Arts Books

Both of my sons and my husband enjoyed this book. A lot of fun to read.

Amazing that in a few weeks, Mick Foley poured his life and soul into 760 pages of notebook paper that would make it, lightly cut and without any major edits, onto book, and earn it's New York Times #1 Bestseller's List. If only it weren't for that Oprah! (readers of the book will understand)

Starting from childhood, he makes it quick, but sweet as he tells humorous stories about his friends, and the origin of the name "Cactus Jack", and his time in college, including the inspiration for Dude Love and the start of his wrestling career.

Foley's writing is so personal and engrossing that he easily captures our attention with riveting stories ranging from lying to his parents and almost getting caught skipping a bus to college in order to catch a wrestling show (the famous Madison Square Garden match between Jimmy Snuka and Don Muraco), to gaining the respect and friendship of ex-wrestler and trainer Dominic DeNucci and being taken under his wing, knowing Foley couldn't afford classes, by reducing his fee, and then not charging altogether.

Foley's tales of his independent circuit runs are definitely a grungy, and in some cases heartwrenchingly painful experiences, which his natural humor and goodnatured attitude help liven up and spare us the angst he must have felt, but without completely sugarcoating it.

All along the way, Foley maintains a very brilliantly hidden line between kayfabe and shoot, though focusing more on the shoot aspect (for nonwrestling fans, kayfabe means the "fake" world of wrestling, including storylines and gimmicks, shoot is reality) and readily admits his talent isn't in technical or even very good wrestling, but rather in taking bumps and making the other guy and himself look good.

From hellish stories of being stalked by crazed female fans thinking his real name is "Cactus Jack Manson" to wrestling in Nigeria and almost getting robbed by the corrupt government police, to losing out on a 3,000$ paycheck in Africa after the president of the country he wrestled in (who organized the event) was assassinated and the regime overthrown within weeks of his departure, Foley's wit and charm keep the story of his life so lively, you'd think it has to be fiction.

Moving on to his time in WCW, he recounts the horrors of the backstage mechanics, from Ric Flair's awful booking and the backstage team's failure to recognize great potential talent, and hiring college TV production students to man their editing, to Foley's disillusionment as the feud between he and Vader was played down, a massive bump taken by Foley which the commentators could have brilliantly sold was sardonically mocked with a derogatory statement like "that's got to be excedrin headache #9!!", and Cactus Jack being attempted to be turned into a childishly ridiculous heel that would have ruined Foley's career.

Then came Foley's run on the independent circuit, and shows for ECW, including full transcripts of some of his best, and in my opinion some of the best ever, promos, trying to be anti-hardcore and promoting WCW and trying to get Tommy Dreamer to go to WCW and be the pretty boy wrestler again.

From the independent circuit, to stardom in the WWF, Foley is never sparse on details about stories while on the road, his many friends along the way from Mr. Haiti in Africa, to Steve Austin and Steve (William) Regal, The Undertaker, Sting, Owen Hart, Vader, and of course Terry Funk. Virtually every stop from his career, including the Japanese tours, the King of the Deathmatch, etc, and the evolution from "Mason the Mutilator" to "Mankind the Mutilator" to "Mankind" and the use of all three of his gimmicks in the WWF to eventual WWF Championship gold.

Throughout it all, Foley never loses his charm or wit, or the incessant Al Snow bashing, with plenty of pictures scattered around the text and plenty of personal stories (like the time he shared a house with a junkie, a guy who was having sex with his girlfriend's 16 year old daughter, and the 16 year old trying to flirt with Mick) and stories with friends (like "Vader" Leon White's spendthrifting with hotels, or Owen Hart's penchanse for practical jokes) that his story never gets old or repetitive and when the story finally ends, you feel like you've known Mick his entire life.

This is THE shining example of a great book about a pro wrestler's life, and I hope his other two books are just as great.

Mick Foley's "Have a Nice Day" is his first and his best. It is a whimsical journey in the life of one of the greatest hardcore wrestlers ever. Foley has always had the gift of gab, and it translates very well to the written page. Hysterical, insightful, and heartwarming.

If you are interested in the behind the scenes of wrestling, here's a great place to start. Mick speaks on his rise from childhood fan to wrestling superstar. He even talks breifly about the Boiler Room Brawl and his Cleveland promos! (I wish he would have went more in-depth on these topics, though.)

Ultimately Foley's and WWF's decision to allow Foley to write this book himself helps as well as hurts the final product.

Foley is not a writer (though, admittedly, he's more of a writer than I am). His prose is sometimes sloppy and amateurish and his chronicles can be redundant and lacking flair. In the hands of a more polished writer this book may have had better shape and a more coherent writing style.

Because Foley wrote this himself, his passion for the sport jumps off each page and his personal desires, challenges, successes and failures are much more salient and raw. By the time your done with Have a Nice Day, you'll feel as if you could call him by his first name you wouldn't mind sharing a car ride and hotel room with him (in order to save a buck or two of course).

Foley aside, the real value in this book is the insider's take on the world of Wrestling. As we watch Foley go from enthusiast and back yard wrestler to World Wrestling Federation headliner we encounter countless old-school wrestlers, big and no-name wrestlers, those on their way up, and those on the way down, hangers-on, and behind the scenes movers and shakers as wrestling evolves from a Saturday morning novelty to an international entertainment phenomena. And that alone is worth the 500 pages Foley lays down.

Have a Nice Day will help you understand that professional wrestling is equal parts acting for effect and real blood and guts. It will also give you reasons to love or hate the wrestlers behind the characters you see on TV or stage.

If you can ignore the writing issues and have any connection to wrestling in the 80's and 90's then this is a 5-star read. However, if quality writing is important or you don't have a wrestling connection, then 3-stars is as good as it gets.

I am not a teen anymore, but a decade ago, I was. I never went to a public school, or delt with teenage dating, drugs, suicide, sneaking around, or all of that drama. I purchased this for a special teen in my life who has had to go to public school and face all of that. I read it before I gave it to her, and I think I learned some things that enter into the "average teen's" life. I hope she enjoys it, and learns, laughs and grows as I did.

This book was a wonderful and uplifting read. A lot of the passages will be in the back of my mind for a long time. The stories with love, hope and forgiveness really hit home for me. The only thing that I would like to see more in this book is poetry.

You would like this book if you love the feeling of being thankful of what you have. It makes me think to be kinder to people and to be happy that people are how they are and no one should try to change them. That some people are there to help and some people are there to be helped by people. I just think that this book will make so many people's lives so much brighter after having read it.

The thing that really got me was one of the stories that had a little brother that had cancer and it made me think of my little brother and what would my life be like without him. The day I read that story I went home and gave him a big hug and I told him that I loved him.

The parts with thoughtful words and deep thoughts always make me think. I love to read about people's problems and how they overcome them. I just think that it is good to know that someone might be going through the same problems with boys, parents, school, drugs and tons more things that make your head spin every day, and things that you feel like there is no way out of that situation.

All in all I thought it was a good book.

My daughter started reading this book at age 12, and has had it for 2 years. She still loves to go back and read selections of love, hope, courage. Give your teenager something worth reading! :)

I bought this book as a gift for my 16yr old niece. The very next day, she told me how much she loved the book. She even cried reading it. I think it's nice to find reading materials that can move the minds and feelings of teenagers.

I skimmed through the book before I gave it to my granddaughter who just turned 13. I thought it had some well written stories that a teenager can relate to and a lot of food for thought. She was so happy to get it, since she had the one for pre-teens also and really liked it.

I am not even a reader and I couldn't put this one down! Everybody should be touched by the power of this real life story. Why read fiction when there are books like this one?

This book really touches your soul and makes you think about the way we look at those different from us. Thanks for sharing your story!

I had a had time with this book, the dialect really killed it for me. Many of the things Denver says just didn't ring true like, "Cypress trees squatted like spiders on the water", from page 1! I also couldn't put up with the preaching, I just couldn't finish it.

This is a book that i really struggled with while i was reading it... it's a really good read with an absolutely compelling premise, weaving two entirely separate storylines into one threaded connection... if the book had another subtitle, it could apprpriately be "A Cord of Three Strands," referring to the verse in Ecclesiastes that explains the strong bond that is created when God connects two people together...

Though it was really a challenging book for the obvious reason of broadening one's perspective on issues like prejudice, homelessness, and materialism, the most powerful message from where i sit was - not surprisingly - one of love... particularly as the book shared in great detail the painful story of Ron and his wife, Debbie... I'll leave it at that so as not to ruin any of the unknowns, but it might make sense to keep some tissues handy when you read though this one...

-from trudatmusic[dot]com[slash]raw

"Same kind of different as me" amazed me. It reminded me of places and people in the Ft. Worth I knew and an east Texas I knew. It was sensitive, insightful, thought provoking and inspirational. It was a complete suprise. I've already passed it on to a friend and recommended it to another.

A creepy novel, but thought-provoking.

I was a little confused as to what was happening in the book at times, but this novel was otherwise excellent. It -definately- made me think!

Recommended for teens, but also adults who enjoy delving into mystery.

_ In Opium a land of poppy fields between America and modern day Mexico Matt Alacran is a normal young boy; at least that's what he thinks. When he met El Patron, a 140-year-old man, everything changed. His mansion was decorated exquisitely so you could tell that he is a very rich and powerful man. There are scorpions, the symbol of his family, around the house. What El Patron actually did that made him so wealthy, Matt did not know. He has a very intense intimidating and suspicious manner. Matt was now told that he was not human. That he was El Patrons clone.
_ Everyone had to act nice to him when El Patron is around, however when El Patron isn't around his family and the servants still avoided or ignored Matt because clones in the society were thought as inhuman beasts and were treated like livestock. He had no company until a girl named Maria visited, who was about his age. She becomes one of Matt's only friends, and maybe more. Tom, one of El Patron's great grandkids sets his eyes on Maria, which Matt does not like one bit. Tom is truly a heartless little devil, always getting into trouble. The "filthy little pustule" according to Tam Lin, is always trying to hurt or tease Matt. Tam Lin is one of El Patrons bodyguards that he leaves to watch out for Matt when he is gone. Tam Lin teaches Matt about survival and many other things about the Alacran family. He tells him many secrets and things that he had not known.
_ This book opens secret passageways and many questions about what will happen next. It will take you to a future setting where people can be turned into zombie like slaves called eijits. This is a great story that I enjoyed greatly to read. It is an epic story of betrayal, friendship, and survival. I could find myself not being able to stop turning the pages, always wondering what was going to be the next one. If you haven't read this great novel do and find out how Matt fights to survive from being butchered, make a quick escape over rocky and sweltering terrain, and find his way back to his Maria. This book will keep you interested till you read the very last word.

Limiting this book to a young adult audience is a disservice to the book and to the themes it brings up. This would be a fantastic book for an adult discussion group - there are so many themes and controversial topics that a group could discuss for hours and hours.

That being said, I nearly quit listening to this audiobook after the first hour. It was sooooo slow to get started. On top of that, it was often dark and opressive. However, after the character Tam Lin comes in to the story the whole book changes and you would have had to fight me to get me to give the book up. By the time the end came around I felt like I had lived a life with Mateo and was thoroughly satisfied.

So, what kind of themes are there? Well, this book, in my opinion, points out the dangers that many of the more Conservative thinkers warn us about with our current policies towards bio-technology and, to a lesser extent, immigration.

The future, as portrayed in "The House of the Scorpion" is often a dark place with clones created solely to provide body parts for their originals and "eejits" - people with computer chips inserted into their brains to make them completely docile and the perfect slaves who will literally do the task they're assigned to do until they are told to stop (or die). The United States is no longer the world's only superpower and there is a new country between Mexico (now called Aztlan) and the USA. It is called "Opium". Opium serves as a buffer between Aztlan and the U.S. that is run by a cartel of drug lords with drug plantations worked by eejits, most of whom are illegal aliens from the U.S. or Mexico who were captured and enslaved (the parallels with the American underground labor force comprised of illegal immigrants can be easily made).

Aztlan has become a country obsessed by economic success and the duty to the larger society as a whole. The goal there seems to be the bee hive - all workers know their place and sacrifice for the good of the society. The mantra is the "5 principles of Good Citizenship" and the "4 Attitudes Leading to Right-Mindfulness." The success of the state is paramount over the interests of any individual.

Grand themes run throughout the book such as:
-What does it mean to be human?
-Who is accorded human rights?
-What are the limits of cloning? Do we clone people just to use them for parts? Do we clone fetuses just to use their parts (as happens in the book)?
-The rights of the individual vs. the demands of the state? Where are the boundaries or should there be any? Is the individual entirely free? Can the state demand everything of the individual? Is there a difference between an eejit and an Aztlanian worker bee?

The audiobook lasts 12.5 hours and is read brilliantly by Robert Ramirez. I'm glad I stuck through the initial slow parts - I was thoroughly rewarded.

While the plot is a well-crafted one, this sometimes frustratingly long book is one best enjoyed in short bursts. There are passages of long, dry description that hinder the reader and make the story less interesting than it is. The characters are all well-developed, particularly Tam Lin, with unique individual personalities (or, with the case of the eejits, a lack of one). It's not a book I would ordinarily read, but I did enjoy it nevertheless, although it's not something completely stunning and breathtaking as many other books out there are. The ending seemed extraordinarily rushed to me, and the chapters with Matt and the other kids working were awkward somehow, didn't seem to fit with the story all that well, and felt completely unnecessary. I thought the ending was powerful, though I felt like Maria and Esperanza should have been there to see the final outcome. Overall, a good book, but not a "must-read, go out and buy it NOW" one.

Rating: 4/5

Nancy Farmer is a wonderful writer; her splendidly genre-blending funny and futuristic adventure story The Ear, the Eye and the Arm is a perennial favorite of mine and my children, and I have gone out of my way to read all the other books she has written, with no disappointments. But she has grown enormously! In addition to being a compulsive page-turner, "The House of the Scorpion" is sophisticated prose. It is a wonderfully complex, rich and believable tale, with such real characters that they seem to step off the pages and tell their own separate stories, and a scarily possible future. It is as much beyond The Ear, the Eye and the Arm as that is in turn beyond her first book, The Warm Place.

This book should not be billed as a YA story. Yes, it is about a boy and his journey from youth into adulthood. Yes, it has many action adventures. But this is the story of a dark and disturbing possible future; it is speculative fiction that holds its own with the best. It has a touch of science fiction, but deals more with a world that has gone through some ugly and frighteningly possible social changes. At the same time, it is a wonderful human drama.

This is a piece of literature that should be read by any apocalypse fiction reader, or any science fiction readers that are interested in social developments enabled by science. I would put in on a level with David Brin's "The Postman", or Kim Stanley Robinson's "Red Mars" trilogy. I cannot recommend it highly enough. But it is not really for kids.

I hope this is the right book, I just love the story, and the music, and the movie too!

The book is fantastic! Great pictures! I would highly recommend this book for any fan of the movie or a Titanic fan in general! The making of the epic movie is something to see and you can definitely see it in this book.

This is a MUST have for any Titanic collector. I waited for about 9 or so years for this book and I am so extatic that I finally have it!!

The scope of this majestic book truly befits the epic effort by James Cameron with his cinematic masterpiece "Titanic". Much great information here for the movie buff who likes to see how it is done. Incredible sets including the dining salon, complete even to dishes and decor. I was amazed to see how this particular set was pulled underwater by hydraulics to provide a very realistic feeling of sinking. Page after page of photographs and stories about the magnificent sets that brought this film to life. Lots of info about the stars and other cast members as well the production crew. This book is a perfect companion to the movie as well as a testament to the filmmaking genius of James Cameron.

Great book for the titanic enthusiasts!!!!! If you loved the movie, you will enjoy this book.

As the author of a spiritually-themed book entitled "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude," I appreciate any book that opens the doors to spiritual understanding. There are few contemporary books that will do this for you in such a poetic way.

This is a book containing eternal truths. It was given to me as a high school graduation present many years ago. At the time, I found it beautiful, but I couldn't understand it. That is because I hadn't experienced life.

Selections from this book were read at my wedding. The sections on love speak of what it is truly about. Most of us never have an inkling of what true love is since we are caught up in a world of attachment to illusions and delusions. This book will help you to break through them.

This is a classic that will stand the mark of time such as the Bible has done. Kahlil Gibran is an old soul who speaks in a language that can be embraced by people of any faith.

The book is filled with metaphors and parables. It is almost as if Jesus himself is speaking through the author. Whether or not you will be able to comprehend what the author is speaking about, The Prophet will plant seeds that can bear good fruit.

Davis Aujourd'hui, author of "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

I evidently misread the writeup, I thought it was a hardback. It was a cheap paperback. I got it as a present so I couldn't send it back but I'm very dissapointed for the cost!

Gibran may be a poet, rather than a true prophet - but the simple truths in this book seem applicable to all religions. The short passages on love, children, pain, beauty, death and other timeless topics are full of insight and inspiration, but completely lacking in the politics and self-righteousness that pervade so many religions. This book is goodness, plain and simple, and it changed my life more than any other book I can recall reading.

the excellent condition and speedy receipt of this product will always encourage me to purchase items from Amazon and their providers.

WONDERFUL!!!!!!!

The author is way before his time. A true visionary with a pure and simplistic approach to the "Keys of Life". Hard to believe that all this was composed circa 1928. R. Steel

I bought this book because I'm interested in cryptology but do not have the time to dig deep into specialist books. The book did not dissapoint me - it is well written, not too technical but doesn't 'dumb down' the essence of cryptology too much. The only reason why I wouldn't want to give it 5 stars is that it is a bit dated. Written quite obviously before 9/11, it is a bit too optimistic on the outcome of the battle between code makers and code breakers.

A good book, fun to read, and relatively easy to grasp.

"The Code Book" presents readers with a beautifully composed account of the history of cryptography. It is written in such a way to keep the technically inclined satisfied without overloading the average reader. Singh does an excellent job at presenting technical material.

This book maintains a high level of drama and excitement, constantly sparking imagination and occasionally encouraging readers to try their own hand at cryptography.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in history, information technology, or politics. It's an excellent read.

More than a history of cryptography, this book could be called a set of
stories about the topic. Which is not a demerit, on the contrary, adds
amenity to a topic that on one hand is interesting and entertaining (who
doesn't like to keep one's secrets and break those of others?) but on
the other hand may be hard (the mathematics and algorithms). The author
copes very well with the fun part and really quite well with the other
part, taking into account that this is not a text book but a informational
and even recreational book.
A reader not familiar with algorithms or computing may still be able to
grasp most of the ideas and every reader will surely enjoy of the well
documented stories on which the book is built. The language is clear
and simple (I am not an English native speaker and nevertheless I can
read it quite easily) so I think that even children of about 12 y.o.
and up may find the book interesting.

In the Code Book, Simon Singh takes us on a fascinating journey through cryptography from ancient Egypt to to the modern. He touches on many historical figures and their contributions to modern day cryptography. Personalities such as: Charles Babbage (the grandfather of computing), Alan Turing (creator of the Turing Machine, the father of modern computer science), Ronald Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leon Adleman (the men behind RSA encryption), and Phil Zimmermann.

This book was enlightening as it put the cryptography mechanisms we employ today into a historical context while describing their complex inner workings and presenting the rich history that lies behind all innovation. Like other reviewers, I was also disappointed that the book came to a close so soon. I'm looking forward to reading Singh's other books.

You will learn all about how secret communications through code have created the history of europe, middle east and other nations. Just get this book.

Is very good book. In English, for most part. When reading enjoyment done, useful as doorstop or throwing at door-to-door water filter salesmen.

This book is great!! For anyone who wants to make a movie, but make it their way, not some formulaic Hollywood crap, should definitely check this book out. Lloyd Kaufman knows all the tricks. Not just how to make your movie, but how to make sure it's the movie you want to make, with no one interfering with your creative process. There are a host of low budget tips and tricks. Plus, this is easily the funniest book about film making I have ever read. It's chock full of some outrageously funny stories from Lloyd's 35+ years in the business. And the forward is written by none other than the creator of "South Park", Trey Parker. How can you go wrong? This is definitely a a great addition to any movie fan's library. Also, I'm absolutely planning on getting his new book "Direct Your Own Damn Movie". I'm sure it's gonna be great too!!

Make Your Own Damn Movie serves a purpose. It is obviously instructional, perhaps not so much How-To, but Why-To do this or that. Thirty years in a harsh realm of renegade film-making, you'd think he learned a few things. His book offers insight into the twisted world of Troma, from the crazy guy who created a universe out of blood and feces and boobs, and of course poultry. Kaufman's anecdotal humor is as raw as the movies he's made. This book covers everything a film maker should know from the conception to the birth- sometimes quite literally. Very straight forward, with absolutely no holds barred, Kaufman reveals what you need to get your movie made.

Three cheers for the incomparable Lloyd Kaufman, the genius behind the low-to-no budget aesthetic of Troma! In this thorough (and thoroughly hysterical) book, Kaufman spares us the Filmmaking 101 jive. He assumes you already know how to use the machines and frame a shot - his purpose is to get down to the nuts-n-bolts practical realities of making a low-budget feature. Ie., how to assemble crews that will work for free, guerilla marketing techniques, and the importance of enough water, electricity and toilets on your set.

Though the tone of the book is Tromian through and through -- cheesy jokes, loads of profanity, sexual references, and perhaps apocryphal asides -- the experiences and knowledge he shares are sure to save novice filmmakers a lot of headaches and $. Most important, Kaufman inspires. As the poster child for the indie guy overcoming Herculean obstacles to realize a vision, his approach to every aspect of production is always WHY NOT - which is exactly what any aspiring artist needs to hear.

Easily the best book on filmmaking I've ever read.

Make Your Own Damn Movie is everything a first time filmmaker should want from a how-to book: brutally honest, practical, funny, and written by the head of the longest running independent film company, Troma's Lloyd Kaufman. Even if defenestrating or onscreen headcrushing aren't your gig, reading this book will give you a better grasp on filmmaking's every step (from getting it funded, all the way to promoting it) than most film degrees; and at under 20 bucks, it's also a lot less expensive! Take it from a man who's been doing it for 40 years. He knows the ins and outs. When you finally make your own damn movie, remember to thank Uncle Lloyd. He deserves it.

Michael's ability to overcome adversity and commicate this in his book is outstanding. If you are thinking about buying this book, purchase the hardback! Family cannot resist the need to read this masterpiece.

I received my book in a very short time and it was in perfect condition.

Wow! The guy has a lot of gumption; that is, I am touched by his tenacity, courage, and willingness to be what he needs to be to handle what he has to handle. He managed to clearly show his love for his family in this book, and seemed to not hesitate to let us in on the core of his struggles.

All of us have "things" that we need to, and/or wish to tackle earnestly, and all of us have trials to get through. Way to go, Mike. What a great example for all of us, whether it is to change, or a really big mountain to climb, -or both, as you did.

You are an amazing fellow. God's blessings to you,Mike.

Sincerely, Mickey

I was not expecting this book to be so moving. Michael spoke with humor, honesty and insight. Very much from his heart--it touched mine.

With Michael J Fox's new autobiography now released Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist tracking down this, Lucky Man his original great autobiography may be a bit harder, but you should definitely do so.

Importantly this book is not just about Michael discovering during the filming of Doc Hollywood that he had, and then later dealing with Parkinson's Disease. It would have been so easy to just write the autobiography that way but although the Parkinson stuff is there, it is often only in the background of Michael telling you what else career and family happened with his life from that point. This makes the book a lot more entertaining and to be honest, probably a lot more of the reader is interested in. Plus we also learn about his family and childhood. His decision to take the gamble and pursue acting instead of finishing high school and then the further gamble of turning down steady acting roles in Vancouver to move to LA and see if he could make it there. A huge gamble when unlike Americans who can work in Cafes and so on, all his visa aloud him to do was act.

Those after gossip about fellow other actors may well be disappointed as Michael doesn't play that game in this book. Nor does he go into behind the scenes events to any great depth like you would find on DVD extras of the movies/TV shows he was in. He does tell us how he got the part of Marty Mcfly in Back to the Future a movie he wished he was making instead of Teen Wolf at the time it began filming. Later in the book he tells us how Cher snubbed him at the Oscars due to maybe the fact that she had just made the movie Mask with Eric Stoltz who originally was Marty but Spielberg decided to recast and refilm as Stoltz just didn't bring the character to the screen. Michael tells us how he almost missed out on being Alex P Keaton on Family Ties, how he lived around that time and why he took on acting roles in films which even the actors knew weren't very good. he recounts how his life changed once he became a celebrity for the good such as all the free stuff and the bad, paparazzi stalking his wedding.

Importantly for an autobiography Michael is prepared to criticise himself where he made bad decisions, acted selfishly or treated others not as well as he should have. He even acknowledges that his Emmy for Spin City was obviously awarded as a sympathy vote which I think really shows how honest he was being writing this book. Incidentally this book was published when Spin City was the last thing he acted in.

Of course he talks about the decision to hide Parkinson's from the public and how he feared this would affect his acting career if word got out. He also talks about with hindsight when looking back if those fears were justified.

This is definitely a very interesting and well written autobiography, oh and we learn his middle name is in fact Andrew and why his screen name is Michael J Fox instead of Michael Fox or Michael A Fox.

I got this book for my Step Dad for Christmas and he totally loves it. Lots of pictures and lots of information.

If you are a Beatles fan who enjoys reading about them (and not just listening) then you have to own this book. It is the story of the Beatles from their own lips. Is it the definitive Beatles book? Well, the Beatles have a vested interest in preserving their legacy so are we getting the true picture? And Lennon's absence--he's represented as well as possible--slants the overall balance to McCartney. It has more detail than the video anthology which glosses over the break up and many other details. But the Anthology book should be read as one of several crucial Beatles books mentioned in many other reviews. My favorites are the Peter Brown book, Richard DiLello's "The Longest Cocktail Party" (as much about Apple as the Beatles but a hoot!) and Nicholas Schaffner's "Beatles Forever", still my favorite after all these years. The Anthology is not the only Beatles book to own.

If there was one book about the Beatles that you should be stranded on a desert island with, it would be this one. It is made up entirely of interviews, most of which are both new and not featured in the Anthology film. All the great personalities within the Beatles shine through.

Ok, I'm going on out a limb, here, assuming that you haven't already gotten this book. It probably is a bit of stretch, seeing as everybody and his brother owns this mother, but I couldn't allow myself to continue living unless I included it here. You MIGHT not own a copy of this, for one of the following very legitimate reasons:

1. You live in some kind of cave that does not get delivery service,
2. You have chronic back pain and were afraid to pick up a book this heavy,
3. You were too busy pleasuring your super-model girlfriend,
4. You figured since you saw the Anthology video there was no need.

Actually, only the first 3 reasons are any good. The fourth one, as I will explain, is not.

The Anthology book is not just a retelling of what you saw in the video. It is a complimentary piece that explores in-depth those issues the video did not have time for. Best of all, they didn't just hire some slob to re-tell the Beatles story. Instead, they mined about a million hours of interviews and conducted a million hours more to create a book that is so densely packed with information they have to kill 23 squid to get the ink they need to print each glorious copy. *

Frankly, this is the Beatles story as told by the Beatles themselves in their own Beatle words. On top of that, being an official Apple product, this book layers endless glossy pictures across the pages. Text and images merge and become something new.

This book is huge, heavy, and awe-inspiring. If you don't have it, and you care anything about the Beatles, drop what you are doing and get yourself a copy.


*no squids were harmed during the writing of this review.

One of the best since Peter Brown's "The love you make",but has a lot of detail about the fab four as to their musical career and experiences in show business. I would read it again if i could. Good investment.

No other book tells the beatles story like this, awesome pictures and comments by the fb4 as well as people that worked with them