5 comments about No Limit: The Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak and Las Vegas' Stratosphere Tower.

1. stories of these types of guys are fascinating. His first hour ever in Vegas and he blows 12,000 bucks, on marker. Proceeded to go right back to the airport and flew home to Pittsburg. But he fell in love with the place. He didnt go back as a gambler, but to get where the real money is, with intentions on becoming a casino owner. After more than 7 years(most of them in Australia - you'll have to read it) he had acguired a substantial grubstake and headed off to Vegas. He runs an ad in the paper looking investment opportunities. Although the ad did not directly produce investment results, it did provide him with some very important connections. He buys a vacant lot far off the strip, gets licensed, builds a casino, adds a hotel and self-promotes his ass off. To fill in the blanks and know the rest, you gotta read it yourself. He even had ties, loosely at best, to Anthony Spiltro, the real life mobster the Joe Pesci character was based on in Casino. I love this one.



2. Most interesting...biography of Bob Stupak. Easy read. If you wonder where did the idea of the Stratosphere come from... this has the answers. Bob Stupak is a fascinating gentleman, this tells his story. I just returned from a visit to Vegas and went to the top of Stratosphere, road the High Roller Roller Coaster and took the Big Shot...came across this book while in Vegas and couldn't put it down. Gives background of several casinos and the personalities involved with them... recommend it.



3. I almost bought this book but was fortunate enough to find a copy at my local public library. (I heartily recommend that alternative to buying the book if you have a choice.) I started reading it with great anticipation, but was disappointed off the bat by all the filler material on Bob Stupak's father, Chester. Yeah, sure, the old man was a great influence on his son, but two paragraphs would have sufficed! Next, I kept expecting to read interesting anecdotes about Vegas World, one of the funkiest gambling joints the world will ever know--the very epitome of cheesy. However, the stories just aren't there, and it is a major shortcoming. Finally, even the manner in which the author addresses the great plunge the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino took after it opened in 1996 makes that event--the repercussions of which are still felt today in Las Vegas--seem anticlimactic and irrelevant.

   In short, the tower, which Stupak originally conceived as a cash cow, turned out to be his biggest folly and the instrument of his demise. That is the real story of Bob Stupak, but you won't get it in this jumbled, incoherent tome.




4. Great book. Being a regular Las Vegas visitor I have always been intrigued by the incredible Stratosphere Tower and Casino, and wanted to learn a bit more about Bob Stupak, the Stratosphere creator and infamous Vegas personality. What a fascinating life Stupak has had. Everything from his motorcycle racing days, to his early struggles of trying to succeed in the cutthroat Vegas gaming industry. Here is a man with an 8th grade education that overcame staggering odds to become one of the most successful independent operators in the city. He survived a heavy handed Nevada Gaming Control Board, as well as a motorcycle accident that nearly killed him. There is a lesson in this book for all of us. The key word is DETERMINATION! I hope one day my travels in Vegas will give me the opportunity to meet Mr. Stupak, who no matter what you think of him, has left a lasting impression on the Las Vegas skyline that will be a reminder of him for years to come.

   In this book Smith wrote a much better story than the hatchet job he did on casino mogul Steve Wynn. Hey John how about a book on one of the true gentleman gaming legends in Vegas, none other than Jackie Gaughan? If written in the even handed manner of your Stupak book, I'll be the first buyer in line!!




5. Stupak is a figure who inspires strong (and usually negative) reactions in those interested in Las Vegas. Smith, however, delivers what seems to be an even-handed discussion of the man, and what he's done for Las Vegas, both good and bad. A quick and fascinating read.

5 comments about Freedom River (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books).

1. This book was illustrated so beautifully that I wanted a copy for myself. The story is based on a real individual and that just added to the power of the book. I recommend this book for any family, school or public library.



2. Freedom River
   By Doreen Rappaport and Illustrated by Bryan Collier
   Review by Shelley Styles, Maggie Mathena, and Sylvia Robison
   
   
   This nonfiction picture book is a true story of one of the journeys made by John Parker, a successful business, into Kentucky to help an African American family escape to freedom into Ohio. John Parker owned a foundry where he employed white people. This particular story began with one of John's employees saying that some one had helped a slave woman cross the river during the night. Another employee answered that perhaps Mr. Parker had helped the woman escape. One of John's employees, Jim Shrofe's father owned slaves. Jim Shrofe taunted, "I dare him to cross the river and try to steal my father's slaves, if he does, my father will set the dogs on him and rip him to shreds."
   Although there was a $1000 reward for John, dead or alive, he kept trying to help others. In November, John crossed the river and saw a black man in the shadows and told him about his boat to freedom. The man told John that he couldn't go and leave his wife and baby. As the man ran away, a white man swung a club at John, they wrestled and John escaped back to the river.
   December and January came and John couldn't get across the river to help slaves escape. Jim Shrofe continued to taunt that John was too scared to mess with his daddy's slaves. John kept quiet, until April. John went back across the river and found the same man and told him that he had come back for him and his family. The man told John to leave him alone because since the first time he had come the master watches them carefully and took their baby and makes her sleep at the end of his bed. He also said that the master has a loaded pistol at his side and would kill anyone who comes after the baby. John went home feeling bad that he could not help this family.
   The next night, John rowed back across the river to save the family. They were afraid, so John told the father to hold his shoes and he would go get their baby. Soon John came back with the baby followed by the sound of gun shots. They ran to the boat and rowed back across the river. The man lost John's shoes when he was running.
   Soon after John made it home, he heard a knock on the door. It was Jim Shrofe holding John's shoes. He offered the shoes in exchange for his father's slaves. John said that he had never seen the shoes before and invited Jim in to look for the slaves, allowing more time for the family to get a head start to freedom. Jim Shrofe did not show up for work the next day, or ever again.
   The author used words like Listen, Listen; wait, wait; run, row to describe how John planned and accomplished his tasks to help others to freedom. She used text to self and text to world to help the reader visualize the events that took place during John's plight. The illustrator used wavy lines across the faces of the characters to represent the river, for the river was the path to freedom.
   
   
   



3. Doreen Rapport Freedom River; Illustration by Bryan Collier
   14pp. ISBN 0-7868-0350-9.-ISBN 0-7868-1229-X (pbk.).-ISBN 0-7868-229-0 (lib.bdg.)
   (Intermediate)

   Freedom River is a true story, about getting from Kentucky to the free state Ohio. John Parker a former slave, and now a businessman of Ripely Ohio. John then helps a couple and their child escape being slaves to freedom. The freeing of these salves is taken place through out the year. Both the author and the illustrator work wonderfully together to make this book seem real. The text clearly goes along with the pictures. The illustration is remarkable, the pictures look like photographs. Bryan Collier uses a different technique for his illustrations, it looks as if the pictures are pieces of a puzzle arranged together. As you begin to read this book look closely at the faces of the people, you will see wavy lines, these lines represent the Ohio River. The color schemes really put things in perspective also, they are realistic colors. Through out this book, Doreen Rapport uses short phrases to describe the event that is taking place: Run. Run, Row. Row, Listen. Listen, Wait. Wait, Closer. Louder, Crawl. Crawl. This gives the reader insight to what is going on in the picture by just two word phrases. Another author that does this same technique is Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson. The ending of this story is really surprising, I but when thought about it makes sense. This book is just not about the freeing of slaves, but it is about doing what is right in life, helping others out. I recommend this book to adults and children in the intermediate level. An interesting addition to the end of the story is a historical note which explains in great detail about the life of John Parker.




4. Doreen Rapport Freedom River; Illustration by Bryan Collier
   14pp. ISBN 0-7868-0350-9.-ISBN 0-7868-1229-X (pbk.).-ISBN 0-7868-229-0 (lib.bdg.)
   (Intermediate)

   Freedom River is a true story, about getting from Kentucky to the free state Ohio. John Parker a former slave, and now a businessman of Ripely Ohio. John then helps a couple and their child escape being slaves to freedom. The freeing of these salves is taken place through out the year. Both the author and the illustrator work wonderfully together to make this book seem real. The text clearly goes along with the pictures. The illustration is remarkable, the pictures look like photographs. Bryan Collier uses a different technique for his illustrations, it looks as if the pictures are pieces of a puzzle arranged together. As you begin to read this book look closely at the faces of the people, you will see wavy lines, these lines represent the Ohio River. The color schemes really put things in perspective also, they are realistic colors. Through out this book, Doreen Rapport uses short phrases to describe the event that is taking place: Run. Run, Row. Row, Listen. Listen, Wait. Wait, Closer. Louder, Crawl. Crawl. This gives the reader insight to what is going on in the picture by just two word phrases. Another author that does this same technique is Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson. The ending of this story is really surprising, I but when thought about it makes sense. This book is just not about the freeing of slaves, but it is about doing what is right in life, helping others out. I recommend this book to adults and children in the intermediate level. An interesting addition to the end of the story is a historical note which explains in great detail about the life of John Parker.




5. In the book, A Freedom River, the writing of Doreen Rappaport along with the illustrations of Bryan Collier together create a stunning retelling of one particular trip on the Underground Railroad. This is the story of a slave family escaping from the slave state of Kentucky to the free state of Ohio.
   The book's uniqueness lies not in its topic, but rather in the characters. John Parker, this true story's hero, was not only a conductor on the Underground Railroad, but also an accomplished businessman from Ripley, Ohio. He was born a slave and worked to buy his freedom. He owned his own foundry, and employed both black and white individuals from both Ohio and Kentucky. He helped to make this book unique because he is not a well known conductor, but his impact on the Underground Railroad was just as great. It is said that he helped over 900 slaves escape to freedom during his lifetime.
   A Freedom River draws the reader into the experience of the Underground Railroad. It masterfully pulls forth every imaginable emotion, as the characters must make choices that may end in the separation of families, death or freedom. The pace of the book along with large, bold directives, such as RUN, CRAWL, and LISTEN, create a feeling of breathlessness, much as if the reader too, were running for freedom.
   The illustrations work hand in hand with the written word in order to create the overall experience of the book. The multi-textured collages with realistic faces add emotion and dept to the story. Wavy lives found throughout the illustrations deeply symbolize the river and its importance in the search for freedom.
   This is a beautiful book and worthy of a rating of more than five stars. It could be successfully used with children from 1st to 6th grade. It is an excellent book for introducing and further understanding the Underground Railroad.

No comments about The Driving Force: Getting Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People.

5 comments about 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park.

1. This book accurately captures the experience of the working expat in Japan - coping with culture clashes in the office as well as adjustment pains in a foreign land. Larry and Lorna Collins tell the story of their trip to build Universal Studios Japan - the preparation, the work, the life in Japan and then the return.
   
   As a reader with similar experiences, there were many, "The same thing happened to me" moments as they peeled the onion of Japanese culture, encountering and then digging through stereotypes. The book also provided quite a few "I wish I knew that back then" lessons. The old Japanese hand will also note the odd ironic event here and there, for example, being complimented on using chopsticks is a universal experience.
   
   The mix of good nature and naive wonder experienced by Larry and Lorna come through strong. Perhaps the sincerity is why they made so many connections. Of course the cultural cynic won't be able to finish the book.
   
   Worth the read, and makes me want to return to Japan.



2. Genre: Travel
   
   Title: 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park
   
   Author: Larry K. and Lorna Collins
   
   How do you prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in Japan? Every step is a challenge, from procuring the turkey to making the pumpkin pie. But Larry and Lorna Collins of California thrive on such adventures, and they've written an enthralling account of the joys and frustrations of their "31 Months in Japan."
   
   Larry worked as an engineer on a major theme park project in Osaka. He writes about topics such as unexpected engineering challenges involving dinosaurs and sharks, field-testing the park's rides (and restaurants!), surfing Japanese-style, and the bureaucratic hassles of buying a car. Meanwhile Lorna delighted in the people they met, and she writes with warmth and enthusiasm of cross-cultural experiences shared with new friends. She also devotes a chapter to typhoons and another, perhaps even scarier, to driving in Japan.
   
   This is a super book that radiates joie de vivre. You'll be inspired as you read of life-enriching episodes, and a little overwhelmed as you learn about the many small misunderstandings and irritations of expatriate living. At times humorous, surprising, and moving, "31 Months in Japan" is a must-read for all travelers, armchair and otherwise.
   
   
   Highly Recommended by Reviewer: Julie Falkner, Allbooks Reviews.



3. I was utterly charmed by the experiences related from the viewpoint of the author husband and author wife. Not only were the glimpses of the Japanese culture intriguting and fascinating, but I was also awed by the descriptions of the different places visited by the authors. The insights into the actual building of a theme park in a foreign land kept me turning pages.
   
   Having had the opportunity to see the authors at the recent Epicon made it even more interesting as I could imagine them as I read their words.
   
   This is definitely a book for anyone who likes to read about new places and learn more about a different culture from first hand sources.
   
   Thank you for many pleasant reading hours.
   
   Marilyn Meredith, author of Wingbeat, latest in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series.



4. From the very first chapter, "31 Months in Japan : The Building of a Theme Park" by Larry K. and Lorna Collins, immerses the reader in a fascinating discovery of Japanese culture and the ingenious secrets that make the magic of a theme park real. This detailed and personal account of the trials and surprises involved in creating Universal Studios Japan is told in a warm familiar voice that many times had me musing that I would have reacted the same way as the narrators.
   
   The Collins embark on their adventure with enthusiasm and open hearts, and this attitude enables them to make meaningful contact with their Japanese hosts, not just in the workplace where they face the challenges of turning dreams of an exciting theme park into smoothly-functioning reality, but also on the busy and often confusing streets of Osaka. If you wish to experience a view of another culture that goes beyond rapid tourist impressions or the surface veneer of international negotiations, this book is for you.
   
   Another wonderful layer of the book is the intriguing behind-the-scenes perspective of the complicated mechanics that make all the parts of a major theme park mesh together to form a magical world of imagination come to life. I was spellbound by the innovative solutions that the team of engineers used to solve the complex problems involved in making giant mechanical dinosaurs and sharks interact with an artificial landscape and waterscape to produce a living theater capable of thrilling visitors again and again.
   
   By the time you finish "31 Months in Japan" you will know the Collins well, and will appreciate having joined them on their rich journey to Japan and back. The theme park they helped create is a testament to how drawing on the strength and vision of many individuals and even different cultures can take a project to admirable and unexpected heights. I strongly recommend this outstanding book.



5. Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (3/06)
   
   Co-author Larry K. Collins was a project engineer assigned to the construction of the amusement park Universal Studios Japan, and Lorna, his wife was in Document Control. For 31 months, Larry and Lorna lived in Japan during the building of Universal Studios Japan, moving to Osaka in August 1998 from their permanent home in Dana Point, California until the park opened on March 31, 2001. "31 Months in Japan" is the story of the culture shocks the Collins encountered, the wonderful friends they made, and the sharing of their many interesting challenges and adventures, beginning with the first obstacle in May 1998 when they learned their building site was contaminated and the subsequent 18 month clean-up.
   
   "31 Months in Japan" will entice those curious about traveling to or possibly living in Japan. The behind the scenes work that goes on during the construction of a theme park is also covered, so if you are enthralled with all the plans that go into building a theme park from the obtaining of the land until the gates are opened to the public, you will be entertained.
   
   The book is written like a journal, Larry writing about his encounters as a project engineer, working on the Jurassic Park and JAWS water rides, along with the Water World show, then Lorna sharing her experiences with obtaining housing, cooking and working in Japan. They cover the gamut in telling us about Japanese fashions, home furnishings, festivals, holidays, weather, roadways, maps, parking, waste removal system, communal bathing, golf, rituals, work ethic, appropriate social behavior, and obtaining and preparing familiar food.
   
   At the beginning of each chapter, a new Japanese word is introduced with its pronunciation and meaning, and we are then told a story of how that Japanese word relates to an encounter shared by the Collins. By the end of the book, we should have a few Japanese words in our memory.
   
   The differences between America and Japan were eye opening. Larry experienced driving with only ½" between his left front tire and a three foot ditch running along the side of the road. When passing another vehicle, Larry relates there would be only a scant 1/4" space between the two vehicles door-to-door. Also, before purchasing a car in Japan, the Collins learned one must first have an assigned place to park it. A final random thought I found interesting was that American pizza in Japan has corn atop, is drizzled with mayonnaise, and has toppings of seafood and seaweed.
   
   The Collins eagerly and enthusiastically share with us their experiences of Japan. They tell us about Jurassic Mark, Raouf Iskander, the Nihon Cowboy, their Japanese "daughter" Yasuko and Jurassic Jack. The Collins came back changed individuals but only for the better. It is obvious of the great love they felt for the many special friendships solidified by their times in Japan. The Collin's book is a tribute to the great number of colorful personalities that came together to make the building of Universal Studios Japan a success!

5 comments about Money for Nothing: One Man's Journey through the Dark Side of Lottery Millions.

1. The fact is the rich do get richer. Mainly because the poor think the lottery is the answer to live as the rich. The rich invest while the poor spend. Who wins? We all know but can we do it. The author was unable to do it but he certainly knew his problem and hopefully would correct it. This is a well written non-fiction novel. It should be read by all that think they know how the rich live. Only the poor and uneducated become fixed in these problems.Knowing how to handle money is simple. Live like the rich. If only the poor could learn that.Their way actually improves our economy as they certainly keep the money turning which boost's the stock market and again the rich get richer. This book could with a little thinking change your life and attitude if you let it sink in. Don't be a loser. Gambling in any way is a certain way to lose, there would not be a Las Vegas if you could win. Grow up learn from this book and change your life. Live like the rich.



2. I was really disappointed by this book. I thought it would be about what happens to lottery winners after they win the money...including some statistics on who handles the situation well and who doesn't. I also expected stories about families who had won the lottery.
   
   What I got was a story about a salesman (who is addicted to gambling) who offered lump sums of money to lottery winners...who were cash strapped living on their annuity payments from the lottery.
   
   Fortunately, it sounds like most states will now convert annuity based winnings to lump sums for lottery winners, effectively eliminating the private lump sum buyout industry.
   
   Unless you are interested in the adventures of a gambling addicted salesman taking advantage of people who didn't know how to handle a sudden increase in wealth, I would recommend skipping this book.
   
   I am not a fan of lotteries, so I would suggest you invest your lottery ticket money instead of buying lottery tickets. If you are interesting in learning more about how to invest and increase your wealth slowly but surely, I would suggest reading some of the books noted below.
   
   Index Mutual Funds: How to Simplify Your Financial Life and Beat the Pro's
   The Richest Man in Babylon
   Bogle on Mutual Funds: New Perspectives for the Intelligent Investor
   The Millionaire Next Door
   The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio
   A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing, Ninth Edition
   The Coffeehouse Investor: How to Build Wealth, Ignore Wall Street, and Get On With Your Life
   The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing
   Wealth: Grow It, Protect It, Spend It, and Share It
   Retirement Income Redesigned: Master Plans for Distribution: An Adviser's Guide for Funding Boomers' Best Years



3. For someone who spent so long in a strange industry that buys out lottery winners, this author doesn't have many weird stories to tell. Most of this is about his office politics, which we don't really care about. He pads almost every paragraph with extraneous blather which reveals that he must be a world class motor-mouth in person. We already know that lotteries are won mainly by the poor and the blue collar. Everyone else sees them for what they are: taxes on the poverty stricken. I wish the writer had recounted more about the hard luck winners, and less about the brilliance of his boss, Ben, and the idiocies of Ben's replacement. You won't learn much from this book that you don't already know, which is disappointing.



4. You win the lottery and think you are an instant millionaire! THINK AGAIN!! Ugel has written a true story of his experience working for a company he is forbid to name, tracking down high end lottery winners who receive monthly payments instead of one lump sums. Your number comes up, you are excited, and then when you run to turn in your ticket, where you discover that the 3 million dollars will be taxed at 50 + %, then you will receive approximately 70,000 yearly for multiple years..... Doesn't exactly make you rich. Thats where the "firm" comes in. They will hound, harass, beg, borrow and even steal to gain the right to your monthly payment IN EXCHANGE for a huge amount of interest so they can graciously hand you over a larger lump sum.
   
   Many paragraphs were repetive, and even boring. I suspect this is because he mentions early in the book that when he became employed with "the Firm," he had to sign a wavier stating he would never ever disclose any details of anything having to do with the Firm. Given the restrictions on his employment application, I feel Ugel did an excellent job of informing the public as much information as he was legally allowed to do. Basically, there are hundreds of firms who zero in on lottery winners (and now people who are awarded annunities from accidents payable over a certain time), and try to "buy"
   their annual payments. In doing so, the person looses A LOT of money, but the company gets richer and richer.
   
   Ugel spent time discussion his own battle with playing machine poker in the casinos, and his feelings of taking money from clients where he knew the deal would hurt them.
   
   This book is NOT about how lottery winners spend money, but rather how people take advantage of these winners, and track them down at all costs.
   
   Its definately a book worth reading. There are just enough actual stories of certain winners to keep the otherwise dull book sparkle.
   
   I recommend it highly, especailly if you buy lottery tickets



5. Money for Nothing by Edward Ugel is a very interesting read. I particularly love books that detail the inner workings of jobs I not only know nothing about, but for which I didn't even know existed. Edward Ugel is a former salesman. But not just any old salesman. He sells lump sum payments to people who have won the lottery. You are probably thinking: doesn't the lottery just offer lump sum payments to its winners? Yes, in most states they do. But a big part of the reason they do is because of companies like the one Edward Ugel worked for. So there are many past winners who never had the option, many current winners who don't have that option, and some people who passed on the state-sponsered option at the time. So there are plenty of people to sell to.
   
   The book is a fascinating story of what it takes to be a lump sum payment salesman. It is not told all that well (he is a salesman, rather than an author), but overall it kept me interested. You are welcome to read it, but since you probably won't, I will be happy to tell you about it (stop here if you plan to read it on your own).
   
   Ed Ugel hated being a lump sum payment guy because of who he sold his products to. He sold to lottery winners. Especially, lottery winners that needed cash. I'm sure there are lottery winners that knew how to manage their money, but those folks didn't give folks like Ed Ugel the time of day. Rather, he dealt with people who squandered most of their "found money" rather quickly and needed a cash infusion. These people were generally not very intelligent and could be taken advantage of. However, that is not the main reason he didn't like it (although it was a part of it). Another part of is the gold rush mentality they had when they found a lottery winner - they would have to get their quick to make their sale or else someone else would take it. A very demanding job.
   
   But the main reason he didn't like it was because that he saw himself and other salesmen taking on the characteristics of lottery winners. In a way, signing a deal with a lottery winner was like winning a little bit of the lottery yourself - it was generally a large infusion of money that you didn't really earn. So the salesmen generally spent the money as soon as they got it and were then desparate to make the next sale. They became lazy. Since most of their cold calls didn't result in any return and many of their big deals fell right in their lap, it didn't always make sense to work hard for the money. This laziness ultimately led to his downfall when a competitor is able to blow past his company and he is fired.
   
   Ed Ugel also details the history of the lottery and the myth that the money all goes to education. As Ed is a gambler himself, he knows well the allure of easy money and how detrimental the lottery can be (watch for a future post regarding the lottery on my efficiency blog). Overall, it is a decent book, but one that I wouldn't recommend to everybody.

1 comments about Wine People.

1. Wine People by Stephen Brook (contributing editor for Decanter magazine) is an impressive and informative collection of forty portraits of individual people who devote their professional lives to the many different nuances of wine production and consumption, from the wine creators and salesmen to critics and connoisseurs. Lush, full-page color photographs abound in this highly engaging account, written by a respected wine fancier for anyone who wants to know more about wine and the people who make it. Wine People is an appealing, fascinating, fact-filled book, and highly recommended for cultured wine devotees and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in learning more about the personalities and professions that comprise the wines and wineries of today!

No comments about Harry Johnson: A Life in Economics (Historical Perspectives on Modern Economics).

2 comments about The Man Everybody Knew: Bruce Barton and the Making of Modern America.

1. Richard Fried wrote a fantastic book on US Cold War homefront pageantry (THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!) a few years back, but he's perhaps not the world's most dramatic writer, and his new biography of legendary adman Bruce Barton is serviceable, but nothing outstanding. Fried estimates that Barton was the 20th century's most famous man for whom no full length biography had ever been attempted. That may be so, but maybe there was a reason no one else had tried to get Barton into hard covers.
   
   From what I can make out, his achievements are paltry, and boosted by hot air (he was, after all, one of the kings of Madison Avenue, though not a particularly original designer or thinker). As Fried reveals, Barton was so well-known at the time that many credited him wrongly with every advertising campaign that got noticed; thus he was like the Dorothy Parker of advertising (Parker got the credit for every halfway decent quip uttered at the Algonquin Round Table.) His agency, BBDO, made the Campbell Kids popular on TV, and Carton thought that their creation Chiquita Banana, a talking banana developed for United Fruit, was a masterpiece. Values are screwy in the ad world, and yet Barton had the balls to write one of the all time best sellers of the 20th century (the #1 nonfiction book of 1926), a life of Christ called THE MAN NOBODY KNOWS in which he attempted to paint Jesus Christ as the ultimate businessman, good at molding little people into good workers, a glad hand for everyone, the kind of guy who pats you on the back at a Kiwanis luncheon.
   
   Barton played up his marriage as something sacrosanct but he got caught with his pants down in the early 1930s, when a conniving pre-Code type of minx got her hooks in him and threatened to expose their office affair unless he paid her off to the tune of $25,000. When he did, and she came back again with renewed demands, he went public with his affair, and charged the woman with blackmail. He handled the whole sorry mess with aplomb, but it left his reputation a little dog-eared, poor guy.
   
   Oh well, it was worth a try but at this date it might be too late to try to rehabilitate one of the dumbest careers of modern times. Fried does his best but fails to convince us that Barton's life was any more interesting than that of, oh, someone like Dick Clark. There's shallow, then there's mad shallow.



2. This is a well-written, well-researched, long-overdue biography of an important figure in advertising and American life.
   A glaring omission, however, is the lack of any mention of or reference to Joe Vitale's pioneering book on Barton's methods: The Seven Lost Secrets of Success.
   For anyone who wants to know the principles by which Barton accomplished what he did--and how they can put Barton's methods to work in their own business or career--Vitale's Seven Lost Secrets of Success is the book to get.

5 comments about Trust No One : The Glamorous Life and Bizarre Death of Doris Duke.

1. Please don't buy this book. Its a rehash of info already covered in the mansfield and pony duke bios. Also the concluding chapters are just brutal as this clumsy author attempts to speculate on the motives of the motley crew surrounding doris at the end. An unconvincing, tacky, insensitive book that gives us no insight into the complex woman doris duke was.



2. It was very informative and much different than any movies I've seen on her life. I really enjoyed it.



3. The only reason I gave this one a '2' was that it's a very interesting look into Doris Duke's life with alot of insider perspective(one of the co-writers was her chef). However, this book looks entirely unedited and had atrocious spelling, grammer, mistakes ALL OVER and it was unacceptable.
   
   BIGGEST EXAMPLE: The author's name is spelled differently on the front cover and side binding. Was there ANYONE proofreading this book?
   
   Doris' was constantly spelled Doris'ss or Doris's and words didn't have spaces in between them.



4. I did not find the book particularly written well. It does not keep your interest going. There are no photos. But even more than this, is the subject matter--Doris Duke. I find her to be a very bad example of a human being. Who cares who much money she gave out. She was self absorbed and has made no significant contribution to this world.



5. After touring Doris Duke's summer home in Newport, RI, I became increasing intrigued with Ms. Duke. So I sought a book about her life and I came across Trust No One. At first, I felt the initial chapters were plodding and dry, but I realized after reading a few chapters this foundation was needed to understand the woman Doris Duke became. The first chapters did a thorough background on Doris' father and mother, Buck and Nanaline Duke. Doris' father was the love of her life and he taught her how to become an astute business woman before he died when she was 13 years old. Doris Duke was a very complex woman. She was a philanthropist, and a very saavy businesswoman who multiplied her fortune by billions. She was also an avid art collector, a self-taught botanist and, last but not least, a fine jazz musician. Doris was also very flawed: she was an alcoholic; a drug abuser; and, was anorexic. All of this is explained in great detail in the book. It was factual, but yet there was a human side to the story, and I found it to be a great read. In the end, money cannot buy happiness or love - not even for Doris Duke. (Written by Kathee Duncan)

1 comments about Clash of the Titans: How the Unbridled Ambition of Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch Has Created Global Empires That Control What We Read and Watch.

1. Rupert vs. Ted! Ted vs. Rupert! Great, easy to read narrative of the most modern media battle. If you want to know about the ideology and shenanigans behind Mr. Fair & BalancedTM, this is the book.