Book Description
Imagine that there are American MIAs who chose to remain missing after the Vietnam War.
Imagine that there is a family in which four generations of strong, alluring women have shared a mysterious connection to an outlandish figure from Japanese folklore.
Imagine just those things (don’t even try to imagine the love story) and you’ll have a foretaste of Tom Robbins’s eighth and perhaps most beautifully crafted novel--a work as timeless as myth yet as topical as the latest international threat.
On one level, this is a book about identity, masquerade and disguise--about “the false mustache of the world”--but neither the mists of Laos nor the smog of Bangkok, neither the overcast of Seattle nor the fog of San Francisco, neither the murk of the intelligence community nor the mummery of the circus can obscure the linguistic phosphor that illuminates the pages of
Villa Incognito.
A female fan once wrote to Tom Robbins:
“Your books make me think, they make me laugh, they make me horny and they make me aware of the wonder of everything in life.”
Villa Incognito will surely arouse a similar response in many readers, for in its lusty, amusing way it both celebrates existence and challenges our ideas about it.
To say much more about a novel as fresh and surprising as
Villa Incognito would run the risk of diluting the sheer fun of reading it. As his dedicated readers worldwide know full well, it’s best to climb aboard the Tom Robbins tilt-a-whirl, kiss preconceptions and sacred cows goodbye and simply enjoy the ride.
From the Hardcover edition.
Download Description
Tom Robbins, maverick author of eight juicy, daring and sagacious novels, is one of those rare writers who approach rock-star status, attracting SRO crowds at his personal appearances in Europe and Australia as well as in the United States. He lives primarily in the Seattle area.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
I'm not big on Fantasy.......2007-09-29
and sex with animals (even in folklore) makes me a bit squirmy, but Robbins is certainly a clever, entertaining bastard!
Rivals "Another Roadside Attraction".......2007-09-10
Mr. Robbins has proven with this outing that he has not lost his gift for providing social commentary within the framework of yet another bizarre story line. Although having a lot of references to the Vietnam era that some younger readers may find a bit less amusing that those who lived through the times, the message of just how silly we humans behave has one laughing and sometimes feeling sad about how we got to where we are.
Tom is truly one of a kind and has created a genre for just his own work.
Enjoy!
My Favorite Robbins Book.......2007-03-14
Villa Incognito is probably Robbins's simplest and least complex book, but comparing it to books written by anyone else in the world shows that it is not simple at all.
This book is very straight forward, entertaining and wonderfully written. It is pure entertainment and very stimulating. Plus, it talks about how awesome Hellman's mayo is, something no one can disagree with.
Quintessential Robbins..........2007-03-08
This book presents us with the stylistic condensation -- of Tom Robbins' generally garrulously wonderful stoner-erudition -- into a polished metaphorical gem which elucidates the meetings of sacred and profane, East and West, man and woman, art and politics -- and much more -- in the context of recent Southeast Asian history and expat sentimentalism...A virtually epigrammatic masterpiece.
Not his best, but not bad.......2007-02-17
_Villa Incognito_ contains much of the visual imagery for which Tom Robbins is famous. Unfortunately, it lacks the beautiful combination of time periods that characterized _Jitterbug Perfume_ or the thought-provoking premise behind _Another Roadside Attraction._ Instead, it follows the bizarre adventures of an unusually anthropomorphized animal bent on exploring sexual encounters with humankind. Half-way through the book, the time period switches to modern day and the lives of three MIA's who decided to continue missing. True, there is a connection between the decades, but the connecting elements are never fully explained. Unlike Robbins' other novels, I was not left with the satisfied feeling of understanding that comes from a well-integrated and well-concluded novel. Still, I enjoyed reading the story, but I was a bit disappointed with the ending.
Average customer rating:
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Villa Incognito
Tom Robbins
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NP9AVM |
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Villa Incognito
Tom Robbins
Manufacturer: Bantam, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K059GK |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by University of Oklahoma on September 1, 2004. The length of the article is 540 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: Tom Robbins. Villa Incognito.(Book Review)
Author: Ronny Noor
Publication:
World Literature Today (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2004
Publisher: University of Oklahoma
Volume: 78
Issue: 3-4
Page: 97(1)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Villa Incognito
Tom Robbins
Manufacturer: BANTAM BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLKFZU |
Book Description
A star in a world of wealth and privilege....
Fed up with Hollywood backstabbing, famous movie actress Madalyn Simon decided to escape the spotlight. Her new back-to-basics existence in an Alaskan cabin did take getting used to, but at least she was in control of her own destiny -- or so she thought. While snowmobiling on the frigid coast with her sister, the pair is taken hostage by a band of rough men who want them -- for reasons beyond imagining.
A captive in a world of inescapable seductions....
They are neo-Vikings from a hidden underworld, in search of women Outsiders to breed for the New Sweden clan. Their sexy leader, Otar, wants only one woman: Madalyn. Overpowered by his masculine strength and unmasked desire, Madalyn must become Otar's wife or face the marriage auction block. Now, in a world beyond dreams and as real as the hot flesh of her enticing warrior-husband, Madalyn discovers the power of an all-consuming passion -- as the fires of revolution threaten all she has come to love....
Download Description
Fed up with Hollywood backstabbing, famous movie actress Madalyn Simon decided to escape the spotlight. Her new back-to-basics existence in an Alaskan cabin did take getting used to, but at least she was in control of her own destiny -- or so she thought. While snowmobiling on the frigid coast with her sister, the pair is taken hostage by a band of rough men who want them -- for reasons beyond imagining.
Customer Reviews:
Very funny send up of errotic romance/fantsey.......2007-08-09
Madalyn is a Hollywood super star who is ignorant of the real world and decides to more to Alaska $70k bead and all. She gets sold a billy goat as a milk goat (Intuit sharpster) and names him Victoria. So when her survivalist sister points out the disparity and she get a milk goat she calls her Thor. She and her sister are captured by the descendants of Vikings who have been living underground in the artic for centuries. The "piercing Blue Eyes" as a sign of an alien was a characteristic introduced by the author in the Empresses' new clothes. Overall funny the plot is pretty linear. The characters are OK but not compelling and the sex scenes are exaggerated but still well written.
Braes are funny as the vikings are running around wearing either eyebrows or the sloping banks above a river bank.
Overall a fun read. I am surprised that some other reviewers missed the obvious humor not to say blatant parody.
Overall a very funny read.
The perfect blend of comedy and romance.......2007-06-30
Deep, Dark, and Dangerous is another story that takes place in the same underground Viking world that Jaid Black introduced in her short stories Hunter's Right (In Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down) and Hunter's Oath (Playing Easy to Get). These stories require the ability to suspend disbelief. You have to allow yourself to imagine that there is an entire civilization thriving under the earth somewhere in the area of Alaska and that these men are warriors who will do anything to continue their race, including steal a woman from above-ground and make her their wives. Once you've allowed yourself to accept that premise, it's hard not to like these stories. They're all full of comedic moments and allow you to laugh out loud on occasion while also containing steamy romance and well written erotica. It's a perfect balance, if you ask me, and Deep, Dark, and Dangerous was no exception. In fact, as the first full-length book in this series, it even reads like the short stories and was so quick paced that I finished it in 4 hours. Now I just want more. Jaid Black knows a thing or two about writing erotica, and this book was no exception. I can't wait to see what happens next in the world of these underground Vikings.
Wow...in a bad way.......2007-02-27
First off, I think this is possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. The premise sounded promising. A civilization of vikings surving into modern times and stealing our heroine away. And yet once you get reading, it's all down hill.
About the only viable, and believable, aspect of this story are the heroines, fleeing starlet Madalyn and her sister. Even this fell flat as Madalyn's incessant back and forth about everything quickly becomes grating. It becomes apparent that all the characters are pretty two dimensional, even repeating each other's dialouge verbatum.
The plot makes no sense with an entire underground world including places like New Sweeden and New Denmark. There is a mishmash of new technology and old, with no explanation of why, for instance, there are elevators but no radios. And on it goes. Obviously Black felt no real need to make this plot realistic. Even fantasty/ alternate realities can be made to appear believable. Further, the background mystery/ suspense revolution turns out to be a dud as it is only an excuse to allow the women in the story to put on a burlesque show.
And finally...the love scenes were just blah. They were peppered with some pretty crude language and situations. It just took away from the atmosphere that earlier scenes had created, taking me right out the book.
All in all this just seemed a disappointing waste of my time. I found myself skimming and skimming through the book until finally I just put it down. An interesting concept here was definitely mutilated and left me wondering who approved the publishing of such a awful and poorly constructed book?
Pretty Hot!!!.......2006-11-29
A fun, romantic, sexy read. Finished it in one afternoon--a real page turner!!!
mixed feelings.......2006-09-25
first of all - this is not an expanded story from tie me up, tie me down - this is a story that's happening during the same time frame to secondary characters from the Tie me up, Tie me down story. That said - lately, Jaid black has been geting pretty dissapointing. I didn't find the sex scenes particularely hot, mainly due to the language used and some of the hero's actions. the plot is pretty simplistic and cheesy (a lot cheesier then i expected, and that's saying something), and the characters (not to mention story progression) start to look exactly the same in every book she's published lately (hence the mistaken assumption that this is the xapnded version of the older story) Last but not least - Jaid's writign has gotten really sloppy. I used to buy Jaid in e-book as soon as the new story came out, but lately I don't feel like its worth my money
I want Jaid Black of Trek'mi'quan and Breeding Ground back
Customer Reviews:
Editorial description.......2005-08-04
In 1989, Gary Gentile published the classic book on the Grand Dame of the Sea. Andrea Doria: Dive to an Era has been in print continuously ever since, and has sold thousands of copies worldwide to wreck-divers, armchair explorers, ocean liner memorabilia buffs, and the public at large. The book continues to be one of his best-selling titles.
Dive to an Era is still available. In that profusely illustrated volume, the author chronicled the complete story of the Italian ocean liner after she sank, from Harry Trask's Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of the vessel sinking, through the numerous salvage schemes, commercial diving operations, and photographic expeditions, to the author's personal exploits in the recovery of china, glassware, jewelry, works of art, and the ship's bell - exploits that spanned fifteen years, from the author's first dive on the wreck in 1974.
Deep, Dark, and Dangerous picks up where Dive to an Era ended. This volume covers another fifteen years of personal exploration of the wreck, from 1989 to 2004.
In these action-packed pages the reader will explore vicariously the deep compartments and dark passageways where danger abounds, anxiety is commonplace, fear is palpable, and death is literally a breath away.
In addition to the historic recovery of great works of art, the author recounts in exacting detail the slow but inevitable collapse of the hull, and examines the flood of fatalities that occurred in recent years.
For those who cannot or will not dive on the Andrea Doria, reading Deep, Dark, and Dangerous is the next best thing to being there.
The book includes 69 color photos, 6 black and white photos, and 4 deck plans (which show penetration paths that are described in the text).
Average customer rating:
- Courtesy of Teens Read Too
- Hahn is noted for her fine ghost stories with their unpredictable twists of plot
- A sure hit for fans of ghost stories
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Deep and Dark and Dangerous: A Ghost Story
Mary Downing Hahn
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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No Talking
ASIN: 0618665455 |
Book Description
Just before summer begins, 12-year-old Ali finds an odd photograph in the attic. She knows the two children in it are her mother, Claire, and her aunt Dulcie. But who’s the third person, the one who’s been torn out of the picture? Ali figures she’ll find out while she’s vacationing in Maine with Dulcie and her fouryear- old daughter, Emma, in the house where Ali’s mother’s family used to spend summers. All hopes for relaxation are quashed shortly after their arrival, though, when the girls meet Sissy, a kid who’s mean and spiteful and a bad influence on Emma. Strangest of all, Sissy keeps talking about a girl named Teresa who drowned under mysterious circumstances back when Claire and Dulcie were kids, and whose body was never found. At first Ali thinks Sissy’s just trying to scare her with a ghost story, but soon she discovers the real reason why Sissy is so angry. . . . Mary Downing Hahn is at her chilling best in this new supernatural tale that’s certain to send shivers down her readers’ spines.
Customer Reviews:
Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-07-17
If you're looking for a good mystery/ghost story, then look no further. DEEP AND DARK AND DANGEROUS by Mary Downing Hahn offers mystery, suspense, and some great ghost action.
Recently, Ali stumbled across an old photo of her mother and aunt when they were young girls. There was something odd about the photo. It appeared that another girl had been part of the picture but her part was torn away, leaving only the letter `T' to give any hint to her identity. Ali's mother swears she has no idea who was in the picture, but she isn't very convincing - which leaves Ali full of questions.
Ali is surprised when her Aunt Dulcie and cousin Emma come to visit. Aunt Dulcie is her mother's older sister, but she's entirely different. Ali's mom suffers from chronic migraines and periodic depression while Aunt Dulcie is the strong, independent type. There have been numerous times in Ali's life when she has wished her mother was more like Aunt Dulcie. Ali shows Aunt Dulcie the old photo and is surprised that her reaction is much the same as her mother's. How could they both not remember a picture taken at their family's vacation spot in Maine?
Dulcie is an artist with a big show coming up in the fall in Washington, D.C. She has decided to renovate the old family lake house and work on her paintings there. However, the lake and her almost five-year-old daughter make a dangerous combination, so Dulcie is hoping to take along her thirteen-year-old niece, Ali, as a babysitter. Ali's mother tries to put her foot down and says absolutely not, but she is outvoted and Ali packs her things for a summer at the lake.
Arriving at the cabin during a typical Maine rainstorm doesn't dampen Ali's spirits. She's looking forward to playing and swimming with Emma in the lake and sort of being her own boss. Ali's mother has always been a bit overprotective, and her bizarre reaction to Ali spending the summer at the lake house just convinces Ali that her mother has a problem. How can a beautiful lake, a cozy cabin, and the great outdoors be a bad place to spend the summer? Ali also secretly hopes to uncover the mystery of the photo and the missing girl whose name might have begun with `T'.
It doesn't take long for some strange things to begin happening. The most unnerving is the presence of a slim, young girl in a faded blue bathing suit who introduces herself to Ali and Emma. At first she appears to be a possible companion for the girls, but then she starts acting irritable and mean. She refuses to reveal her last name or where she lives, and she seems to be developing an unnatural hold on little Emma. Emma wants to do everything this strange girl named Sissy does, but at the same time Sissy treats Emma with cruelty.
When Ali attempts to seek out more information about Sissy and the mysterious girl from her mother's and aunt's past, she is met with one obstacle after another. Could this rude little girl have some connection to the mystery of why her mother refuses to return to the family cabin?
Mary Downing Hahn offers readers stormy weather, a deep, dark lake, and many unanswered questions to keep mystery and ghost story fans turning pages right up to the end.
Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
Hahn is noted for her fine ghost stories with their unpredictable twists of plot.......2007-07-10
Just before summer Ali finds an old photo in the attic - one which contains a puzzling family member, who's been torn out of the picture. She'll have much opportunity to investigate during her summer in Maine in the house where her mother used to vacation - but an encounter with a moody girl next door and her mean spirit leads to an encounter with a spirit who drowned under mysterious circumstances when Ali's mother and aunt were kids. Hahn is noted for her fine ghost stories with their unpredictable twists of plot - this joins others as an outstanding read.
A sure hit for fans of ghost stories.......2007-06-13
Deep and Dark and Dangerous: A Ghost Story, by Mary Downing Hahn, pulled me in from my first glimpse of the cover, which shows a girl under water, her hair floating around her white face. And it did not disappoint. Deliciously creepy, this book reminded me of the Lois Duncan stories that I loved as an early teen (my favorite, and one I still re-read periodically, is Down A Dark Hall).
13-year-old Ali finds an photograph in one of her mother's old Nancy Drew books. The picture shows Ali's mother, Claire, and her mother's sister, Dulcie, outside of an old family cottage in Maine. A third girl has apparently been torn out of the photograph, leaving only an arm, a shoulder, and some strands of long hair. Her initial, according to the torn back of the photo, is T. When Ali asks her mother about the photo, however, Claire denies any knowledge of a girl whose name starts with T, or any memory of the photo. Claire retreats into her own emotional fragility, and gives Ali no information about the mysterious photo.
Dulcie, however, soon appears on the scene, and invites Ali to spend the summer with her up at the old cottage, babysitting Ali's four-year-old daughter Emma. Ali jumps at the chance to get away from her over-protective mother, and stay with her beloved aunt and cousin. Besides, she's never been to the cottage, her mother having stopped visiting it as a child. Despite Claire's apparently irrational misgivings, Ali, Dulcie, and Emma head to Maine for the summer.
Things start out idyllic, but soon Ali and Emma meet a mysterious little girl, Sissy, out on the shore of the lake. Sissy both fascinates and torments Emma, and creates conflict between Ali and Emma, and, indirectly, between Ali and Dulcie. Sissy hints at a tragedy that occurred in the lake thirty years earlier, the reason that Ali's mother and aunt have never been back to the cottage. A long-ago crime is brought to light. And that's when things start to get deep and dark and dangerous.
This is a highly atmospheric story. Even when describing sunny days at the lake, Hahn never lets the storm clouds get far away. Certain creepy images recur through the story, most notably a bundle of bones below the surface of the lake, appearing in paintings by both Emma and Dulcie. Emma and Ali both have nightmares, and Ali is drenched by more than one storm, literally and metaphorically.
Much of the book is about the relationships between Ali, Emma, and Dulcie, and the wrench that Sissy's presence throws into their peaceful existence. Dulcie, in particular, gradually morphs from cool, beloved aunt to a strained, unjustly snappish creature who reminds Ali of Claire. Hahn's expert hands keep things from ever getting too dark to bear, however. She alternates dangerous escapades with afternoons playing Candyland, and introduces a kindly neighbor to gives Ali some perspective. Hahn's writing is straightforward, creating strong impressions through nouns and verbs, without needing much description. Here's an example:
"I was thinking so hard, I almost walked right past Emma. To my surprise, she was standing beside a stranger, a girl who appeared to be nine or ten years old, but small for her age. Her hair was white blond, her eyes were the same gray as the lake, and her skin was a deep tan. Despite the chilly weather, she wore a faded blue bathing suit.
"This is Sissy," Emma said. "I just met her, but she wants to be friends."
Sissy looked at me slantwise, as if she were sizing me up. Would I be good to know? Was I nice? Was I bossy? I gave her the same look. There was something about her I disliked on sight -- a sharpness in her eyes, a mean set to her mouth. She was the type who'd lie and get you in trouble." (Chapter 7)"
Re-reading this makes me think: "Ali, you have no idea, in Chapter 7, of the trouble Sissy is going to cause for you." But readers, especially middle schoolers, will enjoy every step of the way. Although most of the characters are female, I think that the story is creepy enough to engage boys as well as girls. Deep and Dark and Dangerous is a quick and compelling read, sure to be a hit with fans of ghost stories.
This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on June 7, 2007.
Book Description
Salvage divers work underwater in a blinding darkness. In their cumbersome diving gear, these men have barely enough room to move around, while at the same time fighting the cold temperatures and fast currents. It is a dirty, unromantic and highly dangerous way of earning a living. Yet, these divers would not have traded their jobs for any other profession. From locating sunken boxcars to repairing concrete foundations for bridges, no task is too risky. Any underwater salvage or repair work becomes the job of these elite divers. Salvage divers must be carpenters, masons, riggers, hydraulic mechanics, ironworkers, welders, pile bucks and underwater engineers. They must be able to adapt all blueprints, tools and equipment to the harsh realities of the underwater environment.
Customer Reviews:
Find out what it is really like to work underwater.......2007-08-04
I am a Pacific Northwest diver with an interest in the history of diving and in particular, the hard hat divers who were pioneers in the fields of underwater construction, demolition and salvage. I was lucky to find Deep Dark and Dangerous by Rebecca Harrison.
It is hard to explain to people what it is like to dive in the swirling current, low visibility and bone chilling cold of the pacific North West. It is hard to explain to people the fears that arise underwater and the bravery of those people who made their livings or lost their lives working as hard hat divers. However, regardless of whether you are a diver or not this well written and well researched book can take you there in words and striking pictures.
Go ahead and meet the McCray's. Walter and his son Art were a diving dynasty, even after the son had to recover his fathers lifeless body from and underwater trench one day and go back to finish the job the next day. Another character you will meet is Fred Devine whose exploits covered diving on a train wreck in a river in central Oregon to building the most powerful salvage barge on the west coast (and that you can still see in Astoria, Oregon).
As a diver the story of the sinking and then the ingenious salvaging of the cargo of the Diamond Knott is special because shortly after reading the story I was able to dive that famous wreck and examine the work that they did for myself.
If you are an actual diver, an armchair diver or just have an interest in how men explored and worked underwater in the early 1900's I strongly recommend Deep Dark and Dangerous: On the bottom with the Northwest Salvage Divers by Rebecca Harrison.
Andy Burlingham
Portland, Oregon
What you'll never see!.......2007-01-13
It's easy to be amazed at what we see. It's even more amazing to learn of the challenges and sacrifice of the men who have worked below the waves in the Pacific Northwest. Indeed, if you live in the Northwest and are interested in its history at all, this book is a must read. If you're interested in true stories of pure bravery and grit, read this book! Ms. Harrison has interwoven the lore of the deep diving profession with the intrigue of its suspense and dangers. Have you ever seen a ship? Have you ever crossed a bridge? Learn how they are affected by the work where few ever dare to go.
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Enmusu Volume 1
Takahiro Seguchi
Manufacturer: ADV Manga
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Binding: Paperback
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Gisuke Arikawa is a good-for-nothing high school boy whose future seems bleak - but that's about to change. He inherits an omamori charm, and with it comes its own pretty little Russian maid! The charm will be the guide that leads him to be the successor to Dragoon, a huge multi-mational corporation. This comglomerate could be his, but only if he can manage to procure 14 other charms similar to his own. The hunt is on, but this geeky high school loser will have to leave his lazy days behind and prepare for some serious searching!
Book Description
Help Yourself Get Everything Done is for people who have to juggle the demands of a busy schedule, and that means all of us! If we’re not vigilant about planning our days, time can slip away at the expense of our personal fulfillment. According to Mark Forster, the key to getting everything done is repeated, consistent, and focused action. He shows us how to put this plan into practice: get moving and overcome resistance and procrastination, make the maximum use of available time, allocate work time and free time, cope with interruptions and emergencies, and learn to manage time by saying "No!"
Customer Reviews:
Highly recommend!.......2007-06-26
This is just the best book! As a huge procrastinator, this book finally got me going. Pair this with his other book, "Do it tomorrow", and you should see marvelous results! Written by someone who understands how procrastinators think. Much better than "The Now Habit"- actually gives you tips and systems you can start using right away. Has enough meat to make you come back and still learn more from it.
A Timely Cure for Affilate Marketers with TOS.......2005-10-22
From working with Affiliate Marketers I've found they're particularly prone to Task Overload Syndrome - those non-ending tasks which come with running a gazillion affiliate web sites.
The key to applying the information in Mark's book is to build it into a personal structure combined with variety.
The structure comes with how you slice and dice the tasks you know you should commit to do on a regular basis but seem to slip up on or procrastinate over at the expense of the time wasters - using the halving (or "binary") approach on a list of common tasks such as keyword checking, link exchange, link checks, article uploads, daily bookkeeping and site backups can be a revelation for those who have waded into creating a sea of sites and are now slowly drowning in the backroom tasks...
Other techniques such as the use of timed work sequences which gradually increase to accomodate the time the task requires without overrunning your day, allow you to introduce variety and an element of "game" into how you do your work (get a free online timer - I use an Egg timer from Sinner computing)
Even if you never get onto working thru your tasks according to the "resistance principles" that Mark introduces toward the end of the book, it is still a fantastic bargain at the price.
Of course there is always one-to-one coaching which can be even more effective but at a greater monetary cost.
A book written by someone who was a poor time manager.......2003-04-24
Many of the books about managing time seem to be written by systematic organized people who share their techniques, and the assumption is that you too can manage time if you follow their methods.
Mark Forster started from the position that he was poor at managing his time. He analyzed what was going on, and recognized that the problem he had was about attention and about poor habits. He also noted that some of the most time-effective people he knew didn't use time management techniques at all. He created a series of training exercises, described in the book, which will help develop more effective habits.
The book is personal, and describes the problems he had in learning his new methods in an interesting form. I'd recommend this book for anyone who wants to be more effective in getting things done.
This is how to do things the hard way - says author.......2002-06-02
I was fascinated to read the previous, highly enthusiastic, reviews for this book. And here's why (it's a statement from this authors new book - it is framed as a discussion with himself):
"What I wrote about resistance in my [first] book is great for people who are working in what I call Push Mode.
What do you mean by that?
It's the opposite of what I call Pull Mode. Essentially the difference is that in Push Mode you are pushing yourself towards your goals. In Pull Mode you are allowing your goals to pull you towards them. The results may look much the same, but Pull Mode is much less effortful [sic] and relies more on the unconscious activity of the brain rather than conscious linear processing."
Clearly even the author doesn't think there's any point in buying this book, as it will only show you how to do things the hard way.
So maybe you'll want to get the new book instead, so you can be right up to date.
Or better yet, why not hang on for a little while. No doubt there'll be yet another book along soon to show us an even better way of managing our lives?
Alternatively, I suspect many readers will be smart enough to spot the pattern and will choose to invest in an author who doesn't completely change their mind every time the sales figures for their current book start to dip.
One of the most unique books on life management.......2002-04-03
"The danger is that better time management techniques will lead to bigger and better overwhelm."
Since we cannot add more actual time to the day we must be conscious of what activities consume time. Which ones do we most want to get done and which other activities we can say no to. As Mark says it is Life management rather than time management. Other topics he discusses are: What does someone who seems to be on top of everything all the time do differently than those who seem to always be one step behind? What is the need to manage our lives better? Common time management techniques their good and bad points. Overcomming resistances, focusing our attention, and breaking bad habits. There are many more topics and many exercises.
This book was an entertaining and motivating look at managing ones life. I am now reading it through for the second time.
Books:
- Virgin Earth: A Novel
- Walden Two
- When Dreams Cross (Second Chances Series #2)
- With a Tangled Skein (Book Three of Incarnations of Immortality)
- Zorba the Greek
- 2010: Odyssey Two
- Absolution by Murder (A Mystery of Ancient Ireland)
- Amongst Women
- Assassins: Assignment: Jerusalem, Target: Antichrist (Left Behind No. 6)
- Before I Let Go: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
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