I really enjoyed reading this book. It was used for a sociology class taken at BYU. Going into the course I thought it was going to be extremely boring but I found myself reading it as if it were a novel! This book is very thought provoking and knee jerking, forcing you to take a look at your views and perceptions and how they got to be that way. I would recommend this book to all because it can only help you to be a better person. I wish this were a requirement for high school students, it would definately help them to understand our world and how they fit into it!!!

James Henslin's Social Problems is an excellent textbook for students who want to learn more about social problems in the U.S. Henslin divided his book into three parts. First, an overview of the problem. Henslin used the three major sociological theories: symbolic interactionism, functionalism, and conflict theory to interpret the significance of the problem. He used all of the theories without any biases favoring one theory over another. Second,he summarized what social researchers have found about the problem. Finally, he outline possible social policy for it, including making his own recommendation about how to solve it. Those who are tired of reading other social problems book who found that the book' content are depressing and the authors are pessimistic about the problem he/she cover should read Henslin's book. His coverage of the problems, from crime to America's health crisis, from racism to income inequality, from population explotion to war, are excellent and his recommendations on how to solve this problems makes sense and largely optimistic. My professor used Henslin's text for his social problems class and I think his choice is an excelent choice. I highly recommend this book for students and professors who want to learn and explore the social problems in our society

If this book wasn't impossible to get a hold of, I would have probably bought it for everyone I know. Unfortunately as of now, only used copies of it (why would anyone want to sell it? ) show up occassionally in shops and online auction sites. I first read this book about ten years ago in Hungarian translation (and with the pages referring to the 1956 revolution conveniently edited out) and I was immediately hooked by it. My father and I faught daily for the only copy we had. It is a fascinating, incredibly well written story of a family of three boys who made it from the Hungarian countryside all the way to the top of the Hollywood and English elite. It is one of the most inspiring rags-to-riches stories I've ever read. It also offers a great insight to how movies and stars were made in the Hollywood Golden Age. I still laugh out loud while reading the anecdotes of which the book offers plenty. Written by the nephew of Alexander Korda, and son of famed Art Director Vincent Korda, Michael offers an insider's view on how the post WWII era high society lived. This book is a rare gem, funny as hell, uplifting, educational. A must for movie buffs.

Passionate and wild, this Home Brew Press publication features some of the best Midwestern poetry and prose being published anywhere. Editor Mary "Casey" Martin selects carefully and skillfully arranges her selections alongside some pristine images. Winter, wolves and love are the three themes celebrated, with the anthology's soaring words and brilliant illustrations (especially DeAnn De La Ronde's cover art) hammering home the concept. Especially affecting are poems by Edith Nash, Mark Scarborough, Jean Feraca and Martin herself, as well as a snippet of a biography of famed Wisconsin naturalist Frances Hamerstrom by Helen Corneli.

Korda's "Queenie" and "Curtain" were interesting, though too somber and ultimately tiresome, because each was based (until the last third) rather too closely on real, and always unhappy, actors and producers. "The Fortune" is meant to remind you of Nelson Rockefeller's family, but Korda veers off so quickly into a polished TV-movie romance plot -- young, poor, brave farm girl loves old, super-rich, lonely city guy, and both have dark family secrets -- that it's laughs and sighs all the way.

My mind-movie casting was Catherine Zeta-Jones and Mitch Ryan. The plum role is, as usual in this genre, the Matriarch -- maybe Tippi Hedren.

In any case, a fine heroine and a good read.

Wow! Korda has outdone himself once again with fiction. This novels shows us how presumptuous one can be with more than half a billion dollars-- meaning bribing the police force to discard files and erase evidence of murder files. As a young woman, Korda exemplifies the will power of a young woman like myself who must over come the pressures of fame, power, and most of all, her distasteful in-laws.

I very much enjoy that book or, may I say, that fiction. In a way that it's hard to know, "Immortels" trace the "imagine story" involving Marilyn Monroe, John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. It was pleasant to read this! Refreshing in a way, happy, funny story! Just try it and you won't put it down until the very last page;" taking a look at thoses lips now cold and blue...Marilyn was rest in the autopsy room just like any human in this world; with a number identification". But maybe this fiction-story was in fact to recreate the life of those people we don't want to forget...

Korda did extensive research on the three historical characters, Monroe & the two Kennedy brothers. Throughout this book of "fiction" history is intertwined so well that it is hard to determine where it overlaps. This work will alter your present perception of Kennedy and Monroe and will inspire you to seek out for yourself the historical facts behind the fictional work.

An earnest effort by the author, but terribly boring and predictable. The laughable 'plot' can be summed up as follows: A beautiful princess achieves fame and fortune. Women envy her. Men desire her. And she guards a dark secret from childhood. Unfortunately, the same description would fit any of a half dozen other books, including the equally puerile 'Princess Daisy', by Judith Krantz. Not recommended.

I first read "Queenie" ten years ago. It was a sexy, spicy, great, warm splash of a read. Somehow the fact that it was the retelling of Merle Oberon's story eluded me. I enjoyed the book immensely, personally identifying with the heroine's struggle to discover exactly what mold she's "caste" in as well as her personal and political victories over prejudice & racism in the industry. Why read "Queenie" again?
One of the characters in a book I'm reading made reference to Miss Oberon's appearance as "Cathy" in "Wuthering Heights" commenting that "she didn't look CHI CHI,(Anglo/Indian) but she was you know." Checked out vitals on net and clicked with the fact that Ms. Oberon was first known as Queenie O'Brian. And was once married to someone named Alexander Korda (as in Michael's uncle). This book is probably closer to "the facts" than some of the Botox injected, pufferies that currently pass for biographies.

I have long been a fan of Merle Oberon, the exotically beautiful star during the golden age of Hollywood, so I was thrilled to read a fictionalized account of her life in this wonderful book. Michael Korda's admiration of Oberon, who was once the wife of his uncle Sir Alexander Korda--the renowned film producer--comes through in the character of Queenie Kelly/Dawn Avalon. I found it fascinating to compare what I knew about Oberon to Korda's creation of the Anglo-Indian Queenie. Oberon was born Merle Estelle Thompson O'Brien, the half-caste child of an Indian mother and Irish father. Like her fictional counterpart, to escape prejuduce and a nowhere future in India, she took off to England for a new life, where her light skin and exquisite and unusual beauty allowed her to "pass" and become a hostess at the celebrated Cafe de Paris under the pseudonym Queenie O'Brien (which is where Korda got the book's title). Here she was spotted by Alex Korda and the rest, as we say, is history! She went on to many marriages--the fictional Lucien Chambrun is obviously one of Merle's spouses, award-winning master cinematographer Lucien Ballard, and made-up Sir David Konig as Queenie's mentor and husband is Merle's real-life first hubby, the previously aforemention Sir Alex. Fictional Prince Charles Corsini is the counterpart of an Italian prince (I can't remember his name) that was the love of her life but who died in a crash when piloting a plane. Like Queenie too, Merle almost had her priceless beauty ruined and was in a near-fatal automobile crash. Needless to say, I found these parallels, among many others, fascinating as I think any Merle Oberon devotee would, and even if you're not a fan, it's still a fascinating read for anyone interested in the glamour machine of Hollywood in its heyday, a detailed, well-crafted novel by an insider, or a just plain mesmerizing real-life tale in fictional guise.

uno de los trabajos mas intimos sobre el mitico Che Guevara, un libro exquisito que se disfruta de principio a fin.

quiza un d los trabajos mas intimos sobre el mitico Cehe Guevara, un libro exquisito que se disfruta de proincipio a fin.

Editors know what grabs people. That's why I'm perplexed that Michael Korda's new tell-all book about his life at Simon & Schuster didn't spend more time on its strong points--the dishy-dish on famous authors and stars. Rather, Korda opted for long, boring analysis on the publishing industry, it's quarter-century of peaks and valleys and ran me through a grammatical blender of too-heady commentary. I enjoyed "Another Life" because of its great, behind-the-scenes snapshots of Jackie Susann, Joan Crawford, Tennessee Williams, Nixon, a Mafia don and others. But Korda destroyed the tempo by reverting back to way-to-long diatribes of inter-office politics and industry lore. My biggest problem was Korda's horrible, infinity-like sentences--don't they teach journalists that it's better to use two short sentences rather than one long one. Korda and his editor drowned us with mega-sentences that were so long--I had to keep going back to re-read what was said just to make sure I understood it. One other thing really got me. An error. Can't believe it got by Korda, who states he's quite the military buff. Where was your editor and fact-checker, Mike? He refers to a "Missouri-class battleship" when writing about a pile of papers on a desk. Mike, you mean "Iowa-class." The USS Missouri, Iowa, New Jersey and Wisconsin are all "Iowa-class" battleships. How could you dear boy? Finally, there's no chronology here. Korda jumps through the book with some inattention to detail. He never sets a year on many of the happenings so you're never really sure whether he's still talking about the 1960s, 1970s or 80s. At other times he offers cute, heady Mensa-like postures that are not explained. We're all not Euro-heads, Mike. I enjoyed the book but it got rough toward the end, languishing with too much business and not enough gusto. Skipped most of the last 25 pages by the way. This book was tops with character portraits and gossip. Why didn't Korda stay with that positive side?

Michael Korda is a gifted,prolific writer and editor. His memoir of other people sheds new light on how and why books are published in New York. His encounters with Harold Robbins and Ronald Reagan were especially rich, memorable and hilarious. Korda's experiences with literary figures like Tennessee Williams and Graham Greene illuminated their lives and muses. The book succeeds because Korda has led a full and intriguing life focused around an artfully crafted career in an industry that he clearly loves and has shaped professionally. From Oxford,the RAF and the Hungarian Revolution to his international forays for publishable manuscripts, he obviously is a spirited player in the pageant of his life's work. Korda also eloquently defines the evolution of publishing from closely-held businesses to multi-national corporations. Much homage is paid to the importance of uncovering significant literary works. One can only hope that the quest for shareholder wealth in this transition for publishing does not leave American literature the poorer. The book begs the question: Has publishing sold its soul?

Those who love the story of writing and how stories are made will love this book. Those who work closely with authors to help them develop their work will appreciate it even more.

Korda gives us a rare inside look at how publishers publish. He shares with us how he got into the business, how he climbed the S&S ladder, and how he came to run the editorial department of one of the most successful houses in publishing history. He tells us hilarious and eye-opening stories of Tennessee Williams and Jacqueline Susann and Harold Robbins. We learn just how much work editors put into creating bestsellers. We find out who the authors are and who the writers are. If you're like me, you'll read these stories as you would a bowl of candy. You'll eat and eat until you're scratching at the bottom of the bowl for more.

I don't recommend this book without reservation, however. Michael Korda, the famous editor, could have used even a junior editor to help him dig out his story. At times, the book thuds along, caught up in Korda's telling of the history of publishing in the United States. His asides into the money side of the business -- how publishing developed from a cottage industry into a mere cog in larger multinational entertainment companies -- is numbing. Still, I soaked in these parts of his story to get to the good parts.

Korda is not a great writer, though he worked with many, and has a wonderful story to tell. Skip past the dull moments if you like, but most definitely read this book.

Mr. Michael Korda is the perfect person to write this book. He brings to the project an enormous sense of perspective from his many decades as an editor at Simon & Schuster, having had two books (Power! and Queenie) on the best seller list, being a book lover, and having a great story telling talent. The experience is like having a pleasant discussion over fine wine and aged cheese in a beautiful country home with a beautifully flickering fire in the background.

Today's best seller list began with surveys by Harry Thurston Peck in 1895. Mr. Korda's book then captures almost the entire history of best sellers in the United States. The lists for 1900-1912 come from The Bookman and from Publishers Weekly for 1912-1999. During the earliest years, there is only a fiction list. Later on, the list divides into at least fiction and non-fiction and sometimes includes special lists (such as during war years on war topics).

Most of the book is contained in ten chapters that each cover a decade. An essay captures the main themes in writing, popular taste, publishing, retailing, technology (if any) and the legal environment. Along the way, Mr. Korda sprinkles in factoids that sharpen up the appeal of the material. For example, the popular author Winston Churchill in the early part of the 20th century did not later become the prime minister of Great Britain. In certain years, he can tell you how many books had to be sold to make number one on the list. Further, he provides a sense of perspective in pointing out minor and major taste trends along the way. For instance, sex was only hinted at until after World War II. By 1999, it had almost disappeared again from best sellers after temporarily having been a centerpiece in the 1960s and 1970s.

I was impressed both by how many great books that I have enjoyed were actually best sellers, and how many books that were best sellers I have never heard of.

At the end of each decade is a year-by-year best seller list. Reading through those felt like stepping into a warm Jacuzzi as the warm memories of books I have loved flooded back over my mind. It was almost visceral. I could feel myself becoming young again, and then aging to the current day. If you are like me, the book is worth it just for the great nostalgia you will enjoy.

I have put together a brief list of best sellers by decade that may surprise you:

1900-1909: The Hound of the Baskervilles; The Virginian; Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms; The Pit; The Jungle.

1910-1919: The Montessori Method; The Education of Henry Adams; Penrod; Seventeen; Pollyanna.

1920-1929: Outline of History; Emily Post's Etiquette; The Story of Philosophy; The Bridge of San Luis Rey; All Quiet on the Western Front; Ripley's Believe It or Not.

1930-1939: Of Time and the River; Of Mice and Men; Grapes of Wrath; Mein Kampf; Life with Father; How to Win Friends and Influence People.

1940-1949: A Bell for Adano; Yankee from Olympus; The Greatest Story Ever Told; Berlin Diary.

1950-1959: Andersonville; The Old Man and the Sea; Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book; Kon-Tiki; The Sea Around Us; Revised Standard Edition of the Bible; Power of Positive Thinking; Why Johnny Can't Read; Eloise; Atlas Shrugged; Kids Say the Darndest Things!; Masters of Deceit; The Ugly American.

1960-1969: Franny & Zooey; The Shoes of the Fisherman; The Spy Who Came in from the Cold; Profiles in Courage; In Cold Blood.

1970-1979: Sophie's Choice; Roots; Ragtime; The Thorn Birds.

1980-1989: In Search of Excellence; The One Minute Manager; Megatrends; Iaccoca; The Mammoth Hunters.

1990-1999: Annually dominated by John Grisham for most of the decade.

What's the weakness then of the book? Well, for all of its charm, the cultural perspective is a mile wide and a few centimeters thick. So, although the book certainly hits its target, to give us "a look at who we are, seen through what we read," you will probably not learn too much that you did not know already. The main lesson for me is that the public taste is better than I would have thought. Many fine books did sell well.

Serious students of cultural history will find raw material here for further consideration, but not much analysis.

If you are like me, you enjoy seeing other peoples' libraries. What lessons do you draw from the reading tastes of Americans over the last century? How might those tastes change for the better or worse in the future?

May you always find books that excite and inspire you!

Michael Korda, editor in chief of Simon and Schuster, has collected lists of the bestselling books (fiction and non-fiction) for the entire 20th Century. He writes an essay leading into each decade's lists. His primary observation is that Americans read the same basic books over and over. For example, historical fiction dealing with the Civil War appears on the list via Winston Churchill (a Southern author, not the great British leader) in "The Crisis" in 1901; Margaret Mitchell, of course, made the list in 1936 and 1937 with "Gone With the Wind"; and in 1997, Charles Frazier's "Cold Mountain" rose to #2. Romantic novels, medical-themed novels, spiritually-themed novels, bodice-ripping novels (more and more explicit as the century advanced) all make continual reappearances. Books sell more and more despite the coming of the radio, then of movies, then of television, and then of the computer and the internet.

It is great fun for a reader to peruse the lists, remembering books read and books-meant-to-be-read. I was born in 1948 so the books and authors from the second half of the century are pretty familiar. For no good reason I've decided to read the nine bestsellers from my birthyear that I hadn't read. (Mailer's "The Naked and the Dead" is easily the most prominent and I read it several years ago.) It will take some looking to find them, much less read them; but, it seems a silly, provocative task to undertake.

Every reader will get something different from "Making the List" and therin lies the fun!

It was on May 22, 1946, that I finished reading and enjoying Fifty Years of Best Sellers 1895-1945, by Alice Payne Hackett. So when I saw this book I thought it would be fun to read, and it is. The author incivisvely comments on the best seller lists during the 20th century, and of course it is fun to see which books one read were best sellers. I was surprised to see that I had read 101 books which were number 1 best sellers in a year, either in fiction or non-fiction. This surprised me since I do not use, or at least I have not for many years, the best seller list to decide what to read. It is also interesting to see which great books never made the list. For instance, The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara, I have thought an outstanding book ever since I read it back in 1981, and it won a Pulitzer Prize, but never made a year best seller list! If nothing else, this book will open your eyes to how much poor choosing some people do when they decide to buy a book...

My husband has just been told he has prostate cancer. While browsing the local library last week, we saw this book and checked it out. I suggest to every wife and husband to sit down and read this book together, there is so much information that will help both of you. As we have just returned from seeing Dr. Russo at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City, I can testify that all is exactly as Michael Korda tells in his book. Dr. Russo and his team are very efficent and very dedicated to the causes of this disease in men and this book is exactly what my husband and I are experiencing at this time. We at least know what is expected in the future and we hope everybody, whether they have been told they have this disease or not will read this most informative book. A must read for everyone, in our opinion.

I received a copy of this book from a relative that knew I recently had a Radical Prostatectomy. I read the book, cover to cover, in 24 hours. Korda's book tells it like it is - the fears, the tears and the hope one finds on the way to recovery from prostate cancer. It should be read by all men over 40 and their significant others. The battle is not glossed over; it is one man's story of the struggle, and he details the emotional and physical complications of having your maleness attacked by cancer. I especially related to his description of how slow a response you get when you push a nurse's call button in a hospital - and Michael was at prestigious John Hopkins. I thought my wife and I got grumpy! I laughed until my stitches hurt when his wife faced off his famous surgeon. I really admire their courage in the face of the medical establishment. Two points of concern with the book. Michael Korda is wealthy; he gets more done with money than I certainly could in a VA hospital - private medical planes, home nursing, etc. My wife took care of me; and readers need to realize the author was not your average patient in the USA. Also, Michael never mentioned a faith, a religious support system from friends, priests or clergy. Prayer made a difference in my healing. Readers will need to look elsewhere for spiritual guidance during their cancer battle. Still this book is a must read for all men, daughters of men, and wives and friends of men over 40. Let it scare you into a PSA test!

Anyone facing this form of cancer will benefit from reading "Man to Man" I found the book entertaining and informative. It helped me face possibilities I was afraid to think about. I laughed and felt the pain of the experience personally! I feel fortunate that morphine was used to kill my pain after the operation. I have meet several people who for one reason or another were not given morphine. All of those people said they never felt relief from the pain. I feel that morphine enabled me to have maximum comfort during the most painful times soon after the surgery. I hope Doctors read the accounts of patients like Mr Korda. That may influence them to use morphine after serious surgery if no serious allergies would prevent it.