Television Books

This is one of the most honest portraits of a human being you will ever find.. I would recommend this along with Charles Mingus' 'Beneath the underdog' for a taste of the 'jazz life'. It is amazing what these guys lived through - and still created such beautiful music!

This was the first jazz biography I have read. Hawes does a great job of portraying the terrible effects of heroin addiction. I knew some jazz musicians were busted for heroin use in his time. But I didn't understand how rampant heroin use was in the industry. This book gives great insight into the life of a wonderfully talented jazz pianist. But more importantly, it gives insight into the tumultuous life of a drug addict. Initially, the piano seems to be Hawes' only love. But then there is the realization that heroin is his real love. It is his only motivation to even play the piano.

I enjoyed reading this book very much.

It is first of all Hampton Hawes biography of his life as a jazz musician. It tellls us of his way from being a little boy attending his father's church on Sundays to a highly acclaimed jazz pianist, his downfall because of his heroin addiction, his 10-year jail sentence (which was reduced to six after Hawes had written to John Kennedy!), his way back up on the European market, his love relationship with Jackie, and his new found love after separating from Jackie after almost two decades. The very last sentence of the book speaks about his ex-wife Jackie - and it is very touching and shows that Hawes indeed must have been a nice man.

There is only one really dumb remark in the book that I felt was disgusting. (Find it for yourself... ;-))

Hawes repeatedly talks about Black issues. I personally feel that those statements are very intelligent, and can therefore recommend this book not only to those of you interested in jazz, but also to anyone into Black issues.

This book is all of these things and more. This is the story of an essentially decent person fighting his own demons. A beautifully crafted book written in the subjects own idiom. A must have for anybody wanting to get inside jazz during the be bop era.

I love this book. Remember, back then when you played this music, it wasn't exactly a sweet world for the musicians (Black ones). I'm glad he let everyone know how hard it was out there. Drugs took this Bad Boy out the game and the world passed him by. Musicians like Brother Hawes, will never be acknowledged for their great playing in the U.S.A.

If there was a dumb remark in this book, I didn't see it. Again, think back to the times he was living in. He talked about Jimmy Rushing and the way he thought about things. Jimmy Rushing came out of a different era, yet Some of his thoughts were not far behind. When he described Black people, some were light skninned, some were black... The book is not dated, it's just good.

Great, fun book for Road Rules fanatics

I am obsessed with everything on Road Rules and Real World. To me, this was one of the better MTV books. You should read it if you like learning about how the characters really felt during their adventures. It was great!

I started reading this book and i couldn't put it down. The pictures are so funny, and the entrees are juicy and tell you every thing that you never knew about the casts. I think this is a great book.

As an almost-obsessive fan of both the Real World and Road Rules, this was definitely one of the better books. Even if you have watched every episode of the shows, like I have, you should get this book. It tells what really happened with the romances and fights; what cast members really thought of each other, and it even contains lost missions that were unable to make it onto the show. I would recommend this book to anyone who has seen the show. So order it today!

This book had tons of information. It really made you feel like you were there. It gives you how cast members really felt about what the other cast members were doing. It gives you the FULL story, not the part that Bunim/Murray wants you to hear. You actually find out the reason the cast members were arguing, not just the argument. I hate to read, but I finished this book in just two days. Better than Road Rules: Passport Abroad and In the House: Real World Seattle. If you only plan to get one book about The Real World or Road Rules, this is the one!

Este libro que nace de la mano de los creadores de The Beatles: 365 Days nois muestra fotografias de Los tones desde sus inicios hasta el concierto de febrero del 2006 en Brasil. La gran mayoria dlas fotografias son nunca antes vistas y van acompañadas cada una de su respectiva leyenda ademas de la fecha en que los hechos se estaba desarrollando, impactan la del funaral de Brian JOnes en especial la de sus padres. Un libro quizas un poco incomodo para leer pues preciera que se te puede romper los bordes, pero que de seguro con mas de 700 paginas te dara horas de entretencion para ti y tus amigos.

A very detailed book about the Stones. So many pictures. They don't come any better than this!I recommend it for all Rolling Stones Fans

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RA4RLLN7E0LRI This very thick picture book is much larger than I had expected for this low,low price.
It's packed with photos, lots that aren't that common .Some color,but mostly in black and white.
I am very happy with this purchase and it will take some time to go over all the pictures and the information about them.
Recommended for fans.

This is a fantastic book for fans and, at this bargain price, it is a steal. There are 365 mostly black and white photos from the beginning up to last year and many of them I have never seen, and I have plenty of Stones' coffee table books already. The text describes the photo and gives a bit of a plot line about the time the photo was shot and there are plenty of quotes from the fellows and others to underscore things nicely. My one request would've been some Exile recording session shots, but that's simply being greedy and I won't let my greed drop a star off of this otherwise excellent purchase. If you don't own it, do yourself or a loved one who is into the band a favor and buy it.

Need a present for that Rolling Stones fan in your life? Then look no further as this book should fill the bill quite nicely. With about 460 pictures, this collection will satisfy even the most jaded Stones fanatic. Why? Because the bulk of these photos are from the 1963-1969 era (1-203) with the 1970-1979 decade (204-296) being fairly represented and the 1980-2006 years (297-365) breezed through at the end. With the majority of these shots never having been seen before, you'll get more enjoyment out of this book then those other ones that are filled with rehashed stories and sprinkled with stock concert and album pictures. Add to this a quick note about each photo and a pertinent quote and you've got yourself a gift that's sure to please. Of course, you could just do what I did and buy it for yourself. While the Rolling Stones still haven't gathered any moss, they certainly are gathering more shelf space.

Biographies of entertainers are usually pretty shallow, just part of the marketing effort. This one is a little unusual because it was written by a scholar who put a lot of effort into making it both as complete and interesting as possible. The author, Dr. Charles Townsend, also became, to a small extent, part of the story. On Bob Wills final recording with his Texas Playboys, For the Last Time, Dr. Townsend kicks off the music as the announcer, saying "The Texas Playboys Are on the Air!"

My Dad loved this book! It was a great gift for him

I was a little dubious at first because the book seemed kind of thick and was written by a professor. However, the more I got into it the more I loved it. Thick with detail, yes, but the story constantly moves along and we get a rich, complete picture of the man and his music, his triuimphs and his foibles. I could just picture being in a ballroom back in the day listening to Bob Wills and his Playboys as I read through. Truly a labor of love, this book. I picked it up because I'd just recently purchased a four-CD boxed set of Wills' music -- far more than I thought I wanted to hear, but I was wrong, and after reading this book I just want to hear more and more. Truly an American musical hero, and this is one of the best musical biogs I've ever read.

Charles Townsend has captured the real Bob Wills. A fine job, a detailed account on the life and music of the one of the greatest Texas stars to have evolved on the American western scene. Well written and exhaustively researched. Worth buying and reading.

OK. I'm a little biased. My grandfather J.W. Shafer, otherwise known as "Bub Shafer" (don't ask me why...nobody knows why), was a second cousin to Bob Wills. In this book, there's a photo of Bob standing in a cotton field near Turkey, Texas and he's got his arm around a young boy that looks about 13-years-old at the oldest. The young boy was my grandfather, and the caption beneath the photo states that Bob is posing with a relative in the cotton fields near Turkey, TX.

I didn't read this book until a few years ago, and I read it cover-to-cover. It details EVERYTHING, including a consistent barrage of extensive notes and details about the writing and progression of almost every song from concept-to-recording, and all the events surrounding anything that Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys must have done. In fact, you almost feel as though you are reading a virtual daily journal as if the author walked side-by-side and recorded the details as time progressed over many decades of Bob Wills' life. It's all documented perfectly, as most of the documentation came from bandmembers or friends or relatives...and 99% of each person's accounts were cross-checked against other sources for authenticity. Mr. Townsend definitely wanted to get the real Bob Wills rather than a comic book version pieced together by wild tales and drifting imaginations.

My favorite parts of the book deal with the intertwined perfection and imperfection of Bob and his life. Here's a guy who was born into poverty, ran away from home as a young teenager to escape poverty, almost became a preacher when he was found by a Godly family after running away, went back home to help out the family on the farm, almost got thrown into prison had it not been that for the local policeman recognizing who he was and letting him go after a failed robbery of a tire at a closed gas station, and then you've got repeated failures in almost every line of work you can imagine. And all along the way, through all of the misery and the rejection, he always had his fiddle (known as a "violin" for people north of the Mason-Dixon line) that bailed him out of trouble.

Bob didn't WANT to use his fiddle for gain, but it always saved his rear when he was in a real pickle. He finally travels to the Dallas-Fort Worth area during the depression, which wasn't a good place to be, to tell you the truth. He gathered up a couple of guys to audition for a spot on the Light Crust Flour radio spot--Back in those days, companies hired musicians and various entertainers to perform on the radio and at live concerts. Usually, the name of the band was surprisingly enough the name of the product being pitched. In this case, whomever played for the Light Crust Flour company was named "The Light Crust Doughboys." Funny-sounding, yes, but back in the day it was a sure-fire way to make a connection with the blue-collar families that listened to the music on the radio while also being spoon-fed a healthy dose of advertising.

To make along story short, Bob and his boys were a hit. Contract disputes; however, with the head honcho of the Light Crust organization led Bob to lure his bandmates away to Tulsa, OK, where they set up shop and were known as "The Texas Playboys." Huge fame came to Bob and his band. He had the largest band in the world, and had many people laughing at the sight of anywhere from 20-30 bandmembers lining up on stage at one time on any given night. His band rivaled, and probably even surpassed, Benny Goodman and any other mainstream Big Band-style band. Almost like our nation's standing army, if you were approved by Bob Wills to be good enough to be in his band, you were "on call" and could travel and make good money whenever the opportunities presented themselves. Bob was driven, and was a definite Type-A personality who had everything done his way. I can't remember the real number, but he made sure his entire band knew BY MEMORY hundreds of songs, if not thousands. He wanted to be able to play a dance anywhere in Texas, or any other state for that matter, and he wanted to strike up his band in an instant if a spectator from the crowd hollared at Bob to play a certain song.

This brand of customer service made Bob Wills a legend. Every band member knew his role. Every band member knew he'd be cut from the team like a washed up NFL player if he didn't measure up. They practiced all day long, almost every day of the week. They would sometimes travel way out of the way on the way back home from a tour to go and play a funeral for someone, and then REFUSE to be paid for the performance and even for expenses of traveling out of the way. Bob would slip a down-and-out person a few bucks so they could buy their child some food or some shoes...and he'd make sure it stayed a secret as long as it could. In the book, there are countless witnesses who say they knew Bob was so generous because he knew what it was like to go days without a meal and have nothing but what he had on his body at the time. Bob was never consistently financially wealthy because he gave most of it away over the years.

Sadly, Bob had severe faults that often outweighed his good deeds. He was a drunk, sometimes missing performances and thus placing a huge burden upon his band to let the crowd know that "Bob has the flu and can't come out of the tour bus to play." People must have prayed for Bob a lot, wondering how one man could contract the flu as often as Bob did. He had a knack for anger and foul language, and he could "let you have it" (as we say in Texas) at a moment's notice. He couldn't stay married for longer than a day or two, though a couple of marriages were longer than the other three dozen that had failed miserably, and it was mostly due to his overly possessive handling of his wives. His wives were made to stay in the home all the time, especially when Bob was away on a tour. He feared his wife going out and potentially striking up a relationship with another man while Bob was away. The same thing happened every time: The wife couldn't stand Bob's suspicious nature and lack of trust, and who could blame them? If a bandmember stepped out of line on the tour...he'd find himself with a one-way ticket home and he might not ever be asked to go on future tours ever again.

Lastly, the attack at Pearl Harbor paralyzed his career. Almost all of his bandmembers signed up to join the military in the days after the attack. The good 'ole days were over for good. He drifted away. And then as time went on, several country-western artists (Merle Haggard) paid tribute to Bob and recorded a reunion CD with some of Bob's surviving bandmates. At this time, Bob was crippled from a severe stroke and sat in a wheelchair in the recording studio. "Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, For The Last Time" has Merle Haggard at the helm for many songs, and he does a great job. During one song, "When You Leave Amarillo, Turn Out The Lights..." Bob breaks his paralytical silence and moans audibly on the CD at different points throughout the song. It's a sad sound, and I think it's due to the fact that Bob's memory was not as plagued as the body was at the time...Amarillo held a special place in his heart because his one "true love" lived there when he was a young man. He had lost track of her, but found her in Amarillo and went to her house with flowers for what he knew would be a great reunion of two kindred spirits. The father greeted Bob and told him she was just engaged and the soon-to-be-groom was on his way at that very moment to see her! It crushed Bob something fierce, and he stayed until the young man got to her house. Bob stood right up in the man's face and let him know that he better treat her well. He assured Bob he would, and then Bob wallked out of the door and back into the cold Amarillo winter...crushed, heart-broken, and without anything to really live for. To me, this incident was the beginning of a dark and terrible time for Bob. He went a long time before clawing his way back to the top, and I seriously doubt he ever forgot that cold Amarillo evening. Listen to the song, and hear Bob's groaning when the lyrics say, "...when you leave Amarillo, turn out the lights..." There's something there that says Bob might as well have died in Amarillo than continue on with the thought that he missed marrying his true love by only a few days or months. I am married six years now, and thank the Lord I will never know what that feels like. It must be awful.

Bob represents all of us: We want to do good for other people, even when we have nothing to give or everything to lose. But we also do bad when we know we shouldn't. And through the good and the bad, what's really important is that we never give up trying to do what's right in the face of wanting to do what's easy and convenient for that part of us that desires to do bad. Bob was so eerily conflicted inside: "Do I use my fiddle like some bargaining chip, as a cheap trick to dodge the bullet? Or am I really playing the fiddle because I love it and I want to spread joy to people who love this music?" I think he loved his fiddle, and he loved the music he made--it shows in the quality and in the passion of his music. It was that hint of suspicion that he had of himself, the part of him that said, "Bob, you're using the fiddle as some sort of tool to get what you want, and it's wrong for you to betray the true nature of music to do so" that tore Bob apart all his life. I don't think he ever found peace with himself. He was his harshest critic, and that's a sad thing. When you see older folks from his era get all misty-eyed when they hear his music or when you ask them about Bob Wills and what he meant to them when they were younger in Bob's era...you know he was way too hard on himself. But he couldn't enjoy it to its fullest potential. Born a victim, died a victim. Born to physical poverty, died with emotional poverty. And it was Bob who robbed himself and made himself poor in the end.

The music? It lives on. In dance halls across Texas. On classic country radio stations. In the books. On the CDs. In the hearts of people who know a good fiddle lick when they hear it. As Waylon Jennings sang one time to the enormous cheering of some dance hall's patrons who were listening and dancing to Jennings' live performance, "...In Texas, Bob Wills is still the King." For that, Bob should be proud had he lived a little longer. He would have been a richer man for it.

You would do well to get this book, and read it. It'll teach you a lot of life lessons. Some day, when I have the money...I'm going to make a movie out of it. And what a masterpiece it will be. "The Texas Playboys are on the air!"

-- Pecos Shafer of Amarillo, TX.

When my son graduated from Army chef school, I couldn't resist presenting him with a signed copy of this book. It really was the perfect gift! He loved it and so did his classmates and instructors. Guess Army cooking really hasn't changed so much over the years. lol He intends to try several of the recipes as a lark. He's going to let me know how it goes.

This book is a funny look at life in a fictional mobile army surgical hospital through the eyes of an army private. Igor is not a well trained army cook, but is forced into the role of cook by the army anyway. In spite of his lack of great cooking skills, the recipes he includes in his book are actually quite good. My sons, both of whom are extremely picky eaters, have made several of the simpler items included in this cookbook and have enjoyed the results of their efforts.

This book is not for the master chef or for the hardcore food critic. The recipes are fairly basic and don't require a lot of unusual skills or ingredients. However, the story, the pictures and the recipes are fun and useful.

If you are a fan of M*A*S*H, as I am, you will really enjoy this book and find the recipes a nice addition to your own collection.

this is a great cook book, not only for M*A*S*H* fans but, for anybody who enjoys cooking. the titles of the recipes are all M*A*S*H* related. THERE ARE COCKTAIL RECIPES!!!!!!! a must for any true M*A*S*H* fan. the col. Flagg truth serum is very good stuff. your girlfriend will love it!

As a true die hard fan of MASH I can honetly say this "takes the cake!" After flipping from beginning to end I actually attempted Hunnicutt's wife's cookie recipe.

Needless to say they were AWESOME, and my wife and my family enjoyed them until the last morsel. I'm now looking through the book for more wonderful morsels of goodness.

Jocularity! Jocularity!

In 1950, a country bumpkin named Igor Straminsky answered his country's call to duty and, as an unwitting Army private, soon found himself in the most hostile environment that the planet could ever serve up. No, we're not talking about Korea. We're talking about the men and women of the 4077th who queued up three times a day with plastic trays, growling stomachs, and growing suspicions that they'd more likely meet their deaths at the inept hands of their new cook than they ever would in confrontations with the enemy they'd come to fight.

"Dear Ma," Igor wrote home, "Instead of letting me work at something I'm good at, they're gonna make me do a job I don't know anything about! Radar, the company clerk here, told me that he thinks the Army does that on purpose."

Still, a job was a job and the beleaguered young private wasn't going to let the ongoing sarcasm of Captain Hawkeye Pierce dampen his spirits.

HAWKEYE: It's inhuman to serve the same food day after day. The Geneva Convention prohibits the killing of our taste buds.

Suffice it to say, Igor had plenty of time to hone his craft (such as it was). His stint in a mess tent chef's hat, in fact, lasted 8 years longer than the actual Korean War. When the hit television series M*A*S*H finally bowed out in 1983, almost 125 million viewers tuned in to say goodbye, the largest audience ever for a TV show.

"Ma!" he wrote, "I'm sure you've heard the news...IT'S OVER! I'll probably be home by the time you get this letter but I wanted to write it anyway. I'll make everybody dinner when I get there but could somebody else please serve it?"

Fortunately, Igor's efforts to please the palate weren't left behind on a helicopter pad. His alter ego-Hollywood actor/writer/entrepreneur Jeff Maxwell-has compiled the best of Igor's mess tent magic into a hilarious book entitled "Secrets of the M*A*S*H Mess: The Lost Recipes of Private Igor."

Testimonial from Colonel Potter: "There seems to be a misconception here-those recipes weren't lost! We did our best to hide them."

Within these wacky pages--which are replete with black and white production stills, "dog-tag" quotes, and letters home-the author not only gives us generous dollops of homegrown culinary advice but demonstrates a talent for memorializing his Army experiences and friendships with his own brand of signature recipes:

* Hawkeye and Trapper's Swamp Spaghetti
* Winchester's Upper Crusted Chicken
* Hot Lips Tri-Tips
* Pork Choppers with Barbeque Sauce
* Stuffed Seoul
* Radar's Teddy Bear Turkey Loaf
* The Colonel's Kernel Stew
* Toasted Tank Tuna
* Hunnicut's Homesick Cookies
* Intravenous Drip Dip

IGORISM:
Hawkeye told me he went to school for twelve years to be a doctor. I trained in boot camp for eight weeks to become a soldier. It sure takes a lot more time to learn how to save a life than how to end one.

As clueless as Igor seemed to be whilst unveiling inventive concoctions such as "Cream of Weenie Soup" or "Hot Potato Pucks", he shows remarkable clarity in laying out instructions that are fun and easy to follow. Whether you're mustering your troops off to work or school with "Frontline Flapjacks with Chocolate Gravy", settling in for an evening flick with "Movie Night Popcorn Shrimp" or dazzling your next book club group with "Forward Marsh Melts", there's no denying that Igor knows what it takes to please picky eaters.

IGOR: Peas or carrots, Sir?
HAWKEYE: Oh, a little of each will be fine.
IGOR: Good, because I don't know which is which.

He has also included a short section on drinks, including "Pre-Op Novocaine Shake", "Swamp Swill Martini" and "Suicide is Painless", the latter popularized in song for both the original film and the TV series.

Testimonial from Hawkeye Pierce: "Can't wait to try the recipes. There are several people I'm trying to kill."

In real life, by the way, Maxwell is the inventor/purveyor of a kicky Bloody Mary Mix called Chico Rico™ which won a People's Preference Award in the 2003 International Zesty Foods Show. The mix, which he describes as "Lip Smackin' Fire & Spice", is available at Bristol Farms or through his website at http://www.chicorico.biz/order.html.

While dinner is cooking, TV trivia fans will find themselves well entertained with Maxwell's behind-the-scenes anecdotes as well the convoluted journey that took this affable actor from the bowels of the Print Department at 20th Century Fox to stand-up comedy to the elation of playing a character with an actual name on a hit series instead of just a credit as "Soldier 1". The proliferation of candid shots suggest the slap-dash happiness of an overgrown kid who has not only found himself at the summer camp of a lifetime but in the thick of new friendships destined to last forever.

HOTLIPS: I thought you might enjoy being the Charity Officer for me. You'd be so good at it.
BJ: Oh really?
HOT LIPS: You have such a nice smile. Not liking you is the same as not liking a collie.

Last but not least are the bittersweet tugs of nostalgia which remind us that the 4077th wasn't just Igor's family and his home-away-from-home but a weekly part of our own family as well.

"Dear Ma," his letter began, "We all just found out that Colonel Blake gets to go home. Lucky guy-sure wish I was gonna be on the plane with him!"

In the third season finale, "Abyssinia, Henry", marking actor McLean Stevenson's departure from the cast, viewers will recall the heart-stopping moment when a stunned Radar announced that Colonel Blake's plane had been shot down en route to Japan. There were no survivors.

It was moments like this that reminded us of what good writing can be. And it's books like "Secrets of the M*A*S*H Mess" that demonstrate Private Straminsky has a definite calling in top brass cuisine.

Who would have ever thought my kids (10 & 8) would love Speed Racer so much that we ended up getting them a book about Speed Racer's history. They love it and keep reading it over and over. Any book that a kid will read over and over again is a GREAT book.

This is a great book. Even non speed racer fans will love it. It is very informitive.

Good ol' Speed. Forever stating the obvious in his trademark excitable tone. Speaking of which, this book is perfect for "Speed Racer" fans to get excited about.

Author Elizabeth Moran hits the track with infectious enthusiasm and leaves in her backdraft plenty of fun info on all the various iterations of "Speed Racer," from the original manga and Japanese series to the imported version I grew up with... to the newer versions, including a proposed live action film that never got off the ground. Moran includes the requisite episode guides (and rates them!), plus interviews with both the Japanese and American creative teams, racing terms, a complete dictionary guide to Speed's world and transcripts from the ESPN "Nascar" commercials. And wait until you read the original Japanese lyrics to the now-classic theme. Yep, even master auto-designer Pops Racer couldn't have done a better job, because this book has more features than the Mach 5!

What's especially neat about this is that it's all in glorious full-color! The design matches the vibrant and vigorous animated series. A fun package, and highly recommended for any "Speed Racer" fan. Go, Speed Racer, go!

This book is a thorough and complete look at that great show, Speed Racer. It starts out with a quick look at the theme song of the show, the characters, the Mach 5, and the people behind the characters' voices. Then, the book launches into the best part of all, a one-page synopsis of each of the 52 episodes, complete with a picture from the episode. After that the book continues with the history of Speed after the show, complete with images from the new Mach Go Go Go show, and a glossary.

This book is a wonderful stroll down memory lane for anyone who grew up watching Speed and the gang. My eight-year-old son, who is a chip-off-the-old-block and a Speed fan too, did not find too much in this book, but it is not intended as a story book. What the book is designed to be, it is wonderfully, a guide for fans of Speed Racer. I enjoyed this book and think that you will too!

...ESTE LIBRO CUENTA TODO, LA HISTORIA DE SU CREADOR,DE LOS PERSONAJES,RESEñAS CAPITULO POR CAPITULO,HASTA COMERCIALES CON METEORO Y UNA FUTURA SERIE Y PELICULA.NO SE LO PIERDAN....

They should've gotten Ron Jones to do First Contact instead of Goldsmith. This is the kind of score you need for an epic battle with the Borg. Wonderful action sequences with stirring strings and threatening brass. And the Borg theme is just marvelous. Ron Jones or Dennis McCarthy or even Jay Chattaway should do all future Star Trek motion picture scores.

I consider the two-parter The Best Of Both Worlds© to be Star Trek™'s most pivotal & influential episodes, and the soundtrack does a beautiful job in adding to the feel and suspense. Although Ron Jones' compositions on this CD aren't quite as ambitious as the tunes one would hear in the Star Trek™ movies, his efforts did help make these two watermark NextGen episodes seem truly grand and larger than life. The military style of some of the tunes also gives a warlike tone to the show, as the Enterprise™ and the Federation™ fight desperately to stop the Borg™ invasion.

Each track complements the scene it plays in almost perfectly. One good example is Hansen's Message©, which plays through the end of the scene in Part One when the crew sees the Borg™ ship for the first time. The moment itself is chilling, but with the music, along with the crescendo at the climax, it becomes even more suspenseful! Another great tune to complement the moment is Intervention©, heard in Part Two when Worf™ and Data™ sneak into the Borg™ ship to rescue Picard™ (now changed into the Borg™ Locutus™) and get him back to the Enterprise.

Thanks to the synergy between the music and the scenes, The Best of Both Worlds© becomes a whole lot more than the sum of its visual & musical parts!

'Late

I LOVE it it is so very relaxing to listen to on occations when you need a dose of Star Trek.

Without comparing this TV score to that of a film, I would consider this an excellent TV score. Hearing the Alexander Courage's version of Jerry Goldsmith's Star Trek theme really opens the album up. It is really a shame that it appears only once or twice in minor situations because then it would mean this score has some trace of thematic development like film scores do. The Borg theme, played by a synthesized chorus, sounds very mysterious yet somewhat hostile and threatening. You have to have seen the show to know what's happening because there's barely any thematic music to base what's happening on. The strings and celeste playing on the tracks before the borg encounter adds the sense of mysterious but foreshadowed danger. The battle tracks between the borg and Enterprise aren't upbeat like scores from John Williams or Horner but sound much more suspenseful and average-paced like on Crimson Tide. Ron Jones seems to back off on fast-paced string and brass parts and prefers edgy brass and percussion coupled with electronics. Away Team Ready is a haunting, military-like cue as some people prepare to board the borg ship. An unused cue for the exploration of the borg ship sounds very far and dissonant like on The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi, and Aliens. Both are very original sounding. Let me admit that the music on the second and final fight between the Enterprise and Borg ship heats up but leaves more to be desired. Of course, this is a TV score scored under a period of a week so forget what I just said for any film score fan. After a bittersweet ending stopping with an afterthought, the brilliant Star Theme comes up for the credits and draws this score to a close. I recommend this original score for anyone who has seen the borg episode of TNG but don't expect a Star Wars score here for any film score collectors.

Fans of the syndicated television show "Star Trek: The Next Generation" may remember the two-part episode "The Best of Both Worlds" as a high point for the series, and for science fiction television in general. This cliffhanger and its resolution constituted the third season finale and fourth season premiere. In the story, the United Federation of Planets faces an invasion by the Borg, a seemingly unstoppable cybernetic race that "assimilates" whole civilizations into its insect-like "collective." Captain Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise represent the Federation's only hope against this relentless enemy.

Such an epic tale calls for an epic musical score, and composer Ron Jones delivers. His music pounds with excitement during the thrilling space battle sequences. He makes brilliant use of eerie musical effects to capture the alien nature of the Borg Collective and its dispassionate "drones." He also brings out all of the emotion of the heroic struggle of the Enterprise crew to save the Federation from conquest and assimilation. But it's not all big, bombastic space opera music; Jones also pays attention to more intimate moments between the crew.

Yes, "The Best of Both Worlds" was a landmark in the ongoing, multigenerational "Star Trek" saga, and Ron Jones' superb score is an integral part of the story. This is an essential disc for fans of science fiction soundtracks.

well written synopsis of each episode will bring
you up to speed if you have missed episodes.
excellent show shots and behind the scene looks.
the personal thoughts of the actors explain much
as to how their chactors have grown and adapted.

good reading for all.

...and this book is the best completion for this great show.
It's a complete and very detailed review for each episode and it's very useful for a SGA fan.
A must!!

This makes a wonderful addition to my Stargate Atlantis DVD collection. It pretty much explains all of season 1; the story lines, the characters, etc. I really like this book.

If your a fan of the series then you will want this book. I have all of the Stargate SG-1 series and found them very interesting to read and to having in my collection and you will to want this in your collection.The photographys and illustrations you can't get any where else.
As a fan of the series this book will help you learn some of the lingo.
I've enjoyed all of the SG-1 books and just started my collection with the Atlantis and I'm sure you will as well.

Great book. It fits in well with the Stargate SG-1 series. Lots of good insider information and pictues.

A great story that exposes the truth behind the glamourous version of being a TV star we all have. The story is a refreshing and frank account of a career pursued in local TV news - the ups and downs, the hilarious moments and challenging choices that must be made by the main character Jackie. Think TV prima donnas and their fickle behaviour, but also real people and real life drama. Have a read as it's good fun, but expect some serious issues to be raised for you to give some thought to.

Oh, the trauma and drama of local TV! Who knew?? I sure didn't until I read this fresh and extremely funny, yet poignant story. I loved the way the author weaved together a story out of some pretty outrageous situations and over-the-top characters yet at the same time are very believable and we can all relate to.

If you really want some insight into the local TV biz, I can't think of a more entertaining way to discover the inside scoop, an exclusive on local TV news. Next time I watch the news, this book will be in the back of my mind. Are the anchors wearing shoes or house slippers? Is it sweeps week, and if so, what will they do to get us to watch this time? Why did the anchor leave? Contract up or something else, such as... you'll have to read to find out what I mean ;-)

I loved it and definitely, definitely recommend it.

I confess that I never watch the news, unless it is dished up by Jon Stewart or Steven Colbert. However, I was highly enteretained by McNeely's account of life behind the cameras in a TV News Studio. She turned the characters into real people instead of the 2D cutouts we see on TV. It was a brutally honest account, warts and all. It read so smoothly, I didn't want to put it down. And, above all, it was funny.

In "Stuck in the Box," Donna McNeely manages to be witty, savvy and even truly hilarious while never losing sight of the seriousness of her subject matter - and the humanity of her characters (for better or worse). Enlivened by a have-to-keep-reading fast-paced flow, the book is a delightful way to learn what really goes on in the world of TV news, which is fast-paced in itself: Style reflects subject matter, creating the sense of really being there. As entertaining and eye-opening as it is, the book has poignant moments as well. McNeely is grounded in what she believes at all times, yet isn't afraid to laugh at herself. It's a terrific read by someone who knows people - and how to write. Well done!

They're as familiar as your own family members. In fact, since they're present in your home everyday, local TV news anchors and personalities,
much more than network news stars, seem like comfortable old friends whom you really know, right? Well, maybe not!
Donna McNeely's new book pulls back the curtain as surely as Toto did on the Wizard. A funny, poignant, and very engagingly written story of life in the often chaotic (but cleverly disguised so you don't see that at home)setting of your local TV newsroom and studio.
This is a great read for anyone who watches a local newscast - which should include just about everybody!

Woodstock was a part of our lives but we were not there. Instead we were home raising our small children. It was interesting to read Elliot Tiber's tale of what went on. Needless to say the news reports had no idea of the "behind the scenes" events at the local motel. When the movie comes out next summer, we'll all be there. A great part of it was filmed in our area and we know a number of the people who are in the movie, including our son who had a few of his older cars in it.
This is a definite read for those who remember the summer of Woodstock. You need to have an open mind though, and realize that it was the beginning of a different way of life.........what is now an open and accepable way of life. Entertaining and amusing!!!

Entertaining, fast moving story about being gay in the 60's, a background on how Woodstock came to be, and an excellent snapshot of the era. Based on a true story, this book shows indeed, that truth is stranger than fiction. The scenes range from bizarre to wildly hilarious. The author touches on the many issues and nuances of the time without getting weighed down by them. I found it a thoughtful rendition of Woodstock experience, from an entirely different perspective. An easy read, I read it in a day.

This book just takes me back to the Woodstock Days....I was 19 and never went as I had a 3 month old baby at the time..lived in Brooklyn..reading Elliot Tibbers book about the White Lake area brings back such funny memories as my parents used to take my brother and I to the bungalow colonies in Monicello NY and Woodridge area each summer.
I was just cracking up at his accurate discriptions of the area and reading this book reminded me so much of my own Jewish parents and paternal grandmother from Minsk, Russia.
Wonderful book!

Born Eliyahu Teichberg, poor Elli struggles to break what he calls the "Teichberg Curse" and changes his name to Elliot Tiber--hoping that would break the curse. Always on the brink of financial ruin and trying to hide his deepest secret, he dreams of the miracle that would change his life.

In 1969, he got that miracle. Manager of his Jewish parents' failing resort hotel El Monaco in White Lake, New York on the weekends, Elliot runs during the week to Greenwich Village where he can live the life he chooses as an interior designer and meeting the likes of Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams and Robert Mapplethorpe--all the while keeping his gay life a secret from his family. That is, until June 28, 1969, when he finds himself at the Stonewall Inn and the famous "Stonewall Riot" that would revolutionize the gay culture breaks out. With a newfound boldness, he finds out in July that the town of Wallkill has revoked the permit for the Woodstock festival. So he contacts Mike Lang, the concert's promoter, to offer his 15 acres for the concert. While Elliot hopes this is the miracle he has been waiting for, Mike Lang and his entourage arrive by helicopter but they end up feeling that the swampland of his resort hotel won't work for the concert. Tiber assures Lang and company that, since he has been the president of the Bethel Chamber of Commerce and has held a concert and art show for the past few years, he can get the necessary concert permit. Quickly, he calls his good friend Max Yasgur--who supports everything Elli does and only lives four miles up the road--and asks him to hold the concert. Elli explains to Mike that Max has a dairy farm on a hundred acres--more than enough to hold a concert. Arrangements are made and, before he knows it, Elli is caught up in the magic that will change his life forever. He is introduced to the hippie scene where everyone is accepted no matter who or what you are and learns he can love himself.

Whoa! Totally awesome and even far out and groovy! This book is absolutely amazing! This reviewer couldn't put it down--in fact, read it twice before writing this review. If you've ever dreamed of being at Woodstock or even if you were there, the author Elliot Tiber will take you back. The Sixties will come alive and you won't want the trip to end! But that is only part of the story, as Elliot takes you through the time of his troubled past and describes in perfect word pictures the struggles of his secret life, his childhood, the insanity of running the hotel resort, and dealing with bigoted locals who persecute him because of his Jewish heritage. In the end, you'll feel you know everyone and that you were there, too.

See Woodstock through the eyes of someone who lived it, who helped bring it to life - you'll never look at this period of history the same again. Don't pass this one by, as this autobiography guarantees to be one of the best reads of 2007 and is to be released just in time for the media's annual August remembrance of that great music festival. Also an awesome unique feature that this reviewer really likes is the reversible dust jacket--one side conservative, the other psychedelic. This feature, according to Square One's publisher Rudy Shur in Publishers Weekly, represents "The notion of duality [that] has been a central theme throughout Elliot's life, and we wanted the book to represent that notion of difference in a very direct and colorful way." So whichever trip you decide to take, this is one you'll never forget.

Cheri Clay
Reviewer's Bookwatch

The above would be an appropriate subtitle for this heartfelt but energetic and witty coming-of-age autobiography/memoir by Elliot Tiber, whose main claim to fame is that he fought the petty politics and narrow-mindedness of his small town of Bethel, NY, in order to make possible the Woodstock Festival in 1969.

The author (born Eliyahu Teichberg) grew up in the richly ethnic neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn in an emotionally-starved but hardworking family with his Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. His father worked as a roofer, while his mother ran a housewares store in which they all helped out. Elliot finished college and began a moderately successful career in art design, primarily starting out dressing store windows and painting murals for rich Manhattanites. A trip to the Catskills resulted in the family buying a run-down motel right off Highway 17B at White Lake, in the town of Bethel NY, and Elliot found himself splitting his time, working weekdays in NYC and spending weekends doing whatever had to be done to keep the motel operational and barely financially afloat.

At the same time, Elliot came to the realization that he was gay, and - for whatever reason - favored the underground S&M flavored scene that existed in NYC in the mid 1960's. He met and partied with Robert Mapplethorpe, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and even encountered Rock Hudson at one point. Of course, coming out to his conservative parents wasn't an option for him at the time, but his "secret life" during the week somewhat served to make bearable the weekends at the motel, scrubbing toilets and dealing with customer complaints (The Teichbergs cut a few corners in customer service. For example, they had phones in each room, but they weren't connected to anything. The TV was an empty box, as was the air conditioner sleeve below the window. Need soap and a towel? It'll cost ya extra, but you're lucky you made it in today, since Dad has hosed off your sheets - the only cleaning they ever got - just yesterday.)

In early 1969, Elliot read with interest the news accounts that the promoters of the planned Woodstock Music and Art Festival had been denied a permit by the town of Walkill, their planned location. As president (nobody else wanted the job) of Bethel's Chamber of Commerce, he had the authority to issue festival permits, and contacted the promoters about the possibility of moving the festival to Bethel, and offered the meadow of a friend, dairy farmer Max Yasgur, as the perfect venue. Much of the book details the whirlwind events that followed, as the festival took on a life of its own, eventually attracting around 500,000 people to the small town, resulting in threats by locals, payoffs to those who opposed it, nudity, drugs, gangsters, people bathing in the lake, shortages of food and water, but - despite it all - the most historic event in music and counterculture history, after which nothing would ever be the same again for Elliot and his family.

The author has a gift in telling a story, even one as obviously self-centered as this one is, for the most part. Witty and engaging, sure to bring back memories of that era. Loved the reversible (regular/psychodelic) dust jacket! 5 stars out of 5.