“The Economics of Medical Care - Investors Business Daily” plus 2 more |
- The Economics of Medical Care - Investors Business Daily
- Book review: Memories of the Future - DISCOVER
- The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing: How to Produce and Market ... - Publishers Lunch Deluxe
| The Economics of Medical Care - Investors Business Daily Posted: 28 Oct 2009 06:53 AM PDT Readers of Thomas Sowell's columns in IBD don't have to be told why he is considered one of America's greatest thinkers — maybe the greatest. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet has called him "our greatest contemporary philosopher," an opinion that British historian Paul Johnson shares in his book "A History of the American People." Besides his weekly newspaper column, Sowell has written 43 books — 10 in the last five years — two monographs, 87 articles in periodicals and books, and 33 book reviews. His latest two books, The Housing Boom and Bust and Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One, came out this year. The latter, subtitled "Thinking Beyond Stage One," is one of six he has written on economics. Dr. Sowell has granted IBD permission to run one of the chapters of Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One — The Economics of Medical Care — in its entirety. We are doing so because of its relevance to the debate over health care reform. The chapter will run in nine parts over the next week and a half. The first part starts below.
The high cost of medical care has been a recurrent theme in countries around the world. In the United States, medical expenses absorb about one-sixth of the total annual output of the economy. Medical care is one of many goods and services that can be provided in a wide variety of ways. At one time, it was common for sick people simply to pay doctors and buy medicine individually with their own money. Today, both the medicines and the medical care are often paid for by third parties through either political or market institutions — that is, either by insurance companies or government agencies, or both, with or without some portion being paid by the individual patient. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | ||
| Book review: Memories of the Future - DISCOVER Posted: 28 Oct 2009 07:36 AM PDT
But I make an exception when the book itself is exceptional. Such is the case for Memories of the Future, a review of the first few episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation told from Wil Wheaton's unique viewpoint (full disclosure: Wil is a friend and I may have just a wee lingering bit of a mancrush on him). If you don't know — and really, why the heck are you reading my blog if you don't — Wil played Wesley Crusher on TNG. Since then he's made a name for himself as a writer, and it's deserved. He's really good at it, drawing the reader in with very personal stories and a wicked sense of humor laced with snark and webby goodness. That all comes into play here. In Memories, he writes blow-by-blow reviews of TNG episodes that are alternately hilarious and thoughtful (the reviews, not so much the episodes). He writes both as a fan of the show, an actor on the show, and a man who is trying to honestly discuss the pros and cons of each episode. Especially cool are the times Wesley Crusher is an annoying weenie, because Wil lets it all out — excoriating the writers when called for but also admitting when he felt that his acting was still immature. It's a refreshing honesty that you won't find from, say, Katherine Heigl. Say. Here's a random quote I got by opening the book at, um, random. It's from Datalore:
Because months ago Wil emailed me, asking a question about supernova astrophysics that was relevant to the show. I sent him a few paragraphs of expository hilariousness, and he stuck it right in the book! It's right there on page 27:
If you want to know what I wrote you'll just have to buy the book, but I'll note that it's brilliant and rumors (started by me and listened to attentively by my dog) have already started buzzing about a Pulitzer. And I hate to disagree with Wil, but I'm not as smart as Wesley — I'm just written better. And don't let him fool you: Wil knows a lot about warp travel. Seriously though, if you are a fan of TNG then this book will make you laugh a lot. If you're a fan of Wil's then you probably already bought it. But while I was reading it I had a lot of fond memories jogged; I remember avidly watching the show when it aired in my first year of grad school. I'd sit with friends every week, enjoying the show immensely, in between making fun of it when needed. And as painful as some of those episodes were, because of this book — and Wil's writing in general — some good has come of it. Oh– Wil has put selected audio readings from the book online, so if you're like Comic Book Guy (Worst. Analogy. Ever.) and too lazy to hold a book up, you can still listen to him reading it. And, of course, you should read his blog. That's how I first found him; a dear friend years ago told me I should look into this Wil Wheaton guy. I was skeptical at first, but within a few paragraphs of the first blog entry I read I was hooked. Our senses of humor are very similar, so if you like my blog you'll like his as well. OK, enough gushing! Stop reading this and go buy his book. And the good news? The book is only Part 1 (season 1 episodes 1 – 13). Wil, I know you're reading this, because all you Hollywood types are vain and shallow and self-absorbed, so when does Part 2 come out? Huh? Huh? This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | ||
| The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing: How to Produce and Market ... - Publishers Lunch Deluxe Posted: 28 Oct 2009 06:31 AM PDT What other folks are saying about "The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing." | The world of self-publishing is exploding, with thousands of authors taking the plunge into this exciting endeavor every month. The rewards can be great, but so too, can be the risks. The budding self-publisher must be careful and spend his/her money wisely, particularly in these tough economical times. Fortunately, Linda F. Radke has come to the rescue with her newly updated book, The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing, to safely guide authors through the ins and outs of publishing, while also advising where to spend, how much to spend, and when not to spend those hard earned dollars. The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing breaks down the rather confusing and mutli-step task of publishing a book into simple to understand sections beginning with editing a manuscript all the way through publication and, just as important but so often overlooked by new authors, marketing. What makes this book stand out from so many of the other books offered to aspiring authors is that Radke includes sections on many of the tools authors will need to successfully run their own business. In clear, concise, easy-to-understand language, the author gives an overview of various items including printers, invoices, banking, prepayment options, contracts, mailing list sources, shipping, flyers, and even how to be a good guest on TV as well as a myriad of other topics. Of course, Radke also covers the more common subjects such as copyright, where to get an ISBN, cover design and press releases. The author includes several essays written by others (an editor, typesetter, publicist, etc.) who offer their valuable expertise. The one I found particularly interesting was 'When Disaster Strikes, Strike Back!' by Lynda Exley. Written about her and her son's experience with promoting their book, this essay is funny and yet, informative. Every author will likely relate to their mistakes while promoting a book. Of course, the title of this book implies money saving ideas and the text doesn't disappoint. Getting free publicity is something every author wants and Radke offers tips on how to proceed to clinch an interview. The author also looks at other ways to save money such as using short print runs; the importance of printing bids; partnership publishing; and co-opportunities. Indeed, throughout The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing, there are countless tips to control the budget of the new author. Quill says: 5.0 out of 5 stars "THE ECONOMICAL GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING" is an essential tool needed for successful Self-Publication, which offers great support to be in today's very competitive market. This unique book introduces an incredibly powerful concept of Self-Publishing, and how it works. This simple, easy-to-read guide explains how to get started, while clearly describing what the author needs to know. This complete guide to Self-Publishing offers a professional, author-friendly book publishing environment, directing the reader to the best possible opportunities to achieve success with their book. I recommend this book to all writers, authors, and Self-Publishers. Linda F. Radke presents facts of interest as she walks you through the Self-Publishing process, outlining steps of how to stay in control, without facing authorship in total darkness. Most important, she demonstrates how the Self-Publishing experience can be a success, while saving money. This informative, skillfully written guide is a useful resource for the presentation of your first book, covering the journey from your manuscript to promotions. "THE ECONOMICAL GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING" is as interesting as THE SECRETS OF SELF-PUBLISHING, and as practical as THE COMPLETE SELF-PUBLISHING HANDBOOK. In today's evolving book publishing industry, authors are taking control of their writing, and book publishing options. Linda F. Radke will lead the way, and open the golden door to opportunity, and success. July 16, 2009 A new trend seems to be developing in the world of publishing and now more than ever before, authors are looking at self publishing. Why? The reasons are many. The advancement of publishing technology makes self-publishing much easier than ever before. For me it was maintaining complete control of my book and the potential for making a profit was much greater. My own book is now in its third printing and about to go to a fourth. If I had it to do all over again, I would definitely self-publish, but the first thing I would do is buy a copy of "The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing." Following the examples outlined in Linda F. Radke's book takes the guess work out of doing it yourself. She covers every aspect of publishing yourself, from the very basic to the more advanced. There is no doubt this book will serve as your step-by-step guide to success in your own publishing quest. Cliff Johnson By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) 5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone aspiring to publish their own work, April 13, 2009 Even in the present economic climate that has compelled the major publishing houses to cut back the numbers of titles they produce, it has never been easier to publish a book -- or sell one. In "The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing: How To Produce And Market Your Book On A Budget", Linda F. Radke draws upon her more than 24 years of experience and expertise as a publisher whose Five Star Publications has produced award-winning and commercially successful books that were traditionally published, self-published, and published through limited partnerships. The result is a compendium of solid, practical, step-by-step information that takes the aspiring author from manuscript to published book, and then on to the tasks of marketing, promotion, publicity, and sales. "The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing" covers such issues as transforming a manuscript into a typeset book; recruiting illustrators and editors; obtaining copyrights, ISBN numbers, and bar codes; getting printing bids; publishing as a home business; developing mailing lists; even handling interviews. Of special note is what "The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing" offers by way of strategies and tactics for effectively marketing a book on a limited budget. Enhanced with an appendix listing useful publications and associations for the self-published author, "The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing." is highly recommended reading and an invaluable resource and 'do-it-yourself' reference for anyone aspiring to publish their own work. ISBN: 978-1-58985-101-6 This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Book-Reviews - Bing News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment