Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978 to 1986

Average customer rating:

More than an amazing reference for fans

An entertaining and well-written Slasher-reference

Simply marvelous! All flaws are cosmetic! Delightful!

A Worthy Reference Guide for the Slasher Fan

Commendable, but slight...

Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978 to 1986
Adam Rockoff
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
History & Criticism | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Making Friday The 13th: The Legend Of Camp Blood

Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film

Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday The 13th

Shock! Horror!: Astounding Artwork From The Video Nasty Era

Book of the Dead: The Complete History of Zombie Cinema

ASIN: 0786412275

Book Description

John Carpenter's Halloween, released on October 25, 1978, marked the beginning of the horror film's most colorful, controversial, and successful offshoot—the slasher film. Loved by fans and reviled by critics for its iconic psychopaths, gory special effects, brainless teenagers in peril, and more than a bit of soft-core sex, the slasher film secured its legacy as a cultural phenomenon and continues to be popular today.

This work traces the evolution of the slasher film from 1978 when it was a fledgling genre, through the early 1980s when it was one of the most profitable and prolific genres in Hollywood, on to its decline in popularity around 1986. An introduction provides a brief history of the Grand Guignol, the pre-cinema forerunner of the slasher film, films such as Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and cinematic trends that gave rise to the slasher film. Also explained are the slasher film's characteristics, conventions, and cinematic devices, such as the "final girl," the omnipotent killer, the relationship between sex and death, the significant date or setting, and the point-of-view of the killer. The chapters that follow are devoted to the years 1978 through 1986 and analyze significant films from each year. The Toolbox Murders, When a Stranger Calls, the Friday the 13th movies, My Bloody Valentine, The Slumber Party Massacre, Psycho II, and April Fool's Day are among those analyzed. The late 90s resurrection of slasher films, as seen in Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, is also explored, as well as the future direction of slasher films.

Customer Reviews:

More than an amazing reference for fans.......2004-06-23

After meeting Rockoff I picked up his book. I expected it would be filled with references that fans would appreciate. What I found was so much more, as Going to Pieces is one of the more thoroughly researched books about any film genre that I have read. Rockoff's interviews are fresh and he tracked down a lot of people whose contributions have largely gone unnoticed. What's more, Rockoff's style is unpretentious and often very, very funny. I loved this book and if you want to go beyond the films and filmmakers every other book or magazine cites, then this book if for you, too.

An entertaining and well-written Slasher-reference.......2003-09-14

Loved this book! Lots of interesting factoids about many of the stand-out Slasher-thrillers from the 70s/80s, and plenty on the ones barely seen. Rockoff knows his stuff and shares it in what was for me a nostalgic, breezy read. As others have written, I would've preferred a longer, more extensive guide with a larger number of stills, (and color would've been nice), but all-in-all
a much needed addition to any Horror-geek's library. If you love drive-in classics like 'The Burning', 'Silent Night, Deadly Night', and 'Nightmare', pick this one up.

Simply marvelous! All flaws are cosmetic! Delightful!.......2002-09-22

Upon first appearance I have to admit, I felt somewhat cheated. The book was smaller than I'd pictured it would be for a hardbound, there wasn't a dust jacket, and it looked pretty lean considering the audacity of its title. I was hopeful upon ordering but disappointed in "presentation," otherwise I would have given this book a 5-Star Rating. The reason I give this book the other four stars is because this author knows exactly what he is talking about! The thought and attention to detail are absolutely amazing: an absolutely delightful and juicy read! I'm a longtime fan of slasher films, merely for their entertainment value, of course, :0}, and have contributed to this particular genre personally on more than one occasion. Hardcore fans of the 'slasher genre' should, and will, crave this book as though it were 'the law' of the subject! Trust me, trust me, trust me, having experienced this genre firsthand, both inside and out, you will not find a better reference for this unique list of sub genre horror films! This book is the first truthful, forthright, and unbiased look at a mini-genre that was despised publicly but loved inwardly. And, despite the supposedly 'lurid' premise of its subject matter, it never strays from being 'politically correct'. A+

A Worthy Reference Guide for the Slasher Fan.......2002-09-09

This thoroughly entertaining book is a must for any fan of the horror/slasher genre. Author, Adam Rockoff, has compiled an impressive list of slasher films, both the well known and the little seen. Rockoff offers detailed information for the majority of the films he has listed in the book, including plot synopsis, behind the scenes anecdotes, quotes and stories from those involved in making the movies. The author is not afraid to offer his own opinions (both good and bad) of each film as well. The book is filled with lots of photographs as well, although curiously, none are color photos.There is even a list of films that go by multiple titles at the back of the book. This book has inspired me to search out many of the films reviewed within which I haven't yet seen. If I have a quibble (and it is a small one) it would be that in Mr. Rockoff's breakdown of each film's plot, he reveals (and quite logically so) the film's ending, possibly spoiling some of the tension for you if you haven't yet seen the film. Also of note: at 214 pages, some may feel that the book's [$$] pricetag is a bit steep. That aside, this is a great reference guide for anyone who appreciates a little blood and guts with their popcorn.

Commendable, but slight..........2002-09-06

Rockoff clearly loves the genre and his behind-the-scenes tales on such slasher faves as "Nighmare" and "Maniac" are very interesting...I just wanted more...The book barely cracks 200 pages and leaves out a host of deserving slashers (Where's Madman?The Final Terror? Hide and Go Shriek? Rockoff mentions The Burning as having spawned the most future stars of any slasher, but the Final Terror had Joe Pantoliano, Darryl Hannah, the incomparable Adrian Zmed and Rachel Ward, not too shabby!) The book is a good appetizer, but it will leave you wanting more (especially for that price...ouch!)

Book Description

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Aretha Franklin's first album for Atlantic Records and famed producer Jerry Wexler, was a pop and soul music milestone that jump-started Franklin's languishing career. Almost overnight, Aretha became a top-selling recording artist and a cultural icon. But the album almost didn't happen. Matt Dobkin has unearthed fascinating details about the recording session in Muscle Shoals, Alabama: about the volatile behavior of Aretha's manager/husband, Ted White; about Aretha's reaction to the lack of black musicians in the session; and about how tempers and alcohol almost derailed the session with only a track and half in the can.This book goes far beyond anything that's been written about "The Queen of Soul" or her music before. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You is the story of a great achievement and includes scores of fresh interviews: Wexler, the session men from Muscle Shoals, Aretha's own musicians, and others. It gives insight into a star more complex and determined than her modern diva image would seem to indicate. Aretha, a teenage mother and daughter of a commanding preacher father, rose above her circumstances and transformed them into art. She gave the civil rights movement, already well under way in 1967 when the album came out, a passionate call to arms. And with "Respect"-along with the title track, one of the album's first two singles-she provided the burgeoning feminist movement with an enduring theme song.The first serious, nonbiographical look at Aretha Franklin's work, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You will deepen even ardent fans' understanding of one of the great soul artists of our time, a direct descendant of Bessie Smith and Billie Holliday.

Customer Reviews:

The stories behind the making of Respect, Dr. Feelgood, and I Never Loved a Man.......2007-04-02

"I Never Loved a Man" is a music journalist's take on Aretha Franklin's groundbreaking album. Dobkin comes from a background in opera writing, and he writes with great appreciation and sensitivity about the music. You can tell that he enjoys listening to the music and trying to conquer the challenging task of describing tones with prose. He also interviews some of the key figures in the story such as Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records, Aretha's ex-husband, Ahmet Ertegun, and many of the key performers on the album. He takes an informal tone at times with his interviewees and tries to go beyond reporting their reflections on the album and treating them as characters in themselves. Those interested in Jerry Wexler, the executive at Atlantic who produced the sessions, will gain from his perspective and the musicians' responses to hearing about Jerry Wexler.

I do differ with some of this author's interpretations. He seems to feel that Muscle Shoals' FAME Studios was a critical part of this album's sound. Dobson takes great pains early on in the book to stress the "three white men" who played important roles in making this music happen. In many cases, such as Wilson Pickett's work for Atlantic, Muscle Shoals and its integrated country influenced soul did provided a core studio sound. Yes, the musicians added key riffs to the tunes. Reading into some of the details of this book, however, we see that in many ways Aretha and her husband were key catalysts in radically altering the relationship between Jerry Wexler's Atlantic Records and FAME Studios. Dobkin does a good job of talking about "the incident" where the racial tensions between an all-white studio band and a redneck trumpet player lead to conflict and a fight with Aretha's husband. That led to an integrated band and a plot to steal FAME's musicians for Atlantic in the New York sessions that were later held to finish the album.

Regardless, Aretha would have made this kind of music with anyone. It's her church, her Dinah Washington, and her Clara Ward and the fire within her bones coming out at one time. I firmly believe that Aretha Franklin was a force of nature in the studio, and she, unlike other vocalists such as Diana Ross, would have achieved greatness with any quality studio support. She would have been Aretha at Stax or even RCA as long as the producer was smart enough to be like Jerry Wexler and largely get out of her freakishly gifted way. In many ways, the most feminist thing about these sides is that these are early examples of a woman producing herself in a male-dominated industry and then hitting a home-run with overwhelming chart-topping success. Unfortunately, Aretha did not have the business sense to carve out producer or co-producer credit for her efforts in bandleading and directing musicians until later on in her career.

Nikki Giovanni is a key voice in this book as well. For those who see her solely as "that black feminist poet", it's fun to see her as just a fan of the Queen of Soul.

Dobkin sums up his agenda early on in the book: to provide a snapshot of what Aretha when she was crowned Queen of Soul at Atlantic. Minor complaints aside, he does an excellent job providing a lasting testimony to a great vocalist, artist, and symbol of soul power. Here's hoping that Aretha opens up a little as she enters her twilight years and improves on her biography or a biographer can do justice to the full scope of her life. Until then, books like "I Never Loved a Man" will provide great insight into the nature of her gift.

Strongly recommended...

--4 stars

--SD

A Day In The Life of Aretha.......2005-08-12

This book focuses on the career-making debut album of Aretha Franklin on Atlantic Records. A fascinating glimpse at the first-recorded track for the album, the title track, takes the reader back into a point in time when our country was on the verge of a musical revolution, never to look back. Pop music historians will savor the exquisite detail afforded the description of this initial music session held in Mussel Shoals, Alabama, and then travel to Atlantic's New York Studios, under the watchful and supportive producer Jerry Wexler, for one of the Queen of Soul's most relevant sessions of her pioneering career. All of the chemistry is present in the production of this album, which tells the story of musical magic coming to life. A very engaging read!

I Need Aretha.......2005-02-05

If there is anything that remains constant in my life, it is knowing that Aretha Franklin is a sister spirit and that her voice can help to calm me in the most torrential times. It seems that when I listen to Aretha she is speaking directly to me, telling me she knows what I am going through and that everything will turn out fine. Matt Dobkin revisits the recording of a 1967 album that shot Aretha Franklin to the highest level of stardom and changed the voice of soul music forever and changed my life forever.

I NEVER LOVED A MAN THE WAY I LOVE YOU is not just a biography. Instead, it is a detailed analysis of Aretha's rise to superstardom and the recording sessions during what some would argue is Aretha's finest hour. Dobkin interviewed many of the direct participants of the recording of I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You to inject the history needed to make telling this story a success. However, he also included thoughts from the great poet Nikki Giovanni (her descriptions of both Aretha's presence and the tumultuous era in question were remarkable) and other contemporaries of the Queen of Soul for added context.

The album, I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You, included such cuts as "Do Right Woman," "Save Me," "Dr. Feelgood," (one of my favorite Aretha songs) and the female anthem, "Respect," an Otis Redding song that Aretha covered and made her own. But, as Dobkin seems to relay, one of the most important aspects of this recording was that it was interracial; most of the musicians on the album were young white men from Muscle Shoals, Alabama or neighboring cities. Dobkin also notes that the musical process that was utilized on this album (Aretha at the piano, leading the show) would become her M.O. for making music from that day forward.

Aretha has numerous albums to her credit, ranging from a Dinah Washington tribute album, recorded during her stint at Columbia Records, to the Atlantic Records late-sixties masterpiece that is the focus of this book. Dobkin seemed to know what he was talking about when retelling the story of the album's birth, and he provided much needed groundwork to help the reader understand just how important that album was in 1967 and still is today. I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You ushered in the reign of the Queen of Soul and widely introduced this timeless voice to the favorites list of music lovers worldwide. Dobkin gave Aretha her demanded Respect and took it a step further by praising her musical virtuosity.

Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Very good book - Concentrates mostly on music!.......2005-01-20

Just read this after finding it in the library. The book is mostly about the recording of Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved A Man" single and album. I love hearing the details about recording and music. The author has interviewed several of the original musicians, Jerry Wexler and even Ted White (Franklin's ex-husband).

The book doesn't try to make anyone out to be totally bad. I was impressed by the author's take on Ted White, not totally making him out to be the evil guy everyone said he was. I'm not saying he was perfect, just human with flaws.

There is a chapter on the so-called trouble that went along with the session. Just about everyone has had their say on what happened almost 40 years ago. The author wisely collects several different accounts and doesn't try to definitively define what happened.

I wish more people would write books about the music, rather than deal with the tabloid details of an artist's life. I understand that a person's personal life is woven into their life as an artist and I believe that the author balanaces out both in discussing Aretha Franklin, her life and music.

I thought is was very interesting to read about Franklin's musical influences. If you have never listened to Dinah Washington, you should check her out and hear how she influenced Aretha Franklin.

For music fans, this is a good read. Let's have more books like this regarding Motown and other soul music!

Missing the point and ultimately lifeless.......2004-12-04

Yes, Aretha's I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You was a milestone in soul music and a testimony to Jerry Wexler's genius as a producer and promotor. And yes, we all wanted to know exactly what happened in Muscle Shoals with the fiesty white trumpet player and Aretha (but can find out just as much by deduction from the Rhino CD liner notes). But this "book" is an really an extended New Yorker article with far too much focus on MLK's funeral and irrelevant context with Dinah Washington and Billie Hollday - just how many times do we need to know that wx-DJ Louise Bishop is now a member of the House of Representatives? Want to capture the excitement of the Wexler/Franklin sessions? Buy the DVD of Tom Dowd - it's cheaper and much more fun.

Book Description

Mend all that is riven.

You hold in your hands a powerful tome–make it serve you to find Gehn, free Catherine, and rescue Riven's natives before it's too late. Get Riven™: Prima's Official Strategy Guide for:

• Clear, step-by-step walkthroughs
• Detailed visual aids for exact guidance
• Easy-to-find solutions to every imaginable puzzle
• In-depth instruction via the Complete Riven Journal
• And Ages, upon Ages more!

Get the best that any Age has to offer. Get Riven™: Prima's Official Strategy Guide so you can act while there is still time!

Get the only book that Atrus can never tear apart!

Customer Reviews:

Walkthrough for Riven.......2007-05-17

Another good book to have if into older games and need some help. The Myst games are great for all ages and the whole family can enjoy them. Great if one does the controls and another does the reading, it really makes these games a lot more fun to enjoy. The Larghe's

Too much help when I needed hints.......2001-08-03

This is a great book, if you are too lazy to even walk around in Riven. I had completed everything, except for 2 of the last 3 puzzles, and all I wanted was a couple of general hints to point me in the right direction. Instead, the first half of the book, which is supposed to do just that, was more of a smoothed out walk through - not every step, but it pushed you through the whole game and revealed all of the secrets and solutions. The real walkthrough in the back is basically the same thing, just bulleted and put into command sentences. Don't buy this book if you want to take your time and figure things out on your own. If you just want to beat the game quickly, with no respect for the beauty of the programming and the story, this will do fine.

On the brighter side, after I bought this and read it, I stopped hitting my head, solved the puzzles again for myself, and finished the game in 2 hours. I would still be playing around in the ceremonial chamber and with the marble puzzle if I didn't get this book. I missed the small things, which made so much difference, and I couldn't make the connections, which is what this is all about. Please, try Riven on your own first, and if you are really stuck (I mean really), then get this book. It will alleviate your headache.

Best Book.......2000-06-11

This is the best book. It is a lot like the Myst srategy guide.

DON'T BANG YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL, THE ANSWERS ARE HERE!.......2000-03-29

I fell in love with the game Riven right from the start. I had not played very many computer games before this, and had never played Myst, so therefore, Riven turned out to be a bit difficult for me. Just when I had solved a fairly easy section I would hit an impasse and thought I'd maybe end up banging my head against the table. I was hopelessly stuck at a point in the game when I came across this book - a blessing I thought! It's actually more of a curse due to the fact that the book makes it much too tempting and easy to cheat. There is nothing as thrilling as finally breaking the code, solving the mystery, and finding the answer to the great puzzle - the book eventually gives you all the answers and thus spoils the fun. I for one will NOT buy this "cheat sheet" type of book again, however, I highly recommend it to those individuals who get a thrill out of cheating!

Not Just a 'Go Here and Do This' Book.......2000-03-29

This book not only gives you the answers that you've been struggling for, but it also tells you why the answer is what it is as we follow the author in an interesting and easy to read story. I found myself on several occasions saying, "Oh yeah. I noticed that too, but I never knew what it meant." Even reading about the many answers I was able to solve on my own was enjoyable.

Official Riven Hints and Solutions: The Sequel to Myst (Bradygames Strategy Guides)

Average customer rating:

Too vital! You gotta have this book!
Pretty good but lacking some crucial info
Mark In Riven
Very Helpful and Useful (Most of the Time)
complicaded

Official Riven Hints and Solutions: The Sequel to Myst (Bradygames Strategy Guides)
William H. Keith Jr. , and Nina Barton
Manufacturer: BRADY GAMES
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Entertainment & Games | Computers | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Video Games | Games & Strategy Guides | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Video & Electronic Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 156686691X

Amazon.com

The perfect companion volume for Riven: The Sequel to Myst, Official Riven Hints and Solutions allows you to easily look for only as much help as you desire or need. Since the excitement of Riven (as with Myst) comes from solving the puzzles and riddles on your own and discovering what comes next at your pace, many readers will only want the tiniest of hints to help them out.

The first portion of the book is devoted solely to these kinds of helpful hints. The hints increase in suggestiveness the further you go, so that if one clue doesn't do the trick, another might. The next section has more concrete advice, maps, and a few strong pushes in the right direction. It still falls short of total disclosure, which will preserve some sense of mystery and discovery. The final portion of the book has complete, unabridged solutions and answers if you just can't bear the frustration of the Gate Room any longer and want to get going again. For the die-hard fan, there's even a narrative-style walk-through of the entire game that fits into the storyline of the Myst novels. Perfectly suited to its subject and designed only to deliver what you require at any particular juncture, Official Riven Hints and Solutions is the way game guides should be.

Book Description

With this guide, you can help Atrus find Catherine in RIVEN: The Sequel to MYST
Uses popular "hints and solutions" approach to puzzle-solving
Includes walkthroughs of each world, plus detailed maps

Customer Reviews:

Too vital! You gotta have this book!.......2001-11-05

Riven was a super challenge and I hate cheating. This book was so awesome because it gave you ONLY the help you wanted when(if) you get to the point that you get really stuck. It is well divided so you don't see clues/info that would give away something that you didn't want to know. These people should get hired to write solution books for all the top games!It keeps you from being tempted to cheat because it is so well written & laid out. A true asset to the game of Riven! Honest!!

Pretty good but lacking some crucial info.......1999-06-13

I liked the pictures and the walkthrough and all the other things in the game, but in some real important places it "failed me". I couldn't understand how it meant to enter the number into the domes or the star fissure portal and had to figure it out myself.

Mark In Riven.......1999-04-06

I couldn't of done better without it.The book makes you witness stuning graphics and exelent sound.Riven fans that cannot get anywhere without this book,this one is for you.

Very Helpful and Useful (Most of the Time).......1999-02-20

I liked the format of the book, with different chapters that gave either subtle hints or full solutions. It says right at the beginning of a chapter what type of hints are in the chapter. The only chapter I was dissapointed in was the "Journal" walkthrough chapter. In the Myst Strategy Guide, it had headings over each section, so if you only wanted help on a certain puzzle, it was easy to get it. The Riven book doesn't have headings, so when you glance through, looking for the right place, you see the solutions to other puzzles you don't want help on. Other than this, it's a great book.

complicaded.......1998-05-13

It's a complicated book and it forces you to follow a line of order and one of the advantages of this game is that you can make your story

Average customer rating:

Pointed and on topic

Meetings are a snap-shot of an organization's culture

How to reduce (if not eliminate) one of the major causes of organizational waste

Good for learning the basics of a meeting

Great book

Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable...About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business
Patrick M. Lencioni
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Running Meetings & Presentations | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Business & Investing | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Business & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

Silos, Politics and Turf Wars: A Leadership Fable About Destroying the Barriers That Turn Colleagues Into Competitors

The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive: A Leadership Fable

Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators

The Five Temptations of a CEO: A Leadership Fable

ASIN: 0787968056

Book Description

Casey McDaniel had never been so nervous in his life.

In just ten minutes, The Meeting, as it would forever be known, would begin. Casey had every reason to believe that his performance over the next two hours would determine the fate of his career, his financial future, and the company he had built from scratch.

“How could my life have unraveled so quickly?” he wondered.

In his latest page-turning work of business fiction, best-selling author Patrick Lencioni provides readers with another powerful and thought-provoking book, this one centered around a cure for the most painful yet underestimated problem of modern business: bad meetings. And what he suggests is both simple and revolutionary.

Casey McDaniel, the founder and CEO of Yip Software, is in the midst of a problem he created, but one he doesn’t know how to solve. And he doesn’t know where or who to turn to for advice. His staff can’t help him; they’re as dumbfounded as he is by their tortuous meetings.

Then an unlikely advisor, Will Peterson, enters Casey’s world. When he proposes an unconventional, even radical, approach to solving the meeting problem, Casey is just desperate enough to listen.

As in his other books, Lencioni provides a framework for his groundbreaking model, and makes it applicable to the real world. Death by Meeting is nothing short of a blueprint for leaders who want to eliminate waste and frustration among their teams, and create environments of engagement and passion.

Download Description

Casey McDaniel had never been so nervous in his life.

“How could my life have unraveled so quickly?” he wondered.

Then an unlikely advisor, Will Peterson, enters Casey’s world. When he proposes an unconventional, even radical, approach to solving the meeting problem, Casey is just desperate enough to listen.

Customer Reviews:

Pointed and on topic.......2007-09-09

The book was pointed, on topic, and did what I think it intended to do, show that meetings don't have to be and truly shouldn't be boring. He gave some solid reasons why meetings end up that way and provided ways to avoid these pitfalls. I don't think he exhausted the reasons for boring meetings (i.e. trouble employees) but he hit some highlights. He didn't stray off course or try to cover too much. I tend to agree with one reviewer that by keeping it short and sweet the possibility of co-workers actually reading the book goes way up and thereby their buying into the multiple meeting strategy goes up as well.

Also, his suggestions can impact a company in ways beyond making meetings more fun. His suggestion to engender conflict/"working out issues" leads to everyone being less confusion about what is expected. I truly liked the book and would recommend it to my co-workers.

Meetings are a snap-shot of an organization's culture.......2007-08-23

The quickest way to identify a company's culture is to observe their key meetings. One of the most impactful ways to change a company's culture is to change the way they handle meetings. In this parable (cannot be a fable, as it lacks the necessary animal cast) by consultant Patrick Lencioni, these truisms provide the platform for Lencioni's theory of meeting management. This theory addresses what Lencioni sees as the two key problems with most business meetings; lack of drama, and lack of contextual structure. He looks to the meeting owner to provide `The Hook' (set-up the plot for the drama), and the meeting facilitator to `Mine for Conflict'. Then he recommends contextual structure can be established by segregating meetings according to the time-frame they address; the daily check-in, weekly tactical, monthly strategic, and quarterly off-site review.

Great title, easy read, but misleading if you think this book is about how to reduce the number of meetings within your organization. Lencioni, in fact, recommends more and not less meetings; but without explicitly stating it, he implies that every meeting must have a clear purpose (context), identified objectives for each topic, and that the meeting owner and the meeting facilitator roles must be clear. His story also illustrates the importance of pre-meeting planning and content preparation. Lencioni makes the point that meetings are not a necessary evil; they are an opportunity to focus and engage people if done well. The book is recommended as a reminder of the value that meeting management can bring to an organization.

How to reduce (if not eliminate) one of the major causes of organizational waste.......2007-07-17

This is one in a series of "leadership fables" in which Patrick Lencioni shares his thoughts about the contemporary business world. His characters are fictitious human beings rather than anthropomorphic animals, such as a tortoise that wins a race against a hare or pigs that lead a revolution to overthrow a tyrant and seize control of his farm.

In this instance, Lencioni focuses on probably the single greatest waste of organizational resources: meetings. Although they are "the closet thing to an operating room, a playing field, or a stage that we have...most of us hate them. We complain about, try to avoid, and long for the end of meetings, even when we're running the darn things! How pathetic is it that we have come to accept that the activity most central to the running of our organizations is inherently painful and unproductive?" Nonetheless, in most organizations, meetings comprise the single greatest cause of waste of resources and, yes, of opportunities as well.

Briefly, here's the fictitious situation. Lencioni introduces Casey McDaniel, generally viewed as "an extraordinary man - but just an ordinary CEO" of Yip Software, a designer and manufacturer of sports-related video games company he founded. What is perhaps most significant about Casey is the fact that conducts lethargic, unfocused, and passionless staff meetings that his colleagues understandably dread, as does he. For reasons best revealed within the narrative, he sells his company to Playsoft, the second-largest manufacturer of video games. Enter J.T. Harrison who serves as a liaison between Yip and Software. Almost immediately, Casey's inadequacies as a CEO and, especially, the consequences of the executive staff meetings he conducts become obvious to Harrison who becomes increasingly concerned about Yip's underperformance. Casey's career and the fate of his company are in jeopardy when Casey hires Will Petersen to be his temporary administrative assistant while his permanent administrative assistant is on maternity leave.

What then happens - and does not happen -- throughout the ensuing weeks enables Lencioni to dramatize the importance of scheduling, preparing for, conducting, and then following through on meetings that are never boring nor ineffective. Hence the great emphasis Lencioni places on having different kinds of meetings (e.g. daily check-in, weekly tactical, monthly or as-needed ad hoc strategic, and quarterly off-site), each of which has a different context, purpose, structure, and timeframe. Obviously, some meetings will generate more conflict, excitement, drama, etc. than will others. Over the years, many (if not most) of the staff meetings I have participated in (including those I conducted) wasted time on discussion of what to discuss rather than on making decisions about what to do.

At least 8-10 years ago, Lencioni apparently made a conscious decision to address especially important business issues by creating a human context for each rather than merely offering answers to questions or prescribing solutions to problems. To me, this is one of the greatest benefits of a business narrative, in this instance of a leadership fable: Creating a series of real-world situations (albeit portrayed fictitiously) that readers can identify with emotionally as well as rationally. He is a brilliant business thinker but he also possesses the skills of a master raconteur as he introduces a cast of characters, develops conflicts between and among them, and then allows "rising action" to build to a climax that is also best revealed within the narrative. Unexpected plot developments engage the reader even more.

Of special interest to me is Will's role in this business fable. He serves as an especially effective means by which Lencioni articulates his insights and suggestions. Eventually, in ways and to an extent also best revealed within the narrative, Will has a profound impact on Casey's leadership style as well as on Yip Software's fate. Although Casey and his colleagues as well as J.T. Harrison are fictitious characters, each is credible as a human being rather merely functioning as a literary device. Their values, concerns, personalities, anxieties, and behavior will be very familiar to anyone who has been involved in non-productive group discussions.

As is Lencioni's custom in each of the other volumes in the series of "leadership fables," he also includes (after the Fable) a "Model" section, consisting of supplementary material (Pages 221-254) whose value-added benefits will help his reader to make effective application of the lessons learned from the experiences shared by Casey and his colleagues at Yip Software. Lencioni leaves no doubt that there are direct correlations between enjoyable as well as productive meetings and effective leadership and management to establish and then sustain a "healthy"organization.

Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out Patrick Lencioni's other "leadership fables" as well as Michael Ray's The Highest Goal, David Maister's Practice What You Preach, Bill George's Authentic Leadership and his more recently published True North, James O'Toole's Creating the Good Life, and Michael Maccoby's Narcissistic Leaders.

Good for learning the basics of a meeting.......2007-07-17

This gives a great layout of the many meetings that take place in work places. For those who have managed or lead people and organizations for more than a few years it will be a review.I recommend it for any new manager or leader. The movie analogies work well too.

Great book.......2007-07-02

I enjoyed this quick read. I found it paralleled some issues I was facing in my meetings. I can't wait to give these models a try.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books