Design for Manufacturability & Concurrent Engineering; How to Design for Low Cost, Design in High Quality, Design for Lean Manufacture, and Design Quickly for Fast Production

Design for Manufacturability & Concurrent Engineering; How to Design for Low Cost, Design in High Quality, Design for Lean Manufacture, and Design Quickly for Fast Production
Average customer rating:

Room for improvement

Totally satisfied with the book and the shipping time

Excellent book on DFM

best DFM book ever

For who is serious about product design cost savings

Design for Manufacturability & Concurrent Engineering; How to Design for Low Cost, Design in High Quality, Design for Lean Manufacture, and Design Quickly for Fast Production
Dr. David M. Anderson
Manufacturer: C I M Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Build-to-Order & Mass Customization; The Ultimate Supply Chain Management and Lean Manufacturing Strategy for Low-Cost On-Demand Production without Forecasts or Inventory

Design for Manufacturability Handbook

The Lean Design Guidebook: Everything Your Product Development Team Needs to Slash Manufacturing Cost (The Lean Guidebook Series)

Product Design for Manufacture & Assembly Revised & Expanded (Manufacturing Engineering and Materials Processing)

The Lean Design Solution

ASIN: 1878072234
Release Date: 2006-06-01

Book Description

This book shows how to design products for all aspects of manufacturability and use multifunctional product development teams and Concurrent Engineering principles to:

DESIGN FOR LOW COST. The book shows how to actually design low-cost products. Chapters 1, 2,and 9 show how to minimize the 80% of a product's cost that is committed by the design and hard to remove later. Chapters 3 and 8 show how to optimize the concept/architecture stage where 60% of cost is committed. Chapters 6 and 7 shows dozens of ways to minimize and measure total cost.

DESIGN IN HIGH QUALITY. Chapter 10 shows how to design quality and reliability into the product with poka-yoke and 50 design guidelines.

DESIGN FOR LEAN MANUFACTURE. Chapter 4 shows how to design products for all the flexible paradigms: lean production, JIT, build-to-order, and mass customization. Chapter 5 presents very effective standardization tools.

DESIGN QUICKLY FOR FAST PRODUCTION. Chapter 3 shows how thorough up-front work is the key to quickly developing products, avoiding changes, & fast ramps. Over 200 design guidelines are presented with the latest new methodologies from the author's DFM seminars and consulting.

BOOK OUTLINE

Part I: Design Methodology

Chapter 1 introduces the concept of design for manufacturability and shows the problems that can be avoided when products are designed for manufacturability. It also shows how to overcome resistance, understand the myths and realities of product development, and motivate engineers and managers to design for manufacturability and do it right the first time.

The chapter concludes with benefits of DFM.

Chapter 2 shows how to use concurrent engineering to develop products in multi-functional design teams lead by an empowered team leader. Such teams are most effective when they have early and active participation of all specialties. The chapter shows the problems when this does not happen and how to ensure availability of resources. Just as Chapter 1 showed that the majority of the cost is committed by the concept, the key to getting products quickly to market is a thoroughly optimized concept/architecture phase. Product development phases are presented with the tasks that enable good DFM including: defining products to satisfy the voice of the customer with QFD; optimizing the product architecture and strategies for operations and supply chains; raising and resolving the issues early; concurrently designing the product and processes; and launching into production.

Chapter 3, Design for Everything, focuses early on a wide scope of design considerations. Early work on these considerations will minimize arbitrary decisions, which will reduce several categories of risk and minimize change orders. The chapter also shows how to use creativity and brainstorming to develop better products.

Part II: Flexibility

Chapter 4 shows how to design products for lean production, build-to-order and mass customization

Chapter 5 shows very effective procedures to standardize parts and materials.

Part III: Cost Reduction

Chapter 6 emphasizes the importance of minimizing the total cost and then shows many ways to minimize total cost by design.

Chapter 7 emphasizes the importance of quantifying total cost and then shows easy ways to measure total cost.

Part IV: Design Guidelines

Chapter 8 presents 64 design guidelines for product design, including assembly, fastening, test, repair, and maintenance.

Chapter 9 presents 42 design guidelines for designing parts including how to design fabricated parts and parts to be handled by automation. The chapter also has a section on tolerance step functions and how to specify optimal tolerances.

Part V: Customer Satisfaction

Chapter 10 shows how to design in quality and reliability with 28 quality guidelines and sections on mistake-proofing (poka-yoke) and designing to minimize errors. The chapter also shows product q

Customer Reviews:

Room for improvement.......2007-08-30

Good content although additional graphics would make the concepts easier to absorb. For a second edition, there is an astounding number of typos & grammatical errors, often 4-5 on the same page, giving the impression that it was rushed through production or compiled without a word-processor. I think the publishers could learn from some of the quality tips covered in the book!

Totally satisfied with the book and the shipping time.......2007-06-11

The book was recieved in a couple days and in excellent condition. I could not ask for anything more. Thank you...

Excellent book on DFM.......2007-06-06

This is one of my favorite books from my graduate courses. I still apply the principles of the book in my career.

best DFM book ever.......2006-12-08

This book saved my company. I am going to get a giant DFM tattoo across my shoulder. David Andersen is welcome at my company or in my living room any time of the year. I started a company with my advisor out of college and we *struggled* for 5 years to get things working. Let me tell you, this book changed everything. I gave a presentation on it that was more of a book report and everybody was on board. The way we choose vendors, the way we work with vendors, the way we ask, obsessively, all the questions up front, before we even commit to a design architecture, has changed our lives and refreshed our spirits. Mockups, vendor phone calls, impromptu team meetings, it all makes sense now. Everything they never taught us engineers in college. They taught us to design for functionality, not manufacturability. He is so right! Andersen "gets it". And there are like hundreds of DFM rules for all sorts of topics in the appendix. Read it, adopt it, present it, print out hte rules and staple them up all over. Things now work right, we screw 'em together and they work. Voila! Thank you Andersen! Buy this, everybody who's been burned by poor design. Buy this.

For who is serious about product design cost savings.......2006-10-09

This is a book I should've had many years ago. What I found interesting with this book is the fact that it supports many of the arguments that have included in the subject I am dealing with. I regret not buying it earlier as I struggled with issues such as DFM and DFA and how they can improve the bottom line of an aerospace enterprise. What I also like about this book is that it goes straight into the subject, rather than going on and on over abstract concepts and theories that are not at everyone's reach. I always say that people in the industry don't have time for long and endless theories, they want the facts and answers on how they can improve (when they realize they need to improve to stay in business). I have to say that this book answers just that.

Low Carbon Diet: A 30 Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds--Be Part of the Global Warming Solution!

Average customer rating:

The books are lost
an accessible program for losing carbon "pounds"
Fun, Inspiring and Practical
Buy Ten Copies--Create a Good Neighborhood
Getting to carbon neutral was easy and fun

Low Carbon Diet: A 30 Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds--Be Part of the Global Warming Solution!
David Gershon
Manufacturer: Empowerment Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century

ASIN: 0963032720

Book Description

Low Carbon Diet: A 30 Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds is a book that is destines to become a movement. Arriving just in time to meet the groundswell of demand created by An Inconvenient Truth, it guides readers through an accessible step-by-step program for personal CO2-reduction that leaves them empowered and inspired at the difference they can make toward the issue of our time.
Grounded in over two decades of environmental behavior change research, this illustrated workbook offers readers much more than a to-do list of eco-friendly actions. With practicality and humor, bestselling author and environmental change pioneer David Gershon walks readers through every step of the carbon-reduction process, from calculating their current CO2 footprint to tracking their progress and measuring their impact. By making simple changes to actions they take every day, readers learn how to reduce their annual household CO2 output by at least 15%. And, for those who are more ambitious, there are chapters on how to become "carbon neutral" and help one's workplace, local schools and community do the same.
A recent Yale University study revealed that over three-quarters of Americans not only accept the reality that their lifestyle is contributing to climate change; they believe they have a responsibility to do something about it. Now, with the release of Low Carbon Diet, they have a practical tool to help them succeed.

Customer Reviews:

The books are lost.......2007-08-16

I have not received these items, they seem to have gotten lost in the mail. it says they were delivered, but they cannot be found in the building where they were shipped. Please advise on how to get the books, can we get them resent? we were charged money for them, but still havent seen them.

Leah Elimeliah

an accessible program for losing carbon "pounds".......2007-07-09

This new program to help people move beyond hand-wringing over global warming and onto concrete things they can do to address the problem is accessible, approachable, something many people and families should be able to pick up and use. The book is short, only 72 pages, and only the first few pages are spent on describing the problem: global warming. The rest of the book takes you by the hand and leads you through some straightforward actions you, anyone, can take. There are 22 actions in all, divided into three sections. The first describes "cool lifestyle practices," habits or behaviors you can change immediately (reducing garbage, taking shorter showers, driving less). Each action is quantified, in terms of how much carbon will be reduced as a result. The second section describes "cool household systems," making more significant changes or purchases to your car, appliances, or household systems (sealing air leaks, buying a hybrid car, tuning up your furnace). The third describes spreading the word: to your workplace, friends, community, kids' schools, etc. The idea is to commit to "losing" 5,000 pounds/yr (a roughly 10% cut in the average US household's energy usage). But you can choose which actions you want to take, and which you don't, to reach your goal, making it a flexible tool.

The program can be undertaken by an individual or a family alone, but the recommended process is organize a group of 5-8 households to do it together, over the course of four meetings, supporting each other through the process.

The program grows out of years of research by the Empowerment Institute on what it takes to make social change happen. This differentiates the book from others aimed solely at getting people to understand the problem of global warming. The book's strength lies here: in giving people a user-friendly tool to help move beyond rhetoric and into action.

Fun, Inspiring and Practical.......2007-01-29

The carbon diet program provided our household a way to learn what
our carbon footprint was (shockingly massive) and a way to reduce our
impact on the earth in a fun, inspiring and practical manner.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to do more than just read
about global warming. The Low Carbon Diet is the book you need
to learn how to make a real difference.

Buy Ten Copies--Create a Good Neighborhood.......2007-01-28

This book is about more than reducing the carbon foot-print of your home, it is tailor made for creating a good neighborhood by giving busy neighbors distanced by suburban sprawl or urban anonymnity a really fun and rewarding focal point for coming together.

There are twenty-two specific things that one can do in their home or in relation to their local school or community (most have to do with the home).

I see a real opportunity for a third party developer at Amazon to create a niche business--what I really need as a busy professional is a single Amazon URL where I can go and select all of the low-cost products needed to implement this book's recommendations (e.g. the water-saver showerhead with the instant off-on lever), have them charged to my Amazon account, and delivered to my front door.

I'd also like to see a way for people to register their homes the way we register Wildlife Habitats--completing this check-list should allow registry of the home and count toward the appraisal value.

I recommend the book be bought in lots of 10, used to bring together the other 9 houses nearest you, and then passed on down the neighborhood.

The resource section at the end is helpful, and I was especially struck by the disaster resilience recommendations. I know a lot of otherwise mainstream folks that are starting to sign up for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Red Cross courses on disaster relief, earning the green hard-hat and body covering. Something is happening at the grass roots level--a combination of innate fear that the federal and state governments will fail us as they did with Katrina, and a more constructive sense of responsibility, with more people realizing that resilience starts at the local level with specific individuals planning and preparing so as to prevent local disasters from becoming catastrophes.

For related reading on the psychology of what prevents people from preparing and reacting, see my review of "Catastrophe & Culture: The Anthropology of Disaster." Disasters do NOT have to become catastrophes, we make them so through denial before, during, and after.

Getting to carbon neutral was easy and fun.......2007-01-23

My reaction to global warming has been a mixture of guilt about my consumption patterns, anxiety and fear about approaching planetary changes, and a huge amount of anger and frustration about our nation's apparent inability to recognize the problem and deal with it.

FINALLY... the the Low Carbon Diet (LCD) program gave me a way to convert my guilt, anger and fear into constructive action! I joined a team organized by friends and did the program. Though we took a bit more than 30 days to complete it (people's schedules), it was easy and fun!!

I made some new friends, was encouraged that others feel as passionately about safeguarding our planet as I do, and was supported by my LCD Team in taking really significant actions that have made my household carbon-neutral! And that was amazing!!

The program is intelligently and imaginatively built to be very user-friendly. Being math-phobic, I was dreading the process of calculating my carbon footprint, but with team encouragement, a few preparations and the program's on-line calculator, it only took an easy, stress-free half-hour.

Now I'm working with new and old friends to bring the LCD program to my community, and now feeling a sense of hope for our future and the future of our Earth.

The 3-Hour Diet: How Low-Carb Diets Make You Fat and Timing Makes You Thin

Average customer rating:

Worked for me. I recommend it!
Catchy
Eating Every 3 Hours
Practical, Effective and Overall WONDERFUL PLAN
We're paying him....

The 3-Hour Diet: How Low-Carb Diets Make You Fat and Timing Makes You Thin
Jorge Cruise , and David L. Katz
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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8 Minutes in the Morning for Extra-Easy Weight Loss: Guaranteed to shed 2 pounds a week (No equipment required, No calories counting, No deprivation)

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor
Zalestra Dietary Supplement for Pre-Menopausal and Menopausal Weight Loss, 90 Capsules
Avon ANEW CLINICAL Lift and Tuck Professional Body Shaper
Tanita BC554 Ironman Glass InnerScan Body Composition Monitor Elite Series

ASIN: 0060792299
Release Date: 2005-03-28

Amazon.com

Stepping around the low-fat versus low-carb debate, Jorge Cruise (Eight Minutes in the Morning) suggests that losing weight isn't in what you eat, but rather, when you eat it. The core idea behind The Three-Hour Diet is that by timing your meals and snacks every day, the pounds will come off. No restrictions, no exercise.

While reality is rarely that simple, the advice offered here is nutritionally sound, emphasizing plenty of fruits and vegetables, and filling in with lean proteins, healthy fats, and just enough carbs to keep meals interesting. Following Cruise's guidelines for portion control, you'll eat an average of 1,400 calories per day, filling half your plate with fruits or vegetables, and dividing the other half between the rest of the food groups. Healthy meals from fast-food joints and freezer cases are included, and a substantial recipe section offers everything from a bacon and cheese omelet to rosemary lamb chops. A month-long journal is also provided, giving you space to plan each meal in advance (a key part of the diet), along with daily motivational hints and visualization exercises. A few pages cover basic exercises--but the emphasis is definitely on the diet, which Cruise asserts will work, regardless of whether you choose to work out.

Cruise's straightforward, no-excuses encouragement works well with the simple formula the plan is based upon, and the clever Three-Hour Plate™ makes it easy to keep portion sizes in check. Still, closely monitoring meal time might seem like a challenge to some of the "busy people" for whom the program claims to be specifically designed. If counting calories or net carbs sounds daunting—but keeping a close eye on the clock doesn't—you might just find weight loss success in these pages. —Jill Lightner

Amazon.com exclusive content

Tired of fad diets and their lack of results? That's just how Jorge Cruise, author of The Three-Hour Diet, wants you to feel. Cruise's guidelines encourage sensible portion control and plenty of vegetables, but--perhaps more importantly--they encourage dieters to feel good about themselves by teaching self-acceptance and positive visualization. Stressing an easy-to-follow visual food plan that insists on incorporating snacks and treats into your day, he contends that carb-bashing is a highly ineffective means of maintaining a healthy weight. How can you sort out weight-loss fact from fiction? Amazon.com contributor Jill Lightner got some straight answers from Cruise.

Watch Jorge Cruise introduce
The Three-Hour Diet. Read our interview with Cruise.

Book Description

Following the amazing success of his New York Times bestseller 8 Minutes in the Morning, America's #1 online weight loss specialist Jorge Cruise is back with a revolutionary diet book that keeps with his trademark hassle–free, time–friendly approach.

It's a fact: the low–carb craze is everywhere. Although low–carb diets produce short term weight loss, the results are not sustainable. Dieticians, fitness experts, and medical publications are slowly awakening to the fact that the low–carb diet isn't the answer to weight loss nor a solution to the obesity epidemic. Jorge Cruise's The 3–Hour Diet reveals that timing is the revolutionary weight loss element that has been kept secret until now. By eating small, balanced meals every three hours you reset your body's metabolism and achieve amazing results. Eating every three hours turns off your "starvation protection mechanism" ensuring that fat is released and fat–burning muscle preserved. So get ready to lose 2 pounds each week! All with no calorie counting, no starvation, and no deprivation. Bottom line, timing will sculpt your body slim.

With his now trademark easy–to–follow instructions, accessibility, and client success stories, Jorge Cruise's The 3–Hour Diet is a fluid combination of proven success and categorical innovation. Weight loss has never been easier!

o For overweight people disillusioned with the low–carb craze and other fad diets that don't work or are even unhealthy. Also aimed at people with busy schedules looking to lose weight quickly and effectively, utilizing a dietary approach instead of committing to a workout regimen.

o 8 Minutes in the Morning has sold 1.8K through BookScan.

o The dark side of low–carb diets is only just beginning to rear its ugly head, and this book has the potential to be at the forefront of the low–carb backlash. In this book readers will find:

o Why low–carb and other fad diets make you fat, and why timing is the key to sustained weight loss.

o The Cruise Down Plate approach to eating that supports lean muscle development by eating your favourite foods (including candy and carbs) with no banned items and no calorie–counting. Includes frozen foods and fast food options!

o How to prevent emotional eating.

o A 28–Day Planner designed to promote organization and accountability for the dieter.

o An all–new meal and recipe guide, that is both delicious and healthy.

Customer Reviews:

Worked for me. I recommend it!.......2007-09-13

I got this book about a month and a half ago. I also got the cookbook and followed the recipes. I started on the diet for real 1 month ago. In the last month I have lost 20 pounds and 2 inches off my belly. All I have done is followed the diet with a little cheating and jogged 2-4 times a week for 30-40 minutes (not part of the diet, but a good idea since I cheat a little). I don't know how proven the science is behind eating every 3 hours, for me it is more of a psychological thing...if the meal I just had didn't seem to totally fill me up it doesn't matter because I know I'm going to eat again in another 3 hours. i also like that it does not rely on only one type of food nor does it totally prohibit any food. It is all about decreasing calories and portion control. The cookbook is so great because if you follow the recipes you don't even have to think about how any calories you are eating because they have already been counted for you. Admittedly some of the recipes are not all that great tasting, but there are o many of them in there that we have found plenty that we love. This is not just something you do half heartedly, it is all or nothing if you want results, but it is very easy to stick to. It is not just atemporary "diet" it has become a way of lifelong healthy eating.

Catchy.......2007-08-31

I like evaluating new diet books now and then and this one caught my eye with its catchy title. While the title almost implies that you only have to diet for three hours, the true meaning is that you need to EAT every three hours. By doing this, your body doesn't go into starvation mode which will eventually undermine your goal to lose weight.

Reader friendly and well laid out, I'd have to say its not a bad plan all in all. However, even if you follow it to a 'T', you'll be doing the same thing you've always had to do to lose weight successfully- eat less and exercise more. Readers unable to lift weights due to shoulder pain or a torn cuff might also like Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff.

Eating Every 3 Hours.......2007-08-11

With client success stories and the same easy-to-follow instructions that helped make "8 Minutes in the Morning" a bestseller, Jorge Cruise's "The 3-Hour Diet" is a winning combination of proven results and categorical innovation.

Practical, Effective and Overall WONDERFUL PLAN.......2007-07-28

As a "professional" dieter-having tried and paid for almost every pill, diet and device in the universe-I can't say enough positive things about this book,as well as the online site the auther developed. This eating plan is totally livable, easy to follow without weighing and measuring, and ultimately the best thing since white bread (no pun ingtended). I have been on this for only 2 weeks now and I am down 6 pounds-no easy feat for a 58 year old short woman who has another 20 pds. to loose. I highly recommend this book, and his eating plan as well as his simple exercise plan. In addition, having used other weight loss sites, I truly love his -it is easy to navigate, has a great deal of inspiration from people all over the place who have lost huge amounts of weight(and I mean huge-like 155 pds) and had great ideas that are easy to implement.

We're paying him...........2007-07-01

.....For things we ought to know. I guess it sounds "new" and "good" when its put with the word "diet" in front of it. Being the fact that we are practically obsessed with out weight as Americans anything with the word "diet" seems like yet ANOTHER way to be strict and try something else to shed the pounds. Thing is... as a technicality, I've read about similar plans elsewhere. small portions spaced out for about six meals a day should work BECAUSE we live in a world where people skip meals only to gorge themselves when they do eat is worst than eating six small continuous meals.

I do admit his "ideas" of portions COULD be practical for those who are visualizers but otherwise it comes off as stupid and... well not practical while people like me, who have to look at calories and make guesses, are better off with the six meal ideas and just remember "I eat again in three hours". Well I'm coming off the soap box now, and just saying, have some common sense people and become more conscious of what is going into your mouth.

Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never- Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems

Average customer rating:

Very Funny
A quick read. Entertaining
Having Fun with the English Language!
Amusing
Sit back and relax.

Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never- Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems
David Rakoff
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Fraud: Essays
The Areas of My Expertise
Assassination Vacation
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules
Take the Cannoli : Stories From the New World

ASIN: 0767916034
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Book Description

David Rakoff takes us on a bitingly funny grand tour of our culture of excess. Whether he is contrasting the elegance of one of the last flights of the supersonic Concorde with the good-times-and-chicken-wings populism of Hooters Air; working as a cabana boy at a South Beach hotel; or traveling to a private island off the coast of Belize to watch a soft-core video shoot—where he is provided with his very own personal manservant—rarely have greed, vanity, selfishness, and vapidity been so mercilessly skewered. Somewhere along the line, our healthy self-regard has exploded into obliterating narcissism; our manic getting and spending have now become celebrated as moral virtues. Simultaneously a Wildean satire and a plea for a little human decency, Don’t Get Too Comfortable shows that far from being bobos in paradise, we’re in a special circle of gilded-age hell.

Customer Reviews:

Very Funny.......2007-09-07

This book's writer has some very humorous insights into how the luxury we all live in is often taken for granted and he finds a great way to portray that in his essays. I also like Lloyd Dangle's latest book "Troubletown" as it presents the misguided adventures of our current leadership in a humorous yet insightful fashion as well. Troubletown Told You So: Comics that Could've Saved Us from this Mess

A quick read. Entertaining.......2007-08-10

If your looking for a book that's a quick read, light and entertaining...this is it. Some of the stories were a little too avant garde for my tastes but the book, overall, was funny and poignant and insightful.

I don't know that I would get his other book, Fraud, but this one was worth the price and the time.

Having Fun with the English Language!.......2007-07-18

I am in love with this guy's sense of humor and wit! And he tells these hysterical tales with such a mastery of the english language and sentence structure as to be absolutely AMAZING! You know those books that have one long fabulous sentence which begins in one place and ends at a particularly surprising and devastating conclusion? Well, this guy does it over and over. And by the way, get the AUDIO version. His reading, the pauses, the deadpan voice are spectacular.

Last night, I listened to his take on Paris fashion shows. His material on Chanel and Karl Lagerfield is deadly. I truly gasped. I can't believe he got away with it. I've replayed it at least 10 times.

I "discovered" David Rakoff by listening to NPR's "This American Life". This is great stuff!

Amusing.......2007-07-13

My wife and I listened to it on a long drive and enjoyed it. Entertaining and insightful. It is well narrated, but the sound is not ideal for our car (too great a volume range for all the wind noise we experience at 75mph.) Red states may not enjoy it.

Sit back and relax........2007-03-26

What can one say about runway models, applying for US citizenship and making creative gifts for friends that haven't been said before? Well a lot apparently. Seemingly mundane and special events are given the Rakoff touch of both humour and keen observation. I would bet that some of his insomnia-filled nights were spent refining the words to their present artisan-like state. This was my first foray into the world of David Rakoff but I doubt my last.
Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never- Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems

Average customer rating:

High Rise Low Down
High Rise Low Down
Well worth the cost!
high rise low down

High Rise Low Down
Denise LeFrak Calicchio , Eunice David , and Kathryn Livingston
Manufacturer: Barricade Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Social Work | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

The Fortune Hunters: Dazzling Women and the Men They Married
Luxury Apartment Houses of Manhattan: An Illustrated History
The Sky's the Limit : Passion and Property in Manhattan
Private Splendor: Great Families at Home
Beyond His Control: Memories of a Disobedient Daughter

ASIN: 1569803161

Book Description

This is a gossipy account of the billionaires, movie stars, and corporate giants and the white-gloved, million dollar penthouse apartment buildings they inhabit. Included are the details of the resident selection process, with heartbreaking social, racial, and political stories of prejudice and privilege, where the majority of applicants are blackballed from certain buildings. This book can serve as a blueprint for how to handle the application process, supplying advice on who to ask for letters of recommendation, what to wear to the co-op interview, how much to reveal to the board, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

High Rise Low Down.......2007-07-16

This book was fantastic. I couldn't put it down. For someone like myself who is obsessed with all things New York, this gave an unprecedented look at what goes on behind the walls of NY's most coveted buildings. A definite must read.

High Rise Low Down.......2007-06-27

If you are a New Yorker like I am and enjoy history of New York buildings, this book is for you. It will be one I read over and over and even imspired me to go around to all the buildings and take my own pictures of them. I LOVE NEW YORK and especially the buildings. I thank the ladies who wrote this book as they did a very good job. I have always been in love with New York buildings. You will enjoy it too if you are so inclined.

Well worth the cost!.......2007-05-07

This book is a great and easy read. I enjoyed shuffling the chapters so that I could read about the most famous/notorious buildings first. The best thing is that each chapter "tackles" a different building. In addition, each chapter reads like a Movie of the Week - stranger than fiction. The stuff is so bizarre that it could not be made up. The wealth of information shows that the authoress really did her homework.

high rise low down.......2007-03-21

Great read if the outrageously rich, shallow and pompous icons (of thier own minds) facinate you. I couldn't put it down!

Build-to-Order & Mass Customization; The Ultimate Supply Chain Management and Lean Manufacturing Strategy for Low-Cost On-Demand Production without Forecasts or Inventory

Average customer rating:

Build-to-Order & Mass Customization
Interesting and useful
Feedback from a mass customization implementor
Lots of opinion - but little substance
Practical and easy to understand

Build-to-Order & Mass Customization; The Ultimate Supply Chain Management and Lean Manufacturing Strategy for Low-Cost On-Demand Production without Forecasts or Inventory
David M. Anderson
Manufacturer: C I M Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Design for Manufacturability & Concurrent Engineering; How to Design for Low Cost, Design in High Quality, Design for Lean Manufacture, and Design Quickly for Fast Production
Markets of One: Creating Customer-Unique Value through Mass Customization
Growing Modular: Mass Customization of Complex Products, Services and Software
Making Mass Customization Work
The Toyota Product Development System: Integrating People, Process And Technology

ASIN: 1878072307

Book Description

This book shows leading-edge strategies to:

* Implement a business model that offers an unbeatable combination of responsiveness, cost, and the products that customers want when they want them.

* Achieve substantial cost advantages from eliminating inventory, forecasting, expediting, kitting, setup, and inefficient fire-drill efforts to customize products.

* Efficiently mass customize products for niche markets, countries, regions, industries, and individual customers.

* Substantially simplify supply chains - not just "manage" them - to the point where parts and materials can be pulled into production without forecasts, MRP, purchasing, waiting, or warehousing.

* Supply OEM assemblers or resupply stores rapidly on-demand and avoid carrying expensive inventory. Eliminate out-of-stocks from underproduction and avoid all the problems of overproduction: obsolescence, write-offs, returns, and discounting to sell obsolete merchandise.

* Ship directly to customers or stores and be the first to market with new technologies since distribution "pipelines" do not have to be emptied first.

* Grow sales and profits by expanding sales of standard, customized, derivative, and niche market products, while enhancing sales to existing customers.

Customer Reviews:

Build-to-Order & Mass Customization.......2006-12-29

Mass customization is a goal of almost every manufacturing organization. It is especially difficult to find in one book the essential tools, methods and concepts which will enable an organization to migrate towards a build-to-order or mass customization system. This book provide practical advice regarding product rationalization, design standardization and other tools, methods and concepts which any organization will find immediately useful in expanding its operational flexibility.

Interesting and useful.......2006-03-01

If you are a manager in something related with production, or just interested in Mass Customization, this book is for you. It brings a new aproach to the usual concepts, and may change your point of view about supply chain management or product design.
I really consider it's worth the trouble reading it

Feedback from a mass customization implementor.......2004-06-30

This is a very practical, "must-have" book--in contrast to the earlier "wouldn't-it-be-nice" writings that focus on the mass customization or build-to-order paradigm shift. This excellent book shows how to implement mass customization including the prerequisites, like product line rationalization and standardization, that greatly simplify supply chains and operations and thus make it easier to implement mass customization. The chapter on outsourcing is the most thorough treatment out there -- reading this would save many companies from costly mistakes that inhibit flexibility and thwart mass customization.

Five chapters on supply chain management show how to simplify supply chains to the point where parts and materials can be pulled into production on-demand to support on-demand production. Intricate perspective plant drawings show the flow of parts and information for the mass customization of fabricated or electronic products. The two chapters on total cost and how to quantify it are something all companies need, especially mass customizers. The book concludes with a chapter on implementation and another that presents the business case for mass customization.

The 520 page book is comprehensive, but busy executives can get up to speed quickly by reading the executive summary which summarizes the whole book. It is easy to read with hundreds of side-bars which highlight key points. It makes a fantastic reference book with hundreds of headings and a huge index.

Lots of opinion - but little substance.......2004-06-26

The transition towards Build-to-order is a challenge thay many industries face today. Offering customized products in increasingly demanding and dynamic markets renders current forecast-driven strategies more and more ineffective. The current incentive crisis in the auto industry marks a case in point.

Unfortunately this book falls short of capturing the complexity of this transition, which is not helped by the general lack of emprical evidence. I would have expected a comprehensive discussion of the organisational changes needed to make the transition, but instead the book seems to feature the author's personal opinion based on a few limited cases only. Overall a rather disappointing title.

Practical and easy to understand.......2004-02-24

This is an excellent "how-to" book with practical and detailed insights. The only complaint are the numerous typos that kept on breaking the flow of the reading...about one per page just in the Introductory chapter. However, unlike most strategy books, this book not only tackles "what to do" but more importantly "how to do it". Great book except for the typos.

The No-Salt Cookbook: Reduce or Eliminate Salt Without Sacrificing Flavor

Average customer rating:

Awesome!
ummm good
No Salt Cookbook
great, simple recipes

The No-Salt Cookbook: Reduce or Eliminate Salt Without Sacrificing Flavor
David C. Anderson , and Thomas D. Anderson
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Low Salt | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook
Cooking Without a Grain of Salt
Pocket Guide to Low Sodium Foods
The Everything Low- Salt Cookbook Book: 300 Flavorful Recipes to Help Reduce Your Sodium Intake (Everything: Cooking)
American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook, Second Edition: A Complete Guide to Reducing Sodium and Fat in Your Diet

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 1580625258

Book Description

If you suffer from high blood pressure, Meniere's syndrome, or are simply looking to eat more healthily, THE NO-SALT COOKBOOK provides low-salt recipes that are quick, easy, and taste great. As anyone on a low-sodium diet knows, it is difficult to prepare flavorful food without salt. Authors David C. Anderson and Thomas D. Anderson help you tackle this no salt/no flavor dilemma with gusto. Providing more than 200 tasty salt-free recipes - in addition to salt-free shopping tips, information on counting milligrams, and no-salt cooking essentials - this combination cookbook/health book will help you lead a more healthy, active lifestyle without radically changing your diet. From breakfast to appetizers, entrees, and desserts, learn to prepare such wonderful dishes as: Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Cold Cucumber Soup, Salmon in Basil Butter Sauce, White Wine Braised Chicken, Veal Scaloppine, The Best Brownies, and much more!

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!.......2007-07-13

So many great recipes for everyday items. Lots of bread recipes, and sauces, it helps so much.

ummm good.......2006-08-14

I have only tried a few of the recipes but they have been very good. I am looking forward to the rest of them

No Salt Cookbook.......2006-07-11

Your service was superb. Never have had such attentive help, ordering an item. The CD is super. Thank you for caring enough to send an inquiry. francespatterson@Bellsouth.net Yes, I am w-a-a-y over 13. How about 70 years old!!!!!!!!!!!!

great, simple recipes.......2004-01-23

The recipes are easy to follow. The food turns out wonderful and still with lots of flavor. Try the breakfast sausage recipe. I was so sorry to have to give up sausage but this is a great alternative!

Perfect Light Desserts: Fabulous Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Made with Real Butter, Sugar, Flour, and Eggs, All Under 300 Calories Per Generous Serving

Average customer rating:

Fantastic book!
a simple and easy book for the everyday baker
Lightened Desserts Done Right. Buy It.
Reduced Calorie Desserts
Another winner from Nick Malgieri

Perfect Light Desserts: Fabulous Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Made with Real Butter, Sugar, Flour, and Eggs, All Under 300 Calories Per Generous Serving
Nick Malgieri , and David Joachim
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Desserts | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Quick & Easy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Low Cholesterol | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Low Fat | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Chocolate and Vanilla
A Baker's Tour: Nick Malgieri's Favorite Baking Recipes from Around the World
Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate
King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking: Delicious Recipes Using Nutritious Whole Grains
Baking: From My Home to Yours

ASIN: 0060779292
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Book Description

Everybody loves dessert, but nobody loves the calories. Perfect Light Desserts offers recipes for desserts rich enough to satisfy any sweet tooth -- but with sensible calorie counts.

Master baker Nick Malgieri and healthful food expert David Joachim have joined forces to create 125 exceptional desserts without the usual quantities of fats and sugars. The focus is on flavor and texture achieved through balanced ingredient combinations and superior baking techniques. Not a single recipe has more than 300 calories per serving.

The results are nothing short of spectacular, with desserts that range from devil's food cake (complete with fluffy icing) to a lemon custard highlighted with a colorful raspberry sauce. Old-fashioned American favorites such as hermits mingle with sophisticated treats like rum raisin semifreddo and white chocolate raspberry tartlets. Best of all, while these desserts are low-calorie, they are high in flavor. Moist coconut poppy seed coffee cake, juicy blueberry pie, and fudgy brownies don't taste like “diet desserts”; they simply taste great.

All of the recipes here achieve great flavor without resorting to artificial sweeteners or synthetic substitutes. The recipes use moderate amounts of real butter, sugar, flour, and eggs in perfect proportions. Every recipe includes a complete nutritional analysis as well as serving and storage notes. Everybody loves dessert, and now no one has to go without it.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic book!.......2007-02-14

I have by now made six of the recipes in this book, one of them (the brownies) three times. Most cookbooks that I keep have an eight in ten success record. This book, however, is ten out of ten. The brownie recipe is one of the best I've ever tasted and certainly the best I've ever made. The fruitcake ended up being the highlight of a recent holiday potluck. The coconut poppy seed cake was the perfect birthday cake, and the reason I'm reviewing the book at this moment is that I handed a slice of spice cake to a co-worker who praised it for a good three minutes.

I always knew Malgieri was a great baking book author. I didn't realize how great until just this moment. I haven't had a failure yet from this book, and I can't even say that about classics like "The Joy of Cooking." Bravo, Mr. Malgieri!

p.s. Buy this book if you want to make some scrumptious, lower fat and calorie, desserts.

a simple and easy book for the everyday baker.......2007-01-06

I am a starter baker, so my husband bought this book for me as a Christmas present. I love the concept presented here by Nick Malgieri - real ingredients (real butter, real sugar, etc), less the amount, and still delicious desserts. I have tried two recipes so far, and both have turned out well (even though the tart crust contains only THREE tablespoons of butter, a minor miracle indeed!). What I also like about this book is that the ingredients and the equipment are simple and common in local supermarkets. None of the recipes requires fancy, exorbitantly priced rarities from the other side of the world. In addition, the recipes cover a range of dessert genres: chocolates (with an entire section devoted to it), cakes, tarts and pastries, ice creams, cookies. Nick also teaches you the basics of ingredients and baking techniques, along with helpful tips - so the book is educational as well (my husband was reading it for fun the other day!). One thing that this book doesn't have, but that I would've appreciated having, is prep time. Otherwise, no complaints from me. I look forward to trying all the recipes in 2007!

Lightened Desserts Done Right. Buy It........2006-12-29

`Perfect Light Desserts' by baking teacher extraordinare, Nick Malgieri and veteran cookbook author David Joachim is a classic meld of baking technique and substitution cooking, fitting the skills of the two authors. There is probably no other baking writer's work on a `healthy' baking book I would expect more from than Malgieri, since I always go to his books first whenever there is a specific kind of recipe I wish to make. He doesn't always have what I want, but every time I use his recipe, the results exceed my expectations. I have even found better recipes in his book, especially `How to Bake' than I have in books which specialize in the subject I am searching.

David Joachim's contribution is utterly appropriate, as his latest opus was `The Food Substitutions Bible', being an encyclopedia of what ingredients, as in lower calorie for higher calorie, can be swapped for what.

The authors' introduction shows their technique is entirely in the direction I would have hoped. They use no `non-fat' ingredients and no artificial sweeteners, although they do use `lowered' fat products. Just as I am fond of Rachael Ray's take on fast cooking without relying on prepared convenience foods, these authors fill their book with low calorie and low fat recipes by concentrating on those recipes which tend to be lower in the bad stuff to begin with.

There is little mystery to how the recipe slimming is done. First, as stated above, the authors choose recipes that are not high in sugar and fat to begin with. Second, high fat ingredients such as dairy products are replaced with `moderate' fat substitutes or dairy products with extra body such as buttermilk or yogurt. Third, fat is replaced with vegetable products such as applesauce. Fourth, rich icings are removed, so bulking up with rich stuff is an option. The classic examples of all these techniques put together would be a cheesecake recipe replacing cream cheese with ricotta and a carrot cake which makes heavy use of vegetable textures to begin with. Both these examples are also classic cases of picking good recipes to begin with. The ricotta cheesecake is not a diet faddy invention, it is based on an old Neapolitan recipe.

The authors claim to have maintained reasonably sized portions. I suspect a good symptom of the Americans' inflated notion of portion size is that these portions seem just a bit on the small size. When I am not in `dieting' mode, I would not imagine getting 8 portions from a 9-inch fruit pie or even less 16 portions from a 10-inch Bundt pan cake. But, the portions all seem to be of reasonable size, and most of the time, the calorie count for the portion is actually well below the target of 300 calories per portion.

One corollary to the fourth technique above is that there are very few double crusted pie recipes in the book. And, the pie crust recipes are all for a single 9 inch piecrust or maybe a 10 inch tart crust. Virtually the only caveat I have about the book is that unlike some of Malgieri's other books, this is not a serious tutorial on baking techniques. This is not to say there are no good guidelines and lessons here. Just the opposite. It's just that you will do much better with this book if you are already a fairly adept baker. The recipes for the pastry crusts, for example, assume you know most of the tricks of the trade in making a nicely flaky crust with a food processor. I am not overly fond of using the food processor and I do fine with my old-fashioned dough cutter. But, since these recipes use less butter and even less water, I suggest you go along with the recommended food processor technique, as this will work better on the smaller quantities.

On the other side of the coin, I find things in this book that I would expect and do not find in a lot of other books. My favorite is a little table showing when many popular fruits are in season. Unless you are a strict carbophobic, it is clear to both me and the authors that fruit is one of the very best ingredients for healthy desserts.

One thing to take very seriously is that this is not a book on baking in general, but only on DESSERTS. This means there are no recipes for lower calorie biscuits, breads, muffins, or breakfast pastries. But, you do get a generous helping of recipes for vegetable bulked breads.

It is no surprise that the book starts with chocolate, as that seems to be everyone's favorite dessert ingredient (except for my mother, probably because she spent several decades working in a candy factory). The very best news about chocolate is that not only is it not, in itself, fattening, it is literally good for you, just like tea and (dare we hope) coffee. The bad side of chocolate is from the level of sugar added to cut its natural bitterness. The authors accommodate this by using sugar-free baker's chocolate plus complex sweeteners or use Dutch process cocoa power, which is less bitter than unprocessed cocoa powder. My only regret here is that while there are many fine chocolate recipes, a classic chocolate layer cake is not among them. The authors redeem themselves by giving us a `healthy' recipe for chocolate chip cookies (sorry, no nuts). Even better is the even healthier oatmeal raisin cookies. Now why didn't I get this book before Christmas!

Reading this book in December makes one regret that all the best berries and stone fruits are out of season. Just Wait!!!

Reduced Calorie Desserts.......2006-10-27

Malgieri certainly is a fine baker, as his extensive cookbooks demonstrate. Here he teams up with healthfood writer Joachim to provide dessert collection with reduced caloric recipes, each said to be under 300 calories. Each recipe has nutritional breakdown.

They achieve this by reducing or eliminating amount of sugar, butter and eggs. They do not use articial sweeteners or egg substitutes or whole grain flours. One can try and substitute some of this out if glycemic index is important.

There are some fine recipes in this collection with nice large format, paper stock and color photos galore, along with Source recommendations, Ingredients & Equipment discussion. I'm into the likes of Gratin of Summer Berries (with a magnificent sabayon topping); Honey and Hazelnut Biscotti; Earl Grey Panna Cotta; Strawberry Meringue Tart; Chocolate Banana Custard Tart.

Another winner from Nick Malgieri.......2006-10-26

I always trust his books. They have been better than any other baking books I have used. I was a litttle put off that with so few calories the desserts would be good. No need to worry. The brownies alone are worth the price of the book. This is a wonderful book to have right before the holidays.

Prevention's the Healthy Cook: The Ultimate Kitchen Guide to Great Low-Fat Food : Featuring 450 Homestyle Recipes and Hundreds of Time-Saving Tips

Average customer rating:

Great Resource For Losing Weight
A Treasury of Tips, Charts and Yummy Recipes!
Low-fat Gourmet cooking?
Low-fat Gourmet cooking?
Most Healthy and Helpful Cookbook Ever

Prevention's the Healthy Cook: The Ultimate Kitchen Guide to Great Low-Fat Food : Featuring 450 Homestyle Recipes and Hundreds of Time-Saving Tips

Manufacturer: Rodale Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Low Fat | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Prevention Magazine Books | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Prevention's Healthy One-Dish Meals in Minutes: 200 No-Fuss, Low-Fat Recipes for Busy People
The Everything Healthy Meals In Minutes Cookbook: Quick-And-Easy Recipes For Shedding Pounds Fast (Everything: Cooking)
American Heart Association Quick & Easy Cookbook: More Than 200 Healthful Recipes You Can Make in Minutes (American Heart Association)
Big Book of Healthy Family Dinners (Better Homes & Gardens)
Prevention's The Healthy Cook: The Ultimate Illustrated Kitchen Guide to Great Low-Fat Food

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0875963102

Customer Reviews:

Great Resource For Losing Weight.......2004-01-07

I've had this cookbook for over a year and it is without doubt the best one in my collection. The recipes are easy to follow and taste great. I've tried numerous ones over the year and every one I've tried has come out perfectly! In addition, there are pages of tips on how to prepare foods that any cook can find helpful. As part of a total weight loss program, this book is a must!

A Treasury of Tips, Charts and Yummy Recipes!.......2002-07-03

This is a great reference for people wanting to cook a little healthier. There are a host of suggestions on how to convert existing recipes to a lower fat menu and there are many illustrations to support the many tips and charts. You will learn how to substitute lower fat ingredients for butter and oil without compromising the taste of your food. The authors discuss the many types of rice, flour, grains, herbs, spices etc. and guide you in selecting the appropriate one for your particular needs. In short, this book is a cooking class in healthy living. Buy this one...you will use it often!

P.S. Weight Watchers' clients will particularly like this book. The nutritional information necessary for calculating Winning Points is included with every recipe and you will have a huge number of dishes that you may prepare within your program.

Low-fat Gourmet cooking?.......2001-12-29

This book is fantastic. Everything tastes like gourmet cooking.
Some of the recipes are fairly simple while others are not. This book is great for people who love to cook and want low-fat alternatives that taste great. Fair warning though this isn't one of those quickie meal recipe books. It is the best cookbook I own, regardless of the low-fat. It gives tons of information on exotic as well as common ingredients. It is a great gourment recipe book as well as instructional cooking book. Not only does this book tell you how to cook everything (poultry, seafood, vegetables, desserts, etc.) it also includes a nice sampling of international recipes for added flair, Spinach/cheese enchiladas, Greek Moussaka, Squash stuffed with Mediterranean grains, to name just a few. You won't get bored.

Low-fat Gourmet cooking?.......2001-12-29

Most Healthy and Helpful Cookbook Ever.......2001-03-29

This cookbook takes recipes ever one likes-- and makes it healthy-- I love this cookbook-- use it every day.. the baking , main meals and desserts are good-- the fat has been cut but still there is lots of favor in the food. You feel like you are doing something right for your family. Highly recommend for beginner cooks also--has lots of helpful hints..

Average customer rating:

Outstanding guide to producing
There is an Indie Neverland After All
Best behind the scenes indie film book I've ever read
Producers aren't directors
Blunt as Hell, Thank God

Shooting to Kill
Christine Vachon , and David Edelstein
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Amateur Production | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Direction & Production | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

History & Criticism | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Killer Life: How an Independent Film Producer Survives Deals and Disasters in Hollywood and Beyond
Independent Feature Film Production: A Complete Guide from Concept Through Distribution
Spike Mike Reloaded : A Guided Tour Across a Decade of American Independent Cinema
Film & Video Budgets, Revised and Updated Edition
On Directing Film

ASIN: 0380798549

Book Description

Complete with behind-the-scenes diary entries from the set of Vachon's best-known fillms, Shooting to Kill offers all the satisfaction of an intimate memoir from the frontlines of independent filmmakins, from one of its most successful agent provocateurs -- and survivors. Hailed by the New York Times as the "godmother to the politically committed film" and by Interview as a true "auteur producer," Christine Vachon has made her name with such bold, controversial, and commercially successful films as "Poison," "Swoon," Kids," "Safe," "I Shot Andy Warhol," and "Velvet Goldmine."Over the last decade, she has become a driving force behind the most daring and strikingly original independent filmmakers-from Todd Haynes to Tom Kalin and Mary Harron-and helped put them on the map.

So what do producers do? "What don't they do?" she responds. In this savagely witty and straight-shooting guide, Vachon reveals trheguts of the filmmaking process--rom developing a script, nurturing a director's vision, getting financed, and drafting talent to holding hands, stoking egos, stretching every resource to the limit and pushing that limit. Along the way, she offers shrewd practical insights and troubleshooting tips on handling everything from hysterical actors and disgruntled teamsters to obtuse marketing executives.

Complete with behind-the-scenes diary entries from the sets of Vachon's best-known films, Shooting To Kill offers all the satisfactions of an intimate memoir from the frontlines of independent filmmaking, from one of its most successful agent provocateurs-and survivors.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding guide to producing.......2007-09-13

Christine Vachon has written an extremely accessible, entertaining book about what it means to be an independent film producer. She covers every step of the movie-making process, from finding a script to casting to hiring a crew, editing, etc. She covers the material with an engaging style and a sense of humor, and the facts are punctuated with examples and anecdotes from the movies she's produced. She's candid and unapologetic, and apparently some reviewers here have a problem with that. News flash - if you intend to make a career in the film industry, you better get used to people who yell, tight schedules, high expectations, plus low budgets if indies are your thing. If you spent any time on a film set, you would know that it is the producer's JOB to be tough, to get things in on time, and to run a tight ship. At the end of the day, it's the producer's butt that is on the line. It's just plain silly to give the book a low rating because Christine had the guts to be honest about the way things work on a film set and you wouldn't want to work with her. It's clear that some reviewers here need to get a thicker skin or find a different calling.

Christine's films have been critical success stories despite their low budgets and tight time frames - she knows what she is doing and has taken the time to write a wonderful introduction to the world of filmmaking for beginners and those of us with some experience. I highly recommend this book.

There is an Indie Neverland After All.......2005-09-20

Not only is this a thorough and informative piece of work, which would make it worth twice the price all by itself, it's also an inspiration and should be read by anyone, writer, actor, producer, director, anyone.... who's ever been told you have to compromise your vision in this business to get your movie made. There are several great stories in this book but the image that keeps resonating in my head is Christine Vachon, the High Priestess of Indie Film and Soverign Protector of Infant Directors, saying to the producer's rep: "We'll talk about it" and saying to everyone else after hanging up the phone, "We're not cutting anything, we're not cutting anything." Not only did I not know there were people out there doing such things, I had begun to wonder if it was even possible. This book can make you believe again. I didn't read it. I devoured it.

Best behind the scenes indie film book I've ever read.......2002-10-14

Having just directed a low-budget feature in Hollywood, I wish I had read this book beforehand (and I certainly wish my producer had read it). Vachon breaks down the process, making it understandable to even the most novice film fan. The writing is gutsy, the tales from the trenches always interesting. One of the must-reads if you're at all interested in making movies.

Producers aren't directors.......2002-09-24

Somewhere between the world of independant movies and studio pictures reside a group of people who've bounced between both worlds and have taken up residence in the void. The author is one of those people. This book isn't very informative for the ultra low budget producer but a good read nonetheless. Although at times it wanders aimlessly while the reader tries to figure out which of the half-dozen guys named "Todd" she's talking about now. I'd recommend this book to people with budgets in the neighborhood of 100,000 to 5 million. I wouldn't call it a very good resource for locating financing.

Blunt as Hell, Thank God.......2002-06-20

If you want to know more about what it's like to produce, rather than HOW to produce...this is the book. Vachon takes you through her life, and I've learned more about producing just from reading about one of her days. She's honest, doesn't preach much, doesn't give very many golden rules (since we all make our own), and tells you how it really is. If your tired of reading books on forms and paperwork, negotiating and contacts, and are just plain interested in what it's like to be IN IT, buy the book. It's so worth it.

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