Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia Volume II

Book Description

Danzig Baldaev's father was an academic, an ethnologist who found himself imprisoned under Soviet rule as an enemy of the people. In fact much of Baldaev's family moved through the Soviet prison system, while he became a guard. At his father's suggestion, he used his access to document and study the tattoos that were pervasive among the truly criminal portion of the prison population, the vory v zakonye, or legitimate thieves, a semi-professional class who keep their own brutal laws. During his 30 years supervising inmates in St. Petersburg's notorious Kresty Prison, Baldaev recorded over 3,000 of their tattoos and parsed their meaning--the nihilistic creativity of a closed society--in the drawings and text that made the first volume of the Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia a bestseller. This essential second volume, which collects all new, previously unseen photographs and drawings, goes to the extremes of his incredible collection. Sergei Vasiliev's photographs authenticate the images, Baldaev's drawings make sense of them, and through them both we glimpse an extraordinary world where the criminal's position, history and even sexual preference are displayed indelibly on his body, and that marked body serves as a passport into the underworld.

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2007-04-10

Excellent photos and artwork with clear, concise explanations. An excellent collector's item, but not really a suggested "coffee table" book. There's quite a bit of nudity, graphic political and sexual imagery, and one heaping dose of harsh reality.

Better then the first..........2007-03-24

Great original photography and a whole new look at tattoos...super raw, but oh so cool....not your average tattoo book....but a must own..

Truly an inside look at an exclusive society.......2007-03-14

When I bought this book, I flipped through the pages and looked at all the tattoos before reading anything. The tattoos were interesting enough, but I had to read the introduction to understand the culture that was molded wholly around the artwork itself. This encyclopedia gives a detailed account of what having a tattoo means in the culture of Russian prisoners. In many societies, tattoos mean very little. Many people get them on a whim, or go into a parlor knowing they want one, but not knowing what they want (probably a butterfly on her back, or a tribal band around his arm). This book explains how tattoos among Russian inmates serve as their resumes--who they are, what they've done, where they rank in the society, who they serve, how they feel about the state... the culture made possible by the tattoos is extremely fascinating, but you have to either be an inmate or read a book written by a credible source (read: this book) to find out about all the facets of it.

good book.......2006-03-28

this is an excellent book for those interested in tattoo art from other countries. this book has a lot of sketches describing each tattoo and its meaning. it also has actual pictures of russian inmates with their facinating prison tattoos. i would not recomend this book for anyone under 18 since some of the tattoos/sketches of tattoos are extremely violent and pornograhic. But facinating at the same time.

This book is not for the faint of heart.......2005-08-24

well, first of all, the book is shocking and distrubing. the book is mainly made up of drawings. These drawings are actual tattoos and many of them are accompanied by a brief story about the persons lifestyle or conviction. There are about, lets say 30 photos at the most, there is some nudity in the photos, male and female. Some of tattoo drawings are extremely XXX in context.Yeah its hard to beleive that someone would tattoo a graphic image of some sex acts on their skin. this book does have a lengthly introduction about the meanings of the whole Thieves World tattoos, there are pages also showing the meanings of the Finger ring tattoos which was quite interesting.The book mainly states that behind the meaning of alot of the tattoos its a personal expression against the soviet system, plain and simple.
The book gives you a feel about how it was to be caught up in the soviet system. I bought the book because i have been around the whole mexican gang scene and i have seen the tattoos that many of them get, and i just wanted to see the similarites of the criminal underworlds. Its all the same around the world.this
book will offend you no matter what, If you really want to still
learn more about the about the tattoos, get both of the books that amazon has here.

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Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia
Danzig Baldaev
Manufacturer: Steidl
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KY3I4Q

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Ecclesiastical Dress in the Medieval Near East (Studies in Textile Costume History, Vol 1)

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Ecclesiastical Dress in the Medieval Near East (Studies in Textile Costume History, Vol 1)
Karel C. Innemee
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Christianity in the Near East shows a variety in rites and churches, each with its own traditions. Ecclesiastical dress is an important part of these traditions. In the course of the centuries liturgical and monastic vestments have developed from basic -- often civil -- clothes into a most complicated system where symbolism has been mixed with practical purpose. Ecclesiastical Dress in the Medieval Near East provides the reader with a survey into the liturgical and monastic dress of the most important Near Eastern Churches. The motive and starting-point for this investigation were the questions surrounding the liturgical costume of the Nubian Church. Through a method of comparison of Nubian dress with Coptic, Syrian, Armenian and Byzantine costume the author not only throws light on the Christian culture of Nubia, but also traces influences, similarities and differences between the costumes of these churches.

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A History of Ecclesiastical Dress
Janet Mayo
Manufacturer: B.T. Batsford Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Letters on Iceland: Containing Observations On The Civil, Literary, Ecclesiastical, and Natural History; Antiquities, Volcanoes, Basaltes, Hot Springs; Customs, Dress, Manners of the Inhabitannts, &c. &c. Made During a Voyage undertaken in the Year 1772

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Letters on Iceland: Containing Observations On The Civil, Literary, Ecclesiastical, and Natural History; Antiquities, Volcanoes, Basaltes, Hot Springs; Customs, Dress, Manners of the Inhabitannts, &c. &c. Made During a Voyage undertaken in the Year 1772
Uno von Troil
Manufacturer: G. Perrin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KHBML4

Book Description

In 1941, Pep Comics introduced Archie Andrews as "Amerca's Newest Boyfriend!" Since then, Archie and his perennial teenage friends have entertained young and old alike with their hilarious misadventures. In this volume, you'll journey to a bygone era and unearth the roots of an American institution.

Customer Reviews:

Everything's Archie.......2006-03-23

I was quite excited when the Archie Americana series was launched, and this is the volume that started it all. Best of the 'Forties Volume Two is sometimes regarded as more slapstick, but I find it the other way 'round. This volume, with an introduction by Stephen King is a lot better than volume two, although understandably Archie fans may want all of this reasonably priced series. I also found Best of the 'Fifties Volume one to be outstanding.

The archival nature of this series makes it perfect for Archie one-offs. My favorite comic was Archie's Mad House, which would seem ideal for this series, as would the Pureheart the Powerful comics or the Man from Riverdale episodes with Archie as a secret agent. Archie has been a hit wherever he's gone, including radio, TV, comics, books and toys. These archival volumes fill in some of the missing history, and aptly illustrate why for fans over the last six decades, everything's Archie.

Much ado about nothing. .......2006-02-11

I have to admit that I was very disappointed with this book. It was interesting to see how the characters developed and changed, but there were only twelve short comics in the whole book! When I first saw these books, I expected them to be crammed with comics- at least as many as in a double digest, but what I got was a flimsy, thin volume with a depressingly-few number of stips in it. If you're dyed-in-the-wool fan who wants every Archie comic ever produced, buy it, but for average fans, you're better off sticking with the digests.

ARCHIE'S GOLDEN AGE ERA.......2005-04-14

There were very few comic book characters that got their start in the early part of the golden age that were able to sustain their titles all the way through to today. Superman was one, Batman, of course. But Captain America didn't, neither did The Flash or Green Lantern. But another who did was America's favorite teenager, Archie Andrews. In the years following the end of WWII, superheroes fell out of favor with comic book fans but Archie and his friends kept chugging right along, now over sixty years old!

This great new collection from Archie Comics re-prints fifteen classic stories from the 1940's. With an introduction written by Stephen King, himself a long-time Archie fan, we get classic Archie tales from the earliest years. It is so interesting to see how the comic has changed, and adapted over the decades from hair and clothing styles, to music and popular culture. I couldn't help but chuckle when Tyrone Power is mentioned in one of these early stories as being one of the girl's idols, talk about your changing times! For those like me who grew up in the 60's and 70's, it is quite a treat to see how different the characters appeared in those early days. That famous Archie "house style" had not been developed yet and they had a more unique look than they do today. Among the treats that are included in this volume are:

The very first Archie story from Pep Comics #22 in December 1941. Archie, Betty and Jughead are all introduced. In particular, Archie and Betty look more like 12-year olds than the teens we all know and love. Archie's jalopy, which would be the source of running jokes for years, makes its first broken-down appearance just a few issues later in Pep Comics #25, followed by Riverdale's favorite debutante Veronica in Pep #26, both in 1942.

Archie's nemesis Reggie mantle makes his first full appearance in Jackpot Comics # 6 in the Summer of 1942, and already the rivalry over Veronica would begin. Veronica's dad, Mr. Lodge comes along in Pep #31.

"Prom Pranks" from Archie Comics #1, 1942, relates the tale of how Veronica first met Archie and decided to go to Riverdale high. Ahhh...bet you though Ronny always went to Riverdale just like I did!

"Double Date" from Archie #7 gives us the first of what would be the decisive storyline in Archie comics...the love triangle between Archie, Betty, and Veronica as Arch is caught having a date with both at the same time.

In "Battle of the Jitterbugs" from Archie #30, Archie and Reggie challenge Betty and Veronica to a Jitterbug dance contest to prove that boys are better dancers. Each of the boys takes turns dressing up in drag for the big contest.

"Dangerous Sex" from 1949 introduces us to "Moose" as Jughead has to reluctantly tutor Moose's girl Lottie Little for a big test.

Wow! What a collection! When you read these stories it's not hard to see why this character has survived over 60 years. This is just good, old fashioned comic fun that is sorely lacking in comics of today...except for Archie Comics, of course! Highest recommendation!

Essential reading for Archie afficionados.......2004-06-14

Fans who've followed the escapades of Archie Andrews and his Riverdale gang over the years will find great delight in this volume containing 15 stories spanning the length of the 1940's. The stories chosen in this first volume are included primarily for their historical significance. Kudos to the editorial staff for selecting such highlights like his first ever appearance in, 'Pep Comics' #22 along with other tales that introduce for the first time ever:

Betty Cooper
Jughead
Archie's Jalopy
Veronica Lodge
Mr. Weatherbee
Reggie Mantle
Mr. Lodge
Moose

While these early origin tales are not necessarily standouts storywise they do provide crucial insight into the genesis of this classic American comic series that fans will find much value in.

Witness the beginning of Archie and the gang!.......2000-05-01

Just how did Archie meet Betty? How did his first date with Veronica turn out? Witness the evolution of Jughead's hat from the 1940's to now! This book reprints the best Archie stories that were originally published in the 1940's. Archie and the gang looked, talked, acted so differently that this is great way to get to know how they came about. Perfect for any Archie fan.

Archie Americana Series Best Of The Forties Book 2

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Love it!
SOME OF ARCHIE'S WACKIEST ADVENTURES!
The 'b-sides' from the 1940's

Archie Americana Series Best Of The Forties Book 2
Various
Manufacturer: Archie Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1879794098

Book Description

Witness the group's formation and the first time they wore catsuits! Get to know the hunky roadie Alan, their shifty manager Alex and his conniving sister, Alexandria! Travel to Tinseltown as the girls shoot their "first" movie! Help them solve intriguing mysteries and relive the antics that made them the most popular fictional band in comic and cartoon history! From Josie's very first appearnce to the day she almost quit the band, this collection of "greatest hits" will be music to your ears!

Customer Reviews:

Love it!.......2007-02-01

That is all that I have to say... LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!! The artwork is beautiful... I love the classic Archies' drawings... I read them all, now what do I do?

SOME OF ARCHIE'S WACKIEST ADVENTURES!.......2005-04-27

While the first volume of "The Best of the Forties" concentrated on presenting the first appearances of Archie and the rest of the gang, the second volume is strictly slapstick. All of the stories from this volume are reprinted from Laugh Comics while the first re-printed stories from Pep, and Archie comics. The girls take a bit of a back seat in these dozen stories as Jughead becomes the main co-star. Even Mr. Andrews gets more strip time than Betty and Veronica. The stories are more slapstick, than other Archie stories relying on a lot of physical humor. While maybe not as historically important as the one in volume one, these stories present a side of Archie rarely seen by us baby boomers who were so used to adventures centered on Riverdale High and the ongoing love triangle. In this regard, the stories are less time-sensitive and could easily be dropped into modern times as references to current events of the 40's are kept to a bare minimum.

Among my favorite stories are:

"Mr. Blunk Comes to Town" from Laugh #21. Archie's dad is, of course, a real estate agent and a man named Mr. Blunk comes to town to buy a seemingly worthless plot of land. Unfortunately, Archie takes the contract out on his date by mistake. Through a series of car breakdowns and other mishaps, Mr. Andrews and Archie keep missing each other which turns out to be a good thing as Mr. Andrews soon learns that oil was found on the land and Blunk knew about it all along!

"Go Fly a Kite" from Laugh #23. Archie and Jughead are trying to build a kite and their racket disturbs their fathers. Soon Mr. Andrew and Mr. Jones take over building the kite with disastrous results.

"Double Trouble" From Laugh #25. Archie wonders why the new girl in school, Alice Adams changes from nice to mean to him at the drop of a hat. What Archie doesn't know is that the girls are twins!

"It's a Dog's Life" from Laugh #27. Archie and Jughead agree to bathe Veronica's dog. Jughead grabs hair remover instead of shampoo by mistake resulting in a hairless pooch right before the big dog show!

"Lady Killer" from Laugh #28. Archie decides to start an escort service to earn some extra money. He doesn't want to be recognized as a kid so wears a beard and dark hair to disguise himself. His first customer named "Peaches" turns out to be Miss Grundy! The pair go out to a nightclub and Archie has to dodge Reggie and Veronica who are there as well.

"Nature Boy" from Laugh #36. Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica go out on a picnic and in wild slapstick fashion, virtually everything goes wrong from Jughead smashing a cake, to Archie burning the burgers, Betty and Veronica sitting in poison ivy, and Jughead playing with a skunk!

While maybe not as historically important, these stories were very funny and a change to those of us who only knew Archie from the 60's and 70's.

The 'b-sides' from the 1940's.......2004-06-29

Not quite as fresh as the previous volume - "Archie Americana: Best of the Forties, Book 1," but still a must read for the die-hard Archie afficionado. While Book 1 was lovingly crafted to showcase material with historic value (e.g. - the first appearance of key characters, locations, etc.), Book 2 comes across a bit more lightweight in comparison as the stories seem selected more for the zaniness of its humor and the timeframe that the stories were selected from (1946-1949) seems somewhat narrower. Still, this being Archie comics and all, it still manages to be an enjoyable read all the way through, but do make sure that you read/purchase Book 1 first.

Archie Americana Series Best of the Forties

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Archie Americana Series Best of the Forties
Stephen King
Manufacturer: Archie Comic Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QBBCJQ

Book Description

In 1998, when Amazon.com began to recruit employees, they gave temp agencies a simple directive: send us your freaks. Mike Daisey -- slacker, onetime aesthetics major -- fit the bill. His subsequent ascension, over the course of twenty-one dog years, from lowly temp to customer service representative to business development hustler is the stuff of both dreams and nightmares. Here, with lunatic precision, Daisey describes lightless cube farms in which book orders were scrawled on Post-its while technicians struggled to bring computers back online, as well as fourteen-hour days fueled by caffeine, fanaticism, and illicit day-trading from office desks made out of doors. You'll meet Warren, the cowboy of customer service, capable of verbally hog-tying even the most abusive customer; Amazon employee #5, a computer gamer who spends at least six hours a day locked in his office killing goblins but is worth a cool $300 million; and Jean-Michele, Daisey's girlfriend and sparring partner, who tries to keep him grounded, even as dot-com mania seduces them both. Punctuated by Daisey's hysterically honest fictional missives to CEO Jeff Bezos, 21 Dog Years is an epic story of greed, self-deception, and heartbreak -- a wickedly funny anthem to an era of bounteous stock options and boundless insanity.

Download Description

"Boy meets dot-com, boy falls for dot-com, boy flees dot-com in horror. So goes one of the most perversely hilarious love stories you will ever read, one that blends tech culture, hero worship, cat litter, Albanian economics, venture capitalism, and free bagels into a surreal cocktail of delusion. In 1998, when Amazon.com went to temp agencies to recruit people, they gave them a simple directive: send us your freaks. Mike Daisey -- slacker, onetime aesthetics major, dilettante -- seemed perfect for the job. His ascension from lowly temp to customer service representative to business development hustler over the course of twenty-one dog years is the stuff of both dreams and nightmares. With lunatic precision, Daisey describes the lightless cube farms in which book orders were scrawled on Post-its while technicians struggled to bring computers back online; the fourteen-hour days fueled by caffeine, fanaticism, and illicit day-trading from office desks made from doors; his strange compulsion to send free books to Norwegians; and the fevered insistence of BizDev higher-ups that the perfect business partner was Pets.com -- the now-extinct company that spent all its assets on a sock puppet. In these pages, you'll meet Warren, the cowboy of customer service, capable of verbally hog-tying even the most abusive customer; Amazon employee #5, a reclusive computer gamer worth a cool $300 million, who spends at least six hours a day locked in his office killing goblins; and Jean-Michele, Mike's girlfriend and sparring partner, who tries to keep him grounded, even as dot-com mania seduces them both. At strategic intervals, the narrative is punctuated by hysterically honest letters to CEO Jeff Bezos -- missives that seem ripped from the collective unconscious of dot-com disciples the world over. 21 Dog Years is an epic story of greed, self-deception, and heartbreak, a wickedly funny anthem to an era of bounteous stock options and boundless insanity. "

Customer Reviews:

Easy read....interesting look at the .COM world (and all the promises it offered for a "different economy".......2005-12-30

I guess my interest in this book was to take a look into the heart of a .COM business to see if the people inside actually beleived some of the crap they were trying to sell people outside. What I mean is that this was a "new economy", and that profits were not what it was about. (god knows how many stocks went over $100 without a single profit in sight!)

Well, the glimse into Amazon was from a single guy, who didn't fit in from the start...so it might be a bit slanted.....on the other hand, he admits to "drinking the cool-aid" a bit himself and getting into the culture.

Bottom line....it looks like the .COM people believed in their jive even more than the people who bought $100/share stock off them.....

As for the book, it was an easy read.....and to me gave me a fair bit of insight into that world. (I was working at a computer company who's stock also went through the sky....but we were also making good profits.)

The run-up of the .COM "bubble" was always a mystery to me...and this book does go some part of the way to help me understand it. (but don't look for technical analysis....just the ramblings of the days in this guy's life at Amazon.....his low's, highs, and lows again)

WITLESS DRIVEL..........2005-10-09

I bought this book, thinking that it would offer some insight into Amazon.com in terms of what it was like to work there during its halcyon days. Touted as a funny memoir, among other things, I was to discover that it was none of what was promised. In fact, the book was painfully difficult to read, as it was very poorly written, decidedly not funny, and offered little insight into what it really was like to work at Amazon. It was totally sophomoric in terms of what it did say.

The author should be thankful that he was not fired by Amazon, as that is what he richly deserved to have happen based upon his own account of what he was like as an employee. He was a total slacker who treated customers with the contempt that he felt that they deserved. He was totally wasteful of the company's resources. He proudly stole supplies in bulk from the company. When toys were given to him for review purposes, he not only did not bother to review them, he then refused to return the toys to Amazon. He may think that all this is hilarious. Unfortunately, I do not. Reading this drivel felt like it took twenty-one dog years.

Moreover, this book was so poorly written, I am surprised that a reputable publisher went ahead with the expense of actually publishing it. Don't waste your time with this drivel. If you want to read a well-written, interesting book about working at Amazon, read "Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot. Com Juggernaut" by James Marcus.

21 dig years.......2005-10-05

Mike Daisey's memoir is about his experience working for amazon.com. In the book, he tells about how he got the job, and how he ended up leaving the job. I chose to read this memoir because, it was kind of the only one I could find that seemed even semi-interesting. I probably should have chosen more carefully, because there were a lot of things in the book that I didn't understand very much. In his memoir Mike Daisey tells about his excitement to join amazon, to how it got to be to the point where he couldn't stand it, to moving to a new position, only to leave amazon .com for good.
The book starts with Mike Daisey introducing himself. He explains how he was lazy, and never really did anything with his life. This is relevant later on in the memoir, when he gets hired for amazon, and actually feels like he is working for a living. Anyway, he ends up moving to Seattle, and getting a job at a temping service. He doesn't like his job, so he starts to look for new jobs. While he is between jobs, he moves in with his girlfriend. His search for a job is ongoing until he finds amazon.com. He applies for the job, and after several interviews, he gets the job, and is entered into a four week training period. He is taught about the company, and how to do the job. He ends up coming out of the training period very enthusiastic about the job. At the end of the training period, he and several other are officially offered the job. He accepts, and starts working in the customer services for amazon.
At first the job is okay and he along with all the others turn into amazon believers. He refers to it as a religion, because they all believe that amazon is like the way of the future, and are pretty much obsessed with their jobs. The job soon becomes unbearable for the author, and he finds himself trying to get out. He tries to write reviews for items, but falls behind, and finds himself at square one. He then applies for a different division that is out of customer service, and finds the job to be very appealing. He is pleased with the job until he starts hearing rumors about lay-offs, and is noticing cuts that the company is making. He is using the bathroom when he sees a spreadsheet, and reads it. It had all of the salaries of all the upper level worker, and some of whom he had worked with. The were making millions of dollars, and were idiots who didn't do anything. He found this combination of things disappointing, and ended up leaving the company because of it.
The whole experience is important to the author, because it wasn't a natural experience working for this big company. From my perspective the author felt like the whole company was kind of weird. I think one of the main reasons that he wrote this book is to expose how odd the job experience was. Especially when he says that the amazon thing turns into like a sort of a religion for him, and his co-workers, and that the CEO of the company, named Jeff, is like a god to them. Also how the job kind of takes over their lives, and the spend all their time focusing on the job, and competing with the other employees.
What the author got for the whole experience is kind of like what I mentioned before. He really got exposed to how strange and unnatural the job situations at companies like that are. He saw first hand how easy it was to fall for this whole system that convinced workers to push themselves too much, because they truly believed that they were actually making a difference, and sort of staring a revolution. As far as the title goes, it is referring to how one of the rules or beliefs is in this time system where the amazon employees are working faster, and so they refer to their years like dog years. I interpreted this to mean that the amazonians, as the author called them were working so hard and quickly that they were getting several years' work done in one year. I thought the book was good, but it was over my reading level, and I found it some parts boring, since it was also over my maturity level, and I couldn't relate to some of the things that the author mentioned.

Part Gonzo Journalism, Part Comedic Rant. Customer Service @Amazon.com........2005-09-22

"21 Dog Years" is a satirical account of life as a Amazon.com employee by self-described slacker Mike Daisey, who was recruited though a staffing company in 1998 to work in Customer Service Tier 1 and left the company in a fit of angst in 2000 in spite of enjoying his position in Business Development. The book's audience might be those seeking workplace comedy or those in search of information about Amazon.com's culture. "21 Dog Years" originated as a one man show, so it aims to entertain. At the same time, the book is very much in the tradition of gonzo journalism: insightful but inherently subjective and self-interested. If it is information about Amazon.com you seek, it's a little difficult to know where the hyperbole begins and ends. Mike Daisey's perspicacity is obvious from Chapter 1, where he observes the predicament of Gen Xers in the Baby Boomer economy of the 1990s, and he never hesitates to dwell on his own faults -which are many. He was a bad Customer Service Rep. He loved his company, but hated his job. Daisey seemed more competent and content in his Business Development position, but most of the book is about his experiences in Customer Service, probably because discontent is more compelling than comfort.

As for whether the book is funny, I think it has more moments of insight than comedy. It is informative only if you are interested in how the company philosophy was felt by low-level employees. The book's most obvious fault is that Mike Daisey is a generally unsympathetic personality. Not so much because he is a liar and a crook, but because he is whiny and self-absorbed. Only his intellect makes "21 Dog Years" readable. "Amazonia", written by Amazon.com employee #55 James Marcus, who spent 5 years with the company, is a more informative, literate account. But Marcus seemed to be trying very hard not to offend anyone, leaving readers to glean his opinions between the lines. "21 Dog Years" suffers from the opposite style: It's all about mouthing off, sometimes to the point of sensationalism. People are either going to love this or hate it, but I'm giving "21 Dog Years" 3 1/2 stars because I found the book to be very readable and intermittently insightful.

A WITLESS WASTE OF TIME..........2005-09-06

I bought this book, thinking that it would offer some insight into Amazon.com in terms of what it was like to work there during its halcyon days. Touted as a funny memoir, among other things, I was to discover that it was none of what was promised. In fact, the book was painfully difficult to read, as it was very poorly written, decidedly not funny, and offered little insight into what it really was like to work at Amazon. It was totally sophomoric in terms of what it did say.

The author should be thankful that he was not fired by Amazon, as that is what he richly deserved to have happen based upon his own account of what he was like as an employee. He was a total slacker who treated customers with the contempt that he felt that they deserved. He was totally wasteful of the company's resources. He proudly stole supplies in bulk from the company. When toys were given to him for review purposes, he not only did not bother to review them, he then refused to return the toys to Amazon. He may think that all this is hilarious. Unfortunately, I do not. Reading this drivel felt like it took twenty-one dog years.

Moreover, this book was so poorly written, I am surprised that a reputable publisher went ahead with the expense of actually publishing it. I guess that the name Amazon carries a great deal of weight for which the author should be eternally grateful. I doubt that had he written a book titled, "21 Dog Years: Doing time @ Sears.Com", substituting Sears for Amazon, that he would have found a publisher. Don't waste your time with this drivel. If you want to read a well-written, interesting book about working at Amazon, read "Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot. Com Juggernaut" by James Marcus.

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