Book review: the elements of Graphic Design

Graphic design is a very broad field and to master it is a very challenging escapade. We can have a good grasp of graphic design by understanding the basic elements and principles which make effective design and page layout.

Graphic design is a course of combining texts and graphics in order to develop an interactive work of art. Designers achieve their purpose by utilizing the elements and principles of graphic design. In today’s world, graphic design has a greater percentage of influencing us. Everywhere we go, anywhere we look, there are graphic design materials – from posters, signs, newsletters, billboards - practically everywhere.

I guess everybody longs to be a creator of a masterpiece. Sounds difficult, but actually it’s not. Even those who have no formal graphic design training can improve their page layout and text compositions through enhancing their concepts of design basics and modern desktop publishing. Though individual lessons can be taken, I strongly recommend the book Elements of Graphic Design authored by Alexander White.

Alexander White is an expert in graphic design. He has shaped the visual design of nineteen magazines and twenty identity programs. White was also a consultant to numerous publications, art directors and editors. He was formerly a teacher in design at the Hartford Art School of the University of Hartford. He has taught there for about fifteen years. He has also lectured on typography and design to professionals in corporations and at conferences. He is currently residing in New York City.

White’s The Elements of Graphic Design Space, Unity, Page Architecture and Type is an approach page design in an avant-garde way. In contrast to other graphic design books, this book reveals the secrets of successful graphic design from the perspective of the “white space”. The book sheds light on art, design and architecture and how they are to be associated with the design elements. It also demonstrates how white space can give sound typography or shift the burden of a page. Comments are also presented by White to ensure interactive designs, thought-provoking captions and scores of illustrations to challenge designers to ”think out of the box” and not be limited by what is presented.

The book also describes the five elements of design – lines, shapes, mass, texture and color. It gives instances on how to balance the elements and create unity or proximity. Other important principles are alignment, repetition or consistency, contrast and “white space” or the art of nothing. Grab a copy now to experience the things that amused designer’s fancy.

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About the Author

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Aliens, Abductions, UFOs and the Paranormal. What Does it All Amount To?

Ann Andrews has finally released her new book relating to many recurring and extraordinary events surrounding her youngest son Jason. Multiple alien abductions, UFO sightings and spiritual occurrences have dogged the lives of the Andrews family for many years. Now, in this true story, Ann Andrews reveals the truth about her son’s relationship with extraterrestrials and his assigned mission here on earth.

When you read a press release with the heading; “Mother of Multiple Alien Abductee Son, Documents Numerous Extraordinary Events in New Best-Selling Book”, you can’t help wondering whether another crank has been let loose on society or whether there actually is some truth in all this stuff.

Research into UFOs and aliens throws up millions of web pages, thousands of stories, hundreds of photos and numerous investigations. So, is a very large section of the human race going completely insane? Is it mass hysteria? Even worse, could it be catching?

In true human fashion of course, each individual UFO sighting or alien abduction case is complimented by its army of debunkers and disbelievers. But why? Are they trying to keep us all from the truth by discrediting witness statements and finding numerous other possible explanations for “UFO” sightings? What are they afraid of? Do they secretly work for the government? What’s in it for them?

Whatever happened to keeping an open mind? Surely anything is possible. You just have to look at how technology has progressed over recent years to see that. Who would have believed a hundred years ago that we would have mobile phones that can take photos, record video, send texts, access the Internet and play music and games?

Perhaps it’s time we all started to believe in the paranormal, UFOs and aliens, then maybe we’ll discover more answers to the never-ending questions about the meaning of life and our very purpose here on this planet.

Some people say aliens are here already, living and working amongst us. Apparently, they are called “star people” or “indigos”, and they are here on a mission. Could it be they’re here to save us or protect this beautiful but ravaged planet? For whatever reason they’re here, it’s comforting to know they’re not planning to annihilate us otherwise they would have probably done so by now.

And if they really know the human race, it’s not surprising why aliens haven’t landed on the Whitehouse lawn or broadcast their co-habitation amongst us mere earthlings. But if you want to find out more about them, their intentions and their agendas, then like any religion, you only need to believe. Faith is a very powerful inner emotion.

So, what do all these extraordinary and paranormal events amount to? Well, there must be some amount of truth in their reality. And surely, to have faith is to get nearer to the truth?

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About the Author

Bill Knight is an International copywriter, author and online publisher.

http://www.jasonmyindigochild.com

http://www.knight-writer.co.uk

http://www.anglox.com

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Magician: Master by Raymond Feist – Book Review

This is the second book in the Riftwar Saga and we watch as our main character goes from apprentice to master. But we also witness the writer (Raymond Feist) go from apprentice to master.

This book is the second book in Feist’s Riftwar Saga (the first book is Magician: Apprentice) and in this book we see not only the transformation of our main character from apprentice to master but we also see this same transformation in Feist’s writing. The tone, texture, and richness of this novel is significantly different than the first book. In this book Feist builds us a big world and takes us for a grand adventure. He opens up two worlds for us and introduces us to a lot of new characters and a very big story. In this volume Feist also goes from Apprentice to Master.

There are four books in this series. The first is Magician: Apprentice, the second is Magician: Master, the third is Silverthorn and the final book is A Darkness at Sethanon. This is the current version but there is an earlier version that combines the first two volumes and it is simply entitled: Magician. This single version of the first two novels is uncommon. As Feist’s writing gained in popularity the publishers split up that first book into two volumes and reprinted them.

The Basic Premise of the series

The plotline of the series of books is that a rift is opened up between two worlds and through this rift people and things can pass. A warrior empire is using this rift to conquer the world of our main characters which is called Midkemia and the main characters are Pug (a magician in training) and Tomas (an aspiring warrior). The setting is very much high medieval period with kings, castles, dwarves, elves, magicians, and much of the expected epic fantasy fare.

This second book begins about four years after the second book and one of the unique things about it is that we spend a fair amount of time on the other world which is named Kelewan. That world too is also very much high medieval Europe but of course with its own customs and idiosyncrasies. One thing of note is that horses are totally alien to their world which creates some nice side developments in the story.

I approached this shifting to the other world with some trepidation because, after all, they are the bad guys and I don’t really want to get to know them! But, it works extremely well and this shifting gives us some really good (and necessary) developments in the story.

Overall perception and analysis

This book is substantially different than the first one. We go from a pretty straight-forward epic fantasy theme to something that is significantly more textured and rich. It feels like there might have been four years of Feist’s writing skill development between the first and second book. The first book was more about introducing us to the characters and the story and this second book takes a bigger and more ambitious look by introducing us to the two worlds involved. It’s ambitious and it works well. There are some outstanding dramatic scenes and events that really leave an impression.

A Mild Criticism

This book deals with two worlds. And each world is complete with its own politics, empires, barons, blood lines, warlords, and all the requisite political maneuverings for power and wealth. This political infighting means that it gets a bit complex at times. A lot of different characters are introduced and sometimes this gets to be a bit too complicated for my taste.

Conclusion

Something really great about this book is that it and the first magician book can be read as a satisfying single work without having to continue through more books in the series. This book brings about a conclusion to the story begun in book one. And, one of the things that I like best about this book is that once we come to our dramatic conclusion we don’t find our characters sitting under a tree and living happily ever after. There is another forty or so pages that draw us further into some interesting developments which of course draw us into the next novel.

If you are looking for a new world to explore and a new series to sink your teeth into the Riftwar books are an excellent choice. There are currently over twenty books that take place in the Riftwar series and the latest book was released in early 2008 (Wrath of a Mad God). And a new series begins with the release of Rides a Dread Legion in early 2009.

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About the Author

Love Fantasy? Check out the authors website: The Fantasy Guide – Your guide to Fantasy Books

For more insights and articles about epic fantasy visit his site at: Epic-Fantasy.com - The webs only epic fantasy site.

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Stan Lee, Even the Comic Book Great Ones Have Problems

Stan Lee, in my mind, has to be one of the all time most recognizable individuals in the "Comic Book Industry". Most lovers of comic books have known his name all their collecting lives. For those of you who don't know his name, I am sure you have heard of his creations. The X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, and the very well known Spider-Man are all from the mind of Stan Lee. For the last forty years or more and as an employee of Marvel Comics, he has entertained us through the art of comic book imagination.

Well, by now you would think that an individual of this caliber would be taken seriously and treated with respect from his employers. Apparently not! In 2002 Stan Lee decided he had to file a lawsuit against the comic giant, Marvel. It appears the agreement between Lee and Marvel was that 10% of the income generated from TV and movies using Lee characters, was to be his. Seems Marvel didn't see it that way. Typical of conglomerates, isn't it? The boys in the suits seem to want to make all the rules. Stan at one time had even been a suit. Among other positions held at Marvel, Lee had even been president of the company for a while.

Years ago when Stan Lee had created most of his characters, he had done it through a write-for-hire agreement, so he doesn't own the characters. Stan was then, just a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy, trying to put meat and potatoes on the table. But over the years, he was very instrumental in putting Marvel Comics on the map.

When the 10% deal was formally put together, apparently most individuals involved didn't realize the windfall that comic book character movies would become. Now is that any reason to hold back Stan's piece of the pie? I think not. Just corporate bigwigs trying to increase their lot in life. Now this is just my opinion so don't rant back at me as being unfair.

As luck would have it, a federal judge agreed and ruled in favor of Lee. How much monetary compensation does this mean? Well to put it in perspective, the two Spider-Man movies thus far, have reaped on the order of 800 million dollars apiece, in world wide ticket sales. This settlement could mean tens of millions of dollars for Lee, but the battle is not over. Marvel, will quite probably appeal the verdict and the case may be tied up in the courts for years.

Now don't go feeling too badly for Stan Lee. He is still pulling down a salary from Marvel on the order of a million dollars. Still not to shabby in my mind. And Lee has mixed feels because he has been loyal to Marvel for 60 years. To have his lifelong employer trying to, shall we say, stiff him, for being so loyal, I'm sure, does hurt. Had it not been for Lee, Marvel may not have been in the financial position they are today.

At 82, Stan Lee does have a comfortable and successful life. And if even his settlement is held up in the courts for years, Stan won the first round. He didn't bow down to the corporate hammer. Just another "Joe working class hero" yelling out, hey guys, let's play by the rules.

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About the Author

Dave Gieber, a former rocket engineer, has decided to take up residency on the Internet. He is the owner and editor of several websites, one of which was built around one of his childhood passions; www.comic-book-collection-made-easy.com. You can visit here to keep up to date on the world of comic books and comic book collecting. Feel free to sign up for my comic book ezine.

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Book Review - Kindred Spirits - How the Bond Between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way We Live

I highly recommend, "Kindred Spirits", not only for pet lovers, but also as an aid to help others understand the unique relationship animal lovers' have with their pets.

This is a Book Review: Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way we Live By Allen M. Dvm Ms Schoen

This book is a must read for all animal lovers. Dr. Shoen is a veterinarian who truly loves not only his work, but also animals in general. Animal lab testing and the way many of the livestock on farms and elsewhere is treated horrify him. He is a kind, tenderhearted person who truly believes and practices what he preaches.

He has left the comfort of his warm home and ventured out in the middle of a freezing night, to drive many miles, to aid an animal in a life-threatening, difficult labor- who without the aid of Dr. Schoen, could have- and in all probability would have died, if Schoen was not there to help pull the baby animal into the world.

He tells several amazing, anecdotal animal stories that happen between animals and their companions. Schoen shares his story of his own golden retriever, named Megan, who responded to injured animals, or their owners who were clearly upset. She would try to comfort them with loving licks of compassion.

Dr. Schoen is trying to lean animal companions and other veterinarians, to more of a holistic approach to animal care. He has learned that animals need emotional care, just as much as a human being. They feel emotional pain and 'hurt feelings', much like a human does. So if you deny an animal the treatment of their emotional needs, as well as their physical, then you are not providing your animal companion with the full treatment needed to help them heal completely and wholly.

Schoen has been a pioneer in alternative therapies since 1981. He is a founder and director of the Center for Integrative Animal Health, where he expands readers' awareness of veterinary acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy and other complementary approaches.

Kindred Spirits shows us the benefits of having deep, meaningful human-animal bonds. He offers seven ways to foster a spiritual bond with your pet, as well as diet therapy, which helps prevent cancer in an all-natural way. The back of the book offers an extensive appendix of resources.

He covers many topics- from the reason behind the rise of food allergies in animals, disorders of the immune system, aging and ailing, to how to think like an animal, cancer and how important the role of love and touch truly is. Dr. Schoen offers excellent advice of what to do when more can be done, and if all has been done and there is nothing else you can do- he teaches you the hardest thing for us all -- how to let go.

In this special book, Kindred Spirits, Dr. Schoen shows us how beneficial holistic medicine can be, when combined with traditional methods.

I know readers will enjoy his humor and his insightful knowledge and intuitiveness he shares with us on the human/animal bond. He also takes us through history, showing us the attitude toward animals throughout time. He shows us how our domination over animals in the past, was always used as permission for atrocities- because people used the naive reasoning that animals did not 'feel' emotions; and how those very thoughts still affect the way many treat animals today. I guarantee this book will make you look at the social attitude toward animals in a whole new light- perhaps, helping make more people take a stand and demand cruelty against animals, are put to an end, and for those who do continue to act cruel to animals will indeed pay for their unacceptable behavior.

This heart-warming book, full of tender stories, will bring you many smiles, and would also make the perfect gift to all of your animal lover friends/family, or perhaps an even better gift to those who don't quite understand our bond with our animals.

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About the Author

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pets.

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The Compleat Gamester: A Medieval Book Review

Have you ever wondered what kinds of games people played during the Renaissance? The Compleat Gamester is a guide to just that. It was written in 1674 as a handbook for people of the time to learn how to play games that were currently popular. And it is still widely available today. It is a great way to learn about what kinds of games people played during the Middle Ages. And it is also lends insight into understanding how that period of time still has a tremendous influence on today’s world. Many of the games in the book are still played today.

Have you ever wondered what kinds of games people played during the Renaissance? The Compleat Gamester is a guide to just that. It was written in 1674 as a handbook for people of the time to learn how to play games that were currently popular. And it is still widely available today. It is a great way to learn about what kinds of games people played during the Middle Ages. And it is also lends insight into understanding how that period of time still has a tremendous influence on today’s world. Many of the games in the book are still played today.

The Compleat Gamester is a book about games and gaming that was written by Charles Cotton in 1674 which is right in the middle of the European Renaissance. It is also a book that has had quite a long life having been re-printed many times. It is still very readily available today and the last printing of it was in 1970. Many libraries carry copies of it and plenty of copies can be found at any online book store.

The book gives us a wonderful insight into the leisure activities of the period and these games are divided into several general categories including card games, table games, board games, and outdoor games. The card games include Whisk and Cribbage. The board games include Chess and Backgammon. The table games section includes billiards and the outdoor games, which to me are the most interesting, include archery, bowling, horsemanship and cock fighting.

There are also lots of games that seem to be lost to the passage of time. These games include card games named L’Ombre, Queen Nazareen Lanterloo, and Beast. And they include games without cards such as Ketch-Dolt and Sice-Ace.

Another interesting insight into the Middle Ages that we can derive from this book is the sensitivity to the class and caste system. The author often makes comments and observations about the games and what kinds of people play them. This is first revealed to us in the full title of the book which is “The Compleat Gamester or, Instructions how to Play at all manner of usual and Genteel games”. This sensitivity is most prevalent in how he describes the scene of bowling as a place for rooks where three things are thrown more than the balls. These are time, money, and curses. He characterizes bowling as being a healthy sport yet something that is more for the rough and tumble commoner crowd. And it’s funny how that stigma of bowling being a common persons sport still remains with us today. It makes one wonder if he is the guy that started that whole stigma about bowling.

About the book

Having been written over three hundred years ago the language of the book can sometimes be a bit awkward but it is beautifully done and it is loaded with great illustrations. The very first edition of this book was published in 1674 by Charles Cotton and it is the second most common alternate usage of the word Complete. The most common, and most famous, use of this alternate spelling is of course for the Compleat Angler which was written by a friend of Charles Cotton’s father. Charles, his father, and the author of the Compleat Angler used to go fishing a lot when Charles was a boy. So it is easy to see where the inspiration for the book and its peculiar title came from.

If you are interested in Medieval Period things and games in general, you might want to give this book a look. Who knows, after reading some of the lost games you just might want to give them a try and start a whole new revival.

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About the Author

To Learn more about Medieval Weapons, Armor, and Castles visit the authors website at: The Medieval Armory

For a daily dose of these subjects visit his blog at: All Things Medieval – Never Give A Sword to A Man Who Can’t Dance

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Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist – Book Review

There are a lot of epic fantasy series out there. But very few of them have withstood the test of time. This book is one of the best books in the genre of modern epic fantasy and it is the first book in a series called the Riftwar Cycle. If you are looking for an epic fantasy series to dig into this is a perfect starting point.

There are a lot of epic fantasy series out there. But very few of them have withstood the test of time. This book is one of the best books in the genre of modern epic fantasy and it is the first book in a series called the Riftwar Cycle. If you are looking for an epic fantasy series to dig into this is a perfect starting point.

The setting and the scene of the novel

The setting is medieval fantasy complete with castles, humans, dwarves, elves and all kinds of wondrous creatures. It would seem at first glance to be standard fantasy fare but there is a nice twist; in this world magicians can open portals called rifts between worlds and it is through one of these rifts that an invading army passes. And this is where our story begins, with two young men called Pug and Tomas in the beginning of an invasion into their world called Midkemia. Pug is struggling with the challenge and mystery of becoming a magician and this is where the title of the book is taken from.

About the Story: Just a darn good story and in no time at all you are going to be engrossed in the story and the characters. What more can you ask for? This is not your typical pulp fiction. It is well written and very satisfying. I don't want to tell you much more but there is adventure, traveling, magic, introspection, questions, battles, and even a castle siege. If you give this book 30 pages you will be hooked.

About the Magic: The title of the book (Magician: Apprentice) is almost a warning bell for me because I have read too much fantasy where magicians and wizards cast all kinds of fireballs, spells, and what not - and it tends to be an easy way for the writer to get out of a tough plot point - just create a new spell that gets you out of a jam! Not so in this book; the magic is subdued and makes a lot of sense. It is just a job well done in this regard.

Reverence to Dwarves and Elves: This book predates the Lord of the Rings movies so these races of creatures weren't the household names they are today. Feist presents them to us in the way they should be presented; as mysterious and wondrous creatures to be admired. He very clearly expresses this awe and you feel it.

Only really half a book: This book is actually only half of what Feist wrote for his first book. It was a big book so the publisher broke it up into two halves. The first half is Magician: Apprentice and the second half is Magician: Master. So if you decide to get this book I highly recommend you get the second one too. You are going to want to start on it right away because the first book does come to a good climax there is still a lot to be resolved. You will need the second book for this.

About the Riftwar Cycle:

The Riftwar Cycle is a series of books that revolve around the battle between Midkemia and Kelewan. These are the two worlds where the rift has been opened. And the books in the series take place on both worlds with a variety of characters and stories. Magician: Apprentice is the first book of a series called the Riftwar Saga After apprentice comes Magician: Master then Silverthorn and finally A Darkness at Sethanon.

If you are looking for a big story to sink your teeth into this is perfect. Well written and lots of the books are already out so you don't have to wait for the next one. And there are more coming. Book 3 of his Darkwar Saga is scheduled for release in March 2009 and book 1 of his new series (the DemonWar Saga) is scheduled for release later in 2009.

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About the Author

Love Fantasy? Check out the authors website: The Fantasy Guide

For more insights and articles about epic fantasy visit his site at: Epic-Fantasy.com

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A Special Review Of Mike Dillard's Magnetic Sponsoring Book

A review of Mike Dillard's Magnetic Sponsoring Book.

In his book, "Magnetic Sponsoring," Mike Dillard teaches you, the network marketer, how to apply the proper marketing strategies that will turn you into a magnetic sponsor.

Though the "Magnetic Sponsoring" book only prints out 49 pages of content, it does not teach network marketers how to advertise their business, it is a guide, not an exact step by step road map. I can compare the Magnetic Sponsoring book to a conversation Neo and Morpheus had concerning a woman known as "The Oracle" in "The Matrix" the movie 1999.

The dialog went like this:

"Neo: So is this the same Oracle that made the prophecy?Morpheus: Yes. She's very old. She's been with us since the beginning.

Neo: The beginning?Morpheus: Of the resistance.

Neo: And she knows what, everything?Morpheus: She would say she knows enough.

Neo: And she's never wrong.

Morpheus: Try not to think of it in terms of right and wrong. She is a guide, Neo. She can help you to find the path.

Neo: She helped you?Morpheus: Yes.

Neo: What did she tell you?Morpheus: That I would find the One. I told you I can only show you the door. You have to walk through it.

"In a book like this, the information has to be generic and serve as a guide designed to help the network marketer to become a magnetic sponsor, but he/she has to "walk through the door" and apply the information contained there in.

Mike Dillard, once a surgeon recruiter for many hospitals quit his job and became a table waiter in order to pursue his career in network marketing. After discovering the proper use of positioning, and "sellucation" his term for the art of self-selling through education, sponsored 35 personal reps. and grew his organization to over 500 within just months and averaged over $500,000 dollars per year in volume sales.

Today he spends his time and efforts teaching network marketers the proper strategies of marketing and magnetic sponsoring, as well as serving as a marketing consultant to industry leaders.

In "Magnetic Sponsoring," I found that the strategy of the ABC business model is the most valuable a networker can learn. Mike doesn't just tell you what Part A, Part B, or Part C is. He teaches you how to apply that principle in your MLM business,network marketing business, internet marketing business, or what ever you want to call it in order to keep your business running, and to make sure there is constant cash flow, and growth.

This book truly brings a fresh, high energy, revolutionary, and an effective approach to network marketing. "Sellucation" is intertwined through out the entire course. Educating prospects and applying the franchise business model is essential for network marketers to become magnetic sponsors.

Though it took me some time to fully understand how to apply magnetic sponsoring marketing techniques into my business, I feel that even people with little or no experience in MLM business, network marketing business, or internet marketing business,should have no problems applying the proper marketing strategies found within the book after reading it a few times.

In his newsletter, Mike guarantees that in just ten days, he can turn you into a MLM lead & cash generating wiz! I have to confess that at first, I did not really believe that; I thought he was just another guy creating a lot of hype to make a quick buck. After reading his "Magnetic Sponsoring" book however, I really see that he can actually back up his claim.

One thing I felt Mike could have done to make his book even better, was maybe expanding on the section about franchising a network marketing business with more specific,detailed explanations and/or illustrations as to how exactly this strategy should be applied so that the reader learns to apply this technique a lot faster, and effectively to his/her MLM business, network marketing business, or internet marketing business. But then again, the informationis very generic and it applies to any business. As long as is read carefully a few times, there souldn't be any problem applying those strategies.

Based on the claims that Mike makes in his free 10-day boot camp training, and in his "Magnetic Sponsoring" book, I could not think of any questions left unanswered, or any unfulfilled promises.

If you are in MLM business, network marketing business, or internet marketing business, you know that the life blood of any business are leads to generate prospects. In order to accomplish that you have to advertise and/or buy leads. If you are running your business on a shoe string budget, and want to generate prospects, and generate cash to fund your advertising, and do NOT want to spend yourself out of business buying expensive leads, then my highest recommendation is this: On a five star rating, one being the worst and five being the best, I give the "Magnetic Sponsoring" book a four star rating.

Though Mike Dillard has already produced a follow up ebook with 13 special reports on magnetic sponsoring that he gives as a bonus for acquiring the book, I hope he produces yet another more thorough breakdown of proper network marketing techniques book that teaches how to become extremely magnetic in network marketing.

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About the Author

David Pineda is an active affiliate of Magnetic Sponsoring and Turn Words Into Traffic.To request a free 10 day magnetic sponsoring training course, send an email to: networkmagnetism@sbcglobal.netor visit: http://www.davidhpineda.ws

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Book Review: The Non-designer’s Design Book, Second Edition

One of the books I strongly recommend for non-designers like me is Robin Williams' "Non-Designer's Design Book". It is a must for dummies who want to have a career on graphic designing even without the formal education. The book is a good primer for novices and amateurs to help them produce layouts that can catch attention.

The Book provides a practical introduction to the basic principles of design, which makes it more appropriate for those who need to put together a media material such as a presentation, a newsletter or a flyer, but doesn't have the degree or even the background in design.

Written in a pamphlet-sized, 200-page book, the author explores designs for the printed page.

Robin Williams has put into this book the basic principles of good design and typography. It explains step-by-step the concepts and methods to help aspiring graphic artists to begin producing more sophisticated, professional and attention-grabbing pages right away.

The book is written in a relaxed manner--- full of humor and free of graphics jargon usually found in other books. To help readers produce great materials instantly, Williams has infused her book with exercises, quizzes, illustrations, and dozens of examples to make learning a snap.

She gamely discussed the concept of layout around four (4) basic design principles, namely: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity. Each of these has its own chapter with several examples that can be done even in the comforts of your home.

The typography section, on the other hand, explains the principles of Concord, Conflict, and Contrast. The three (3) principles have been based by Williams on typefaces by style, weight, shape, and spacing.

Totally clueless on graphic design, I wanted to have knowledge, even if the most basic, on the good and bad of designing. This book definitely provided me with the basic technical ability to do so. Suggestions on creating one-page designs for simple newsletters, brochures, or business cards have been an eye-opener for me. Also, it has given me helpful and useful insights on the world of layout.

Mind you, the book does not make you an instant expert and professional designer who is capable of producing sophisticated works of art. For this, you really need to have a formal degree to achieve this.

However, if your goal is to be able to have the ability to produce easy and decent media pieces, this book can help you on that department. Maybe someday I can venture into the graphics design business.

Provide yourself the time to read the book and do the exercises. It will definitely help you improve your designs. I know mine did.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.ucreative.com

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About the Author

Granny's Mettle is a 30-something, professional web content writer. She has created various web content on a diverse range of topics, which includes digital printing topics, medical news, as well as legal issues. Her articles are composed of reviews, suggestions, tips and more for the printing and designing industry.

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"Quiet Strength" by Tony Dungy, A Personally Impacting Review

This is a light but personally impacting review of Tony Dungy's only book and probably his last book. He has always be against writing a book about himself but lucky for us, his fans, he has a winner here and now. I "Quiet Strength" you will actually feel and experience the major event, journey of faith, and important people in Tony Dungy's life. Boy, if you are into personal development reading at all, this is a book for you.

It's funny because I really didn't know what to expect reading this book. In fact, this is actually a book my wife bought because she loves football and Tony Dungy. Since I like to read for personal insight and development, I felt this would be a book where I might get some golden nuggets to life's insights that I might not otherwise have privy.

This is a personal story about Tony Dungy, the current National Football League head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. The story does not beat you to death with superfluous details yet it does begin early in his life. To get the ideas and message across to the reader in an enjoyable, educational, and personal manner, the book is sincerely written from that point of view. I found the book easy to read, get involved in, and experience the feeling portrayed by Tony in expressing the events of his interesting life.

What did and did not surprise me about this book was the expression of Tony's strong Christian faith and the impacting part God has played in his life from early on and through the present day. It was so interesting to read about his journey of many years in a short book that included Tony's strong Christian faith, his sharing the message of Jesus Christ though many platforms and active participation. I was pleasantly surprised, rather enjoyed, and was personally impacted by his experiences.

I'm not as big a football fan as my wife. In fact many times I refer to myself as a NFL widower during the season. Well, now that we have the NFL channel this "season" is all year long. Currently we are into watching as many of the preseason games as possible. Imagine trying to watch 54 games in 26 days. Needless to say, my wife is in seventh heaven. Now to my point, I have learned a great deal about football from "Quiet Strength" although the book is not a "football" book by any means. What I mean is the book is not overwhelmingly about the intricacies of football and the business. Yes, you do get to see behind the scenes but again, it strictly deals with Tony Dungy and those people he has interacted with throughout his career. You will find that you will recognize either players or coaches, who have been and still are cureently in the profession. I found that kind of fun.

Having a full 301 pages in hardback and 16 pages of color pictures, Tony's life and important people are captured with captions. Seeing the people that he speaks of in the book, I rather enjoyed. I felt it made me connect a little bit more and gave me a sense of personal attachment to him and his life.

I would like to share with you what really hit home for me in reading this book. First it was his strong personal Christian journey, then it was the behind the scenes look at the NFL and coaching, and finally I took away the statements that Tony had placed on the wall of the locker room in Tampa Bay. "Do what we do." "Whatever it takes." "No excuses, no explanations.Encompassing such a great meaning and impact, here we have so few simple words. In addition, I found a quote on a handout from Tony to his Tampa Bay Bucs team, just before a game with the Chicago Bears, to be very impacting on me personally. You'll have to read it on pages 124 and 125. I'm sure it will have an impact on you if you are into personal development at all.

In summary, I would highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to have a very positive, motivating, and personally impacting experience. As I said earlier, the tid bits of golden nuggets gleaned from reading this book are both very personal and may have a strong impact on your thinking and life. I found I now have an even greater respect for Tony Dungy, the NFL, all coaches in the profession, and it was so cool to actually recognize many of the names of coaches and players even though I'm only a novice football fan. Have fun, read and enjoy the experience.

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About the Author

Craig Mattice works his home based business from his home in Richmond, VA and his works have quality content, humor, personality, insight, and are all personally written. He is totally disabled working his businesses in network marketing with SendOutCards and direct sales with Liberty League International. To learn more about the author visit his website aboutcraigmattice.com

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