Hal Hartley: Collected Screenplays Volume 1: The Unbelievable Truth, Trust, Simple Men

Book Description

For over a decade, Hal Hartley's deadpan comedies and explorations of unlikely relationships of love and trust have been favorites with critics and indie film crowds alike. Gathered here in one volume for the first time are the screenplays for three of his most acclaimed films: The Unbelievable Truth, in which a young man returns home after serving time for murder; Trust, which follows a pregnant teen and the effect of her condition on her family; and Simple Men -- the film that first brought him widespread prominence -- in which two brothers go in search of their anarchist father.

Book Description

The graveyard is cold and still. Bright moonlight deepens the shadows. The silence is disturbed by a throaty moan. Breaking through the soft, recently packed earth, a claw extends, sharp and grasping. A sickly sweet stench rises with the corpse. Desperate hunger is etched on it s cadaverous face - a hunger for your blood! Now you can join the Slayer's world! Inside these lustrous covers, you will find: an introduction to roleplaying and the Buffyverse; a role-playing guide to all seven season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; detailed character creation (including pre-constructed Heroes and White Hats for your quick-play pleasure); role-playing specifics for the entire Original Cast; from Buffy to Dawn, including their wild and wacky changes; the Buffy Unisystem; a guide to Buffyspeak to add sparkle to your dialogue; and much, much more!

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Fan-Service RPG, But Lacks Mass Appeal.......2006-04-20

Thanks to a fanatically loyal audience and the supernatural nature of the source material, the Buffy franchise has been squeezed and molded into all kinds of related products and merchandise. Toys, video games, soundtracks... you name it, Buffy's face is probably on it. While I'm not normally a fan of relentless franchise-milking, the world o' Buffy lends itself quite well to the table-top RPG format. Thankfully, the developers didn't drop the ball, and they've managed to create an interesting game system that captures much of the television show's charms, from the vampire face-kicking to the offbeat humor. The game lacks a lot of the 'hard numbers' stuff that many hardcore types prefer, and I doubt it will have much pull for anyone that isn't a devotee of the show. But for Buffy fans and anyone hunting for a quirky RPG that isn't a typical dice-fest, this would be a fine choice.

What I liked best about the Buffy RPG is how it shines a spotlight on my favorite character type: the average Joe/Jane. While many will be keen on role-playing as a Slayer, said Slayer will have a supporting team (just like Buffy) that helps her fight the forces of darkness. With that in mind, you can be a Xander-type who has no special powers and astonishingly mediocre fighting prowess, yet you can still contribute in your own way. The game uses a cute gimmick called Drama Points which allow characters to pull off feats beyond their normal capabilities. There's a special satisfaction in having your loyal little sidekick survive (and even thrive) in near-death situations, as opposed to being a monstrous sword-waving barbarian that kicks down doors and beheads every beast in sight without breaking a sweat. You can be a supporting character with special powers, of course, like a witch or a Watcher. You don't even have to have a Slayer, if you don't feel like it. But the game works best if you emulate the Scooby Gang model, and most gaming groups probably will. A good Director (the person running the game) will create situations where the non-Slayers can use their unique talents or quirks to solve dilemmas that supernatural strength alone can't handle. (Don't leave the Slayer hanging, though... toss in a demon or two that needs a good beating.) Needless to say, so-called munchkins who gauge their RPG enjoyment on how 'powerful' their guy is will not be overly fond of the game, unless they always get to be the Slayer.

Another of the game's strengths is the character creation method, with the excellent Quality/Drawback system. Qualities are positive traits or powers that you 'buy' with points, and Drawbacks are negative traits that you take on to give yourself more points to buy Qualities or statistic points with. Qualities/Drawbacks run the gamut, from physical prowess to glaring personality defects. Some of these are very well thought-out; for example, the Honor trait is considered a Drawback, because it can hamstring your character in certain situations. (For instance, Buffy would never take a pile of money if it came from a nefarious source, even though she'd theoretically use the money towards noble ends.) What makes this system so appealing is that it really helps the players define their characters right off the bat. Many role-players (especially rookies) have a lot of trouble coming up with interesting personalities for their new creations, and end up being 'some fighter guy.' The Quality/Drawback system will alleviate a lot of this, as players will find all kinds of interesting quirks to choose from, and will inevitably take on some entertaining Drawbacks to pay for a Quality they really want. Some players might even take on some Drawbacks for fun (lechery or greed, for example), which will make the game more enjoyable for everybody. Good stuff.

If the game has a weakness, it lies in the somewhat vague presentation of the overall rules. Many sections of the gameplay dynamics seem to boil down to 'the Director's discretion,' which adds a lot of flexibility, but puts a lot of weight on the Director to come up with reasonable rules decisions on the fly. Characters can have a lot of basic skills like driving or computer use, but by the end of that section, the manual basically shrugs and throws in a 'wild card' category that includes anything and everything. And adjucating Drama Points can be quite tricky. If these are supposed to create minor miracles, what are the limitations? The book does a pretty good job of outlining the power of the Drama Point, but players will inevitably come up with new possible uses that seem perfectly reasonable. Unless you want the game to come to a screeching halt during a major combat, the Director will need to have to make a serious yes-or-no decision pretty quickly. A Dungeon Master in Dungeons and Dragons has dozens of tables, charts, and piles of numbers which answer almost any question that arises with simple, hard data. "You're a Level 8 wizard suffering from a poisonous snake bite? Here's the number you need to roll to survive." A Buffy game Director doesn't have the same luxury. A good mantra is "it's just a game. Do whatever makes things more fun, as long as reasonable game balance is preserved." Even with that in mind, the Director should be someone with considerable RPG-running experience.

The overall presentation of the book is excellent. The production values are high, tons of memorable Buffy quotes are sprinkled throughout, and you get character sheets for every major character from the show's seven-year run. Buffy fans will enjoy thumbing through the book even if they never intend to play the game. Of course, many chapters (monster types, spells, etc.) seem underfed... so the developers can sell you supplement books, of course. This is par for the course in table-top gaming and I'm not going to whine about it, but if you plan on getting serious about the game, it will involve a fair amount of money.

When all is said and done, this is an easy product to rate. If you and your friends really enjoy the Buffyverse and role-playing, this is an easy thumbs-up. If you prefer combat-intensive games with a lot of dice-rolling and 37 kinds of swords, you'll probably be underwhelmed. Having a group of easy-going, creative people would help a lot as well. Nice work from C.J. Carella and company.

Almost everything..........2006-01-19

This review is meant for a specific audience. That is, people who have played the BtVS RPG before or own the original BtVS core book. I will focus on the changes that have been made.

The primary changes are to the rules and the character templates. This isn't BtVS 2.0, more like 1.5.

I like all of the rule changes (the majority are to character creation. Ie, changing the cost of qualities and attributes so that PCs advance a little more reasonably. Some are combat changes such as clearer mass combat rules).

The other major difference is all the templates (except Riley, which is done away with in favor of a Riley quick sheet) are completely redone. Instead of giving the stats of the main cast at the end of Season 5 (or at the end of their last season as with Cordelia and Angel), they give the stats of each character at the beggining of Season 1. Then each character gets a page or so to themselves that gives their seasonal adjustements (and episode by episode adjustments)all the way through Season 7 (even people who just guest star). Some of the quick sheets on villains also have seasonal adjustments (see Johnathon).

Overall, it includes everything I wanted excpet one thing. The Angel RPG core book contains rules on how to create your own qualities. Other than a real brief paragraph that just scratches the surface of quality creation, the core revised misses where Angel hits. This is a HUGE dissapointment for game masters that do not own the angel core book, making this book 4 rather than 5 stars.

I love this game!.......2006-01-07

Buffy: Alright, I get it. You're evil. Do we have to chat about it all day?
-3.10, Amends

The book opens with a double introduction to the concept of role-playing games and the show. This includes a general synopsis of the first five seasons of the show, stopping there because the sixth season was currently underway at the time of writing. This section starts in using short quotes from the show as part of section headers and the like that is used through out the book to help provide plenty of Slayer feel to the text. Given that quotes are a means of gaining experience in this game, it could also be considered game play training. The second chapter turns to the main bulk of player concerns with the character creation system. The character creation uses a point system with separate base points dependent on character type for attributes, qualities, and skill points. Character type also defines base drama points, which can be spent in play for bonuses, and set limits on how many points worth of optional drawbacks that can be used to earn points for the other elements. There are six basic, open-ended stats with a nominal maximum of five for normal humans, forty-nine qualities and drawbacks, and eighteen relatively broad skills with one wildcard for potentially very specialized training not covered by the defined skills. The attributes are split between three physical and three mental statistics, which is fairly normal. The qualities and drawbacks, which are listed together, range from acute senses (a good thing) to zealot (a bad thing). There are even some package qualities like Slayer and vampire that give both bonuses and disadvantages. All of these are worth varying points, sometimes based on the severity of the condition, specific variants, relative inherent potency, or as levels of power. The skills are generally broad and loose, making for ease of play and reflective of the natural fluidity of skills portrayed by many television characters as is only fitting. They also have entertaining names like Gun Fu and Getting Medieval, although some have more basic names like Driving and Knowledge. In addition to the creation system, there are two sub-sections to the chapter, the first providing twelve basic character types completely detailed and the second twelve of the cast members as of the end of the fifth season or their last appearance. These last are also given guidelines for modifying to reflect their potency in earlier seasons.

Chapter three and four rounds out game play for players, providing the rules, weapons lists, and the basics of magic. There are some game master elements included as well, such as the introduction to the Quick Sheet format for foes and non-player characters. The basic Unisystem conflict management uses a d10 plus a relevant attribute and a relative skill for all checks against a target number of nine or an opposing target's relative defense value. For checks not involving a particular skill, such as lifting a body, sometimes double the attribute is applied the specifics given in this chapter. The greater the total of the roll and relevant character bonuses over nine the more success levels one has to really impress (or damage) the other characters. Combat is kept simple with basically two rolls per round, one for attacks and one for defense with modifiers for dealing with multiples in either case. There is some complication of different attack combos or weapon uses having different modifiers, but these are recorded during the character creation stage to keep combat fast. Rules for using drama points for heroic feats or reducing damage and gaining more to replace those used are given, as well as some for giving and using experience points to improve characters as they survive whatever adventures befall them. The magic system is similar to the combat system in that there is a fair bit of set up to create a spell, but it is a fairly versatile system with guidelines for crafting spells in any shape or form to produce a resulting power level. A spell caster must roll enough success levels to match a spells power level or things go awry. It is a fairly basic system, but it gives a feel for the magic seen from the show, which is the aim. Those who want greater detail can buy the supplement or use a magic system from another Unisystem game.

The remaining four chapters turn to game master details. It starts with a review of sites, organizations, and people from Sunnydale, the setting of the show. The people included cover three generic character types, students and cops, and several supporting characters from series. The next chapter provides a broader focus of the game, introducing vampires, demons, shape shifters, robots, and assorted undead. Some general rules for creating different beasts and using them in general are discussed. There is little detail on creating monsters systematically, but enough general rules are given to get a game master started until a proper supplement on beasts is printed. This chapter includes several samples of each group of villains and the six of the more prominent villains from the first five seasons. Again, it is not entirely thorough, but enough to get started. All of the characters listed in these two chapters use the Quick Sheet, a simplified description for secondary characters that covers basic game needs without as much work. The main shift here is that the extensive combinations of attributes and skills for various contests are reduced to three relevant statistics. The seventh chapter gives general game running suggests, emphasizing the episodic nature and style of play that should be run for a Buffy game. There is some excellent advice here for any game master using any game here. The last chapter provides a complete sample adventure. An appendix provides a little more flavor with some guides to speaking like characters from the show, some conversion guides to other Unisystem games, helpful tables and charts, and a glossary of show terms.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Core Rulebook provides everything a starting playgroup needs to play this game. There is plenty of source material from the show to aid in a game that truly captures the slightly gritty fun with a gaming system that is fast and easy to use for the fast pace of television combat. While the magic spells and bestiary are quite limited for a complete game, this book contains enough to get started and enough explanation to allow the more creative individuals to make their own. With numerous sourcebooks already released, what need there might be for more is pretty well covered. The editing and layout are good, using clear fonts, headers, and full color to the best effect and a light narrative tone similar to the style of the show. The use of different color page edges in each chapter is also a nice touch in speeding reference searches. The majority of artwork is just images of characters, locations, and monsters from the television show. There are some illustrations of archetype characters in the character creation section and a few of the generic character types, also in color format. If there is a downside to this product, it might be that it is a little more expensive than competing products and there are occasional publishing errors. The sample reviewed had the last two pages glued into a folded back cover page. Still, given all the positive features, this is still a book to stake out on some evening. Stormy weather is optional.

Revised Buffy.......2005-09-07

I'm extremely excited about this book after talking to the Eden Studios guys at Gen Con about it. I proudly own the orginal run thru of the Core Book. I'm buying the Revisied book out of share fandom. Because its going to have the updated Charecter sheets for the main cast plus other updates thats happen to the storyline up thru Season 7. A nice way to give the book itself some closure. Cause it really didn't happen with the others.

Plus the real excitement for this book is, it brings along the expansion I and ever other die hard Buffy RPG fan have been waiting for, for a year!

~Sonja~

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game: Revised Core Rulebook.

Average customer rating:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game: Revised Core Rulebook.
C.J. Carella
Manufacturer: Publisher Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Vampires | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000UYAFCY

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Core Rulebook (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Core Rulebooks)

Average customer rating:

Leave the slaying to the slayer
Great resource but the cost and game system drop it a star.
I do not have to play the game to enjoy the Core Rulebook
Nice Addition to any RPG Library
A Beautiful Book

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Core Rulebook (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Core Rulebooks)
C.J. Carella , and Christopher Golden
Manufacturer: Eden Studios
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1891153889

Book Description

"The graveyard is cold and still. Bright moonlight deepens the shadows. The silence is disturbed by a throaty moan. Breaking through the soft, recently packed earth, a claw extends, sharp and grasping. A sickly sweet stench rises with the corpse. Deperate hunger is etched on its cadaverous face- a hunger for your blood."

Now you can join the Slayer's world!

This comprehensive book contains:
* An introduction to roleplaying and the Buffyverse.
* A guide to character creation including the entire original cast for your quick-play pleasure.
* A primer on magic mojo.
* A guide to hotspots in Sunnydale.
* Monsters and five Big Bads.
* Blow by blow details on how to create Buffy roleplaying episodes.
* A guide to Buffy speak to colorize your games.

All this and more is packed with vivid art and screen shots beautifully assembled into this full color book.

Customer Reviews:

Leave the slaying to the slayer .......2005-04-16

Buffy is a great show based on a great myth;and i must admit that i used many buffy episodes as inspiration in my own role playing games;couse everything in the series;all the monsters, characters,spells;they all feel like they've jumped out from a well made d&d or whitewolf game.

Still i was afraid more then excited when i learned about buffy roleplaying game;i feared that i would be some carelessly done, silly thing just to pull some more money from devoted fans..

And sadly,i wasnt wrong.Dont get me wrong,the book itself is nice to read;all those quetues and pictures from the episodes, but just for a few hours.When it comes to gaming;it is nowhere among big role playing games.It doesnt have the wide range of options like 3rd edition d&d,or the realistic rule system of whitewolf;it's rules are boring,complex,silly and neither realistic nor dramatic;it's classes are so indefinite,lacking the sparkle of characters from the series.

i gave one extra star to the book just for being about buffy, which is the only highlight of the game.unless you are looking for pages full of buffy character pictures(yet;not so full)and quickly,carelessly concocted rule system;there is no need to throw dolars to this book.
If you want to be a slayer so much;which is possibly the only thing that may drive someone playing this game;go buy whitewolf hunter games;or play alittle with the rules of d20 modern;
you'll end up with something much better either way.

Great resource but the cost and game system drop it a star........2003-03-12

I've been a role-player for over 20 years now and have easily read over 50 different game systems. This book is HEAVY on atmosphere but a little lacking in providing game mechanics. There is enough here for a very experienced GM to run a game but new or moderately experienced GMs may have trouble jumping in and handling the game system. My players had a hard time understanding that you may not play out every kick and punch, especially when the action is so fast and furious in the TV show.
I also found the price high for a basic RPG book. Getting it through Amazon garners you no discount either. The cover price is [money amount]and you pay exactly that (luckily it's cost gets you free shipping).
Don't get me wrong, this is a great time and they really do capture the feeling of Sunnydale and its various personalities. Don't go into this game thinking it will be easy to master in a heartbeat. Give it some time, read it thoroughly several times and then go for it!

I do not have to play the game to enjoy the Core Rulebook.......2003-01-02

At the beginning of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Core Rulebook," writer and designer C. J. Carella acknowledges that the reader of this volume could just as easily be a Buffy fanatic as a veteran of role playing games. Indeed, Carella considers it a safe assumption that anyone who gets to page 194 of this volume is a fan of the show (but he sees advantages for those who are not). Of course, I am the former, although I do remember an evening with college friends trying unsuccessfully to get me hooked on Dungeon & Dragons and my daughter and I have attempted the Buffy the Vampire CCG game a few times (I am happy just to collect the cards). Certainly, Carella has put together a gorgeous volume. On top of that, the role playing game, part of the Unisystem, might actually prove to be fun as well.

The "BtVS RPG" covers a lot of ground (by its own admission), from rules to stats to descriptions to backgrounds. There are eight chapters and an appendix: (1) "It's the Slayer's World, We Just Play Here" contains introductory sections, notes about role playing, a list of conventions, and a brief recap of Seasons One through Five of the television series (note, breakdown is by season rather than episode specific); (2) "Some Assembly Required" covers character creation and provides the game stats for the main characters as well as a gallery of Archetypes (e.g., New Slayer, Demon Hunter, and Former Vampire Groupie); (3) "Rules, Borders, and an End Zone" provides the rules of the game, teaching you how to play the game, when to use dice, detailing character development, and explaining the importance of Drama Points; (4) "Playing With Primal Forces" explains the upside and the downside of magic in the Buffyverse; (5) "Sunnydale After Dark" goes over both the favorite hotspots in and around the home of the Hell Mouth and the major Guest Stars of the show such as Joyce, Amy, Jonathan, etc.; (6) "Children of the Night" covers all of the vamps, demons, and other Big Bads from the show's first five seasons, providing such great details as character motivation (e.g., Glorificus wants to go home but Drusilla is just a "Whimsical nutjob"); (7) "Episodes, Seasons and Drama" is for the Director of the game and provides guidelines on how to create storylines and run games; and (8) "Sweeps Week" provides an actual adventure for the "BtVS RG" game, to be played with the Archetypes. Finally, the "Appendix" helps you hone your Buffyspeak and also provides useful charts and tables, a glossary, an index and conversion notes from other Unisystem games.

Christopher Golden, who has written some of the best "BtVS" novels along with the comic book and "The Watcher's Guides," writes the Foreword to this volume, which is basically a teaser for a role playing game. My son, who has considerably more experience with role playing games than I do, assures me this is fairly basic stuff and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is a natural for this sort of fun. It is well established that "BtVS" is my favorite television show and I am fascinated by the details for the role playing game Carella has developed (e.g., the idea that guidelines are providing for "Breaking Things" tickles me). I also like the idea that playing the game can be developed in terms of Episodes and Seasons as well, providing a grand narrative structure to the fighting and biting. For those who love both "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and role playing games, this Core Rulebook as to be a treat.

Nice Addition to any RPG Library.......2002-12-30

I am an avid gamer for over twelve years. I love collection all types of RPGs cause you never know if you will find something useful.

I just got this book and think that my group and I are going to give it a swing. It looks like there are many posiblities for some great roleplaying. I think if you like the show and you are a gamer, you'll like this book.

A Beautiful Book.......2002-11-15

As usual for Eden Studios, this book is visually stunning. It's a joy to just look at. Combined with its review of the first five seasons of the show and the large ammount of backgroun material, the book could be of interest even to non-gamers. As an rpg, it's quite fun. Using a streamlined version of C.J. Carella's Unisystem, the mechanics run fast and fun. They simulate the "reality" of the show well and are easy to learn and use. The GM can run the game without needing to roll a single die if desired. As to characters, you can play Buffy and Co. or you can design your own Scooby Gang with or without a Slayer. It all depends on how canon you want your game to be. While the book supports modern day games, it can easily be set in different time periods. I'm running a game with just my wife in which she plays a Slayer in a pulp-adventure style 1930s setting. The only limit is your own imagination.

Average customer rating:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game: Revised Core Rulebook.
C.J. Carella
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Vampires | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000M4PE82

Book Description

Turn Any Presentation into a Landmark Occasion
Ever wish you could captivate your boardroom with the opening line of your presentation, like Winston Churchill in his most memorable speeches? Or want to command attention by looming larger than life before your audience, much like Abraham Lincoln when, standing erect and wearing a top hat, he towered over seven feet? Now, you can master presentation skills, wow your audience, and shoot up the corporate ladder by unlocking the secrets of history's greatest speakers.

Author, historian, and world-renowned speaker James C. Humes—who wrote speeches for five American presidents—shows you how great leaders through the ages used simple yet incredibly effective tricks to speak, persuade, and win throngs of fans and followers. Inside, you'll discover how Napoleon Bonaparte mastered the use of the pregnant pause to grab attention, how Lady Margaret Thatcher punctuated her most serious speeches with the use of subtle props, how Ronald Reagan could win even the most hostile crowd with carefully timed wit, and much, much more.

Whether you're addressing a small nation or a large staff meeting, you'll want to master the tips and tricks in Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln.
"As a student of speech, I very much enjoyed this intriguing historic approach to public speaking. Humes creates a valuable and practical guide."
— Roger Ailes, chairman and CEO, FOX News

"I love this book. I've followed Humes's lessons for years, and he combines them all into one compact, hard-hitting resource. Get this book on your desk now."
— Chris Matthews, Hardball

Customer Reviews:

Quick read, excellent content.......2007-08-23

I would title this book, "The language of leadership". It's content is excellent and well organized. It teaches ways to speak and act like a leader and therefore command such authority through the power of the spoken word.

The chapter titles all begin with "Power", but the author practices what he preaches by getting across the information in a well organized and easy to get through manner. If you look at the highlights in each chapter and skim through, you get the jist of information, hence making it easy to comprehend in a day.

Every chapter has its content and then real life examples from the author's experience. The examples are both historic and contemporary, very useful, convincing & often interesting, although ocassionally unecessary to get the message accross.

The criticisms I've seen of this book are that it is patronizing or too long winded or redundant. I don't find any of these things to be true. I however admit, that instead of reading the book cover to cover and sentence by sentence, I read it as any executive would read a proposal or document - skim to get the highlights and then go back in for more detailed reference when needed. I got a great deal out of the book this way.

I purchased the book for a Dean of a Business school and a high power executive. While skimming through it, I found myself quite absorbed. Since then, I've found myself continually thinking back to what I read there and I ended up buying myself a copy for reference and one as a gift for the CEO of my company as well.

Makes a great gift for a Type A executive or anyone in a position of leadership of any kind. This isn't just a public speaking book, and it's not about overcoming shyness or a "Toastmasters" type thing. It's about how to make what you say be powerful and effective.

You should own it if you plan giving speeches.......2007-02-14

Well written with great examples. Not your typical textbook, which makes for a refreshing approach to leadership classes.

Delivers.......2006-07-13

Unbelievable that no one taught me these principles years ago. This guy has been around a long time! Excellent, easy to read and incorporate.

speaking like churchill.......2006-07-03

This is an excellent book for speakers os any level who wish to make small yet noticeable improvements to their speaking performance. Churchill and Lincoln both mastered the skills necessary to be great speakers. The greatest secret that I took from this book is the power of the ..... PAUSE. To stand in front of a group of people saying nothing , with poise and confidence , is a skill the truly seperates great speakers from the rest.
I would recommend this book without hesitation.

worthwhile reading.......2006-04-02

Good book. Nevertheless the author could make it better by cutting off some of the quotes that here and there become excessive in number and extension. This is particularly true for the chapters "power wit", "power poetry" and "power line". They are tiresome -- even boring -- when prolonged beyond the necessary. This only proves that you can have too much a good thing. When it happens good becomes less good and enticing becomes exhausting.
If you think your readers - and especially your audience - should be protected against fatuous speeches, empty words and their monotonous delivery, read this book and keep a copy at hand.

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