DeanMail - December, 2012 - Musician's Guide to Surviving the Great Recession Hey Everybody, Due to global warming, a cold front, accompanied by gales from Siberia and Scandinavia, will cause freezing temperatures in the UK, next week, as low as 2 degrees Celsius.  Meanwhile, here in Peekskill, NY, the weather is positively balmy - an almost sweltering 36 degrees! Jealous? Don't be. That's 36 degrees Fahrenheit, which is pretty much the same as 2 degrees Celsius, but it sure sounds warmer, doesn't it? Either way, winter is definitely here, which means the holidays are just around the bend, over the hill and through the woods, to Bubbie's house we go. And for those of you that happen to live in the NY/NJ/CT tri-state area, I'm pleased to announce that I'll be performing as a special guest at two upcoming holiday concerts featuring the amazing singer/songwriter, Christine Lavin, along with the totally cool vocal group, Uncle Bonsai, in their spectacular holiday concert event, 'Just One Angel'. Come join us for a joyful evening of funny, touching and unconventional holiday songs! It'll be a blast! Click on the links below to order tickets. December 16 - Pawling, NY   Towne Crier Cafe - 7:30 PM December 19 - Piermont, NY The Turning Point - 8:00 PM Now normally this time of year I try to remind everyone that there's still plenty of time to order stacks of your favorite Dean Friedman CD's, DVD's, mousepads, T-shirts, posters, guitar pics and light caps to scatter underneath your Christmas tree or Chanukah bush. ORDER STUFF HERE And while that's certainly still true, I've recently stumbled upon a remarkable new book, just published, which is so shockingly insightful, so breathtakingly astute, so brilliantly informative and so chock-full-of useful real-world advice, that I am compelled to bring it to the attention of everyone on my mailing list - which apparently includes you! So here goes... This amazing book is titled, 'A Musician's Guide to Surviving the Great Recession'.   As the books subtitle indicates, the book offers 'Practical Tips for Living a Truly Better Life in a Precarious Economy'. And darn it if it doesn't do just that! Here's the publisher's description:     Live better on less and have more fun doing it! This book offers hardcore, real-world, practical advice on how anyone can survive in a precarious economy. Learn useful tips and creative strategies, from a hardworking musician who, like most professional musicians, knows, from hard-won experience, how to not only keep the annoying wolf from the door, but how to give him a painful wedgie, so he’ll finally give up and leave you the %#&* alone.     Two reasons you should take seriously what this book has to say: 1. Musicians are experts at living on next-to-nothing. Musicians, notoriously unemployed and underpaid, have always had to get by on less, so we’re well versed in the tricks and strategies of bare-bones, economic survival. But, of course, sheer survival is not nearly enough.  2. Musicians know how to live fun, fulfilling and productive lives without following all the mind-numbing, conventional ‘9 to 5’ rules of mainstream society! Musicians don’t like to admit it out loud, but the truth is... we sleep late, we have more (and better) sex and we have way more fun at our jobs than most folks. Lawyers practice, accountants calculate, plumbers   plumb, but musicians... well, when we go to work... we play! You can hold your breath and wait for the global economy to improve… or you can read this book!   Now, normally, I wouldn't be quite so effusive about promoting someone else's creative efforts, but I have to say that the truths imparted in this powerful and illuminating treatise resonated with me so deeply and profoundly - felt so uncannily familiar - that it was almost as if I had written it myself! Seriously! For reasons that will be obvious to anyone who reads the book, the author has chosen to remain anonymous (probably to keep the IRS at bay) and simply identifies him or herself as A. Musician. Whoever he or she is, they know their stuff. There's more useful information in this radical and revolutionary book than you'll find in a university PhD program in economics. It must be said that some of its advice borders on antisocial behavior, even out and out larceny, but every subversive stratagem and tactic is derived from the real world experience of a committed artist just trying to get by in an increasingly precarious global economy. And here's the thing: the advice actually works! I've successfully employed some of these helpful tips, myself, and can personally endorse this book wholeheartedly! In fact, I'll even go so far as to say, you can't afford not to read this book! And not only is it riddled with useful life-improving tips, it's hilarious! I had to go in the other room, when I read it, to keep from bothering everybody 'cause I couldn't stop laughing. No kidding - this A. Musician person - whoever they are - sure knows how to write! Anyway, I think you get the gist by now. I can only add that anyone even remotely effected by our current global financial crisis must read this book! Here's what some readers have said about 'A Musician's Guide...' 'A life-changing experience. I ran out and bought one for all my friends!' - Gary from Grimsby 'Despicable, unsavory & dangerously irresponsible! An outrageous assault on social convention and moral ethics! This book should be banned. And anyone that endorses this artist's philosophy should be locked up! - Stanley from Stanhope 'I never read a book filled with so much wisdom and plain old common sense. The author of this book deserves to win the next Bookers Prize! - Sylvia from Pennsylvania We may never discover the true identity of the author of this provocative, and yes, courageous volume, but I, for one, am glad to have stumbled upon it! Like I said, there's still time to order CD's, DVD's, T-Shirts, posters, etc... via my website, ORDER STUFF HERE but if you're working with a very modest budget this holiday season and just can't figure out what one perfect gift to buy for your significant other, sibling, parent, child, cousin, neighbor, co-worker, masseuse, electrician, veterinarian, the crossing guard, local butcher, teacher, dental technician or yourself... my advice? Order this book! ORDER BOOK HERE Well, I guess that's all for now. To all my friends on both sides of the pond - bundle up, stay warm and enjoy your holidays!   Dean    copyright (c) 2012 Dean Friedman Productions If you would like to be removed from Dean's email list, please send a reply email with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject.