Book Description
In 1971, college student Ted Chapin found himself front row center as a production assistant at the creation of one of the greatest Broadway musicals, Follies. Needing college credit to graduate on time, he kept a journal of everything he saw and heard and thus was able to document in unprecedented detail how a musical is actually created. Now, more than thirty years later, he has fashioned an extraordinary chronicle. Follies was created by Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Michael Bennett, and James Goldman - giants in the evolution of the Broadway musical and geniuses at the top of their game. Everything Was Possible takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride, from the uncertainties of casting to drama-filled rehearsals, from the care and feeding of one-time movie and television stars to the pressures of a Boston tryout to the exhilaration of opening night on Broadway. Foreword by long-time NY critic Frank Rich.
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous but true.......2007-08-29
A friend of mine kept hounding me to get this book. So finally I did, and what a read! I couldn't put it down. As a former actress myself (did a National Tour that opened in Boston at the Wilbur in 1974), I totally identified with all the actors in "Follies." And knowing the show, I felt the hair go up on the back of my neck as the head honchos talk to Stephen Sondheim about a song for Carlotta who has been around for a long time but is still performing. OK so THIS is when he writes "I'm Still Here"! Many other "hair-raising" moments. If you have ever been involved with the backstage side of theatre--acting, directing, or just working props--you will find this book resonating with your own experiences. Heartily recommend it!
Wasn't That a Blast???.......2005-08-20
Thank you, Ted Chapin. This is a wonderful memoir on the birth of the now legendary, (though not appreciated by everyone at the time), Broadway musical, Follies, as seen through the eyes of young well connected college kid who was lucky enough to work on the production and savvy enough to keep and save all his notes! Whew! Long sentence. Follies is my all time favorite Broadway score and there's a reason for that. Once you get hooked on this musical, its hard to turn away, you'll want all the various recordings. Sadly, though the show ran for over a year, it lost its entire investment, partly due to its huge operating cost and partly because the NY Times critic didnt like it and it lost the Best Musical Tony to an undeserving rival. Over the years and through various revivals the stature of this musical has grown into its own legend. Chapin was there to see its birth and we all should be grateful for this book. From the rehearsals, to its out of town tryout, Broadway opening and beyond, Chapin was there. We get to know many of the principals through his eyes (Alexis, Dorothy, Yvonne) and see how a musical is put together from start to finish. This is must reading for any Broadway fan and fascinating even if you arent much of one. Hopefully, if you havent listened to the score, this will motivate you to go out and buy one of the various recordings (they all have their pluses and minuses, The Paper Mill Playhouse recording is the most complete). Chapin is discrete (Was Yvonne just a pal or a romance?) keeping gossip to a minimum, but the book never loses momentum. A real page turner. I hated to see it end! Bravo!
A Must for Sondheimites.......2005-08-12
All I can say is that Ted Chapin must have kept very thorough notes as Everything Was Possible, the Birth of the Musical Follies, feels like it is written about a show that was produced only recently rather than over thirty years ago. All the creators and performers come alive vividly (and lovingly) in this marvelous book. The author traces the entire rehearsal, out-of-town tryout, and preview period of the musical Follies, focusing only on what he himself witnessed and recorded as a twenty year old gofer with the show. What is quite remarkable is his fairness to everyone involved. Even the divaish moments of some are balanced with these very same personalities more human moments at others. Anyone interested in Sondheim, musical theatre, or the art of putting it together will be delighted with this blow-by-blow account (perhaps a tad too much on rare occasions). A delightful book.
THEY DON'T MAKE 'EM LIKE THEY USED TO.......2005-05-27
There ain't many of us, but there are enough of us to warrant a lengthy and detailed account of how Follies came to be. I'm talking about all of us would-be "Broadway babies," who went through college singing the lyrics to songs such as "Broadway Baby," "Buddy's Blues," "I'm Still Here," and sighed some deep ones over "Losing My Mind." We were too late to see the original production of Follies but we know all the songs by heart and the names of stars Alexis Smith and Yvonne De Carlo, despite never having seen any films of either Hollywood lady. If you can count yourself in this group of show people for whom Follies is legendary, then this book is for you.
To an outsider, it must read like a technical manual on some weird and twisted process. To me, it reads like every theatre production rehearsal period I've ever been through (and I'm not even a pro, so to speak) except that the tunes are being written by Sondheim almost minute to minute, Hal Prince is busting himself to get the nuances to be less subtle and Michael Bennett is try to move the thing along at a trot without giving his "older" actors heart attacks! Same process, big names, very high stakes.
The kid, that is the fly-on-the-wall former Follies gofer turned narrator, is good. Mr. Chapin, as a twenty year old student, worked as the Follies gofer - you think, that could have been me if I had been in the same place at the same time - and kept a journal of everything he saw and heard. The key here is that he heard a lot and jotted it down verbatim. For this he should win a friendly Eve Harrington award because without him we would never know, and come to love, such charming and kooky people like 74 year old Ethel Shutta who immortalized "Broadway Baby," Gene Nelson who struggled arduously to get "The Right Girl" just right, or Fifi D'Orsay who sang "Ah, Paree!" while irritating her colleagues with her fake French persona. Mr. Chapin, with loving detail, recreates every step of hard work which drove Alexis Smith to a Tony Award winning performance. He etches out an edgy portrait of Yvonne De Carlo, far and away outside our expectations of the actress we used to know only as Lily Munster. By the end of the book, I was moved to read about the deaths of many of the people who created Follies. They are so deeply embedded in theatre history and legend that you do really believe that old saying "they don't make 'em like they used to."
From the eager rehearsals in faraway downtown New York, to rocky previews in Boston, and finally to its opening at the Winter Garden, this is a story which includes every human foible and triumph, a theatre account worth its hardcover price. The introduction by Frank Rich alone is enough to make you stand up and cheer for what Broadway used to be.
The next best thing to attending a Broadway musical.......2005-05-11
Recommended for fans of the musical is one of the best books you'll see on how major Broadway production was created: Ted Chapin's Everything Was Possible: The Birth Of The Musical Follies. Chapin's insider's account tells a bewitching story of the musical's evolution, from its initial casting to rehearsals, growth, and the fostering of stars. All the roots of a major Broadway production are clarified and given lively analysis, with plenty of first-person insights and observations throughout. The next best thing to attending a Broadway musical in production!
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Gates of Freedom: Voltairine de Cleyre and the Revolution of the Mind
Eugenia C. DeLamotte
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Women
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ASIN: 0472098675 |
Book Description
"The time is surely right to draw attention to Voltairine de Cleyre, one of the most uncompromisingly revolutionary of all American women writers . . . [Gates of Freedom] gives a fine selection of de Cleyre's work, while articulating it to contemporary critical and cultural concerns . . . . The book's organization, its tendency to tackle the most difficult issues head on, and its careful selection of published and unpublished work are all superb."
---Cary Nelson, University of Illinois
"The question of souls is old; we demand our bodies, now." These words are not from a feminist manifesto of the late twentieth century, but from a fiery speech given a hundred years earlier by Voltairine de Cleyre, a leading anarchist and radical thinker. A contemporary of Emma Goldman---who called her "the most gifted and brilliant anarchist woman America ever produced"---de Cleyre was a significant force in a major social movement that sought to transform American society and culture at its root. But she belongs to a group of late-nineteenth-century freethinkers, anarchists, and sex-radicals whose writing continues to be excluded from the U.S. literary and historical canon.
Gates of Freedom considers de Cleyre's speeches, letters, and essays, including her most well known essay, "Sex Slavery." Part I brings current critical concerns to bear on de Cleyre's writings, exploring her contributions to the anarchist movement, her analyses of justice and violence, and her views on women, sexuality, and the body. Eugenia DeLamotte demonstrates both de Cleyre's literary significance and the importance of her work to feminist theory, women's studies, literary and cultural studies, U.S. history, and contemporary social and cultural analysis. Part II presents a thematically organized selection of de Cleyre's stirring writings, making Gates of Freedom appealing to scholars, students, and anyone interested in Voltairine de Cleyre's fascinating life and rousing work.
Customer Reviews:
All The Days of The Life of Alison Sweeney.......2007-09-05
As I have been a viewer for Days of our Lives since it started airing on television, I have watched Ali grow up and wanted to read about her own life and the struggles which she faces in her real life. The only thing was I was hoping for an email address so I could write to Ali and the book did not have it. I have tried her web site but can't seem to get it to work for getting a message to her. Her book is very good, I started it and did not put it down until I was finished.
Jackie Hall
Amazing book.......2007-05-13
This is a terrific book! Alison Sweeney is not only an incredible actress but she is also a sweet, down to earth person. When I read this book I felt like I really knew her. She has the same everyday struggles as we all do. It was so good to hear someone who is famous being so honest about her struggles such as weight loss. This book is so inspiring and uplifting. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Grat Read even if not a Days Fan!.......2007-03-31
I have watched days on and off for years but was never a huge Sami fan. I picked up this book to read while recovering from surgery. I had heard Ali will be hosting Biggest Loser and I wanted to know more about her.
The book is written with such honesty, like Ali is talking to a friend.
I was impressed by the honesty in her weight struggles and social life issues growing up in show business. I think it would be an inspiring read for any teen/young women struggling with weight, self esteem issues. It is obviosuly a great read for Days fans too.
Book Looks Good.......2007-03-09
I have not had a chance to read the book yet. It was in great condition and looks like it will be good. I like Allison Sweeney so I'm sure that I will enjoy the book when I have the chance to read it.
All the Days of My Life (so far).......2006-11-06
The book was a very interesting insight into Alison Sweeney's life and how she is off camera. She sounds like a person I'd like to meet.
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All My Days: A Personal Life Review
Richard P. Johnson
Manufacturer: Liguori Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0764806432 |
Book Description
If you are already the head writer on a daytime drama, can you say your life is just like a soap opera? That's the question facing Bailey Connors, who is dumped by her girlfriend, saddled with the 22-year-old daughter of a network executive and driven close to madness by a friend's attempt at matchmaking. To top it off, she has been ordered to kill off the soap's leading lady on a special live episode, which will either be a disaster or the triumph of her career. But either way, love may be waiting on the other side in a very unexpected manner.
Sharon Stone is the author of Love Letters in the Sand and lives in Tampa, Florida.
Customer Reviews:
Light and frothy.......2006-10-30
This book does have its comic moments, hence the three-star rating but is not a lesbian romance, or, in fact, a lesbian anything. I can't say I fault the writing in this one, the author, Sharon Stone, has a nice easy flowing style and, on the whole, this is an easy read. It's just that I don't think I was prepared for the story nor, may I say, the characters to be so. . .well, soapy. I know, this is probably my fault as I am not a great fan of, nor do I watch any of the daytime soaps.
So how did I end up reading this book? Ah, well, that my, dear reader, we both may never know.
All that said, if you are a fan of watching the soaps and in the crazed frenzy you imagine goes on behind the making-of and the running-of a daily soap, then, by all means, this book will be both a delight and a charm. The humour is light and, at times, does sparkle. . .that is, if you like to see bubbles erupting from your mouth occasionally. Okay, so I'm teasing here.
Light, frothy, funny and, at times, a delight, but still. . .wasn't my personal cup of tea.
Boldly hilarious.......2006-06-26
If you've ever wanted to get an insider's look of a soap opera and be captivated by a lesbian romance, then look no further than ALL THE BOLD DAYS OF MY RESTLESS LIFE, the laugh-out loud novel that takes place on a daytime drama. Author Sharon Stone concocts a wild ride with main character Bailey Connors, the head writer on the soap billed with the same name as the book.
Though it seems like a dream to work on a wildly popular show, Bailey doesn't have it easy. She not only has to cater to the stuffy suits of the network executives, but she also has to wrestle with the demands of the spoiled, egotistical actors who don't always agree with the scripts they've been given. It's enough to make a girl pull her hair out. And Bailey's not trying to hear it right now, especially after being dumped by her longtime girlfriend.
Never fear, her trusty assistant Peter is there to save the day. Her flamboyant friend has a few prospects up his sleeve to help butch-looking Bailey to get back on the horse. But the women he sets her up with are horrible, to say the least.
And if Bailey's life could get any worse, she is stuck with one of the dumbest writers to ever live and has to rewrite months of scripts to kill off one of her favorite characters on the show. Talk about drama!!
Stone's All the Bold Days novel is hilarious not to mention outrageous. It has a quirky sense of humor that reads sharply and very quickly. She creates a great peek into the world of daytime TV, giving tidbits into the soaps. The ending wraps up well, as you root for Bailey to land on her feet.
Pick this one up if you need a good laugh.
Enjoyable.......2006-02-20
I enjoyed this book very much and will keep it in my collection to read again some day. Buy it...you'll like it.
Zany to say the least.......2005-09-19
If there was ever a book that fit the definition of zany, this one is it. Very few things make me laugh out loud, but I found myself in hysterics at the closing scenes. I'm not a fan of soap operas, but I do appreciate their spoofs. Bailey is the head writer for a show called All the Bold Days of My Restless Life. Every horrible cliche that applies to this type of show is attached to this one. What can you say about a show that has a main character named Aruba, her mother is Myrtle Beach and her stepsister is Bermuda Schwartz? Bailey's private life could be a feature story on her soap. After her girlfriend dumps her, her friend Peter arranges the three blind dates from hell. The first is with a woman who has a midnight online sex show and likes to use her dates as her "special guests." The second regales Bailey with details about why she has six children and how that has convinced her to start dating women. The last is a cop who gets drunk and starts shooting rats as they walk down the street, causing an encounter with some of New York City's finest. And then there is the fact that the two major stars of the show spend all of their time trying to do each other in professionally. Yes, it's light reading, not great literature, but sometimes it's just fun to read that.
If you love satire, this one's for you..........2005-09-14
I'm not a big fan of satire, so did not thoroughly enjoy the humorous side of this book. However, I was completely drawn into the underlying story. Bailey, the head writer for a daily soap opera with the same name as the book, seems to have a black cloud over her head. Her long-time girlfriend dumps her, her sarcastic response to a script change earns her a trip to the "Big Guy's" office, she is stuck mentoring a useless new writer who is related to a studio bigwig and ends up wreaking havoc, and she has to write off her favorite character. Of course, she has friends like Peter who want to help, but they only make things worse. While going through all of this, Bailey doesn't even realize she's falling in love with someone at work until it hits her square in the face.
I found this book to be similar in structure / intent as 'Castaway' by Advocate. The story was great, the characters were fun, but the comedy was a little over-done. This book is a great lazy-day read, but it won't be a permanent addition to my bookshelf. Enjoy it and pass it on.
Customer Reviews:
There are better books available.......2006-11-05
Although this book is recommended for young children and has an elementary feel to the illustrations, it places too much emphasis on death for elementary school children. I was particularly uncomfortable with the almost preachy way it tells us that we should be grateful to be alive. The book contains facts that may be better suited for older children, but it is written in simple language meant for young children.
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- Memoirs of a Teaching NUN
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All the days of my life
Mary Jeremy
Manufacturer: Bobbs-Merrill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006AW5SE |
Customer Reviews:
Memoirs of a Teaching NUN .......2007-08-11
In "All The Days Of My Life", Sister Mary Jeremy, O.S.F. presents her own story ~~ the story of a teaching nun.
In this 191-page hard bound book, which has been inscribed by the author, Sister Mary Jeremy emerges as a warm, strong, intelligent and, above all, humorous person. She is a blend of devoted mystic and rational scientist. She succeeds in giving her readers a very good idea of the IMMENSE variety of personalities that make up a religious community of nuns and the ceaseless activities that compose its life.
Sister Jeremy's work is "clear-eyed and engagingly frank". High dedication and human "foible" both go into this account ~~ with appreciation, shrewd insight, wit and compassion.
We first meet Sister Mary Jeremy at the age of 20. After a one-year probationary period and a two-year Novitiate, young Claire (who had entered a Franciscan Convent in Illinois immediately upon graduating from high school) takes her Final Vows as a nun of the Third Order of St. Francis Regular ~~ a teaching and nursing congregation. Her vow, in addition to the promise to live in poverty, chastity and obedience, was to live 'all the days of her life' in the service of God.
She has taken this phrase from her vow as the title of this TRUE account of her religious life from her entry into the convent up until her present (1959) which finds her as a chemistry professor at a Franciscan college.
Sister Mary Jeremy was three persons in one: a nun, a teacher and a vivacious woman. Throughout her book, she reveals this three-fold nature and the reader is quickly convinced that here is a dedicated person who lives her life to the fullest. To Sister Mary Jeremy, the life of a Teaching Sister was both satisfying and richly rewarding. She loved her life and, in "All The Days Of My Life", she tells us why.
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All Days of My Life
Hilary Bailey
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0449131548
Release Date: 1986-10-12 |
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- Wonderful!
- The best bunch of Christmas stories I've ever read.
- A Great Holiday Addition!!
- The Best of Christmas
- Stories to bring the spirit of Christmas into your heart.
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All I Ever Needed To Know I Learned On My Mission
Jeffrey G. Skousen
Manufacturer: Cedar Fort
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1555175376 |
Book Description
Many future missionaries have been told in general terms what to expect in the mission field, but they have rarely been able to comprehend the day-to-day rigors they will face—until now.
At last comes a book that moves beyond the usual “missionary” advice to actual experiences of what awaits them in the mission field.
By using amusing and revealing anecdotes, Jeff Skousen has crafted an entertaining guide that tackles various subjects such as dealing with anti-Mormon literature, handling Protestant ministers, and helping investigators through times of tragedy or doubt.
In the same mode as All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, every chapter is loaded with insights that will touch both the heart and mind of those preparing to serve a mission—and those who already have.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful! .......2006-11-30
So the Ghost of Christmas Past came to visit me this year. He came through a porthole in the ethers otherwise known as Google, after I entered my name. There he showed me "Under a Christmas Star," a book published by an apparently Mormon outfit called Cedar Fort. This was a collection of new Christmas tales by various writers.
Here is how the Cedar Fort website touts it:
Under a Christmas Star is a collection of Christmas stories---not sappy or sentimental ones, not dark or hard to understand ones, but stories that uplift and inspire---tellable tales. These are the brightest and most prized Christmas Stories. Most are true stories about people touched by the light of the Christmas star.
One writer was singled out for praise in an Amazon.com review by a teacher who said she was going to read the stories to her third-graders. That writer, by the way, was. . .
Me.
Not since I walked into the living room at age 11 and saw a gleaming lime-green ten-speed Schwinn Varsity under (well, beside) the Christmas tree have I had such a Christmas shock. You see, Cedar Fort didn't bother to mention to me that they were publishing my story that is not dark or hard to understand and uplifts and inspires tellable (sic) tales, and paying me a whole lot of Christmas nothing for it. Nor did they mention to me that my story was so compelling that they used it as the inspiration for the cover illustration of the book: Santa Claus pumping gas into a taxi cab.
Merrrrrrrry Christmas, Rip!
Now, when I say Ghost of Christmas past, here is what I mean: the story that Cedar Fort---a Utah-based outfit that publishes religious tracts and Mormon-themed stuff under Latter Day Saints Books---published without consulting me concerns one of my oldest, most personal and cherished Christmas memories. And I don't have many! Allow me to summarize:
When I was ten, I was sent on a Greyhound bus to visit my mother on Christmas Eve. My father and jealous stepmother had fought about it for days, but my father prevailed and I was dispatched to Newport Beach, California, with a paper-bag suitcase and a whole lot of ambivalence. I was to call a cab upon arrival, in order to be taken to the hotel where my mom worked as a cashier.
One problem: the old man had forgotten to give me cab fare---which I discovered just as the taxi arrived around 7 p.m.. To make a wonderful story short and less than artful, here's the punchline: Santa Claus was at the wheel. Really. His halls were fully decked. Red suit, black gloves, nylon beard. I didn't tell him I didn't have any money, figuring I could just bolt when I got to the hotel.
In the end, I confessed, and Santa explained that in all the Yellow Cabs on Xmas Eve in the area, only one had a Claus, and if you got him, you rode for free. See? Great story, eh? It sure as hell thrilled me as a kid, let me tell you. Father Christmas was watching over me that night, if not my father. There is more to the tale, but I don't want to get into that here. You can read it in full detail in my forthcoming novel, which should be available in late January, if you want.
Or you can read it in the Cedar Fort book, which I ardently, fervently, and otherwise enthusiastically hope you. . .do not.
Here's why:
I wrote the story used in "A Christmas Star" for the L.A. Times in the early 90's, and they slapped the cheesey headline on it: "How Santa Spread Cheer Without Eight Tiny Reindeer." At the time, I was writing regular essays/columns for what was called the "Life and Style" section, more affectionately known as "Strife and Bile" for its pandering to political correctness and touchy-feely sentimentality. I wrote about a hundred columns for L&S before being offered a regular gig there---only to have said offer rescinded because, as one enlightened editor ruled, "we have too many white male columnists here." (See 10/11/06 Riposte.)
(Merrrrrrrry Christmas, Rip!)
Well, the Times paid me for that article, about $350 or $400, I guess, which enabled me to buy a few extra ginger snaps to go with my eggnog that Yule. But the Times also did something that would make Santy frown, that would take the rosy red glow right out of his cheeks, something very, very un-Christmasy---something you would expect from Scrooge and Marley, Ltd.
Some might call it extortion. The Times called it "business."
This noble newspaper changed its freelance contracts to claim total rights to whatever it purchased---as opposed to traditional first-publication-only. And if freelancers didn't sign such a contract, the Times would not buy their work.
At least they didn't send someone to your home to break your knuckles.
At that time, I was what was termed a "regular contributor" to the Times. This meant I was a full-time employee without any of regular rights or regular benefits of full-time regular employees. This is also called "business." What's more, because I was angling for that full-time column which was later withdrawn due to my gender and race, I cut back all other freelance work. The Times, at that moment, comprised about 90 percent of my regular income.
Then there was the little complicating fact that I could just barely manage to get up and walk to the store every day to buy groceries, courtesy of a paralyzing three-year bout with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. My Times paychecks, after rent, were going to doctors and supplements. Typing was a workout.
Did I want to sign that contract? Every bit as much as I would like to congratulate George W. Bush for a job well done in Iraq.
Did I sign that contract? You betcha.
Did I think that someday my Santa-in-the-taxi column might be licensed to a proselytizing Mormon publisher for profit? And used for the cover illustration?
You betcha I didn't.
And there are more presents under this tree:
The "author" of "Under a Christmas Star" is one Carol Jean Coombs. That's correct. Author. My name and story are in this book, but Carol Jean Coombs is on cover as the author, apparently because she compiled the contents. Gee, I'd sure like to be considered an "author" for compiling a bunch of stuff written by other people!
You're welcome, Carol, baby! Glad to oblige!
Of course, it just fills me with the Christmas spirit that Carol liked my story enough to want to compile it. And whew, that compiling is hard author work! Here's what Carol said to a little newspaper: "Getting permission from the copyright holders was time-consuming and because some of the stories are 20 to 40 years old, a real challenge." Right! Almost as hard as writing! I wonder how much of an author challenge it was to secure my column from the fine people at the L.A. Times.
Yes, of course I looked into suing. I know that's just so humbug of me, but gee, it's the season. So I spoke with an excellent attorney who specializes in theft of one's work. Well, it turns out that I have every bit as strong a case as Saddam Hussein had in that Iraq courtroom. Even if I wanted to sue, there is the little matter of the Times extortion---er, contract. And another little matter called a statute of limitations which gives me three years after publication to file (it's been five.) And another little matter called settlement not covering lawyer fees.
Ho ho ho.
It's just another example of legalized crime that defines our world, of course. I mean, you wonder why criminals bother to break any laws, when you can steal legally. No---no one here has broken any laws---not the Times, not Cedar Fort, not author Carol Jean Coombs. Moral and ethical laws are another matter, but anyone who believes in such things can go fly a reindeer.
Still, I can't help but say this is all not very. . .Christian.
So there you have it. My writing has helped enable some Mormons to make some money. Of course, I do not like or approve of the Church of the Latter Day Saints---I think their members are painting without a brush, buttoning without a shirt---and I suspect the Church would not like or approve of me. The closest I've ever come to a Mormon Church was stumbling around on codeine outside the Tabernacle one morning about 5 o' clock (long story.)
In the meantime, I hear that "Under a Christmas Star" is quite popular. A friend in Atlanta told me that when it was given away as a gift at a recent book club party, there were "ooo's and ahhh's."
I'm a commercial success at last.
Why, you might even call me a Christmas Star!
---RIP RENSE
The best bunch of Christmas stories I've ever read........2000-12-07
I couldn't put it down. The stories are without exception warm and meaningful. I am giving this book to my grandchildren. Sharing these stories is sharing the best of Christmas with them.
A Great Holiday Addition!!.......2000-11-19
This is a great Christmas Book to add to your Christmas book collection. The stories in this book are inspirational and full of the Christmas spirit. This is a book that the entire family will enjoy!!
The Best of Christmas.......2000-11-19
Most collections of stories, Christmas or otherwise, have a bunch of mediocre selections, a few good ones, and one or two great ones--but this book manages to have ALL great ones. Plus, they're not those sappy ones that make you roll your eyes; they're touching without being obnoxious. Maybe it's because almost all of the stories are true experiences, told in a straightforward way. My personal favorites are "The Gold and Ivory Tablecloth" by Howard Schade, "A Christmas Gift I'll Never Forget" by L.D. Hummel, and "My Christmas Miracle" by Taylor Caldwell. Okay, also "How Santa Spread Cheer Without Eight Tiny Reindeer," by Rip Rense. (I'm a school teacher, and I'm going to read some of these to my third graders in December.) Enjoy the joy!
Stories to bring the spirit of Christmas into your heart........2000-11-18
This gem includes 25 stories that will appeal to readers of all ages. Most are true. Each story tells of the warmth and love of others--the real light of Christmas. They uplifted and inspired me. The author selected her best stories, most unavailable elsewhere, from a collection gathered over more than 40 years. Authors vary from famous writers and newspaper reporters to people who just wanted to share a personal Christmas experience. The 25 stories are short-- perfect for the whole family to read together each night throughout December. This is a book I will read over and over again--at Christmas time or whenever I want to remember the goodness we all have inside us.
Book Description
Written by an experienced Active Directory designer and implementor, this book walks you through the concepts of the Active Directory, and the design issues associated with various business environments, outlining strategies, principles and best-practice for creating the design, before leading you through the implementation step-by-step.
A well thought-out Active Directory provides a solid foundation for other services which will lower support costs and allow companies to centrally manage their environment. You should look at the Active Directory as your first step in moving to a centrally managed, highly integrated IT environment that supports efficient and effective delivery of business capabilities. Once the appropriate technical infrastructure is in place, it is vital to leverage that infrastructure to create an enterprise-class application infrastructure.
While the basics of the Active Directory are straightforward, to get the most from it requires careful planning and a thorough understanding of what can be accomplished. For any environment there are a number of core stages in the Active Directory implementation; the 3 Ds: discovery, design, and deployment. In this unique book, we take a broad range of environment types and work through these stages; suggesting an Active Directory design specific to that environment, and how to implement it; at each stage providing clear instructions so the decisions are clearly understood and the best-practice principles will be maintained throughout your system's lifetime. There are many books on using, administering, or even deploying Active Directory, but this is the only book that exists to relate the crucial design aspects to your target environment, and show you to implement this design.
This book covers discovery, design and deployment stages of Active Directory implementation in the following scenarios:
• A small, single location company with fairly basic needs and a basic Windows NT 4.0 domain
• A larger company with multiple regional areas which are currently facilitated by multiple NT 4.0 domains
• A retail-type business with very different drivers and requirements from that of a standard business, based on Windows 2000 Active Directory
• Merging and restructuring the Active Directory infrastructure of two financial institutions
This book is for Windows network administrators, analysts, or architects, with a grasp of the basic operations of Active Directory, and are looking for a book that goes beyond rudimentary operations. However, all of the concepts are explained from the ground up, and the book can be read by network design and administration professionals with no prior Active Directory knowledge.
Customer Reviews:
Uses 4 Hypothetical Companies to Illustrate Active Directory.......2005-03-30
One of the big changes brought about by the wide spread acceptance of Windows XP has been first the ability and then the willingness to use domains within networking systems. In this book John Savill uses several hypothetical companies to illustrate how Windows Server 2003 can use Active Directory features to establish and controll rather sophisticated networks.
He starts with a Small Accountancy Firm that has been using NT 4 and Exchange 5.5 and describes how to upgrade them to a 2003 based solution. After that he looks at a medium sized firm, The Regional Legal Firm with three remote sites, multiple domains with differing levels of trust depending on the groups of users. Finally there's the big Retail-Based Company with 5,000 stores nationwide and an office in the UK. This company isusing the usual collection of equipment but now needs to be integrated together to provide the level of reporting and information flow that is needed. Finally there's the International Financial Company which just bought another company. Implementing the desired services in this company serves as a way to describe some of the more advanced features of the Active Directory.
This book is positioned at an interesting level of describing the implementation of these systems where a network administrator could follow what is being done without going so heavily into the theory that he would get lost. It's intended to be a practical book, and handles this task very, very well.
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