Television Books


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Television Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Television
Sex and the City
Published in Paperback by Collins Living (2008-10-01)
Author: Amy Sohn
List price: $19.95
New price: $11.44
Used price: $13.26

Average review score:

OMG!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-06
I can't go to sleep without first reading several pages in this. I totally love this book.

For All Those SATC Lovas
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-03
This book is a complete must-have for any SATC devotee. Like its older sister, Sex and the City: Kiss and Tell book, it includes amazing photographs of all the girls and indicates the designer's name of each piece from their ensemble and a background on each character, for those who have been living in a hole for the past ten years, not to mention many additional photos from (and cut from) the movie. It also includes how the movie was brought together and created (even a map of where the movie was filmed) and SATC trivia. It truly is a fabulous book to add to your collection!

Excellent book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-17
This book is amazing...TONS of great pictures, good background info, interviews, trivia stuff, etc. It's great to have if you absolutely love the series and the movie.

a fabulous compulation to a fabulous movie -
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-24
This beautiful photo sassy hard cover text is a "fabulous" read for anyone who loves fashion, New York City, or HBO's Sex and the City.
The book covers all four of the girls post-season 6 and highlights every major theme and scene in the recent release "Sex and the City the Movie." There is a forward by Jessica Parker and some very interesting behind the scene looks at the taping of the movie. There is also several pages dedicated to the outfits and designers that were featured in the movie.

I loved this book! I think it would make a great gift for someone or yourself! Definately a keeper!

Wow
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-13
I liked this book very much.
Since I love Sex and the City, and I liked the movie, this is the best gift I could ever buy to obtain thousands secrets and informations.

Television
The Unexceptable Mrs Pollifax
Published in Paperback by Fawcett Books (1998-09)
Author: Dorothy Gilman
List price:

Average review score:

Mrs Pollifax renewed
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-08
I am an addict for the Pollifax spy novels. I bought this to replace a copy that has become damaged beyond use from constant rereadings.

You're never too old!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-05
Listening to this tape, I was surprised by how much of it really had a timeless quality. The book was set back a ways (there's a way to find out exactly when, having to do with a character's age and the print date of a book, but I've forgotten...) and there were clues to the fact that it was not a contemporary novel - the political setting and the level of technology - but the characters really could have been plucked out of any time period. And this made it very enjoyable to listen to because I could picture Mrs. Pollifax and it really was easy to like her and root for her. Though I figured out where the microfilm went about, oh, two tapes into the six, there was enough story around the central mystery to keep me interested. I would definitely recommend it as a wonderful book to listen to (or read, I'm sure). I believe I will try a few of the other Mrs. Pollifax books...

Mom liked it
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-22
I bought this for my mom, who lives in Yuma, Arizona and hasn't a lot to do in 110 degree heat in the summer. She loved it, said it was a great, fun read, and that's enough for me.

Her adventures are truly unexpected
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-07
Bored and in excellent health for a woman who is retired with nothing more to look forward to than her gardening meetings, Mrs. Pollifax decides that there are only two choices in her life. Take one giant step off the roof of her building in New Brunswick, New Jersey or pursue a dream that she has had since childhood. With the decision made she boards a bus for Langley, Virginia and decides to be a spy for the CIA. Taking place during the cold war, Emily Pollifax is sent to Mexico to retrieve important documents, that doesn't seem difficult until she is forced to outsmart Red Chinese military men with nothing more than a pocketknife and a Christmas tree. This woman could definitely give MacGyver and Forrest Gump a run for their money.

Unexpectedly Amazing!!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-13
I thought this might be cheesy. It was fantastic! After having loved Ian Fleming, this was a great substitute. I look foward to reading the rest of the series.

Television
The Soloist (Movie Tie-In): A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music
Published in Paperback by Berkley Trade (2008-09-30)
Author: Steve Lopez
List price: $15.00
New price: $7.50
Used price: $7.28

Average review score:

Music of the Fingers and Mind
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-12-01
Steve Lopez has written a moving story about Nathaniel, a homeless man, once a student at Julliard School of music. Mental illness has over taken his life and robbed him of what could have been another famous performer of classical music.
Through Steve's articles in the LA Times, he opens a world to a stranger that he met on a street corner, living on Skid Row, and whose world revolves around nothing but music. Music takes Nathaniel into a mind of his own world that no one seems to understand.
Beethoven rules his life. Nathaniel receives an opportunity to meet Yo Yo Ma who attended Julliard the same time he attended classes before his breakdown. Yo Yo gives Nathaniel an opportunity to play his cello.
Many times Steve wants to give up on Nathaniel, but he perseveres and makes a break through. This book is moving and a whole new world opens to some of us that is unaware of of the struggles of mental health. You appreciate those who work hard to help change their lives and their world they live in.

Compelling story needs more vivid treatment
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-27
A film version of Steve Lopez's chronicle of his friendship with homeless man Nathaniel Ayers, a gifted musician who briefly attended the Juilliard School before falling prey to schizophrenia, is about to be released. One wishes for its success, since the story the author tells is so compelling it needs more than he can give it.

This is not to denigrate the importance of Lopez' book. There is no doubt that he is a dedicated journalist and a man of more than usual sensitivity. While he tries to help Nathaniel, who despite his charm and talent is obviously a seriously ill man, he worries about compromising his journalistic integrity, of neglecting his family. The Soloist paints a disturbing portrait of the inadequacy of America's safety net for those who cannot cope with modern life due to mental illness, and offers vivid thumbnail sketches of some of the people at the front lines of the battle.

Still, in the end this reader was slightly disappointed, though loath to admit it. Though a few scenes have a heart-wrenching immediacy--a meeting between Nathaniel and famed cellist Yo-yo Ma, for example--too often Lopez' workmanlike prose falls short of truly bringing either the story or the frequently hellish milieu in which it is set to life. Nevertheless, enough of a sense of the unique, arduous but rewarding relationship that exists between these two people comes through that The Soloist is still well worth reading. I'm eager to see the film version too.

Pity the movie's been delayed; in the mean time, the book's a treasure
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-27
I scrambled to read Steve Lopez' book prior to the upcoming movie release. I was disappointed to hear that Dreamworks had pushed it back to Spring 2009. "Budget reasons" were supposedly behind this very late move - so late, in fact, that I'm seeing ads all over and magazine story tie-ins left and right. Looks like the studio was more than halfway pregnant for a Fall release. It's got to be a kick in the nether regions for Robert Downey Jr., who was hearing very strong Oscar buzz for his portrayal of writer Lopez.

None of that, however, gets in the way of my admiration for this excellent book and its protagonists. What started out as a thought for a topic for a couple of columns for Lopez evolved into a true and lasting friendship, despite significant challenges and roadblocks along the way. It would have been easy for Lopez to move on to other things. Instead, he demonstrates a depth of character not shared by most of us. His commitment to Nathaniel Ayers is exemplary. Likewise, Mr. Ayers perseveres and reveals himself to be both a gifted musician and - when at peace with himself - a good friend.

Lopez shows the reader that there's no happy, shiny ending to his friend's affliction. That doesn't mean there aren't small victories seeded in the disappointments and frustrations. The author's talent is the he makes us readers revel in those advancements and commiserate in the sorrow. You want the best for the both of them.

The Soloist Soars
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-25
A fabulous book with insight to homeless men and women that only Steve Lopez can bring. The music references and the "hook" that brought "The Soloist" back from the brink are terrific. I can't wait for the movie.

The Soloist
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-23
I highly recommend this book. It grabbed my attention. It was informative about the real world of homeless people on Skid Row in Los Angeles and the need for greater attention and care to be given to this population. The love and care and acceptance the author felt for the soloist was extraordinary. It is a book of love and hope.

Television
Skipped Parts: A Novel
Published in Paperback by Riverhead Trade (2000-07-01)
Author: Tim Sandlin
List price: $13.00
New price: $6.81
Used price: $3.46

Average review score:

Hilarious Dark Comedy
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-11
I laughed my head off while reading this book! I was actually sad when it was over! The characters are unique, hilarious, and impossible not to fall in love with. This is a dark comedy full of witty one-liners, zany situations, and a lot of sexual content. This book is not for the faint of heart.

Hilarious!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-06
You will laugh out loud, this book is truly hysterical. I am a new Tim Sandlin fan - Sorrow Floats and Social Blunders are just as good. Highly recommended!!

Good Idea -- Feeble Execution
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-11
On the positive side this book was sometimes amusing. The story idea of two thirteen-year-old's experimentation with sex and resulting in a pregnant seventh grader was promising though poorly executed. None of the main characters are believable, not the narrator, Sam, not his girlfriend Maurey, and not his mother Lydia. The motivations and thought patterns of the adolescents especially lacked any power to convey belief. This novel should probably have stayed in the form of Mr. Sandlin's puerile fantasies, from which it sprung.

A sweet novel about underage sex!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-20
With "Skipped Parts", Tim Sandlin has assembled all the elements needed for a great book. Memorable characters, a good setting, tight pacing, a great plotline and wonderful dialogue.

The main character, Sam, is a thirteen-year-old boy. He puts me in mind of myself at that age, actually. Very prone to dreams and fantasies. He meets a girl, Maurey, also thirteen. Before long, these highly intelligent children are losing their virginities to each other. Not long after that, they discover that, oops, a girl can get pregnant before her first period.

This is the start of a series. I haven't read the other parts yet, but I really liked this one. I also enjoyed Skipped Parts, the movie based on this book, though bizzarrely they changed the kids to fourteen instead of thirteen.

This is a very good, sweet book recommended for pretty much anyone over the age of about eight or nine. Highly enjoyable!

A Really Special Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-02
In Sam Callahan, Sandlin creates one of the great characters of recent American literature. Equal parts Walter Mitty and Holden Caulfield, Sam is a hilarious narrator with a truly unique voice. If the book were nothing more than a series of comic misadventures of Sam and his irreverent Southern Belle mother, Lydia as they are transplanted from the good ol' south to rural Wyoming, it would be a great read.

However, Skipped Parts is far more than that. Beyond Sam and Lydia, Sandlin populates GroVont with no end of fascinating characters--almost all multidimensional and colorful--the kind of folks you only find in quirky places like Sicily, Alaska. In this book, its easy to imagine that folks like Dot,Hank Elkrunner and the old guys who populate the local diner have interesting lives and stories outside of the light they shed on the main characters and that they didn't just show up in the scenes to move the plot along. This gives the story an incredible richness.

Beyond that, the book has a heart as big as the Tetons and frequently wears it on its sleeve. Rarely is a book so laugh out loud funny also so poignant and touching. There are moments that are truly noble, truly sad and truly beautiful and its a credit to Sandlin that none of them seem contrived. If you can get past the stuff about precocious 13 teen year olds experimenting with sex, you find a great novel about growing up, dealing with family, redemption and the endless disappointments and possibilities of life. A wonderful, wonderful book.

Television
Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window
Published in Hardcover by Kodansha America (1982-09)
Author: Chihiru Kuroyanagi
List price: $14.95
Used price: $1.77
Collectible price: $15.01

Average review score:

GREAT BOOK for EVERY ONE.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-11
I have this book since 1984 when Tetsuko Kuroyanagi became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. I was in 7th grade at that time. I have read it over 20 times. Every time, I found joyful, happiness, and touching. But I lost it when we moved. I did get an used one. And I have read it over and over again. This book inspired me to study Japaneses. I love it. GREAT BOOK for children and for adult. READ IT if you want to find your childhood and refill your imagination.

Gentle Leadership
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-12
In 1969 I was part of a group of teachers who created a school much like that featured in Toto Chan. We thought we were on the "cutting edge" of educational practices without knowing that a school in Japan had been delivering many of the same holistic, humanistic educational practices over a quarter of a century before. I'm sure many U.S. educators who thought/think they were/are in the vanguard of educational practices would appreciate this beautiful story of a dedicated educator and his students.

Ascending the status of a classic
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-02
Honestly I read this book over 25 years ago and thought that this book has long been discontinued. I guess this proves what a time-tested treasure it is. The author, a TV celebrity in Japan, recalls her childhood and the unorthodox school she went to. Absolutely adoring in the simple story of how a concerned mother tried to do the best for her daughter and how a simple man did his best to give a bright and meaningful future to the few children who comes into his life.

It is the type of book that makes you wish that there were more teachers like him and that you had a teacher like him.

The little girl who grew up to help so many other little girls &boys.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-14
This is one of my all-time favorite books. First published in Japan in 1981, this beautiful book depicting the true story of innocent little Totto-chan, her family, friends, and above all, the innovating educationer she befriends in the years leading up to, and during the first years of WW2, remains a national best seller in Japan to this day. I don't have any children of my own, but if I did, and if Tomoe-Gakuen (the elementary school Totto-chan attends) existed today, I would immediately enroll my children there. Since there is not, I hope I have the good luck of finding somebody like Sosaku Kobayashi to help make my child the happiest and kindest child in the world.

It was due to this book's beauty that then UNICEF Executive Director, James P. Grant persuaded those working at UNICEF to appoint the author, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (who is Totto-chan grown up), to UNICEF's International Goodwill Ambassador, enabling her to visit and help children in need all over the world.

For people who have read this book and those who have not, I also recommend "Totto-Chan's Children : A Goodwill Journey to the Children of the World" by the same author. It tells the story of Totto-chan grown up, still big-hearted as ever, striving to help children in need. Check it out!

Unforgettably good
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-12
I have not read a better book which has made me laugh, cry, love, and ponder over is such a way! This book is awesome and worth much more than 5 stars.

Television
Das Leonardo Dicaprio Album
Published in Paperback by Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Zweigniederlassung de (1998-12-31)
Author: Brian Robb
List price:
Used price: $19.39
Collectible price: $39.70

Average review score:

AwEsomE!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-04
I love this book! Of course, I love EVERY book about Leo! but this one was one of the first ones i bought about 3 or 4 years ago, so it'll always be one of my favorites :-) i recommend it

It was a fantastic book!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-12-18
This book was really fantastic!! I love Leo. He is one of the most beautiful men on Earth. I love him more than any one of you wannabes out there.

MUST FOR EVERY LEONARDO FAN!!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1998-12-08
this book is exelent! many pics (great ones!!!) and lots of info about his films, his life etc. also well writen with many quotes, his or his co-stars in several films. helps you descover many things about him. generaly great book..!!!! you must buy it!!!

a wonderful book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-02
i think the book was great, i learn so many things about leonardo, he seems to be such a wonderful person,very kind hearted,i love his pictures, anyone who is interested in leonardo dicaprio, i recommend this book, it's great.. ..

Not worth it.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-14
Although this is a good book for slavering preadolescent female fans who don't understand words more than two syllables in length, the book was unsatisfactory for anyone but the most devoted. Containing quotes, pictures and a short bio, get this one for your daughter only if you want to waste your money.

Television
The Inextinguishable Symphony: A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany
Published in Hardcover by Wiley (2000-08-18)
Author: Martin Goldsmith
List price: $32.50
New price: $2.93
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $32.50

Average review score:

Beautifully Haunting ...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-28
My bookclub is entering into its Holocaust Month. Someone recommended this book to me last year and I thought, it sounded interesting enough to read. Interesting just barely describes this book. Haunting is more the word that I think of when I finished this book. Incredibly lucky are two more words.

There are so many books out there about the Holocaust that it can be confusing sometimes to read what. This book definitely should be read simply because it's beautifully moving, tragically sad and not only that, it provides a different viewpoint of what happened during the early years of Nazihood in Germany and before the "Final Solution" was proposed to exterminate the Jews. This happened and I don't recall hearing much about any of this till I read this book. Before Hitler and Goring proposed the death camps and just while trying to get rid of Germany of the non-Aryan blood, they came up with a solution that provides entertainment and music/art/theater productions just for the Jews. This is a place for the Jews to retreat to. They were only allowed to play Jewish pieces written by Jewish artists/musicans. And they were left alone in the 30s and early 40s. Well, not quite completely left alone as they still had to follow the Nazi rules. But it was a place of refuge for the Jews, especially in Berlin.

This book, while devoting a huge portion to the Kulturbund and its orgins, the author writes of his personal family history. His mother and father were musicans in the Kulturbund. And they suffered horrible tragedies as the war progressed over the years. However, they were young, in love and naive like a lot of people were. They did manage to escape Germany but they also managed to leave behind family members which have haunted them and their children even to this day. It is very intense reading at times and with hindsight on the reader's part, it is very hard to fathom their optimism that things will work out ok in the end. Not only that, this book brings up the question of whether or not the Kulturbund was good for the Jews or kept them compliant enough to keep them in Germany instead of escaping to other countries, so the Nazis could gas them too. This book is haunting and disturbing. The questions that the author may have unknowingly stirred are now raised in my mind ... and the answers are not easy to figure out.

This is not your typical Holocaust book nor is it like the other books about the camps ~~ this book simply tells a tale of two musicans who were unfortunate to be caught up in the times that stirred Germany (and the world) ~~ but yet, their love of music has sustained them through the years before they left Germany. Are they heros? Not in the sense that we associate it with. They are more like survivors and like all survivors, they carry a burden of guilt that resounded through the years. But it is a book that honors the memory of those who were left behind in a time of turmoil that even today, still vibrates through the years.

9-28-07

A different Holocaust story
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-26
MG's story of his family during the early Nazi era is an unusual glimpse into the lives of German Jews during the period from 1933-1941. He writes about the Kulturbund, an organization created by the Nazis to (1) rid Germany of Jewish influence in the arts and (2) provide propaganda coverage of the maltreatment of Jews by the Third Reich.

In my opinion the book is generally well written and seems to be the result of careful research. My one complaint is that MG frequently quotes conversations which I doubt have been recorded in any way. I don't like that in historical writing, but in this case I was willing to overlook it, because of my interest in the story.

A Very Moving Book
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-01
This story was impossible to put down and when you finish, it stays with you for a very long time. Its hard to believe that Gunther and Rosemary didn't make every effort to help their parents emigrate to U. S. What really bothers me most is, not being Jewish, what would I have done in Germany in the late thirties and early forties when I saw these atrocities happening?

Wow
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-09
I listened to Martin Goldsmith on "Performance Today" (and still listen to his successor, Fred Child) for many years. This man who for years described classical music on the radio -- composers and their life story, pieces and their histories, in accessible, engaging, and lightly humorous ways, and even sometimes tied it in to his love of baseball -- he also has an extraordinary family story. It's moving and well-written, and makes me think about the extraordinary stories that must dwell in the depths of my own geneological past.

A son's voyage of discovery of his parents' nightmarish past
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-06
What do we really know about our parents' life before we were born? That depends largely, I guess, on how much of an interest we show - and on how much they are willing to reveal. Because in the life of every person there are instances and times they rather wish to forget, and not revive time and again by discussion, even if only among their nearest and dearest.

Such, in the lives of author Martin Goldsmith's parents, were the years from 1933 through 1941; so much so, in fact, that Goldsmith likens that time to the massive ash tree in the house of Germanic warlord Hunding, the setting of the first scene of Richard Wagner's opera "Die Walkuere:" Something looming large, yet never openly acknowledged. Because before George Gunther Goldsmith, furniture and home decorating salesman of Cleveland, Ohio, and his wife Rosemary, a violinist with the St. Louis Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, became American citizens in 1947, they had lived a whole other life - the hunted life of Jews in Adolf Hitler's Germany. And only years after his mother's death, on a trip to his father's home town of Oldenburg, did Goldsmith catch the first glimpses of what was hidden behind that massive ash tree, and George Goldsmith began to talk about the events which his, the Goldschmidt family had witnessed there; as well as the early life of Rosemarie nee Gumpert in Duesseldorf, the couple's first meeting in Frankfurt, and their later life in Berlin until their lucky escape to the United States. Beginning with this visit, Martin Goldsmith retraced his family's path to the early years of the 20th century, when his paternal grandfather Alex Goldschmidt took residence in Oldenburg, and his maternal grandfather Julian Gumpert settled in Duesseldorf.

How intensely personal this voyage into the past must have been becomes clear in the account of Goldsmith's visit to Oldenburg prison, as a participant in a march retracing the path taken by the Jews - among them the author's grandfather - driven through the streets of Oldenburg in 1938 by Nazi thugs, to later be shipped off (at least temporarily) to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. But although he writes about his very own family, and now in full knowledge of their fate, Goldsmith's narrative is in no way sentimental. With a journalist's detachment he talks about Guenther and Rosemarie, Alex, Julian and their wives and other children; turning a nonfiction account whose outcome is clear from the very start into a heartstopping tale few would be able to believe if presented with it under colors other than that of the plain historic truth.

Prominently featured in Goldsmith's account is the Jewish Culture Association, or Juedischer Kulturbund; as of 1933 the German Jews' only permitted artistic organization, in whose orchestra Guenther and Rosemarie had met and which had formed the center of their life until they finally left the country. One of the most controversial institutions of Nazi Germany, it reunited what was left of the country's Jewish musicians, artists, writers and composers - providing a modicum of shelter in an increasingly hostile environment, but also a convenient tool in the Nazi propaganda machine. Were the members of the Kulturbund instrumentalized to deceive public opinion, at home and abroad, about the true intentions of Hitler's government? By giving their Jewish audience a sense of comfort and "belonging," did they also prevent some of them from rescuing themselves when there still would have been time? The surviving members of the "Kubu" and their families, interviewed by Goldsmith, come down on both sides of the issue; and the fate of the survivors is probably as symptomatic as that of the many who ultimately did perish in Nazi concentration camps - chiefly among those the Kulturbund's charismatic founder Dr. Singer, who not only let himself deceive into returning to Germany after already having reached the safe shores of the U.S. but saw a mark of distinction even in his deportation to the "model" concentration camp of Theresienstadt.

Yet, for Guenther and Rosemarie the years with the Kulturbund were dominated, above all, by the musical companionship they experienced. What does seem to have haunted them most for the rest of their lives, however, was their very escape to America, while their remaining family members were stuck in Europe and, one way or another, died in Hitler's concentration camps - and the feeling that with a little effort they just *might* have saved at least some of them. The letters of Alex Goldschmidt and his younger son Helmut, written to Guenther from captivity in France after their own unsuccessful attempt to flee to Cuba, are among the most chilling testimonials contained in this book; and the decision to translate and include them conceivably cannot have been an easy one for Goldsmith. Indeed, it apparently was the knowledge of his family's fate that, all talent and love of music aside, eventually compelled George Goldsmith to forever retire the flute which, in his life as Guenther Goldschmidt, had been the only item of true importance besides his beloved wife Rosemarie; thus punishing himself in a way no outsider could have done. Yet, the couple's gift for music lives on in their son, who in his own way has brought many hours of joy to radio listeners all over the U.S.

Martin Goldsmith's "Inextinguishable Symphony" - named for Danish composer Carl Nielsen's Fourth Symphony, which sets music, as a parable for life itself, against war, terror and destruction - is as much a personal journey of discovery as a journalist's account of historic facts; seeking to understand rather than to judge. It deals with a time in which morality was thoroughly upset by a profoundly immoral regime, which cannot possibly have remained without effect on anybody who witnessed those events. In applying our own values to those facts, I think we would all do well in being careful to, likewise, make a thorough effort to understand before we judge. Goldsmith's insightful account is a great place to begin such a process.

Also recommended:
The Jewish Response to German Culture: From the Enlightenment to the Second World War (Tauber Institute)
The Pianist
WITNESS: Voices from the Holocaust
Hitler
Holocaust
Conspiracy
The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music
The Beatles Come to America (Turning Points in History)

Television
Without You : The Tragic Story of Badfinger (with 72 minute cd)
Published in Paperback by Frances Glover Books (2000-08)
Author: Dan Matovina
List price: $29.95

Average review score:

Cool book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-20
This is probably one of the few books you are going to find about Badfinger, who are another very essential but overlooked rock band. Sure they had hits, but they got screwed over. The book arrived in great shape and very quickly, so I was completely happy with everything.

My brother LOVED his present
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-01
I ordered this for my brother's birthday and he loved it! The book arrived in perfect shape. This is one of my brother's favorite bands from 'back in the day'!!! He was very happy with it. Thanks

The greatest tribute to the greatest power pop band in music
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-25
The most engrossing band bio I've ever read, and also one of the saddest stories in music. I find it funny that the two biggest debunkers of the author of this book are also two people who haven't read it! The story spans the very beggining, when they were known as the Iveys, to the ASCAP debacle in which Pete Ham and Tom Evans were utterly disrespected in front of an audience for their wonderful accomplishment of having written Without You. No stone is left unturned and unfortuntely some of the people involved should crawl back under theirs but haven't.

Dear Joey and Kathie: You can fool some of the people, but you haven't fooled me. At least Pete doesn't have a grave, or else I'm sure you would have been dancing on it quite happily. Why did you have to be part of the problem?

THE BADFINGER STORY
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-30
A wonderful book. I knew very little about this band other than a couple of great songs I heard on the radio in the early 70's. By the time I finished the book I felt like I'd known them all my life. I couldn't help but get emotionally involved in their plight...Highly recommend

A handbook on what not to do in the music biz
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-30
The "tragic" story of Badfinger couldn't be a better title for this book or this band. So much talent and ability and such bad management and naivete' destroyed not just a band but many lives in the process. I believe every young musician should read this book and learn from their mistakes.

Television
Don't Block the Blessings
Published in Paperback by Berkley (1997-09-01)
Author: Patti Labelle
List price: $6.99
New price: $20.56
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

Great Read!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-07
Oh I love this book, couldn't put it down. Mrs. Patti puts her foot in it the good, the bad and the ugly.. but comes out still shining. I can't wait to get another one of her books..

Don't Block the Blessings
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-15
I have yet to read this book, but it is in good condition.

AWESOME BOOK
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-24
This book is one of the best autobiographies I've ever read. Not only is it filled with details of Patti's life, it also takes you to the lessons that she's learned from the time when she was a shy little girl, to life as a megastar. This book will truly touch your heart as you cheer on the diva that is Patti LaBelle.

Joy to read this book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-11
Congratulations, A reflective autobiography with some depth and truth. Before reading Patti's, I read Aretha's, which I ultimately felt like tossing in the middle of the street! Great job! I thought the book was very inviting to the personal side of Patti. I have always admired how forthcoming she has been with the public in relation to her late sisters. This book can truly encourage one to live life, as well as love and appreciate life.
However, there are a few things I would like to clear up, which I found inaccurate or inappropriate. The Jackie Wilson episode I found rather distasteful, particularly since he is not around to defend himself(it was o.k. to slander Al Green). Also, as I had to do with Gladys in her book, I need to clarify a few inaccurate points you raised in your book. In reading your relationship with Atlantic Records in the 1960's, one is left with the impression your group wasn't given a fair shot due to the success of Aretha. Well, that's not totally true, since you were with the label two years before she signed on. It just wasn't your time yet! Now is your time. You sound greater and look more beautiful than ever. You have a wonderful spirit in which people adore you far and near. You are truly a blessing. Wonderful job.

What a blessing to read!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-10
Patty LaBelle is amazing. She has an incredible voice, a career full of ups and downs, and can bring down the house in concert. This book is just another triumph for a lady who deserves all the accolades she receives. With absolute honesty, she reveals so much about her life--from sexual abuse to the fear of dying of cancer like her sisters and good friend--you feel that Ms. LaBelle has given you all that she can. Throughout her life, she has faced a good deal of challenges but has emerged with a positive attitude about life and can still entertain with the best of them. I have seen her in concert 3 times and she blew me away each time. This book does the same. After reading the dismal biography of Aretha Franklin (From the Roots), I realized what a gem this is. If you wanna read a really good book about an incredible entertainer, give this one a go. Its worth every penny!

Television
The Stanley Kubrick Archives
Published in Hardcover by Taschen (2005-04-01)
Author:
List price: $200.00
New price: $567.81
Used price: $425.00
Collectible price: $525.00

Average review score:

Disappointing
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-12-03
It was nice to see a lot of the images i've never seen before but a lot of my favorite images were between the creases of the bind. The print quality was poor dingy and dark, at least on my copy, very disappointed in the quality especially from taschen who usually do great work. But the price is good.

Way over my expectations
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-25
Exceeded my expectations. I re-watched every movie as i read the book. Highly recommend it. It is obvious how much work, effort and time they have put into it.

For Loyal Fans Only
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-09
More information on the Man than one thought possible. This book is for the truly dedicated fans of Kubrick. Photo stills are taken from the same film that you saw in the theater. Beautiful. The only Big disappointment was that my book did NOT contain the film strip that came in the first printing of this book. The small print neglects to tell you that! This book is made very well and should be cherished for generations.

Excellent book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-21
Much has already been said about the quality of the book. I personally find that the book is a due tribute. I also must say that I have not found something on Kubrick of comparable depth.

On the content side, I would have liked to see more info on the projects that were not realized, especially on "Napoleon". And I didn't find a lot of value on the CD, since it's a spoken track instead of some audiovisual material. Nevertheless, as I said before, I haven't been able to find anything comparable to this book on Kubrick. The written material is of excellent quality, as are the pictures and graphics.

I see that Taschen is issuing a new version for it's 25th anniversary. As I understand it, it will be out on Oct/2008.

In conclusion, I am the proud and happy owner of an excellent piece of work.

A reminder for those who wants this new print.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-18
Just got the book today. I don't ever get to see the original prints so I dont' know if there's anything difference compare to this newly released copy which now I own. I want to make sure you do aware of this.....
THIS NEW 2008 RELEASE DO NOT COME WITH THE 2001 FILMSTRIP AND THE AUDIO INTERVIEW CD.
However, if you look around the internet, you might be able to find the CD material.*wink*
Please don't ask me for a copy. I don't own one.
I give it 4/5 star for not having the CD and filmstrip. Else, it's a must have for Kubrick fans.


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