"Anyone interested in Hemingway, the writing process, or both, should consider buying it. A collection of Hemingway's comments drawn from his novels, letters, reportage and other writing, the book offers his insights on editing, working habits and nearly a dozen other topics. --Dallas Times Herald
"Ernest Hemingway reminisces about his working habits--from the new anthology edited by Larry W. Phillips --N.Y. Times Book Review
"One of the best of the (books) is a work that every aspiring write ought to have close at hand--Ernest Hemingway On Writing". --The Minneapolis Star Tribune
"In this enlightening little book Phillips... brings together everything Hemingway ever said or wrote about his art." --People magazine
A Voice from Margaritaville. Before his summer tour began, Milwaukee Journal reporter James Plath caught up with Jimmy Buffett down in Margaritaville. "Interviewed on his Key West back porch," wrote Plath, "the forty-one-year-old Buffett was as laid back as he is onstage, meeting you halfway down a flight of wooden steps and wearing shorts and a khaki shirt, with a loose bandana tied around his neck. He confides that he carries two books with him at all times--Hemingway On Writing and Elements of Style by Strunk and White..."
"If Ernest Hemingway had written a book on the art of writing it would have been another best seller. He never did, but Larry W. Phillips, Monroe, Wis., journalist and long-time admirer of the great American novelist, has done the next best thing. He has gone through all Hemingway's letters, interviews and books, picked out those on the subject of writing and put them into book form." --Virginia Pilot and Ledger Star
"Should be of interest not only to writers but to those curious as to what this American man of letters had to say about his craft." --Rochester, N.Y., Chronicle
[Book of the Month Club Selection] "Presents a master at his most perceptive and authoritative, on the subject he knew best." --Book of the Month Club News
"A new book, Ernest Hemingway on Writing, edited by Larry Phillips... a free-lance writer and journalist from Monroe, culled everything Hemingway had to say on the subject from his writings. Then he put the whole kit 'n kaboodle together and ran it by Hemingway's widow, Mary Welsh Hemingway. After she'd jettisoned a good portion of the book, Scribner's published the 140 pages that were left. Every one of them's a gem." --The Madison Wis Capital Times
"The book is an ideal perennial publication, because Hemingway was an astute guide to literature. You might quarrel with his code of behavior, but you'd have a hard time making a case against his approach to writing." --Isthmus newspaper / Madison, Wis
"This book is a gold mine not only for a writer but for a Hemingway fan. Speaking as both, I highly recommend it." --Mademoiselle magazine
Customer Reviews on Amazon.com
A Necessary Read For Any Serious Writer, July 30, 2000 Hemingway is as serious as any writer. An excellent study on the art of writing.
Hemingway In A Way We Never Saw Him, December 15, 2000
This book should be required reading for anyone who aspires to write, along with those already in the writing profession. It is a rare glimpse into the private thoughts, personality, and intellect of one of our greatest writers.
Mr. Hemingway's intriguing quotes, selected letters, and practical advice will be a tremendous resource. The reader will see how Hemingway's experiences during WWI shaped him, along with his lifelong devotion to the craft of writing. The letters to his contemporaries are enlightening. We owe Mr. Phillips a debt of gratitude for this educational book.
A great resource for aspiring and even veteran writers, August 19, 1999 Reviewer: A reader Larry Phillips' compilation of the comments Hemingway made on the process of writing contains a wealth of material for writers at every level. I had the good fortune to read the book in its original hard-cover version when it was published in the mid-1980s. At that point, I had been a newspaper and magazine writer and editor for about a decade, and I found several key ideas I was able to incorporate into my own work. I'd long ago loaned out my copy of the hard-cover book when the paperback version came out this summer, so I happily purchased a copy and reread the book. It seems as fresh today as it did nearly 15 years ago. There are still lots of specific tips and techniques writers can acquire. One of my favorites is Hemingway's recommendation that a writer not continue writing until he or she runs dry, but rather stop at a point when the next sentence or paragraph or chapter is known. That way, the writer can pick up later where he or she left off, without the trauma of facing a blank page or a blank screen, wondering what's next. I've tried it over the years, and it works. Beyond those specifics, however, I find it interesting to read how Hemingway viewed his life as a writer. Regardless of how you feel about Hemingway as a person or even as a writer, you might recognize that the man spent a lot of time thinking about what it meant to be a writer and how a writer should develop his or her craft. That alone is worth the price of admission.
I read "Hemingway on Writing" in nearly one session. I had recently completed a series of difficult articles and felt drained, at least creatively. I took a few days off and read this book. It energized me and gave the wherewithal to jump back in the fire. When Hemingway writes that he suffers like a -------, when he doesn't write or just before, what writer can't relate? Equally powerful is his, "Need to read some bloody thing I've written in order to convince myself ... to write something else." Whatever the particular writing problem, whether fiction or nonfiction, Hemingway's advice can help. Highly recommended! -- Timothy Daiss
Wonderful inspiration for writers, November 27, 1999 Reviewer: A reader Hemingway's straight-to-the-point advice reveals much about his own process of writing and helps us get inside his head (just a bit) which is of much interest to the Hemingway fan. It is also great for those of us seeking advice or new ways of looking at different aspects of the writing process. Even when I don't entirely agree with his comments, they are insightful and enlightening and offer suggestions for what may be benificial variations in our too-routine writing routines. I also must agree with one of the other reviewers: the paper is poor (like the brown stuff you used to practice your alphabet letter writing on when you were in kindergarten.) Why? I don't know- this is a book that I can easily refer to anytime I feel myself lacking in drive and I would like to know that it will stand the test of time (physically); a few passages from it and I feel energized by what he has to say. Regardless of the por paper quality, I HIGHLY recommend it.
Zen and the Art of Poker
"This well-priced, well-written, good-intentioned work might be the most important work of the generation..." --Gambler's Book Shop Catalogue, Las Vegas
"One of the top ten poker books ever written" --Andy Glazer, Card Player magazine
"This book will give you the edge you need"-- Poker Digest magazine
"Larry W. Phillips has written one of the best and most underrated poker books of all times. Anyone who considers themselves a serious poker player has "Zen and the Art of Poker" on their bookshelves... I recommend (this) book to all my students and have reread it several times myself. It's one of the top three of all time in my opinion."
--Poker champion and high-stakes poker player Tony Popejoy
"Phillips offers new ways to think about folding as a tactic, betting, body language and reading opponents, and wrestling with emotions..." --The Dallas Morning News
"Elements of Zen... do make good card-table tools... and gamblers are interested in tools to help them win. Phillips offers new ways to think about (the game)..." --TheDenver Post
"Phillips, a writer, journalist, and longtime poker player, uses quotes from Sun Tzu to Chuck Norris to illuminate one hundred truths about the game... An entertaining read, to be sure, but also a deceptively insightful lesson in developing a poker mindset."
--Phil Gordon, host of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, and two-time World Poker Tour champion
"The new book mixes Zen wisdom with concrete poker strategy from professionals." --The Capital Times
"The author's approach makes this an entertaining and well-written work worth perusing." --Library Journal
"Should appeal to players of every level." --Howard Schwartz, in Gaming Today
"Early this fall, a gentleman from Putnam Books-- who is a poker player and a Card Player reader-- asked me to look over a book that his company was going to print and give him some feedback on it. The book was Zen and the Art of Poker, by Larry W. Phillips. To be frank, I did not expect too much from a book with this somewhat gimmicky title, written by a person who was unfamiliar to me. I was fully prepared to roast the book if I didn't like it. However, after I read the book, I was very impressed, and gave a favorable report. The book is very well-written and contains plenty of sound poker advice. The thing that's most impressive is that the mental side of the game has been properly addressed in print for the first time... There are many books--including my own--that address the technical side, but only one, Zen and the Art of Poker, that adequately addresses the mental side." --Bob Ciaffone, poker author and columnist for Card Player magazine
Customer Reviews on Amazon.com
This book single handedly transformed my game., November 5, 2004
It's not enough to know the rules and stats of poker. Your mindset and understanding of the dynamics of the game are crucial to success at poker. This book taught me those things. While some of the concepts may seem obvious I found it was very easy for me to get off track when playing. This book not only got me back on track it has kept me there. I've only been playing a few months and have much to learn but my knowledge and profits are up five fold since reading this book.
You can't master the game until you've mastered yourself!, August 4, 2000
Kudos to Larry Phillips! I am a person who is very technical in approach. I was frustrated with why I understood how to play poker, yet was not winning consistently. Then I read Zen and the Art of Poker. I realised that I had mastered the rules of the game, but not myself. Having watched the emotions of many poker players, I can tell you that what is missing in their game, can be found in this book. I was amazed at what a difference it made. This book teaches you how to make peace with poker. When it comes to a bad day at poker (and we all have them), this book will be the difference between going home angry and going home wiser. Usually when you buy a book, you take money out of your pocket; this book is responsible for much money going into mine. So buy this book and next time we meet at the poker table, just remember who you have to thank for pointing you in the right direction.
I am not a poker player (the last time I played was a nickel-ante game for laundry money in my third year of college). Being a reformed protestant, I have zero interest in zen buddhism. So why did I even read this book at all?
Because from the perspective of a Wall Street trader, I loved this book. I find it ironic but strangely fitting that one of the best books on trading psychology I have ever come across, turns out to be a flimsy little throwaway paperback that was not written about trading at all.
Poker and trading are strikingly similar disciplines. They are both one man endeavors; they are both zero sum games played for financial gain at the expense of opponents; they are both oriented towards luck in the short run but skill in the long run; they both require proficiency in the realm of probability and statistics; they both require a taste for risk and an aversion to risk in equal amounts; they both require an ability to read the emotions of others while controlling the emotions within yourself; and they both see profits consistently flow from the losing many to the winning few over time. Because of these similarities, the skill sets of the poker player and the trader are in many ways interchangeable.
Of the 100 "rules" for poker presented in this book, I would say at least 80 of them have a direct and valuable application to trading (just mentally substitute "losing" for folding, "markets" for cards, and so forth)... Some of the unique observations truly shine: for example, I was immediately struck by the concept of viewing inaction as a weapon, and intrigued by the nonstraining nature of patience (hint: if you are struggling, you are not doing it right).
I can't claim that this book taught me a lot of new things. Instead it clarified my vision of old things, which is truly far more valuable. I cannot stress enough how valuable it is to deepen your understanding of the principles that you think you already know, but in reality do not. Focusing on depth rather than breadth of knowledge is so central that it has been a constant underlying theme in my growth as a trader, a christian and a student of life in general.
A pet peeve I have with books on trading psychology, even the very best of them, is that the author usually cannot seem to resist giving his opinion on markets, methods or indicators somewhere, and this opinion usually turns out to be a mediocre distraction at best, or useless and bad advice at worst (Mark Douglas comes to mind here- his excellent books are slightly marred by this). Thus one of the reasons I rate this book so highly is because of, and not in spite of, the fact that it's about a different game than the one I play. The truth in the observations is given a fresh perspective automatically- the trader is forced to creatively extract the principle, and thus think about its implications and application, rather than have it spoon fed to him along with a dose of pap.
Certain sections of this book, not to mention the full book itself, could literally make it worth 100 times the price to the beginning trader. If the lessons sink into your psyche, they could easily help shave a few thousand dollars off the cost of your "tuition"...
Global Investor Online
Reviewed by Phil Newton
Of everything I have read on trading and psychology, it is ironic that one of the better books comes from the world of poker. But, although this book is concerned with poker, there are many parallels that can be drawn with trading... This analysis of the mind is what I found particularly fascinating, and is what makes the book so interesting to read. Fortunately, the book avoids the psycho babble that is usually associated with this type of book, and is split into small, bite-sized chunks, making it easy to read. I would consider ‘Zen And The Art Of Poker’ an essential read, whether or not you believe in Zen, to introduce you to the concepts of how your mind will play games on you - and believe me it does. I have no hesitation in saying that ‘Zen And The Art Of Poker’ should be on the book shelves of all traders and aspiring traders.
Christopher James West, an author and longtime poker player, December 8, 2004
Develop the right approach to the game
I consider myself an advanded poker player and I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about the game. This is not a strategy book! What you will get from this book is advice on feeling the game. When you have your stragegy down and you understand the game, this book will help you take your play to the next level. An excellent read. I've read Sklansky, Caro, Brunson, Cloutier and several others. This is one book I recommend for every advanced player.
UNSURPASSABLE value for money, this one!,
December 29, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from Dublin, Ireland
I would have read quite a number of books on the game, but this one surpasses them all by a distance. Almost every topic is (briefly) covered in beautifully succinct and user friendly prose.
However, this book is not for the player who wants great technical detail on every poker issue - rather than a general view of your own shortcomings or potential weaknesses in your game.
I read these books to help me with my game and this is the master pep talk. I came away from this book with a better game - and that is to my mind, GREAT value for money.
If you are trying to improve your game or a veteran needing a lift, this is the book for you - light enough to be read anywhere. RAISE!
The Tao of Poker
A reviewer (nsswicker@cs.com), a poker player, September 2, 2003
The Only Poker Book You Need to Read
This is the best book on poker I have ever read - being a poker player for over 20 years, I can identify with 90 percent of the stiuations he describes. In fact, I wonder if he must have been watching me play because some of the situations come right out of my playbook. The other ten percent of the book contains more advanced concepts that I never thought of. Whether you're a veteran player or a beginner, if you're interested in becoming a better poker player, this is THE ONLY poker book to read. He concisely and definitively explains how you should play to be a winning player. If you follow all of his steps, you will be a winner over the long term. I plan to re-read it over and over again until his rules become an integral part of my play.
I was vaguely aware of Larry Phillips and his "Tao" and "Zen" of poker before I decided to purchase them both a couple of weeks ago. As the reader probably knows, Steve Dannenman (the 2nd place finisher in the World Series of Poker Main event in 2005) was carrying Tao around with him during the World Series this year. I will admit that this one isn't going to allow you to finish second out of a crowd of 5,000, but it is chock full of common sense which is exactly what one wants from an instructional guide. Phillips is no cardroom flunky, he is an erudite student who knows a little bit about everything; a renaissance man offering intimate insight on poker and human nature... Phillips is a firm believer that emotions and the mental state of the player are a key variable in terms of who comes out a winner or a loser. Just about everything here is quietly valuable. Few of the things he says will make you exclaim "Wow!" but nearly all of them will make you a sounder player.
F. Scott Fitzgerald On Writing
Copyrighted with Frances Scott Fitzgerald (F. Scott Fitzgerald's daughter)
[Book of the Month Club Selection]
"A deft job of research and organization" --The Los Angeles Times
"A feast for fans and an inspiration for aspiring writers." --Book of the Month Club News
"A very worthwhile little book, full of delicious gems for the creative person." --Troy Nilsson Reviews
Madison Retro
"Madison Retro is a whimsical book--an easy summer afternoon read--that mixes fiction with historical fact." --Wisconsin State Journal
Covering the Second Coming
"Interesting as the storyline is in Covering the Second Coming, the best thing about the book is Phillips' writing style. The author shapes words like an impressionist painter; Matisse wielding a pen instead of watercolors." --Mike Taylor, Enterprise Editor
A Necessary Read For Any Serious Writer, July 30, 2000
