Book Description
Everything you need to know in life you can learn from film noir. And everything you can learn from film noir, you can find in It's a Bitter Little World. This collection of quotes:
-Includes both classic as well as contemporary quotes, providing a complete history of noir
-Organizes quotes by themed chapters and by decades, giving readers an inside view into how noir has developed
-Shares new celebrity quotes created especially for this book from the likes of Pat Sajak, Harry Knowles, Wil Wheaton, Tara Santana, Gary Hart, '60s counterculture legend Paul Krassner, and more
With an eye-catching, sleek design, this book will appeal to lovers of film noir and gift buyers.
Customer Reviews:
DOWN RIGHT MEAN AND NASTY QUOTES FROM THE SHADOWY SIDE OF LIFE.......2007-03-25
What a fun little read, chockablock full of delectable saturnine, sardonic and downright surly one-liners that spew from the smirks and smiles of our favorite dicks, dames and dolls. "My first wife was a second cook at a third rate joint on 4th St." -The Glass Key, is particular favorite of mine...But there are so many more to chew on...like so many mordant morsels. Some are complimentary,e.g. "You'd look good in a shower curtain" -Cody Jarrett -"White Heat" but most bite to the bone. "You've gotta study to get that stupid" -Radak "Desperate" This tiny compendium of sarcasm is complimented with an arrestingly appropriate graphic style that is both simple and effective. Have this by the bedstand and the next time your wife or hubby gives you some grief...turn to page...30 "I'll never think of our moments together without nausea". Now what can you say to that? -NDW
Sizzling!.......2006-12-15
This book is endlessly entertaining. I've read it several times already and plan to read it several times more. It doesn't get better than this.
Nothing beats dark and mysterious film and pulp noir!!!.......2006-07-13
I must admit I fell in love with "It's a Bitter Little World", it's a good little reference book for some of the best late forties and fifties noir movie punch lines. Last Saturday afternoon I saw "Kiss Me Deadly" on TCM for the first time but I'm going to make it a point to see all my old favorites like "Somewhere in the Night" though not mentioned by Mr. Pappas, and "Nocturne", "High Sierra" and other Bogey noir favorites, also "Chinatown", "Farewell My Lovely" "Blade Runner" as well as some I haven't yet seen. Long live noir!
A Piece of History.......2006-03-15
Every once in a while, and it's not often, you run across a book whose contents seem ready to bust its covers. ITS A BITTER LITTLE WORLD is one of those beauties. Charles Pappas has created a multi-media experience in book form. Not only do you get the best film-noir quotations ever uttered by the most desperate guys and dolls, but you get them surrounded by graphics and design that pull you right into the shadows. Visually, it's a striking book. And, as if that wasn't enough, you get a healthy dose of Mr. Pappas' own observations, written in a style that has all the bite and brains of the genre he obviously loves so well. ITS A BITTER LITTLE WORLD is a labor of love, and it pulls no punches. I can't imagine a worthier tribute to the film-noir genre, and I can't imagine anyone pulling it off half as well as Mr. Pappas. Film-noir has given us the greatest dialogue in the history of cinema, and ITS A BITTER LITTLE WORLD is a feast of imagery and phrases whose like we won't see again. This is a book for every library.
A fun, revealing compilation lending to leisure browsing by any who love film noir and literature.......2006-02-09
Charles Pappas' It's A Bitter Little World: The Smartest Toughest Nastiest Quotes From Film Noir represents the author's sixty years of film noir surveys to locate quotes and dialogue which pertain to life's challenges and answers. Arranged by decade, these are scalding quotes and even fun, memorable lines and dialogue bits which reflect a love of language and an eye to fun. It's A Bitter Little World is a fun, revealing compilation lending to leisure browsing by any who love film noir and literature.
Average customer rating:
- BAD PRINT!!!!
- GREAT IDEA
- Where are Ringo & George? What were they, Stealth Beatles?!
- Handsome book, but why the snubbing of Harrison/Starr songs?
- Let It Be........and don't buy
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The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics
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The Beatles Lyrics: The Songs of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr
ASIN: 157912058X |
Amazon.com
First published in 1969, this reissued collection of illustrated lyrics for 200 Beatles songs will be a treasure for any fan of the Fab Four. Editor and Beatle-buddy Alan Aldridge states in his introduction to the original edition: "What I have tried to do is present a book [that] is as entertaining to the eye and the imagination as a Beatles album is to the ear." Indeed, he more than succeeds, creating a lavish pageant of art and music that embraces not only the Beatles but also the psychedelic spirit of the entire era.
In 320 photos and illustrations, renowned artists offer their interpretations of various songs. "Help" is visualized by Ronald Searle; "Fixing a Hole," by Tomi Ungerer; "Glass Onion," by Peter Max; "I'm So Tired," by David Hockney; and "Oh, Darling," by Ralph Steadman. Aldridge also contributes his own trippy illustrations, which reflect the bold, bulbous, cartoons-on-acid style of 1960s poster art. This rich compilation also has brief quotes from the Beatles explaining the origins of the themes and lyrics of certain songs. For example, despite the buzz that "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is about LSD, according to Paul, "What happened was that John's son Julian did a drawing at school and brought it home, and he has a schoolmate named Lucy, and John said, 'What's that?' and he said 'Lucy in the sky with diamonds.'" Band members also share their thoughts on superstardom, including this now weighty comment from John: "I don't intend to be a performing flea anymore. I was the dreamweaver, but although I'll be around I don't intend to be running at 20,000 miles an hour trying to prove myself. I don't want to die at 40." It can't bring them back, but The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics can take you on a long and winding road of nostalgia. --Brangien Davis
Book Description
The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics is a must-have for every Fab Four fan. The seminal band of the sixties and seventies, the Beatles commanded an unparalled influence that crossed all barriers and lifted pop music to a new level of recognition and artisitic achievement.
The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics features color photographs and delightful artwork on every page—more than 300 illustrations—along with the lyrics of more than 200 songs. Quotes from John, Paul, George, and Ringo provide candid, witty, insightful commentary on the songs and their origins, often clarifying controversial lyrics.
Take a “magical mystery tour” through the poetic musings of the band that continues to captivate generation after generation. It’s the ultimate tribute, in words and pictures, to the best band of all time.
Customer Reviews:
BAD PRINT!!!!.......2006-01-17
I am comparing this book to an older version published 1969 by a different publisher. As The Beatles fan and maniac I was literally hypnotized watching the pictures of Alan Aldridge, Peter Max, and others when I saw it for the first time. It so perfectly creates an image of the 60s and atmosphere of that time.
I was holding the same expectations for this version but it was a kind of disappointment to see the low quality of the pictures - prints.
Let's make one point clear here: This book is NOT about The Beatles lyrics, this is ABOUT the ILLUSTRATIONS-pictures to each of the lyrics that make this book so valuable.
You can download lyrics anywhere on the net for free so I was devastated to see why the publisher Mariner Books DOES NOT GET IT?! How can they cheat us in such deceptive way?! Hey, this is not fair really. People who buy this book are doing so mainly because of the pictures, not for the lyrics!!!
If you pay cash for something, it should have more value in it than the cash you pay for it. This is not rocket science and suckers just don't seem to get it.
GREAT IDEA.......2005-11-22
The Beatles were among the first to be treated to an "Illustrated Songs of..." and so this book,originally issued as 2 seperate ones,is pretty essential stuff when you realise the Beatles were ascloseasthis to Art.
There's plenty of variety here
Where are Ringo & George? What were they, Stealth Beatles?!.......2005-05-17
I was delighted to see this book is still in print. The illustrations, ranging from line drawings to wonderfully Psychedelic Sixties from artists such as Beatle John Lennon to Peter Max add a touch of whimsical charm to the written lyrics. The songs are not arranged in alphabetical order or chronological order, which gives the entire book a free-formless and free-flowing feel.
I was highly displeased that Harrison and Starkey tunes were not included; rather, this book should have been more aptly titled "Illustrated Lyrics of Lennon & McCartney." There is just no excuse for omitting masterpieces such as "I Want to Tell You," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun," to name three.
As much as I enjoyed the book, the omission of Harrison and Starkey and the seemingly random placement of song lyrics has cost this otherwise excellent book one star.
Handsome book, but why the snubbing of Harrison/Starr songs?.......2003-02-16
Overall, this is a nice volume which augments the lyrics of the Beatles with striking and memorable illustrations, particularly from editor Aldridge, which very well capture the spirit of the Beatles' music. However, the book contains one serious shortcoming: its inexplicable (and unexplained) leaving out of almost all of the Beatle numbers not written by Lennon/McCartney. This means that such indispensible songs such as "Here Comes The Sun", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Something", "Old Brown Shoe", and "Octopus's Garden" (among others) are conspicously absent from this collection. Why? Instead, we get at least a dozen Lennon/McCartney compositions that were never actually recorded by the Fab Four, as well as Lennon's three most famous songs from his early solo career.
Another drawback is that the lyrics are presented in a seemingly random, haphazard order as opposed to any kind of a chronological or even thematic one.
A wonderful concept well-executed, but must be docked points for incompleteness because of the missing Harrison and Starr songs.
Let It Be........and don't buy.......2002-11-24
Illistrated lyrics my a$*....Personally, I was a bit dissapointed with this book. Let me get one thing straight, I do love art, paintings, drawings etc, but this book is full of the most obscure pictures of random things that are totally irrelevent to the song, let alone depicting the lyrics.
Don't get me wrong, I am absolutly mad about the Beatles and there music, the lyrics and songs, and of course their handsomely good looks (hehe) , but this book just made it seem like someone took a whole bunch of meaningless doodles by un-notorious 'artists'and stuck them beside imagary, story telling lyrics. If you want to learn background about the beatles' songs, this book will take you nowhere . However, if you ARE looking for some unattractive illistrations and incorrect lyrics to beatles songs, you've found your match. So before you buy, think about it....LET IT BE for your own sake, and your wallet's
Book Description
A must-have for every Fab Four fan, this classic visual tribute to their music is now available in a handsomely repackaged and affordable paperback edition.
The music and lyrics of the Beatles have proven them to be artists of the page as well as the stage and have here provided inspiration to dozens of artists. Rendered in full color on every page are extravagantly colorful scenes and images, from the psychedelic visions evoked by “Strawberry Fields” to the youthful innocence that springs from “She Loves You.” Witty commentary and candid insights from John, Paul, George and Ringo make this a very special and personal tribute.
Product Description
Papaerback with over 100 photographs! This hard-to-find book is a must for any collector!
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The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics
Manufacturer: Delacorte Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000IETSUG |
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The first major illustrated collection of Beatles lyrics, updated often with later editions.
Average customer rating:
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The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics
Alan Aldrich
Manufacturer: Time Warner Books UK
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ASIN: 0356190889 |
Average customer rating:
- Excellent Beatles Book !!
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The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics
Manufacturer: Bookmart
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ASIN: 1856054594 |
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Beatles Book !!.......2004-07-26
This 263 page hard cover book is a collector's dream! Full of beautiful color artwork and lyrics to hundreds of Beatle's songs.Definitely for every Beatle's fan! Excellent!!
Book Description
Sharpen you strategy and shot-making skills! Precision Pool will help you master the tactics and techniques to excel in the four most popular forms of the game: 9-ball, 8-ball, straight pool, and one pocket.
Gerry "The Ghost" Kanov and Shari "The Shark" Stauch share their wealth of knowledge and experience, having competed against virtually every top professional pool player in the world. The result—Precision Pool—is the most comprehensive and useful book ever written on pool.
The instruction progresses from essential fundamentals through advanced match strategies, all accompanied by plenty of drills to practice and perfect each new skill and tactic. The text is enhanced with more than 140 diagrams, including 81 high-quality illustrations that provide realistic perspectives of each key shot and game situation.
This easy-to-use book will help you master power breaks, bank shots, and combinations, as well as show you how to use english and make trick shots. Whether you're a weekend player or a seasoned professional, if you're serious about improving your game, Precision Pool is your best shot.
Customer Reviews:
Pool Precision.......2007-10-01
It has a lot of great information that can be used in pool no matter which game your playing.
Imprecise Pool.......2002-09-06
It's nothing new. Books on billiards and pool have always had their flaws, from the improperly illustrated diamond system in Hoppe's 1941 classic "Billiards as it Should Be Played" to the absence of such concepts as deflection and drag draw in Mosconi's 1965 "Winning Pocket Billiards." To this day, Mosconi's book is a sentimental favorite, these errors of omission not so great as to tarnish the reputation of a work that taught proper fundamentals to an entire generation of players. However, with Kanov and Stauch's "Precision Pool" we have an entirely new breed of cat.
Have you ever sat down to read a "how to" book and discovered so many errors, page after page, chapter after chapter, that it becomes a game of Find-The-Next-Boner rather than What-Can-I-Learn? This accurately describes the feeling I had while reading the ironically titled "Precision Pool."
It's hard to know where to start because the mishmosh of mistakes that beset this work are varied and great in number. There are sentences confusing right and left (page 128), illustrations contradicting the text (page 72, Rotation and Straight Pool racking), illustrations confusing outside with inside english (page 105, illustration 5.16) and just plain bad advice (page 155 and illustration 6.16, running a rack of 8-Ball).
The discussion of the massé starting on page 125 is a typical example of what's wrong with this book. If you're going to discuss a shot, make it comprehensible and comprehensive; don't gloss over it. Here the massé is treated like just one more shot in a player's bag of tricks, for beginner and advanced player alike to easily master. I doubt a beginner is going to understand how to shoot this shot or what stroke to use from Mr. Kanov's visage on page 127 and the illustrations on page 128. However, you can get this from Bob Byrne's excellent book, "Advanced Technique in Pool and Billiards."
Compounding the problem are confusing sentences, catching the authors not knowing their right from their left or object ball from interfering ball: "Now let's say you want to completely curve the ball around the object ball, and it's just to the left of the cue ball. You would hit it at about 5:00, shooting straight down at the imaginary clock face on the cue ball to massé it to the right." Say what? To the right? ... but I thought it was to the left? God, I'm confused; let's go play chess. The sentence should read: "To curve the cue ball around an interfering ball and hit the object ball on your right, picture an "elevated" clock face and aim for 5:00 with the angle of your cue 80 to 85 degrees to the table bed, depending upon the slipperiness of the cloth. Stroke firmly, but not too hard." Mr. Byrne's description and illustrations are better still.
And there's more! If there's a distinct difference between illustration 5.36 (page 126), a curve shot using a "slightly elevated cue," and illustration 5.37 (also page 126), a curve shot using an "extremely elevated cue," I'd like someone to point it out. I pity the poor beginner who's trying to make sense of all this.
Returning to that rack of 8-Ball on page 155, why in a book titled "Precision Pool" would a low percentage, touchy position shot on the 6-ball, bringing the cue-ball up table between the 15 and the rail for the 1-Ball in the corner be recommended when the sequence of 4, 1, 7, 5, 2, 6, 3 and the game winning 8 is so much more natural? The authors obviously want to make the point that the 6-ball should be taken early if you're an offensive player and left as a blocker if you have a penchant for defense. But with the natural angle from the 2-ball to the 6-ball and from the 6-ball to the 3-ball in the same pocket, why not have your cake and eat it too. If this were straight pool, I'd say the authors were right, but in this case their view is indefensible.
The coups de grâce was what I read on page 69 regarding deflection and throw. To quote "Nobody disputes the existence of deflection and throw ... Many have even come up with lovely charts depicting how much you need to adjust your aim for different shots ... [but] just try to apply this knowledge [in] a game situation ... think of [a] football traveling through the air ... Does the football player calculate the spin on its approach, combined with the day's wind velocity, to determine exactly where his hands should be to grasp the ball? Of course not." This simplistic comparison, knowingly or not, denigrates the work of Jack Koehler, Bob Jewett and Bob Byrne, men who have tried to bring some understanding and genuine precision to this game, something these two authors need not worry about in their work.
To be fair, the book isn't all bad - for example, the center ball drill on page 53. However, I'd modify it to a table length accuracy drill up and back, spacing the target balls no more than 2-1/2 inches apart. Also, the authors' chapter on the break isn't bad, their pre-shot routine suggestions (page 28) are accurate and well explained, and the practice games and seven-day practice routine (pages 237-239) are a most valuable part of the book. Still these relatively few pages in a 246 page work do not a good book make.
Frankly, I'm at a loss to explain how Shari Stauch, editor of Pool and Billiards Magazine, and Gerry Kanov, contributing writer to P and B, could turn out this kind of work. The poor writing, editing and proofreading is an embarrassment to the history of instructional pool books, and Human Kinetics, the small publisher of sports and fitness books who funded the project, should be ashamed. Except for the occasional good suggestion, this book can only be recommend to ball-bangers and felt-rippers, and maybe not to them.
The Best Illustrated and Most Comprehensive Book on Pool.......2001-09-30
Precision Pool is the reference for students and instructors alike. It covers all aspects of the game from the basics to advanced play.
Advanced players can benefit from a review of the fundamentals of bridges and stroke as well as the "reasons behind certain spohisticated shots and position play" from time to time. Advanced and Intermediate players will find sound instruction on patterns, position play, banks, stategy and, most importantly, the mental aspects of competition play. Beginning players will find this a resource for several years as they build a competitive game.
One of the strengths of this book is that it "reveals" many of the mystreies of the game as to why certain shots roll long, or short, as they play out. Precision Pool give details about banking and cushion first shots that few people truly understand. Best of all the diagrams and descriptions make it possible for any player to understand these subtle, but all important, aspects of object ball and cue ball travel.
It would be fair to say that I learned more from this book than any other I have used in over fourty year's of pool and 3 cushion play. I use this book frequently in conjunction with teaching students at all levels of ability.
Precision Pool is the only instruction book we carry at Palace Billiards. I recommend it with confidence to our customers. It will be "the best twenty dollars they will ever spend on their game."
Move over, Striking Viking!.......2001-09-24
OK, so I may not be competition for the Striking Viking or the Black Widow, but I love this book and its approach to teaching those of us who aspire to such lofty heights. Precision Pool has covered all the bases for me, from fundamentals to more advanced pattern plays. It has guided me, chapter by chapter, to a higher skill level and given me better understanding of other components which can affect the game, such as mental concentration, vision, and confidence.
There are great diagrams in Precision Pool that explain English; Follow; Draw; and several aiming techniques (this is for those of us who have to SEE it to understand it). Oh, and you'll really enjoy Chapter Ten which offers you several practice games that are much more fun than ordinary practice shots and drills.
I had about 5 or 6 books on pool in my library. Quite honestly this was the last one I bought. After Precision Pool I didn't need anymore. It's fun, it's informative, and it's well-written. Keep it close to your pool table and just see how much you consistently refer to it.
Precision Pool.......2001-06-11
I would have probably given this book only 1 star, if it had not been
for the crisp illustrations, besides that this book did not show me
anything that i didn't know before. And with that being said, i
didn't know much in billiards to begin with. Precision Pool, merely
introduces the reader to the terminology of billiards and confined
situations, instead of actually presenting procedures, techniques or
any other facets that might have improved my overall performance.
Throughout the entire book the detailed illustrations were
overshadowed by incredibly poor writing, as well as vague
descriptions. For instance, they would show diagrams of the cue and
objective balls in certain situations, only pointing out how to make
that shot in that certain situation, completely ignoring any other.
The best analogy that i can come up with is that of a math teacher who
doesn't exactly show how to solve a problem, instead that teacher
shows the student only the answers. The worst sections in this book
were on english, kicks, bank shots, and caroms (practically
everything). I don't have anything against Mr. Kanov or Miss. Stauch,
but a book that is as poorly written as
this one, is not much of a steal unless. Check
it out at a library before buying it if you don't trust this reviewer.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Wood & Wood Products, published by Vance Publishing Corp. on September 1, 1994. The length of the article is 532 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the supplier: McDermott Cue Manufacturing Inc. produces finely designed quality two-piece custom billiard cues with the help of precise high-speed electric spindles and BostoMactic computer numerical control vertical milling machines. These equipment, combined with the adoption of just-in-time inventory control and computer-aided manufacturing, have allowed the firm to produce a wide range of cue designs using various materials at high volume, but without sacrificing customer specifications.
Citation Details
Title: Pool cue maker aims for precision. (McDermott Cue Manufacturing Inc. combines high-speed electric spindles and computer numerical control milling machines to produce finely designed cues) (Better Production)
Publication:
Wood & Wood Products (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 1994
Publisher: Vance Publishing Corp.
Volume: v99
Issue: n10
Page: p42(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
With the same originality and astuteness that marked his widely praised Butterfly Economics, Paul Ormerod now examines the “Iron Law of Failure” as it applies to business and government–and explains what can be done about it.
“Failure is all around us,” asserts Ormerod. For every General Electric–still going strong after more than one hundred years–there are dozens of businesses like Central Leather, which was one of the world’s largest companies in 1912 but was liquidated in 1952. Ormerod debunks conventional economic theory–that the world economy ticks along in perfect equilibrium according to the best-laid plans of business and government–and delves into the reasons for the failure of brands, entire companies, and public policies. Inspired by recent advances in evolutionary theory and biology, Ormerod illuminates the ways in which companies and policy-setting sectors of government behave much like living organisms: unless they evolve, they die. But he also makes clear how desirable social and economic outcomes may be achieved when individuals, companies and governments adapt in response to the actual behavior and requirements of their customers and constituents.
Why Most Things Fail is a fascinating and provocative study of a truth all too seldom acknowledged.
Customer Reviews:
Systems (Both Social & Economical) -- Growing Evidence of Fractal & Power Law Connectivity.......2007-05-26
I have two perspectives for the review of Mr. Ormerod's fine book. First - if you are new to this subject, the book is interesting throughout as it helps explain, or at least builds a framework to hang our hats own about why some things seem to succeed and others fail. There are multitudes of examples from the pet rock (succeed), to the Edsel (a considered failure).
Second - if you are familiar with the subject of extinction theory and dynamic systems, the book starts out slow, but really hits its stride in Chapter 8 "Doves & Hawks" (and forward) as we start to get into examples of dynamic theory and extinction theory/data. In Chapter 10 "The Powers That Be" we learn that systems in which the connections are not random but follow a power law have completely different properties than ones that do, since it is the structure of the connections between the component parts (i.e. agents) which gives systems their distinctive and characteristic features.
No, don't be afraid, as this is not a technical book as I make it out to be as all the examples are easy to read and comprehend. If you are interested in this subject, other fine books to review are Ubiquity by Mark Buchanan, The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, or Deep Simplicity by John Gribbin.
How evolution explains business failures.......2006-11-21
This excellent, short work by Paul Ormerod is a worthy successor to his remarkably successful Butterfly Economics. As he did in that work, he draws here on lessons from biology to explain phenomena in economics. He covers a wide range of subjects, time periods and theories, all tied together (though not without some straining at the rope) by an inquiry into failure. Although Ormerod makes every effort to keep the work accessible, that scarcely makes it is easy reading. Readers who lack at least a nodding acquaintance with scientific writings and economic studies may find this hard slogging indeed. With that caveat, we think that readers who have a background in this field should pay serious attention to Ormerod's ideas. The notion that failure is inherent and inevitable for many systems ought to guide business strategies and - especially - government regulation.
A dose of clarity for MBA's, Corporate Strategists & Market Analysts.......2006-10-17
This book should be essential reading in all MBA programs and boardrooms. Failure of many ventures is inevitable, any person with a few years of business experience can attest to that. The problem is many consultants and strategists do not understand the chance or dynamics of failure. The lessons this book carries and the facts collected here are vital to all the large scale ventures in the world but are not just concerned with the economics of them.
Good book that lost its theme.......2006-09-24
I'd like to recommend this book, but I can only recommend the first half of it. I'm a fan of solid economics writing and clear systemic argument. This book begins with both and builds a case for understanding something both obvious and stunning-- businesses fail at such a high rate that they look a great deal like biological systems suffering waves of extinction events. I greatly enjoyed Ormerod's "Butterfly Economics" but after a solid beginning this book lost focus.
One very good item here is the Iron Law of Failure. He writes, "Failure is pervasive. Failure is everywhere, across time, across place and across different aspects of life; 99.99% of all biological species that have ever existed are now extinct. More than 10% of all the companies in America disappear each year." Failure happens when companies don't evolve and change to meet new challenges, competitors or brands. What happens after failures is also a key component of the book and one I wish he would have dealt with more deeply. The ideas of creative destruction and adaptive evolution are found in the latter half of the book but they seem less developed. And while the existance of an Iron Law (I liked the term) is no doubt true, is it necessary for the growth of prosperity? Do we all do better, live longer, etc., because of competition and destruction?
He's a great writer and wonderful thinker but this is only a fair book.
Just not very good.......2006-08-17
This guy describes a few interestng mathematical ideas concerning economics including some stuff he has done himself. He also adds a lot of half-baked remarks like the unsubstantiated claim that the Euro will lead to a revival of Fascism.
He portrays himself as a sort of Robin Hood figure in economics.
Nothing here really fits together or is worth reading.
Book Description
Failure is the most fundamental feature of biological, social and economic systems. Just as species fail—and become extinct—so do companies, brands and public policies. And while failure may be hard to handle, understanding the pervasive nature of failure in the world of human societies and economies is essential for those looking to succeed.
Linking economic models with models of biological evolution, Why Most Things Fail identifies the subtle patterns that comprise the apparent disorder of failure and analyzes why failure arises. Throughout the book, author Paul Ormerod exposes the flaws in some of today's most basic economic assumptions, and examines how professionals in both business and government can help their organizations survive and thrive in a world that has become too complex. Along the way, Ormerod discusses how the Iron Law of Failure applies to business and government, and reveals how you can achieve optimal social and economic outcomes by properly adapting to a world characterized by constant change, evolution and disequilibrium.
Filled with in-depth insight, expert advice and illustrative examples, Why Most Things Fail will show you why failure is so common and what you can do to become one of the few who succeed.
Customer Reviews:
Why the subject of economics is in disequilibrium........2007-05-19
This book is the follow up to the excellent Butterfly Economics.
As I write this review, a leading conservative commentator on a television show broadcast by the Fox News Channel, was stating that the US economy was doing very well. This statement seemed to me to be at odds with the reality as I observe it with For Sale signs springing up almost daily like mushrooms, the lower middle classes and working class are seeing their real incomes eroded, with inflation under control while prices are rising in the shops and at the pumps and where, despite rising interest rates the dollar is falling.
Like meteorologists, economists do not seem to be held accountable for their failed forecasts and predictions. Despite tremendous advances in mathematics and statistics as a society we are no closer to being able to explain how the economy works and if, as former President Bill Clinton so ill-eloquently put it "it's the economy stupid", how does the present incumbent not fix the problems.
This introductory guide to an alternative perspective on economics lays a foundation to the current economics paradigm. Deliberately written in (mostly) non-technical terms, Ormerod's book harkens back to the time of Keynes and presents an exposition which most adults with a rudimentary education can follow. This is a deliberate challenge to the prevailing orthodoxy which asserts that economics is a subject which can only be understood by virtue of advanced mathematical tools thereby excluding the majority of the populace.
Ormerod examines some of the failures of the current discipline to even describe some phenomenoa accurately and ascribes much of thess failures to the central role played by the concept of equilibrium, in particular general euilibrium, which predominates much of modern economics and has done for some sixty years or so. However, the author is clearly concious of the need for construction as well as demolition and he seeks to offer the basis of an alternative prospectus.
Although essentially a descriptive text, Ormerod's book carefully provides some clues to the alternative paradigm on offer. he supports his arguments with reference to works of others in the emergent disciplines which illuminate this perspective as well as drawing intellectual support from the work of Hayek and Schumpeter to name but two. Not only that but for those who wish to pursue his arguments further he provides links to more advanced, and more mathematical, sources.
Ormerod is gentle with the economics profession. They have been led down a false path to a place from which they are unable to escape, and despite having access to the most powerful of modern computers, the economists qua economists have been unable to provide any better answers to the questions of thousands of years than those economists of centuries past.
There is a growing body of scholarship which crosses traditional (party) discipline lines as dissatisfaction with economics as we know it continues to grow. Some have sought to search along the path of complexity while others have retraced the steps of earlier unorthodaox economics scholars and found a rich harvest as in the work of those like Ormerod, or from a different perspective, Geoff Hodgson. This scholarship is bearing much fruit but as yet is not in a position to provide the final blow to what is now so clearly a blind alley but which provides many jobs in many areas.
Ormerod is providing a great services in opening up this new world to the majority of the population. In light of the crucial importance of this emerging paradigm I have no hesitation in recommending this book to students, practitioners, indeed anyone involved in political or economic work, as a must read.
Lousy pop economics.......2007-05-02
This book is written at the seventh grade level and is consistently vapid. There are intriguing ideas--the similarities of rates of extinction and failures of businesses, but there's no real attempt to explain these similarities beyond telling us that the relevant curves obey a power law. We already knew that lots of businesses fail and that it's hard even for giant companies to keep up, but there's nothing added here that explains any of this.
If you want exciting pop economics, read Steven Landsburg.
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