Advanced Screenwriting: Raising Your Script to the Academy Award Level
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Worthy Follow-up To MAKING A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT
  • superb!
  • Ways to Improve Your Screenplay
  • Linda Seger does it again.
  • Not Bad...
Advanced Screenwriting: Raising Your Script to the Academy Award Level
Linda Seger
Manufacturer: Silman-James Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1879505738

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Worthy Follow-up To MAKING A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT.......2007-09-19

After reading some of the "reviews", I'm wondering if the "reviewers" are actually critiquing the content of the book or simply making remarks about the author. I read ADVANCED SCREENWRITING & felt it addressed the emergence of alternative structure, which at the time this book was published, hadn't really been mentioned much. I certainly did not get the feeling that Seger was turning her back on the classic 3-act structure, but was merely informing writers that occasionally, writers are able to push the envelope & come up with alternative story structures that work well. Heard she has a new book coming out which actually details the Oscar-winning movie CRASH, which is an example of creative structuring that works. When all is said & done, most stories still have a beginning, middle & end. ADVANCED SCREENWRITING seems a worthy & apt follow-up to MAKING A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT & I found it to be very informative & most useful.

5 out of 5 stars superb!.......2007-09-17

A tremendous resource. But don't start here--as the title suggests, this book is meant for those who have already developed the basic and intermediate skills set forth in Dr. Seger's prior screenwriting how to's. As a professional screenwriter, I have used the techniques put forth in Advanced Screenwriting on many occasions and multiple scripts. I highly recommend it.

5 out of 5 stars Ways to Improve Your Screenplay.......2007-09-14

In my Script Consultating sessions with clients who have written three or four screenplay I always refer them to Dr. Linda Seger's Advanced Screenwriting as the go-to textbook. This accessible book teaches many ways to dimensionalize and deepen your script and to continue engaging the reader. Absorbing and using the information in this book will improve a writer's chances in the marketplace.

Script Consultant Karen Folger Jacobs, Ph.D.

5 out of 5 stars Linda Seger does it again........2007-09-12

Linda Seger is unquestionably one of the brightest and most precise screenwriting consultants and teachers in the business. ADVANCED SCREENWRITING fine-tunes the practically perfect path so carefully defined and so well marked by Linda in her other essential books on screenwriting, MAKING A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT, THE ART OF ADAPTATION and CREATING UNFORGETABLE CHARACTERS... leading us even deeper into the enchanted forest of excellent screenwriting. Seasoned screenwriters will do well to be reminded of those almost mystical elements that inhabit well-crafted films and beginners will find it a finishing course--though having been a big fan, student, and professional who has benefited by Linda's script consultation on more than one major film I urge newcomers to get the entire Seger Screenwriting Library to insure they get the most from ADVANCED SCREENWRITING. When writers submit material to our production company we ask whether they've read Linda Seger. If they say "no" we urge them to, "go back, read her books, re-write their script and then resubmit." That way we know we won't be wasting our time reading a script that needs more work and structural discipline and the writer can be confident that they are giving us their absulut best shot.

4 out of 5 stars Not Bad..........2004-10-05

I'm not familiar with Linda Seger's other books, but she does go on quite a bit about previous material she has written in "Advanced Screenwriting". It turns me off a bit when authors want to plug themselves to death in their other books - I mean, why can't we separate from what we've already written or else sell both books as a package - but I'm almost at the end of this, and I have to say I did find it quite insightful. I'm attempting a draft of a screenplay I'm really excited about writing and I really wanted to raise my game this time around, but while I feel I do have the fundamentals down pat, I still don't think I feel confident enough to attempt it based on just this book. She offers quite a lot of advice and tips, which are great, but in the end I feel like... wow, where to start? I do like the topics covered and I like that she uses recent films versus older films as reference, but I feel like she dwells too much on her other book "Making a Good Script Great" (which I don't have).

Ah well. Still good. Also, FAR too many typos to be believed in this book. It distracted somewhat after awhile. I really was taken aback. I want to ask her editor... "What's up with that??"
Practical Screenwriting
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Practical Screenwriting
    Charles Deemer
    Manufacturer: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Co.
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    ScreenplaysScreenplays | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 1585101281

    Product Description

    Practical Screenwriting is a structured guide for the novice screenwriter that provides exercises in writing as well as practical guides to analyzing major films in ways that will provide insight into the screenwriting process. It is, first and foremost, a guide to writing clean, crisp, clear scripts that will get read in the crowded contemporary marketplace.
    Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • All the basics of selling and marketing a script
    • Three-and-a-half stars
    • Quirky book
    • Novel Advice Book Review
    • Highly Recommended Reading!
    Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets

    Manufacturer: James Russell
    ProductGroup: Book
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    1. The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script

    ASIN: 0916367118

    Book Description

    Here's the ultimate screenwriter's marketing manual to get your screenplay or stageplay sold. No other screenplay book describes exactly how to perform a professional submission to agents, producers and production companies. Here you will learn how to clean up your script to eliminate those dangerous words Story Analyst (readers) see and toss the script aside with a rejection slip. Learn the inside secrets of breaking down the protective firewalls to get your scripts read by those who have the power to buy. You will learn how to obtain an agent and how to submit your scripts to production companies without an agent and be taken seriously. Don't let the firewalls stop you from selling your script. Order this manual, fix the errors in your scripts and you will be breaking in! Softbound, large 8x11 format, 80 pages, with illustrations.

    Download Description

    This book is 100% dedicated to selling screenplays and stage plays. Contains sample query letters, list of literary agents, resources, valuable advice for writers with over 40 illustrations on how to professionally package your script and query letter to agents, producers, production companies and theatres to get the sale! Many writing tips are given in this book and lists agents willing to give new writers a chance with special consideration, and much more!

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars All the basics of selling and marketing a script .......2005-12-06

    Learn all the basics of selling and marketing a script through the practical marketing guide Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets: Everything You Need To Know To Market Your Screenplay, TV Or Stage Play Script. This goes beyond advice on how to produce a script to focus on the nuts and bolts of how to market and protect one, from contacting production companies and increasing the possibility of a response to accessing the TV market. You don't have to have an agent to do it right - but you do have to have industry savvy, which Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets will provide.

    3 out of 5 stars Three-and-a-half stars.......2005-04-07

    I understand the criticism of one reviewer below. After all, Russell comes off like more of a salesman tring to make a buck off the hopes and dreams of aspiring screenwriters than a legitimate screenwriter himself. However, the content of the book isn't completely worthless.

    Russell's advice on proper screenwriting technique is accurate, but is nothing more than what's covered in the curriculum of a screenwriting 101 class. Thus, it's only useful to those who haven't taken any classes or done some serious self-study.

    The marketing of a screenplay is why I bought the book, and I haven't been disappointed. The advice is simple and to the point, if not muddled at times. Russell can also be repetitive. Overall, however, I've managed to pick up some good advice as I mount a query letter campaign for my screenplay. My main criticism is that Russell focuses too strongly on the agent market, and doesn't seem to have an understanding or appreciation of writers looking to do more than sell scripts for a big pay day. Plenty of screenwriters make a good living on assignment work generated on the quality of their samples; many of which are never optioned, sold, or produced.

    Pick this up as part of your research into marketing yourself and your script to Hollywood.

    2 out of 5 stars Quirky book.......2003-01-30

    Some excerpts from the book:

    - A selection of remarks about God and quotes from the Bible in the front matter. Not a bad thing, just a bit unexpected in a book about marketing for the screen and stage.

    - Half of the next page is about where to buy this book. If you're holding the book, the odds are good you don't need that information by then.

    - Under 'Author Biography' on the first page: "No recognition is desired by the author. Displaying credentials serves no purpose." Well, yes it does. It tells you what experience the author has, his level of 'authority' on the subject matter, what point of view he's writing from - a studio exec will have a different point of view than a script reader.

    - "No Chapter 13" (yet there's a page number for it)

    - "Chapter 14 - Introduction to Trap Shooting" and "Trap Shooting Writing Opportunities." No, I am not kidding. The author is sure that you'll meet people here. You just might, but how many of them are Hollywood types who can or will actually do anything for you is questionable. It doesn't matter because this section isn't about shmoozing; it instead extolls the virtues of trap shooting as an obsession.

    The author also names 5 "must-see" movies - which are actually six. Three are classics: "The Terminator" (which he calls "Terminator 1") and "Terminator 2" (which is actually titled "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"), and "It's a Wonderful Life." No, I'm not being picky. If you're going to write about screenwriting, it's lazy not to bother to get the titles right.

    He includes "The Cormorant," and "England Made Me," which he "believe[s] were filmed by British prodcos." Shouldn't an author have done his research for a book on this topic? (The sixth one is "The Last Shout," a TV-movie made from a British comedy series. Draw your own conclusions on that one.)

    - "The 7-Day Plan To Be A Better Christian!" (Not a chapter, just a page, but not relevant to the subject either.)

    I'm not faulting the author for his obsessions, but the book needs better focus on the topic at hand. One doesn't pay [$$$] for a hodge-podge of script marketing, Christian prosletyzing, and how to get into trap shooting.

    It's also surprisingly amateurishly formatted for the price. The entire thing is in Courier font with an extra space between chapters. The book has few charts or lists (learn to use bullets!), and no index. It needs better formatting, an index, and someone besides the author to edit it.

    The quality of the book overall (poor formatting, mediocre editing, fuzzy focus, lack of credentials, sloppy research, lazy writing, and lack of accuracy in something as ordinary as a film title) make me question the value and credibility of the overall content.

    5 out of 5 stars Novel Advice Book Review.......2000-10-31

    BOOK REVIEW BY NOVEL ADVICE SCREEN & STAGE MARKETING SECRETS by James Russell What this book is not . . . it is not a how-to-write book and it is not limited just to those who write screen and/or stage plays. Inside the glossy cover lies a treasure trove of information-information about creating a professional manuscript and presentation. On page one the journey begins . . . FADE IN All too often professionalism is missing from many writer's works. And, the absence of that essential facet dooms a writer to the dismay of continued rejection and frustration for those who are looking for well-written, polished works. What follows, then, is a well-written instructional manual meant to give you the tools necessary to polish and present your work. There are rules in the world of writing, rules that need to be kept in order to market and sell any type of writing. James Russell did not make those rules, but in this book he brings them to our attention. He tells us that "these rules are called 'firewalls' designed to keep unprofessional writers out of the money." While he is writing to screen and stage play writers, those words ring true for all writers. Some of the highlights of SCREEN & STAGE MARKETING SECRETS are: * *Developing creativity & 5 basic story tips universal to all fiction writing *Tools for streamlining your writing *Advice from the experts-agents, producers, publishers, and readers *Registering your Copyrights *Rules for mailing scripts/what to do/what not to do *Making multiple submissions *Marketing your product *Agent & Management firm listings One of the most enlightening and important chapters in this book is "Writer Survival Tips." Here you will find the kind of no nonsense things that mark a true professional, things that often spell the difference between acceptance and rejection. This book is so packed with information that I found it difficult to decide just which to write about. Until now I'd never entertained the idea of writing screen or stage plays. However, after reviewing SCREEN & STAGE MARKETING SECRETS, the idea intrigues me. No matter what type of writing I embark on, this book has much information to share with me. The price of this book is not small. But it is a worthwhile investment for those committed to not only writing screen and script plays, but in writing them with excellence. FADE OUT - Lin Mouat e-mail:linmouat@home.com

    5 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended Reading!.......2000-10-27

    "I have read many books about screenwriting including The Screenwriters Bible. Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets has so much information you need to study it. It's a great tool. Anyone who plans to write screenplays should read this book." - Frank Webb
    Creative Screenwriting: A Practical Guide
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Creative Screenwriting: A Practical Guide
      Tony Bicat , and Tony Macnabb
      Manufacturer: Crowood Press, Limited, The
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      GeneralGeneral | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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      ASIN: 1861265255

      Book Description

      A step–by–step guide to writing a screenplay, from the initial idea to pitching and selling the end result.

      Global Sex Workers: Rights, Resistance, and Redefinition
      Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
      • A bright shining lie
      • very informative
      • Global Sex Wokers
      Global Sex Workers: Rights, Resistance, and Redefinition

      Manufacturer: Routledge
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      2. Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy
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      Book Description

      Global Sex Workers presents the personal experiences of sex workers around the world. Drawing on their individual narratives, it explores international struggles to uphold the rights of this often marginalized group.

      Customer Reviews:

      2 out of 5 stars A bright shining lie.......2007-01-03

      This book claims to want to show the 'nuance' of the sex trade, so therefore it must use complicated words such as 'debt bondage' to in fact describe what is an inhuman situation where people are threatened with death and beaten and raped in order to be forced to sell thier bodies to pay off a non-existent death. Essay after essay encouraged prostitution as 'sex work' and claims that if only all prostitution were legal there would be no sex-slave trade in young girls and no forced prostitution. This is strange becuase in the Netherlands, where prostitution is legal, it turns out there is just as much sex-slavery and beatings and rape. This book also tries to claim all the talk against prostitution and the sex slave trade is 'racist'. But how it is racist when Thai girls are sent to 'work' in Japan and Russian girls sent to Saudi Arabia and Columbian girls to Spain is not clear. It is racist in the sense that rich Europeans, Arabs and Japanese are the buyers, but that is not what the authors wrote.

      As typical of anything that is examined by academia this text has to dry all things down so nothing is ever what it seems. A woman who is raped at the age of 11 by wealthy 'clients' and kept chained to a bed for five years until she gets AIDS, this is called 'western sensationalism' and in addition is described as 'sex work' and 'debt bondage'.

      It is too bad that none of the authors of any of the essays experienced sex work first hand as one of trafficked people.

      Seth J. Frantzman




      4 out of 5 stars very informative.......2001-04-13

      if you want to learn a little about how prostitution is done in the world, what types of prostitutes are desirable in each part of the world, what conflicts and problems prostitutes faced whether cultural or international, and how prostitutes live, this is the book for you. i gained a lot of knowledge from this book, especially about prostitution in south america. highly recommended

      5 out of 5 stars Global Sex Wokers.......2000-03-30

      Global Sex Workers is a series of pieces by a variety of authors on sex worker issues around the globe. The term "sex workers" has been used deliberately by the editors and contributors, as it emphaises the work in sex work and to some extent avoids the stigmatization associated with the term "prostitute". The editors and contributors' perspective on sex work is radical in its opposition to traditional ways of approaching the question. Rather than advocating abolition of prostitution because prostitution always violates women's rights, the contributors take a more nuanced approach, acknowledging that some sex work takes place in conditions of oppression and indeed slavery, but that much does not. Furthermore, crimialization of sex workers, their clients and those associated with sex work (eg pimps and madams) hamrs the women involved in sex work, although such laws are often said to be for the benefit of sex workers.

      The book exmines a variety of issues in the area of sex work - theoretical approaches to sex work; migration of women for sex work; sex tourism; sex workers' organizations; and issues of AIDS prevention and sex workers' empowerment. The chief virtues of the book are twofold: first, its global perspective is refreshing, in a debate that has so often centered on the experiences of sex workers in the west; and second, the focus on sex workers' organizations themselves. Much that is written about prostitution ignores the voices of women involved in sex work, and it is good to see that trend being countered in this book.

      Countires discussed in the book include Japan, Cote d'Iviore, Cuba, the Caribbean countries, Thailand, Ecuador, South Africa, Mexico, India and Malaysia, to name some. The book will be of interest to anyone interested in sex work, though it is probably of most use to academics and activists.

      The Lord of the Rings Tarot Deck & Card Game Deluxe Gold Edition
      Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
      • A Cheesy Reinvention of the Wheel
      • Deep, Profoundly Mysterious, and Disturbing
      The Lord of the Rings Tarot Deck & Card Game Deluxe Gold Edition
      Terry Donaldson
      Manufacturer: United States Games Systems
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      GeneralGeneral | Card Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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      ASIN: 1572810483

      Customer Reviews:

      1 out of 5 stars A Cheesy Reinvention of the Wheel.......2006-07-29

      Firstly, there is nothing at all innovative about a "Tarot deck and card game" Not only may one play games with the Tarot deck; game playing, not fortune telling, was initially the main purpose of the Tarot. The superstitious trappings of the Tarot deck came at a much later date.
      Secondly, there are much better Tarot decks for game playing. There are European Tarot decks of more modern design which include double headed figures or the French suits of hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds and they sometimes feature corner indices. These European made decks which may contain 78, 62 or 54 cards depending on region are far superior to this baroque abomination. Like most so-called "new age" or "occult" decks, this LOTR Tarot card game is ill suited for game playing.
      Thirdly, the underlying game is nothing more than an UNO variant.
      My recommendation, unless one is a die-hard LOTR fan who must own all LOTR items, is to buy one of the European playing tarots (see Modiano Tarocco on amazon) or the UNO card game instead of this ill conceived nonsense.

      5 out of 5 stars Deep, Profoundly Mysterious, and Disturbing.......2005-10-09

      I thank my ex-girlfriend Juno, with whom I shared many a psychic revelation, for the gift of these cards. The deep substance in the imagery of these cards, the symbolism of Tolkien profoundly integrated with the use of the Qabalistic Tree of Life, evoke astral journeys to the very gates of heaven. If you own one of these decks, don't listen to the fuss about Crowley's Thoth deck: your LOTR tarot deck is extremely potent, and deserves a serious student's full consideration in the matters of psychic divination.

      Allow me to explain a reading: I array the cards in a "Tree of Life" pattern, starting with Kether, working down through the other nine sephiroth, finishing with Malkuth. At each card, I stop to contemplate the meaning of the card. Because the cards are so disturbingly beautiful, like a Nazareth song, I can contemplate the deeper meaning for long periods of time.

      Take this first card I drew, placing it over Kether, "the crown": "The Lovers - Aragorn is reunited with his love, Arwen." How awesome! Aragorn is not only male, but an earthbound creature, a man (human). Arwen is Elven, she personifies the spirit world. Because Aragorn, the corporeal and earthly, has united sexually with his love, the spiritual realm, you can tell this makes a happy situation within the center of our intellectual existence. It is Tai Chi - the Great Ultimate. It symbolizes the very Gates of Heaven, which are indeed within us.

      In the position of Chockma - wisdom - I lay an Ace of Cups -- "Galadriel's mirror shows many things, but wisdom lies in understanding what is shown." Chillingly personal. Sam kneels on a toadstool sprinkled lawn, while Frodo gazes into the mysterious vision well, under an erie and luminous moon. The Elven Queen spreads her arms over her dominion. The saying written on the card about wisdom, and this spot being the sephiroth of wisdom, is just amazing providence.

      To complete the trinity of the "head" cards, I drew the Queen of Swords for Binah, understanding. This is the Lady Eowyn, Theoden's warrior daughter. She has slain the chief of the Nazgul, and holds in her hand the severed dragon's head. The Queen of Swords in the position of the Tree of Life's sphere of "Spiritual Purpose" indicates to me a psyche whose thinking is quick, decisive, and without guile. Quick to judge, and quick to execute judgment, the female intellect is "hidden" knowledge, occult. How interesting that in the story, Lady Eowyn loves Aragorn, but Aragorn loves Arwen. Lady Eowyn takes the energy of that unrequited love, and channels it into "killing dragons". This is a metaphor for problem solving by using single minded attention, the transmutation of sexual energy into creation.

      My drawings of the remaining cards on the Tree of Life were equally impressive. I believe this reading has revealed to me strengths, and weaknesses. Take for instance, the "heart" sephiroth, the sephiroth of beauty, Tephiroth. Over it I drew the Five of Swords. The card shows "Pippin and Merry are captured by the Orcs, and are bound and carried away." This is an amazing revelation, that the heart can be darkened by forces that occlude its brilliance within us. For myself, this is probably not such a good card to have placed over the heart/beauty sephiroth, and is therefore a good card for me to study what is wrong in myself. These forces can be actual devils, which act upon the heart the way storm clouds change the mood of an afternoon. The beauty of the innocence of Merry and Pippin is concealed in ugliness.

      The other seven cards were equally revealing and meaningful to me.

      I love the selections of scenes from the LOTR books, which predate the movie trilogy. They capture not just the essence of their ordinal card, but harmonize symbolically at successively deeper levels. One could really go to a deep level of psychic wizardry by studying these cards, I'm inclined to believe. With that, I'd finally like to say that my acquaintance with Lord of the Rings is strong and long, and the world of Middle Earth is a mythology which I take very seriously. Having read the books several times gives me some comfort with the cards, so that I don't have to struggle to understand who is whom, and I can view the story in its Gestalt, forming new and interesting relationships between cards fairly easily.

      If you are new to the world of Tolkien, the guide book by the great and famous Terry Donaldson is superb. One could read the book on its own, and gain understanding, even without the cards. The package itself is a magical combination, it is not kid stuff. Also, I tend to think the artwork slants on the shady side of the mountain, if you know what I mean. There are no sunny days with white, poofy clouds, as there are a-plenty in the Rider-Waite deck. Here, we have lots of overcast, pall, dusky twilight, and lunar mist. Also, almost all of the trees in any of the cards of this deck are without leaves. The whole deck looks like it was painted in the month of November, which, if you live in the northern region of North America, is rather bleak, and we tend to party more to compensate for the gloom. The 3 of Cups, 4 of Coins, 8 of Coins, and 6 of Swords appear to be the only cards where I can find foliage growing on trees in the art work. Even these cards show grey, pale, and misty backdrops.

      IT Services Costs, Metrics, Benchmarking and Marketing
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • It confusing Services?
      • Great concepts but lacks examples
      • Excellent reading if you deal with IT data centers.
      • An adequate review of the topic
      • Focus is on the critical production support processes
      IT Services Costs, Metrics, Benchmarking and Marketing
      Anthony Tardugno , Thomas DiPasquale , and Robert Matthews
      Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
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      ASIN: 0130191957

      Customer Reviews:

      2 out of 5 stars It confusing Services?.......2004-02-06

      This book is very formal approach to IT services. Please don't give it to your customers/clients it will scare them. If you need humor or analogies to make things clear consider another book.The book is very hard to read with wordy sentences. Simplicity is much better, and this book makes some things even more confusing.

      3 out of 5 stars Great concepts but lacks examples.......2002-04-01

      I bought it with the objective of having it as a reference for managing data center operations. The ideas and concepts were very interesting, and I totally agree that the starting point should include determining linkages with the core business and getting management support. Most useful to me are the following chapters:

      Processes and Procedures - gives a framework on processes such as customer communication, internal communication, and change control.

      Resource and cost model - helps determine the types and amount of resources (material, human, etc.) that are needed to efficiently serve requirements.

      Measuring Success - discusses service levels and their measurement and coming up with service level agreements (SLAs)

      The Appendices on job descriptions and sample SLA is also a great help.

      The reason why I'm only giving 3 stars is that the authors could have given more examples as they explain the concepts. A line in the back cover page says "proven results, benchmarks and case studies--not just theory!" Sad to say, except for the sample SLA, this was not really delivered. It would help if the authors came up with even a fictitious company and apply the concepts to it.

      Again, the ideas and concepts are great, but the authors could have given more examples to help explain them. So if the authors come up with a new edition or a sequel that addresses this, I'd be most interested in buying it!

      4 out of 5 stars Excellent reading if you deal with IT data centers........2001-09-28

      This is a book that many IT managers have to read, it's a quick meal though, no details but a balanced dose of good ideas and a window on Service delivery where IT data centers is no longer a "cost center". The only thing I did not like is to center the data center around SUN and Oracle or a brand in general, although it is clear the book reflects the authors experience in SUN/Oracle environment.
      I advise anyone who has anything with today's data centers (no matter his or her technical level) to read this book.

      3 out of 5 stars An adequate review of the topic.......2001-09-20

      a small, concise exploration of the topic; some good ideas and good thoughts on a rare topic. Probably would have benefited from a broader view of its topic. Not a bad book though.

      5 out of 5 stars Focus is on the critical production support processes.......2000-12-29

      This book is one of, if not the, best guides to developing, implementing and managing a mature production support organization.

      The value of this book is that it takes a business-centric approach to service delivery, and augments material on service level management (such as Foundations of Service Level Management - another excellent book).

      Specifically, this book contains sorely needed body of knowledge in a profession that has lost its way. What I mean by this bold statement is the production support function in many IS/IT departments has devolved from service delivery to infrastructure management. IT Services brings the focus back to where it belongs: supporting the business.

      What I like most about this book is it not only shows what is wrong with most production support organizations, but it provides a clear roadmap to how to restructure production support from an infrastructure management focus to a service delivery paradigm.

      I highly recommend this book to anyone in production support, consultants and IT/IS executive management. It would also be useful to ISPs and ASPs because most of the material can be applied to internal or external customers.
      It Services Costs, Metrics, Benchmarking and Marketing
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        It Services Costs, Metrics, Benchmarking and Marketing
        Anthony Tardugno Thomas Dipasquale Robert Matthews
        Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover
        ASIN: B000KHB1FG

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