Woody Allen Books

This book is not a chronology of Fred Allen's life, but rather a selection of his greatest commentaries from throughout his long career. Included in the text is his priceless observation: "To a newspaperman, a human being is an item with the skin wrapped around it." As if that weren't awesome enough, the buyer of this book also gets: "California is okay if you're an orange."

Mr. Allen could make biting observations about journalists and politicians without offending devout Christian people like my older relatives. (They have regaled me with stories about his material.) Fred made biting comments while millions listened to him live, and parents didn't have to send their kids away from the Philco radio or the Zenith TV set. Fred never advocated negative behaviors for juveniles such as the premarital sex and drug use that Lennie Bruce recommended in the late 1950s.

I would like to see somebody read this book and then claim that anyone other than Fred Allen was the first thinking man's comedian in the United States. Can you do that ? Many latter day comedians (e.g. Father Guido Sarducci) agree with me that Fred Allen was the first such American artist. If you haven't read this book and you don't recognize his name, will you consider agreeing with us ? Or are you "going to talk back ?" (as Fred's sidekick John Doe used to say).

Another Allen sidekick was Senator Claghorn. He is in the book, too. What more can I say ?

Fred Allen, the only satirical comedian of radio's golden age, is revealed as a true American humorist, in the pantheon with Thurber, lardner and Twain. This book contains a wide selection of his writings, clear-eyed, wsitty, biting, compassionate. Excerpts from his two meoirs have the quality of what Frank McCourt wrote 50 years later in Angela's Ashes. Allen, we see, was the father of contemporary comedy and his influence prevails today. Letterman, Carson, Bob & Ray, Keillor, Your Show of Shows, Sat. Night Live - all are arguably legatees of his original sparkling style. This is perhaps the most deeply funny book I've read in years and will bring joy to readers of all ages. And it's a perfect gift for young people to give to parents and in-laws who, if they remember, say, tyhe Dionne Quintupl;ets, will be thrilled to get to oknow the great wit Fred Allen again. If there were 10 stars, I would award them to this book.

In ways that many (if not most) of his disciples down the generations still have yet to fathom completely, Fred Allen was his generation's most permanent and pungently elemental humourist, a first-class writer who never tired of refining and elevating his craft. Without vulgarity, he lanced America's fooleries and amplified her misappreciated fineries, often in the same slash. Most of what subsequent comic generations and their fans considered the cutting edge of those generations would have been impossible without him, though he himself might not always enjoy what his disciples wreaked on behalf of the art. And, as the selected letters even here should show, Mr. Allen had a quality that even his stickiest barbs could not long obscure: he was a genuinely warm, humane man, whose affection and friendship was probably coveted even more than his impeccable wit.

Ideally, the unpublished material included in this book would be augmented to republished editions of Mr. Allen's two memoirs (1954's "Treadmill to Oblivion," addressing the radio years that graduated him to his stature as the medium's most mordant satirist; 1956's "Much Ado About Me," an affectionately objective recollection of both his bittersweet New England childhood and his arduous vaudeville career, not to mention a splendid examination of vaudeville itself) and posthumous selection of letters (1965's "Fred Allen's Letters," whose original jacket art bequeathed the Hirschfeld caricature that announces this book). But until such justice is done, "All the Sincerity in Hollywood" re-introduces a man whose wit was too deep, too enduring, to leave him frozen in time as a mere ancient radio star.

Gypsies Stole my Tequila
Written by Adrienne Jones

This book of short stories was ok.... but this particular story found deep inside was absolutely fantastic... an entertaining and mind bending read. I highly recommend getting this book if only to read this one story!
She has got to be one of the best new up and comming authors out there today!
Go for it.. you know you wanna read this one....

This collection of four stories goes from weird to really weird.

It starts off with a tale about a ghost living in a theater who kills anyone who takes her seat. (It sounds scary when described this way, but it's actually pretty funny in the book.) Most of the jokes in this story are in the strange situation, but there are plenty in the dialog and narrative too.

The second tale is in the spirit of all those old pulp science fiction movies like Flash Gordon. Not as funny as the first, but the plot was far better.

In the third story, two character go back in time to when Spain was partially controlled by both Muslims and Christians. This story covers such weird ground as where the word "Ole'" came from in Spanish. The situation in this story is the most complicated in the anthology, and has a lot of resonance with recent events.

The fourth and final story is about an aging punk rocker whose calender is out to get him. A lot of goofiness here, but this story kept irritating me because of certain pet peeves that I have. I couldn't find myself caring for a hero who was a punk rocker that insulted music I liked, and I didn't like the implication that the fantasy elements were all in his mind.

Gypsies Stole my Tequila
Written by Adrienne Jones
Creative Guy Publishing
$12.95

Gypsies Stole my Tequila is an addictive novella in The Amityville House of Pancakes Omnibus Volume One. While I have yet to read the other three novellas within this distinctive collection, I must say if they're anything like this one, I can't wait! Adrienne Jones has penned a colorful plot thick with suspense, setting, imagery, humor, and a musical tribute to the good old days of punk rock.

The title alone made me want to check out this story, one where Joe Blood, former punk rock musician, has only until his fortieth birthday to live. As his birthday nears, he lives in constant fear. When he was a teenager, his close friends and band mates made a pact, set in blood, they would all die together as they all turned forty. It is that very pact that haunts Joe in the form of a beast, growing stronger and more life like as the days pass. The creature waits for the day, marked clearly on the calendar, the day of his birth and death, all in one.

For twenty years, Joe's life hasn't been as exciting as his punk rock days; instead he meanders through sessions with a counselor and a measly job as a butcher, where he's forced to dress in a degrading cow costume. While outside of the job he still dresses in extravagant attire, reminiscent of his youth, he is reminded everyday that it will all come to a fateful end at the edge of a cliff. The memory of the night of the pact still haunts him; along with the shadow they want to ignore they saw. He grows desperate to find his old friends Vincent and Deke, to tell them about the beast and how they must follow through with the promise.

Interwoven in this engaging and fun story is Vincent's son Max who wants to be a rock star. With the help of Joe, he is able to turn his lazy band into something worthy enough to open up for their favorite rock group. The only catch is, Joe is running out of time. As Joe relives the dream he gave up, the beast grows antsy and fierce. It's only a matter of time before everything comes to a head, and his dreaded birthday arrives.

Adrienne Jones is an exciting and creative author. I loved her imagery, characters, dialogue, and style of writing. Each sentence had a smooth flow from one to the next, and I grew to care a lot about everyone. This is by far a shining piece that should garner a lot of attention. Not only is it unique, but also the whole tie in with the title and other elements of the story make for superb storytelling that seems almost extinct in novellas today.

Purchased for our 10 year old daughter, she has not put it down. The stories are touching and funny and intense. Good quick read!

Updated and revised to include a new introduction, ANGEL ANIMALS gathers stories about spiritual lessons they've learned from animals and comes not from new age leaders but from ordinary individuals, making for an even more powerful collection. From a sparrow's influence on volunteering to animals who promoted spiritual growth, ANGEL ANIMALS is an outstanding survey for any who would reveal the underlying importance of animals.

We all have our own anecdotes about how important our animal friends are to each of us. In some small (or large) ways we have all experienced the miracles of angel animals. In daily life they teach us patience, show us unconditional love, and expect us to be nothing less than ourselves with them at all times. In times of crisis, they stand beside us reminding us that we are stronger and more courageous than we think. In short, they change our lives, for the better. Animals really are pretty amazing creatures.

Angel Animals is an anthology of animal experiences that changed the lives of various individuals. The types of animals and the dynamics of these relationships vary substantially as do the lessons learned and the gifts given by these beings. As expected household pets are common heroes and heroines in these stories. However, in quite a number of the entries, the animals depicted are quite out of the ordinary including seals, raccoons, bees, and spiders. In all cases, these creatures bring with them special gifts and lasting lessons that guided their humans through very difficult or challenging times.

This line of children's books are amazing. Each one begins with the question, "Are you a Spider?" or slug or bee or whatever. It continues, "If you are, then you were born like this, and you grow up like such, and this is how you catch your food" and on through the life cycle. They are very simple to read, yet very educational and very funny. At the end the book concludes that the reader is, in fact, probably not a spider, but a human boy or girl, and, thankfully, will never, ever, have to wrap up a bug and eat it! The last 2 pages contain fun and interesting facts about spiders. After reading this one I immediately went out and bought every book in the series for my niece. They will be suitable to be read to children too young to read themselves, but also for children of all ages. This is the kind of book you will discover in your attic 20 years later, and still enjoy-re-reading.

These "Are you a...?" books all present sound backyard science in plain kid-speak, inviting early readers to enter the spider's world in a humourous and engaging way.
My daughter, who's 6, and a beginning reader, loves the way these books don't talk down to her. They're easy, but not babyish -- just the right combination for building a love of reading that will last a lifetime!

"Are You a Spider?", by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries, is a good book for children. The collaborators use a simple text and appealing, colorful illustrations to describe the lives of spiders.

The text opens, "Are you a spider? If you are, your mother looks like this and spins webs." The reader is thus invited to put herself/himself into the spider's place. The book illustrates the process of building a web, and shows other essential aspects of a spider's life. Overall, a very informative and enjoyable book.

All of Bruce Hershenon's books are worth a dozen times what he sells them for; flawless, stunning reproductions of great movie posters. Buy them ALL!

What a book! All the poster/lobby card compilations by Hershenson and Allen are great, particularly Volume 10, Serial Movie Posters, which I suspect is their best seller to date, soon to be topped by this one.

We can argue about the "B Movie" in the title, since many of the posters and lobby cards shown are for exploitation, road show, and drive-in films, and there are some A features to be found in these pages as well. But that's a quibble.

What images! These were intended to get the farmers off their wagons and into the theatre, and they do serve that purpose. Have a gander at the incredible poster for I LOVE TROUBLE (39), a masterpiece in several senses of the word and from many points of view. The poster for TOMCATS (237) exhibits a very poor understanding of human anatomy but it would cause any healthy male of any age to fumble unconsciously in the general direction of the fly of his trousers. A number of posters and lobby cards feature the immortal Mamie Van Doren, protruding further than seems humanly possible (100, for instance) and Jayne Mansfield (for example 112) is no slouch along those lines herself.

I'd love to have seen a poster for BOP GIRL GOES CALYPSO starring Judy Tyler, but one can't have everything! Highest possible recommendation, and keep those hands away from that fly.

This volume from the series of books from Bruce is fantastic.The beatifull artistic designs of the posters contained in this volume are true classic examples of the fond memories I have from my youth when drive-ins were at the peak of popularity. Although the films were Ed Wood grade z type shlock fare the posters promoting them were class a in artistic design. The general rule of thumbs used by us frequenting the weekly drive-ins was the more outragius off the wall display on those posters(usualy a scanty cladd female and verball quotation to entice the movie going individuals) the most likely the film is a real turkey.Many of us loved making the weekly treck to the driv-ins just to see if the latest presentation could topple the king Plan 9 From Outer Space in realy bad filmmaking.The color posters contained in this volume all are examples of classic poster designing that sadly is lacking in "bland" fare that has been created for film posters from the late 80's to the present day.I highly recomend this gem of a book to any lover of film posters, the price for it is "dirt cheap pocket change" considering the outstanding content it has.A truely unique one of a kind book that I long have searched for and untill now, was never available.

We have children at different ages and reading skill levels, yet this one satisfies the crowd. The pictures are excellent, the text large and clear, and the animal descriptions are accurate and fun, and easy to memorize (your children will soon "read along" with you). A top pick and a crowd pleaser when our oldest dughter gets to pick a book for her siblings.

I remember reading this book when I was a little girl, and loving the beautiful illustrations. Now my little girl is reading the book and loving it as much as I did. Garth Williams did a great job with the artwork. It's a great book for introducing infants and toddlers to the world of farm animals.

Twenty years ago, I used this book to teach my two younger siblings the names and sounds of the farm animals. We read it until it fell apart! I recently purchased a new copy for my two children...and they love it, too! The illustrations are magnificent! Children will love to read this book again and again. A timeless classic!

I found myself searching for more information after reading this excellent work. Maracle obviously knows of what he speaks and he educates us New Yorkers about the historical timeline and the present and future concerns of the confederacy in a way that no high school social studies teacher ever did for us.

i spent two weeks on the six nations rez that brian maracle centers his book on. maracle recounts his experiences upon returning to the rez, which include fixing his home (check out the chapter with the broken water pump!), and of course encountering rez bureaucracy.

maracle explores the problems that face his community but does not accept a defeatist attitude, rather he adopts a humorous perspective.

this was a great read. thanks to my dear friend nonwasichu for lending me the book, for your hospitality, and for the icecream.

As a person from this reserve who was not raised there but in a city I can relate to the experiences of the author. The descriptions of the mishaps and triumphs of living "back home'" had me feeling like I had moved back too. Very entertaining and insightful as well as educational. A lot of things are explained and a lot of myths are laid to rest. I wish more people had access to this kind of information, written in a way that's a joy to read instead of the authoritative Í Know All info usually out there about natives and reserves written by experts.

If you have ever wondered how institutions recruit their athletes, then this book is a must read. Even if athletics is not of interest to you, then you will find some wonderful principles and life lessons within the the covers of this book. Bohl, a former athletic director, writes a great story of a young man and his trials and tribulations in his decision of where to play college basketball. Just like for you and me, his decisions are not as easy as it would seem. Positive and negative factors are constantly pulling him one way and then another. Bohl has crafted a piece of work for all ages, and once I picked it up, it was tough to put it down!

The main theme involves a high school athlete, but more importantly it revolves around a family that supports the use of good judgement in decision making. Anyone from a middle-school student to a grandparent will enjoy the book whether or not they are, or ever were, an athlete. I think it would be a wonderful book to read together within a family or with a youth group of any kind.

Heartwarming experience of young athlete trying to make the right decision about college. A must for anyone in that position.

This book provides a framework for thinking about foreign negotiations. Although it contains useful info about some specific foreign cultures, it is explicitly NOT a laundry list of dos and don'ts. If you are preparing to negotiate in a specific foreign cultural environment, you will still need to learn about that specific environment, but this book will give you a powerful means of approaching the material.

Basically, the author starts by raising readers' awareness of what it means to be "American" - what sorts of cultural assumptions we start from and habits we unconsciously develop. From there, he draws comparisons to other cultures. By making American readers more aware of ideas and habits they will tend to take for granted, the author opens his readers' minds to important issues in int'l communication. Interestingly, this book would be an excellent guide to negotiating in the United States for foreign businesspeople.

As the author points out, this heightened awareness gives practitioners the ability to deal with situations in foreign settings "on the fly" in a way that a list of specific behaviors and practices simply does not. You get more of the "why" than the traditional "how to," allowing you to spot issues as they crop up. However, there are plenty of specific tips for certain foreign settings.

I have M.A.s in Int'l Relations and Communications, and this is one of the better practical descriptions of the intersections between the two fields that I've come across, possibly the best. It is also consistent with the "principled bargaining" approach of Fischer and Ury, which is generally what U.S. businesspeople are taught. The table of contents is detailed, the organization breaks concepts into easy to remember chunks, and the index covers a great deal. So, this is a book you can come back to whenever you need a quick refresher, as well as an excellent starting point. I would recommend this book even if it meant foregoing something more specific to a particular culture, although both would be ideal.

My company recently entered into contract negotiations with a company in China. I found this book to be very helpful and informative as we went through this process.

I found Mr. Foster's book to be an insightful analysis of the need for increased cultural sensitivity both in and out of the world of business. His descriptions of various cultural practices and norms are fascinating and informative. A highly readable book;I look forward to future works by this cross cultural expert.

This book is a very well written and informative look at bats. I particularly found the folklore section fascinating, yet the biology and behavior portion is very informative. I reccommend this book to anyone who is a bat lover and wants to learn about them.

Glover Morrill Allen's Bats: Biology, Behavior And Folklore originally appeared in 1939 and tackles both mythology and ecology in providing an examination of the role of bats in folklore and substitutions related to them. From biology and natural history to human interactions with and perceptions of bats, Allen's introduction remains a winner.

Glover Morrill Allen's Bats: Biology, Behavior And Folklore originally appeared in 1939 and tackles both mythology and ecology in providing an examination of the role of bats in folklore and substitutions related to them. From biology and natural history to human interactions with and perceptions of bats, Allen's introduction remains a winner.