Talent Is An Asset: The Story Of Sparks

Author: Daryl Easlea
Publisher: Omnibus Press
ISBN: 0857122371
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 398

Book Description
When LA musicians Russell and Ron Mael moved to Britain in 1973, they hit the pop world as Sparks and looked like oddballs, even in the context of the glam rock movement that made them welcome. Soon defined by their weird and wonderful 1974 single This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us from the Kimono My House album, Sparks have now released 22 albums over four decades, each record inhabiting a bizarre world of its own. Their songs were peppered with puns and pop culture nods, as well as nostalgia and jokey images, all mixed up in a kaleidoscope of musical references ranging from rock to opera to disco. They remain one of pop music's truly original and uncompromising acts. The Sparks story is now celebrated in this unauthorised book, Daryl Easlea's exploration of their extraordinary drawing on hours of new interviews and research. Talent Is An Asset comes as close as possible to pinning down the quicksilver nature of two gifted musicians who have gone out of their way to remain unpredictable and elusive, forever entrenched behind a dazzling gallery of jokes, impersonations and musical eccentricities.

Icy Sparks

Author: Gwyn Hyman Rubio
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101200189
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 337

Book Description
A New York Times Notable Book and the March 2001 selection of Oprah's Book Club® ! Icy Sparks is the sad, funny and transcendent tale of a young girl growing up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky during the 1950’s. Gwyn Hyman Rubio’s beautifully written first novel revolves around Icy Sparks, an unforgettable heroine in the tradition of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird or Will Treed in Cold Sassy Tree. At the age of ten, Icy, a bright, curious child orphaned as a baby but raised by adoring grandparents, begins to have strange experiences. Try as she might, her "secrets"—verbal croaks, groans, and physical spasms—keep afflicting her. As an adult, she will find out she has Tourette’s Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, but for years her behavior is the source of mystery, confusion, and deep humiliation. Narrated by a grown up Icy, the book chronicles a difficult, but ultimately hilarious and heartwarming journey, from her first spasms to her self-acceptance as a young woman. Curious about life beyond the hills, talented, and energetic, Icy learns to cut through all barriers—physical, mental, and spiritual—in order to find community and acceptance. Along her journey, Icy faces the jeers of her classmates as well as the malevolence of her often-ignorant teachers—including Mrs. Stilton, one of the most evil fourth grade teachers ever created by a writer. Called willful by her teachers and "Frog Child" by her schoolmates, she is exiled from the schoolroom and sent to a children’s asylum where it is hoped that the roots of her mysterious behavior can be discovered. Here Icy learns about difference—her own and those who are even more scarred than she. Yet, it isn’t until Icy returns home that she really begins to flower, especially through her friendship with the eccentric and obese Miss Emily, who knows first-hand how it feels to be an outcast in this tightly knit Appalachian community. Under Miss Emily’s tutelage, Icy learns about life’s struggles and rewards, survives her first comical and heartbreaking misadventure with romance, discovers the healing power of her voice when she sings, and ultimately—takes her first steps back into the world. Gwyn Hyman Rubio’s Icy Sparks is a fresh, original, and completely redeeming novel about learning to overcome others’ ignorance and celebrate the differences that make each of us unique.

No. 1 Songs in Heaven

Author: Dave Thompson
Publisher: Cherry Red Books
ISBN: 9781901447460
Category : Rock musicians
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Since the moment they emerged into the mainstream in 1974, armed with the hit "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us," the band Sparksbrothers Ron and Russell Maelhas endeared themselves to successive generations of fans, not only with their wry humor and quirkiness, but also with a lyrical and musical inventiveness that sees them listed among the most influential acts ever. Exclusive interviews and insights trace the group from its earliest strivings in California up tothe present, while author Dave Thompson's unique eye for period detail and context reveals just how intelligently Sparks has predicted the course of popular music over the past quarter century. Afull worldwide discography, including albums, singles, and audio-visual material, make it a must for Sparks fans everywhere."

Egonomics

Author: Dave Marcum
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1847375049
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 333

Book Description
Backed by five years of research, David Marcum and Steven Smith's egonomicsinforms readers that the key to great leadership is understanding exactly what ego is - and what it should not be. With the aid of real-life examples and persuasive writing, egonomics argues that while most people believe ego is negative, it is actually a healthy, necessary element to management effectiveness and business leadership. Marcum and Smith illustrate that the distinction between a good and a great leader is how humility affects their ambition, and egonomics is full of ideas that help both upper and middle management keep their egos in balance. With a compelling combination of business and psychology expertise, these two specialists explain how (a) being too competitive can make you less competitive, (b) seeking respect and recognition dilutes effectiveness and (c) humility, curiosity and veracity are the essential components to outstanding leadership. Full of the best advice from the experts in the field, egonomics is poised to be the blockbuster business bestseller of the season.

In the Words of Sparks...Selected Lyrics

Author: Ron Mael
Publisher: Tamtam Books
ISBN: 9780985272401
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Sparks--the long-running duo of Ron and Russell Mael--are among the most respected songwriters of their generation, their songs ranking alongside those of Ray Davies (The Kinks having been a formative influence), George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Stephen Sondheim. Formed in Los Angeles in 1971, Sparks have issued over 20 albums and scored chart hits with songs such as "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us," "Cool Places" and "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth." While their musical style has changed dramatically over the course of 40 years--embracing the British Invasion sound of the 60s, glam rock, disco (they teamed up with Giorgio Moroder for 1979's "No. 1 in Heaven") and even techno--their work has consistently stretched the boundaries of pop music and the song form. Sparks continue to break new ground: they are currently working on a project with filmmaker Guy Maddin and are soon to embark on a world tour. Now, for the first time, the Mael brothers have chosen their favorite Sparks lyrics (to some 75 songs), editing and correcting them for presentation in In the Words of Sparks. As James Greer--novelist and former member of Guided by Voices--comments, "Sparks-level wordplay is a gift, and more than that, an inspiration." This book also includes a substantial introduction by fellow Los Angeles resident and longtime fan, Morrissey.

Talent Chooses You

Author: James Ellis
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 328

Book Description
If you want your business to grow, you need to be able to rely on your ability to hire talent reliably and consistently. No talent pipeline? No growth, and no business. But your recruiting team is drowning (I asked them). They need help. Now, if you ask recruiters, they will ask for headcount. Or more technology. But more bodies and more tools won't solve the issue (though it will eat up your budget). What you need a is a better strategy. And that strategy is called employer branding.Employer branding is about understanding, distilling and communicating what your company is all about in order to attract all the talent you need. That will differentiate your company as a place where people will want to work, rather than a place they land because they didn't know better.If you've heard about employer branding in business magazines, it might seem like something only "big companies" can do. Something that requires a dedicated team, expensive platforms, or a bunch of consultants. That isn't true. If you understand where your brand comes from, and how to apply it, any company (especially yours) can hire better with it.And this book will teach you how to do all of that, and then some.In this book, you'll learn what employer branding really is, how to make a compelling argument internally to leadership that creates commitment, how to work with other teams and be creative in finding solutions. As a special bonus, we are including a handbook on how to work with recruiting teams. This hands-on workbook is chock full of examples, checklists, step-by-step instructions and even emails you can copy and paste to make things happen immediately.

Michael Jackson: Rewind

Author: Daryl Easlea
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA
ISBN: 1631063677
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 245

Book Description
Relive the incredible history of the King of Pop in reverse. Michael Jackson: Rewind charts the life to Michael from his tragic, unexpected passing to his childhood. By the time Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, he had sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide over his career. He had won 26 American Music Awards and 13 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was ranked number three, after The Beatles and Elvis Presley, of best-selling music artists. Five years after his death, the net worth of his estate is more than 600 million dollars. He is, without a doubt, one of the most popular - and controversial - artists of all time. Now, for the first time ever, author Daryl Easlea will explore the life and history of Michael Jackson... in reverse. Starting with his tragic death and rewinding to his early hits with the Jackson 5 and life in Gary, Indiana, this is a complete illustrated history of the King of Pop: his genius, his life, and his demons. Loaded with over 300 images, a timeline of his life, a complete discography, and more, this is the must-have book for any Michael Jackson fan.

Sparks 1969 to 1979

Author: Chris Sutton
Publisher: Sonicbond Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 1789521238
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 295

Book Description
This long-overdue book charts the career of Sparks from 1969 to 1979. Every album and every song is examined, including some which are still officially unreleased, beginning with their early recordings as Halfnelson/Sparks and when they were a band of five. After that band split, Ron and Russell Mael retained the name and spent much of the seventies working with a succession of sidemen and collaborators, although this was not always evident to some! They ended the seventies on a high note with the collaboration with Gorgio Moroder for ‘No. 1 In Heaven’. Many who worked on their records have shared their thoughts in the book. The list includes Dean Detrick, Simon Draper, Harley Feinstein, Martin Gordon, Ian Hampton, Rupert Holmes, James Lowe, Sal Maida, James Mankey, John Mendelsohn, Adrian Munsey, Ralph Oswald, Peter Oxendale, Mike Piggott, Terry Rae, Thom Rotella, Suzi Ronson, Paul Rudolph, Richard Digby Smith, Karl Stoecker, David Swanson, Trevor White, Muff Winwood and Luke Zamperini. But this book adds much new information for fans as well as lively opinions on the records. It’s essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about how Sparks developed in the decade which saw them create much of their best work. Chris Sutton has been a Sparks fan since their legendary debut on Top Of The Pops in 1974. His favourite album by them is their second, A Woofer In Tweeter’s Clothing. He manages Smethwick Heritage Centre museum, for whom he has written several publications and he has also written several plays. This is his fifth book on music, following on from books on Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath and AC/DC. He also writes for Power Play magazine, and has contributed to a documentary on Alice Cooper.

Talent Management Systems

Author: Allan Schweyer
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470675446
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 271

Book Description
Talent Management Systems addresses the transformation Web-based technologies have brought to workforce acquisition and management. It examines proven and leading-edge best practices, and what tactics and strategies organizations should employ to remain competitive in this arena. The book is part practical, offering advice on how to institute best practices in e-recruitment and talent management, and strategic, discussing trends and state of the art technology and practices that should be adopted or avoided. "We're at the brink of the next global battle in the war for talent, and companies with a firm grasp on today's technologies, and the best view over the horizon, are positioned to win. No one understands the intersection of talent and technology better than Allan Schweyer and, as this book demonstrates, no one tells us the story as clearly as he. This is an essential read and an important work in the now-critical discipline of human capital management." —Michael Foster, CEO, AIRS, and Author of Recruiting on the Web "Allan Schweyer has been on the leading edge of recruitment technology since the dawn of the Internet. In many ways the Internet has created more confusion than solutions for the world of recruiting and talent management. It has certainly made things more complex. HR professionals and even company presidents have become desperate for clarity on the future of talent management-Allan Schweyer's book provides that clarity and establishes him as the authority on web-based hiring and talent management. No major implementation decision should be made without this invaluable guide." —Graham Donald, President, Brainstorm Consulting "Talent management has suddenly gone from being a nice idea to a core business function. No one knows more about this new function, and the technologies that make it possible, than Allan Schweyer." —David Creelman, Senior Contributing Editor, HR.com, and Independent Human Capital Analyst "Once again, Schweyer has produced the best writing in North America on this subject, which I've covered for fifteen years." —Bill Kutik, Technology Columnist, Human Resource Executive "As corporate executives quickly come to the shocking realization that the global workforce-and how that talent is managed and developed both locally and globally—will almost unilaterally determine their future success in global markets, few workforce experts have bothered to provide business leaders with a useful compass and map for the next chapter of workforce management. Mr. Schweyer generously and eloquently provides the talent compass and workforce map for the first pragmatic steps of the new global journey." —John Chaisson, CEO, Global Workforce Solutions

TV Guide

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Television programs
Languages : en
Pages : 1224

Book Description