Current Topics in Membranes and Transport: Mechanisms of Leukocyte Activation (Current Topics in Membranes)

Book Description

This definitive handbook uniquely documents the 2001 UK Census from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Collating a wide range of indicators, classification and analysis methods based on the Census, it includes an accompanying CD-ROM and refers throughout to an associated website providing the latest information.

Provides comprehensive coverage of value-added products for 1991 Census and preview of improved products for 2001 Census
Supported by a CD-ROM containing a full set of 1971-81-91 reaggreated Census data and a chapter-by-chapter guide to official and academic web resources
Brings together the latest information from some of the leading researchers who have used Census data in their work
Dedicated website will be regularly updated to provide the latest information

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Unlocking Census With GIS
An in-depth tutorial on using American FactFinder

Unlocking the Census with GIS
Alan Peters , and Heather MacDonald
Manufacturer: Esri Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1589481135

Book Description

Seeking to demystify the census and explaining the potential of GIS for understanding people, places, and local economies, this guide explains how geographic information systems (GIS) can significantly ease data management, allowing for new ways to analyze and present relationships among variables.

Customer Reviews:

Unlocking Census With GIS.......2006-03-15

A useful books for demographers who desire to understand how GIS can be applied to census data. A suitable student reference since it combines demographic know-how with GIS technology in an attempt to give the user exposure to both worlds.

An in-depth tutorial on using American FactFinder.......2005-04-06

The U.S. Census provides many complex pieces of data about millions of diverse people, and urban planners, demographers and researchers depend on the data but often face insurmountable problems sifting it for relevant information. Enter Unlocking The Census With GIS, a description of how geographic information systems can be used by both novices and experienced users to analyze and maintain integrity of census data and related information. The spatial format particularly lends to creating economic and data indicators: chapters provide an in-depth tutorial on using American FactFinder, on using databases to link census data, and on translating such data to analytical maps, tables and charts.

Agricultural census data and land use modelling [An article from: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems]

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Agricultural census data and land use modelling [An article from: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems]
I.H. Aalders , and M.J. Aitkenhead
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000PC00ZI

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Modelling land use change is often constrained by imperfect and incomplete data sources. This paper explores three modelling methodologies and their ability to predict agricultural land use on the basis of information from the Scottish Agricultural Census. This dataset, which contains information on ownership, land use and employment statistics for the majority of Scotland, is restricted by law concerning the level of detail which can be provided, and as such is both the best available source of information for agricultural practice in Scotland and is partial and incomplete. It is demonstrated that the methodologies applied to the problem (neural network, Bayesian network and decision tree), with a limited number of relevant drivers included in the modelling process, are capable of use for the prediction of changes in land use, suitable for policy analysis. The reasons for selecting these particular modelling approaches included a need to deal with a large amount of noisy, inaccurate data, and the fact that each is capable of successfully investigating and quantifying unknown relationships between dataset variables. The greatest success, measured as a combination of accuracy, data-handling flexibility and ease of model comprehension by the user, was achieved by the decision tree method.

Caregiver-Patient Ratio: Capturing Census and Staffing Variability.(Statistical Data Included): An article from: Nursing Economics

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Caregiver-Patient Ratio: Capturing Census and Staffing Variability.(Statistical Data Included): An article from: Nursing Economics
Ginette Budreau , Ramji Balakrishnan , Marita Titler , and Michael J. Hafner
Manufacturer: Jannetti Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Nursing Economics, published by Jannetti Publications, Inc. on November 1, 1999. The length of the article is 5325 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: * These data have proved indispensable in budgeting and setting cost standards, providing timely information for nurse managers, and obtaining buy-in from front-line staff members who have more confidence in the quality of staffing decisions.

Citation Details
Title: Caregiver-Patient Ratio: Capturing Census and Staffing Variability.(Statistical Data Included)
Author: Ginette Budreau
Publication: Nursing Economics (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 1999
Publisher: Jannetti Publications, Inc.
Volume: 17 Issue: 6 Page: 317

Article Type: Statistical Data Included

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Dasymetric estimation of population density and areal interpolation of census data.: An article from: Cartography and Geographic Information Science

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Dasymetric estimation of population density and areal interpolation of census data.: An article from: Cartography and Geographic Information Science
James B. Holt , C.P. Lo , and Thomas W. Hodler
Manufacturer: American Congress on Surveying & Mapping
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Cartography and Geographic Information Science, published by American Congress on Surveying & Mapping on April 1, 2004. The length of the article is 6985 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dasymetric estimation of population density and areal interpolation of census data.
Author: James B. Holt
Publication: Cartography and Geographic Information Science (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2004
Publisher: American Congress on Surveying & Mapping
Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Page: 103(19)

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Evaluating accessibility using house-level data: A spatial equity perspective [An article from: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems]

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Evaluating accessibility using house-level data: A spatial equity perspective [An article from: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems]
I. Omer
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000RR9A0M

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
This paper presents a framework for evaluating house-level accessibility to urban services based on detailed geo-referenced socio-demographic census data. The framework is applied to assess spatial equity regarding the accessibility of individuals and social groups to urban parks in the city of Tel Aviv. Availability of house-level data was found to be essential for identifying differential accessibility of social groups according to income and national-ethnic identity as well as for evaluating the validity of accessibility assessments based on traditional aggregated measurement at the administrative district level. Also discussed are data usability issues arising when employing local-scale geo-referenced census data, including the potential effect on decisions regarding allocation of local urban services as well as spatial equity practice and discourse. urse.

The geospatial distribution of employment: a new visual asset: by combining geographic information with data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and ... An article from: Monthly Labor Review

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The geospatial distribution of employment: a new visual asset: by combining geographic information with data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and ... An article from: Monthly Labor Review
Sheryl Konigsberg
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000WQ696G
Release Date: 2007-10-03

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Monthly Labor Review, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2007. The length of the article is 4399 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The geospatial distribution of employment: a new visual asset: by combining geographic information with data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program, BLS provides analysts with a tool that will offer new insights into data that were previously unobserved.(Geospatial Distribution)(Table)
Author: Sheryl Konigsberg
Publication: Monthly Labor Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 130 Issue: 3 Page: 51(10)

Article Type: Table

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Modelling UK residential dwelling types using OS Mastermap data: A comparison to the 2001 census [An article from: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems]

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Modelling UK residential dwelling types using OS Mastermap data: A comparison to the 2001 census [An article from: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems]
S. Orford , and J. Radcliffe
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000PDTUGW

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
In the UK dwelling type is a commonly used term to refer to the 'building style' of a residential property. The concept is used frequently in urban analysis, social science research and Government policy, and has been used as a measure of homogeneity in the construction of Output Areas (OAs) in the UK 2001 census. However, there are no formal definitions of dwelling types in the UK beyond a basic statutory definition of dwelling-house and flat. The British Government's Office of National Statistics (ONS) also categorises dwellings into different types but provides no clear guidance to how these are defined. There is no source of dwelling type data for individual properties at a national scale beyond sample surveys. The main source of information is the 2001 census, which provides counts of ONS defined dwelling types for OAs. The objective of this research is to use OS Mastermap, a high resolution topographic database of Great Britain, to model and provide dwelling type information for individual residential addresses. The success of the modelling exercise is measured by comparing the modelled dwelling type information to data on dwelling type collected in the 2001 census, using Chi-square as a goodness of fit measure. Small area differences in the two measures are analysed in order to ascertain where OS Mastermap does not provide a very good estimate of dwelling type. The analysis highlights problems with the modelling process and discusses the potential of OS Mastermap as a source of dwelling related data and also possible small area errors in the 2001 census.

A note on ''Bed allocation techniques based on census data'' [An article from: Socio-Economic Planning Sciences]

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A note on ''Bed allocation techniques based on census data'' [An article from: Socio-Economic Planning Sciences]
M.J. Cote
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR3BQ6

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, published by Elsevier in 2005. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Capacity planning and resource allocation are crucial to the cost-effective delivery of health care services. In this paper, we present an analytic approach based on a modified version of the Holt-Winters multiplicative seasonality forecasting model to determine the frequency distribution associated with a hospital care unit's census. This paper is a follow-up to the census frequency distribution simulation model described in Lapierre et al. (Socio Econ. Plan. Sci. 33 (1999) 25). We demonstrate that our model can provide census frequency distributions equivalent to the simulation model of Lapierre et al. [1], but without the computational effort common to simulation models.

Scales, levels and processes: Studying spatial patterns of British census variables [An article from: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems]

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Scales, levels and processes: Studying spatial patterns of British census variables [An article from: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems]
D. Manley , R. Flowerdew , and D. Steel
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR4W96

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
This paper is based on the assumption that there may be scale effects at all levels of areal data and that they vary both within areal units and between areal units. Spatial distributions are based on processes taking place in geographical space. A mapped pattern may reflect several distinct processes, each of which may affect a different area and operate at a different scale. The challenge for the spatial analyst is to identify these processes and evaluate their importance from the spatial pattern observed. Here the well known modifiable areal unit problem is not really a problem but a resource. Data at different scales can help us identify processes operating at different scales. We build on models and methods described by [Tranmer, M., & Steel, D. G. (2001). Using local census data to investigate scale effects. In N. J. Tate, & P. M. Atkinson (Eds.), Modelling scale in geographical information science (pp. 105-122). Chichester: John Wiley and Sons], which facilitate the identification of processes occurring within areal units. The method is extended using concepts from multi-level modelling and spatial autocorrelation, through the application of local statistics applied to what may be termed area effect estimates. It is illustrated with respect to two very different census variables and three different study areas.

Book Description

Interfacial fluid dynamics is important in areas ranging from the flight of an aircraft to the flow of blood in the heart, and an area of active research and development owing to improved analytical, experimental, and computational techniques. This book describes the latest methods and applications in the field. Written by an internationally recognized panel of experts in both theory and experimentation, coverage is organized around five topics: Benard and thermocapillary instabilities, shear and pressure induced instabilities, waves and dispersions, multiphase systems, and complex flows. This comprehensive volume will interest a broad audience of graduate students, faculty, and researchers in mechanical, aerospace, materials, and chemical engineering, as well as in applied mathematics and physics.

Cavity-Enhanced Spectroscopies: Experimental Methods in the Physical Sciences, Volume 40 (Experimental Methods in the Physical Sciences)

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Cavity-Enhanced Spectroscopies: Experimental Methods in the Physical Sciences, Volume 40 (Experimental Methods in the Physical Sciences)
Roger van Zee , and J. Patrick Looney
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0124759874

Book Description

"Cavity-Enhanced Spectroscopy" discusses the use of optical resonators and lasers to make sensitive spectroscopic measurements. This volume is written by the researcchers who pioneered these methods. The book reviews both the theory and practice behind these spectroscopic tools and discusses the scientific discoveries uncovered by these techniques.

It begins with a chapter on the use of optical resonators for frequency stabilization of lasers, which is followed by in-depth chapters discussing cavity ring-down spectroscopy, frequency-modulated, cavity-enhanced spectroscopy, intracavity spectroscopies, microresonators and cavity-enhanced comb filters. This book is aimed towards a reader with a background in optics and spectroscopy, but who is unfamiliar with the methods discussed in the book.

*Practical implementation information
Comprehensive review of cavity-enhanced methods
*Written by the researchers who pioneered these spectroscopies
*Discusses cavity-enhanced optical instrumentation
Reviews scientific discoveries unearthed using these methods

Applications to Quantum and Solid State Physics: Physical Acoustics, Volume 4-Part A

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Applications to Quantum and Solid State Physics: Physical Acoustics, Volume 4-Part A
Warren P. (ed) Mason
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J4URY6

Dynamics of the Liquid State (Oxford Series on Neutron Scattering in Condensed Matter, 10)

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a reader:
I want contact Mr.Zoppi

Dynamics of the Liquid State (Oxford Series on Neutron Scattering in Condensed Matter, 10)
Umberto Balucani , and Marco Zoppi
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

The purpose fo this book is to present a comprehensive account of the physical concepts and theoretical approaches developed for the study of the dynamical properties of liquids (or more generally, of high-density fluids) at a microscopic level. After a discussion of the basic dynamical phenomena to be interupted, as well as of the various experimental probes, the book gradually exposes the reader to the sophisticated theoretical techniques needed for a satisfactory account of both single particle and coleective motions. The complications are faced in a stepwise fashion, with special attention to the physical content of the results. As a result of the progress achieved in the last decade, in the end a satisfactory understanding of most of the phenomena characterizing this fascinating field emerges.

Customer Reviews:

a reader:.......2001-10-24

This is an excellent reference book on the dynamics of
liquids. I was prompted to write this, since the only
other review didn't refer to the book itself. I'd recommend
this for graduate students and above who would like to
get a working knowledge of theory for liquid state dynamics.

I want contact Mr.Zoppi.......2000-01-22

Hi, I'm from Sao Paulo, Brazil. My name is Alexandre Zoppi, 20. I've ready amazom.com and saw the author's name Mr. Marco Zoppi, and I'd like to contact him. Please, call me at e-mail petro@widesoft.com.br. Thanks 21/01/2000

Interfacial Wave Theory of Pattern Formation: Selection of Dendritic Growth and Viscous Fingerings in Hele-Shaw Flow (Springer Series in Synergetics)

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Interfacial Wave Theory of Pattern Formation: Selection of Dendritic Growth and Viscous Fingerings in Hele-Shaw Flow (Springer Series in Synergetics)
Jian-Jun Xu
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Crystallography | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

The stability mechanisms of a curved front and the selection of pattern formation in dendrite growth and viscous fingering have been long-standing fundamental subjects in the areas of condensed matter physics, material science, crystal growth and fluid mechanics. This book studies the interfacial stability and pattern formation in dynamic systems away from the equilibrium state. In particular, it deals with the two prominent prototype systems: dendrite growth in solidification and viscous fingering in Hele--Shaw flow. It elucidates the key problems step by step and systematically derives their mathematical solutions on the basis of the newly established interfacial wave theory. Finally, it carefully examines these results by comparisons with the available experimental results.

Physical Acoustics (Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences)

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Physical Acoustics (Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences)
B. Lüthi
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Suitable for researchers and graduate students in physics and material science, "Physical Acoustics in the Solid State" reviews the modern aspects in the field, including many experimental results, especially those involving ultrasonics. Practically all fields of solid-state physics are covered: metals, semiconductors, magnetism, superconductivity, different kinds of phase transitions, low-dimensional systems, and the quantum Hall effect. After a review of the relevant experimental techniques and an introduction to the theory of elasticity, emphasizing the symmetry aspects, applications in the various fields of condensed matter physics are presented. Also treated are Brillouin-scattering results and results from thermodynamic investigations, such as thermal expansion and specific heat.

Physical Acoustics: Principles and Methods. Volume IV Part A Applications to Quantum and Solid State Physics

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Physical Acoustics: Principles and Methods. Volume IV Part A Applications to Quantum and Solid State Physics
Warren P., ed. Mason
Manufacturer: NY: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IUE8F0

Physical Acoustics: Principles and Methods. Volume IV Part B Applications to Quantum and Solid State Physics

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Physical Acoustics: Principles and Methods. Volume IV Part B Applications to Quantum and Solid State Physics
Warren P., ed. Mason
Manufacturer: NY: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IUB0EM

The Vortex State (NATO Science Series C: Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Volume 438)

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The Vortex State (NATO Science Series C: Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Volume 438)

Manufacturer: Kluwer Academic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

One of the most spectacular consequences of the description of the superfluid condensate in superfluid He or in superconductors as a single macroscopic quantum state is the quantization of circulation, resulting in quantized vortex lines. This book draws no distinction between superfluid He ³ and He ⁴ and superconductors. The reader will find the essential introductory chapters and the most recent theoretical and experimental progress in our understanding of the vortex state in both superconductors and superfluids, from lectures given by leading experts in the field, both experimentalists and theoreticians, who gathered in Cargèse for a NATO ASI. The peculiar features related to short coherence lengths, 2D geometry, high temperatures, disorder, and pinning are thoroughly discussed.

Book Description

SIGMUND "ZIGGY" BLISSMAN isn't the best-looking, sanest boy in the world. Far, far from it. But this misfit child of a failed husband-and-wife vaudeville team has one (and only one) thing going for him: He can crack people up merely by batting his eyelashes.

And Vittorio "Vic" Fontana, the son of a fisherman, is a fraud. Barely able to carry a tune or even stay awake while attempting to, the indolent baritone (if that's what he is) has one thing going for him: Women love to look at him.

On their own, they're failures. But on one summer night in the Catskills, they step onstage and together become the funniest men -- and the hottest act -- in America.

Funnymen is the wildly inventive story of Fountain and Bliss, the comedy duo that delighted America in the 1940s and '50s. Conceived as a fictional oral biography and filled with more than seventy memorable characters, Funnymen details the extraordinary careers of two men whose professional success is never matched in their personal lives. The two men fight constantly with their managers, their wives, their children, their mistresses, and those responsible for their success: each other. The stories recounted about Vic and Ziggy -- and the truths Heller reveals about human ambition, egotism, and friendship -- make Funnymen a wild ride of a novel that is also a rare and imaginative masterpiece of storytelling.

Download Description

"SIGMUND ""ZIGGY"" BLISSMAN isn't the best-looking, sanest boy in the world. Far, far from it. But this misfit child of a failed husband-and-wife vaudeville team has one (and only one) thing going for him: He can crack people up merely by batting his eyelashes. And Vittorio ""Vic"" Fontana, the son of a fisherman, is a fraud. Barely able to carry a tune or even stay awake while attempting to, the indolent baritone (if that's what he is) has one thing going for him: Women love to look at him. On their own, they're failures. But on one summer night in the Catskills, they step onstage and together become the funniest men -- and the hottest act -- in America. Funnymen is the wildly inventive story of Fountain and Bliss, the comedy duo that delighted America in the 1940s and '50s. Conceived as a fictional oral biography and filled with more than seventy memorable characters, Funnymen details the extraordinary careers of two men whose professional success is never matched in their personal lives. The two men fight constantly with their managers, their wives, their children, their mistresses, and those responsible for their success: each other. The stories recounted about Vic and Ziggy -- and the truths Heller reveals about human ambition, egotism, and friendship -- make Funnymen a wild ride of a novel that is also a rare and imaginative masterpiece of storytelling. "

Customer Reviews:

A fictional oral history of a dysfunctional duo.......2007-02-19

When Ziggy Blissman, a disastrous mix of sexual and social dysfunction, teams ups with Vic Fountain, (Formerly Fontana) who sings because he is trying to find the easiest life possible, entertainment history is made (up).Filled with ridiculous anecdotes from "friends and colleagues" of the great comedy duo, Fountain and Bliss, Ted Heller recreates the time when the nightclubs ruled. Martin and Lewis are the obvious models for Heller's fictional oral history, but his characters and their lives are different enough that it would be hard to separate any truths from this fiction. Heller does a great job of keeping all the characters consistent and each speaks with an individual voice that holds up to the conceit of this oral history quite well. The stories are so well conveyed by his characters; they have the sound of truth to them even when those stories are beyond belief. The end does become more than a little maudlin, but until that point this book is an outrageous farce.

So much more than just funny.......2003-06-25

Funnymen was one of the best books I've read in a long time. I actually didn't even realize it was based loosely on Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, but I am 24, and barely even know who they are! I don't know if this made the book better or worse for me, but I loved it. I didn't live during that time, or know many of the characters that were referenced, but it didn't matter. The storytelling is amazing, I never wanted it to end. Ted Heller is just amazing for having written this. I thought many times as I read how much work must have gone into it, because it SHOWS. Every detail is wonderful and entertaining and funny and sad.

As much as I loved the story, the reader is definitely made to hate Ziggy & Vic on some level as it goes on, because they are such coldhearted, selfish characters. That's why I was so suprised at how sad I felt at the book's end, when it portrayed what happened to them as they aged. It really touched me, and you pretty much wanted to forgive them for all of the horrible things they had done. I was haunted by it for days. I felt a sense of nostalgia for their youth, as if it was my own life that had passed, and I found myself flipping through the book's earlier passages just so I could relive some of the best times they had had.

Bottom line: extremely inventive storytelling rich with eccentric and distinct characters whose voices you can really hear. A very satisfying, funny and clever book from beginning to end. Ted Heller, I thank you.

Like Spinal Tap in book form, a great "mockumentary!".......2003-05-20

I'm overwhelmed with Ted Heller's achievement in this book. I can't remember ever reading another fictionalized oral history and the idea is such a great one! If you've ever read any showbiz biographies, especially from the Golden Age of Hollywood, you will love this book. True, there are plenty of similarities to the Dean & Jerry team, but there are tons of in-jokes stolen from the lives of Milton Berle, Groucho Marx, and other luminaries. It really did remind me of Christopher Guest's ...documentary movies; the details are believable, but then this slight sense of----insanity slips in. The famous female star whose food [indulging] veers dangerously close to cannibalism...oh, I don't want to spoil it. Just read this book if you're into showbiz stories. You will NOT regret it.

Lightening in a binding.......2003-03-31

Ted Heller, you astonish me. This book could not be better than it is. The words genius and brilliant--but not in an anglo, pseudo overstated way--apply. Funnymen is a huge accomplishment. Say nothing of the avalanche of research, the hundreds of moving parts to keep track of, the 543,993 perfect metaphors, this is a supreme character analysis that is at once slyly (and broadly) hilarious, haunting, disturbing, insightful. Ted puts other writers to shuddering shame. I finished it at 2 a.m., and lay in bed (shuddering with shame), thinking about the lives of his characters and crying until 4 a.m. I am blind with exhaustion right now as I type this review. For the record, I loved Sally, Danny, Ernie and Snuffy, "What a kidney is for," Anchors Oy Vey, eyes as deadly weapons, silverware jumping into handbags. Awe, I'm telling you.

Fountain of Bliss.......2002-12-21

If you like buddy comedies and Martin & Lewis, "Funnymen" will surely please you. The fictional story of an accidental comedy team, Heller's novel is filled with enough bad jokes, untalented singers, and Borscht Belt memories to keep you in stitches. The challenges of the intense relationship between Fountain and Bliss are well-detailed, and very engaging.

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