Business Money Books

You want Success through music? Read alot about the industry and stories from other musicians who have travelled the road before you have? This might help you understand further to what you need to do.
I've been playing music for 8 years, with many of my releases released over Europe and in NY,USA. I'm planning the next journey and you should too. Pick up this book and enjoy the wealth of tips this book has to offer.

I returned this book after I received it. It was not for me, it is for a student of music or the new songwriter. Very basic overview.

as a beginner musician myself, i could not believe how much information this book gives just to make money in the music crazed industry. any one who "listens to music" or "plays an instrument" should buy this book!!! this book provides detailed blueprints to get started right away with following the right steps to do more than just make money. I truely love playing music and why not make a few bucks here and there doing it. overall this book pinpoints doing it for the love of music rather than just for money. making money is just added bonus.

This book gives an extensive overview of the music industry from the perspective of experienced insiders, with plenty of financial data and examples. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn about the music industry and the financial rewards that come with success. Unfortunately, it dwells on major record labels and hit-producing artists - without really going in to how they got there, "indie" labels, or any guidance for the aspiring musician.

Contains many figures and contract details. Offers a thorough look at contracts that are being widely negotiated as well as a peek at developing trends. It's not a quick read- definitely a "fine tooth comb" kind of book to STUDY.

This man knows what he is doing. Too well in fact. I was very impressed after reading this book. J. Cox

Ray is a master in his own right. I read this book 3 times, and love it.

This is a book I recommend anyone interested in Internet marketing read and study. I liked it overall. But I didn't like the title to the book because it gives the consumer the idea that there is real money to be made blogging. At page 88 the author finally acknowledges that bloggers should not expect to earn anything more than modest amounts of revenue each month. And modest means minimal! The book has the following chapters:

1. Quick starts: Top 10 lists
2. Blogs and search optimization (SEO)
3. Generating revenue with your blog
4. Managing your blog
5. Extras and inspiration

This book attemps to cover all aspects of successful blogging. It introduces the reader to Blogger and Wordpress, which are the two main free blog-hosting services online. It also covers the various hosting options and what to look for in a host. I have blogs at both Blogger and Wordpress, and I think they are wonderful hosting services. This book also covers how to create, maintain and promote a blog.

According to the authors you can monetize your blog with either contextual ads, ad networks, or affiliate programs. Of course, it takes a very popular blog (one with lots of traffic) for much money to be made from any of these sources. And if you have a blog that is that successful, then you'd be better off selling your own products and services where you make all the money instead of collecting a wimpy commission.

This book covers how to use your blog to self promote and gain credibility in your field. Your blog will help you funnel prospects and paying customers to your real Web site where you sell what you do for a living. Basically, blogs are great public relations and publicity tools for you to use in marketing your products and services.

I would have liked the book better if its content had been divided into more than five chapters. It would have been an easier read if it had been. And I would have liked the book better if the title were different. For me the book is about blogging, and not how to make money from blogging. And since the author says few blogs will generate much cash each month, then why title the book about making money?

Blogs can be used as an Internet marketing tool similar to article writing, and in a way social networking. They can be used to market public speaking gigs for the author, and to sell white papers and ebooks the author has written. And they can make referrals to the author's main Web site where she sells online coaching, offline bootcamps, or similar services, or higher ticket products. Finally, blogs can help their owners connect to other bloggers who are part of the blogoshere. And getting connecting translates into getting known. 4 stars!

The authors devote one chapter to "Generating Revenue With Your Blog" - and, frankly, it doesn't tell you anything you can't learn on the web. In fact, the authors refer the reader to many web sources for what they repeat in the book.

There really isn't much substance to this book. It is moderately well written, but offers no new or rare insights.

It might be usable for someone who doesn't use the web much or isn't a very good researcher and who can't find information on blogs on the web. In short, it's a simple guide and nothing more, with much of the information coming directly from web sources, which the authors are honest enough to credit.

But be aware that none of the subjects covered are treated in any depth. The part about "search enhine optimization" is laughably incomplete and amateurish.

The book simply doesn't live up to the promise of its title.

Jerry

Even if you're thinking of starting a blog or already have one you need to read this book. It takes you through every step in the blogging process, from picking a blog host to picking your categories. Very helpful resource.

The word Mr. Studwell adopts for his title, "godfathers," has of course acquired its relevant connotations from a classic novel by Mario Puzo and the subsequent motion-picture trilogy directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Messrs. Puzo and Coppola were self consciously creating a myth, romanticizing the ugly reality of mob violence. Mr. Studwell thinks of himself as the debunker of a myth, and he employs the Puzo-Coppola language to reverse its effect.

The myth about Southeast Asia is a matter of Sinocentric cultural determinism. Chinese ethnic groups have scattered about the region and wherever they have gone--so runs a common contention--they have brought with them a Confucian ethos, a dedication to hard work and entrepreneurialism, which has sparked growth and turned the beneficiary nations into "tigers" of productivity.

Those whom Mr. Studwell calls Asia's "godfathers"--the Chearavanont family in Thailand and the Hartonos family of Indonesia are two examples--have taken advantage of this myth to legitimize their own wealth and privilege. He associates them with the Corleones of Sicily and New York, then, in an effort at deflation.

The class at issue isn't, furthermore, as thoroughly Chinese as it portrays itself or as its outside admirers imagine. A few, such as the two families just mentioned, surely are. Many others are partially ethnic Chinese, and in such cases "the non-Chinese bloodline is sometimes seen as a source of embarrassment and played down, particularly in a Chinese setting." Still others aren't Chinese at all. Ananda Krishnan, of Malaysia, surely belongs in any list of the region's godfathers, though he's a Sri Lankan Tamil.

In general, Mr. Studwell contends that the godfather class throughout the region has been a retardant to growth, not the accelerant that its quite successfully promulgated self-image would have one believe. Southeast Asia hasn't shared the successes of Northeast Asia--Japan, South Korea and Taiwan--for three reasons. The northeastern countries have a successful history of land reform behind them. They have seen the development and political encouragement of branded businesses (not merely outsourcing operations for western brands) that compete globally. They've learned the tricky politics of stable multi-party competition. That is the direction forward for their southern brethren.

I learned a good deal from this book. Still, I think that Studwell rather overdoes it, and allows deromanticization to spill over into distortion. I suspect that Confucian values do have something to do with developments in the region, just as Calvinism has had a good deal to do with economic developments in the north of Europe for the last few centuries.

As a student with an MA in Southeast Asian Studies, I can attest that this book does a great job summarizing the economic and political landscape of Southeast Asia. The book focuses on the role of the region's elite businessmen and how they take advantage of corruption, weak anti-monopoly laws, and political connections to build their empires. These elites dominate the domestic sectors of the economy, so they generally do not compete with multinational firms in the export sector.

Unlike other books I have read on Southeast Asia, this one not only provides examples but identifies larger trends and patterns that are useful in understanding the problems Southeast Asia currently faces. There is a lot of information, and it can be a pretty dense read for readers not already attuned to the region, but it's definitely worth it, even if just to get an idea of how politics and business really don't mix well in the region.

The book was well written and obviously well researched, but I guess I was looking for more of an action packed, backstabbing account 'Mafia Style.'
Very informative nonetheless.

Solid reporting with a sense of history about many of the people behind Asia's economies. Good background of why and how but the "who" is what is compelling. Had hoped for even more gossip, but lawyers must have counseled care. But there is more than enough to be worth reading if you are involved in Asia or even just interested.

This book makes a very interesting read and offers a different approach to understanding the economy of a region: the author looks at these economies mainly through the business sector and avoids overloading the book with graphs, charts, tables, etc. It is an interesting story (although heavily studded with Chinese names). This may result in an incomplete picture, and the book is not quite academic, but this does not avoid it providing a relatively objective look on an important sector of this region's economy.
Studwell is very critical of the corporate sector of the SE Asian countries, including those of Hong Kong and Singapore. He traces the origins of the mostly ethnic Chinese businessmen and their companies from the colonial days to the present. He dismisses any notion of "Asian values" as the foundation for the success of these businesses and their owners, but rather attributes their rise to license-peddling, concessions, monopolistic practises, lots of graft, etc. One is reminded of Balzac's words: "every great fortune, of onknown origin, is usually the result of a crime". His comments on the banking sector are particulary scathing. The author explains that these businessmen are not the cause of this situation, but have merely adapted to a region-wide system of patronage and corruption held in place by the local politicos for hundreds of years to the present (much of it inherited from their colonial masters). The business leaders have saving graces: personally charming, they lead flamboyant lives and they obviously do contribute to their local economies (through employment and investment).
In spite of this, and the crisis of 1997-98 the SE Asian economies have sustained high levels of growth over the past two decades, which Studwell attributes mostly to multinationals, and the export prowess of small local firms, plus the hard-work of the average Asian.
The author's critique goes beyond mere anecdotes and history , as he affirms that the SE Asian corporate sector does not have the efficiency and productivity of the typical world-class company. The origins of these businesses leads to a focus on trading and short-term wheeling-dealing, without a clear strategy, technological strength and branded products. The companies are very much tied to the personality and/or the family of the main owners. Worst of all, they are lacking in transparency, corporate governance and their stock market practises are less than ethical.
Studwell's observations seem vindicated by the markets: since the 1994-97 peak the stock markets of these countries have not fully recovered, and the Hong Kong and Singapore indices are barely above their levels of 10 years ago.
As SE Asia acquires more economic stability it is logical to assume that per-capita income will rise and lead to stronger domestic economies, with less dependence on export-led growth. In this context Studwell is correct in insisting the the corporate sector of these countries clean up their act and become serious and sustainable contributors to their economies.

I was very pleased to see that the portfolio and
all of the contents were exactly as described in
her Tv show and also on Amazon web site. The cost
was minimal compared to the valuable contents and
I have one place to keep all my records,& documents
contained. The carry all case is also very handy.
Thank you Amazon for making this affordable.

The Ultimate Protection Portfolio is a great way to consolidate and organize all those important papers. There is plenty of room in the box to store documents as well as CD-Roms, and other essential items. Each folder comes with a checklist of documents that should be stored there. I actually found a few important items that were not on the list and added them to the folders. There is a booklet to accompany each folder. For example, the "Retirement" booklet gives a quick overview of retirement options and what you should be doing now. I think this is a great product if you like Suze Orman's books. I haven't used the CD-Rom that came with the product.The box is sturdy but easy to carry in case of emergency.

When the product arrived, a couple of the folders were very slightly damaged. Also, the plastic sheet for storing ID cards, passports, etc. had a small tear along one of the top corners. I fixed it myself with a small piece of clear tape.

While you could gather all your documents and store them in your own folders and briefcase, I personally enjoy having all the booklets that are part of this package. I find that Suze Orman speaks to me about money in a way that I can understand and relate to.

Yes this is the blue box with the little books and software inside. Great purchase and/or gift idea.

MY FRIEND PUCHASED ONE OF THESE FOR $300. I PURCHSED ONE FOR EACH OF MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF AND SPENT $15 ON EACH ONE BECAUSE I RESEARCHED AND BOUGHT ONLINE. GREAT BUY, NO DELIVERY PROBLEMS, IN WRAPPERS AND EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.

This is a great book for those who want to look at various options of making money from home. Very sound advice with samples and guidance to various career options. I highly recommend this book.

This book is great. I am a new mom that has been looking for a way to stay home and bring in some income at the same time. This book told me everything I needed to know. From a guide on how to start a business to managing your family and home. There are also many different profiles of moms who have their own business. How they got started, what they needed, how much money they make and how they manage their business and kids. This book was worth every penny.

well this is the one for you...with or with out being a mom, i am a mom, but not to a child...i have 2 dogs and a cat. and i am seriously thinking i want to build a business from home so that if the time comes that i am pregnant or have a child that i can be there for him or her...

this book will help you find the job you want, then find ways to market it, make it legal and give you ideas to make it better/more productful. it also gives you different peoples stories of what they started and how it has worked for them.

You have to check it out!

When I first wanted to work at home, I remember finding Liz's website Bizymoms. The first edition of her book hadn't yet been published (1998) but already she had a list of viable home business ideas with real-life stories to back them up. For me, reading about real moms who had found a way to work-at-home was a huge help. It brought the theory from "how to" books into the real world. Liz offers other great tips but for me the real life stories and ideas were the most valuable part of the book. Now I know working at home does happen...I've been a wahm since 1998!

The profiles contained within this book are enjoyable reads, but the information is simply not comprehensive enough to be of real value.
For instance, a proofreader is profiled - she proofreads manuscripts for major publishing houses, including bestsellers. The odds of landing this type of work, unless you have an "in" (you used to be in publishing, for instance) are nearly impossible. While it's understandable that the author wants to sound optimistic, the simplicity of some of her advice is misleading.
Another woman profiled is an attorney, who obviously has the contacts from her working days that bring her work to do at home, as well as the ability to offer a service that is in demand. The average SAHM doesn't have a law degree, and can't just run out and get one.
The truth is, if you don't have work experience or a formidable skill that somehow make you in-demand, this book will do you no good. If you do have the experience or skill, then what you need is a book on marketing your services...simply posting flyers, as suggested in the book, is not going to lead you to 30,50, 80K a year!
If you just want to make money while you're home with your child, but have no real skills or experience, then try selling on ebay or having merchandise parties in your home. If it were so easy for people to make tens of thousands out of their homes every year, everybody would be doing it.

.....unless you are ready to start making lots of money with your newsletters! We were getting ready to prepare our next newsletter, hoping to raise enough money to at least pay for the cost of printing and mailing it out. I decided that this book sounded worth reading, so I ordered it. I was surprised and pleased with all the great information packed in this book. It explained in great detail the mistakes that are made in writing newsletters and why many of them don't bring in much (if any) money. If you are wondering how to jazz up your own newsletter, don't waste another second - get this book and start making those changes. In just a couple of weeks, we have made more than we ever made with our previous newsletters, so we are very excited! Who knew that headlines could be so important????? This book paid for itself with the next newsletter we sent out!

I have been doing promotional design and communications for years. And I have never seen such a straight forward, concise, personable and well written resource. Great format! This book is a discovery so well rendered that I was left wishing I had found it years ago. It is not just for fundraising... it's about connecting with people who care about your organization, certainly our most important circle of individuals. Thank you! SO glad a friend referred me to it. Short, sweet and well worth ten times the cost. -C

After reading Tom Ahern's "How to Write Fundraising Materials That Raise More Money: The Art, the Science, the Secrets" straight though, I read this one straight through too. Since much of the material was reiterated in a different way, I was able to skim yet have a much fuller understanding of the concepts. I would read both as they are both valuable. I never read books straight through, these are different. I found these to be riveting and rejuvenating. Fun, fast, easy reads that impart an amazing amount of insight into writing for fundraising.

Concisely and sharply written with easy to use advice. Affirmed things that I "knew" but had forgotten about. Used the advice and our newest newsletter has much more "pop" to it. I'll be interested to see if there will be an uptick in donations following its release in a week or so.

Hi Tom,



Your book Raising More Money With Newsletters Than You Ever Thought Possible is terrific!



I started reading it just after completing a quarterly newsletter. I can't seem to finish your book because I keep running to the computer to "fix up" the thing I had thought was a newsletter. I am reading this on a stay-at-home-day-for-reading and when I'm not at the keyboard I am phoning colleagues with new ideas. They may never let me read again.



I heard you speak at the AFP Congress in Toronto and knew this would be a good book. Thanks for making it even better than that.



Are you changing the world? Maybe not. But you are certain to change newsletter writing!



Julie Kinkaid

I just graduated college and started a new job, and this book is helping me know exactly to handle my money!

Great book for everyone. It's written to the 25-30 year old, but it's great advise to all.

Farnoosh Torabi writes an easy reader with clever ideas and a fresh view. You should pick up this book for yourself, especially if you're a young adult or have teenagers entering college.

You're So Money is a great read if you are looking for inspiration to straighten out your personal finances, get rid of personal debt and restructure your spending habits. The book hits many areas in advice on how to shop for our everyday needs and wants as well as how to look for opportunities of making money outside our 8 to 5 jobs to achieve our 'good life' equation. Definite recommended buy! I enjoyed every chapter and its written for those of various ages struggling to have all aspects of their personal finances fall in place.

This book has some good tips and ideas, my favorite being to figure out what's important to you before you figure out how to budget your money. Sounds simple, but sometimes we get so caught up in paying off debts, saving and investing, that we forget to live in the moment. I've already made some changes based on her advice, by drastically cutting back on eating out and putting that money towards a trip to Europe next year (so much more rewarding than a few sushi dinners).
One annoyance - she says that renters are wasting their money and that everyone should be a homeowner. Then she proceeds to say that her parents paid for her condo. Who should I ask to help me, my deceased father or my mother who lives off $10,000 in Social security checks per year? Some of us have to do it on our own, and that means paying rent instead of drowning in mortgage payments. I think it's a huge mistake for young people to buy homes too soon. Rent isn't "wasting money", it's paying for a place to live.

I have been investing for about 3 years now. I am 27 years old. I wish this had been my first book on investing. It probably would have been my only one. Dick Davis is VERY realistic. There are no get rich quick schemes. No mathmatical equations, no B.S.. he is very honoest and very informative. I would suggest this book to anyone who owns a stock, is thinking of buyin a stock, or is curious about investing. Wonderful!!!

Great stuff!
Having read most everything by Bogle, Swensen, Bernstein, Swedroe, et. al., I found "Dividend" refreshing for it's objective take on the financial industry and the media's daily coverage of same. Yes, you've likely heard much of this elsewhere, yet not likely so well organized and presented. And yes, the book is long, but well worth a read - or two. I particularly enjoyed the broad coverage of passive portfolios. Dick Davis encourages exploration and critical questioning, to find what works for you.
Highly recommended.

This book is, without question, one of the best investment books available. Mr. Davis is a phenomenal writer who conveys concepts with ease, taking care to reiterate those concepts that many investors would prefer to overlook. The reader can tell that Mr. Davis truly cares about helping others learn to invest wisely. The book includes a culmination of wisdom learned over a lifetime dedicated to the investment field.

Today is Tuesday, March 25, 2008. Last Wednesday, my portfolio dropped $154,229 or 8%. I am a successful investor who started with about $700,000 in February of 2002. Do the math! I'm almost all the way back today.

Several of the "pearls of wisdom" in Dick Davis' book were comforting after that, my largest drawdown ever, and that is despite the fact I like to think I have "nerves of steel." His book should be required reading in any investment class. The same is true for you if you invest for yourself or your family. No matter how sophisticated you think you are, this 80+ year old man, with a lifetime's worth of experience will teach you something important and vital. If you are new, he will teach you lots. One gem could make or save you thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. At 58 when I attend Continuing Legal or Real Estate Education Classes, I know a lot of what is being taught beforehand. I seek gems. Nowhere can that one gem affect your fortune more than in investing, and Dick Davis' book has hundreds. Read the book. Memorize all that you can!

If you think this review is long, wait until you see the book - 454 pages.

I don't feel satisfied with the book. The reviews for it were great, it was recommended on a popular investment blog, I expected a lot. As someone who has been investing for several years, I don't think I got what I expected.

Without the preface, acknowledgments, etc, the book is 454 pages long; it's well written and well organized. But the first 50 pages are about Dick Davis, his early childhood, how much he enjoyed his summer camp, etc. I think I learned more about Mr Davis than I need to know.

One useful thing identified in the first part of the book is how Mr Davis operated as a media commentator and later as author of his newsletter, The Dick Davis Digest. Mr Davis writes that he was not comfortable recommending stock, bonds, and investments, so he focused on reporting what OTHERS were recommending, always trying to present a balanced view. I concluded that's the format for the rest of the book - what other people think with some input from Mr Davis, and of course Davis selected the people and work he's cited. I do think he tried to present a balanced view, or at least a view that is not so presumptive as to imply "this is the only way to do it, anything else is wrong!".

My basic frustration with the book is that I concluded that Davis was summarizing (often with other peoples words or work) what he has been led to believe are truths about the stock market, how to invest in it, etc, as opposed to presenting specific information that has worked well for him and why - there's a big difference. If you've been paying attention to mainstream commentary over the years, you've probably heard most of what's in the book. For example, at one point Davis argues that index investing is the way to go because so many experts use index investing; that argument left me cold, I'd like to see some numbers that lay out an irrefutable case. I'm not sure there is an irrefutable case.

Other examples: Mr Davis is comfortable with a portfolio of 80% passive investments (index funds) and 20% active investments (almost anything else). Why 80/20? My sense is that it's a consensuses number based on what investment luminaries he's dealt with have hit upon. No original analyses, it's probably ball-park right, just go with the flow.

Mr Davis presents 28, as I recall, lazy portfolios that were developed by investment luminaries. Enroute we learn that Andrew Tobias is concerned with gay issues and that Jim Lowell lectures on philosophy and religion and is an avid sports fisherman - why do I care? What we don't get is any sense as to how well the portfolios have performed in comparison to each other over a common time frame. Seems to me that without considerable analyses regarding the performance and relative performances of the portfolios we are left simply with a collection of hypothetical portfolios - which to me amounts to trivia.

He discusses mutual funds vice ETFs, and you've probably heard the tradeoffs before.

In fairness, Mr Davis does include several good resource lists for things like classic investment books, newsletters, financial blogs, etc. I've seen similar lists in other publications, but having them all drawn together in one book has value.

If you are a beginning investor perhaps this book has value, you may not have heard or read about some of the topics covered and it may offer some issues for you to think about. If you've been investing for even a few years, you've likely seen or heard nearly all the investment material covered in the book. Either way, it's a long read.

Re-reading this great book. Learning of the music industry's founding fathers helps to better understand and analyse the industry's current downturn.

OK, here's the deal... Are you thinking of getting into the music business? Trying to get your band signed? Becoming a songwriter? This book will discourage you beyond description, so read at you own risk. However it will allow you to go into the business of music with your eyes wide open. A good history lesson of the deal makers that launched rock and roll, R & B, pop, disco, etc. All happening before the digital age. Do you have a kid that wants to be the next American Idol? Want to discourage them? Get them this book!

I read it a while ago and have used the knowledge to my benefit. Though I haven't made a fortune writing music, I have managed to keep my songs mine and make vacation money.

Mr. Dannen has written a book that could have been written by any one of two dozen people. However, the others would have incriminated themselves, or wound up in a Nevada corn field with a bullet in their heads!!

Naming names and identifying specific dates, Mr. Dannen tells the majority of the truth about how things really work behind the scenes to make a song a "HIT". From the early days of "legal payoffs" to the "payola" scandals of the late 50s and early 60s, to the line item "marketing" expenses that major labels right off every day to cover the payments made to the corporate radio stations.

This book helps identify why great music never makes it to "Top 40" or CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio). Why great artists are left in the dark while "Casper Milktoast" acts seem to get played 12 times during drive time!!!

If you want to read a fact-filled book about how the music business and hit radio have created such an insestuous relationship, then buy this book. It is full of thrills, fear, anger, humor, big names and bigger deals. You'll love it.

In "Hit Men," Fedric Dannen offers a comprehensive look at the payola scandal that plagued major record labels and Top-40 radio stations during the 1980s. Dannen explains that a recession initially drove the major labels to hire independent promoters to gain a competitive advantage over smaller labels. The major label executives knew that these promoters were bribing radio stations to play singles, but continued to use them anyway. As payola grew, the major labels were forced to compete amongst each another for the services of these promoters, who kept sapping away greater portions of the industry's lifeblood. The book explains in detail why collective action against payola was extremely difficult to organize. In the end, federal law enforcement largely failed to punish the wrongdoers, allowing payola to continue long after the end of the 1980s.

In the late 1970s, the popularity of "Saturday Night Fever" led the major record labels to glut the market with disco. Many label executives believed they could impose limits on the number of records that retailers could return for refunds. Failure to impose limits hit the major labels hard, leading them to adopt questionable measures to keep their own artists on the airwaves. They hired independent promoters who eventually would charge as much as $100,000 to turn a single song into a hit. These promoters organized themselves into a loosely knit cartel, dividing the nation up into territories in order to monopolize individual radio stations. Dannen explains that their real power came from their ability to prevent songs that they weren't paid to promote from becoming hits. He gives several examples of songs that should've blown up on the radio, but didn't.

The program managers at the Top-40 radio stations were complicit in this scam. They were well aware that other stations took their cue from Top-40 playlists, and that people generally purchased albums containing songs they've heard on the radio. Top-40 stations typically received more than 200 new singles per week and wanted to play songs that they knew ahead of time were going to become hits. They began accepting cash, drugs, and other forms of bribery in exchange for playing songs pitched by independent promoters. Before long, songs by artists on smaller labels disappeared from the airwaves. The situation quickly spiraled out of control, with some independent promoters like Joe Isgro making more than $10 million per year.

Dannen explains that Warner Brothers was the first major label to take a principled stand against payola. Warner had waited for other labels to launch a boycott first, and was concerned about being undercut by competitors. CBS joined the boycott a year later. However, in one of the story's most disheartening developments, artists whose songs began to disappear from the radio raised a ruckus, effectively killing the boycott. Congressional investigators who sought information from label executives ran into a brick wall when independent promoters' mafia connections threatened to shakedown anyone who talked. An attempt by the RIAA to launch an investigation was quashed due to concerns about its inability to keep information out of the mafia's hands. Instead, it took excellent reporting by NBC Nightly News to get to the bottom of the story in order to shed light on the problem's sheer magnitude.

In the end, a string of procedural errors by federal prosecutors let many of the leading perpetrators off the hook. When the record executives finally endeavored to stamp out payola at the end of the decade, the artists again complained and began hiring independent promoters on their own. As payola continues to exist, Dannen questions whether forcing artists to pay for independent promotion instead of killing payola had been the music industry's goal all along.

In reading this book, one is struck by the dichotomy faced by major record label executives who complained about the problem, but declined to organize themselves for fear of short term economic losses. Readers will find their rhetoric to be similar to congressional leaders who complain about pork barrel spending. They repeatedly admonish such wasteful spending, but decline to do anything about it for fear of being voted out of office by angry constituents who want their share of the pie. Another example is OPEC, the international oil cartel in which member nations routinely undercut one another in order to line their own wallets at the expense of the group as a whole. Seeing how horrible the payola situation really was, it is small wonder that so many wonderful songs, like, for example, "Sheena is Punk Rocker" by the Ramones, never got their due on the radio.

My only quibble with "Hit Men" is that, at times, the book lacks focus. Dannen spends too much time on the personalities, philosophies, and leadership styles of the major players at the labels including Walter Yetnikoff, Clive Davis, Dick Asher, David Geffen, and others. The book would have been stronger if it had focused entirely on the problems caused by payola and suggested potential solutions instead. All in all, though, it is a fascinating account of what happened and sheds a great deal of light on why so many important artists never got their due in the public eye. Music fans everywhere owe Dannen an enormous thanks for ensuring that this story saw the light of day.

This book shook the music world when it was first released, which was when I first read it. I just recently picked it up and read it again, and it was still an equally mind-blowing experience.
What was with those guys? Why did they feel the need to rip off every artist to the maximum possible extent? Couldn't they still have been just as powerful, just as legendary, and very nearly as wealthy, if they'd paid the artists the few pennies per record or airplay that would have been their rightful compensation for creating the music that rocked the world and brought billions of international dollars into American coffers?
Whatever happened to Dennis Waitley and his "win-win" scenarios? You don't hear much about him any more. Perhaps his concepts were too anathematic to the American mindset. Whatever happened to the concepts of "noblesse oblige," and "from those who have received much, much is expected"? Whatever happened to "a rising tide lifts all boats"? Whatever happened to the Magna Carta, the Renaissance, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and all the other movements that raised the world to the dizzying heights it once achieved?
I guess they've been replaced by that all-American concept, "whoever dies with the most toys wins."
As we watch the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and rising fuel prices cause the American dream to recede into the sunset while our beloved representative republic slips back toward medieval fuedalism; as we watch American corporations, once looted from without by corporate raiders, now being looted from within by greedy and/or incompetent executives with golden parachutes while their stockholders, employees and retirees have their lives decimated, we can at least hope that what we do here will stand forever as an example to the rest of the world of how NOT to live.
Osama bin Laden, in his famous "letter to America," called us the worst civilization the world has ever seen, wallowing in decadence and depravity and calling it the height of individual freedom. Could he have been right?
This book gives the reader a valuable opportunity to take a close-up look at one of the foundation pillars of our economy and our culture, and witness the process by which America is rotting from within.