The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing - How to Produce and Market Your Book on a Budget

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AppId is over the quota

Linda F. Radke, owner of Five Star Publishing, has written a book that will enlighten and assist authors on a journey down the road to publication with ease and understanding. I was so surprised to open this book and find so many secrets revealed. Not only will readers get helpful tips on formatting, typesetting, grammar and working with an independent contractor but they will also get examples and first hand experiences laid out to help the reader better understand the process. With the help of other writers Radke provides detailed insight on the parts of the book, which if you are planning to do any sort of Print On Demand the order of these pages are key.

Not only does Radke give a step-by-step instruction on the process of self-publication you get insight on what it means to be short run, typesetting, scanning and formatting. She lists examples of all the publishing options such as standard, self and partnership publication opportunities. She even talks about how you can start your own self-publishing company like she did. You will learn about which pieces of office equipment will beneeded and why it is important in regards to starting a business. She also offers help with filing, shipping and freight information. These are also very important factors in getting your book to the public and being easily accessible by interested parties.

Every aspect of the publishing process is in this book. Readers learn how to market and promote as well as how to utilize media kits. The thing that impressed me the most is the information here can be used for writers who aren't considering self-publication. Radke gives tips on how to get your book on the radio, and television. Anywhere else this information would be sold. Each bit of information Each bit of information offered in this book is priceless.

Radke has everything you need to get your book published and out to the buyer in one easy to read place. You will not want to put this book down. Think of this book as a reference guide. In the back of the book Radke provides an A-Z glossary of words to help you better understand meanings of commonly used words in reference to self-publishing. You will use it often and it will be of great help to you. Thank you Linda for opening this door to self-publication. Any fears I had about this process have vanished.

A writers journey can be lonely if you don't know where to go for information or help. Visit my site at http://kristibernard.wordpress.com/. I share information on learning the craft of writing, author interviews, book reviews and many other resources.

Black Market Billions - How Organized Retail Crime Funds Global Terrorists by Hitha Prabhakar

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AppId is over the quota

I found "Black Market Billions: How Organized Retail Crime Funds Global Terrorists" by Hitha Prabhakar to be a fascinating and engaging read on a topic that, while I knew about, I didn't realize was as big and far reaching as it is. The book was quite engaging with the descriptions of the various links in the long organized retail crime (ORC) chain. And I didn't realize how much of the money made from these crime rings is shipped overseas and that some finds its way to terrorist groups.

The book is divided into three main sections. The first section, The Piracy Economy, looks at the crimes from a larger scope and has chapters on Organized Retail Crime Goes Global, When a Deal Isn't a Deal, and The Cost to the Stores. It is a good introduction on how ORC cheats retailers and costs them more money than I realized, and how governments lose taxes because of the huge ORC rings.

In part two, Follow the Money, the other profiles various links of the ORC chain. Chapters include The Money Trail and the Business of Cross-Border Trade, Profile of a Booster and a Fence, Family Ties, Money Laundering 2.0, The Political Agenda, and Strange Bedfellows. These chapters touch on those that are entering the stores and boosting the goods to terrorists and organized criminals on a global scale.

Part three, Putting a Band-Aid on a Broken Leg, is the shortest section of the book and contains chapters on The Failure of Preventative Measures and Letting the Bad Guy Get Away. This section has brief possible solutions to this global problem. I'd have liked to have had more on solutions, but maybe no one really knows what to do yet. (However, the story of the mall in California gives hope that simple solutions might be able to curb the problem.) I also hope that this book, by bringing awareness to the problem may curb some people from purchasing the illegal, but cheaper, products being sold through these organized retail crime rings.

There were parts of the book where I wish the author would have gone into more detail, but I understand that it is always a task determining how much or how little to include regarding depth of a subject. There were over 400 end notes, so the author definitely researched the topic, but I didn't check out all the sources, and some may not be as reliable as others. Some of the dots there were connected in this book may not have been accurately joined, but to be fair, there are A LOT of dots to connect.

Overall, I think this is an important book for people to read and understand how big a problem ORC really is, and with this awareness, start looking for ways to do something about it.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a writer, speaker, and mediator. He has authored several books (including Lost Conscience and the Tough Guy Wisdom series) and a number of instructional DVDs (including Hapkido Cane and the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series). He has also reviewed hundreds of books, DVDs, and products. His Warrior's Edge programs focus on safety, martial arts, self-defense, and living with The Warrior's Edge. His Black Belt Communicator programs focus on effective communication for conflict resolution, negotiation, leadership, and mediation. You can find out about Alain, read articles and reviews, see video clips of his DVDs, and more at http://www.burrese.com/blog.

Propaganda by Edward Bernays

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AppId is over the quota

Propaganda is a book by Edward Bernays who is also known as the "father of public relations". One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Bernays had a distinct style of writing which many readers may find confusing. Many readers think that Bernays deliberately mixes up definitions so as to make them accept that propaganda is a better way of managing very large societies.

However, several people differ in opinion and believe that Bernays is very descriptive in his books and covers all the pros and cons without hiding any facts. This group of people compares Bernays' 'Propaganda' to the book 'Art of War' by Sun Tzu. According to them, it seems like Sun Tzu is trying to hide a lot of facts unlike Bernays who lays everything out in the open and explains everything in a very elaborate manner.

In the book 'Propaganda', Bernays tries to answer various questions related to philosophy and public opinion and tries to establish the fact that a society is ruled or governed by the consent of those being governed, be it for the good or bad. He also tries to throw light upon the political structure in a dictatorship or a democracy, starting from the bottom or the lowest level and going all the way to the top through intermediate hierarchies, trying to explain what makes those forms of governance different from propaganda.

Bernays gives the example of the American masses and argues that they had every reasonable opportunity to learn from the events that took place in 1990s but they did not and found war to be an acceptable solution. According to him, the public or a mob often makes such decisions emotionally rather than making it logically.

Bernays manages to establish the fact that propaganda is simply a tool for maintaining law and order. His book is very different from other books as it reveals all the techniques without any prejudice or hiding the truth. It shows a constant continuous dialect about what issues there are and how to proceed.

Propaganda the book has a philosophical angle to it, he tries to prove that those who participate in the process do so by their own choice and will.

Propaganda the book is probably more important in today's world: Middle eastern countries whose dictators are having to stand down because of people powered revolutions, the sometimes psychopathic spin doctors of the western world, media manipulations and political double-speak than when the book was originally published.

Propaganda is an eye opening read for anyone trying to learn how the ruling elite of the world use power and propaganda to try and rule our society.

If you would like to read a chapter of this important book click here.

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SHALOM (Peace in the World)

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AppId is over the quota

"Israel was not created in order to disappear. Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom" John F. Kennedy

Shalom is what we all want
God blessed Abraham and his family
Shalom is true authentic peace on Earth

It is the dream of every child in this world
It is the dream that God gave to Abraham
It is the dream that King David envisioned of everlasting Kingdom

Psalm 127

"Unless the LORD builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat.
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Children are a heritage from the LORD,
offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one's youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court."

The State of Israel is to prosper the entire world.
The State of Israel is to be filled with the wisdom of King Solomon to have peace and prosperity for all 6 billion people on Earth.
The State of Israel was, is, and will be emerged blessed for eternity.
The State of Israel will be prosperous and last forever under God.

A poem dedicated to Mr. Isaac Shemesh, future Prime Minister of The State of Israel.

Jos? Angel Manaiza Jr. The New All-American Boy is an American contemporary author.