Books

song and system

Song and System
The Making of American Pop Music

Harvey Rachlin investigates how music entered American homes and established a cultural institution that would expand throughout the decades to become a multibillion dollar industry, weaving a history of the evolution of pop music in tandem with the music business. Exploding in the 1950s and ’60s with pop stars like Elvis and the Beatles, the music industry used new technologies like television to promote live shows and record releases.

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color war

Color War
Dinshah P. Ghadiali’s Battle with the Medical Establishment over his Revolutionary Light-Healing Science

In 1920 a Parsee Indian named Dinshah P. Ghadiali introduced to the world a new healing science that he spent decades meticulously researching. It was based on color therapy, and hundreds of medical doctors, surgeons, dentists and other health professionals subsequently used it in their practices with astonishingly successful results – often on patients that conventional medicine could not help.

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Scandals, Vandals, and Da Vincis
A Gallery of Remarkable Art Tales

Caravaggios, Rembrandts, Manets — the works of immortal artists such as these are indelibly imprinted in the public mind; they are priceless masterpieces whose beauty, artistry, and emotional impact have inspired admiration, awe, and envy through the centuries.

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Jumbo’s Hide, Elvis’s Ride, and the Tooth of Buddha
More Marvelous Tales of Historical Artifacts

“Fans of Rachlin’s Lucy’s Bones, Sacred Stones, and Einstein’s Brain will be delighted to learn there’s a new collection of stories about historical curiosities . . . Each short essay . . . contains a wealth of fascinating historical information: beginning with the particular, Rachlin moves effortlessly to the universal, educating his readers while he entertains them.” Booklist (American Library Association)

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Lucy’s Bones, Sacred Stones, and Einstein’s Brain
Marvelous Tales of Historical Artifacts

“Every so often a book comes along that provides what one might call a condensed version of the Smithsonian Institution, that is, a guide to some of the odder and more amusing byways of historical research. Just so, in Rachlin’s diverting volume.” The Washington Post Book World

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The Making of a Detective

The Making of a Detective

“The career of a New York City police officer — in particular a homicide detective — has never been more graphically or expertly related than in this probing look at David Carbone by the author of The Making of a Cop.” Publishers Weekly, starred review

“So rich with insider information, you’ll hope criminals aren’t taking notes.” Entertainment Weekly

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The Making of a Cop

The Making of a Cop

“Rachlin got a firsthand look at how five and a half months of extensive training transforms ‘run-of-the-mill civilians’ into members of New York’s Finest . . . We see how greatly actual police procedures and situations differ from those portrayed on television and in films. As readers vicariously walk the beat with new graduates, some will tingle with excitement.” Associated Press

“Very informative and engrossing.” Library Journal 

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The TV and Movie Business

The TV and Movie Business
An Encyclopedia of Careers, Technologies, and Practices

The TV & Movie Business is a concise and well organized guide to the inner workings of the entertainment world. I wish I would have had access to a book such as this one when I began my acting career. ” —Barbara Eden

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The Song Writer’s Workshop

The Song Writer’s Workshop

Audiocassette tape-and-book package published by Writer’s Digest Books in 1991, 96 pages plus two cassettes (ISBN 0-89879-452-8)

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The Songwriter's and Musician's Guide to Making Great Demos

The Songwriter’s and Musician’s Guide to Making Great Demos

“[This] book . . ., to get right to the point, is super. It is a must for those who are serious about giving exposure to their music!” —Henry Mancini

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The Kennedys

The Kennedys
A Chronological History: 1823-Present

“If you’re looking for pure fact and plenty of it your choice should be The Kennedys, A Chronological History by Harvey Rachlin. A fascinating collection!” —Dave Powers, Special Assistant to President John F. Kennedy

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The Money Encyclopedia

The Money Encyclopedia
The Comprehensive Resource of Information on Personal Finance, Business Practices, and the Worldwide Economic System

“One of the Nine Essential Books for the Library Every Investor Needs”Money Magazine

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The Encyclopedia of the Music Business

The Encyclopedia of the Music Business

“Harvey Rachlin’s book is an invaluable guide to everything you wanted to know about the business of music and didn’t know who to ask. It should be on the reference shelf of professional and amateur alike.” Johnny Mathis

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The Songwriter's Handbook

The Songwriter’s Handbook

“I sincerely believe this book will be highly useful and most informative not only to the amateur but to the professional as well. Read it! Study it! Learn it! It may well get you to where you are going, and much, much faster! My ‘cahn-gratulations.’” —Sammy Cahn

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Harvey Rachlin’s Full Booklist (pdf)