Television Books

This book is fantastic! I loved reading about my favorite show. I was able to get the book the last time I was in Ireland and I was so excited when I saw it. The book gives you all the information you ever wanted to know about Ballkissangel. The book has amazing pictures of everyone in the cast. It has pictures of the cast from different episodes and showing them when they are not in front of the camara. I recommend this book for anyone who is a big fan of BallyK.

This is a great book! It gives you a wonderful variety of behind the scenes photos and information, as well as, giving a photo and brief synopsis of each episode of the first two seasons. There is also a similar section on each character. The cover art is beautiful! It is definately worth the price and I feel you'll enjoy it as much as I have or more.

With plenty of participation and anecdotes from all involved in the production (the producer, writers, directors and actors), this lovely little book provides a delightful behind-the-scenes look at this warm-hearted comedy-drama.

The book deals with how the idea for the series came about, how a town was chosen to represent Ballykissangel (whose name, incidentally, is Gaelic for "The Town of the Banished Angel"), the impact that the series has had on that town (Avoca, in County Wicklow) and its inhabitants. The book also touches on how a few of the effects were achieved, like the burning of Kathleen's house and the statue crashing through the roof of Ambrose's car. Included are brief 2-3 page bios of the actors and the characters they portray. Finally, there is an episode guide covering the first two series (the last episode of which is "Chinese Whispers").

Written by Geoff Tibballs, this beautiful little book is a 7 1/2" x 10" 128-page hardcover printed on thick, high-quality paper, and it is loaded with colour pictures (mostly scenes from the series).

In conclusion, this is a thoroughly enjoyable and informative little behind-the-scenes look at one of the most charming and gently amusing comedy-drama series around. Highly recommended.

If you are a fan of the show, this book is a MUST. It has bios of each member of the cast and the creator, information on the location, filming and creation of the show, and synopsis' of the first three series(seasons).

Bart does not disapoint!
Simpsons Rule _ every bart fan should read this book at least twice!

great stuff

My son loves the Simpsons and wasn't too into reading. I thought what better way to get him into reading than buying him books about his beloved Simpsons. Sure enough he sat down with it and read it cover to cover without getting off the couch.

This slim little volume features everything you'd ever want to know about one of your favorite Simpsons characters, Bart. The book opens with a timeline reviewing all the significant milestones in Bart's life. The various "Bart Zones" sections describe in detail some of Bart's most-visited sites, including the school cafeteria and his tree house. Also featured are significant people in Bart's life, from his school friends and enemies to the girls who have stolen his heart. Of course, a book without Bart wouldn't be complete without some mischievousness, so you'll also get some ideas for making prank telephone calls as well as suggestions for Bart's "Dream Tattoos." Finally, the book begins and ends with Bart's Top 40 and his Bottom 40, respectively. A great stocking stuffer for any die-hard Simpsons fan!

Brilliant! Includles profiles of characters like Fat Tony, as well as valuable sections such as "pullable pranks." Almost every page is a new original concept with one of the highlights being a delightful review of how to annoy adults by having "...fun with facial muscles." And did you know that Bart plans to change his name to Steve Bennett when he is older?

AC Carroll
Salt Lake City, Utah

THIS IS A SYNOPSIS ABOUT SEASON 2 OF B G. IT COVERS EACH EPISODE, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, COSTUMES, SPECIAL EFFECTS AND SO ON. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK WITH ALOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES INFO ALONG WITH WHY THE PRODUCERS AND WRITERS DID WHAT THEY DID. ALSO INCLUDED ARE INTERVIEWS WITH THE ACTORS WHO DISCUSS THE SHOW AND THEIR CHARACTERS AND WHERE THE SHOW MIGHT EVENTUALLY GO. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL B G FANS. I READ THE FIRST SEASON AND WILL READ THE 3RD AND 4TH (WHEN AVAILABLE). THIS IS A MUST READ. SO SAY WE ALL.

Compared to official guides for other shows, the companions to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA simply cannot be beat for enhancing the enjoyment of the episodes. Most official guides tend to do two things. First, they provide a critically neutral description of the episodes individually and the season as a whole. Second, they tend to repackage pretty much whatever one as a viewer can pick up on their own.

If you look at the official guides to BUFFY or FARSCAPE you'll see what I'm talking about. The best route with BUFFY is to get the unofficial guides. These unofficial guides are written without much contribution by the creators, producers, writers, or cast, but they at least have an independent point of view. The BSG official companions, however, while not critical from the author's viewpoint, are remarkably frank in providing critical assessments by the producers and directors and actors and writers as to what did and did not work in an episode. Any fan of BSG will recognize upon watching that "Black Market" and "Sacrifice" are not highlights of the show, but it is incredibly refreshing to read statements by Ron Moore and David Eick and Jamie Bamber that indicate that they, too, believe "Black Market" was not a successful episode. Take the official guide to BUFFY and read what it says about "Beer Bad" or "Some Assembly Required." You'll get no hint that these are considered among the worst BUFFY episodes ever. But in the BSG companions you'll not only see the creative team agreeing with you on the weaker episodes, but they will provide additional insight into why they don't work. So on the first of the two points mentioned above, the BSG guides are head and shoulders above other official guides.

On the second point, i.e., the regurgitation of stuff you can get yourself on an alert viewing, the BSG companions also shine. Probably 80% of the contents of the books are not directly accessible to a fan of the show. For instance, in reading about the casting of Admiral Cain, I was unaware that they first approached Sigourney Weaver, Jessica Lange, and Angelica Houston before asking Michelle Forbes if she was interested in the role (though I have to add that it is inconceivable to me that any of those fine actresses could have been more effective than Forbes, who was simply outstanding). As with the first companion, there are substantial interviews with all the concerned parties about how an episode came together.

My lone disappointment with this volume is that it possibly contained less information not directly concerned with specific episodes. The reason for this is obvious. Whereas the Season Two companion was restricted to the same length as the Season One companion, the second season featured 20 episodes as opposed to the first seasons 13, along with the miniseries. This volume thus had more episodes to discuss.

Still, I think many fans will find this as enjoyable as I have. I'm aware that there are some who prefer the kind of guide that I abhor, one that gives a glossily regurgitated summation of what happens in each episode. I generally find these kinds of guides worthless. Give me one like BSG any day! I want behind the scenes scoop, not a repetition of what I can easily see for myself.

Companion books on the shelf are a key indicator of "nerd-hood". I think BSG (nerd) is one of the best shows on TV. It's more than Sci-Fi, it's a drama that happens in space. This book is a useful reference tool should you develop an interest in what goes on beyond the screen.

my short and sweet opinion of this book is a great have for the Battlestar Galactica Fan. A lot of Sci-Fi and Tech information with great information and wonderful pictures. If You are thinking of a low-cost gift for a BSG Fan, this book along with the Season One Book is a great buy.
So Say We All

Pete Pedersen was a man blessed of numerous musical and comedic abilities who entertained audiences around the world for the better part of six decades. That his was not a household name outside of various music circles is a testament to a man dedicated more to the collaborative nature of his craft and the pleasure it brings to people, than he was in living in the spotlight. In "Be Of Good Cheer," soul mate and confidant Jaine Rodack chronicles his remarkably diverse life.

Through Jaine's detailed yet easygoing narrative, the reader gets to share in Pete's journey - from his childhood days in Chicago and the excited teenager leaving home for the first time to tour with the Harmonica Rascals, to his life as a stand-up comedian, studio musician, jingle writer, arranger and legendary performer, and everything in between - in a way rarely experienced from a biography. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from beginning to end and recommend it highly. Jaine takes you into Pete's world with such ease that it is hard to part company once you are there. Indeed, you don't so much read her book, as feel a part of warm conversation between friends.

This is a delightful account of Pete Pedersen, harmonica legend, and the events and people that shaped his life. The author has a way of weaving the anecdotes and characters into a story that is funny, touching, and most of all, very personal. As I was reading the book, I felt as though I was right there in the room with Pete, Fuzzy, Borrah Minevich and all the Rascals. I could hear their voices. I could actually hear the music!
I strongly recommend "Be of Good Cheer" to everyone who enjoys a heartwarming tale.

This book is a terrific read. For musicians and music buffs, there are revealing glimpses of Pete Pedersen, a harmonica legend, world-class story teller, and all around class act. Then there are the stories--many in Pedersen's own words--about the Harmonica Rascals as they grew famous and encountered other famous people such as Mel Torme, Perry Como and Ray Bolger. For those who appreciate nostalgia, the writer manages to capture and share the very essence of earlier times. And for readers who like great characters, "Be of Good Cheer" is a treasure trove. This is a magical book. Every memoir should be so engaging.

An excellent review of Mr Pedersen's life as a composer, arranger, harmonica artist, instructor, and friend. A very touching story that includes much of Pete's own words as he recorded his life on the road, as well as his personal thoughts on various situations, with his pocket recorder. Many photos included showing his relationship with friends, musicians, and family. A story that needed to be told, and I am so fortunate that I had a small part in his life. Recommend this book to all whose lives he touched.

It would be called the "Smart Thinking" song, because that's exactly what into putting together something like this. This book combines seven "Bear in the Big Blue House" titles into a single hardback book. Some are based on episodes of the television show, others are original stories.

There are seven stories in this one: "Best Friends," "Mystery at the Big Blue House," "The Big Blue House Call," "A Surprise in the Mailbox," "Two Can Share, Too," "Spring Has Sprung!" and "The Way I Feel Today." I can't fault these choices --- they're all wonderful selections from the library of books from the series. The only change made is that the pages are renumbered so that a single table of contents for the entire book is used --- a quick reference to find the place of each story.

I'm glad to have this book -- in hardcover it's more sturdy than the paperback single versions. Most of the illustrations are the photos of the characters with the props and sets drawn in, but two stories are only drawn, even the characters. I much prefer the photo style, but I expect this won't matter to everyone. (My preference would be for all-photo, as if it were the TV program, but they don't seem to do that except for some cover art.)

The stories and illustrations in this book are sure to delight those, both young and old, who love "Bear In The Big Blue House". All the favourite characters come to life when my nephew and his wife read the stories to their two littlies.

My 2 year old loves Bear and loves this book. The language is age appropriate and still manages to put a "big" word in here and there. The artwork is lovely and the stories are episodes of Bear. We usually read two per night, I have to limit him.

I highly recommend this to all Bear-Fans!

"Beethoven" by Barry Cooper is much more than I had hoped when I ordered the book. I have been a lover of Beethoven's music for years. I always liked the movie "Immortal Beloved" and wondered how true to life the story was. As it turns out, the movie is only loosely based on Beethoven's life. There are many ficticious episodes in the movie (the writers raked his name through the mud!) and it perpetuates many ill-conceived rumors and stories. As is often the case, reality is even better than fiction. This book reveals Beethoven a the upstanding, devout and charitable personality one who is familiar with his music would expect to find.

Beethoven's life makes for an amazing and entertaining story - especially in juxtuposition to the music that he lived to create. This book super-analyzes the significant pieces from his career - almost to a fault. If you are very learned in musical and compositional theory, this analysis will be a strong point. If, however, you have less knowledge of musical form, this book can get a little difficult at times. This did not reduce my enjoyment by much (I still rated it 5-stars) because the book is so strong in every aspect. This is THE book to read if you want to learn about Beethoven.

As a Beethoven fan I was initially attracted to the cover of this book, until I discovered its contents. The amount and quality of information is outstanding and Barry Cooper doesn't spare any words to guide us through the life, creative process and personality of this incredible composer. In a nutshell, a book not to be missed by any classical music enthusiast.

This surprisingly engaging and informative biography of Beethoven is written as a continuous narrative history, and is certainly a work that any Beethoven enthusiast would wish to have in the library. At some 400 pages of small text, the work is a carefully researched and highly detailed piece which presents a comprehensive portrait of this musical genius. Beethoven "comes alive" in the work, and one forgets that the work is describing a person who passed away some two centuries ago.

The work integrates Beethoven's personal life with a critical look at his musical work. This approach allows us to not only understand the entire opus of collected works, but to place individual pieces into the unfolding context of Beethoven's life. There is no sparing of details, but the book is nevertheless able to convey these details in a manner that doesn't require us to be musical experts to understand the descriptions. We also find in the text some eminently interesting details, such Beethoven's estimation of George Frederic Handel as the greatest of composers, a preference for Streicher pianos, and Beethoven's wrestling with the "finale problem" that kept his "Symphony in C," now sometimes nicknamed "Symphony 0," permanently unfinished. But these are just interesting notes in a symphony of words which Cooper has put together for us: the entire work is an immense musical play which we observe with great interest and pleasure.

The book also provides some very helpful informational addenda which serve as continuing reference for our Beethoven studies. These include a comprehensive "calendar" of Beethoven's life from 1770 to 1827 (including for each entry the year, Beethoven's current age, the event, and contemporary musicians and musical events), a comprehensive listing of Beethoven's works (including WoO, Hess, and opus numbers as appropriate), and a small personality glossary describing key people in Beethoven's life.

The book is an easy recommend to the Beethoven enthusiast, the music student, or the Beethoven scholar. The work easily stands on its own as a solid piece of historical scholarship, but when coupled with a good collection of Beethoven recordings (say, the Deutsche Grammophon "Complete Beethoven Edition" CD-ROM series), the work serves as a continuing reference for anyone wishing to know more about Beethoven's music.

The work of great artists is inexhaustible. In Beethoven's case, his music remains a stunning achievement. His achievement as a composer, together with the nature of his character, his deafness, his thwarted love affairs, and his relationships to his musical predecessors and successors, has led to a fascination with him and to a literature that is likely to be written and rewritten as long as people listen to his music. As is Beethoven's music, and is is history, Beethoven's life and character, and the means by which one is to understand them, are open to a multitude of approaches.

In his Preface, Cooper writes (at x) that "surprisingly little is known for certain about Beethoven." He points out that some studies, such as Maynard Solomon's fine biography that appeared shortly before Cooper's own, featured a psychoanalytical approach to Beethoven that attempted a fuller explanation of Beethoven's character than those that had been attempted by other writers at the cost of questionable psychological theory and speculation in the face of a scarcity of evidence. Cooper endeavors to write a biography that holds closer to the known facts about Beethoven's life and to emphasize those facts that may shed life on his activities as a composer.

Cooper also spends a great deal of his book analysing the music itself. There are lengthy accounts of the origins of the symphonies, concertos, quartets, sonatas,songs, masses, of Fidelio, of the folksongs and other parts of Beethoven's output. There are generous musical analyses and quotations. I was particularly impressed with Cooper's attention to some of Beethoven's work that is not as well known as it deserves to be, such as the Opus 7 piano sonata, the Creatures of Prometheus Ballet, and the oratorio, Christ on the Mount of Olives. These works are analyzed insightfully and lovingly.

As Cooper acknowledges, his study is perhaps less detailed than is Solomon's on Beethoven's life. His book does, however, offer its own perspective on Beethoven. Broadly speaking, Cooper is more sympathetic to certain aspects of Beethoven's actions than has been the case with many other writers. Unlike Solomon, Cooper takes Beethoven's side, for the most, part, in his dispute with his sister-in-law over the custody of Karl, Beethoven's nephew. Also, he disputes Solomon's account that Beethoven frequented prostitutes. In both these matters, I am not sure that Cooper has the better of the evidence. The portrayal endeavors to see Beethoven favorably without making him something different than a human being with fallibilities.

I also found interesting Cooper's discussion of Beethoven's religious views. Beethoven's views on such matters, as is the case with the views of any thinking person on these matters, were highly personal and difficult for a third party, such as a biographer writing 250 years after the fact, to ascertain and expound. Cooper acknowledges that Beethoven was not for most of his life a practicing Christian but finds him a devout believer in God as the source of human morality. Solomon's account emphasizes more Beethoven's predilection towards the Enlightenment. A difficult question, and I suspect that Beethoven had components of both views in him.

Too many recent biographers feel a need to deprecate their subjects. This is definitely not Cooper's approach to Beethoven. (For that matter, it was not Solomon's approach either.) Cooper writes of Beethoven that "despite much sniping from twentieth-century critics, his reputation as a giant among composers remains intact as we enter the twenty-first century." (Preface x)

This book is not hero-worship but it presents an inspiring and historically plausible account of a composer and a man who is worthy to be revered for his vision, attainments and character. This book will be treasured by those who love Beethoven's music. May it encourage the reader to become acquainted or reaquainted with these works of the human spirit.

Our children caught the commercial bug. Try as we might, we couldn't explain the concept to a 4-year old and a 5-year old. They saw kids enjoying cereal, toys and other stuff and figured it had to be good.

The Berenstain Bears book allowed our kids to discuss the bears' problem first before relating it to their own challenge. We bring this book out about 1-2 times per month at bedtime and revisit the concept.

We own several Berenstain Bears books and they have worked very well in helping us instill good values and manners in our children.

My kids love these books. They are fun to read, and at the same time they teach them about daily values of life.
Very nice books for parents to share with their children.

Sister and Brother bear want EVERYTHING they see on the TV Commercials. Whether it is a new cereal or a new candy or a new toy or whatever. They want it and they HAVE to have it.

Mama Bear thinks she should unplug the TV, but then she would miss her show and Papa Bear would miss his.

The cubs keep pestering her to get the things in the Advertisements. So one day Mama decides to let them have everything they want off the TV commercial. They have to eat every bit of cereal and candy and play with all the toys for a month.

The cubs find out the cereal is gross, the candy is too sour, and the toys are lame.

They stop asking for things off the TV.

Children love the Berenstain Bears-- the Berenstain bears have been a source of comfort before dentists' visits, shared important information about safety, and helped in times of transition like new schools or moves. This time, the friendly bears tackle the problem with commercials. Young children are exposed to commercials on TV, the radio, even at school-- this book deals with the "I need that because I saw it on TV" syndrome in a very clever, gentle, and clear way. Highly recommended.

An amazing biography. A work such as this will most likely appeal to only 1 out of 100,000 Amazon customers, but those who read it will never forget it, and once having read it will listen to Berlioz's music with a knowing insider's grin.

Cairns has done what is extremely difficult: he has created an easy-to-read, engaging, yet methodical and thorough modern biography in English of a composer who was born 200 years ago and whose paper trail was written entirely in French. The book has good humor but is not fawning or hagiographic.

A little note (pun intended): this is about Berlioz the man, and not about Berlioz as an ethnomusicologist's project. In other words, this is the study of a young man and how he came to know and create music, but not about that music per se.

Bonne lecture!

This is a wonderful book both for the lay reader and for the musically knowledgeable. It says a great deal about how well written this book is that someone like me who knows nothing about music could still enjoy the book so much. Mr. Cairns takes the tale from the birth of Berlioz in 1803 up until 1832, when he was in his late 20's. You learn about his relationship with his parents, who were opposed to his choice of composer for a career, and his sisters. We are very fortunate that this was a great age for letter writing. Mr. Cairns makes judicious use of the correspondence between Berlioz and his family and friends to the point where you almost feel yourself to be a friend or family member. You get inside the young composer's mind as he tries to convince his parents that his desire to write music is not just a "whim", but something that he is absolutely passionate about and must do. Berlioz was also extremely sensitive and romantic. After seeing the English actress Harriet Smithson perform on stage in several works by Shakespeare he developed an obsessive love for her, even though he had never met her. He had an apartment across the street from where she lived and would longingly watch her comings and goings. He eventually wrote her several notes expressing his feelings but she rebuffed him, quite understandably one would think! (She had also heard a rumor, which was untrue, that he was an epileptic.) Shortly after coming to the realization that Smithson was unattainable Berlioz met the virtuoso pianist Camille Moke and they fell in love with each other and eventually got engaged. Alas, when poor Hector had to go to Rome to live in order to receive grant money from winning the Prix de Rome, Camille dumped him and opted for security by marrying a wealthy man. This soured Hector on women for awhile but did not diminish his love for music, nature and life. Mr. Cairns has been a professional music critic and is also a scholar, so he understands and ably explains the technical aspects of Berlioz's music. I was totally lost in these sections but my ignorance did not diminish my enjoyment of this sympathetic and wonderfully written book.

David Cairns is a great Berlioz scholar. Like to meet him someday. His translation of "Memoirs" is much superior to Newmans.I bought the 1st volume of the biography some years ago when it first came out and the second a couple of years ago when it was first published. I revisit these volumes frequently. Berlioz was one of the really great romantics. At least 50 years before his time. Glad to see SF opera is planning on staging Cellini & B & B over the next few years. Sixtus Beckmesser

This really is one of the best biographies of any subject to come my way.I didn't know a lot of Berlioz's music before approaching this but it didn't actually matter.All the elements of a gripping novel are here only for they're true!-fighting paternal disapproval,living in poverty in Paris,eloping with a virtuoso pianist-it's all here and Cairns paints such an intimate picture that you can't but fail to admire Berlioz and his dogged determination to be a composer and write HIS music only to be continually rebuked in his native homeland.The efforts that the man had to go to just to hear his own music is truly heartbreaking.Biography doesn't get much better than this-especially if you're only even remotely interested in music or art.

Alison J. Waldman crafts a very detailed and comprehensive review of Bette's career until the point the book was written. The best section is the vivid details of the films Bette has made although box office data should have been procured. For fast facts on Bette, there are many and it is nice that a review was included for both the film and music section. To see how a critic felt about Bette's performance whether musically or cinematically is refreshing because it is difficult to find very old reviews from the 80s let alone the 70s. Another interesting section is the details of Bette's possible and still potential projects: to only imagine the various roads Bette career could have taken had she taken some of these projects. A very pleasing book though not as good and comprehensive as Waldman's BARBRA STREISAND SCRAPBOOK. Look for Bette's upcoming tour, her tribute CD to Rosemary Clooney with Barry Manilow and a 2004 film release of STEPFORD WIVES with Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick and Glenn Close. Maybe another of these scrapbooks should be crafted because Bette is getting busy again like she was in the late 90s and 2000.

I thought this book was the most incredible book I've ever read! This is a book for any REAL Bette Midler fan!

After seeing this book on the self, I knew that I had to buy it! The cover alone will grab you in and won't let go. After reading her biography, seeing her life in photographs makes it even more meaningful and special. The Divine Miss M shines through with style and carisma, even through the hard times. This is a classic that cannot be ignored by the "true" Bette Midler fan.

Just so you know I am the hugest ~*Bette Midler*~ fan in the whole solar system and this book just reinforces how incredible she is. She's such an amazing woman and if you don't think so before, you definitly will when you're done reading. Even though I'm just sixteen she's my idol and this book is a must for any real Bette fan!!! :)

Wesley Britton has written an original. In "Beyond Bond," he offers pithy insights on both fictional and real espionage, seamlessly blending discussions of movies, literature, and television. Britton has a fine spy eye, as he shows how few "degrees of separation" there are between fact and fiction. Lucid and intelligent, this is a must-read.

I get many spy books across my desk but Dr. Britton's is outstanding in the field and he has brought exhaustive research to a blend of the real and fictional. Fascinating reading!

Just finished Wes Britton's Beyond Bond. What a fantastic compendium of spy-detective related knowledge! A veritable reference book of interconnected facts about the espionage genre and a great read. Included in the tome is a chronological outline of spy fiction through out the past 100 years. Anyone who thinks James Bond was the first; but wonders where he came from needs to read this book. The best part of the book for me was understanding how life imitates art and vice versa. The actual historical events of the times many times informs art and it's great to see how that happens in this book.

Recommended to anyone who wants a greater understanding of the espionage genre; while specific enough to pique anyone's interest enough to dig further. Enjoy.

Tom Pervanje, www.spy-fi.com. Guitarist for Spy-Fi, spy-detective band.

What an amazing and compelling book about spies and spying throughout history--in literature, entertainment , and fact. This is a must-have treasure especially for all spy movie fans, and anyone else interested or fascinated by why spy?, what makes a spy, how to be a spy, and who has created the spies you know and love.

Wes Britton's 'Beyond Bond' is a must buy for any spy aficionado worth the
radio in his shoe. (Get Smart, for those youngsters amongst us.) Wes
manages to cram more interesting detail about spies into a book than one
would think possible. I have been closely associated musically with the
film spy movement, James Bond Theme, The Prisoner and others, for more than
40 years and this book proves how little I knew. Buy it and enjoy. Vic
Flick
www.vicflick.com

Guitarist on productions of James Bond, The Prisoner, Pink Panther and
others, and for many composers including John Barry, Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith and
Michel LeGrand.