Book Description
The earliest films made in Cuba-newsreel footage of the Cuban-Spanish-American War-date from the end of the nineteenth century, but Cuba cannot be said to have had an indigenous film industry before the revolution of 1959. The melodramas, musicals, and comedies made until then reflected Hollywood's-and the United States's-cultural domination of the island, but the revolution precipitated urgent debates about the role of cinema in a socialist country and the kinds of films best suited to the needs of the people and their rulers. Among the feature films, documentaries, and short subjects made in accordance with revolutionary principles are celebrated works by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Humberto Solás, and other filmmakers who have had a profound influence on both Latin American and world cinema.
Michael Chanan provides a comprehensive, authoritative, and absorbing account of Cuban cinema both before and after the revolution, deftly setting individual films and filmmakers within the larger framework of Cuba's social, political, and cultural history. First published as The Cuban Image in 1984 to wide acclaim, Cuban Cinema now appears in a new, expanded edition that updates Chanan's discussion to the beginning of the twenty-first century. New chapters address ongoing concerns about freedom of expression; Havana's restored importance within the Latin American film industry through the Havana Film Festival, before state support for filmmakers dwindled in the economic collapse that followed the fall of the Soviet Union; Cuban cinema's place within the globalized cultural market; and the changing audience for Cuban films.
The only book-length study of Cuban cinema written in English, this indispensable work on one of the world's most vital national cinemas offers a unique perspective on the Cuban experience in the twentieth century.
Michael Chanan is a documentary filmmaker and professor of cultural and media studies at the University of the West of England in Bristol.
Book Description
In a unique analysis of Cuban literature inside and outside the country's borders, Eduardo Gonzalez looks closely at the work of three of the most important contemporary Cuban authors to write in the post-1959 diaspora: Guillermo Cabrera Infante (1929-2005), who left Cuba for good in 1965 and established himself in London; Antonio Benitez-Rojo (1931-2005), who settled in the United States; and Leonardo Padura Fuentes (b. 1955), who still lives and writes in Cuba.
Through the positive experiences of exile and wandering that appear in their work, these three writers exhibit what Gonzalez calls "Romantic authorship," a deep connection to the Romantic spirit of irony and complex sublimity crafted in literature by Lord Byron, Thomas De Quincey, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In Gonzalez's view, a writer becomes a belated Romantic by dint of exile adopted creatively with comic or tragic irony. Gonzalez weaves into his analysis related cinematic elements of myth, folktale, and the grotesque that appear in the work of filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and Pedro Almodovar. Placing the three Cuban writers in conversation with artists and thinkers from British and American literature, anthropology, philosophy, psychoanalysis, and cinema, Gonzalez ultimately provides a space in which Cuba and its literature, inside and outside its borders, are deprovincialized.
Average customer rating:
- love buena vista but
- decoding Bolero-style Afro-cuban music
- Nice photographic support to the book, but...
- A photo album that depicts the key moments in the movie
- A "must" for BVSC fans and Cuban music enthusiasts!
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Buena Vista Social Club: The Companion Book to the Film
Wim Wenders , and
Donata Wenders
Manufacturer: Te Neues Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Buena Vista Social Club
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Buena Vista Social Club
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The Latin Real Book: C Edition
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Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer
ASIN: 3823854445 |
Book Description
This book features 14 fabulous Latin songs from the Grammy-winning soundtrack to Wim Wenders' Academy Award-nominated documentary on Ry Cooder's journey to Havana to capture Cuba's legendary local musicians in action. Includes the songs: Amor De Loca Juventud * Buena Vista Social Club * Candela * Chan Chan * De Camino A La Vereda * Dos Gardenias * El Carretero * El Cuarto De Tula * La Bayamesa * Murmullo * Orgullecida * Pueblo Nuevo * Veinte Anos * Y Tu Que Has Hecho?.
Customer Reviews:
love buena vista but.......2007-06-23
my review may be unfair, but, i ordered this book and was sent the sheet music
decoding Bolero-style Afro-cuban music.......2006-02-05
As a fan of Afro-Cuban music, this book allows insight into the complexity of rhythms, chords and words. The content is as authentic as it can be to the material on its CD (not included). The print is good and easy to read. The music? Great!! I only with it includes pages on the production of BVSC, maybe photos of artists or footnotes.
Nice photographic support to the book, but..........2002-08-16
I am a fan of Wim Wenders' work, and I loved the BVSC CD and the movie, but in all honesty, except for the intro by Wenders and the closing interview with Ry Cooder, the entire book basically consists of shots from the movie along with the dialogs by the BVSC stars and the lyrics to the songs they interpret, i.e. material that the movie and the CD already provide. Yes: I admit I had higher expectations with it. In any case, I have to say Ibrahim Ferrer's monologue toward the end, when they visit NYC for their performance at Carnegie Hall, is a very touching moment.
A photo album that depicts the key moments in the movie.......2002-03-19
I recently saw the movie Buena Vista Social Club for the first time and I liked it so much that I wanted to learn more about it. That's why I ordered this book.
At first, I was a little disappointed when I received the book and found out that some of the images were low-resolution digital scans. However, after reviewing the book as a whole, I really got to like it. There are quite a few large high-resolution images that more than compensate for their low-res counterparts.
The book is mainly a photo-album which includes the transcriptions of some of the dialogs and interviews from the movie, as well as the lyrics of some of the songs (all of them translated into English).
One of the only pieces of material in this book that are not an integral part of the movie is the foreword by Wim Wenders, where he describes his whole experience of going to Cuba to make the movie. Very, very interesting to read! The other two are an interview of Ry Cooder with Peter Kemper and the biographies of the musicians.
This book is good to have around when you are having a conversation about the movie with your friends. You'll find the photos and dialogs from all the key moments in the movie.
A "must" for BVSC fans and Cuban music enthusiasts!.......2000-08-04
Buena Vista Social Club is more a coffee table addition than a serious in-depth study, but will prove a 'must' for any prior fan of the Buena Vista Social Club and Cuban music in particular. Photos, film stills and text accompany first-person capsule sketches by the participants of the BVSC group in this companion book to the film.
Average customer rating:
- SCHOLARLY APPROACH TO CUBAN FILM AND HISTORY
- Great Reference Book
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The Cuban Filmography, 1897 Through 2001
Alfonso J. Garcia Osuna , and
Alfonso J. Garcia Osuna
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0786412755 |
Book Description
On January 24, 1897, an event took place that would change Cuban culture forever: the first moving pictures were shown in Havana. A couple of weeks later, on February 7, the first movie was filmed on the island. Since then, cinematography and Cuba have shared peculiar and innate connections, as their beginnings roughly coincide and Cubans are living in both the age of independence and revolution and the age of film.
This work is a filmography of every Cuban film (including documentaries, shorts, and cartoons) released from 1897, the first year films were shown and made in Cuba, through 2001. Each entry gives the original title of the film, the English translation of it, director, production company or companies, year of release, black and white or color, total running time, writing credits if the film is based on a story or novel, animation credits if the film is a cartoon, music credits if music has been written specifically for the film, cast credits, and a synopsis and short critical evaluation.
The work also provides comments on the relationship between Cuban film and history, and the changes that have taken place over the years in themes, topics, methods, and other aspects of filmmaking in Cuba.
Customer Reviews:
SCHOLARLY APPROACH TO CUBAN FILM AND HISTORY.......2003-05-22
More than an A to Z compilation of over 250+ films, Garcia-Osuna casts an intellectual's perception over every entry, examining each film for its cinematic and ideological values. A very valuable text for its perspicasity, the author sees Cuban film as part of the cultural fabric of the nation's political history, pre- and post-Castro. Gorgeously illustrated and the only one of its kind published by McFarland in English, I would recommend this book for all cinema buffs, library collections and especially to Hispanic readers who have very little knowledge of Cuban films from the turn of the century to the present.
Dr.Ronald Schwartz, Prof.of Film, Department of English
Columbia University
Great Reference Book.......2003-05-01
This book includes everything. It is a great reference book. The author's critiques are very useful. The summaries don't ruin the endings, but do give the reader an overview of the movie.
Average customer rating:
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The Cuban Image: Cinema and Cultural Politics in Cuba
Michael Chanan
Manufacturer: BFI Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0253212618 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from CineAction, published by CineAction on January 1, 2001. The length of the article is 1328 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: Juan Carlos Tabio, Cuban Cinema and The Waiting List.(Critical Essay)
Author: Scott Forsyth
Publication:
CineAction (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2001
Publisher: CineAction
Page: 70
Article Type: Critical Essay
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Hemisphere, published by Latin American and Caribbean Center on March 22, 2003. The length of the article is 1750 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The sleepless screen: a brief history of Cuban cinema. (Features: Cuba).
Author: Alejandro Rios
Publication:
Hemisphere (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2003
Publisher: Latin American and Caribbean Center
Page: 22(3)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Chasqui, published by Chasqui on May 1, 2005. The length of the article is 2140 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: Three approaches to Cuban cinema.(Chanan, Michael)(Book Review)
Author: Miguel Angel González-Abellás
Publication:
Chasqui (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 2005
Publisher: Chasqui
Volume: 34
Issue: 1
Page: 167(4)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- good place to find under performed material
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The Alan & Marilyn Bergman Songbook
Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing Company
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Binding: Paperback
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Lyrically, Alan Bergman
ASIN: 0769202098 |
Book Description
Alone in the World * Fifty Percent * The Girl Who Used to Be Me * I Believe in Love * In the Heat of the Night * Like a Lover * One Day * A Piece of Sky * That Face * What Matters Most * Where Is It Written? * Yellow Bird * You Don't Bring Me Flowers and more.
Customer Reviews:
good place to find under performed material.......2006-06-26
I purchased this songbook on the advice of my musical director as a good source of under used material for auditions, etc. They are particularly good for a more "legit" vocal type and are more contemporary than alot of other selections typically sung by "trained" singers. A great book for a singer's library.
Book Description
The games are virtual—the profits are real!
Poker is hotter than ever, and these days, you don't need to live near a casino to play! Internet poker offers the ideal solution for players who know the basics and are looking for a fun, easy way to get into a game. But with dozens of sites offering hundreds of games, how do you pick the ones that offer you the best—and most lucrative—gaming experience?
Powerful Profits from Internet Poker is the all-in-one guide to getting the most out of online poker, featuring outstanding advice from celebrated gambling columnist and casino insider Victor H. Royer. Royer explains how and why online games differ from regular games, and teaches you how to avoid common pitfalls and adapt your game to the specialized demands of online play. You'll get a complete overview of all the major Internet poker websites, with ratings on key elements, including ease of play, bonuses offered, tournaments, customer support, and overall experience. Plus you'll pick up insider tips on Internet strategy and online tells.
Powerful Profits from Internet Poker is the first book to answer the real questions posed by real Internet players, including:
What fees am I going to have to pay?
What are the applicable laws and how can they affect me?
How do I get to play in the big-money tournaments?
Can I be cheated? How?
How does "buddy play" affect me?
Whether you're an enthusiastic amateur or a seasoned player, this indispensable guide will provide everything you need to know to enhance your enjoyment of the game, improve your skill, and reap truly powerful profits.
Customer Reviews:
Not bad........2006-09-21
Victor H. Royer, Powerful Profits from Internet Poker (Kensington, 2006)
First off: it's well worth noting that this book constitutes an extension of Royer's earlier Powerful Profits from Poker. If you haven't read that one, start with it instead.
Powerful profits from Internet Poker is a companion volume to the earlier book, in which Royer focuses on the differences between brick-and-mortar and Internet poker playing. So if you're looking for general hints, tips, and strategies for poker playing, this is not where to go. If you spend most of your time playing poker on the 'net, though, you may find some things of use here if you're not already well-read on the subject. If you are, you're going to wade through a lot of retread, but that's not necessarily a bad thing; it's often useful to brush up on the basics now and again.
There are three chapters devoted to the three main games played at Internet poker sites, one each for Hold'em, Seven-card stud, and Omaha. (When is someone going to write the definitive book on Crazy Pineapple? That's what I want to know...) Two more chapters are devoted to detailed analyses of PokerStars and PartyPoker, and the interleaved chapters deal with such topics as general strategy tips for Internet poker, poker and the law, etc. (That last is a must-read chapter as the Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act nears a Senate vote, by the way.) You'll see a lot of stuff you've already seen, especially if you're already a student of one or more of the games discussed (as, I would assume, anyone picking this book up is) and/or you already have an account on PartyPoker, PokerStars, or both. If so, just read the stuff that'll be new first, and go back and read the whole book later on, when you have more time. If you're a greenhorn, though, this is a quick and easy overview of stuff you need to know, and is worth your time. ***
Very informative CHAPTER on hold-em poker................2006-08-11
First off, let me get a gripe out of the way. The way this book was put together is aweful. Its seems at the start of every chapter it just goes into talking about a subject. No specific layout, barely any periods at the ends of the sentences! Its as if the author had a thought, wrote it, and just kept writing without using any type of formal layout. It reminds me of some of my college papers I wrote!
The book deals with many types of poker, not just hold em, so many of your will instantly feel ripped off in the amount (or lack of) of information it has on the worlds most popular poker game, holdem. It does go into the actual game of internet holdem, but the information is no different than any other book I've read on the subject.
Would I recommend the book? If you have never, ever, ever, ever played internet poker before, buy the book. If you have, you'll be disappointed.
Absolutely excellent book!.......2006-03-19
This book was given to me as a gift. I am really a blackjack player mostly, and so I didn't have much experience with poker. I did play poker several times in the casinos, but nothing serious. I also didn't play on the Internet. But that's all changed now!
At first, I just wasn't all that interested in Internet poker, but after reading this book I found out it's a really good game. What I like most about it is that I can do it from home, and not have to travel to a casino to play poker. But I didn't know much about the Internet poker, and had little clue about how to get going, and how to play, and not be taken for a ride.
After reading this book, all my fears went away. This book shows how to get started, how to find the games and tournaments, and how to play winning poker specifically for Internet poker play. This was all new to me, but with this book in hand I quickly learned the tricks. I was also given this author's other poker book, Powerful Profits from Poker, because in that book I could learn more about the poker games. With both books together, I soon became quite good at this. I won my first tournaments by following the advice in this book, and I have been happily playing ever since.
Since I read this book, and the author's other book on poker, I also read some of the others. While I agree with this author that reading more is better than less, I do want to say that I find Royer's style clear, refreshing, and to the point. He talks about this difficult Internet poker craze in simple terms, and that makes it easy to become a winning player.
I also like that this author gets down to the facts, and speaks about the realities of exactly what it is that you will find when you play poker on the Internet. There is also a nice chapter about the legality of Internet poker, and the author makes it very clear that there are no laws in the USA that in any way prevent you from playing on the Internet.
All in all, this is an excellent book about Internet poker, and the various poker games you find there. If you want to play poker on the Internet, this is the book you should get, and read, and study.
Excellent book if you want to Win on the Internet.......2006-02-20
This book is one of those rare gems that you don't often find in poker literature, or poker books. Not only does this book offer important insights on how to handle the online poker boom, but it also provides the means of learning how to find your way through all the pitfalls, and the hype, and get to the real meat of winning.
The strategy portions of this book are particularly important, because they focus on the specific differences between the real-world poker, and the kind of poker being played on the Internet. There are very big differences, and if you don't know how to handle it, you won't be winner. You need to know how to adapt to the Internet poker play, and this book is the perfect way to find that out.
There are many good strategy books out there, most of which are about the "traditional" poker, like that which is played in the real-world poker rooms. This author's other poker book is among them, although that book also sets up the strategies and information found in this one. This book is perfect because it takes you away from the "tired old thinking," such as you might find in some "traditional" strategies, those that may not apply to the 21st century world of online poker.
As a result of this book, I have won more tournaments online in one month than most of the "name" players win in a year. I have won Hold'em freezeouts, rebuys, sit-&-goes, Omaha/8, and cashed-in in over 70% of the tournaments I entered. Furthermore, I learned how to establish online accounts, how to manage them, how to set up a Neteller account, how to avoid collusion, and how to play well in that online world. I'd say that's about as good as it can get.
This is a book you should have, if you want to learn the world of online poker, and be a winner. It's your choice, but to my mind the few dollars you spend for buying this excellent book is well worth it.
Just look at it this way: Spending around $15 for this book made me wins of $1,600 and $1,200 back-to-back in $5 buy-in Hold'em tournaments, and many more wins of several hundred dollars each in small buy-in tournaments. Of course, you can make up your own mind, but I'd say I made a good deal.
not a good poker book.......2006-02-20
If you are looking for a good poker strategy book, look elsewhere. I found this book unfocused and full of "filler" material. It gives advice on several poker variants (Holdem, Omaha, Seven Card Stud), but offers nothing ground-breaking or in-depth on any. Most disappointing is the extra material thrown in to "fill out" the book. There is a compendium of cyber terms, explanations on how to use Party Poker and Poker Stars, instructions on how to fund your account, etc. If you are looking for a good poker strategy book focusing specifically on Holdem, I recommend "Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments Vol 1". I don't believe this book is worth the money for the majority of players.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book for those interested in the Truth of Internet Gambling.......2006-07-16
Internet gambling is fraught with dangers, and the author of this book carefully guides you through them, and explains how it all works. Just recently, the US House of Representatives passed proposed legislation that would make Internet Gambling illegal, through limits and restrictions on financial transfers. In this book the author already anticipated this, and has carefully explained the realities of what you will find, or won't find, among Internet Casinos. This author is very careful in all his books to help the readers through all the stages of the games, and everything that goes along with them.
As good as this book is, I have recently noticed that there have been reviews by persons who are posting plainly incorrect and highly prejudicial and skewed negative reviews. If you read the other reviews posted here, and for this author's other works -- and the books themselves -- it is obvious that those who are posting these skewed negative "reviews" have no clue, and are trying to somehow assert themselves without understanding anything at all about the material they are criticizing.
I have reviewed a few of this author's books, and for good reason. As you can plainly see, there are many other reviewers who have agreed that this author's books are terrific, and offer great instruction and well-written commentary on the subjects under discussion. This is also the case for this book.
This is a very good book, and I hope you will give yourself an opportunity to find this out for yourself.
Very little useful information!.......2006-07-15
Never really explains the rouge casinos. How to avoid them. So many people are traped by them. Also the information that is contained in this book is not all that current. My advice is look carefully and beware when you open up an online gambling account. The author does not provide you with much help in this area.
Better information is better than none at all.......2005-08-31
While I agree with the first reviewer that yes online gambling is illegal(for now), Let's be for real! It's not going to go away! People are still going to gamble online, & it's not going to make the BM casino go belly-up.And online poker is just getting bigger & bigger, thanks to poker tournaments shown on ESPN & a whole lot of cable shows. With that said, the author explains all of these factors. The pros & cons of online gambling. How the real casinos can benefit from online casinos, plus he explains to you how to get online & play in them & see if they are legit or not. What bad sites to watch out for, & how not to be taken by them. At least the author gives you the sense that IF you are going to do this that you're not going in there flying blind for the first time & not know the risks. You CAN make money in online casinos, you just have to watch yourself. This is a helpful book on this subject, & can make you if a not better online player, at least a prepaired one. Another good gambling series from this author. Good Luck.
instant losses, not instant gratification.......2005-08-07
Royer is quite right. Internet gambling is one of the key moneymaking areas of the Internet. [Along with porno sites.] The biggest problem is that US citizens are barred from patronising such sites.
He describes how the online aspect can lead to instant gratification. Well, actually, the prospect of such. In practice, of course, the player loses, on average. So it really is instant losses.
But unlike real, physical casinos, an online casino has much less labour overhead. And no need to build a billion dollar edifice in which your customers play. So an online casino has some advantages over its offline counterparts. It also has disadvantages. Of those gamblers who go to Las Vegas, for example, many do so for the physical experience. Like being in a group, going to a different town, seeing the floor shows and so on. So both types of casinos will co-exist.
Amazon.com
Piles of books come out every year on how to be a better boss, but few go beyond platitudes to provide vivid, real-life pictures of excellent bosses in action. Not so with The Gifted Boss, in which business columnist Dale Dauten not only tells how extraordinary bosses differ from ordinary ones but actually shows what these bosses look like on the job. Through anecdotes and extended quotes from bosses at dozens of companies, both the well known (Porsche, LensCrafters, Wendy's, and IDG Books) and the obscure (small and midsize businesses in Arizona where Dauten lives), he humanizes the problem in an entertaining yet practical manner.
Gifted bosses distinguish themselves from the pack, according to Dauten, by not just hiring employees but by "courting" and ultimately "acquiring allies"; by making their organizations or even just their department as "the best place for the best people to work"; by emphasizing standards (and leaving one's employees free to figure out how to meet those standards themselves) over rules and procedures; and by trusting employees to find their own answers to problems rather than spend one's days putting out brushfires for everyone.
To wit, we hear stories of bosses like Dan Schweiker, CEO of China Mist Tea, who, when he first started the company, told experienced salespeople who defected to him, "I'm not going to try to tell you what to do. We're hiring you to learn from you." (He also replaced the conference room table with a pool table!) Or an army general who chucked the weighty military procedure book and told his troops to figure out how to prepare for battle one minute faster than the standardized process... and outline it on one page. (And they did just that.) Or IDG head John Kilcullen (the brains behind the Dummies series of books), who wooed someone to be his finance czar by playing golf with him... even though Kilcullen didn't play golf and showed up in jeans.
The Gifted Bossis told in a sort of novelistic form, in which the first-person narrator, a corporate middle-manager stuck in a "glass rut," is regaled with stories by an eccentric but nonetheless warm, wise, and funny old sage named Max Elmore. If that narrative device sounds a bit cloying, it is. (Max, according to the author's acknowledgements, is based on a true-life mentor, a retired professor.) Still, that's a small price to pay for a book with not only smart and bracing ideas on how to be a truly A-1 boss, but a genuine wealth of vivid, sometimes touching stories to show what those ideas look like in the real world. --Timothy Murphy
Book Description
Good business begins with a good boss -- and the truly gifted ones know that their future depends on creating first-rate employees: the kind of men and women they can teach and trust. Reliable, able, ambitious people who respond to guidance rather than requiring supervision or micro-management, and who understand that real success is shared by everyone from the senior manager to the most junior member of the team.
In this priceless business parable, Dale Dauten turns to an eccentric management sage in search of experienced advice on how to become a true leader with the skill and insight to attract and recruit exceptional employees and help them reach their full potential. Filled with prescriptive illustrations, subtle suggestions, and engaging, enlightening anecdotes from well-known managers and CEOs of major companies, this wise, wide-ranging book is entertaining and important reading for anyone who hopes to be an effective boss, able to help every talented employee to excel and grow into a top performer.
Download Description
Good business begins with a good boss -- and the truly gifted ones know that their future depends on creating first-rate employees: the kind of men and women they can teach and trust. Reliable, able, ambitious people who respond to guidance rather than requiring supervision or micro-management, and who understand that real success is shared by everyone from the senior manager to the most junior member of the team.
In this priceless business parable, Dale Dauten turns to an eccentric management sage in search of experienced advice on how to become a true leader with the skill and insight to attract and recruit exceptional employees and help them reach their full potential. Filled with prescriptive illustrations, subtle suggestions, and engaging, enlightening anecdotes from well-known managers and CEOs of major companies, this wise, wide-ranging book is entertaining and important reading for anyone who hopes to be an effective boss, able to help every talented employee to excel and grow into a top performer.
Customer Reviews:
Simple but valuable.......2006-08-03
Very wise and up to date. I bought 2 for my store managers to read. This book identified some of my attitudes and policies even though I hadn't identified them myself--for example Nordstrom's employee review system. Thanks.
Synergy Between a Gifted Boss and a Great Employee.......2005-10-31
In this book, the author uses a short story to tell readers how a gifted boss and a great employee together can create synergy. The story starts with the author asking for help from a wise mentor, Max. He and Max spend a weekend together in Arizona, visiting different companies and talking with each other.
According to the Max, a gifted boss creates a magnetic work environment to attract great employees. He/She emphasizes goals and standards over procedural how-to rules. What is hired is help, not just time and efforts, from employees. He/she also cares about the personal development of employees by placing them outside their comfort zones. As for firing employees, a gifted boss helps them find new jobs.
In the book, Max also sheds light on a great employee. A great employee does not have to be expensive to hire. He/she is looking for a change and a chance. This great person is naturally productive and wants to be trusted that work will be done without constant supervision. He/she usually has one or more skills that are superior to those of the boss. As a result, great help is given to the boss through checking on the boss's work. A great employee also understands customers. He/she is entrepreneurial and is confident enough to seek measurement of his/her work and wants to be paid accordingly. Such great employees have to be courted by gifted bosses for they seldom change jobs. Courting here means a gifted boss has to be a friend and look for a chance to open up for offering a job to this great employee. This may happen after many years after they have become friends.
The author really understands how to be a gifted boss and the nature of a great employee. The story-telling writing style of this book makes it interesting and different from that of other books in Business.
Dale's Strategy.......2005-10-10
This book is a great one for those involved in business. It takes you on a journey that will certainly change your ordinary views about work, salary, and boss-employee relations. The Gifted Boss is for those who want to make a change and to elevate standards in the workplace: the best workplace for the best employees!
Kilcullen: Bad Example, sorry..........2004-12-06
I haven't read the book, but the example cited in the publisher's review, that of John Kilcullen, former chief of IDG Books during the 1990s, makes me hesitate. The idea that Kilcullen, one of the most heartily despised bosses in the computer book publishing industry, would be cited as a "Gifted Boss" because of a neat trick in luring in a name author, is sad. Go ahead and read the book, but skip over the parts about Kilcullen, he's no examplar.
a Hall of Fame management book, no doubt about it.......2004-05-27
I picked up "The Gifted Boss" from a discount pile in a dusty back room in Needham, Massachusetts about a month ago. I started reading it in my car when I arrived early for a meeting, and I finished it that night and have now re-read it twice, the last time taking detailed notes that I can refer to regularly the rest of my career. I underlined half the book. In 107 pages, it packs a huge punch. The sad thing is, I think the only people who will "get" what this book is talking about are either gifted bosses themselves or have had one at some point in their lives.... crappy bosses would never read this book, and if they did, they would think it was all crap..... Thank you, Dale. I'm so glad you decided to write this book.
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