Misdemeanor Man
May 25, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
When his boss sticks him with a misdemeanor flasher case, Seegerman thinks, no problem. He’ll plead the case, caution his client to keep his trousers zipped, and rush back to rehearsal. No such luck. The flasher is rotting in a maximum security unit, and opposing counsel is the woman who stole, and refuses to return, Seegerman’s heart.
When his client vanishes and a key witness winds up dead, Seegerman lands in the legal tangle of his career. His bandmates in tow, he uncovers corruption among his city’s most prominent citizens. Like it or not, Seegerman has to act like a real lawyer. And, believe it or not, he’s good at it.
A gripping, irreverent legal thriller, Misdemeanor Man will have you on the edge of your seat, routing for the underdog, and believing in the magic of Manilow.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Funny, rich, and compulsively readable
I’m not a huge fan of legal mysteries, but Schaffer doesn’t write your average courtroom potboiler.
First of all, this book is funny as hell. Gordy is a great character, a perfect combination of pathos and humor, and I was rooting for him from the first chapter on.
The lawyer aspects engaged me more than I would have expected—being a lawyer himself, Schaffer takes us through a trial that is both realistic and fascinating. This isn’t TV melodrama; this is the real deal, described by a pro in layman’s terms with a smattering of sarcastic wit.
But beyond being a funny, compelling book, Misdemeanor Man also has real heart. Gordy’s family life and romantic life are just as important to the reader as the against-all-odds case he must win, as is his affinity for Barry Manilow.
It’s a testament to Schaffer’s writing that I actually revisted some of Manilow’s greatets hits after reading the book. Sure, I may have downloaded them from a file-sharing network on Kazaa, but even the fact that I’m giving the guy a shot should be worth something.
The sequel is going on my to-be-read pile, and Schaffer is now on my must-read list.
If you like the Fletch series by Gregory McDonald, or the funny caper novels of Westlake, check this book out.
5 Stars Excellent New Author
I picked up this book while browsing in a local book store, and I was hooked from Page 1. The characters are so true-to-life that I felt like I had to say good-bye to co-workers and friends when I finished the last page. This author is equal in every way, and a little better in some ways, than John Grisham. I am very excited to see that Mr. Schaffer has written a sequel to Misdemeanor Man. I have read the excerpt, and once again I am hooked; doomed to not wash a dish or a load of laundry once I start Book #2 until its completion.
5 Stars Misdemeanor Man: A Novel and a half
This book is so wonderful it falls in my top five most favorite books. Dylan pulls the reader in right away at the beginning and cuts right to the chase. The book remains focused throughout. I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what happened with Gordy and his trial and his big gig. Once I got towards the end (last 3 chapters or so) I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what was happening. I found myself constantly laughing out loud and gasping. (Although, during the case I would’ve handled things slightly differently.) The characters are real, they could be you or me and you get attached to them. Not only can I picture them but I’ve fallen in love with them. There is absolutely no lag time in the book. Everything that happens occurs for a reason and is important. I never found myself going alright already, can I just make it through this chapter and get back to the story. For all you Barry Manilow fans out there, Dylan really hits the nail on the head in Chapter 20 and I really wish this book had been around when I was doing Speech and Debate (Poetry and Prose) when I was in high school. I would have LOVED using the two pages as my prose piece! Read it and you’ll understand!
5 Stars Misdemeanor Man
“For a guy who isn’t me, Schaffer can really write.”
–Kinky Friedman
I have no idea how you get a better recommendation than that. Not even at gunpoint. One of the back cover blurbs calls it “thrilling, funny and heartrending in turn,” which is also true. Schaffer does them all equally well. Real people, too, not cutout characters. Depth. Insight. He happens to be a lawyer, and the best of the bunch are very able communicators, so he brings that to the book as well. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
And, since we’re talking about the first book in what I hope will be a long-running series, let me add this. Some authors of series tend to work from a little timeline of what will happen to their main characters. Book one gets this, book two gets that, etc. They stretch it out so thinly that what can carry only a book or two lasts for ten or twenty. Then they fill the silences with two-dimensional stereotypes and weak one-liners. Schaffer doesn’t do that. He blasts you will both barrels, empties his mind, and assumes he’ll come up with something else next year. He has no idea how much I appreciate that. This is simply excellent. Plus, I have the sequel on my shelf (unread) and you don’t, so nanny nanny boo boo.
Finally, I’ll probably go to my grave hating Barry Manilow, but I genuinely enjoy watching Schaffer defend the guy. Talk about an unwinnable case…
5 Stars you gotta love this guy
Gordy Seegerman is definitely an “everyman” we can feel for…especially if you love whodunits – and music (whether or not Barry Manilow is your favorite singer). Dylan Schaffer’s writing is wonderfully witty, his characters unique, and his storytelling will have you turning pages eagerly, usually with a smile on your face. The sequel “I Right the Wrongs” follows up and doesn’t disappoint!
A guide to overall direction Questions to access your clients quality world
May 24, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
A guide to overall direction Questions to access your clients quality world
Overcoming Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Client Manual Best Practices Empirically Based Treatment Protocols Series
May 24, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
The 29 Solution 52 Weekly Networking Success Strategies
May 24, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
The 29 Solution 52 Weekly Networking Success Strategies
In many ways, success at networking is the uncommon application of common knowledge. Most people understand that networking is important to their success–they just lack a step-by-step process to get the results they want. Almost no one really implements a comprehensive methodology that will build a business through networking. Thus, the need to network is ‘common knowledge,’ and the development of the methodology required to be successful at it is the ‘uncommon application.’
By reading this book, you will experience the true essence and meaning of networking. The 29% Solution gives you the answers to two conflicting questions that a business owner or salesperson faces every day: How can I tend to my existing clients while at the same time network for new business? and, Should I place higher value on my current clients or on new clients?
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Worthless Blathering!
Yes, networking is useful, but not the artificially contrived methods proposed in this book. Really useful people (referral targets) aren’t going to be much interest in all the pointless pestering involved in developing POTENTIALLY useful contacts.
As for the title’s “29%” – even that is pointless, referring to the percentage of participants in one experiment that completed the requested chain, ignoring all the other replications with worse (as low as 5%) results.
Save your money and your time – read something else.
3 Stars Book deals with focus geography networking
There are a few good points in this book for everyone, but many of the points are very centered around networking for business that deal locally or in an otherwise geographically targeted area. Many of the points are difficult to apply to a national or global business.
Still, this book has some good information that can help anyone in their goal to be a better networker.
4 Stars Very Good!
I enjoyed this book tremendously. I happen to believe the number is 5% (not 29%), however I’ll defer to Ivan and Michelle. In a complacent, entitlement seeking society, these are great tips for business…and life!
The Godfather of Las Vegas
5 Stars Forget the Title; Buy The Book
I have long been a believer of the power of effective networking. And, in the tough times we are encountering as a nation, I believe that effective networking will be even more important.
Ivan Miser, one of the county’s leading authorities on networking, has collaborated with Michelle Donovan to write what I believe to be one of the best books in networking that has ever been written.(My other favorite is “Click” by George Fraser.)
I liked everything about the book…a lot…except for the title which is a case of copyrighting seemingly gone amuck. And to think that the subtitle doesn’t even explain the mystery of the title. YUK!
But, get past the title and get on with the substance of the book and this book is an absolute gem. Jam packed with solid information, wonderful tips, and even helpful exercises.
Like some of the best things in life, there is no magic pill to effective networking. This point is reinforced by the central organization of the book into a year-long program to build networking effectiveness.
In turbulent times, being a silo, or a lone wolf, just is not going to cut it. I highly recommend that all professionals buy this book, follow the program and become one of the 29% who are separated from the rest of the world by just six degrees. (Ah yes, there is at least some rationale to the title.) Even more importantly than being part of that dubious group, by following this program you will increase the likelihood that you will have the relationships to help you prosper in tough times.
1 Star Junk Book
Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! Look, I am a very small business owner trying to build a better business and gain clients. I’ve read so many business books. Common sense will tell you that you need to take time to network regularly for your business. I thought this book might be different. It is not. There are not any new ideas, just old ones broken into 52 weeks. Honestly you’d be better off buying Guerrilla Marketing for Free or Guerilla Marketing Weapons. If you must read this book, check it out from the library. Please don’t waste your money. I took mine back to the store.
Overcoming Depression Client Manual Best Practices for Therapy
May 23, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
Overcoming Depression Client Manual Best Practices for Therapy
User Ratings and Reviews
2 Stars Solid concepts and advice, but poorly written book
I feel the concepts and advice in this book are useful; however, I was very irritated by how poorly written the book was. I can only guess, but it seems that the author didn’t spend enough time re-writing and editing, or for that matter, thinking about how to present the information.
The examples are too numerous for me to give (and there are some basic mistakes: “activity” instead of “activities,” P. 49, etc.), but I’ll discuss three that have to do with the confused and confusing presentation of the material. (1) The author often includes two or more examples within one paragraph, without any transition (no “and,” “also,” or “however,” “but”). So I was often confused. Are the examples he is giving in a paragraph related to one concept? (Sometimes they seem to be; at other times the don’t seem to be.) Or are the three examples related to different concepts? I had no way to know. (This could have been made clearer by using separate paragraphs for different concepts, and/or transition words (”and,” “also,” for similar items, or “however,” “but” for different items). But as a reader, I couldn’t guess what the author intended. (2) The author included many lists, but they often seem random, a hodgepodge of ideas thrown together without much thought. For example, some lists contain ten or more items, but often two or more items within the list are essentially the same. (Had he thought about this more, he could have combined the similar items and then had a more manageable list). (3) Some of the sentences just don’t make sense (even though the vocabulary for this workbook is, I would guess, understandable by a high school student). Once again, I think this is due to the author hastily writing without first thinking about what he wants to say and how best to say it.
I give the two stars for the useful concepts in the book, but take away three from having to suffer through such dreadful writing. This is a pity, as the concepts don’t seem that difficult, they are just made so by the terrible writing.
I have used another book in the Best Practices for Therapy series, “Overcoming Situational and General Anger,” which I found most useful (I gave it five stars). It also follows a cognitive-behavioral approach, but with this main difference: it was clearly written and easy to follow.
The Attorney
May 23, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
Paul Madriani is back–as both defense attorney and sleuth–in this riveting new legal thriller by the New York Times bestselling author of The Judge and Undue Influence.
“Riveting . . . a suspenseful tale, right up to the satisfying climax,” wrote Publishers Weekly in praise of The Judge. “Legal thrillers don’t get much better than this.” Kirkus Reviews hailed Undue Influence as “the courtroom novel of the year.” Now Martini delivers Paul Madriani’s most challenging case yet: one pitting a drug-addicted mother against her daughter’s newly rich grandfather in a contentious custody case that leads to criminal accusations and ultimately murder.
Having moved to San Diego to be closer to the woman in his life, Madriani takes on the case of Jonah Hale, an elderly man in terrible straits. As a result of their only child Jessica’s longtime drug addiction, Jonah and his wife have been raising their eight-year-old granddaughter, Amanda. On the heels of Jonah’s multimillion-dollar state lottery win, Jessica revives her interest in mothering. When Jonah won’t deal–maternal rights for a mega-bucks payoff–Jessica plays dirty: she accuses the old man of having sexually abused her as a child and similarly abusing Amanda now.
Enter Zo Suade–a flamboyant, feminist activist with a penchant for making the objects of custody battles and their mother/plaintiffs “disappear.” True to form, a week after Zo takes on Jessica’s case, mother and daughter vanish. When Zo’s body turns up, Jonah becomes the prime suspect. And Madriani is the man who can prove his innocence.
Filled with action in and out of court, rich in characters with motives obvious and subtle, The Attorney marks the much-anticipated return of Paul Madriani.
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Tossed the book away after only a few pages
The sensible thing to do was grab the child and move to another state! Staying put was silly masochism. What could I expect of this novel after such a start?
3 Stars Heavy Legal Thriller
This is the 2nd Madriani novel I have read and I would rate them both as good. Not great; but a decent read. The book has a good story involving kidnapping, drug dealers, and a lot of courtroom activity.
His books would be better if there was some more sarcasm or touches or humor. The characters need more depth where the reader can relate. After this second book, I can’t even picture what Paul would look like or who would play him in a movie.
The courtroom activity was a tad drawn out but what do you expect with a name like “The Attorney”
As many others have stated, I also find the ending to this and his other books to be transparent.
5 Stars An audiobook review
I am a relative newcomer to the works of Steve Martini, this being my third book, the second one as an audiobook.
As a listener, I can tell that Martini’s craft has improved quite a bit – my first experience with a Martini audiobook (”The Judge”) only accentuated Martini’s overuse of the simile (he moved like a cat, etc.) – it was so obvious that I began a running count of how many times I heard them! This plot is not as strong as that one, but his skills as a writer have improved so that the entire effect is actually one of improvement.
Paul Madriani and his partner Harry are back for another turn as protagonists, although Harry takes a backseat in this one, which is too bad. Nevertheless, the plot moves well, suspense builds nicely until the ending comes along and there is a bit of a letdown. However, I am not one to look down on 5 hours of solid entertainment just because the last 5 minutes were a bit weak.
Chris Meloni (more well known as Det. Elliot Stabler on “Law & Order: SVU”) reads this audiobook version of “The Attorney”. Meloni does a pretty good job, especially with Madriani and the defendant, Jonah Hale. Considering that the book is set in San Diego, it is a bit odd that all of his police officers and district attorneys all end up sounding like transplanted southerners.
I give this legal thriller an A-.
2 Stars Plods too Much in the Middle
I’ve enjoyed Steve Martini’s work in the past, but THE ATTORNEY was something of a disappointment.
THE ATTORNEY has a great beginning, but the middle moves with almost excruciating slowness, with a lot of legal maneuvering and protracted arguments over minutae. There isn’t a lot of tension in this novel, and I didn’t feel a burning desire to turn the page. The trial in the second half of the novel is largely boring, where paper-thin characters rehash all the events that took place earlier in the book. This book is probably a hundred pages longer than it needs to be.
There is a twist ending in THE ATTORNEY, but it’s delivered in a way that is kind of abrupt and unsatisfying. I can’t say more without giving it away.
I like Martini’s writing style, and really enjoyed his novel DOUBLE TAP, so I hope this book is an aberration.
4 Stars Far better than I’d expect of “genre fiction”
This book is far better than I expected it to be. It’s actually a bit unusual for me to like anything with “New York Times Bestseller” emblazoned on the cover. But I did that thing many reviewers stereotypically do, staying up until midnight to finish reading it. How’d that happen?
Narrative, ear for dialogue, pacing, characterization. The minor characters present little mysteries which I enjoy trying to solve, even when I’m wrong. I’ve actually come to expect this more of great films than great novels, which probably means I’ve been reading the wrong books lately.
It’s too easy to write a series of thrillers. Create your recurring protagonists, situation, and stock characters. Throw a different plot and villain into the mix for each novel, and there you go. A Quinn Martin production. But that’s lazy. Steve Martini doesn’t do that. He makes it complex, readable on many levels, and very satisfying to solve “the puzzle.” Legal thriller as literature? Hey, why not?
He’s also a master of the language, doing all the work so it’s quite easy for the reader to just kick back and read. I believe he’s brought this old reader back to the legal thriller genre, and I’m going to enjoy hunting down his other books.
The Terrible Truth About Lawyers How Lawyers Really Work and How to Deal With Them Successfully
May 22, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
The Terrible Truth About Lawyers How Lawyers Really Work and How to Deal With Them Successfully
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Essential reading for CEOs
Before starting International Management Group, Mark McCormack was a Yale-trained lawyer for a few years, until he became disenchanted with the profession. He writes from personal experience. If you learn nothing else from this book, take away this key thought: Lawyers are trained to find problems, not solve them. That’s why a couple of CEO’s can resolve a dispute inexpensively over lunch in an hour or two where teams of lawyers can’t do it in months or even years.
5 Stars Vast amount of hard earned wisdom
Sadly we live in a society where far too much of our daily world is molded by attorneys rather than engineers, artists, warriors and great thinkers. It’s that way because we let it be. One of the lessons of decades in business and education is that the proper use of attorneys is to facilitate execution of decisions made by those with an understanding of the problem and non-legal issues. To be sure there is an important and critical role for attorneys in facilitating the proper execution of the client’s intent.
But attorneys are only human and come with varied personalities, defects, strengths, prejudices and goals. They need to be managed and McCormack provides priceless guidance on the issue, filled with humor.
Some years ago the ABA recommended that attorneys leave the room when lawyer jokes and stories were being told. That alone reflects part of the problem, for in most every fable there is a kernel of truth, useful to those who listen.
Should be required reading for anyone who engages or works with attorneys. Its primary benefit is not that it makes lawyers look bad but rather it contains a vast amount of wisdom about when to use attorneys and how to use them effectively . Perhaps more importantly it helps to understand how attorneys are are commonly misused.
One should not leave the book with the belief that all attorneys are bad for your financial health. Properly integrated into a team effort they are priceless.
Other bits of wisdom – if you employ a jerk as an attorney you are a jerk.
The author has the experience, wisdom and writing ability to make this a rare combination of highly useful and highly readable. Highly recommended .
5 Stars First-rate
This is a fantastic book, and I’m absolutely amazed that it is out of print. McCormack is a lawyer-turned-businessman, who built a business from scratch that placed him on the FORBES 400. So if there’s a businessman who knows legal matters enough to help the average businessman, he’s it. He gives advice I don’t think you’d find anywhere else, and gives it in a very readable and often entertaining form. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
Breach of Trust A Joseph Antonelli Novel
May 22, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
Breach of Trust A Joseph Antonelli Novel
Attorney Joseph Antonelli dives into a case of White House intrigue, intimacies not forgotten, and suspicions dark and deep in this legal thriller in the Edgar Award-nominated series called “adroit and often elegant” (Los Angeles Times).
The novels of D. W. Buffa featuring attorney Joseph Antonelli have become some of the most avidly praised of the legal thrillers being written today, called “absorbing” (Orlando Sentinel), “suspense-laden” (Houston Chronicle), and “electrically charged” (The New York Times). The Judgment, the third in the series, was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel of the Year.
In Breach of Trust, Antonelli is seduced into taking a case that has dangerous implications not only for the upcoming United States presidential race but also for a group of friends who thought they had put the sudden death of a young woman behind them long ago. When Antonelli attends a Harvard Law School reunion at Manhattan’s Plaza Hotel, he doesn’t suspect how disturbing his return will be-for it was at a party in this very hotel that a lively young woman fell from a window to her death. The event had been ruled an accident at the time, but the case is about to be reopened, and a possible witness is wary of its potential to ruin his political chances-a man with promise and ambition in equal measure, the vice president of the United States. When the trial begins, the nation’s eyes turn to the accused, the downtrodden James Haviland, and to the unseen powers both within and without the White House who want to bury him. It’s up to the shrewd and sharp Antonelli to uncover just where the secrets lie-and exactly who is playing whom.
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars Boring Buffa…
This is my second Buffa work. The first was in the mold of John Grisham. I am not sure where Buffa was going with this work. The book begins with the main character, Joseph Antonelli, being summoned for a meeting with the current Vice-President and former Harvard classmate, Thomas Browning. Vice-President Browning has news of a pending charge against one of their former classmates of the murder of yet another classmate forty years earlier. Browning wants Antonelli to take the case.
As the case develops, hints of a White House conspiracy begin to surface. Antonelli tries to sort through the case of the present while dealing with the memories of the past. The problem: the book drags. I would like to see Mr. Buffa go back to the formula that has made his other books bestsellers.
5 Stars “Antonelli…he’s likable, lovable & a man for all seasons”
“Breach of Trust”, Dudley W. Buffa, New York, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2004 ISBN 0-399-15190-7, HC, 371 pp. & 6.25″ x 6.25″
In this 6th. Joseph Antonelli novel, Buffa has the protagonist lawyer in NY at Harvard Law School class reunion, per request of classmate Thomas Browning, now Vice President. He’s asked to be defense lawyer for expected indictment of their classmate James Haviland upon re-opening of accidental fall of Ann Malreaux, 2nd year law school classmate at Christmas Eve party several decades past.
The story line involves mutiny in White House ranks of President Walker & VP Browning, the latter seeking his own nomination & who alludes to a conspiracy to oust him in a scandal related to Annie’s death. Antonelli does his homework, contacts everyone associate with Annie & enjoys assistance & sizzling romance from Gisela Hoffman, a young reporter in midst of divorce.
Demonstrated via idiosyncracies of prosecutor Caminetti & Judge Charles Scarborough, is the fierce trial Antonelli is told that must be won at all costs. We are shown the relationship of Joanna van Renaessler, Antonelli’s old flame, but now wife of VP Browning — she has kept secrets.
The plot unfolds with momentum & just when you think its over, the underlying intrigues are at last revealed: — Antonelli is affable & crackerjack as trial lawyer but he’s unprepared to the like of young Gisela. In this novel, the protagonist Antonelli really shines — likable, lovable & a man for all seasons. This book is not to be missed.
3 Stars No light to be seen in this one.
For the young and rich at Harvard Law School, parties that went on for days in the 1960’s were common. Of course, nothing too scandalous that would come back to haunt you when you became part of the rich and legal elite and whatever secrets there were – well, they were expected to be kept hidden for the good of all. A law school reunion brings all the players together, with the guest of honor being one of their own. The heir to a fortune, the odd member of their group from their university days went on to become the Vice President of the United States.
Thomas Stern Browning has made a request of his old school friend, Joseph Antonelli. Forty years ago, at a party held at the Plaza Hotel, a young woman fell to her death. Though loved by all that met her, Annie Malreaux had two suitors at the time who were desperately in love with her and both were at the Plaza when she died. In the present day, a murder case is brought before the court; the result of which will put one of these men in jail and end the rising career of the other. Browning has only one more step to go before he reaches his ultimate political goal, and there are many who would like to stop him getting here. Defense attorney Joseph Antonelli must dig into the past that they all share to end the nightmare of the present.
D.W. Buffa undoubtedly has an elegant and meticulous style of writing. Infusing his latest work with a melancholic air Buffa has written a sombre novel of regret and lost love. The courtroom scenes do not take up a lot of time in “Breach of Trust” though the novel could be aptly described as a legal and political drama. What detracts from the read is the pompous speeches of the characters and the inherent selfishness common to most of the major players. It’s difficult to care one way or another what happens to there ultra urbanized souls who spend all their time in cities and around people that they all secretly seem to despise.
“Breach of Trust” is the author’s sixth novel featuring Joseph Antonelli. This work serves well as a standalone but seems more of concluding piece than an entry in a continuing series. If you don’t let the darkness drag you down you will appreciate the careful deliberations that have led to the present day conflict in this thoughtful and unsettled novel.
1 Star Breach of Trust alright. He is breaching the trust of his readers
I started reading Buffa from the Judgment. I enjoyed the dark, brooding and at times menacing atmosphere of the novel. I then went back and read the Prosecution and The Defense. And those two were just as entertaining as the Judgment. The novels did not have the tautness or thrill that you would expect from a legal/criminal novel. But they did possess an element of lurking shadows that always kept you on your toes.
Then came Star Witness. Glitzy garbage. Some two cents Hollywood pot-boiler. I thought, well Buffa is having an off day. I waited patiently while throwing good money after bad on a succession of Grisham duds – and he has been churning them out one after another – and then I read that Breach of Trust was coming out. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. And at $30.00 Australian Dollars a pop getting my hands on it wasn’t cheap.
It finally arrived in Sydney and I got it. Read 20 pages and couldn’t believe the boredom. Instead of the dark menacing air, there was the air of senile old people reminiscing in flatulent-infested rooms about a past that was even more boring than the time they were in if that’s at all possible.
I put the book down and waited a month, tried to re-read. Same. Terrible. I put it on ebay. Couldn’t even get one hit for a $1.00. I finally took it down to the local library and hid it on the shelf surreptitiously. Because I am sure that they wouldn’t have wanted it either.
I just got Trial by Fire. This is the last one that I am going to take a chance on. If this doesn’t pan out Buffa is history for me.
3 Stars Lighten Up, Mr. Buffa!
D.W. Buffa’s “Breach of Trust”, while not exactly a page-turner, is an interesting novel. Buffa’s super-defense attorney Joseph Antonelli is back, this time the reluctant defendant of his former Harvard law school roommate, Thomas Browning, who happens to be the Vice President of the United States. A decades-old death – apparently accidental – of a young woman from the Antonelli/Browning circle of friends resurfaces with a politically motivated vengeance. What follows is a convoluted plot of conspiracies and politics, dredging up long buried secrets while challenging friendships, loyalties, and values.
Unfortunately, “Breach of Trust” suffers from Buffa’s pretentious – if not bombastic – windy and preachy prose. Characters are philosophically somber and cynical to a fault, lending to a setting unnecessarily morose and humorless. The left-leaning Buffa definitely has a political axe to grind, bordering on yet another thinly veiled attack on the current Bush administration. But to give credit to the author, the end salvages some sense of political ambiguity and neutrality. At its best, it is a stinging indictment of politics in America, while at its worst, “Breach of Trust” is a bleak and pessimistic assessment of government and justice in America. Intelligent fiction? For sure, but at times frustrating, occassionally simply boring, and A book one you’ll not find hard to put down.
Integrating and Extending BIRT Eclipse Series
May 22, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
Integrating and Extending BIRT Eclipse Series
The second of a two-book series about business intelligence and reporting technology, Integrating and Extending BIRT introduces programmers to BIRT architecture and the reporting framework. Built on the Eclipse platform, this exciting technology makes it possible for programmers to build and deploy customized reports using scripting and BIRT APIs. In addition, programmers can extend the BIRT framework by building new plug-ins using the Eclipse Plug-in Development Environment.
This book describes the key components of BIRT architecture, applications, and engines, including installing, deploying, and troubleshooting the Reporting and Charting engines in an Enterprise Java application-server environment.For developers who wish to incorporate custom business logic in their reports or access data from Java objects, the book describes BIRT’s extensive scripting capabilities in JavaScript and Java. For developers who want to extend the BIRT framework, the book describes the key extension points to use in creating customized report items, rendering extensions for generating output other than HTML or PDF, and Open Data Access (ODA) drivers for new data sources. The book provides extensive examples of how to build plug-ins to extend the features of the BIRT framework.
Topics discussed include
- Installing and deploying BIRT
- Deploying a BIRT report to an application server
- Understanding BIRT architecture
- Scripting in a BIRT report design
- Integrating BIRT functionality in applications
- Working with the BIRT extension framework
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars BIRT Report Designer
It is a very useful book for anybody starting to use BIRT. However, some sections are slightly out of date vs. the new versions (2.2.2) of BIRT in 2007.
The basic concepts in this book are still very useful, otherwise it is hard to find online information explained in such a systematic way and in such details.
5 Stars Explains org.eclipse.birt for Java customisation
This book is an impressive extension on “BIRT: A Field Guide to Reporting”. The latter described BIRT to a newcomer, showing how to use its features. With a minimal discussion of scripting for customisation. While the scripting certainly involved programming, it was rather minimal, and most of the text showed a declarative layout approach to using BIRT.
The Integrating book is the sequel. Strictly a programmer’s book. It assumes you’ve read the earlier book. But now you need to take the customising [much] further. So here the text shows how to program in Java, not just JavaScript. Essentially, the bulk of the book explains the package org.eclipse.birt, which is freely available and has been built out with many classes. The problem to a programmer is the sheer multitude of those classes. An embarrassment of riches which the book tackles.
Some classes relate to customising the UI. There is a charting API built on top of Java Swing. So you can key off your pre-existing Swing expertise. Swing is pretty easy to learn, and the BIRT graphics classes seem to continue this property.
The only possible problem might be if you prefer SWT widgets for the better native look and feel. But the BIRT contributors correctly decided to support the most popular widget set, which is Swing.
Other BIRT classes relate to getting data at the back end, from various possible sources.
Overcoming Generalized Anxiety Disorder Client Manual A Relaxation Cognitive Restructuring and Exposure Based Protocol for the Treatment of GAD Best Practices for Therapy
May 21, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Terrific empirically supported self-help text
This is the best treatment manual I’ve seen for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It presents a scientifically sound cognitive-behavioral therapy protocol in user-friendly language. Individuals with GAD can either work through it on their own or with a therapist. The Therapist Manual is excellent, too; I highly recommend both.
1 Star Garbage
This book was absolutely terrible. I purchased it with high hopes, but instead I threw it away. I couldn’t have the heart to sell it used to someone else, because one person should only get burned buying this book.
