Making It In Hollywood, By: Bryan Hidalgo and Gail O'Donnell

Bryan Hidalgo and Gail O'Donnell have amassed a collection of over 100 interviews of Hollywood's top contemporary talent from the acting community, along with screenwriters and directors. Each interview is structured with a head shot of the person, their short bio, and a dozen or so revealing questions asking what factors have contributed towards their success in their profession. Their answers are soberly articulated both humbly and modestly, but a common thread exists - it takes hard work and never giving up!

Hidalgo and O'Donnell queried professionals from both sides of the camera lens. The common question first asked was always, "How did your career begin?" For screenwriter Wesley Strick, he began writing as a rock critic and journalist in Berkeley. Many actors such as: James Rebhorn, Marcia Cross, David Paymer, Alex O'Loughlin, Michael Emerson and scores of others studied acting in school. For Joe Penny "It just happened," as he went to pick up a friend taking an acting class and sat down to watch what was going on, thinking "I can do that." Elizabeth Perkins was at a barbecue in Chicago when someone asked her, "What do you do?" "I'm an actor," she replied, thinking to herself that's what she'd like to be; allowing the self-actualization of the candid remark to then pull her into her career. My favorite was David Zayas, best known for his role as a cop, actually was a cop.

In a fashion reminiscent of James Lipton's famous interviews from Inside the Actors Studio, Bryan Hidalgo and Gail O'Donnell each follow their structured guideline; allowing the commonality of the questions to paint an even backdrop for their readers, thus allowing the nuances of the replies to be easily perceived. "It's a tough profession," actor Joe Mantegna points out. "There are 140,000 members of SAG and less than 1 percent make a decent living," Mantegna continued. You have to love the journey, as in his case, "I was a fifteen-year overnight success..." Auditions, for example, are either loved or hated, but nobody treats them with disregard. Jason Alexander said, "Most actors think auditions are hell, I love them. To me they are a one-night-only performance of a role I think I can do better than anyone else."

In a way, Making It in Hollywood is like squeezing People Magazine into a 400 word periodical; the "espresso press of just the thoughts" of the entertainment industry's contemporary finest, sans hype and advertising. My surprising observation was although I only recognized many actors from their professional characterizations, each of their personal interviews were riveting. I found myself glued to the book, turning pages and going from actor to screenwriter to director seamlessly, realizing the symbiotic relationship they all have towards one another.

Making It in Hollywood is a must read for all those taking acting classes, or aspiring to "get tape" in the industry. It's a great gift as a graduation present to those that like to be on the receiving side of the lights, as well as those more comfortable writing or making movies. It's a book that crosses genres from reference to philosophy, from self help to anecdotal humor. This is an invaluable book for not only people seeking work in the entrainment industry but for fans of the magic of Hollywood. This book is easy to read, filled with actual stories of those who've found success and is literally a blueprint on how to build your career. It can best be summed up with the song lyrics from New York, New York, "If you can make it there, you can make it... anywhere."

Reviewed by: Gary R. Sorkin

Gary R. Sorkin is the Senior Editor for Pacific Book Review. Please visit Pacific Book Review at: http://www.pacificbookreview.com/

The Renegade Writer - A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success

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AppId is over the quota

"The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success" by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell is a motivating book about breaking the traditional "rules" of freelance writing to prosper and do it your own way.

Both authors are freelance writers and they share examples of how they broke the traditional "rules" of freelance writing to gain more assignment and make more money in a career they are passionate about. The 200 page plus book is easy to read and contains many tips for the aspiring freelancer as well as the seasoned pro.

There are chapters on breaking into the business, generating ideas, sending queries without fear, contracts, how to find information, doing interviews, breaking grammar rules, getting paid, and your renegade attitude and how to thrive and not just survive. There are also some good references in the Appendices.

A number of the chapters concluded with a profile of a freelance writer who shared some of their renegade strategies that had worked for them. A couple of these writers were Melody Warnick, Jennifer Lawler, and Kelly James-Enger. Hearing the perspective of these other writers was not only informative, but also motivational and inspiriting. This would especially be true for the new writer.

There are nuts and bolts about the writing business that are not covered in this book, but that was not the author's purpose. It would be good for an aspiring writer to read some of the nuts and bolts and traditional rules type books, but then read this to realize that often rules are made to be broken, and when you do break them it is not the end of the world, but sometimes the beginning to bigger and better things.

I've recently started to increase the freelance work I do, and I'm glad I read this book. There are some great ideas and examples for any freelance writer. So, all you need to do is read the book and become a Renegade Writer today.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a performance and personal development expert who teaches how to live, take action, and get things done through the Warrior's Edge. Alain combines his military, martial art, and Asian experiences with his business, law, and conflict resolution education into a powerful way of living with balance, honor, and integrity. He teaches how to use the Warrior's Edge to Take Action and Achieve Remarkable Results. Alain is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From The School Of Hard Knocks, the DVDs Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking series, and numerous articles and reviews. You can read more articles, over 100 reviews, and see clips of his DVDs as well as much more at http://www.burrese.com/

Book Reviewed - "The Compass in Your Nose" Marc McCutcheon

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AppId is over the quota

Below you will find 10 odd facts that I found recently while poking around my bookshelf.

They were contained in a neat book titled "The Compass in Your Nose", author Marc McCutcheon, 1989 published by Jeffrey Tarcher.

1 - In almost every language on earth, the word for MOTHER starts with an "m" sound. This could be due to the fact that "m" is the first consonant they learn, and almost always the easiest and first sound they make.

2 - An estimated 80% of Europeans have hair that whorls in a counterclockwise motion at the back of the head, while most Japanese hair whorls in the opposite direction.

3 - When we hear ourselves speak, the sound is conducted by our bones. This slightly alters the timbre of our voices. This explains why many of us can not recognize our own voice on a recording, but our friends can. The tape recorder, like our friends, hear the sound through air conduction alone.

4 - African Bushmen show no appreciable hearing loss at age 60. 60% of your average college students already suffer some amount of high frequency hearing loss. This is due to the fact that African Bushman live in a quiet environment, and college kids live in anything but. Even fetuses are at risk. A Japanese study shows that a fetus that is exposed to high frequency noise while in the mother's womb matures more slowly, and emerges at a lower body weight than average.

5 - The odor-causing odoriferous amines that give flatulence its usually horrific smell, indole and skatole, are also used in the production of perfumes, especially violet-scented varieties.

6 - The average American consumes the following quantities in his or her lifetime : 8,000 pounds of beef, 8,000 pounds of potatoes, and 8,000 pounds of fresh veggies, 20,000 eggs, 100,000 slices of bread, 7,000 pounds of sugar and 18,000 beers.

7 - Death. People fear death more from ages 45 to 54, and fear it the least when it is more likely to occur, from ages 65 to 74. 80% of all deaths in America occur in the hospital. The Japanese cremate 93 per cent of their dead, the U.S. only 12%. 70% of Americans who die every year are 65 or older, and only 5% die before age 5.

8 - Your bone tissue is not everlasting. It is constantly dying and being replaced. Every 7 years your body grows what is the equivalent of an entirely whole skeleton.

9 - Chocolate contains the same chemical, phenylethylamine, that the brain produces when we fall in love.
It produces a dreamy, pleasant feeling, and may explain why we gorge ourselves on chocolate on Valentine's Day.

10 - Your eye muscles get the biggest workout of all your body's musculature. They move 100,000 times in any 24 hour period. One would have to walk 50 miles to exercise your legs to the same extent.

The 193 page book is packed with amazing gems and weird research. Anyone that enjoys learning how the body ticks, and mind works will truly enjoy the amazing knowledge contained within.

The book starts out with a section on Human Chronology, and continues in 4 sections covering Population, Our Senses, Our Bodies, and Our Existence.

Even the brainiest brainiac will discover much useful information in this treasure trove of trivia.

I hope you have enjoyed these weird, inane, crazy facts. If you would like to know how you can free up your time to research such trivia, instead of answering to your boss' beck and call, contact me below.

Information On an Old Encyclopedia

Pliny the Elder
Encyclopedias have remained on this earth since 2000 years. The oldest is Naturalis Historia written by Pliny the Elder in Roman times. It spreads over 37 sections covering art and structural design, natural history, medicine, geography, geology and every other facet that was present near to him. The facts were compiled from 2000 different works of 200 authors, but he wasn't able to proof read the entries. It got published in AD 77-79. Earlier, the works by Marcus Terentius Varro were already there, but became lost in time.

Middle ages
The Etymologiae (around 630) became known as the first encyclopedia of Middle Ages compiled by Saint Isidore of Seville, a great scholar of Middle Ages. This encyclopedia spreads over 448 chapters in 20 volumes with quotes and excerpts from the work of other authors.

The High Middle ages saw reference to mostly Bartholomeus Anglicus' De proprietatibus rerum (1240).
Vincent of Beauvais's Speculum Majus (1260) was pretty progressive with over 3 million words in the late-medieval period.

The Suda is one huge encyclopedia of the Byzantine times of ancient Mediterranean world. It's written in Greek lexicon style containing 30,000 entries.

17th-19th centuries
The modern idea of a printed encyclopedia, that could be extensively circulated for general use, came with Chambers' Cyclopaedia (1728) and the Encyclop?die of Diderot and D'Alembert (1751 onwards), as well as Encyclopedia and the Conversations-Lexikon. These included comprehensive topics that had a wide scope and were in-depth and organized. The Chamber's dictionary perhaps followed the lead of john Harris' Lexicon Technicum.

Sir Thomas Browne, renowned English scholar and physician used the word encyclopedia in 1646 in his vulgar errors, where common errors of his times were refuted. This encyclopedia was structured on the proven scheme of Renaissance or 'scale of creation'. It goes up the hierarchical tree starting from mineral, vegetable, animal, human, and planetary till cosmological worlds.

John Harris is given credence now for the alphabetic format he introduced in 1704 with his Lexicon Technicum: A Universal English Dictionary of Arts and Sciences: Explaining not only the Terms of Art, but the Arts Themselves". It emphasized science as in the understanding of the 18th-century, still its topics extended beyond science to include humanities and fine arts like law, commerce, music, and heraldry.

20th century
In the early 1920's, Harmsworth's Universal Encyclopedia and the Children's Encyclopedia became popular and affordable resources. In the US, the 50's and 60's saw several large editions being introduced and gaining popularity. They were sold through installments. WorldBook and Funk and Wagnalls came out the best.

In the second half, several encyclopedias were published. Their work was notable as they synthesized important topics from particular fields, gained through new researches. The Encyclopedia of Philosophy and Elsevier's Handbooks In Economics were 2 such books. Most academic disciplines are covered in one dedicated volume including even narrow topics like bioethics and African American history.

Author search for different old encyclopedias, from different years, and compare definitions of the same words. Sometimes this research allows to see, how our knowledges were changed over the time. you can also see some parts of old encyclopedias online at http://knolik.com/.

Why eBooks?

Books have always been interesting to people, as they provided people with essential information on many different subjects. Aside from this, a lot of books are also used to make people laugh, make them cry or make them think about the meaning of life, for instance. In the last decade or so, books have been almost replaced with an alternative to turning the pages with your hands - this alternative is an eBook.

There are many different benefits to using eBooks, but it appears that people have not yet accepted this idea completely. Most people still think of books made out of paper as the only real books and don't even consider giving eBooks a chance. Still, eBooks have become very popular throughout the world. The reasons why eBooks have become immensely popular are numerous, and here you will be given useful advice on why eBooks should always be taken into consideration.

Differences between Regular Books and eBooks

The truth is that there really are no differences between these two, except for the obvious one - you cannot hold an eBook in your hands. Aside from this, both of these types of books are simply books. eBooks have all the same features as regular books do - they have pages, words, footnotes and everything else found in regular books. eBooks are informative; they are used in the same way as regular books and for the same purposes, too. Also, even though not many people are aware of this, you can find any book you want in the form of an eBook. Whether you are looking for a technical book or a guide of any kind, or you just want to read a novel you read during your high school years - you can get an eBook and enjoy its many benefits.

Why eBooks Come Highly Recommended

Owing to the fact that people do not have enough time to sit and enjoy a good book as they are always in a hurry eBooks have become the perfect way for them to catch up on their reading. The fact is that the modern way of life has made us addicted to computer screens, and this is something that could have completely ruined the beautiful habit of reading a good book every now and then. Therefore, eBooks have been conveniently put in front of our noses, right on our computer screens. Aside from this, eBooks are far better for the environment than regular books will ever be. Namely, every book is made out of paper, usually not the recycled kind, and every book will eventually have to be destroyed - all of which is bad for the environment. On the other hand, this is not the case with eBooks as they are digital. Also, eBooks are cheaper for both the seller and the buyer, as they can be produced for less money, which makes them more affordable than standard books.

One of the most important benefits of buying eBooks is their practicality. For instance, you can go from deciding you need an eBook to actually reading it in just a few minutes. There is no need to wait for the book to be delivered for days or even weeks, and there is certainly no additional cost for the shipment. All you need to do is do some online research, find an eBook you are interested in and download it in matter of seconds.

Taking into consideration all the benefits of eBooks and all the reasons why eBooks are a great choice, you should have no further doubts related to whether to go for eBooks or not - as there are literally no downsides to them.

For further information regarding Ebooks, please visit MyReviewsNow Online Shopping.

Chronic Bronchitis And Emphysema Handbook - Assisting You For A Healthier Life

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AppId is over the quota

The Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis Handbook were penned by Sheila Sperber Haas and Francois Haas. Both writers are scientists also they are compassionate people.

This book is the bestseller as it guides patients who are suffering from bronchitis and emphysema. Thus, expansion and revision were done to give the latest information. These disorders are discussed in such a way so that patients may easily understand. Nice care of emphysema and bronchitis are posted too. Through this kind of handbook, patients might restore their vitality and enhance the relationship with other people.

Tips are given on getting the best physician. The treatment options that are very much important to people are discussed thoroughly. You would never worry about the HMO's as the guidelines on dealing them are provided too. Companies which provide supplemental oxygen are enlisted. Even very new techniques for surgery are posted for giving the patients nice options on ways of technological advances which can help to treat their disorders.

Stress and Anxiety management are in such that patients won't lose hope. By preventing the symptoms of emphysema and bronchitis are included for improving the quality of the patient's life. The accessibility of the wide resources using the web or the phone is very easy. You may also read letters from many experts that would keep you informed about the latest developments related with emphysema and bronchitis.

However, before purchasing it, it's better to have a look at some consumer reviews. By this way, you would have an idea about how effective and useful it is.

- Some find this very repulsive. It has frightening and grim illustrations. Hence the wicked line sketches of "pink puffer" and "blue bloater" looks like depicting the dark ages regarding the hell. People having COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) never deny the fact that they're going to die younger than the cohorts.

- Those who're more than 55 years old might feel that hopes are away from them. This handbook has failed to arouse them for leading worthy lives. Instead they're suggesting to study "courage books" having stories of dignity, hope and, capability to cope.

- A licensed psychotherapist read the entire book and hasn't recommended it. Some contents linked with facing the depression and anxiety might damage these patients psychologically.

- Some physicians find this handbook as a useful tool. It's because COPD is discussed in normal English. In fact, the sufferers might easily learn and get the facts about the disorder. This is correct for COPD dummies.

- Some have given the testimonials showing how this handbook helps them very much. One reviewer told that the respiratory exercises got in this particular handbook helped his father who had serious emphysema. His father's heart fails due to function such that the doctors let him to breathe through oxygen tank to keep the heart from fibulation. However after doing such exercises, his condition becomes better till oxygen isn't needed anymore.

Living with COPD might be overwhelming and very exhausting. Patients and their caretakers might continuously live in fear running out of air, their abilities dwindle prematurely, and they struggle in fragility.

Some people who're close with folk with emphysema and bronchitis are usually angry, frightened and depressed. However, doctors treat their COPD patients, the best way they can. But the fact is that many doctors focus on medical aspects of treatment COPD better than giving rehabilitations.

The Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis Handbook might help people having COPD and their families to have a very realistic perspective of the disorder. This might allow them to survive confidently and calmly although they've emphysema or chronic bronchitis.

Abhishek is an ex-bronchitis sufferer and he has got some great tips for Bronchitis Treatment! Download his FREE 100 Pages Ebook, "How To Win Your War Against Bronchitis" from his website http://www.Health-Whiz.com/797/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Paramedic Books

Books have been a fundamental learning device for knowledge. They become an essential part of learning and it is the common source of knowledge for everyone. Often times, books can be seen on school libraries and frequently use among students.

In medical school, there a thousands of book as a resource material of every medical students and this include paramedics. Among medical field paramedicine is very interesting course because it takes a lot of actual action. In general, paramedics main responsibility is to save people's live in an emergency situation. The job entails unpredictable accidents and health conditions of the possible patient or victim, thus, in requires skills and quick minds to respond emergency situation.

In all paramedic school within the states, all paramedic books offer an up-to-date information on emergency cardiac care guidelines in adherence to US Department of Transportation standard curriculum. The important books that are commonly used by school and universities consists of anatomy, physiology and other emergency medical topics. Some books are focused on the appropriate procedure of handling patient's or victim's trauma and other emotional coping mechanism that may help patient to feel comfortable.

Additionally, by using books student will understand the difficult concepts and principles of paramedics. In all states, paramedic school also provide each student's paramedic book module as a guide for their specific subjects to study. At times, states require paramedic students to purchase books such as ECG interpretation, medical life support, anatomy, emergency solutions and others. By obtaining the book you can always buy it online or in any available bookstore at your convenience.

To get the latest update of Paramedic Training just visit Paramedictrainingpro.com - a good resource of Paramedics.