This page contains a few of my recommendations on books and authors. Since I'm a Barnes and Noble affiliate, it contains links to their site so you can buy the books online if you wish. Enjoy!
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Archer, Jeffrey: The first book I read of his was "The Fourth Estate". I was already familiar with "Kane & Abel" from the miniseries a number of years ago. Those two books are sagas of characters formed by their adversities, and deal with the effects of pride and ambition on relationships and lives. Since then I've read some of his other books, which have been quite different from these two but still compelling reading.
Clancy, Tom: There's not much I need to say about Clancy's books - they're so familiar to most of us. I think they're a good read, although some are certainly better than others. One of my favorites is "The Cardinal of the Kremlin".
Follett, Ken: His books don't fit neatly into a genre. Some are historical fiction, some are set today. Most involve some intrigue, and many of the characters are memorable. I like his style, no matter how diverse the subject matter.
George, Elizabeth: A mystery author whose characters, both the regular ones and those specific to a particular book, are multi-dimensional and rich. This is a series, with recurring characters that you really grow to care about. Her books aren't easy reading, but they are worth every minute of time invested in them.
Hassler, Jon: I'm a bit surprised that I like his books, since I generally like mystery or suspense and his books focus on character. He's a Minnesota native, and paints a great picture of small-town life, with peculiar and likeable characters populating stories that are more "slice of life" than action-oriented. He's a great story teller.
Johanssen, Iris: Her books are thrillers, often with a medical twist. Lots of action and plot twists that hold your interest. Character development is typical for the genre - more emphasis on action than on characters.
Lescroart, John: A series of books with a main character named Dismas Hardy. A good blend of characterization and plot in these crime mysteries.
Ludlum, Robert: My dad started me reading Ludlum novels. They usually involve espionage, political intrigue, assasins, and the like. They are very well written, and do a pretty good job with both action and characterization. They're not a quick read, but when I've finished one I always feel it's been time well spent.
Do-it-Yourself Advertising & Promotion: How to Produce Great Ads, Brochures, Catalogs, Direct Mail, Web Sites, and More! by Fred E. Hahn and Kenneth G. Mangun. Even though I had been a Marketing/Communcations professional in the corporate world, this book focused on small businesses with limited budgets, which is the clientele I frequently work with. It provided me with tools I can use to promote my own business and also to work with small business clients.
The Virtual Office Survival Handbook by Alice Bredin. This book was extremely helpful in the first months of working at home. It dealt with setting up a workable office space, filing, bookkeeping, dealing with loneliness, discipline and time management - all the things home office people deal with. I highly recommend it.
Your Income Tax 1999 by J.K.Lasser. Being self-employed raises all kinds of tax complexity that I'd never had to deal with before. This book helped me to gain knowledge about self-employment tax, laws concerning home office use for self-employed people, how to figure net profits from business, depreciation and amortization, and all those fun things that are now part of my world. It also helped me realize that I'd be a fool to do my own taxes, and when I met with my accountant this book helped me to ask the right questions and be more proactive in determining how to procede in some key areas.
Looking Good in Print by Roger C. Parker. This book is a reminder of good design and layout principles. I've had instructors in several design classes highly recommend it. Although its focus is print design, many of the principles also apply to Web design.
Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters by Ted Landau. I have both a Mac and a PC. This book has helped me troubleshoot many Mac problems. I have Post-It notes all over the book highlighting key sections. I recommend it for any Mac user.
Using HTML a QUE press book. My copy is a bit outdated now, but when I was learning HTML this book was my Bible, and I still refer to it frequently now that I'm a Web professional.
I'll continue to add to this list - this is only the first few books that came to mind. Drop me a line if you read any of these books and want to share your thoughts on them, or write the comments in my guestbook.