being reviewed then you need to follow these rules to the last letter. Make sure that you understand what submission methods the publisher accepts, what format your material needs to have, and to whom you need to submit your work to.

Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com

The Intellectual Property Association is dedicated to assisting writers protect and promote their creative works. Contact the Intellectual Property Association for a Consultation.

How to Make Big Money in Your Own Small Business

How to Make Big Money in Your Own Small Business (Book Review)

by Joy Cagil

When I first started reading "How to Make Big Money in Your Own Small Business," I had a difficult time figuring out if this book was motivational or informative. After a few chapters, however, I decided it was both.

The book is geared toward small business owners or those entrepreneurs who want to start their own small businesses. For a successful and profit-producing business, in Chapter III, the author, Jeffrey J Fox, lists "a grab bag of idea starters" and directions, through which one can prospect a small business. In Chapter IV, Fox lists a very important blueprint for the small business owner to be successful.

A good advice is: "To make money, you must work extremely hard, on what comes easy to you." Rule number one that must never be "forgotten or violated" is "to have a customer." In addition, a small business owner has to set his priorities straight in the order of their importance. "Selling is job number one."

The book goes on showing several ways to make a small business work. With some of those methods, a reader may agree or disagree. In my opinion, not all that is suggested would fit every business owner.

In Chapter XLIII, the daily to-do list should be of help to any small business owner. Among the last chapters are "Calculate the Size of Your Market" and "Getting Start-up Money." I think these two chapters belong to the beginning of the book and the beginning of any entrepreneur's small business attempt.

The chapters are short and snappy, and the language and the ideas are down-to-earth though sophisticated. The ideas and the methods show common sense, and they might work most of the time.

"How to Make Big Money in Your Own Small Business: Unexpected Rules Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know" is a long title for a small book of 176 pages. The book is in hardcover with ISBN-10: 0786868252 and is also downloadable as an E-Book.

The author, Jeffrey Fox is the president and the founder of Fox & Company, Inc., a marketing consulting firm. Although he lives in New Hampshire, Fox has offices in Avon, Connecticut. Jeffrey Fox is a graduate of Trinity College, with an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is the winner of Sales & Marketing Management magazine's Outstanding Marketer Award, American Marketing Association's Outstanding Marketer in Connecticut, and the National Industrial Distributors award as the Nation's Best Industrial Marketer.

His books are:
The Dollarization Discipline: How Smart Companies Create Customer Value...and Profit from It
How to Become a Great Boss - The Rules for Getting and Keeping the Best Employees
How to Become CEO
How to Make Big Money in Your Own Small Business : Unexpected Rules Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know
How to Become a Rainmaker: The People Who Get and Keep Customers
How to Become a Marketing Superstar: Unexpected Rules That Ring the Cash Register

"How to Make Big Money in Your Own Small Business" instructs, inspires, and motivates the reader. If you want to have a general idea on how to run a small business or to start a business of your own, this book could lead you to practical and functional methods.

About the Author

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.Facsimile.Com/ which is a site for Fax Machines. Joy cagil is an author in http://www.writing.com.

I Love Craft E-Books

by Xandra Veal

I Love Craft E-books!

But before I get completely carried away, I am assuming that, as you're reading an online article, you know what an e-book is?

In the off-chance that you don't, it's really just like any other book in content - but it's a computer file and as such doesn't exist in the "real world". It's true that some e-books are also printed, but that's not the point as that is then an ordinary book.

E-books come in a number of formats - too many to go into here - but increasingly I think it's the Adobe PDF format that is the most popular. The reader software is always free (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html) and it works on all PCs, Apple Macs and, as far as I am aware, virtually all popular hand held devices like Palm, etc. There are a small number of dedicated portable reading devices that PDF doesn't work on, but that's such as small percentage of the market it's not relevant to us as craftspeople. Trust me, if you're going to buy an e-book, or your going to write one, use PDF.

But why e-books anyway? There are hundreds of hard cover and soft cover books out there, enough choice for everyone you might think. So why bother with e-books at all?

Well for a start, as far as I'm concerned there will never be too much choice! You can't ever have too many ideas - and this is one of the main benefits of e-books.

You see e-books are much cheaper to publish than "normal" books. A traditional publisher has to do a lot of math before deciding to produce a book. There's paper, ink, print costs, storage, distribution... and all this has nothing to do with whether the book is a good one or not - just whether it's "commercially viable".

On the other hand, you can produce an e-book on your computer - right now. You can set up a website to promote it. People can buy it and download it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from anywhere in the world.

I'm not saying it's necessarily an easy thing - I've collaborated on quite a few and it's hard work - but it is do-able, and you aren't restricted by the commercial considerations of traditional publishing.

The great benefit that this gives us is that smaller interest groups can be catered for. An e-book publisher doesn't have to sell "X" number of copies just to break even, they can do it for the love of the subject. Sure, if it ages a few bucks that's nice too - but it doesn't need to be the main motivation.

And so we get really knowledgeable, creative people sharing their skills with us. People who might never have been published normally can give us the benefit of what they've learned in pursuit of their craft.

There are a couple of practical benefits as well.

Because it's a digital file you download it to your PC in minutes. You don't have to wander the shops, you don't have to wait for the mail and, because there are no delivery costs, they're quite often cheaper.

You can read it on screen or print just some of the pages out - which if you think about it is particularly pertinent to crafts people.

For example, if you knit and your e-book has patterns, then you only need print them out - not try to balance the whole book on your lap or on the arm of your chair. If you're a wood or leather worker, for example, you can just print the relevant patterns or instructions and take them to your workshop or studio - and of course because the book is digital you can do this once, twice, a hundred or more times. So no more trips to the copy shop either!

Finally - and I've done this one myself - you don't have to worry about those little "accidents" ruining your precious book. If you spill coffee or paint or anything over you just go back to the computer and print another one!

So I know what you're asking - what about the downsides? An e-book isn't exactly a treasured possession for your library, is it.

True - and I probably wouldn't buy my favorite novel as an e-book to curl up in front of on the sofa. But I'm talking about craft e-books. They are reference works, instructional, often with patterns - so yes, I prefer them. The only down side I can think of is that because they're relatively cheap to publish there are occasionally a few which aren't of the best quality.

But even then there's a solution that you won't often find in the world of "normal" books. Almost every craft e-book publisher I know of has so much faith in their product they offer a 100% no-quibble money back guarantee. So you can't loose. If you don't like the book you simply ask for your money back.

Try that at your local bookstore.

About the Author

Xandra Veal runs http://craftbooksnow.com a website which reviews over 70 craft e-books covering needle-crafts, kids crafts, jewelry, beading, scrap-booking, soaps, fragrances, candles, flowers, leather, wood and more.

How to market your books successfully

How to market your books successfully by Thao Nguyen

Marketing your own book can be fun, but it can also be a daunting task.If you decide to market your book,you should decide how and when you need help will usually depend on a few things.First of all,if your successful book is suffering because you do not have enough time to promote it,you might want to consider having something to promote it for you.While promoting for the most books,they can be run for months or even for years.There are several things (book reviews, signings and tours,web marketing and so on) that you cannot afford to wait on.There are something to contribute to your creative process-it's called market focus.

Marketing your book is about reaching audience,advertising your book is available, and persuading audience to read it.Remember that 90% of marketing book is wasted but nobody knows which 10% of it is effective.So,please be careful but don't worry if you think you have missed the target.

How much, and which activities you undertake depends on the type of your book.Different kinds of books need different approaches of marketing way.It's your job as a publisher to work out how to reach your market.Also,you will need some good copies for the cover and for the information sheet.It's a skilled task.

What should you prepare to publish your book?Take a look at http://www.book-marketing.about.tc/, so you might think of preparing if you are going to have some format publicities.Also, you need a good press release to modify this for different marketing shots.If you are aiming at one class of special journals,explain the relevance at the start of your release.Modify it for each mail shot to keep it relevant.Increasingly, you have to introduce yourself as the author rather than the book.A two pages of biography are about yourself with stories.Always keep in mind,any of your books must be prepared for months before publication.

It's extremely difficult to obtain a review of your book in the national media.But don't worry, local papers and local radio are open to new writers, especially if some topical or local links can be contrived.Apparently,even the big publishers are now getting national reviews.You can link this to market to the local bookshops.The buyers at the local bookshop will probably take the book if they know there is a review coming.Also,always make personal contact and send a review copy only if requested.Be patient.It may be several months before you get profits on your books.

http://www.book-marketing.about.tc/ also provides you how to find free spaces to promote your books.Some websites are regularly crawled all over by the web spiders which supply information to the major search engines,so that the informations about your book will soon be noticed and your pages should be listed in response to web search.It's also one of the ways to target your audience.If you expect to sell most of your early copies online,then you need to spend a bit of energy on what you prepare for your web page.You might put up some illustrations and background relating to the writing of the book.Ask yourself and explain why you wrote the book.Talk about the characters,explain the background to any historic incidents in your narrative.

That's all I know on how to market the books.It sounds hard, but no need to worry.If you need specific steps,take a look at http://www.book-marketing.about.tc,, you might think of preparing and promoting your book.

About the Author

Thao Nguyen is just a newbie webmaster of adsense sites,who creates those sites to help readers save time and money by finding reviews,helpful articles that will let you choose the best way to make more money

The Current Best Selling Books On The Market

The Current Best Selling Books On The Market by Danny Wright

With thousands of books written every year on all sorts of topics from business to fiction to religious, it is impossible to read every book released. Thankfully, The New York Times gives us some help by releasing and constantly updating the best-seller list for all of the topics you can imagine. Here are the current best sellers for four different categories.

Hardcover Fiction The number 3 best seller for hardcover fiction books is Daddy's Girl by Lisa Scottoline. This is a fast-paced thriller that keeps the reader's attention and will keep you reading non-stop. The number 2 non-fiction book is Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella. This book takes the main character, Becky, amidst a possible love triangle with her husband and his ex-girlfriend as she shops for the perfect world for her baby. Finally, the number 1 best seller is Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. This is another contemporary thriller by Picoult about a high school shooting.

Hardcover Non-Fiction The number 3 non-fiction best seller on the New York Times list is 'I Feel Bad About My Neck' by Nora Ephron. This comedy book discusses the topic of aging, in particular women aging. The number 2 book is 'A Long Way Gone' by Ishmael Beah, which takes into account the life of a young boy at the age of 12 who is swept into the horrifying world of civil war. The best seller currently for non-fiction books is 'In An Instant' by Lee and Bob Woodruff. This tells the tale of the traumatic experience Bob Woodruff experienced in Iraq and how he and Lee Woodruff worked through the difficult times after.

Children Number 3 on the list for children's books is Flotsam by David Wiesner. It all begins as a boy finds a camera that is washed ashore, and from there it is an adventure full of pictures. The number 2 best seller is Today I Will Fly! by Mo Willems, which tells the story of a piggie who is optimistic about flying and an elephant that is skeptical. With a little help from others, amazing things happen. Lastly, the number one book is Someday by Alison McGhee, which tells an enchanting story of a mother's dream coming true, watching her child live life to the fullest.

Religion The number 3 religious book is The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. This book guides you to learn to understand and speak the unique language of love through a couple's guidance. The second book on the best seller list is by Richard Dawkins entitled The God Delusion. Richard Dawkins attacks arguments for the existence of God in this controversial book. The number one religious book on the market is Grace by Anne Lamott, which takes Lamott's life into the realm of reality as problems of faith pop up in the most unexpected places.

About the Author

Danny Wright is the webmaster for MerchantLand.com .Come visit and see for yourself our great selection of current best sellers and new releases from your favorite authors at very reasonable prices.

How to Write a Critical Book Review

How to Write a Critical Book Review by Jennifer Burns

To let you understand what a critical book review is, let's define firstly what is a book review itself? Book review is an academic paper that gives an analysis of a book based on content, style, and merits. To make a book review critical, you should add more personal judgments and evaluations. It is very important to understand the book completely in order to write a good book review. Now, let's divide your critical book reviewing into steps. Even before an actual reading, study the table of contest and chapter titles, read the preface. It will help you to understand a book's structure and writer's way of thinking. You should study the writer's biography to understand the reason of his writing. It might be good to read others critical reviews. Take some notes while reading, then you will use them for your outline. Find a way you are going to criticize, then revise your notes and eliminate all that doesn't relate to your future thesis. First thing you have to do, is to write a draft. Think about what will go into your introduction, body and conclusion. For example in the intro you can analyze the potential target audiences. Tell about the author's purpose in writing the book and what have influenced him/her to write the book. Show your overall opinion of the book. In a few words explain the basis of your opinion and state the main thesis. In the body of the review you start to evaluate the book. This evaluation should contain your arguments that support your thesis. Here you can identify the author's main thesis and agree or disagree with them. Try to discuss not only the author's point of view, but the accuracy of the facts, the use of the language and writing style. Comment all these by using quotations from the text, so that your book review reader would understand right away your idea. You can criticize by answering such questions as: Is the book lacking of argumentation or information, that in your opinion has to be? Are the ideas logical and easy to follow? How skillfully does the author use vocabulary, explains and supports his own arguments? Is there anything that is missing in the book? Does it need illustration? Don't make any offensive statements here. In general you can find lots of information from the book to criticize. Be creative and remember that you have always to prove and explain your statements. In the conclusion you should summarize your main thesis. On the ground of your short summary tell about your expectation. Were they met? What have you learnt from this book? There is a good way of an impressive end. Imagine that you could meet the author of the book and tell about your possible conversation. This will leave your review reader ran information to think about. After you will be done with the draft, proofread it. Check for grammar and punctuation errors, for errors in your quotations, and for your logical development. Ideally, you should leave your first draft for a day or two before revising. Then you will be more open minded and will be more objective in checking. This might lead even to some radical changes of your paper's plot.

About the Author

Jennifer Burns is the head of customer care center at Custom-Writing.org, custom essay writing. Having completed a number of academic assignments himself, Jennifer uses her knowledge to provide individualized customer support to students, who order thesis writing

The "One" Way to Sell Books

The "One" Way to Sell Books by Philip Davis

In the movie City Slickers, Curly (played by Jack Palance) tells Mitch Robbins (played by Billy Crystal) that he has to find the "One" thing. The dialogue goes as follows:

Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean [nothin']. Mitch: But, what is the "one thing?"

Curly: [smiles] That's what *you* have to find out.

The "One" thing for a book to sell well is that it must generate Word of Mouth. The goal of every tactic you employ to sell books is to create Word of Mouth. Why does every author want to get on Oprah? Because she's the biggest Word of Mouth in the market. Look at the brief list below of tactics you can use to promote your book:

* Podcasting * Book Trailers * Book signings * Razorpages.com * Websites * Landing Pages * Blogging * Book Reviews * Book Giveaways * Press Releases * TV interviews * Radio interviews * Newspaper interviews

The purpose of every one of these tactics is to create Word of Mouth. The Da Vinci code is, of course, a huge success, but I didn't read the Da Vinci code until a good friend of mine said he had read it and that he thought it was very provocative. Just about every book I've ever read has been the direct result of Word of Mouth.

Generating Word of Mouth actually begins before we even write the book. If your book isn't interesting, it simply won't create Word of Mouth and selling it will be difficult. But once your book is written and you begin to employ the tactics listed above to promote the book, if you keep in mind that your primary objective is to generate Word of Mouth, it helps you choose how to deliver your message.

For example, I was coaching an author who had written his first novel and was conducting book readings nearly every month with little success. I asked him what sections he was reading from and then I told him that the sections he was reading were not the most interesting sections and gave him suggestions on which parts of the book I would read.

The same rule applies when conducting interviews. You should control the message of any PR message and any interview. What's the hot spot of your message? That is the message that needs to be conveyed. You have very little time to get the word out on your book. Think like you are standing in an elevator and someone wants to know why she should buy your book. You've got maybe 30 seconds to convince the potential buyer to buy your book. What would you say?

Remember Curly's advice and find the "One" thing that will create the buzz, the Word of Mouth, about your book. And once you find that "One" thing, use it in every marketing tactic you use.

About the Author

Phil Davis has been in the on-demand printing industry over twenty years and has been helping both corporations and individuals publish books. He is the majority owner of ZDocs zdocsonline.com. On his blog, howtopublishabookblog.com

Top Ten Free eBook Websites

Top Ten Free eBook Websites by Sandra Lu

Top Ten Free eBook Websites

1. Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org

2. The Online Books Page: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/ Listing over 25,000 free books on the Web. The site is hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Library.

3. Asiaing.com: http://www.asiaing.com Over 2,000 free ebooks & free magazines. Most of them can be downloaded directly.

4. PSU's Electronic Classics Site: http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/jimspdf.htm Classic works of Literature.

5. PlanetPDF http://www.planetpdf.com/free_pdf_ebooks.asp?CurrentPage=1 Classics works of Literature.

6. University of California, eScholarship Edition: http://content.cdlib.org/escholarship/ The eScholarship Editions collection includes almost 2000 books from academic presses on a range of topics, including art, science, history, music, religion, and fiction.

7. University of Adelaide Library's collection of Web books: http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/ The collection includes classic works of Literature, Philosophy, Science, and History.

8. AvaxHome.ru: http://www.avaxhome.ru Some new ebooks. Rapidshare download links. Copyright is a problem. 9. The National Academies Press: http://www.nap.edu Read more than 3,000 books online FREE!

10.You! Everyone has his own favorite ebook website. Maybe It's already on the list. Maybe not. It doesn't matter. The most important thing is that you love eBook.

About the Author

Sandra Lu, a professor living in China.

A Guide to the 5 Most Influential Women of Epic Fantasy

A Guide to the 5 Most Influential Women of Epic Fantasy by Will Kalif

Epic Fantasy is a very wide genre and it encompasses a lot of work that has been defined in a lot of different ways from fantasy to childrens fantasy to high fantasy. Women writers have been breaking new ground and exploring new ideas and concepts in this genre since its inception. Here are some of the pioneering women writers of the genre of epic fantasy.

Edith Nesbit

She was born in 1858 and was a prolific writer who is generally considered to be the creator of the genre of the childrens fantasy novel. She created the whole idea of several children who embark on a grand magical adventure. This is a theme and tool that still stands very strong to this day with works like The Chronicles of Narnia. Some of her most famous works include Five Children and It (1902) and The Story of the Amulet (1905). Her work has fallen into the public domain so you can get copies and read her work for free.

Ursula K. LeGuin

LeGuin is a prolific writer who rose to fame in the sixties and seventies with a series of books that crossed genres between science fiction and fantasy. Her mark was made on the epic fantasy genre with the publication of her novel entitled A Wizard of Earthsea which is the first book of a quartet that takes place in a world (Earthsea) that she is still writing about today. The main story line of this first Earthsea book is about a young boy who has magical powers and sets off to magic school. Sound familiar? This is a beautiful series of books that take place in a masterfully crafted world complete with wizards and dragons.

Marion Zimmer Bradley

She was another prolific author who wrote some science fiction but focused mostly on fantasy. Her most famous work is a signature piece in the whole realm of fantasy called The Mists of Avalon (1979) and it is a retelling of the Camelot Tales from the point of view of the women Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar. Bradley and her series of Avalon books has been a major force in the development of a whole generation of woman writers. And the Avalon books are a triumphant addition to the whole sub genre of Arthurian writing.

Anne McCaffrey

McCaffrey is an author in the realm of fantasy that formulated and created much of what the modern epic fantasy saga is all about. She is one of the originators of the template that writers follow to this day. She has done this with her nineteen volume Dragon Riders of Pern books. Pern is a fully realized world with a fully developed history, society and economy. The world of Pern has inspired many different media offshoots including a vibrant fan community, a video game and an upcoming major motion picture. This is pure epic fantasy at its best.

J. K. Rowling

Is there anything I can say about the Harry Potter phenomenon that hasn't already been said? Her books are wonderful and wildly successful but I believe that her real gift to the genre is the bridge she has built between the past and the future. She, single-handedly, has had a tremendous impact on the genre of fantasy. And she will no doubt be seen as the inspiration for a whole new generation of writers over the course of the next several decades who will add to and grow the genre of epic fantasy in wonderful and new ways.

Epic fantasy is a genre of writing that has been profoundly impacted and grown by women writers and there are literally hundreds of great writers that I could have discussed in this article. These five are just who I consider to be among some of the most influential and important when looking at the development of the genre as a whole.

About the Author

Will Kalif is the author of two novels and a big fan of all things epic fantasy. If you want to learn more about the genre visit his website epic-fantasy.com

For a daily dose of Medieval and Fantasy things visit his popular blog:Heroic Dreams - Never Give A Sword to A Man Who Can't Dance