Tue Sep 8, 2009

On Today's Show: www.crntalk.com

Sam Barry "How to Play the Harmonica: and Other Life Lessons"
How to Play the Harmonica will make you laugh, inspire you to try new things, and yes—teach you how to play. Sam Barry, little brother to the Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist Dave Barry, is ready to help your listeners rediscover the art of play. He’s available for phone interviews where he can share his dynamic, comedic outlook on life, all while teaching your show’s host how to play the Blues! As a former minister, reporter, activist, bohemian, writer and artist, Sam Barry knows a great many things about life-and playing the harmonica. Barry currently works as a marketing and promotions manager at HarperOne and plays the harmonica in The Rock Bottom Remainders with his brother Dave. He and his partner, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, live in San Francisco.

Gail Chatfield "By Dammit, We’re Marines!"
Technology changes with every war, but the universal human experience of combat remains the same. Marines and soldiers from the battlefields of Valley Forge to the streets of Fallujah understand patriotism, fear, death, loneliness, and the humor that helps them through the rough times. By Dammit, We're Marines! is a collection of eye witness accounts by 52 veterans who served on the Pacific Front during World War II. When ordered to secure another Japanese-held island, these Marines grabbed their M-1 rifles, climbed down rope ladders into the waiting landing craft, and hit the beaches. They faced not only an embedded, well-equipped enemy, but also flesh shredding coral reefs, malarial and dengue fever-ridden jungles, mosquito and crocodile-infested swamps, and a noxious moonscape sulfur island. The author's father was one of those Marines who fought on Bougainville, Guam, and Iwo Jima. He died when she was 15 and never shared his wartime stories. Wanting to learn more, Chatfield sought out veterans of those conflicts. Their stories offer a literary archeological dig of sorts into 1940's culture and technology. Body armor was a canvas shirt with a metal covered copy of the Bible in the breast pocket. Camouflage clothing was do-it-yourself burlap suits stippled with Max Factor women's make-up. Cutting edge medicine was sulfa tablets to treat infection and blood plasma shipped in glass bottles to field hospitals. Canvas hammocks stacked 8-10 high served as bunks aboard overcrowded ships. They used salt water soap for salt water baths and were issued OPA tickets, V-mail, C-rations, K-rations, and helmets that served as sinks and saucepans. Creating the safest foxhole took some ingenuity and a few discarded tank parts. Most of the veterans interviewed in this book are Marines, but war is a collaborative effort. Marines were transported by the Navy, relieved by the Army, and most of the time their job was to secure airfields for the Army Air Corps. No story of the Marines would be complete without hearing from those branches of service. Chaplains, corpsmen, sailors, soldiers, and B-29 bomb crews share their stories of serving with the Marines. These veterans offer their stores as a part of our historical record with the hope that battles like Saipan, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima will never happen again. Gail Chatfield is a native of Southern California and received her Bachelor's Degree from San Diego State University courtesy of the G. I. Bill. A degree in Anthropology, the study of man and the role that culture exerts on individuals or groups, thoroughly prepared her for working in the exotic, fertile fields of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. Positions at AFTRA, the William Morris Agency and for nearly a decade the personal assistant to Farrah Fawcett, confirmed the theory that nothing beats reality for a good story. Currently living in San Diego, Gail is a freelance writer and an opinion columnist for the North County Times. She is an associate member of the Third Marine Division Association.

Steven G. Mehta - "112 Ways to Succeed in Any Negotiation or Mediation"
Everybody negotiates, even if they don't realize it. The problem is that most people don't know how to negotiate effectively. In this book, you will learn powerful techniques that have been successfully used in real-world negotiations to get the maximum results in any negotiation. 112 Ways to Succeed in Any Negotiation or Mediation will turbo-charge your negotiating skills regardless of your experience and will help to put more dollars in your pockets because you will make better deals. 112 Ways to Succeed in Any Negotiation or Mediation takes you through all aspects of negotiating from the before the negotiation to closing the deal. You will learn many proven and little known secrets in social science that can make the difference between a good deal and a great deal! You will discover: • How to make an opening offer • When to negotiate • What to do during negotiations • What barriers exist to successful negotiations • Why the location of negotiations matters • Ten most common mistakes made in negotiations. And 112 Ways applies to every negotiation regardless of size or environment: • Businesspeople can use it to increase their bottom line • Lawyers can negotiate better terms for their clients • Salespeople can strike better deals • Any person can learn to communicate and negotiate every aspect of life better