The Complete Trailer Sailor: How to Buy, Equip, and Handle Small Cruising Sailboats Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been a trailor sailor for many years, and have bought most of the books of the subject over the years. This is the most comprehensive book on CRUISING trailor sailors to come out. It brings the problem of big trailor sailors that are very difficult to trailor and launch to the fore. One warning, the displacements listed at the end of the book are those provided by the manufacturers. They usually do not include the weight of trailor, sails, mast/boom, equipment,and are often still faked lower than they really are. For example, I looked at the Telstar last year which is listed in the book and by the manufacturer as 3000lbs, but owners had taken theirs to commercial scales and measured them as being close to 7000lbs. This goes for most of the boats listed.

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A soup-to-nuts introduction to small, economical sailing craft

Trailer sailers--the smallest, most economical sailboats with sleeping accommodations--are a popular platform for learning the basics of sailing and are often considered to be the entry level to cruising under sail. Author Brian Gilbert shows how trailer sailers can be the ideal craft for a lifetime of enjoyment, including serious, long-distance cruising. This book covers all the bases, including how to inspect, buy, and equip a boat; how to trailer, sail, navigate, and cruise in small boats; how to use communications andnavigation equipment; and more.

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Flamingo Fatale (A Trailer Park Mystery #1) Review

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(More customer reviews)I stumbled across this mystery, and I'm so glad I did! Read Harriet Klausner's review for a summary. I'll just add that I enjoyed the language, the characters' problems were real, and just like good Southerners, they enjoyed their Cokes. If you enjoy humorous Southern mysteries, you'll love Jimmie Ruth Evans' new series...at least I hope this is the beginning of a series!

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Leftover Dead (Trailer Park Mysteries (Berkley)) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have so enjoyed this cozy series. I'm almost embarrassed to admit how much I always look forward to the next coming out. That being said, this one just wasn't up to par. Although more specifics will follow, this installment felt a little thrown together--not as polished as the previous stories in the series.
In book five of the Trailer Park mystery series, Wanda Nell and her new husband, Jack, look into a murder that occurred 31 years ago in Tullahoma. The victim, Jenna Rae Howell, was a very pretty young woman who lived and grew up in a city about 4 hours north of there. Her murder was never solved. As a matter of fact, there was obviously a cover up. Jack smells the makings of a book. The sleuthing begins...
Up until now, Wanda Nell Culpepper has been the perfect cozy protagonist--smart, stable, sassy, mouthy, independent, and a joy to be with. Now she is married to Jack Pemberton and, if this installment is any indication, the union isn't doing her any favors. She comes across as less independent--more in need of the man in her life to make things OK. Although I previously considered Wanda Nell Culpepper to be a terrific everyone's mom, Wanda Nell Pemberton comes across as more grandmotherly--weaker, less sure of herself.
In the previous books, the primary focus was always Wanda Nell, her kids, the Kountry Kitchen, and Mayrene. In LEFTOVER DEAD, it is Jack....and his wife. I missed the familiar backdrop of the Culpepper family unit, and unity, providing that (cozy, if you will) stabilizing force. It was that force that made me want to join in and be a part of. In this one, instead of giving us a chance to get used to Jack being one part of the larger picture, we are handed a totally different Kodak moment.
Will I read the next? Definitely. I prefer to think of this as just a bump along the road of rural cozydom. But next time, "Ms. Evans", please allow us some of our familiar turf.


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Waitress Wanda Nell Culpepper is barely hitched to her new husband, Jack, before the couple starts digging into an unsolved murder from thirty-one years ago. But a new death puts this cold case on the front burner.

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The Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office Review

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(More customer reviews)I hadn't known too much about David Novak, chairman and CEO
of Yum! Brands, the home to KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long
John Silver's, and A& W All American Food . . . that's no longer
the case, though, since I've devoured THE EDUCATION OF AN
ACCIDENTAL CEO, the inspirational
book he wrote with John Boswell.
Almost every page had an idea that could be implemented not just
in the food industry, but in my teaching and/or in just about any
other walk of life . . . as Novak notes:
* When I read business books or motivational books I find that if there
is one thing I can take away with me, and more important, if it is
something that stays with me, then it is well worth the price of
admission. Obviously, that "one thing" differs from person to person,
but if there is anything I have said within these pages that helps you
define your dreams and then go after them, then it is well worth the
effort it has taken to write this book and see it through publication.
Whatever field you have chosen, whatever your aspirations may be,
and however you choose to make them come true, I hope one day
you achieve more than you can even imagine.
My problem, and it's a nice one to have I must admit, is that I took
away many ideas . . . I regret that I can't share them all with you,
but to cite just two:
* I fancied myself a writer, but under Tom I would rewrite test-market
analyses six or seven times until I learned how to put forth a
recommendation, explain the rationale for that recommendation,
and summarize it all in a single page. I try to force myself to use
this same discipline today. Limiting myself to a single page not only
helps concentrate my mind, it almost guarantees clarity.
* The second thing I learned is that all the answers are in the building.
Every company is filled with experts. If you want to learn the company's
history, have a meeting with a twenty-five-year veteran. If you want to know
what customers are thinking, talk to the people who answer the 800-number
calls. If you want to know why the trucks aren't getting out on time, a route
salesman who's trucks who's been at the job for a while is likely to know the
answer.
THE EDUCATION OF AN ACCIDENTAL CEO had me laughing at
spots, too . . . for example, when Novak showed how a floppy rubber
chicken often had more value than a gold watch . . . it might not
sound possible, but if you read this book, you'll see that it
well could be the case where you work too.

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I'll Be in My Trailer: The Creative Wars Between Directors and Actors Review

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(More customer reviews)Actors... can't live with them, can't fire them. Of course, actors are very special people. And of course, the main key to dealing with them is communication. However, finding the RIGHT way to communicate is often very difficult, because the way a director, writer or a producer thinks is very different from how the mind of an actor sees the creative process. (they also differ greatly from each other, but that's a whole different ballgame)
John Badham, director of some huge hits (Saturday Night Fever, Stakeout, War Games) tries to build bridges in this book, even though the title leads one to believe the tone will be fairly belligerent. On the contrary, while there are some stories about extremely bad behaviour here, Badham is being very constructive. In many cases, he puts the blame for an incident squarely on his own shoulders, even when an objective observer would think he did nothing wrong. His main goal is to facilitate the communication between director and actor, by explaining how to give direction in a way that actors can actually use. Badham himself uses the `as if'-technique (i.e. play this scene as if you got to catch the last train) to put actors in the right frame of mind. However, this approach isn't right for everyone (some actors DO want result-oriented direction), and Badham duly notes alternative approaches.
The book also provides a ton of helpful hints for almost all of the problems that can crop up on a set, acting-wise and actor-wise. When dealing with an addict, the only option is tough love. When some actors misbehave just for the fun of it or to flaunt their own power, a swift and just retribution is in order - except when you're dealing with real stars, who are beyond anyone's power to control.
The book also contains lots of interviews with actors, directors and producers who provide insights from all sides of the `war'. There's a lot of on-set anecdotes about Travolta (Saturday Night Fever) and Richard Dreyfuss, among others, and the interviewees include both huge stars, television directors, well-known actors who never made it to the A-list, and producers. The book is completely succesful at what it sets out to do, though of course the problems will remain. But now at least, there's some real help out there for directors struggling to get their cast under control.

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Murder Over Easy (A Trailer Park Mystery #2) Review

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(More customer reviews)Wanda Nell Culpepper is a divorced mother of three, who works two jobs to support her family, and lives in a trailer park. She and her beautician next door neighbor, Mayrene, seem real unlikely detectives, but they've now got two successful murder cases under their belts and there's probably no stopping them now. And this reader is particularly glad about that.
Ms. Evans has created a real small-town landscape in her mysteries. Everyday women with guts and common sense are solving their own problems and helping friends. Okay, they're taking the law into their own hands, but hey--that's where the fun comes in.
The story opens with Wanda Nell getting a call from her boss, Melvin, who owns the Kountry Kitchen diner where Wanda Nell works. Melvin's in jail for the murder of fellow employee Fayetta, who in Southern parlance 'deserved killing' but Wanda Nell certainly didn't want to see her boss get jailed for the crime.
So, Wanda Nell and her sleuthing partner Mayrene set out to clear Melvin's name. On the way, they discover a private men's club and enough scandal to set their small town on its ears. Plus, Wanda Nell has some surprises in store related to her son, TJ.
This novel might have deserved a five had there been more doubt in my mind as to who the murderer actually was. Also, I think Evans needs to do a better job of drawing her characters. Still, Evans has created an interesting and convincing world. I like Wanda Nell and Mayrene and I'll probably find more of her books to read.

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Melvin Arbuckle, Wanda Nell's boss at the Kountry Kitchen, has been arrested for killing a waitress with an unsavory reputation. Convinced of Melvin's innocence, Wanda Nell puts herself on the trail of a ruthless killer-and almost gets her goose cooked.

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Ruby Ann's Down Home Trailer Park Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)My wife and I moved into a new home and one of the gifts was a box with all three of Ruby Ann's books inside. At the moving party we all started to read aloud little selections from the books. I started out with Ruby Ann's Down Home Trailer Park Cookbook. Within seconds the entire room was filled with laughter. Before we knew it, it was 11 PM. Every thing else like the planned party games and such had taken a backseat because of the laughter that all of us, including my 57 year old boss and his wife, my grand parents, and even the teenagers in the room, shared will reading Ms. Boxcars books. Even if you don't like to cook, the stories alone are well worth the price. Since that evening, we have tried the food and to be honest, it is as tasty as the rest of the books are funny. TWO THUMBS WAY UP FOR RUBY ANN AND HER BOOKS!

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