By Peter Lathan - It Happened on Broadway is a collection of interviews with 107 Broadway luminaries, including Carol Channing, Betty Buckley, Joel Grey, John Kander, Fred Ebb, James Hammerstein (son of Oscar), Mary Rodgers (daughter of Richard) and Kitty Carlisle Hart (widow of Moss). It tells the story of Broadway from the point of view of those who were deeply involved in its development as the centre of American theatre. It takes us behind the public faces and into the private thoughts and feelings of the stars, writers, composers, directors, producers, designers, press agents, playwrights, and even the restauranteurs (Vincent Sardi Jr. is there, too). It tells about the great successes (and some of the spectacular flops). It reveals much about the great writers - Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Moss Hart, Irving Berlin, Cy Coleman - and the performers - the portrait of Carol Channing in her own words is stunning. And we see the great directors and choreographers - my own favourite, Bob Fosse, is talked about at length - through the eyes of those who worked with them. I thoroughly enjoyed it. What this book shows very clearly is the deep love of theatre, of live performance, which these Broadway luminaries share with the rest of us. In their words I could hear echoes of myself and all of my theatre friends.

It Happened on Broadway: An Oral History of the Great Whire Way by Myrna Katz Frommer and Harvey Frommer. A husband and wife team of Professors in the Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies at Dartmouth College, the Frommers have gathered together the living memories cf over one hundred actors, directors, producers, lyricists, playwrights, critics, designers, publicists, and stage managers to create a volume filled with the light and magic of Broadway itself. These collected memories take us from the enduring dramatic successes of the years~ before and after World War II, through the golden age of the American musical, right up to today's megahits. It Happened on Broadway offers priceless recollections of Broadway hangouts, such as Sardi's and Lindy's; performing with Brando in "Streetcar," the collaborations of Kaufman and Hart and Rogers and Hammerstein; and countless encounters with the likes of Mary Martin, Carol Channing, Jerome Robbins, Tennessee Williams, and Steven Sondheim. There's enough theater lore here - from back stage to the orchestra pit - to entertain the most devoted Broadway aficionado.

"It Happened On Broadway" is nothing short of living, breathing theatre history. Carol Channing's first appearance on stage at a grammar school in San Francisco; Patricia Neal's subsistence jobs cutting pies and scooping ice cream while waiting for her career to bloom (which really didn't take all that long by today's standards); the advent of the Theatre Guild; Celeste Holm and John Raitt on creating the grand-daddy of musical theatre, Oklahoma; Kim Hunter on Marlon Brando; Donna McKechnie on Michael Bennett; Linda Lavin on Neil Simon and Len Cariou on Stephen Sondheim, it's all in there. With vintage photos, drawings, posters and Playbills the Frommer's provide us with a look at theatre history from a time when $1.50 would buy you a movie and six or eight vaudeville acts to the impact of the AIDS crisis on the theatre community to the vast corporate culture now responsible for many of today's Broadway shows. An invaluable and engrossing book for anyone interested in an insiders perspective on the business of the Great White Way. .*******************************************************

What a compelling, magnificent journalistic work this is! Plus, it has a heart, to put it mildly. All the other reviewers have given this book the praise it deserves and I am sorry to say that the year of the fire, 1958, I was in high school in California and don't remember anyone ever mentioning this fire (and I was a journalism major!) It is shocking that more people don't know about this book and more shocking still that the Catholic church has never even laid a placque or mentioned this catasgrophe from the pulpit at OLA! Bless the authors for their obviously painstaking work in writing this exhaustive book. I feel proud to have read it and come to know, even so slightly, the children and parents involved, as well as the firefighters who are our ultimate heroes.

I am a teacher of English and history at a high school and a junior college. I have a son who is studying to be a professional fire fighter. In fact, I bought this book for him but read it first. This story is gripping and powerful. It is also beautifully written and it is clear the authors have a close affinity with the countless victims of this nightmare--the children, the nuns, the families, the fire fighters and all who suffered as a result of this catastrophe. To read this book is to go back in time to 1958. I was a student in a catholic elementary school at the time and this book captures the spirit of parochial schools of that era. Their tribute to the nuns who gave the last full measure for their children is overwhelming. In fact, it hs been a long time since a history has made me gasp aloud and I have to admit that I felt the tears well up as I read the accounts of tragedy, loss and heroics. The book captures a moment in time and stands as a tribute to those who died so young.

While only a kindergarden student at Our Lady of the Angels School in 1958,(OLA) the book brought back memories that I had no idea even existed. The tears my parents shed were not understood at the time. I clearly remember the smoke and fire, the bodies being carried out of the shell of a school, and many of the kids I grew up with lost older siblings in the fire. As a kid, I never really understood it.

It was never discussed in my house or at any of my friends houses either. Everyone seemed to suffer their losses privately.

I pray frequently for the souls of those lost to the fire, their families, and for the survivors as well.

The book forced me to relive 1958 and to better understand the fire and its aftermath as an adult looking back. I commend the writers for their outstanding efforts. I cried every 20 pages or so. It had to be painful for them to relive the fire as well.

I wish a memorial could be placed at the new school. It would be a nice tribute to the lives lost so schools could be made fire safe.

Few memoirs can have the kind of honesty, self-examination and disturbing insight into a horrific type of crime as found in "Tears Of Rage." Though John Walsh, best known as the host of "America's Most Wanted," has written recent books that deal with capturing wanted felons, this is his most stellar work because it is him stripping himself bare to show us the horror of losing a child and the heartbreaking struggle to move on. This is the story of the disappearance of 6-year old Adam Walsh, abducted in a department store and later found decapitated. Walsh describes in wrenching detail the anguish him and his wife Reve endured while searching for their son and wondering what had happened as well as dealing with a police force which in 1981, was ill-equipped when it came to finding missing children. It is fair to say that there might be no better book that tells the story of a family's loss of this nature, Walsh writes with a truth and bluntness that keeps the reader emotionally gripped onto the pages. But yet aside from a powerful story, "Tears Of Rage" also informs us with the evolution of missing children programs in America, it took the Walsh tragedy to wake-up America to the monster that is child murder and abduction. Beasts prowled the fields and no one noticed while many suffered in silence, not knowing where their sons or daughters were. Walsh takes us on an in-depth look at his own efforts which have taken him to congress to help the mothers of the disappeared. But the interesting thing here is the haunting story of Adam Walsh, when John Walsh describes in detail how he believes the murder took place one is surprised at the courage this father has to describe how the horrific murder of his son might have taken place. In essence Walsh takes us on a journey through emotions and scenarios many of us hope we will never have to live through, but the lesson here is that in his baptism of fire, Walsh came out a wiser, stronger man and from his story we learn we must all be careful, especially with something as precious as our children.

This book details the struggle of John Walsh and the personal tragedy that propelled him to international recognition as the star of America's Most Wanted. In 1981, his only son Adam Walsh was abducted from a Sears store at age 12. The resultant investigation and twists spurned the elder Walsh's crusade for justice. Although his son's case remains unsolved, Walsh remains dedicated to the cause of missing children everywhere. Although my background as a constitutional researcher makes me leery of most victims rights advocates (whose well intentions try to eliminate the constitutional safe guards they would likely want in a similar situation) I am predisposed to respect Walsh whose mission began and remains with noble pursuits of justice for all. Not one to mince words, Walsh's account of the ordeal takes us first to the picture of a serene family unraveled by a predator and then of parents fighting for their son's name and those of kids every where who had previously disappeared without people really wondering why. Although child abductions had been occurring for decades, the Walsh case was an example of a new willingness to expose it as a public crime instead of a private family matter. Believe it or not, there were legislators who actually considered the idea of missing children's legislation a joke. That such callousness could happen struck me as particularly cruel and disheartening, but the Walsh story reaffirms the idea that a small group of people with enough determination can really change the world. It is to Walsh's credit that the naysayers were silenced and whole generations of children and their relatives now have social and legal recourse against repeat incident when they do occur. I am not particularly a sentimental person, but this book still moves me to tears (as does the movie) every time I visit this case again. In terms of gruesome emotion, Freddy Krueger, Chucky and the like have nothing on this case for fear levels. Even people like myself who grew up hearing about the details of this case via a well-made tv movie will be horrified by this book.

Every parent should read this book. The author makes us very aware of the scumbag by-products of abuse and neglect that walk this earth in search of innocent children to exploit for their own selfish pleasure. Instead of letting this horrible tragedy break them, John and Reve Walsh dragged themselves up from the absolute pits of their terrible nightmare to change the priorities of a foolish country that cares more about stolen cars than stolen kids. It is also gratifying to know that John Walsh joined forces with the incredible genius of ex-FBI special agent Robert Ressler (author: Whoever Fights Monsters). John Walsh is responsible for bringing to our attention that these pedophiles and lunatics are everywhere and must be stopped. THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE'S CHILD!! This book is emotionally hard to read. Your heart will go out to these two people for their grief and we can all be thankful that they cared enought to turn their tragedy around to help others.

A Coal Miner's Bride was a great read, and now my favorite in the Dear America series!

It tells the story, in diary form, of a 13 year old Russian Pole, Anetka, who leaves her country to marry a coal miner in America. She is not happy to go, however, especially when her grandmother decides to stay behind - and gives her ticket to a Russian soldier, who will accompany Anetka and her brother.

Anetka's husband doesn't seem to love her, but when things are looking better, he dies in an accident and she is left to support his three daughters. And when massacres and her friend Leon enter her life, things are even harder. Will life always be harsh for Anetka?

This was a great book, and I'd recommend it for ages 11 - 15. Be sure to read "Dreams in the Golden Country", another Dear America book!

Of all the books I have read, A Coal Miner's Bride is definetley my favorite. It not only teaches you about the hard times in history, but it really touches your heart. Anetka Kaminska lived a wonderful life in Poland, but when her father, who Anetka says has "American fever", sends her a letter saying he has found her a husband, her dreams are shattered. After riding a ship with her brother Jozef and an "impossible" Czar soldier, Anetka finds out that her future husband hasthree young girls in desperate need of a good mother. But her husband, who terribly misses his wife, doesn't love Anetka as she hoped he would. When she expresses her feelings, things finally shape up for Anetka and her husband. But not long after he finally kisses Anetka good night, he dies in a tragic mining accident. Now Anetka must be a mother to her children and have boarders, including the "impossible" solsier,Leon, to pay off her husband's high debts. I have so many other words to tell, but that would give away theend

Anetka Kaminska is satisfied with her life in Poland until one day her father sends steamship tickets and a letter saying she must come to America and marry Stanley Gawrich.She must leave in a hurry with a young soldier,Leon Nasevich, who mysteriously happens to be wherever Anetka is. When she gets to america she finds that all the immigrants are poorly treated. To make matters worse, Stanley doesn't want a wife, he only wants a mother for his 3 daughters. After about 6 months of Anetkas unhappy marriage, Stanley dies and leaves Anetka with his three daughters. She has to take in borders to make ends meet and to pay off Stanleys large debt. Leon comes back into her life and mixes all her feelings up. Everyone should read this book. It gives perspective to the way life was for immigrants in the late 1800's. This was the best Dear America I have read yet.

One cannot over state Robert Moses' impact on New York's very landscape. Nor is it possible to underestimate his almost rapacious ability to amass political power, his skill at manipulating the political system, nor the degree to which he was able to out maneuver and bully elected officials to his will. As someone who has spent ten years making a living in politics there can be no doubt that Moses was the maestro of politics with an unmatched ability to call the tune. For this reason, this is a must read for those interested in politics.

That said, Caro goes too far in attacking Moses on a broad front, often on charges that are spurious. At the same time, he does not sufficiently acknowledge the contributions Moses made to the City and the Nation. This book follows a problematic habit of Caro of needing to paint his subjects in a purely negative light, attacking them viciously and always underestimating their positive contributions.

On the unfair attacks, Caro charges Moses with ruining NYC riverfront by running highways along them. While that is true as a matter of fact, he fails to explain that, at the time, driving was seen as recreation and every American city followed the identical path. On another score, Caro criticizes Moses because his highways generated traffic thus requiring the creation of more highways. Again the charge is unfair. Traffic studies were at best primitive and the effects of traffic multiplication were little understood.

At the same time, Caro fails to appreciate the sheer scope of Moses vision and the works he built. Nor, while he attacks Mosses' manipulation of the process, does he ever deal with the really tough question of whether another way to build great public works exist other than with a man like Moses.

For all that, Caro's book is still an essential read for those interested in the art of politics and power as well as urban planning. While the book is long, occasionally over written, and shares with Caro?s other works a rather unfortunate tendency towards melodrama. it still offers the reader much that they cannot learn elsewhere. Moses was an artist who used America?s greatest city as his canvas. Sadly, his masterpiece showed signs of early wear and mistakes by the artist.

I too read this book shortly after it came out. At the time, I had just graduated from college and was working at a series of odd jobs while I tried to figure out what to do with my life. I happened upon this book and was swept away. By any measure, it sets a standard that few writers can hope to equal (and Caro himself may go the rest of his career without ever writing another book as good as this first effort). Whether read as a work of biography about a larger-than-life, repellantly fascinating character, an engrossing history of New York, or a penetrating critique of politics and urban planning, you will eat this book up. "In New York City, in the postwar era, the discretionary power resided principally in Robert Moses, and like filings to a magnet -- or, more precisely, like flies to a sugar bowl -- the corrupters, the men who possessed influence over the city's political or governmental apparatus and who were willing to sell that influence for money, were attracted to Moses, and to the seemingly bottomless sugar bowl for which he possessed the only spoon. And Moses did not send them away disappointed." (p. 718) If you like to read, it simply doesn't get any better than this. I've never read anything like it.

This massive work, published in 1975, is unfortunately just as timely today as it was a quarter century ago. It is the story of Robert Moses, arguably one of the most important and influential men of the second half of the 20th century. He, for better or for worse, gave us our models for the modern highway transportation system and wielded enormous power in the city and state of New York -- without ever being elected to a single public office.

At 1,162 pages, Caro's work will undoubtedly always face the charge that it needed editing. But to address large themes, a writer needs to expand, and Caro does, brilliantly for the most part. "The Power Broker" takes on the question of whether democracy in America really works. Using Moses' life as a model, the answer is "no." Moses began as a passionate believer in reform, a man who wanted to end favoritism and corruption in New York. Yet early on he concluded that to "get things done," he needed to beat the power-wielders at their own game, and he did. He built an enormous network of influence that included politicians, unions, banks and big business. And he used that power to build the most enormous transportation system in the nation, often over the objections of elected officials.

But the book also makes clear the cost of power. For one thing, there were political losers. Moses was ruthless in his attacks on those who opposed him, often lowering himself to attacking character. Mass transportation was a loser during the time Moses wielded power. He considered the automobile the premier mode of transportation, and he steadfastly refused to accommodate plans for subway, bus, and train improvements. And the poor and working class were losers in Moses' power game. He had no respect for the poor, particularly those with dark skin, and he ruthlessly destroyed their neighborhoods in his grand building schemes.

In the end, we have all lost because of Moses' vision. His idea that we can solve transportation problems by building more and more roads, bridges and infrastructure to accommodate commuters who live farther and farther from the places they work has carried the day, and those of us who live in medium-sized and big cities continue to suffer for it with every minute we lose in traffic.

Tremendous book -- grand in its vision, grand in its documentation, grand in its achievement.

One word......AWESOME!!! Dale Jr. takes on a wild ride through his rookie season running with the Big Dogs in the Winston Cup. Not only does he give us an insider view of what happens on race day, he takes us behind the wall and gives us a look at a driver off the track. This is the closest I've felt to the real life of the guys I watch on Sunday. Driver #8 is a great read full of emotional highs and lows. I found myself laughing in some segments and nearly crying in others. Even if you aren't a fan of Dale Jr., I encourage you to read this book. You'll have a whole new respect for what these fellows do and a whole new respect for them as people.

This is a wonderful read for all NASCAR fans even if you are not a Dale Jr. fan. I was glad to find that Dale Jr. divulged emotions regarding the death of Dale Sr. appropriately and respectfully while conserving the privacy that he and all NASCAR drivers fight daily to preserve. As a twentysomething NASCAR fan I naturally related to his new millenium attitude and approach to the industry, his career, and often complicated issues such as media infringement, sponsor committments and unstable fans. Additionally, this book provides the reader with fantastic play by play descriptions of the races along the NASCAR circuit of his Rookie season with driver oriented explanations of various technical issues of the cars and tracks.
Overall, I rated this book 5 stars for its easy readability and attention keeping entertainment factor. By the end of this book you'll be ready to invite this guy over for a cold Bud!

Hi,

I am a new fan of NASCAR. My dad has always been a fan esp of Dale Earndhardt. I came across this book and decided to order it. I have read the whole book in over a week; which is fast for me. I have greatly enjoyed this book. Not only do you get to know Dale jr. a little better you get to see the world of racing through his eyes. I have learned about the sport from this book. If you are looking for a bio on Dale Jr this is not the book for you. If you are looking for what life was like with Dale Sr. this is not the book. You will get a breif background on his life and yes he talks about his dad alot in the book, but it's mostly for the boss - driver aspect.

weather or not you are a fan of Jr or not this is a great book for any race fan. It gives you the fly on the wall look at the ups and downs of a Wiston Cup season.

Fans of Civil War literature who are weary of reading the many books out there about major military leaders and their campaigns, battles, weapons, tactics and strategies will discover something of great value in "Black Flower: A Novel of the Civil War." The author, Howard Bahr, applies his narrative skills to a haunting and memorable depiction of the slaughter and carnage of war and its harrowing effects on the common soldier. We briefly discover Bushrod Carter, a 26-year old Confederate soldier from Mississippi and his "pards" preparing for the 1864 Battle of Franklin, Tennessee and then find them again after the battle is over, changed forever. Descriptions of the horrors of war, the wounded and their medical treatment, the nightmare scenes in the plantation house commandeered as a hospital, the tragedies of the lives affected, all serve to make "Black Flower" a most powerful and emotional novel

This book is sheer poetry masquerading as a Civil War novel. No matter how gruesome the subject matter of the moment, Howard Bahr manages to take it beyond your mind and into your heart -- you understand what he's writing with your soul. His description of the army as a living breathing entity unto itself as it goes into battle, is masterful and helps those of us who have never experienced battle to have an inkling of what makes normal men able to fight and kill. The interactions involving Bushrod and the other characters who have such a strong effect on his life are beautiful and touching. The Black Flower truly brings the horrors of war and death to life, you can virtually feel the characters' pain and smell the smells that surround them. But the beauty of the writer's language pulls the reader on and on no matter what the horrors may be. You care so much about these characters that you must go on. This book will be right up there on the top of my all time list of recommended favorites. If I could give it higher rating than a ten I would.

I don't know how this one slipped through the cracks. I am a student of the War and fairly widely read, yet I have never encountered a work of Civil War fiction that moved me the way "The Black Flower" has. Truly a masterpiece. The language is exquisite, the characters well drawn and believable. Unlike in "Cold Mountain," I have been unable to find any historical inaccuracies. Bushrod, Jack, Virgil C., and Anna became as real to me as my best friend. They made me laugh, cry, and love them all, and I was immensely sorry when this well-crafted book ended. Surely someone should turn this story into a feature film. After reading this, I will read anything by Mr. Bahr, no questions asked.

Life Magazine, for as long as it has been in existence, has been known for its vivid portrayal in words and photographs of life's events, both joyous and tragic. This book is no exception. How could anyone read about the devastating events of September 11, 2001 and not be moved. Throughout "One Nation" the reader will recapture the events as they unfolded, meet both survivors and courageous rescuers, and still be left with that plaguing question, "in this century, in a time of peace and prosperity, how could this horrific event possibly have happened?"

One need not be an American to appreciate this book, for the tragic events pictured here could happen anywhere. Where, is only a matter of geography. It is not appropriate to say it is an enjoyable book to read, for it is not. The events revealed here defy description and are so horrific they will stay with you forever. However, the book is a compelling one to read. For those who do not live near New York, it puts the reader in touch with the reality of the events. Life Magazine has produced a moving and impressive account, both in words and photographs, of what will become an unforgettable time in history. "One Nation" shows through the eyes of endless rescue workers, from all walks of life, that the world with all its tragedy, unpredictability and despair is also still a world filled with tremendous compassion and love for one's fellow man.

I picked this book up to read now, 9 months after the attacks of September 11th and found myself becoming choked up all over again. The photos are of course of the highest quality of composition and emotion, as you would expect from Life Magazine. The illustrated timeline brings the day back into focus, and now that time has given some distance, allows us to look anew at how the day unfolded. But of course, in any kind of tragedy, it is the human elements that have the most impact - and this book presents that excellently. Stories of heroism, tragedy, chance, determination and sadness brought tears to my eyes. The overwhelming shock of the events have worn off for the most part, but these stories remind us of what the day meant to people. The section of photographs of individuals against a stark white background drives home the smallest human element of an overwhelming tableau. The people focused upon are there for a reason, and even though just being there and taking part in the aftermath should be reason enough, most of the subjects have additional connections that ties them all together in a web of tragedy and redemption. This is a book to treasure and to use to show those that come after us what this day meant to America.

The editors of LIFE magazine have put together a splendid testimonial to all of the victims of September 11th. This is a volume that should be on the coffee table of every American household and in every school library.

In great detail, LIFE recreates that day with pictures, eyewitness reports, and graphics, that will further enhance your knowledge of exactly what happened. The pictures are stunning and at times they bring the action rushing back into your mind.

This is not the kind of book that you can just pick up and read. This is a book that you thumb through on a periodic basis to remind yourself that we are a target. It is the kind of book that you have to buy so your kids and grandkids will be able to understand what happened.

We are the only nation that could have come through this attack with renewed patriotism. This book does everything it can to remind the reader that we are truly the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Rifles for Watie, by Harold Keith, is a book about a 16-year-old boy named Jeff Bussey and can't wait to leave his farm in Kansas to defend his Unionagainst the Indian leader of the Rebels(Stand Watie. As a soldier, Jeff has to walk hundreds of miles while watching his friends die in battle. He gets sent over to be aspy and if he gets coaght, they'll kill him. But it gets worse. He finds out that the rebels are fairly nice people and on top of that he falls in love with a rebel girl. To find out what hhe does, read Rifles for Watie.
I thought this was a good book because it has a lot of suspence in it and it isn't boring
I think people who love action and war should read this book because that is what it is, action and war.

I read the book Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith. It is about a boy named Jefferson Bussey who is sixteen when the civil war broke out and he wanted to be in it. He was from Kansas living on a farm with his family. Eventuall one day he sneaks out fome his house and goes to the barrocks for war. When he is in war he figures out that war is not all good and glory. You have to march for miles, get fed almost nothing and sleep in horrible conditions. He sees his friends die right in front of him to. Then they send him out to infiltrate the enemys camp as a spy. when he gets there he finds out that they are the same as him but they are just fighting for a diffrent casue. But once he finds out what he had to he cant decide if he should go with the rebels or stay with the Union. The desrana of this book is non-fiction. I liked this book alot because of all the action in it. I recomend this book to any people that like action and war books.

This book is truly one of Harold Keith's best books. He has made Jeff Bussey seem alive when he takes you through his adventures in the Civil War. Jeff constantly came into perils in the book that made me want to keep reading and not stop. He made the battle scenes and the towns seem so real in my mind. This book is a one of a kind. Jeff has been on both sides of the war, seen both side's point of view. He had to make up his mind on which side he stayed on. I was really thinking that he was going to stay with the rebels just because Lucy Washbourne was on that side, but I was wrong. He made friends on both sides of the army and they took him in as their own. His name had a lot to do with it. Jeff's father fought in a war with the south. His name was well known there. I think that if he didn't have that name he wouldn't have been able to get into the rebel front lines. I loved this book and I urge everybody else to read it. It is truly a great book. I will have to get my own copy very soon.

Writers alert! A book we all need is here. Anyone tempted to pooh, pooh that may be dissing a chance at success.

The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing is a book for writers who are new to publishing and those who aren't. It is a book for writers who are already published by big houses or little. It is a book for writers who are scared and trying to decide how to publish and where. It is a book for writers who want to have their books read.

Written by Tom and Marilyn Ross, the gurus of SPAN (Small Publishers of North America), this book's 521 pages is chock-full of up-to-the-times information on the publishing scene, on selling books, and on publicizing books. It has all the how-to nitty-gritty necessary if you decide to do it yourself.

If you don't decide to self publish, you'll still be glad you have this one under your belt; these days everyone knows that even if you land a big publisher, you'd still better be prepared to do almost all the publicity for it yourself.

This tome includes recommended reading, point-of-purchase suppliers, printers, catalogs, review sources, bookstore chains, and on and on. It also includes the dope on e-publishing. As a reviewer, I should be finding some flaw in this book, so you can believe the praise. Sorry, I just can't. I can only visualize what this might do for any writer's career.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"

The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing is a powerful resource for all aspects of self-publishing from the beginning idea to having the book in hand, to marketing and selling it yourself. It's jam packed with hints and lessons learned over time-I think-by trial and error and Tom and Marilyn have come out the winners. I especially liked the way they back up each chapter with hard facts, examples of how to do it and stories of those who've made their book a success like all self-publishers want to. Like Marilyn says "Keep at it. If one idea isn't a hit try something else." Web sites, Wisdom and Whimsey at the end of each chapter shows you new sites to check out, gives you thought-provoking quips and summarizes the theme of the chapter. The endless contacts, rich appendixes and web sites are well worth your purchase of the guide. This resource is a must for any author or self publishers desk and library.

Review by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This is the Place

Writers alert! A book we all need is here. Anyone tempted to pooh, pooh that may be dissing a chance at success.
The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing is a book for writers who are new to publishing and those who aren't. It is a book for writers who are already published by big houses or little. It is a book for writers who are scared and trying to decide how to publish and where. It is a book for writers who want to have their books read.
Written by Tom and Marilyn Ross, the gurus of SPAN (Small Publishers of North America), this book is chock-full of 521 pages of up-to-the-times information on the publishing scene, on selling books, and on publicizing books. It has all the how-to nitty gritty necessary if you decide to do it yourself.
If you don't decide to self publish, you'll still be glad you have this one under your belt; these days everyone knows that even if you land a big publisher, you'd still better be prepared to do almost all the publicity for it yourself.
This tome includes recommended reading, point-of-purchase suppliers, printers, catalogs, review sources, bookstore chains, and on and on. It also includes the dope on e-publishing. As a reviewer, I should be finding some flaw in this book, so you can believe the praise. As an author who has been doing lots of publicity on her own for quite a while, I should be able to spot some gaps. Sorry, I just can't. I can only visualize what this reference and guide might do for any writer's career.