Reviews (6)

A Valuable Recovery Read
Broken is outstanding!I am an alum of Hazelden, sober 22 years, and have worked as an adolescent chemical dependency counselor.This book is the best description of addiction, treatment, relapse and recovery that I have come across.It is well written and well documented from the author's journals and correspondence from his father.
Powerful and Brutally Honest
I was amazed once I started reading at how well this book reads.Even more amazed that it wasn't one of those books about someone who went into recovery and never relapsed. The pain of relapse is something Mr Moyer described perfectly. I share in Mr Moyers addiction and now I have been blessed with sharing his recovery.I have ordered from Hazelden for some time now, so when this book came out, it was a must add to my recovery library.Thank you William, for sharing your story in print so that so many struggling addicts can see that there is hope and the miracle is just around the corner.It works if you work it!

Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption
Thank you so much, William, for sharing your story.It takes enormous courage to ascend out of the nightmare of addiction, and further courage to tell that story!You do an immense service to the many millions who struggle with this disease, both as addicts and alcoholics themselves, but also for the many others who love them and want to do the right thing.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Cocaine abuse    6. Drug Abuse    7. Drug addicts    8. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    9. Journalism (General)    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Rehabilitation    12. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    13. United States    14. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Editorial Review

Think you've got a book inside of you? Anne Lamott isn't afraid to help you let it out. She'll help you find your passion and your voice, beginning from the first really crummy draft to the peculiar letdown of publication. Readers will be reminded of the energizing books of writer Natalie Goldberg and will be seduced by Lamott's witty take on the reality of a writer's life, which has little to do with literary parties and a lot to do with jealousy, writer's block and going for broke with each paragraph.Marvelously wise and best of all, great reading. ... Read more

Reviews (254)

A mixed bag
This book has some good writing advice, which I appreciate, but I was annoyed by the intrusive religious comments. It should have been marketed as a Christian writing book, or else I wish they had left the religion out of it. I do not expect to find this when I purchase a writing book. I want to hear about writing, not about how God can make me a better writer.
Worth reading and Saving !
This is one of the books that I will keep and re-read.Very well written and inspiring.I LOVED IT !! Made me "want" to write and made me feel that I could actually write something worth reading.

Depressing
I found this book very depressing. Anne Lamott's constant self-deprecation throughout the book caused me to really doubt myself as well. I know she is doing it to show that she's human just like the rest of us, but I think she can show that without hating on herself every chance she gets (saying the 9-year-old version of herself looked like a neurotic cat woman, etc.) despite what she says about how you shouldn't do that. It's like hanging around with a bunch of anorexic models, it gets to you.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Journalism    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Reference    8. Writing Skills    9. Reference / Writing Skills   

Editorial Review

In 2005, two tragedies--the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina--turned CNN reporter Anderson Cooper into a media celebrity. Read more

Reviews (148)

Astonishing
I read this book, which is not very long, in one sitting, and half the time I had to read through the curtain of tears in my eyes.Like Anderson Cooper, I am a television journalist, and like Anderson Cooper I have learned to divorce myself from the stories that I am telling.And yet I understand, God, how I understand his feeling of shrieking despair underneath the veneer.I live in Latvia, which is the Old Country for my family, and the first year that I was here, I was asked by the Soviet Latvian Parliament to translate for foreign journalists when Parliament was voting on Latvia's declaration of independence.When the vote began and it became increasingly clear that the necessary majority would vote "yes", I was staring hard at the carpet, because I knew that if I met anyone's eyes, I would weep for the triumph of it all.Anderson juxtaposes the tragedies on which he reports (Somalia, Sarajevo, the Asian tsunami, Iraq, Hurricane Katrina) with the tragedy of his own life -- raised in a goldfish bowl as son of Gloria Vanderbilt, losing his father at the age of 10, losing his brother, who committed suicide by jumping off a penthouse balcony in front of his mother's eyes.This personalizes the stories which journalists tend to dehumanize -- one body, two bodies, three bodies ... you have to get the story on the air, and you remember what you were taught in journalism school -- "On television, if it bleeds, it leads".God bless Anderson Cooper, who lets the story into his heart.God bless a man who is not afraid to tell the entire world about his torments and his weaknesses.Men are taught not to do so.I so appreciate that this one did.I recommend this book with every fiber in my being, not just for journalists, but for anyone who still sees humanity in the technological world in which we live today.

Live thru this--personal tragedy to personal accomplishment
Anderson Cooper writes in the style of describing his life in one sub-chapter and then switching to an experience in an international war zone during his press coverage. This is a well written book and the way Mr Cooper details his family's personal tragedy is compelling and vulnerable. It provides inspiration as you read thru all of the details. Then his need to find his place in life in poltical war coverage is brave and risk taking. This is a book which is both smart and sensitive. Recommended.

A New Appreciation for Anderson Cooper
I learned a lot about the CNN Anchor. He's the son of Gloria Vanderbuilt and Wyatt Emory Cooper.His father died when he was ten and his brother committed suicide when Anderson was in college at Yale.I learned that he went out on his own, with faked news credentials, and journeyed the globe freelancing stories in places of tragedy, hunger, and war - just him and a camera.I respect that.I respect following your dreams despite personal danger and discomfort.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Cooper, Anderson    6. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    7. Journalism    8. Personal Memoirs    9. Television - General    10. Television Journalism    11. Television journalists    12. United States   

Editorial Review

The world is divided into two types of people: those who wince when they seethe words Read more

Reviews (58)

Took two weeks to get here
Shipping took way too long to get here, almost 14 days. They probably could have chosen a better option to send it, but didn't.

Fast & Pragmatic Rules for the Busy Writer
It's not just for reporters.If you write letters, memos, reports, updates, briefs, and the like, this book will make you a more competent and confident writer.
Insufficient but requisite!
If you write or publish regularly, you'll need to devise addendums to the AP Guide. A short list might evolve into your own style guide, since the AP may not cover abbreviations you commonly use, for example. But this guide is indispensible prior to (or in lieu of) having your own guide (a monstrous task). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Newspapers/Magazines    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Journalism    4. Journalistic Writing    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Libel and slander    7. Media & the Law    8. Reference    9. Research And Report Writing    10. Style manuals    11. United States    12. Writing Skills    13. Communications law    14. USA    15. Writing & editing guides   

Editorial Review

Fans of Read more

Reviews (87)

Does anyone remember the old green Periodical Index???
Okay, confession:I don't own this, YET.(It's marked "highest priority" on my wishlist.)But reading reviews complaining about the royal annoyance of DVD swapping, I'm amused and slightly ticked off.Hey, folks, back in the day, if you needed to look up articles in the New Yorker, you had to go to a building in town called the "library".If you wanted to take an article home to read later, you were happy to be able to make a smeary, smelly, expensive photocopy.
There are always quibbles
Despite the all the minor quibbles you read this is a very worthwile package. Goodness, look at the 20s articles! They are historically worth the price of the package alone, and they are all at your computer! Do a bit of web surfing and discover ways to put the enourmous set on your hard-drive if you wish. It's worth the cost if not from Amazon than from the New Yorker page itself at one-half the price.
DON'T buy this!
ZERO stars. If you live in Europe, forget about it. This thing only works on PC's with an all American time & date system. Unless you want to americanize your computer, it's not usable.
Read more

Subjects:  1. New Yorker (New York, N.Y. : 1925)    2. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    3. Publishing Industry And Trade    4. Journalism    5. Mass Media - General    6. United States - 20th Century    7. Reference / Publishing    8. Publishing    9. Language Arts & Disciplines    10. Language    11. History   

Editorial Review

Heralded as the "best book on the dope decade" by the Read more

Reviews (381)

This is one heck of a fun book!
Thompson's classic novel shows that quest literature (in this case the quest for the American Dream) is not at all dead. This is tale is wonderfully crafted and will entertain until the last page.
Sometimes you just have to give it another chance
I have read this book about a dozen times, and I won't lie, the first few times were hard. I wasn't sure if I even understood this book, let alone liked it. My husband was a big fan, and convinced me to give the book another shot one day- and am I happy he did. I got it. It is funny, sad, crazy and weird. It's a journey that I am happy I took, and will take again. It is one of those book that each and every time you read it you will take away something new and fresh. Great read. Try it, you will like it.

hilarious!
If you are looking for a good laugh and are not offended by drugs, lewd behavior, and hooliganism, then I would highly recommend this book.90% of the story takes place while the two main characters are doped up on various drugs or combinations of them, and the consequences are hilarious.I laughed most of the way through.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Journalism    5. Journalists    6. Literary    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Popular Culture - General    9. Thompson, Hunter S    10. United States    11. United States - 20th Century/60s    12. American English    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Modern fiction    15. True Stories   

Reviews (6)

very clear
I am a non native speaker, and even though my grammar is not too bad, my writing style has always been a source of frustration. At work, when comparing the texts I would write with the one of good native writers, I could see that theirs were better, but could not find why.
a gem
I found an used copy of " The Basics of Clarity and Grace" at bookstore. After reading 3/4 of the book I orderedtwo more copies. One copy for my son who is a journalist major and the other for my eldestson who writes good comedy. I liked its size and its no nonesense approach.

Better than Strunk & White, better than Turabian
The longer version of Joseph Williams "Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace" has been justly praised for many years. But as a director of writing programs at NYU, Princeton, and Yale, I never felt right adopting that text: it was too expensive, and more than the average student needed. This "Basics" Style is the perfect solution. All the brilliance of the longer book at 1/3 the price, "Style" perfectly balances explanations of style rules with practical examples. The rules that Strunk and White encourage are good ones, and American prose would be leaner if their precepts were universal. The problem with that book is that the advice is not explained systematically. You can use their suggestions when you face similar cases, but only Williams' text breaks down topics like elegance, coherence, and cohesion in ways that will let you carry the ideas into every text you write. I would not recommend this book for the casual 10th grader; although it's clearly written, its ideas are somewhat advanced. But for professionals, college writers, and any teenager who takes writing seriously, "Style" is an indispensable tool, a book you'll use for the rest of your life. For learning to write good college papers, I also highly recommend his "Craft of Research." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business English    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. English language    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Rhetoric    8. Style    9. Technical English    10. Creative writing guides    11. English literature: essays, letters & other non-fiction prose works    12. Language & Linguistics    13. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    14. Literature: History & Criticism    15. Press & journalism   

Reviews (8)

THE BEST!!! This one is the best out there
you can skip to any chapter and read that topic without having to read the first chapters. Go to what you inquire and the author will present it as standalone material. THis is like the bible of Magazine How-to books...

A Tough Read
I found How to Start a Magazine by James Kobak difficult to read and somewhat depressing.The promises on the cover, in my humble opinion, we never fulfilled and the textbook-style format was flat.I felt as if, rather than a telling me "how to" he was telling me all the reasons "not to."He also came from only one perspective--that of a large scale, national publication.My goal is to build a local business-builder magazine.Therefore, much of the information was irrelevant for me.Based on the cover promises, I thought I'd found the ideal book for my needs.It didn't deliver.

A wealth of information
So you want to start a magazine? It won't be easy..it won't be fast--and it definitely won't be cheap! Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Entrepreneurship    3. Journalism    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Magazine Management    7. Media Studies - Print Media    8. Periodicals    9. Publishing    10. Publishing Guides    11. United States    12. Business & Management    13. Press & journalism    14. Publishing industry   

Reviews (107)

Tools that really work!! Really!
I have to admit that when I ran across this book on a dreary day, I was hopeful yet very skeptical. Not to mention a great big scardy-cat! But I committed to following Peter's suggestions in this book. Low and behold, they worked. Really!
HE'S THE GREATEST
This book is wonderful. I was born with the talent and I enjoy writing, but there was just one thing missing...The Well-Fed Writer...Thanks Peter!!!

An upbeat, encouraging, in-depth guide
An upbeat, encouraging, in-depth guide to becoming a freelance copywriter. A good read whether you are just exploring the idea of going freelance or have been successfully self-employed for many years. Particularly insightful and realistic are Chapter 11: The Ebb & Flow of Work; Chapter 12: Clients and Other Fascinating Species, and Chapter 13: Dos, Don'ts, and Don't Forgets. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Business & Economics    3. Career/Job    4. Careers - General    5. Marketing    6. Publishing    7. Reference    8. Writing Skills   

Reviews (1)

Cohen's Book Offers Rare Insider Insight on Cable News
Jeff Cohen's new book Cable News Confidential offers readers a rare behind the scenes look at the 24 hour cable news world.Cohen describes his experiences at CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. He offers many personal stories, which were always engaging and often quite humorous. They painted a clear picture of how conservatives control and frame the news we see on cable. While I have read many other books on this subject, I have never seen a book that offers as many crisp, clear examples of the way today's cable news industry operates.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography And Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    5. General    6. Journalism    7. Mass Media - General    8. Media Studies - Electronic Media    9. Sociology    10. Television - General    11. Television Journalism    12. Political Science / General   

Reviews (6)

Great Resource forSchool Paper in WV
I ordered the handbook when our school decided to begin a school newspaper. I have not had to search for any other resource. This book has everything you might need. It begins with hands-on practical approaches to choosing a staff and things to consider before beginning the paper.It is followed by actual ideas that can be used to produce a true journalistic setting from which to publish the paper. There are many pages that can be reproduced.The book gives ideas for monthly columns as well as ideas for feature stories. It even has a page to reproduce "press badges" for the staff.Our sixth graders produce our school paper but this book would be good for any start-up or established paper.

A must have resource for any school newspaper
"Kids in print" is an excellent resource.The book is well organized and offers several tips on starting a school newspaper.There are also several "organizational" sheets that can be copied to help students stay on track while interviewing people and writing stories.

Very helpful
This book helped our school start its newspaper. The format is easy to follow and the information is useful and practical. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Newspapers/Magazines    2. Education / Secondary    3. Language Arts & Disciplines / Journalism    4. Education    5. Journalism    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Media Studies - Print Media    8. Organization & management of education    9. Secondary    10. Students & Student Life   

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Newspapers/Magazines    2. Journalism    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Media & the Law    7. Communications law    8. Press & journalism    9. USA    10. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (5)

Almost "The One Textbook" for Photojournalism
I have been using Kobre's excellent book as a text for teaching Introductory Photojournalism ever since the first edition; it has always been the best source out there for teaching and has improved with each edition.I consider the current (5th Edition) is be almost "The ONE Textbook" for learning everything you need to knowfor understanding and practicing Photojournalism. A bit more on layout and design for Picture Stories would make it perfect.
Tremendously useful; a photojournalist's bible
I bought this book for a photography class at Temple University, and it now serves as a wonderful guide and mentor toward all aspects of photojournalism. Readings from this book provided much debate and learning experiences for our class. Best book in Photojournalism you will ever read.
I'm been reading this book for a Photo course. The Material on it is quite interesting and the writing is pretty clear. I have been studing photography for about 3 years now and by far this is one of the best books you could ever hold on your book shell. A++ to a great writter and author. Will recomend this book to other college students that are persuding to go into the a photo journalist aventure like myself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Photo Techniques    2. Photography    3. Photojournalism    4. Photographic reportage    5. Photography / Photojournalism    6. Press & journalism   

Reviews (7)

Writing for Magazines
I thought the author of the book is very direct on how to write for magazines. In addition the book is inspiring.

Cheryl knows her stuff
I took a workshop that Cheryl taught a few weeks ago, and she really knows her stuff.I left highly motivated.Definitely pick up this book!

Covers everything for beginning writers
I found this book to be extremely helpful & appreciate the way the author so obviously cares about helping the reader to be successful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Newspapers/Magazines    3. Feature writing    4. Journalism    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Literary Criticism    7. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (5)

News and Reporting, 7th ed.
this book came in a timely and ordely fashion, it is in great condition almost brand new and it is a great book. i will definetely keep the book for use in future college classes and hopefully will do exceptionally well in this Journalism class. Thanks

Perfect for the Classroom!
I used "News Reporting and Writing" when I studied journalism in college. Upon returning to the college classroom to teach journalism, I introduced my students to the latest edition of this wonderful text. The book provides an excellent introduction to the various elements of good journalism and is perfect for a beginning or advanced course on reporting and writing. I recommend it highly!

A ripoff at any price! Avoid at all costs!
As a Missouri grad, I took classes with some of these dunderheads and was forced to buy their book. Ranly's great contribution to journalism is extolling the use of the word "that." Moen basically retired to Missouri at age 25. His goal was to brighten up newspapers after the "negativity" of the Watergate-era. Kennedy is a living ghost.Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Journalism    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Reporters and reporting    7. Language Arts & Disciplines / Journalism   

Editorial Review

Once upon a time, journalism profs duly instructed their greenhorn grads to seek out community papers and the obit pages as logical entrance points into the world of newspaper reporting. Working for cash-strapped local papers allowed novices to practice writing everything from hard news to lifestyle features. Obituaries, meanwhile, were a rung on the ladder of major publications, albeit the lowest. The musty, dusty obit pages also traditionally hosted aging reporters put out to pasture. Not any more, argues Marilyn Johnson in her unabashedly knock-kneed love letter to the obit pages, Read more

Reviews (23)

Moribund Portraits as Art Form
I will admit it.I am fascinated by obituary columns.
Good writing and a great subject
Marilyn Johnson is a connoisseur of obituaries. At once an avid reader and occasionalwriter of obits--her words have ushered out such luminaries as Bob Hope and Princess Diana--Johnson has now become, with The Dead Beat, a chronicler of the history of obituaries and of the subcultures of obituarists and obituary enthusiasts. In her perfectly titled book, in perfectly readable prose, Johnson discusses a number of topics: the difference between American and British obituaries, how various newspapers memorialized the victims of 9/11, the online haunts of fanatical obituary watchers, the "revolution" in obituary writing that took place in the mid-1980's, when obituarists--in particular Jim Nicholson of the Philadelphia Daily News--began to write up the lives of the ordinary departed. Johnson profiles a number of obituarists in her book--I found them hard to distinguish from one another after a time--but her portrait of Nicholson, now retired and caring for his ailing wife, is particularly affecting.
A Morbidly Fascinating Romp That's Equal Parts Entertainment and Instruction (with a dash of creepy thrown in for good measure)
"Selma Koch, a Manhattan store owner who earned a national reputation by helping women find the right bra size, mostly through a discerning glance and never with a tape measure, died Thursday at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She was 95 and a 34B."
Read more

Subjects:  1. Customs & Traditions    2. Death & Dying    3. History and criticism    4. Journalism    5. Journalism (Specific Aspects)    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Obituaries    9. Sociology    10. Thanatology    11. Social Science / Customs & Traditions   

Reviews (1)

Required reading for my new staff at our new in-house studio
This book focuses on the most important part of making television and video - the story.It's an incredible how-to book with solid techniques and tricks-of-the-trade that are described by working professionals.As the senior producer of the second studio I've built for a Fortune 100 corporation, I'm making it required reading for my in-house staff.Our programs will be created this way or we will fail. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Communication    2. Journalism    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Performing Arts    7. Production and direction    8. Television    9. Television - Direction & Production    10. Television Production    11. Television broadcasting of new    12. Television broadcasting of news    13. Language Arts & Disciplines / Communication    14. Media studies    15. Media, information & communication industries   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. American Letters And Correspondence    3. Authors, American    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Correspondence    6. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    7. Journalism    8. Journalists    9. Letters    10. Literary    11. Literary Collections    12. Literature: Classics    13. United States    14. United States - 20th Century    15. Women - 20th Century History    16. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

"Self-publishing," say authors Tom and Marilyn Ross, "is a perfect example of the American dream." Read more

Reviews (114)

Self Publishing
A thorough job presenting the self-publishing system.A great value for the money.
A Valuable Reference For Anyone in Book Publishing
There is hardly a week when someone doesn't ask me about self-publishing. While the majority of my work is in traditional publishing, I know some will never locate a traditional publisher. If the person wants to get a book into print, self-publishing is about their only option.
Good book but too much self-promotion
I would rate this as an excellent book except the heavy self-promotion of their other books (most examples seem to relate to their own matreials).The self-promotion was a bit tiring BUT the book does contain much useful information (and it did help me with my own book - Verbs Plus). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Publishers and publishing    6. Publishing    7. Self-publishing    8. United States    9. Publishing industry    10. Small businesses & self-employed    11. Writing & editing guides   

Editorial Review

These are tough times for journalism. Newsroom executives' bonuses tend to be based on their company's profit margin. Journalists are constantly jockeying for the time and space necessary to tell their stories as they see fit. Only 47 percent of Americans even read a newspaper. And Read more

Reviews (11)

Captures all important elements of journalism
After reading Lippman's Public Opinion, this book provided a good review of what has happend in recent years.
very good
I received the book in a good delay, and it was in perfect condition!

Great finish, no start.
I read this book as a first year grad student studying journalism. It's an interesting read - probably the only book I read that whole semester that I actually liked. It leaves the reader with a sense of purpose and commitment to the craft of journalism.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Business Ethics    2. Journalism    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Media Studies    6. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    7. Language Arts & Disciplines / Journalism