No comments about Flashing Before My Eyes: 50 Years of Headlines, Deadlines and Punchlines.

No comments about Lawrence Olivier.

No comments about Kings and Queens of England.

5 comments about The Making of a Blockbuster.

1. That's the return an investor in Blockbuster in Jan. 1987 would have had. And for Wayne's investment, $17.5 million, that grew to $600 million in 7 years.
   
   This is a truly intriguing story of how Wayne (and team) built TWO multi billion dollar companies, Blockbuster Entertainment and Waste Management. The author, Gail does a great job of taking you through Wayne's early days when all of his garbage company's credit lines were exhausted and meeting the day to day expenses were a struggle, up to the point that he realized that the best bet was to go public so he could use the stock as currency for rapid expansion. And rapidly expand he did. In the 10 months between March and December 1972, Waste Management bought 133 different businesses.
   
   During his forays in the water business Wayne and his right hand man Steve Berrard scooped up 16 water companies in eight months, going from zero to the thirteenth largest bottled water company in the nation, which was sold to Clorox for a profit of $16 million within 3 years.
   
   Berrard's deal making skills:
   -Don't paint yourself into a corner
   -Never say anything that won't let you come back in the front door
   -Don't say something is a deal breaker
   -A deal is never dead if you don't let it die
   -Always let the other side set the initial price
   -Always leave room to back up
   -Recognize what the other side really wants out of a deal
   -Know when to walk
   -Don't take no for an answer
   
   Talking about Blockbuster Wayne would point out that the stores were paying for themselves in roughly 3 years from the cash flow. (mental not for business buyers)
   
   As anyone who reads my other reviews or my blog knows, I zero in on the structure of the deals mentioned in the book. Interestingly you get a good idea of how the whole Blockbuster - Virgin deal was structured. Blockbuster was to be an even partner in Virgin's 15 stores in Europe and have 75% ownership of the US stores (other than the LA store which they had 1/3). Virgin would retain managing control along with its 25%. Blockbuster would fund the expansion.
   
   Great Quotes:
   
   "The biggest lesson I learned is that when you say you're going to do something, be darn sure you do it."
   
   "Huizenga held fast to two rules: Don't loose a deal because you're not paying attention to it and never talk about it until its done and in writing."
   
   "His father says, Wayne is still driven by the same force that's driven him since the purchase of that first garbage truck in 1962. (The Deal) The excitement of making the deal. I think that's what drives him"
   
   By Kevin Kingston, author of: A 20,000% Gain in Real Estate: A True Story About the Ups and Downs From Wall Street to Real Estate Leading to Phenomenal Returns



2. This is a great book that shows the natural born ability of a deal maker. This book shows how Wayne can spot a business that has a lot of potential and take it over to make it a giant. This was a great book,
   
   B. Fitz



3. This is a great book that shows the natural born ability of a deal maker. This book shows how Wayne can spot a business that has a lot of potential and take it over to make it a giant. This was a great book,
   
   B. Fitz



4. This book tells the story of a guy w/ modest means and how he created two of the best businesses in U.S history starting w/ nothing. This is not just some ego pumping motivational biography. This book tells you exactly what is required of you if your goal is to build a business starting from scratch and putting everything together working over 100 hours per week and eventually listing your company on the NYSE and becoming a billionaire. Wayne is the ultimate deal maker, and you can see very clearly in these pages how one can reach the highest levels of business succes through extremely hard work, and single minded determination and drive. Bottom line if you want to know what it really takes to build a 2.5 billion dollar net worth and get your name on the Forbes 400, and also building an international multi billion dollar company from scratch... well than spend your money on this book you won't be dissapointed... Blake bldgassets247@yahoo.com



5. I liked the book really well. I was suprised that Wayne was completly a self made billion-aire. When other guys like Donald Trump was in private school wayne was doing odd jobs to earn money. I just wish I had invested in Blockbuster when I was in high school.

2 comments about Aristotle.

1. The aim of this book is to provide a short, popular account of Aristotle's philosophy for those that are somewhat acquainted with the history of philosophy. I do recommend the book, but not without qualification. The author needlessly, and perhaps unfairly, attacks Aristotle quite often in the work, which is simply distracting. To the potential buyer: keep in mind that this work was written in 1915 and that the author's criticisms of Aristotle rely on a heavily Platonic bias.



2. I bought this book expecting to get know who Aristotle was, where he came from, etc.; typical biographical info., instead I got to know how he thought. The author does an amazing job of explaining Aristotle's philosophy. Anyone can read this book and come away with a better understanding of Aristotle, the University professor or the layperson.

No comments about Orwell.

2 comments about Seeing the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home & Museum with Julian Padowicz.

1. As a middle school instructor of U.S.history I found Mr. Padowicz's taped presentation: Seeing the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home & Museum to be a valuable teaching tool. His "tell it like it was" approach was refreshing and my students seemed to appreciate his honest and open approach to the many complex facets of the Roosevelt's lives and accomplishments.

   In or out of the classroom I highly recommend Mr. Padowicz's book on tape having found it to be both entertaining and informative.




2. This six hour, five cassette audiobook presentation of Julian Padowicz's experiences and observational commentary showcases the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt museum and home. Julian describes their lives, the history that surrounded them, and the history they made. Listeners will learn about such contemporary notables as Sara Roosevelt, George VI and Elizabeth of Britain, Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Louis Howe, Lucy Mercer, Al Smith, Harry Hopkins, and many, many others. The times and circumstances of the innovative 32nd American president include the Great Depression, the new Deal, World War II, and the personal drama of disability and marital challenges. This highly recommended "theater of the mind" format is superbly recorded and provides listening that is as entertaining as it is informative.

5 comments about Patrick Stewart: The Unauthorized Biography.

1. Personally, I haven't bought the book. But I wouldn't buy it because it is an UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY. Usually, the information from these books comes from TV shows, magazines, tabloids, etc. I'm a fan of Patrick Stewart and even if I wasn't, I wouldn't buy the book because most of it is probably not true or allegedly true. When Mr. Stewart rights his own biography or gives someone permission to write it for him, then I'll believe it.



2. In deference to my longstanding crush on Patrick Stewart, my husband gave this to me as a joke, and a joke it is! If I were to gather up a pile of fanzines, tabloids and talk show video clips, I could have written this book (although I hope I would have proofread it a little better. The typos are legion.) The "authors" did nothing except cut and paste previously published material -- no additional research or interviews went into producing it. Faithfully repeating what Mr. Stewart said to Jay Leno is about as insightful as it gets. All my Amazon pals who gave this 5 stars might want to try reading a real biography some time!



3. I found the biographical information on Stewart very interesting and well done. Plus, the book gives a great look at the happenings behind the scenes during the making of the Next Generation television series. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down.



4. Authors Hatfield and Burt sifted through mountains of press clippings and hours of interviews to give their readers a solid foundation of facts about the life of actor Patrick Stewart. These facts, however, are often couched in an "En-quiring minds want to know" writing style that does a great disservice, at times, to their subject as well as their own hard work. Tales of Stewart's violent childhood are harrowing enough without the Dickensian embellishments by Hatfield/Burt. The star's private life (an oxymoron?) as "documented" in tabloid headlines gets an extra dash of spice by the smirking account supplied by the authors. Stories of conflict with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry show Stewart as a canny operator not unlike some of the Shakepearean villians he has portrayed. Hatfield and Burt didn't need to resort to tabloidization; the truth is colorful and fascinating enough. Stewart fans hungry for information will find facts and documentatio! n in plenty here, and overlook the dramatizations.



5. More than just the Star Trek years, this book really goes into Stewart's youth. It is very focused on his personal life. The photos are nice and the tone of the book is respectful, but it does pry very deeply into Stewart's personal life.

No comments about Thomas Hardy.

No comments about Radical Sons: A Generational Odyssey.