Television Books

Author Joe McGinnis gives an inside view of the highly-controlled, thoroughly-packaged 1968 Presidential campaign of Richard Nixon. Readers see how the Nixon team made its political commercials and stage-managed campaign events in order to manipulate the public. Nixon had lost a close race eight years earlier to John F. Kennedy, in part because he'd looked haggard in his TV debate appearances. This time he and his handlers were determined that Nixon would be scrubbed and scripted while avoiding debates. In short, they peddled Nixon to voters the way corporations promote cars and cosmetics. Nixon had a huge advantage in money and thus television ad buys, and he went on to a narrow victory on Election Day over Democrat Hubert Humphrey. Ironically, Nixon's packaged 1968 effort seems amateurish compared with today's media-specialized, poll-driven campaigns. Consider that in 2004 President Bush used the secret service as his private Gestapo to illegally detain dissenters, and even his supporters had to sign contracts in order to attend his campaign rallies.

Some accused McGinnis of betraying Nixon with this book, a charge later leveled against him when he wrote the true-crime narrative FATAL VISION. Others argue that he did his job and let the public see an un-reported, dark side of politics. Whatever your view, this is a concise, informative, interesting look at political manipulation.

Joe McGinniss joined the Nixon campaign as an observer, and wrote this book of connected stories. Nixon's team had a number of advertising and TV professionals. The book lacks and index and a table of contents. The cover shows Nixon's face on a pack of cigarettes - an apt metaphor. They are heavily advertised, and bad for you in the short and long run. People know this, but they buy them anyway!

Chapter 1 shows Nixon taping commercials for varied markets. "I pledge an all-out war against organized crime in this country." But investigations into organized crime was later halted. Chapter 2 tells us that politics, like advertising, is a con game! Both promise more than they deliver. McGinniss says Nixon lost in 1960 because the camera portrayed him clearly (p.32). I think the TV audience judge he was lying, the radio audience took him at his word. By 1968 Nixon learned how to act sincere. He would appear mellow, not intense; respected, if not loved (p.34). Page 36 explains how this works: saturated TV advertising showing the candidate and giving the desired impression, followed by public appearances where he doesn't say anything. TV would be controlled to transmit the best images (p.38). Chapter 3 tells about Harry Treleaven, who worked on the 1966 campaign for George Bush; he was elected because he was likeable, and none knew his stand on the issues. More people vote for emotional than logical reasons (p.45). Chapter 4 explains the power of TV. "The press doesn't matter anymore: (p.59). Painting Nixon as mellow was their way to overcome the old Nixon. Chapter 5 tells how the TV shows were staged for each region. Page 64 explains the politics for a panel of questioners. The selected audience applauded every answer. Chapter 6 says that if Nixon could not act warmer they would produce commercials that made him so!

Chapter 7 tells how a commercial would "create a Nixon image that was entirely independent of the words" (p.85). "The secret is in the juxtaposition" (p.88). (Was this parodied in that scene in "The Parallax View"?) Once complaint was of a picture of a soldier who had scrawled "LOVE" on his helmet; a new picture was found with a plain helmet. Later they received a letter from that soldier's mother - Mrs William Love (p.92)! Page 99 tells why you never saw a farmer on this show. Or a psychiatrist (p.100)! Chapter 9 gives an insider's view to the commercial images and what they meant. Chapter 10 tells of seeking Wallace voters with a ballad. Another trick was to be seen as a friend of Billy Graham. Chapter 11 tells of Nixon's shrinking lead. How could a slick production lose to a rough-edged show? Chapter 12 rates a Humphrey commercial as "contrived and tasteless" (p.138), but also "most effective" since it showed HHH as a real person in open air, not being kept in a TV studio. Chapter 13 explains how a TV show worked. People would call in with questions; these would be passed to the staff. They would be scrapped, and prepared questions and their answers used (p.149).

The Appendix contains various memos from the campaign; relevant extracts from "Understanding Media" and its analysis. Page 187 notes the good appeal of "reagan". Reagan's personal charisma is noted on plage 189. Pages 218-220 explain the benefits of print advertising over TV. Page 233 mentions the strategy of a challenger: the candidate stands for change (you assume what that means). These memos concern Nixon's run, but are applicable to other candidates today. How much has changed since 1968?

First off, let's get one thing straight: McGinniss infiltrated the Nixon Campaign, pure and simple. Not exactly what you'd call honorable journalism.

That said, "The Selling of the President" remains the definitive case study of the first sophisticated use of television in American Presidential Politics. Having worked in political public relations for three years, the characterizations and quotes ring completely true. While the public was dismayed by the widening morass in Vietnam, there's no denying the fact that Nixon's very astute use of the tube helped catapult him into the office he ultimately disgraced.

Yes, mass media image-building is now the politician's stock in trade: Willy talking boxers versus briefs, the Veep doing the Macarena, and George The Elder fumbling at the checkout counter.

"The Selling of the President 1968" is written in tough, punchy prose, and chillingly accurate. I'm certain The Founding Fathers would flinch.

Highly recommended as a continuing reality check.

Roger Ailes started out as a whiz kid producer in his twenties who was given the responsibility of producing a highly rated, popular, syndicated network television program, "The Mike Douglas Show." From there he moved on to politics, using the same kind of marketing routines that Madison Avenue gurus employ in the cases of super market commodities. Joe McGinniss managed to sneak aboard the Nixon for President campaign without having his main purpose discovered, that of writing up what he observed. Had Ailes or any of his underlings known, McGinniss would assuredly have been instantly dismissed. Had candidate Nixon ever learned the response would, almost assuredly, have been apoplectic, given Nixon's all-consuming hatred for reporters of anything but a fawning bent.

The book is humorous in many respects, while the overall result of the effort reported, selling a candidate who would ultimately become the only U.S. president to resign in disgrace, is anything but funny. "The Selling of the President" gives us an indication of how far we have plummeted in presidential campaigns where spin control dominates over critical substance. For instance, just twenty years after Nixon's 1968 victory over Hubert Humphrey, George Bush was elected by exploiting the American flag and a Massachusetts rapist named Willie Horton. The 1984 campaign of President Ronald Reagan stressed the theme of "Morning in America" despite prolific evidence that the temporary prosperity proudly exploited resulted from a credit card spending effect linked to an irresponsible tax cut which ultimately left America in serious debt.

The ultimate value of McGinniss' book is learning just how cynically Ailes and the spin control brigade seeks to manipulate American voters. To readers of George Orwell the pattern will contain a distinctly familiar ring.

William Hare

Somewhere in the second chapter of this splendid book, Leonard Hall, national Republican chairman said; "You sell your candidates and your programs the way a business sells its products." This succinct message captures the essence of Joe McGinniss and his book, "The Selling of the President."
The author explains how Richard Nixon is packaged and distributed to the American people by clever television professionals.

The marriage of politicians and advertising men first took place in 1956 when Dwight Eisenhower ran for re-election and selected the agency of Batton, Barto, Durstine and Osborn. McGinniss explains that the basic advertising concepts remained unchanged right up to 1968 but that Richard Nixon made every use of all the sophisticated technical advances of the day. Moreover, the author details how slick New York advertising men seduced voters which elevated them from the smoky parlors to the expensive suites with the political big shots.

Advertising executives allowed Nixon to dominate the airwaves. To this end, the television campaign allowed Nixon to get through the campaign with a dozen or so carefully worded responses that would cover all the problems of America in 1968. After a while it is rather clear that Richard Nixon is basically a boring man. However, with proper packaging Nixon soon represented competence, respect for tradition, serenity, faith that the American people were better than people anywhere else, and that all these problems others shouted about meant nothing in a land blessed with the tallest buildings, strongest armies, biggest factories, cutest children, and rosiest sunsets in the world.

I found the marriage of political and advertising minds fascinating. Of particular interest is how certain keywords such as conscientiousness, vigorous, party unifier, newness, glamour, humor, warmth could create a television facade to hide a candidate's blemishes. This is a great book and should be used in the classroom to show how television altered how politics and campaigns are orchestrated in the United States.

Bert Ruiz

This book provides a ton of images from the sets of our favorite sitcoms. I was surprised to find some of the sets from shows I'd completely forgotten about (Murphy Brown) that had gorgeous sets.

My one complaint would be that some of the articles reference items on the set that aren't pictured. The Will & Grace designer refers to a painting that isn't shown in the book, but is featured on the set.

That aside--this is a great buy. I keep it on my coffee table by the remotes as a conversation piece.

I absolutely love this book!! If you are a TV fanatic like me you will like this book too. It shows you different sitcom homes and the decor and talks about how they are decorated and gives you pointers if you want to decorate the same way.

This book was well stocked with information on not only how these imaginative places were decorated but also where to purchase them in reality. I have sometimes saw an item on TV and wondered where it could be found and this book tells you. It is definately a read more than once book. I thouroughly enjoyed this book.

Overall, the book is good and gives access to information and pictures you cannot find anywhere else. However, I expected more pictures and less text. Pity that some of sitcoms mentioned were not illustrated at all. I bought this book specifically to get decent pictures of Frasier's filming set but was disappointed - the set is so fabulous it almost deserves a separate book on itself, and all it got was a couple of less than perfect photos.

Sitcom Style provides an in-depth look at the process, styles and techniques utilized by set designers to make the unknown television character immediately familiar to the television audience. The book strikes a perfect balance between trivia on some of the most famous pieces of furniture ever seen on television, such as Archie Bunker's chair, and close ups of the actual technical diagrams used by television producers.

Ms. Friedman's lucid explanations on the relationship between a television character's projected personality and a set designers choice of furniture and layout, provides valuable insight into the design of any living space. Detailed deconstructions of various sets, such as the open layout of Frasier's sophisticated living room or the use of a club chair to project the assured confidence of Murphy Brown, end up being valuable guides in how to project your own sense of character in your personal living space. The inclusion of a buying guide at the end of the book with accompanying websites and phone numbers is helpful as well.

While the book already does a great job of providing decorative insight along with television history, one would hope the author would do another book with even more home decoration tips. My only detraction would be the failure to examine some of the more popular canine abodes on television.

Strongly suggested as a holiday gift to anyone who enjoys television history and trivia, home decoration and style, or both!

My 22 month old daughter wants me to read this book to her every night! If your child is a Sesame Street fan then this little book will be a big hit.

My 17 month old usually has a hard time settling down at bedtime. She adores the Sesame Street characters, especially Elmo, and we read this book just before tucking her in and turning out the light. Elmo and Big Bird and their friends are getting ready for bed, and showing them all sleeping helps my little girl to accept bedtime a little more readily, since anything Elmo does is automatically cool!

My daughter and I have read this book over 100 times, at naptime and bedtime. She seems to never get tired of it, and is now reading it to me! It's a great book that seems to be perfect for a 2 to 2-1/2 year old attention span.

My 22 month old son loves this book. It very sweetly winds him down by saying good night all of his favorite friends as they go to sleep. It starts with Elmo at the park playing and ends with him being tucked in for bed. Therefore the child is able to relate to being awake and playing and is then brought down to falling asleep with all his Sesame Street friends. This is a wonderful book to lull your child to sleep with.

Our 21 month old son loves reading this book, both at bedtime and anytime we are reading together. It starts with Elmo at the park with his Dad, and they head home to get ready for bed. Along the way, Elmo sees different Sesame Street Monsters getting ready for bed by brushing their teeth, jumping on the bed, reading to their teddy bears, etc. Everyone is getting ready for bed, and at the end, it's Elmo who is fast asleep in his bed. This is a wonderful bed time storybook, but note it's paper pages not a boardbook so be careful with toddlers who like to grab pages.

I wish a bit more info had been given on the site, but it was in pretty good condition considering it was 10 years old

This is a wonderful book. It's lovingly researched and was obviously put together by someone who cares about film music. It's recommended for reference and pleasure alike. Plus, the book has the courage to discriminate---we don't waste our time reading about plagiarists,..... who are not included at all.

Although clearly a labour of love by the author, this is also an entirely professionally written and produced book. Perhaps wisely, it doesn't set out to be a comprehensive, definitive guide to film music composers and their recordings - this would have been impractical both in terms of the writing and the eventual weight of the tome! But what Jon Burlingame has done is to include a mini-biography of just about every important film music composer there has been up to the present day, plus a selection of what he considers to be their best works. This provides both an invaluable reference guide not only to composers but also an interesting debating point as to which of their scores should have been included.

It was pleasing to see a large number of photos of the composers and some record sleeve reproductions. Many potential readers will doubtless be familiar with the likes of John Williams, John Barry, Henry Mancini and Elmer Bernstein, but they'll also get the opportunity to see some 'golden age' composers, like Miklos Rozsa, Alfred Newman, Dimitri Tiomkin and Franz Waxman, as well as relatively unsung heroes such as John Scott, Christopher Young and Rachel Portman, and those more associated with classical music, such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich.

The author's enthusiasm for the subject is very apparent and no stone has been left unturned in order to ensure this book becomes an essential purchase for all lovers of film music. An excellent effort, which is thoroughly recommended, not just to film music aficionados, but also to anybody with an interest in the cinema.

Jon Burlingame is nothing short of a hero to many film composers, because in addition to the astounding depth of his knowledge about composers and their work, he shares a tremendous passion for what they do and effortlessly conveys that to his readers. "Sound and Vision" is an essential book for anyone interested in film music, not only because it contains fascinating information that can't be found anywhere else, but because it's written by a greatly respected and dedicated journalist whose enthusiasm for his subject is unparalleled.

In Sound And Vision: 60 Years Of Motion Picture Soundtracks, Jon Burlingame has created an indispensable, seminal, very highly recommended reference guide featuring a detailed history of Hollywood film music on record and compact disc. Also included are up-to-date biographical sketches of soundtrack composers from the inception of the movies down to the present day. Annotated listings of the best-selling, award-winning, or otherwise memorable soundtracks of the past and present (original film scores as well as movie musicals and song-compilation scores) further enhance this marvelous compendium. Of special note is the "user friendly" and comprehensive index so that the reader can quickly reference whether a particular piece of movie music is commercially available.

It's been a few years since we last bought one of the Star Trek wall calendars. It's good to have one again. We prefer the original series calendars to the more recent sequels and to the "Ships of the Line." Overall size of the calendar is more than adequate and color photos are great. This year's (2008) version has shots from the original TV series, starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and the late DeForest Kelley. We believe each of the first three years of the series are represented. The calendar also has two months with photos from the Star Trek movies, "Wrath of Khan" and "Search for Spock." Key dates related to the series, stars, and international holidays are included. Finally, there's a centerfold of the original starship Enterprise, with a space station floating in the distance. Quite well done.

Calendar was in stellar condition, exactly as described. I highly recommend it to any fan of the oridional series.

This calendar is really fantastic. The pictures are great! Also, it features important dates/birthdays pertaining to the Original Series cast! The font of the calendar is in line with the Star Trek font. This is a great gift for that serious Star Trek Fan! Highly recommend it!

I look forward to the annual classic Star Trek wall calendar. This year was no exception. The pictures are full of color with clean, crisp images. The vibrant colors that classic Trek was famous for come shining through. Nice to liven up any room or to keep as a collectible.

it was a bit banged up when it arrived, but I feel it was no fault of the company that sent it, just the post office which mangles everything. So, over all, the company was prompt in shipping, and made every effort to send it so it wouldn't get bent.

The book contains some details about mcQueen's life that only the writer knew , that give a hint about how mcQueen viewed life, danger, and speed.
but the photos are mainly advertising ones and not real life.
i would expect more on the life of mcqueen as a person and not only as an actor

A wonderful work of art that captures what made Steve so charismatic and appealing. It leaves you wishing you could see more from other periods in his life. This is a book I will treasure all my life. Thank you Amazon, I would have paid ten times as much for this book. God Rest His Soul.

According to his foreward to this book, the photographer William Claxton met Steve McQueen in 1962 when McQueen was starring with Natalie Woods in LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER. The two men formed a friendship and apparently Mr. Claxton became Mr. McQueen's favorite and most requested photographer. This book of wonderful photographs, covering a couple of years in Mr. McQueen's life from 1962 to 1964, is a result of that brief friendship. Most of the pictures appear to be shot in available light and have a wonderful, informal spontaneity about them impossible to capture in formal portraiture. Both the photographer and subject are comnpletely without pretention.

Mr. Claxton caught Mr. McQueen smiling, clowning and pensive. There are photographs of McQueen in fast cars as well as on motorcycles. Many of the shots were done while Mr. McQueen was working on movies. There are also many pictures of him with family and friends. Most of the shots are in black and white with a few in color. Every time I look at them I find yet another photograph that I think is the best in the book. There is a haunting shot of McQueen with his young daughter where the child, sitting on the floor and resting on her arms, looks into Claxton's camera. We only see her father's legs and feet. (p. 79) Another great shot appears on page 73. McQueen is embracing the family cat. Finally, there's a shot of McQueen lying on a blanket in a large field. His profile is beautifully backlit. Both photographs selected for the front and back covers are fine, informal portraits as well.

This book made me remember how much I enjoyed Steve McQueen's movies and made me sad that he is no longer among us.

A great book, considering it is of a short period in Steve McQueen's life. This is him in his prime captured by a great photographer.

Very comprehensive. Show's a different side of the rough and tumble character known as Steve McQueen. Very entertaining.

My daughter loves this book. If your kids like Starwberry Shortcake then they'll like this. Strawberry forgets her lunch at home and her friends share their lunches with her. Cute idea about friends sharing. The pictures are very fun too, colorful and interesting.

My daughter is starting to get into Strawberry Shortcake and she really likes this book. She is also starting pre-school soon so it has been a good book to prep her for that.
I do feel that there are too many words so I summarize and skip some parts.

My four year old daughter loves this book. She is a huge Strawberry Shortcake fan and this book is very cute.

You really can't go wrong with SS! All the books and movies are wholesome and entertaining. I love reading them to my daughter and watching the movies with her. Actually, my son loves them too but would never admit it to his friends (he's 9). Good thing he has a little sister ;)

I bought this for my daughter the summer before starting kindergarten and she loved it. I read many "going to school for the first time" books that summer and this was a favorite.

My little girl started Kindergarten this year and I bought this book to help encourage her to look past her shyness and fears of meeting new people. This book starts off with Strawberry being excited about meeting the kids in her class and also she has to decide what clothes she wants to wear. The pictures are colorful and very pretty.

The book also goes through lunchtime, naptime, and recess. At the end of the book she tells her friends that she will see them tomorrow, which really was great for my daughter. She loves the fact that she has a bunch of friends.

I have another book about Strawberry. "Sleep Over" is the title and its also a favorite of my daughters. Get them both- you won't regret it.

The newest book by Joanne Cantor-Teddy's TV Troubles- takes a positive approach toward the fears of young children, and offers concrete steps a parent can take, along with her child, to ease these fears. Teddy's Mother shares specific activities her mother had used to make her feel safe again. I feel this positive approach is much more effective, than describing all the "horrors" of TV and real life which confront our children. I especially applaud Prof.Cantor involving elementary students, seeing if what she wrote made sense to them.

An authority on media and children, Joanne Cantor draws upon her years of experience and expertise to write Teddy's TV Troubles, a reassuring children's picturebook that charmingly, entertainingly, and effectively assists parents to help their children deal with disturbing material such as that which visually permeates everything from television news broadcasts, to dramatic series, to sitcoms, to afternoon and weekend specials. Very nicely illustrated by Tom Lowes, Teddy's TV Troubles will help parents and care givers to help children acknowledge their fear while knowing they are not alone; show a loveable teddy bear character work through his TV inspired fears with the help of a caring adult; engage in a series of age-appropriate activities (including drawing pictures, creative play, and reassuring bedtime rituals) that will help children overcome their fears. A combination activities book and bed-time reader, Teddy's TV Troubles is ideal for families with children trying cope with what are now daily television doses of the world on terrorism, sniper attacks, child abductions, natural disasters, and presidential campaign ads.

Thanks to a suggestion of good neighbor,my dilema of what to give a six year old great grand daughter for her birthday was wonderfully solved. I bought "Teddy's TV Troubles" by auther Joanne Cantor.Untill I read that book to Hannah, I had no idea of the fears and concerns that linger in childrens minds long after having watched some "children level" tv shows.After a number of readings by both myself and her parents I believe we have helped her understand her fears.We also found that the illustrations were both soothing and exciting for her.So we thank Joanne Cantor for giving both young and old a valuable education !

Teddy's TV Troubles is a new tool in my tool box. I am the Early Childhood Specialist for Stress and Violence Intervention for the Cambridge School Dept. and have purchased four copies of Teddy's TV Troubles to use in preschool classrooms and with parents.
The book with its simple text is effective with young children and Teddy's TV Troubles provides a catalyst for teachers to talk to parents about the impact of frightening images children often see on TV. The illustrations are colorful and attractive to young children and depict the importance of supportive relationships when a child confronts fears. The four copies are in constant circulation. I salute Joanne Cantor for Teddy's TV Troubles, a one of a kind valuable resource.

"Wow! This book is incredible. My daughter asked me all kinds of questions all the way through it and all sorts of things came up. She told me she is scared of monsters like Teddy and that she saw them on TV. After reading the book for a week, she told me she wants to be a big girl and sleep alone like Teddy. She asked me for a stuffed animal (like Teddy has!) and she has been falling asleep completely ALONE (with the stuffed animal), door closed, for two nights!!!!!!!! (Usually takes me an hour rubbing her back)!!! I might have to thank you for saving my marriage of this continues!!! She LOVES the part where they read a book about a bear who saw something scary...she says'Hey that's what we're doing!' every time we get to that part. Thank you sooo much for writing it. Now I need to share it with others! I especially like the tips at the end, what a GREAT idea."


-- Mother of a four-year-old girl in California

I was very pleased with the vast wealth of information provided in this book. It was easy to understand and covered all aspects of the state of the media world!

This is an excellent overview of all aspects of the television industry and what it is morphing into. I can see this being invaluable to anyone already directly involved in, or on the periphery of this industry.

It is educational as well for those not working in the business, or those looking to invest in the emerging technologies.

This book is a must read for those navigating the changing waters of the media industry. It contains a comprehensive industry overview, insightful analysis of current trends, thought-provoking predictions....and, it's an interesting and entertaining read as well.

Television Disrupted is an excellent book, well written and intelligently describing a wide range of complex topics surrounding traditional TV and internet delivered video. It does a particularly good job in describing the recent changes and potential future directions of the television industry.

Working within the software industry serving traditional television, people have frequently asked me what they can read to build their knowledge of the TV business. Historically, this has been a tough question to answer as there have been a few discrete magazine articles that were interesting, but I was unware of any books that were current, accurate, or made sense about the future of TV. Television Disrupted has solved this dilema by providing a great overview of the historical television industry as well as the massive changes that are pending as the television business takes advantage of the opportunities provided by internet delivered video.

In Television Disrupted, Shelly Palmer does a great job at presenting the probable futures of TV. From broadcast to narrowcast, from linear to dynamic and time-shifted,from analog to digital, Shelly explores and tries to anticipate the response of "old media" (networks) to "new media" (networked). How will "IP" and user generated content overcome inertia and established advertising / revenue models? All fascinating questions in a well thought-out framework. In the end and as always consumers will choose and define what is to become a much richer experience known as Television 2.0!

Enhanced with more than 3,700 full color covers from America's most popular, iconic, and widespread weekly magazine, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" compiled by Stephen F. Hofer (Curator of the Philo T. Farnsworth Television History Center, Auburn, Indiana, and who himself is the owner of one of the largest collections of TV Guide magazines and memorabilia in the United States) covers all the national and regional digest size covers from April 10, 1953 to October 9, 2005. Included are TV Guide foldout covers, holographic covers, and multiple covers. For the antique dealer and hobbyist collector, each issue has the current secondary market prices listed. Featuring memorable quotes from TV Guide and from television shows, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" is more than a price guide compendium, (and a superb history of the magazine itself), it is also a very highly recommended tour of American television programming through more than fifty years of popular culture.

I was so happy to receive the TV Guide Official Collector's Guide, it is a great publication!! It has a lot more information than I expected - comments by stars over the years and much more!! It is very colorful and I will enjoy reading it for years to come. My 45 year old son has a collection of TV Guides and I know he will be interested in seeing the publication to see if the ones he has are valuable! Thank you

This book has several major flaws. For a start, there is no index. The only way to locate covers with your favorite stars or shows is to browse the pages year-by-year.

The price guide only gives values for "mint condition" issues, with no guidelines for how to adjust value for copies in less than mint condition. (Most collectors' guides give a range of prices based on condition.)

It would have been nice if they had included some lists, such as: the most valuable issues; issues with multiple covers; people who have appeared on the most covers; etc. All of these things are mentioned in the text, but there is no way to look them up except by browsing every listing.

Despite these flaws, this is still an invaluable book for collectors, because of it's comprehensive checklist.

The episode of Seinfeld where Frank Costanza was noted to be a collector of TV Guide pretty much cemented that publication's place in the lore of pop culture. Now, from Bangzoom publishers comes "TV Guide" the official Collector's Guide. A lot of collector's books claim to be the only book you'd ever need to own but this one truly fits the bill. With over 3700 pictures, and every national and regional TV Guide cover pictured from 4/10/1953 through 10/19/2005 this is truly the ultimate resource for not only collectors, but fans of the magazine as well.

With a foreward by senior TV Guide editor Michael Davis, the book provides info geared towards the collector on where to buy, grading, and preserving your TV Guide collection. The cover subjects are what drives the price of back issues with the very first issue featuring the baby Desi Arnaz Jr. being the most valuable. While I've never collected TV Guide I was a long-time Comic Book collector and basically TV Guides should be kept and stored the same way...in protective bags and ideally in acid free storage boxes.

The guide provides a 19 page history of the magazine as well as a look at TV shows and trends by decade from the 40's through the 2000's; everything from Milton Berle and Howdy Doody to Lost and American Idol. I was born in the 1960's and love many of the shows from that era even though I didn't watch many in their initial runs. It wasn't until syndicated re-runs in the 1970's that I came to adore shows such Bewitched, Gomer Pyle, and Green Acres. As noted in the book, The Brady Bunch was never a top-rated show, but you'd hardly know that since it has gone on to become one of the most syndicated shows in history and a true TV legend.

Next up is 213 pages which show each of those covers from 1953 through 2005 in full color and it's like a trip on a wonderful time machine to page through the decades to see many of the actors and shows that you remember so fondly, and many you may have forgotten such as The Governor and J.J. One TV Guide trend that seems to have ended some time in the early 80's was featuring Santa Claus on the cover of a December issue. The book concludes with a 68 page index and value guide for each issue and doubles as a handy checklist for collectors.

Whether you are storing issues away chronologically like Frank Costanza, or just have a life long love of TV, you are certain to find something to enjoy in this fabulous book.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

A mind-bending, if not surreal, parade of TV trivia presented week by week, year by year, era by era. Every single TV Guide cover is shown in true color, from April '53 to the first mag-size issue from autumn of last year. They're arranged as text would be on each page, left-to-right, top-to-bottom and IN ORDER on each page, dated and readily viewable. They even include full displays of all fold-out covers, as well as every version of each multiple cover, such as the one which had to be updated at Michael Landon's death, different regional sport-season previews, and the 25-cover tribute to all the Star Trek cast.

The book is in 3 main sections:
1) A 26-page section of blurb overseeing the history of TV Guide and background trivia of many of the covers
2) The section displaying the covers themselves, and
3) A listing of all covers (with dates and captions) and their collectible worth in mint condition.

It is bound in durable yet manageable paperback binding.

Anyone can invent their own TV trivia diversions just by scanning through this book (i.e. what are the earliest covers featuring people who are still alive? or Who has appeared the most times? or How did TV Guide handle documentarial times and issues [JFK's assassination, 9-11, the advent of cable & PBS etc.], or When did one televion era end, and another begin? and the like). The price list section also serves as an easier-to-count ready-reference of all the cover headings.

Mad Magazine presented a similar, also top-rate, timeline of all their covers a few years ago upon the advent of their 400th issue. The first such resource to incorporate all the TV Guide digest covers certainly doesn't disappoint.