Television Books

David Niven was not always a star. He had to go away and learn his trade in "B" movies before being allowed to enter the big time. He learnt that trade well but, unlike some who were destined to become greats of Hollywood, he also put his entire acting career on hold whilst he served as an officer in a fighting unit throughout WW2.

This book tells the first half of his life's story and what a story it is. Like every biography ever written, the best bits do not happen at the beginning, so some readers, therefore, might find it slow going at first. Though many will not. But then we meet the rich and famous stars of Hollywood from another era and learn a little about each of these people and their various relationships as we move from one to another and sometimes back again.

Written in David Niven's own hilarious style, there is so much humour here that you "will" find yourself insisting others read this book. In fact, it is so funny - especially his descriptions of the wrong use of English words by foreign movie directors, one finishes the book in the knowledge that had David Niven not become an Oscar-winning movie star, he would easily have achieved great success as a writer.

The underlying theme, of course, is David Niven's life and, as one reviewer has already said, this book leaves you wishing you had met this man. Me too.

NM

Celebrity autobiographies are exercises in exhibiting the overexposed. However, dignity and discretion are assumed by the reader. Consequently, the author is oblidged to spend the entire book repeating, in essence, "I don't mean to brag but..." Also, celebrity autobiographies are famous for their creativity. David Niven's is pretty par for the course. I doubt if more than 25% of the incidents included happened exactly as described, if at all. All the better for the reader. The truth is usually rather dull or unpleasant. The narrative itself is very readable in a relaxed chatty style. Who knows if he even wrote it himself. You never know. Maybe he wrote the bare bones out and gave it to a ghostwriter to pad it and make it sound like "David Niven" wrote it. Wouldn't be the first time. Who cares? It's a fun story filled with famous people being interesting.

David Niven was not always a star. He had to go away and learn his trade in "B" movies before being allowed to enter the big time. He learnt that trade well but, unlike some who were destined to become greats of Hollywood, he also put his entire acting career on hold whilst he served as an officer in a fighting unit throughout WW2.

This book tells the first half of his life's story and what a story it is. Like every biography ever written, the best bits do not happen at the beginning, so some readers, therefore, might find it slow going at first. Though many will not. But then we meet the rich and famous stars of Hollywood from another era and learn a little about each of these people and their various relationships as we move from one to another and sometimes back again.

Written in David Niven's own hilarious style, there is so much humour here that you "will" find yourself insisting others read this book. In fact, it is so funny - especially his descriptions of the wrong use of English words by foreign movie directors, one finishes the book in the knowledge that had David Niven not become an Oscar-winning movie star, he would easily have achieved great success as a writer.

The underlying theme, of course, is David Niven's life and, as one reviewer has already said, this book leaves you wishing you had met this man. Me too.

NM

Let me explain what I mean.

First of all, from the very beginning pages of the Book, I could sense the smooth flow of thoughts, pouring out of MAN Niven, not ACTOR Niven.

Second, I could also feel for MAN Niven and what he went through in his youth and early manhood.

David Niven is a born storyteller. He should have dared direct movies as well. He would have succeeded splendidly because one of the very first requirements for a director, both on stage, as well as on camera, is to know how to tell a story, and tell it in a coherent and organized way.

That he had chosen not to do it, means that he was aware of his limitations and probably preferred to stick with what he knew best: acting.

I bought this book just by chance at Heathrow, while traveling to New York, feeling bored to death by the many security checks and formalities to be undergone these days, in order to be able to travel from point A to point B on the globe.

I had absolutely no idea what it was all about, but the title intrigued me, also because I had heard about it some years ago, but didn't pay appropriate attention to it at that time.

So, here I went and bought it. Finally on board of my flight carrying me to the U.S., I opened it and before I knew better, I had already landed at JFK having read half of it.

I could have blasted the pilot for that, but it wasn't his fault. I am a slow reader. I have to savor all the finesses contained in a book, given that the same is worth the effort. Believe me, "The Moon Is A Balloon", is such a book.

During my entire stay in the U.S. I carried the book around and kept on reading it - I should actually say - devour it. When I finally came to its end I felt disappointed.

Not by the book and magnificent tales and accounts it contains, but having come to a point where there was nothing more to read.

This is a book that will leave you with a "hunger" to read more about MAN David Niven and what he has to say about his experiences.

It is not just what he says, but how he says it.

The descriptions of the people he met, the places he visited, the moods and colors of his world, all come to life vividly.

Perhaps because I am a stage director, interested in directing movies, I may have a distorted vision on this, but I could actually visualize what David Niven was describing.

Various wild images a la Charles Dickens, especially at the very beginning of the book, sprung out of my mind (even "The Turning of the Screw" popped up - go figure why...).

Then, while he was describing his experiences with the schooling system in England, I visualized sorts of crazy images half-ways out of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", mixed with "Blackboard Jungle" and/or "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" - the male version that is.

Later the encounter with his first love affair (I won't reveal more about it, you must read by yourself), I had flashes of "Of Human Bondage" and "Great Expectations".

His Malta adventure in the Army, almost sprung out from very early forties war movies, or thirties movies with Clark Gable.

Now I realize how deformed my professional mind is, but indeed I could feel being transported there, in his "Balloon", in his world, and felt part of his tragicomic life.

David Niven takes you by the hand and leads you into his secret garden, in which you discover the ugly sides of life, but also the very splendid tiny little pleasures that make his and everyone else's life pleasurable and indeed, worth living.

It is funny to think that David Niven's "Balloon" closely resembles to the one Jules Verne's created in "Around the World in 80 Days", and while this was a total work of fiction, Niven's own takes you much farther, than just around the world.

It takes you into a lesson of lived life, told by a human being who has truly learned from his mistakes and learned from them what life is truly all about.

The lesson though, never comes from a pulpit, it comes as a highly entertaining and fascinating account of experiences, at times very funny, at times very grim, but never, never boring.

I was stunned to finally witness that even a person like Niven, that was alive for most of my lifetime, could still enthrall and grip me with his writing style.

I usually have always avoided reading modern authors, or biographies of modern personalities, except maybe Science Fiction books (Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury or Arthur C. Clarke), since they all seem to resemble each other.
It is a continuous ego-trip with lots of whining and gossiping involved, but no true and genuine life experience and wisdom shared, and if is at all shared, it is in the form of "...let me tell you how to change your life, into a successful business-like one...".
Lots of preaching from insignificant and dull people I wouldn't even like to meet in person, even if I had a chance to do so.

David Niven never preaches, he just tells you how it was and the ways he managed to work himself out of trouble and into a very useful and respectable life.

I absolutely love his book.

Alas, David is not among us anymore, because if he were alive today, I would absolutely want to know and meet him in person, and perhaps even work with him.

I am over fifty, but I get a sense that with a person like him, I could still learn a lot in matters of life and how to survive even the most adverse of situations in it.

Dear readers, allow me to suggest this book to all of you. You won't regret it. This is not just another boring autobiography.
This is a man's heart opened up to the world, for the best and the worst.

David Niven's soul lies in his lines and comes alive when these lines are read.

Bless you David, wherever you may be, my thoughts are with you.The Moon's a Balloon

I just want to quickly add to all these other five-star reviews that this is one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. David Niven candidly bares his vulnerabilities and lets us in on the obstacles and hurts he endured. I read this at a time that I felt I was drifting and this made me feel much better. There are amusing stories about Hollywood and the rest of the world in the old days. Blessings to David Niven. It's a breeze of a read and I envy those of you who have it yet to enjoy for the first time!

Who is Bob Dylan? None of the biographies I've read - Sounes, Heylin, Scaduto, and a short book by Toby Thompson (1971) - are by people that really knew him. Shelton is the New York Times reviewer who heard Dylan play in a Greenwich Village coffee house not too long after he came to NY and wrote a very promising review about him, which helped him on his way... Shelton also got to know him, spent time with him, and was able to piece many things together and interview people that were not mentioned in the other books. The interviews and stories are interesting and informative, fill in gaps left by the other books, and we get more of a feeling of Dylan, especially before he came to NY and as he was developing. This is a very well written book. Fans will like it a lot.

It was, to me, the best biography of Bob Dylan. Very good writing, never boring or exhaustive with details or ponderings.

. . .start (of course) with the albums, of course, especially "Freewheelin'," "Highway 61 Revisited," "Blonde on Blonde," and "John Wesley Harding," "Basement Tapes," "Blood on the Tracks," "Bootleg Series Vol 4," and maybe "World Gone Wrong." Then check out "Don't Look Back" on DVD. Shelton's book has a lot of great information about Dylan, but it's not the best organized or most concise biography you'll ever come across (maybe it's the editor who worked on the book's fault [?]). It's also now a bit dated, published in 1986. Clinton Heylin's "Man Behind the Shades" (1991) and Howard Sounes' "Down the Highway" (2001) are both more up-to-date and easier reads. Greil Marcus' "Invisible Republic" (1997)does a better job of placing Dylan's music in a historical context. "No Direction Home" is a sprawling collection of interview excepts, biography, oral history, the author's personal recollections of Dylan, musicology, and literary criticism that never really connects the dots, but there is a lot of great information for the experienced or semi-experienced Dylan enthusiast to wade through

Expertly written by Robert Shelton (the New York Times music and popular culture reviewer generally credited for "discovering" Dylan in 1961), No Direction Home: The Life And Music Of Bob Dylan is a faithful and definitive biography of the talented artist and his unforgettable music. An extensively detailed chronicle which explores all sides and aspects of a cherished and popular figure in American music, No Direction Home is a welcome addition to 20th Century Music History Studies collections and "must" reading for all Bob Dylan fans.

Whether or not this is the BEST Dylan biography is hard to say, there are millions of them out there...certainly it has to be the best-researched, and one of the most heartfelt; Shelton gave Dylan his first great review, "discovered" him, in effect, and though he critically assesses Dylan's subsequent works there's never a doubt that he's Dylan's biggest fan. A midnight conversation on a private jet between Shelton and Dylan in the mid-60's is the best thing in the book, fascinating reading...but there is such a concept as too much of a good thing, and the minutae Shelton indulges in gets tiring. He apparently went to every concert and every party Dylan did, and his insistence on inserting himself into the scene makes me wonder about his objectivity. Maybe Shelton thought he was one of the new journalists. I don't know. But less Shelton would've been helpful. Also, Shelton insists on punctuating almost every paragraph with a hidden line from one of Dylan's songs; for awhile it's clever, but it gets old fast.
The book was out of print for a long time, and that's too bad. I hope it stays in print. It's incredibly packed with facts and interpretations and long quotes both from Dylan and those close to him. It's just TOO MUCH, that's all. But good. A worthy biography of the most potent force in popular music since Sinatra. How's that for a name out of left field?

Simon writes wittily and intelligently about a number of subjects, all of which have been dramatized on the hugely popular television show "The X-Files." There have been other books about the show, episode guides and the like, but for my money this book is best.

I bought this as a bargain book but it is worth the full price! The author writes in a knowledgeable yet humourous style which makes absorption of the subject matter easy for non-scientists, and less than 40 pages into an information packed book I have learned such a lot already. I rated it 4 star because I would have liked to see a glossary at the back and colour photographs would have made a very interesting book moreso. For example, what do the sea slugs that prefer to try to eat each other before taking the alternative option of having sex look like? Other reviews here tell you that the book is based on science fact and fiction touched upon in the X-Files so I don't need to go there. Read it, learn, and laugh. There is nothing funnier than real life.

I came upon this book at the house of a friend and couldn't put it down.

It is a wonderful read and, to a non-scientist, an entertaining and clear look at some of the scientific mysteries of the universe.

This is a perfect book for a graduation present and for anyone with an interest in brain-sucking worms, aliens and mutating organisms. I recommend it highly.

I love the X files and I'm a mixture of Mulder and Scully with regard to their beliefs. But after reading this book, I think I have become a scully!This book is so lucid and simple in its explanation of certain "paranormal" phenomenon. The author does a wondeful job combining biology and humour to explain to the lay person that not all things are paranormal and that if you do a little scientific research most of the things out there will make sense. All my knowledge on DNA, chromosomes, cancer comes from this book !Though she herself admits that not everything you see on the X files can be explained by science, most of the things that happen on a macro scale in the X files happen on a micro scale in real life. Genetic mutation is a reality, a virus surviving an cosmic travel is plausible, and so on. Finally, for those of you who are deceived by books written by the layperson/idiots/quacks, read this book and you will become fascinated as to what science has to offer.

Sexual tension aside, the coolest thing about this show seems to be the questions it poses about nature and science as we know it. And being a molecular biology student, I always get a kick out of shooting down the supposed theories that the show's characters spout out. It's hard sometimes to figure out if Chris Carter and the powers that be are really serious about certain phenomenons/ideas. This book clears it up nicely. Dr. Simon is completely knowledgeable about these topics and presents the information with much more gusto than your typical molecular biology textbook. I'd rather be tested on her book come final exams, but such is life! :)

Rita Hayworth is one of the most beautiful and glamourous women ever to have lived. Though her life was marked by tragedy, particularly her Alzheimer's affliction and death at a relatively young age. This book, however, is mainly devoted to celebrating Rita's happier times. Her life is viewed chronologically in both popular and rare photographs. There are so many beautiful photos that it is difficult to take in all at once! My favorite pictures (and just a sampling of the pictures you will find in this book) are: Rita (when she was still Margarita) with her dark hair dancing in a beautiful ruffled dress (p.28), glamourous Rita smiling brightly while reclining on a couch (p.87), Rita clowning with Orson Welles (pg. 114), Rita getting her hair touched up (p. 119), Rita tickling her daughter Rebecca (p. 126), Rita walking solitarily on the beach (p. 140), Rita being welcomed home (p. 165), and Rita in 1981, in declining mental health, but still looking every inch a movie star. If you love Rita and her movies, do not hesitate to buy this book!!!

"Rita Hayworth: A Photographic Retrospective" features a zillion photographs, many never before published, of one of Hollywood's most enduring sexual icons.

The book was a labor of love for author, historian and collector Caren Roberts-Frenzel of Minneapolis, who reportedly kept pestering publishers for years to get their attention.

"But you're wrong, Rita has not been forgotten," was her mantra, as skeptical publishers elsewhere wondered aloud if a market remained for a book about one of the great beauties of the 1940s.

Caren's persistence finally paid off, resulting in one of the most luxurious "picture on every page" books ever produced, supplemented by breezy, well-written and information-packed text.

Unlike "been there, done that" books about Hayworth, this one specializes in numerous "candids," that is, unposed photos taken outside of the studio, at work, at play, on the set, whatever.

For once, here's a volume that doesn't feature the same darn publicity photos you've seen a million times for sale on the Internet or at flea markets.

The deal about Rita is man oh man, unlike sexy sirens named Grable or even Monroe, Hayworth's beauty is timeless and undated. Unless someone told you, you'd never know, for example, that her world famous pinup shot -- taken on the bed by Life Magazine photographer Bob Landry -- was shot more than 60 years ago!

The same holds true for the nearly 300 other photos that grace this book, some recaptured in all of their Technicolor glory.

Get "Rita Hayworth: A Photographic Retrospective," before it disappears! I understand only a few thousand were printed and yet the reviews in the papers and in places like People Magazine have been terrific.

Caren Roberts-Frenzel is the president of the Rita Hayworth Fan Club and this book is her dream project come to life. Caren's appreciation of every facet of The Love Goddess is evident on every page. It was so good to see someone who knows and cares about Rita create such a labor of love. Caren doesn't whitewash the blemishes in Rita's often tragic life but rather allows them to complete an honest and ultimately loving portrait of this gentle woman.

Like its subject, this book is breathtaking in its beauty. It contains scores of genuinely rare photos and they are a treasure. I own many books on Rita but "A Photographic Retrospective" is easily my favorite.

When I picked up this book, I excpected it to have a good amount of photos, many of which I had already seen. But, I was hoping for a few I hadn't and a decent narrations. However, this book blew me away. I have purchased photograph-focused books on celebritites before and been disappointed by their flimsy commentary. This book does an excellent job of conecting the photos to Ms. Hayworth's life. It's not just a collection of pictures, it's a pictorial biography. Admittedly, a traditional bio would get into greater detail, but this book is a great intro to her life. Not everyone wants a tell-all book filled with intimate details. This book delivers impeccably reproduced photos and a satisfactory bio. At first I was a little put-off by the price, but I feel it was well worth it, after reading it. A great read for anyone interested in this arrestingly beautiful and glamourous woman.

I have collected all the books ever written about Rita Hayworth. I have to say that this is the BEST photobook I have seen to date. Who else but a Rita Hayworth fan can put their heart in such a big project and create such a lovely photo tribute to Hollywood's most glamourous movie star of the classic era. Not only is there a collection of rare photographs, but there is lots of interesting information on Rita's life, trivia and more. If you're a fan of Rita Hayworth, then this is the book you must buy! Simply beautifully done!

Kurosawa illuminates for us his whole life, warts and all. Upon reading this I never knew what a sensitve person this man was, from the time he was an early member of the Japanese Communist Party to his older brother's tragic suicide, Kurosawa leaves no stone unturned in this revealing autobiography. Although it does not cover his whole life (I believe in stops in 1980) he spends a great deal discussing each of his film projects all the way from his early days at the Toho Studios. I am reminded of my favorite quote from Kagemusha, "The shadow of a man can never desert that man. I was my brother's shadow. Now that I have lost him, it is as though I am nothing."

The book got into Kurosawa's mind and laid down the roots of his philosophy in filmmaking. It showed his genesis as a filmmaker. It gave insight into how his films happen. A beautiful work -- I loved it.

Kurosawa's insistence on the need for a good script in his films is inspiring to future script writers. I have not written any of these yet his book makes me want to write scripts when I am more of a travel writer. If you want insight into why this man made the beautiful and provocative films that he did, this is the book for you.

One of the greatest pleasures imaginable is to investigate a body of cinematic work, and then, to learn about its creator from his own persepective on his life and art.

There is tremendous satisfaction in seeing the personality of the director reveal itself in the work and to re-view the films with new knowledge of the creator. This may not be a false track, although auteur theory has a bad rap right now. Kurosawa, in the conclusion of his autobiography said, "look for me in my films".

Kurosawa was a genius, his films full of life and compassion, and strength. He did not look away from ugly truths in his life or art. (Read the autobiography and understand the significance of this approach!)

I recommend this book as the touchstone for a deeper appreciation of the art of Kurosawa, for an understanding of his complex personality, and for the human warmth that comes across in his reminiscences. By the end of the book, you will want more, of course. It will seem to end abruptly and too soon. You will have many questions that you will wish to have answered. But then, we'll take Kuroswa's advice. We'll look for the man in his films.

Some people have criticized this book, saying Kurosawa does not go deep enough into his films, particularly his later ones, and why he did what he did. In all honesty, maybe the popularity over this book is poorly done - all the reviews on the front and back cover talk about it like Kurosawa will explain his movies in detail, and most often advertisements will talk about how if you like his movies you should read the book. But as Kurosawa himself says in the preface, he did it really out of encouragement from friends and in an effort perhaps to do what Jean Renoir did do and John Ford did not. As the title suggests, it is really a more personal, casual, reflection upon his life from his birth to the filming of "Rashomon," his first international success, in 1950. In a way, the personal route may be a humbling experience to the film guru or the Kurosawa fanatic. Too often directors or filmmakers are treated - as many artists are, in fact - more like a synopsis of their latest work. We constantly hear about how masterful Stanley Kubrick was and what his methods were, but who was he really? What school did he go to? Who were his friends? His teachers? What was his family like? What were his boyhood passions? Who is this man behind the camera?

Kurosawa tells us that in his story from his first memories as a child ("I was in a washtub naked," page 3) through his school years and through a tough young adulthood. It is all very well written, and actually quite interesting, particularly the segments on Mr. Tachikawa, who we can probably thank for Kurosawa's love of painting, his brother forcing him to face his fears, (not only of water, but of death as well) and two daring but stupid moments in a mountain village where he almost killed himself to impress the local children.

Kurosawa's growth is nearly coincidental with Japanese history. Just as Japan was constantly changing through out the 20th century, so to was Kurosawa. Forced to participate in a military program at his school, he takes every opportunity to belittle or make a fool of his army captain. His venture into art is like an odd adventure, going from joining a socialist art movement (nearly being captured by the Japanese secret police!) to living on his own to writing scripts and eventually joining Photo Chemical Laboratory. (later Toho Studios) He discusses marrying an actress because he was afraid of never being married before the "Honorable Death of the Hundred Million" many Japanese believed they would commit if invasion seemed immenant. This eventually goes on to his work as an Assistant Director, and later making his very own films through Toho and later Daiei after the Toho Studio strikes. These parts will be more to the liking of the film guru, as Kurosawa does give backstory to the inspirations behind his early work.

During this time period he speaks a lot of his family and the friends he got to know. His brother is such a remarkable and likeable character that when he commits suicide you really do feel sad. I took a particular love for Kurosawa's father: although some may see him as a bit harsh when he berates his wife for placing fish wrong or getting upset with his son for failing courses, one shouldn't dismiss him with the simple western stereotype of the tough father for he does have a heart. When Kurosawa's wife becomes pregnant and he pays a visit to his family, his father gives him a large bag of rice and says it is for his pregnant wife, not wanting her to go hungry in a time when food was scarce in Japan.

Perhaps, in the end, it is really fitting that Kurosawa focus so much on his personal feelings rather than his film. If you have watched his films and studied them, you will see the influences from his past life in those very films. "Something Like an Autobiography" was written long before Kurosawa made "Dreams," yet I found myself recalling the film reading this book. Besides his references to mountain climbing, he also talks about how in his father's village children would place flowers over a rock, and he learned that long ago a warrior had been killed and the villagers buried him there out of pity and placed the rock over his grave, so now children place flowers on it whenever they pass out of respect. Sound familiar? I also smiled at the section near the end when he discusses a Daiei studio executive - one who had been so steadfastly against making "Rashomon" - coming on TV and speaking for the film as if he was the mastermind behind it. I was thinking of the Deputy Mayor in "Ikiru," who is against the park project from the beginning yet after Watanabe's death takes all the credit. Maybe Kurosawa alludes to this kind of art reflecting life on page 163 when he mentions the oddly impeccable timing of "The Cuckoo Waltz" while dubbing "Drunken Angel."

This is a recommended read for any one interested in film or Akira Kurosawa's life - it is easy to read, full of wisdom, and is very frank and personal. As I said, it's not a 198 page thesis on his films, but as Kurosawa says in the book he does not enjoy explaining his films - he puts into his films what he has to say and leaves it at that. As the last line of the book says, "There is nothing that says more about its creator than the work itself."

Stories From Someone Older Than Television by Margie Zats with illustrations from Jerry Fearing is an eclectic collection of peculiar stories and creative oddities, Including eight fun and tasty recipes. Stories From Someone Older Than Television is a unique and humorous telling of tales drawn from Margie Zats' own life and memories. With a text that is occasionally enhanced with illustrations by cartoonist Jerry Faring, Stories From Someone Older Than Television is very highly recommended to all readers with an interest in funny biographical short-stories -- as well as those with an interest in hearty home-style cooking.

Stories From Someone Older Than Television by Margie Zats with illustrations from Jerry Fearing is an eclectic collection of peculiar stories and creative oddities, Including eight fun and tasty recipes. Stories From Someone Older Than Television is a unique and humorous telling of tales drawn from Margie Zats' own life and memories. With a text that is occasionally enhanced with illustrations by cartoonist Jerry Faring, Stories From Someone Older Than Television is very highly recommended to all readers with an interest in funny biographical short-stories -- as well as those with an interest in hearty home-style cooking.

A clever and fun read and perfect gift book. Margie's many offbeat interests and her self-deprecating style make for lively "chuckle outloud" reading.

Lookin' at the outside cover, and I'm smilin' already ~ I know it's gonna be a great book! With admiration, Kay

Stories From Someone Older Than Television by Margie Zats with illustrations from Jerry Fearing is an eclectic collection of peculiar stories and creative oddities, Including eight fun and tasty recipes. Stories From Someone Older Than Television is a unique and humorous telling of tales drawn from Margie Zats' own life and memories. With a text that is occasionally enhanced with illustrations by cartoonist Jerry Faring, Stories From Someone Older Than Television is very highly recommended to all readers with an interest in funny biographical short-stories -- as well as those with an interest in hearty home-style cooking.

I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan of Adrienne Barbeau, but this book was a great read. In fact, I had a hard time putting it down! The book was very engaging, genuine, and fun to read. Ms. Barbeau is a definitely a class act; and she seems like a good, down to earth person. That's hard to say about many actresses these days.

I have always enjoyed Adrienne Barbeau's acting, but this book has transformed me into a bona-fide fan. Ms. Barbeau shares stories of her Hollywood travels and her journeys toward personal identity and healthy relationships. It's an amazing read -- I hated putting it down!

This book is definitely of a higher caliber than most Hollywood tell-alls, and Ms. Barbeau exudes class, authenticity and humor throughout. After reading it, one will want to sit down and get to know this remarkable lady.

Also, Ms. Barbeau has signed a book deal to write mystery novels! So we will have more books from this amazing writer. Yay!

+++++

"I went from being a musical comedy performer to a sitcom actress to a scream queen to a mother and a TV talk-show host and a book reviewer and a voice-over performer, and then back to the stage and back to musical comedy and back to television and concert halls and more films, and even into the recording studio for a CD and into my office to write this book."

This is an excerpt from this page-turning autobiography by Adrienne Barbeau, a candid, funny, and self-deprecating autobiography that covers sixty years of her life. It is based on the journals she kept which she "began in 1955." She "wrote every day for the next forty years."

The above excerpt tells you generally what the book is about. Along the way, Barbeau tells us about "relationships and love affairs, emotional highs and lows, friendships and loss."

Highlights of this book include talking about her two hit TV shows ("Maude" and "Carnivale"), her major movies ("The Fog," "Escape from New York," "Swamp Thing," and "Creepshow"), her relationship with 1970's superstar Burt Reynolds, and her two marriages (the first to horror and science fiction director John Carpenter).

The title of this book is the title of a major song Barbeau sung in the original Broadway production of "Grease" which was "a major turning point in [her] life."

This autobiography is well written. What I especially liked was Barbeau's directness and the fact that you could easily follow the timeline of her life story.

Included in the book's approximate center are over forty black and white photographs. My favorite is the one that has her character in the movie "The Convent" gunning down nuns (or as she says "blowing away nuns").

Barbeau throughout her book doesn't come off as self-absorbed or an airhead. Instead she comes off as a smart, witty, loving, and giving person who, as this book chronicles, is a survivor.

Finally, I did find a few problems:

(1) I felt that Barbeau was holding back on certain details of her life story. For example, we are not told anything about the book's provocative cover photograph (shown above by Amazon). I learned that this is Barbeau's 1978 pin-up poster that actually rivaled Farrah Fawcett's poster of the same decade. Why are we not told anything about this?
(2) Many of the stories in her book are not followed up and this might be frustrating for some readers.
(3) She tends to sometimes flip-flop back and forth between present and past tense.

In conclusion, this is a good, solid, witty, and revealing autobiography about an actor who has been in the "biz" for more than four decades. It is definitely better than the standard actor autobiography!!

(first published 2006; introduction {entitled "The Journals"}; 40 chapters; main narrative 335 pages; acknowledgements {entitled "Thank You"})

+++++

Adrienne Barbeau's first book is a wonderful testament to a life lived. Good, bad or indifferent she propels her readers to LIVE.

Memoirs are always tough, and Barbeau nailed it! Even if I did not know her voice, from the many films, plays and TV shows she has been a part of, her written voice comes through so clearly. It is simultaneously kind, comic and sad without ever being maudlin.

Barbeau has a wonderful ability to take the reader in as if writing each reader a note about the day to day, and then she turns things that note around. You are reading a note from a friend and then realize that: Yes she was married to one of the most notable directors of horror in the U.S, yes she had an affair with Burt Reynolds. And yes she has had many loves in her time. Wow! But rather than delivering a tell all revealing the warts of others - although we do read a bit about those warts - Barbeau manages to undauntingly keep the focus on herself. While laughing at herself, and her foibles as a person with loves gained and lost, she takes the comic and imbues it with such heart the reader can visualize how double sided comedy is within each us; as when we laugh at ourselves, there tends to be some sadness lurking - conversely she explores her own tragedies such as the passing of her mother and her best friend, and reveals hope.

When reading this book, I was reminded of being lost on occasion. In THERE ARE WORSE THINGS I COULD DO, the reader, along with Adrienne, takes a journey. Barbeau reminds us that when we are lost we seek acceptance, regardless of what that acceptance might mean. But as we lose ourselves amidst gaining acceptance, we discover how within that losing, we can all find ourselves anew.

What is so fantastic about this read is Barbeau's refusal to be consumed by circumstance.
She keeps on going, keeps living, and keeps growing. For me as a woman, what is so particularly compelling about this book, is that she lets all women know that age truly, does not matter. And she does this simply by revealing her life, not by being pedantic. This is a message to all of us, to keep on keeping on. Ultimately she finds the love she so deserves, and rediscovers her muses: her children. Still, Barbeau reminds us that each day is a blank slate. and although Adrienne has found her muses, she keeps working at her life - understanding that with each day, ones life may need some reconfiguring. And that reconfiguring is a good thing...

I was lucky enough to hear Barbeau read passages from the book, and the reading added a wonderful dimension to my understanding of her experiences. Her timing is impeccable, and I hope her publisher will push extensively for a nationwide tour with the author.

Adrienne Barbeau's "There are Worst Things I Could Do" is not your standard kiss-and-tell Hollywood memoir. Although she writes wittily about her affair with Burt Reynolds, her marriage to cult filmmaker John Carpenter, her liaisons with various Hollywood personalities, and behind the scenes mayhem during the filming of "The Fog", "The Swamp Thing", "The Cannonball Run", and her hit television sitcom "Maude", her memoir is more about her personal journey as a wounded woman who ached for peace and joy in her relationships with men.

Her candor is refreshing. She does not flinch from sharing with the reader intimate details about sex, psychics, gurus, and her quest to heal the trauma of being abandoned by her father when she was still a child. The forty or so chapters around which she has arranged her material reveal a vibrant woman who wanted to experience life fully, to learn from her experiences, to heal her wounds, and to grow as an actress and woman.

Though she deals candidly with "heavy" subjects, her style is never maudlin or judgmental or self-pitying. She is able to find humor and farce even in the most intense situations of life.

So read this book as a Hollywood memoir full of juicy revelations if you wish. But the pleasure I got from it was not reading about her career arc but her personal journey as a woman through the rapidly shifting zeitgeist of the past five decades.

In time, her well-rounded memoir will grow in stature.

If you, like me, didn't know much about this great guitarist...read this book.

The fact that he never got famous is really his own fault....but you'll want to hear his music.

Very satisfied with product purchased from this seller. Fast delivery, honest description of product per seller and packaging was great. I bought this book for my husband and he enjoyed reading it. Thank you!

"Unfinished Business" by Ralph Heibutzki is a great read and provides great insight into the life of a not-so-well-known American guitarist. I was a fan of Danny Gatton before his untimely death and own 8 CDs by him. After reading Ralph's book, I ordered the other half of Gatton's canon (8 CDs and an instructional DVD) including a live soundboard recording by Evan Johns from the period when Danny was playing with Evan.

As I was one that always wondered what would cause a "normal" guy like Danny to take his life, on the heels of Roy Buchanan taking his own life, the book provided much insight into those dark days. It also provided insight into his glory days, his love of classic cars, and his struggles with the music industry.

The book was so captivating that I took it everywhere with me. I doing so, many folks inquired about it ... and more people in my town knew of Danny than I ever imagined. One friend was so impressed with my overview of the book, he requested to read it when I finished with it. Because I want to keep my signed copy intact, I'm buying him a copy as a gift.

If you have any interest in Danny Gatton or any interest in an amazing American guitar hero, "Unfinished Business" is his story.

The book reinvigorated my interest in DG. I had a couple cds of his and knew him to be a hot shot guitarist, but never concentrated much focused listening time on his music. Reading the book has gotten me on a DG binge, and I've picked up a few more cds and some live recordings (Fat Boys 1974!) and have listened alot more closely. Before reading this book, I didn't know about his death or anything about any interfamilial squabbles, but the author presented them very even-handedly. I knew Gatton was a well respected and influential guitarist but I was still surprised to read about some of the other musicians who were influenced by or impressed by his music. And being a guitar player myself (big surprise) I feel motivated to try to learn a lick or two of his myself. Thanks for the great book!

As a musician, I was very fortunate to know Danny personally as he played in one of his earliest DC bands with my uncle, Rick Harmel. I recall that he took time to show me a few practice scales almost everytime I ran into him - no matter how busy he appeeared - and he was a warm-hearted, generous guy to the core.

This book balances the abrupt, tragic end of Danny's life with the highs and motivations that made Gatton a player's player. It also spotlights many of the people (like Arlen Roth) that contributed their loyalty and friendship to Danny. Thank you Ralph for a great homage and superb, thorough account of the life of the Master of the Telecaster. A "must read" for all guitarists - and anyone else who enjoys a moving account of an accomplished human being.

i love this book, it was fast pacing and so sexy. a great love story and great charcters.

With her second book in the O'Fallon Family Series, Ms. Castell has once again provided readers with a fabulous and fun read filled with great characters and a wonderful plot! Laced with humor, charm, and passion this book is a very enjoyable pageturner that keeps the reader interested. I look forward to the other books in this great series about the O'Fallon family.

Keefe O'Fallon has taken a break from his job as soap star, Lex Zandor, to go back home and help his family out during a crisis. Callie Cahill has followed Keefe to get a story for her magazine, which Keefe does not want to happen. Callie, also, has a bit of a crush on Keefe, but Keefe does not like reporters! Callie saves the day when she helps calm Keefe's baby sister, Bonnie, and agrees to take care of Bonnie in exchange for Keefe giving her an interview. And so begins, Keefe and Callie's adventures.
Dianne Castell has created a fun, engaging cast of characters who immediately pull the reader into their lives and keeps them there. Keefe and Callie are fun to watch as they try to fight sexual tension that they cannot escape, and they really do not want to. The secondary characters and the underlying mystery both add to the charm of the story. Dianne Castell's The Way U Look Tonight is wonderful and I cannot wait to get my hands on Til There Was U and Quaid's story. Dianne has me hooked!!

Keefe O'Fallon returns home to help his family. Little did he know that trouble followed him home, one sexy reporter and an avid fan and the fun is just beginning.

The attraction between Keefe and the reporter-turned babysitter Callie is sizzling!! They both try so hard to deny it but with the steam they generate it is only a matter of time.

Besides the main storyline, Dianne Castell has woven in stories for some of the other folks in town. Keefe's friend Digger has his eye on the new girl in town. Sally & Demar's romance is heating up and what is going on at the Hasting's House. The storyline involving the retired folks in the community was perfect, a second chance at love and plenty of fun. All great additions that make you feel like your part of the town.

This is a must read for all you romance fans and if you missed "Til there was U", be sure to read it also. I am "patiently" waiting for the next O'Fallon story "I'll be Seeing U"

Meet Keefe O'Fallon. He is at the top of his game. A very hunky soap star. But the media hounds are driving him crazy. His father has a problem. So Keefe heads back to O'Fallon Landing to help Rory his father. And to hide out from the media. But then he mistakes a beautiful reporter as his baby sister Bonnie's new nanny. This is the break Callie needs. She has to have this interview so she can get a promotion. She needs it to help pay for her little sister's college education. Let the fun begin. Dianne Castell writes the second book in the Four O'Fallons and a Baby series. She creates a great family with a secondary cast of fun characters that are just as great. I always enjoy Ms Castell's books and this story is one of the best. Her books are great fun to read. Can not wait to the third brother to come home.
Also recommended: Dianne Castell- 'Til There was U. and Lori Foster's Jude's Law

Klein has written a definitive bio of Woody Guthrie. He portrays Guthrie in his full humanity with flaws and all. As a result, this is a rich real portrait in which Guthrie is illuminated as a human that was able to achieve in-human feats during his life time. This book is a must for anyone interested in understanding this seminal figure of American history and culture.

Woodrow Wilson Guthrie wasn't the most talented of musicians, but few people have had more influence on the landscape of American music. He was an incredibly prolific writer and the grandfather of the 1960s folk music revival, hero to the Dylan, Baez and the like.

Woody was to music what Steinbeck was to literature, capturing the California story of the thousands of "Okies" who emigrated to California looking for employment when dust storms devastated their farms during the Depression. But unlike Steinbeck, Guthrie was one of the people he sang about, leaving his poor Texas panhandle home and hitch-hiking, riding the rails, and singing his way across the country. Along the way, he listened to stories and felt the disenchantment of the other wayward wanderers. He captured those stories and sentiments, then put them to music. Woody quickly found an audience in his fellow immigrants, first around campfires, then on the radio. His character was more authentic than the slick corn-pone caricatures Hollywood had created. The large new audience could relate to Woody. And more importantly, he was voicing frustrations they could relate to.
Woody Guthrie's life was situated at the nexus of American music and American politics. He spent much of his life as a Communist (most people forget that, though not a threat to take office, the Communist Party had a sizable membership in America pre-WWII), and was one of the first people to use music to encourage political rebellion. He played the picket lines, helped organize rallies and played at Communist party meetings.

While his songs sound happy and simple to us today, the lyrics are often packed with anger and irony, expressing frustration at an America not living up to its promises. There was talk, for a while, of making Guthrie's "This Land is My Land" the national anthem. But in truth, the original "This Land is My Land" is far from the patriotic ditty schoolchildren learn today. It was actually a response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America," a song Woody found to be full of false hope. Along with the fourth verse, the final verse of Woody's version is typically exorcized:

"One bright sunny morning, in the shadow of the steeple
By the Relief Office, I saw my people -
As they stood hungry, I stood there wondering if
This land was made for you and me."

Personally, Woody was a complex guy, full of good intentions, but falling short on many counts. For all his success as a musician, he was a terrible husband to several women and an absentee father, often leaving his families for months at a time on wandering cross-country trips. He drank too much, was unpredictable and often a pain in the side of some of his closest friends. Only later in his life, when he was diagnosed with Huntington's disease, the genetic nervous disorder that killed his mother, did it seem like there may have been an explanation beyond selfishness for Woody's unpredictable behavior.

Joe Klein tells Woody's story with the kind of craft and poetry that such a story deserves. He paints a vivid portrait of Woody that jumps off the page with life, all quirky and charming and lovable and maddening and irresponsible and admirable and stupefying and brilliant. But WOODY GUTHRIE: A LIFE is more than the story of one man's life-it is the story of America in the last century, of its changing social climate, of its musical maturation, of its dreams and realities. All of these themes can be found in the songs of Woody Guthrie, and the only thing he ever sang about was what he saw in his lifetime.

This biography is stunningly and painfully intimate. Joe Klein did a fantastic job. This is a great read.

Guthrie is a tremendous American icon who not enough of us actually know about or perhaps have even heard of. He was a thousand contradictions. In his art and in his life, in his outrageous, childlike, precocious, brooding, energetic, and endlessly subversive behavior... he was just utterly himself, he embodied a particular American brand of freedom in life, outlook, and sense of possibility.

Even if you haven't got time to read this book, make sure the kids around you know all the verses to "This Land Is Your Land". You may not agree with the politics but it's worth knowing what the man actually said, it makes you think.

....and I'd recommend this book even to those not especially interested in Woody Guthrie. The writing is superb, and Klein's reporting skills are without peer. The book also stands as a fine social history of Depression Era America.

Every Christmas, I buy multiple copies of this book and give it away to friends and family. Every spring/summer, I receive multiple messages of enthusiastic thanks and gratitude. No one who reads it comes away unaffected.

Basically, I will just say this is the most riveting biography I've ever read, and I've read it many times (am rereading it now actually).

There are two primary reasons why this book is so far above all other biographies:

1.) Joe Klein's writing is fantastic. His research is thorough, but his ability to communicate to an audience complex historical, socio-political, medical, and psychological concepts is virtually without peer.

2.) Woody Guthrie's life simply is one of the most fascinating lives I've ever read about. From his birth (even before his birth) straight through to his death, his life never gets boring. There is no plateau, where a great artist achieves his best work and then self destructs or mellows, etc etc.....every single period of Woody's life is equally fascinating. He was an incredible human being, a very complex artist and man-and he happened to straddle many periods of history. You will be constantly surprised. Sometimes you want to strangle him and then he turns around and does something so unbelievabely heroic, that you can hardly believe it actually happened. There is NO ONE like Woody Guthrie today....nor was there ever another in any other time period, the guy was truly a one and only.

I couldn't recommend this book enough. It's so good that not until 2004 was another biography attempted on Woody, and I can't imagine it could be any better than this.