Book Description
A re-release of a haunting vampire tale from best-selling author P.N. Elrod.
This striking new re-release of I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire, a novel by well-known vampire author P.N. Elrod, features all new cover art and a new trade paperback size. This re-release is intended to introduce new readers to the author and showcase one of her early titles to her avid fans.
P.N. "Pat" Elrod got her start in professional writing began at TSR doing gaming modules. A lifelong fan of vampire stories, gangster films, and pulp magazines, she combined all three into The Vampire Files, featuring the undead detective Jack Fleming. She also wrote the Jonathan Barrett: Gentleman Vampire series, edited Time of the Vampires with Martin H. Greenberg, and has contributed to several other anthologies. She collaborated with actor Nigel Bennett (LaCroix of TV's Forever Knight) on a series of vampire novels, beginning with Keeper of the King.
Customer Reviews:
Good Fluff. Not zomg! best book evar!!.......2007-05-10
I liked I, Strahd for what it was. A solid piece of fiction based on a D&D adventure. The book was what my mother used to call a "beach read" - a book you can take anywhere and read, because it requires no thought. Calling it one of the best pieces of fiction is an insult to beach reads everywhere. This was an excelent, short little book, and great for putting you into the mindset of the Vampire Lord for your next Ravenloft game. But it is hardly a new take on Dracula. One might even call this a prequal to Dracula (as The Historian, an infinately better book, could be it's sequal). Anyone with half a whit of sense in their head knows that the character Strahd is a direct theft of Brahm Stoker's classic vampire lord.
Go ahead and rent the book from your local library, or buy it if you feel the need to collect Ravenloft books. It was worth my time to read it, I just felt that the book doesnt deserve all these 5-star reviews.
Ravenloft at it's best - fantastic read........2007-01-02
I Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire by P.N. Elrod is the third book in the recently re-released Ravenloft series. Wizards of the Coast is calling this the Ravenloft Covenant and going back and re-releasing the books that many of us loved. The Ravenloft line was discontinued several years ago, but with the rise in Dark Fantasy novels WotC appears to be giving it another shot, and I for one, am very glad they are. The two books to be released prior to this one are; Death of a Darklord and Vampire of the Mist.
This book is written in somewhat of a first person perspective and follows Strahd Von Zarovich as he begins his rule over Barovia. Ms. Elrod does a very good job of allowing the reader to begin to understand Strahd. No longer is he the heartless, evil, devil that we read about in Vampire of the Mist (and other Ravenloft books). Now, he has substance and meaning behind some of the choices he made in his life. It all culminates with a pact he makes, for better or worse, and how that pact changes his life forever. In some fantasy books, character development takes a back seat to hack-n-slash kill the monster type scenes. Yet, in this book Ms. Elrod devotes a great deal of time to Strahd the character and how he became who he is.
The plot of this book is wonderfully constructed. If you have read Vampire of the Mist you know how this book will end. Yet, that does nothing to diminish the journey of this book. The Pact with Death that Strahd makes is the pinnacle of this book, but by no means is it the only event of importance within the pages. Elrod does a wonderful job of allowing the reader to not only see inside the life of Strahd before his pact, but to allow the reader to, at times, root for Strahd. This book is basically comprised of events in Strahd's life that made him who he is. He is a very calculating person, but the pact he made was impulsive and made for love and beauty. I don't want to say too much and spoiler this for anyone, if you have even a remote interest in this book, do yourself a favor and read it. You won't be disappointed.
This is a very easy book to read, and goes by insanely fast. It quickly became hard for me to put down. Ms. Elrod has a knack for telling you just enough information that you can make your own conclusions about some events. Later in the book she allows you to really feel the angst that Strahd is going through. I would without a doubt recommend this book to many many people. If you are a fan of fantasy books and have yet to read any Ravenloft this book and Vampire of the Mist should be read right away. If you are not a fan of fantasy, but are considering reading this vampire book, give it a shot. It is a very fun and enjoyable read.
Let me tell you..........2004-11-29
When I was in 9th grade, I got to pick a book out of our "school library" to read for an entire 3 weeks in my english class (just to give the jocks time to catch up). I picked this one and wound up reading it twice in that 3 week period. I don't read books twice besides Treasure Island and that's my favorite so me reading this one twice SPEAKS VOLUMES. Get this book. Thanks be to Amazon for pooling all the used copies to make the price sometimes as low as a dollar.
an unfortunate disapointment.......2003-10-08
after all the hearings from the readers around me, I got the book and read. But from the beginning I was out of the world of the book, and the way the story was told confused me totally... The characters are not really established and they were like being observed by total strangers...
it could be written better.. something is missing..
Amazing book. A *must* read........2002-12-07
Strahd, you got to love him. He was the "bad guy" in the first Ravenloft book, "Vampire of the Mists", but comes accross in a much different light this time around. I absolutely recommend this book. I've read 10 Ravenloft books so far and this is easily one of the very best, if not thee best. If you read "Vampire of the Mists" or "Knight of the Black Rose" and liked either of those, you will love this one as much or more.
Average customer rating:
- Exciting
- Extreme excitment.
- Not bad, but not super good.
- Quite possibly the best book I have ever read
- I was surprised
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Scholar of Decay (Ravenloft , No 12)
Tanya Huff
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Tales of Ravenloft
ASIN: 078690206X |
Customer Reviews:
Exciting.......2004-02-07
This is an awesome book that really tells the story of a not-so powerful man. Not that the main character doesn't have a lot of strengths, though. Most Ravenloft books key in on the dark lords, this one keys in on a learned individual who has to use his wits to keep himself (and his brother) alive. Very entertaining with an EXCELLENT ending.
Extreme excitment........2000-11-13
As one reader states below, this is quite possibly the best written book I have ever read. It is not my favourite, but then, I only have 1 favourite. This book is exciting, if however, you like only action, this book may not be for you. This book attempts to be exciting by not only action, but intrigue and mystery. Tanya Huff did an superb job of characterization, and the ending is quite possibly the best ending in any book I've read. And no, I didn't just read this book, I've read about 15 books since, so this isn't some obsession with a great book I just read. It's an obsession with a great book that stuck with me.
Not bad, but not super good........1998-11-04
If you like twist's, you will like this book. It does not have a lot of action but the action in it was good. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes ware beasts.
Quite possibly the best book I have ever read.......1998-09-05
Being a huge fan of RL novels, I bought SoD along with several other books from the series I didn't have simply for that reason: I didn't own it. Scoping out an almost fanatical website for reviews from all over, I came to the conclusion that many people believed this book to be incredibly good.
They are right!
SoD starts out with a plotline that seems, at first, run-of-the-mill: a (Borcan) man's wife is kidnapped/endangered, and he must save her. However, even though the back of the book tells you the real story, the transition from Borca to Richemulot and the current situation is amazing. I couldn't put the back down, as it drew me in, making me want to know what happened.
The terrifying Renier sisters- who defined villain in this book, IMNSHO -and their clan provided the perfect foil to the protagonist- Aurek Nuiken -and his brother, Dmitri. The sub-plots and intrigue are finely added until one has the perfect example of what an RL book would look like as a tapestry, then begins to resolve each one with deliciously wicked conclusions.
In a world where Good fails more often than not, I expected an ending like I had seen in other novels where Evil is the driving force. But the way it all came out blew me away. I highly recommend this book, which may just be the best book in the series (that I've read).
I was surprised.......1998-02-24
I was surprised by how good this book was. I opened it expecting nothing special (I enjoy the Ravenloft books, but some of them are only average fantasy). This one caught me from the beginning and kept me reading all the way to the end. The only reason I didn't give it a 10 is because, by the end of the book, I cared enough about the characters to want the book to end all sweetness and light. I knew it couldn't, but I was still a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong; I did like the ending. This book persuaded me to keep reading Ravenloft.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Compilation.......2000-08-06
These tales are great for telling scary stories late at night. Read some of these stories, tell the story to a friend in your own words, and that friend will never forget it. For any fans of Ravenloft, ADnD, or the horror genre, this book is for you. You might not like all of the tales, but you will like enough of them to be content with your purchase.
The good outweigh the rushed.......1998-09-05
In Ravenloft's first (and only, to date) short story anthology, we receive a wide variety of tales, some showcasing established talent: P.N. Elrod, J. Robert King, Chet Williamson, Elaine Bergstrom, and James Lowder. Others are a preview of talent yet-to-come: Gene DeWeese, Andria (Hayday) Cardarelle, William W. Connors, and Mark Anthony.
However, among these creme-de-la-creme, we also had stories from some newcomers who have yet to strut their stuff in an RL novel, but who have established track records in other worlds (Elaine Cunningham, Jeff Grubb, Roger E. Moore, and Kate Novak) and those whose first visit to Ravenloft has thus far been their only time in-print for a TSR world, some deservedly.
The collection is marvelous, with many of the newcomers showing they have what it takes, sometimes even making the senior authors' attempts pale in comparison. However, among all the gems in this book, we find those whose endings seem rushed or are just poor attempts. I won't name names, so as not to offend, but I can say that careful readers and devoted fans can pick out the good from the rushed.
The best examples from this book, IMNSHO, though, were "The Briar at the Window" (though the ending was a bit rushed), "The Freak", "Caretaker", "Objects d'Art", and "The Judgment of abd-al-Mamat". I highly recommend it.
Customer Reviews:
Last Call for Rloft a good one? Yes and no..........2005-08-10
Being a collector as well as a player and fan of Ravenloft, I have seen every encarnation of the realm, from the lamest "belfry" mod, to the unequalled "roots of evil". If this happens to be the last hooray for official products, then the swan song for the realm is a bit of a plain jane.
In essence, this book tries too hard to do too much. The stories are rushed at times, and not as fleshed out as they could have been, had this been a collection of tales and legends, as the title claims. The game information is confusing at best, and absolutely unnecessary at worst. Dont get me wrong, any Rloft dm worth his/her weight in blood should be able to use a lot of what this book provides, but by giving an endless array of options on how to turn the legends into adventures, the authors take away from the legends themselves, and the most important element of any Rloft product, the gothic horror, gets lost amid shortened stories, lackluster villans, and a completly inexcusable myriad of spelling errors, run-on sentences, and gramatical aberrations. Quite frankly, the only horror within these pages is the one suffered by the reader as he tries to keep his/her inner monologue from sounding like a total illiterate.
Please forgive if I sound irate, but were the editors on strike when this product shipped? I have never seen a rloft book or module so poorly edited.
For this and the consistent lack of focus, I can only recommend this product as merely mediocre. Being a fan and collector of the genre, I could not stay away from it, but if your passion is not as intense as mine, I would suggest you look elsewhere for your Rloft fix.
Average customer rating:
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Chilling Tales (Ravenloft Adventure)
Lisa Smedman
Manufacturer: TSR
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ASIN: 078690142X |
Average customer rating:
- Perfectly done
- Masque of the Red Death Boxed Set...
- Gothic Earth adds spice to "steampunk" adventures
- Looking for a change in AD&D
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Masque of the Red Death and Other Tales (AD&D 2nd Ed Roleplaying, Ravenloft, Expansion, 1103)
William W. Connors ,
D. J. Heinrich ,
Shane Hensley , and
Colin McComb
Manufacturer: TSR Inc.
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ASIN: 1560768770 |
Customer Reviews:
Perfectly done.......2004-11-06
This was the finest box set printed during the 2nd Edition era. All the books were useful, including the pre-made adventures that let you know how you should frame your adventures. Add to the fact it had nice expansions, and its hard to beat this book, save for the new d20 version.
Masque of the Red Death Boxed Set..........2002-01-24
Ever wondered whats like to play a Ravenloft campaign in the world we live in? This boxed set gives you everything you need to get started in gothic like horror role playing in Earth, in the year 1890. A general map, the character classes and abilities. Its just another good oportunity to role play something quite new... You'll love it.
Gothic Earth adds spice to "steampunk" adventures.......2000-05-17
The Gothic Earth setting is by far the most realistic adventure setting from TSR in decades, but, as noted in another review, successful play requires a good knowledge of the late 19th century, its customs, technology, etiquette, etc. This is NOT beyond the scope of anything required by any "steampunk" RPG, such as "Space 1889" or "Castle Falkenstein" or the "Cthulhu by Gaslight" 1890s campaign. Any background research into "our" world which has been done for any of those games is just as valid for Gothic Earth, and this campaign setting should actually require less mental gymnastics than "Falkenstein" or "1889."
The boxed set is VERY nice, and the maps and illustrations are unexpectedly beautiful (in a horrifically Gothic way, of course!), far above typical TSR standards, but the presentation and background of "the Red Death" entity (Gothic Earth's answer to the Voices of the Mists of Ravenloft) is rather feeble; most skilled GM's could come up with something better as a house rule. The mini-module, "The Red Death," which is included in the boxed set is, however, a very different matter; based upon Poe's "Masque of the Red Death," I adapted it to a "Falkenstein" game (it would have worked just as well in any other 19th century game) and shocked the heck out of my players; it is so obviously based upon the Poe story, however, that player knowledge can easily become a problem.
By and large, it's worth the price, and far less grim than Ravenloft itself.
Looking for a change in AD&D.......1998-06-03
This is by far the most original campaign setting in the AD&D line. While all other campaign settings are rather hack and slash, medieval settings. This setting takes you to 19th century earth in the 1890's. Where you can fight the villians some of the lords of Ravenloft were based after. You can fight Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, Mummies in real Egyptian tombs, and many many more. The only problem is that to do a really good game of Masque, one must do a whole lot of research about the 1890's. I ended up reading 3 books about the History of L.A. where my campaign was taking place in. But if you love to do real good research for a campaign, this is the world for you! Oh, H.P. Lovecraft stories are really great adventure ideas for this setting!
Average customer rating:
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Tales of Ravenloft
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0099455919 |
Book Description
The long–awaited reissue of the million–copy best–seller that
FORBES magazine called “A valuable primer on advertising for any businessman or investor.” With a new Foreword by Sir Alan Parker.
Customer Reviews:
Review of Confessions of an Ad Man by David Ogilvy.......2007-09-28
A classic that still rings true. Relevant not just to the ad business but to the management of any professional services firm.
Sales vs. entertainment value of an ad.......2007-08-10
Confessions of an advertising man contains advertising principles David Ogilvy has derived based on his experience and available research. In this book he shares what he has learned to be the optimal practices both for advertising agencies and for clients of advertising agencies. While some of these principles and practices may be considered timeless, others have changed under the influence of new advertising media and technologies. One standard timeless practice in advertising is to test everything and to choose the most appropriate action based on research. David emphasizes that the bottom line of advertising is sales, rather than the entertainment value of an ad, and that in the end numbers demonstrate the effectiveness of the ad.
Invaluable advice.......2007-04-15
This book is similar in content to Ogilvy's other masterpiece, "Ogilvy on Advertising", but with more emphasis on the sales aspects of the advertising business. "Confessions" is also more autobiographical. Ogilvy's stories about his background, building his agency, and dealing with clients are fascinating.
Given Ogilvy's talent as a copywriter, the book is obviously a pleasure to read. For example--
"How do you decide what kind of image to build? There is no short answer: Research cannot help you much here. You have to actually got to use judgment. (I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post, for support rather than for illumination.)"
Anyone engaged in any aspect of advertising, marketing, or top level management should get plenty out of this book. It's a how-to manual for total success.
A guide to success in advertising.......2006-09-10
Dubbed "the King of advertising" by Advertising Age, David Ogilvy shared his thoughts and stories on being successful in the adverting industry in this book. His ideas are often overflowing with self-confidence, but for a man who reached his level of success, he's definitely earned the right.
Originally published in 1963, in part as promotion of himself and his agency, this book is broken down into ten "How to" chapters plus an opening and closing commentary on the state of advertising. No example ads or illustrations in this book, just straightforward advice and colorful anecdotes on topics ranging from managing an agency to writing potent copy.
The stories are enjoyable, and Ogilvy's advice is enlightening. David Ogilvy led an amazing life, and his insights on advertising, business and human behavior are timeless. Overall, this is an inspiring book that I recommend to anyone involved in advertising.
More than just advertising.......2005-12-14
An advertising guru writes more than just advertising. One can benefit from the general management skills said in the bok. Anyway, it's an interesting book.
Book Description
A candid and indispensable primer on all aspects of advertising from the man Time has called "the most sought after wizard in the business". 223 photos.
Customer Reviews:
A bible for advertisers.......2007-09-29
A must read for aspiring advertisers (and even those who need to remember why the chose the profession). Ogilvy is the father of advertising and his principles are still perfectly applicable today.
Good Advertising / Marketing Book.......2007-08-13
This book is dated as it was written before the web existed, but overall the concepts expressed are still applicable. As a graphic designer I think it is important to keep in mind what actually moves product over what is creative or artistic. This book expands on that concept in detail. Warning though, the materials are around the 1970's advertising time frame.
Buy this now!.......2007-07-28
A true classic, Ogilvy on Advertising is one of the best known books on what really works in advertising. And it's written by one of the best known and most successful ad men of the 20th century. In it, Ogilvy gives you his critique of many of the most successful ads ever written--plus you see a few that didn't fare so well.
Though some of the ads may seem a bit dated, you can easily see how the same concepts can be tweaked and updated to work just as well today. If you plan on doing any advertising at all, do yourself a favor and buy and study this book.
Timeless perspective on advertising.......2007-07-28
An amazing book from a true master. If you're interested in advertising at all, this book will give you such a great perspective. Ogilvy is blunt and true all the way through. He's one of the greats and he knows it... but he points out the errors of his illustrious career as well. WOW! READ IT.
Tips, samples, amazing anecdotes. It has everything and is worth every penny.
Oldie but goodie.......2007-07-05
There's nothing like learning from the experience of the pro's. The book might be old but the concepts are still valuable.This is a 'must read' if you're a serious copywriter.
Book Description
A McGraw-Hill Advertising Classic
"What makes a great advertisement?" Nearly four decades ago, an unmatched group of five advertising pioneers first answered that question in The Art of Writing Advertising.
Their entertaining and historically compelling answers will provide advertising professionals with valuable techniques for applying breakthrough creativity and innovation in the workplace.
Customer Reviews:
What do five legendary copywriters say about advertising?.......2006-09-11
The Art of Writing Advertising is a unique collection of interviews conducted about forty years ago by Advertising Age magazine editor, Denis Higgins. Legendary copywriters William Bernbach, Leo Burnett, George Gribbin, David Ogilvy and Rosser Reeves candidly discuss their craft, their writing processes and their lives in this fascinating book.
The interviewer initially set out to find if these pioneering copywriters had any tricks or gimmicks for the difficult task of writing, but ended up with revealing and at times very personal glimpses into the lives of these five men. The interview with David Ogilvy is particularly poignant and enlightening. This book also includes a few example ads from each copywriter and pictures presumably taken during the interviews.
These great ad writers give some useful advice and share their thoughts on copywriting, but this is not a step-by-step guide for copywriting. If you are familiar with these copywriters and you would like to know a little more about their views on advertising, then I highly recommend The Art of Writing Advertising.
Customer Reviews:
The Bad Old Days.......2002-07-17
I guess a little revolution every now and then is a good thing, because the "advice" dispensed in here mainly belongs in the dustbin of history.
wise words from old wrinklies.......2001-08-03
There's pleanty of useful info here to help you write better copy - look for the inherent drama of the product, if in doubt ask the manufacturers why they make it, do your research, keep stuff simple. You just have to look for it. Great photos too.
The Art of Writing Advertising???.......2001-04-22
Just finished the book (which took me a couple of hours) and I have to say it was an interesting memoir of the great admen of all time. The book pinpointed certain questions and tired to find some correlation between the greats (and I think it succeeded in some ways)
But do not let the title of the book fool you to believe that it will help you in any shape or form in becoming a finer copywriter. In fact, the book will most likely only offer you a good read on a Sunday afternoon.
On a particular note, the interview with Reeves was the most interesting part of the book. A worthy buy indeed but do not expect to become a super copywriter after or you will be very disappointed.
A good compilation of thoughts from major advertising forces.......1999-12-06
The book is very helpful in that is gives you the thoughts behind some of the builders of today's advertising industry. I had read "Ogilvy on Avdertising"; the interview with David Ogilvy presents the same kind of thought. But I had never read anything by Burnett, Gribbin, Bernbach or Reeves and that is where most of my benefit from this book came.
Inside the Mind.......1999-07-29
I love anything that is an interview with a person. It allows us to hear the information from the horses mouth, as opposed to a journalist paraphrasing him or her. My favorite interviews were with Bernbach and Rosser Reeves. However, I don't think this book is really about the "Art" of writing advertising. I think the book should have been called "Conversations about Advertising." Because the book isn't made to be a teacher, it's simply a good book to read and enjoy if you're interested in hearing another perspective about the business.
Customer Reviews:
DO it, the DO way.......1998-11-05
There are creative people in advertising who think and then create great campaigns. And then there is a rare breed of geniuses for whom creativity is not a professional onus; it's a way of life. David Ogilvy belongs to this breed. "The Unpublished David Ogilvy" proves this beyond doubt. Whether it's a one-liner memo or a long speech, there's always something immensely revolutionary, and immenesely simple, in DO's writings. Thanks a zillion, Joel.
Amazon.com
David Ogilvy is known for founding the Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency, but his life has been as ground-breaking as the campaigns he developed for clients like Hathaway Shirts and Schweppes. Originally published in 1978, David Ogilvy: An Autobiography recounts an incredible history that included daily tumblers of raw blood, encounters with Beatrix Potter and the real Alice in Wonderland, stints as a chef and secret service operative, and his eventual leadership role in the ad world.
Book Description
A unique personality . . .
"Ogilvy, the creative force of modern advertising." —The New York Times
"Ogilvy's sharp, iconoclastic personality has illuminated the industry like no other ad man's." —Adweek. .
an acclaimed author.
Praise for Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy
"A writing style that snaps, crackles, and pops on every page." —The Wall Street Journal.
"An entertaining and literate book that can serve as a valuable primer on advertising for any businessman or investor." —Forbes.
"I remembered how my grandfather had failed as a farmer and become a successful businessman. Why not follow in his footsteps? Why not start an advertising agency? I was thirty-eight. . . .no credentials, no clients, and only $6,000 in the bank."
Whatever David Ogilvy may have lacked in money and credentials, he more than made up for with intelligence, talent, and ingenuity. He became the quintessential ad man, a revolutionary whose impact on his profession still reverberates today. His brilliant campaigns went beyond successful advertising, giving rise to such pop culture icons as the famous Hathaway shirt man with his trademark black eyepatch. His client list runs the gamut from Rolls Royce to Sears Roebuck, Campbell's Soup to Merrill Lynch, IBM to the governments of Britain, France, and the United States.
How did a young man who had known poverty as a child in England, worked as a cook in Paris, and once sold stoves to nuns in Scotland climb to the pinnacle of the fast-paced, fiercely competitive world of advertising? Long before storming Madison Avenue, David Ogilvy's life had already had its share of colorful experiences and adventure. Now, this updated edition of David Ogilvy's autobiography presents his extraordinary life story and its many fascinating twists and turns.
Born in 1911, David Ogilvy spent his first years in Surrey (Beatrix Potter's uncle lived next door, and his niece was a frequent visitor). His father was a classical scholar who had played rugby for Cambridge. "My father . . . did his best to make me as strong and brainy as himself. When I was six, he required that I should drink a tumbler of raw blood every day. When that brought no result, he tried beer. To strengthen my mental faculties, he ordered that I should eat calves' brains three times a week. Blood, brains, and beer: a noble experiment." Before marrying, his mother had been a medical student.
When World War I brought economic disaster to the family, they were forced to move in with relatives in London. Scholarships to boarding school and Oxford followed, and then, fleeing academia, Ogilvy set out on the at times surprising, at times rocky road to worldwide recognition and success. His remarkable journey would lead the ambitious young man to America where, with George Gallup, he ran a polling service for the likes of Darryl Zanuck and David O. Selznick in Hollywood; to Pennsylvania, where he became enamored with the Amish farming community; and back to England to work for British Intelligence with Sir William Stephenson. Along the way, with the help of his brother, David Ogilvy secured a job with Mather and Crowther, a London advertising agency. The rest is history.
An innovative businessman, a great raconteur, a genuine legend in his own lifetime, David Ogilvy is one of a kind. So is his autobiography.
Customer Reviews:
Egg on the face.......2003-03-15
Shame... Shame...
A self confessed Ogilvy fan has finally found out that this Scotsman can be egotistic as hell!
Ogilvy on Advertising was indeed a great book but this book... would take you to a completing different direction. The book was simply a self-satisfying, trumpet blowing bio and Ogilvy would just not let it go. The book was also like the man was trying to kiss his own rear-end.
But... Ogilvy is known to be a proud man and you can't blame him. The man built one of the most famous ad-houses and wrote two great bibles (Confession... & Ogilvy on Advertising)!
So, what do I think of this book? I think the book was written during the time when Ogilvy regret his baby is with WPP (I may be wrong as the book may have been written prior to that event) and the book's sole purpose was to reinforce his achievement to the world.
Read it if you have the time but make sure you got it from the local library.
Curmudgeonly and terse.......2001-12-11
Not your typical autobiography. It's really a memoir because it is less structured than an autobiography. Ogilvy is an asymmetrical thinker who likes being obnoxious. I liked it because he does not disappoint; he does it his way. I was not bored by it.
Me Me Me: Ogilvy on Ogilvy not a pretty read.......1998-01-15
If, like me, you read, re-read and enjoyed "Ogilvy On Advertising" and thought the man's autobiography would be similarly interesting, think again.
"David Ogilvy, An Autobiography", is a self-centred stinker.
As you might expect, its words are sufficiently well-crafted to allow easy and rapid reading. What sets this apart from Ogilvy's advertising writing is its egotism.
Some of it is outright - rabbiting on about all manner of subjects as if eager disciples were at hand to treasure every word (which perhaps, in the sixties, they were). Even worse though, is his quoting of both himself ("and then I said the most extraordinary thing") and others in search of yet another way to bury himself in praise.
In parts, the book is reminiscent of a cocktail party bore retelling episodes in which he was the chief comedic hero.
Name-dropping abounds to the point of tedium, and this is made worse by the fact that a present day reader will never have heard of most of the names.
For a reader interested in advertising, the book is disappointingly light on this part of Ogilvy's life. He seems to have made the mistake of thinking that, just because we admire/admired his work, we will also find every other aspect of his existence (most boringly his bloody Chateau) fascinating.
Perhaps the whole work is epitomised by its last chapter - a series of lists of the author's favourite plants, recipes, words (OK, we'll let that one go) and, in a final orgy of name dropping, friends. Mostly famous, of course. Who CARES what David Ogilvy's favourite plants are?!
Avoid this book. There are better ways to spend an afternoon.
Average customer rating:
- Especially intriguing are the case histories
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Super Searchers on Madison Avenue: Top Advertising and Marketing Professionals Share Their Online Research Strategies (Super Searchers series)
Grace Avellana Villamora
Manufacturer: Information Today, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0910965633 |
Book Description
Thirteen research professionals from the world's leading advertising and marketing organizations share the tips, techniques, and resources that have made them the best in the business. Mindful of the cultural and demographic shifts that are taking place worldwide, this book focuses on ad agencies that specialize in general advertising, interactive marketing, sales promotions, and multicultural target audiences. The firms represented include TBWA/Chiat/Day, Leo Burnett, Carmichael Lynch, Burrell Communications Group, and UPSHOT.
Customer Reviews:
Especially intriguing are the case histories.......2003-05-16
Others books have focused on research pros who work in various fields; Super Searchers On Madison Avenue tackles those who function in the advertising and marketing world, using interviews with researchers who find and analyze information for fueling new product launches and ad campaigns. Especially intriguing are case histories showing how successful researchers made the change from traditional careers to being an online researcher.
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- Kindred of the East (For Vampire, the Masquerade)
- King James Games: More Than 200 Scripture-Teaching Puzzles Based on the Holy Bible
- LS Tarot Of The New Vision Kit
- Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives
- Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 1
Books Index
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