Television Books

If you have a child like mine who will quite happily spend hours discussing Doctor Who's pasts, present and futures, then this tome is a perfect way to satisfy their hunger for all things Whovian while literally buying you a moment's peace.

As another reviewer has noted, this encyclopedia focuses virtually exclusively on the adventures of the "new" Doctors from the series reboot, covering Eccleston's single season and Tennant's first two. It's very handsomely illustrated with numerous color photos and packed with short and pithy entries and character biographies. It is NOT an episode guide, so be certain you know that you're getting a quick reference manual and not detailed synopses and reviews.

There's a lot of material here, but a surprising amount of it smacks of filler. For instance, every song that was ever heard for more than three pico-seconds in any episode is included here--along with separate entries for the band or singer. And in some cases, for the composer. So, we get to read a bit about Jeff Lynne--because he wrote an ELO song that was featured in one episode. That's...just a little oddly obsessive to me. Where do you draw the line? Why not comment on the brand of spark plugs used by a taxi the Doctor rode in?

Another minor annoyance is that the author seems to pay overwhelming attention to two animated episodes ("Attack of the Graske" and "The Infinite Quest") that are probably not canonical and that are not very likely to be known to American viewers. I mean--sometimes it seems that every third or fourth entry pertains to one of these. It's a bit frustrating.

The wealth of photos makes this a pretty good value, but overall this encyclopedia just seems a bit lightweight and has a lot of questionable entries. Try to get someone to buy it for you as a gift.

This book is a great companion to the first three seasons of the Doctor's return. Almost anything you can think of from Eccelston's debut in Season 1's Rose to the end of Season 3's Last of the Time Lords is in here. As well as some things in between like the Tardisodes and Attack of the Graske.

The introduction does make apolgies for not including references to the Christmas 2007 Titanic episode and Donna's return in the Season 4 opener Partners in Crime, but they have to draw the line somewhere I guess!

All the photos are full color and there's at least one on every page making this book a real delight even if you just flip through a few pages to find something visually interesting.

It's also packed with the kind of trivia only the devoted would know by heart.

I found that this book is a must-read for both die-hard fans of Doctor Who, and people who are new to the series. I am a die-hard fan, and there were things in here that I didn't even know. The pictures are excellent, also.

If you follow Dr. Who the last 3 seasons and like to know more about the characters then this is the book for you. My kids love looking at this and having me remind them of the different characters and such.

David Boucher has written a book that examines in detail the contribution of both artists to the worlds of both literature and rock & roll. In his intoduction he looks at the progress of Cohen from serious poet to rock & roll recording artist and performer. This transition cost him status in the literary world but aided by the legendary "golden voice" and some consummate musicians it allowed him to reach a hitherto undreamed of audience.

Dylan, whom he refers to as "The Changing Man" in Chapter Three, was the chameleon-like performer who picked up, and discarded new personas and new musical styles at the drop of his very famous hat. The obvious example here is the infamous "electric tour" where Dylan was heckled and called "Judas". This abuse was, the book shows, not only for his perceived betrayal of the acoustic folk movement, but also a reaction to the contempt with which Dylan treated his audience. Dylan had always been a confrontational performer, and his response to such attacks was to become louder and less acoustic than ever. What David Boucher also shows is that this signified a shift from the community centred ethic of the folk movement to the excessive individualism and nihilism of the Beat poets who through the drug culture wanted, like Rimbaud, to experience the extremes.

In other chapters the myriad influences on both performers are examined as well as their involvement with political and religious organisations. Finally David Boucher gives us an insight into the road travelled by both men in search of their own personal salvation.

Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are complex men and complex performers. To listen to, or to read the works of either man is always challenging. In this book the author has written an analysis that is equally challenging exploring, as it does, the anger and the angst of the 1960s and beyond. I enjoyed every minute of the challenge.

What makes this book such a unique and significant contribution to its genre is that it is written with the insight and sensitivity of a spirit that seems deeply attuned to those of its subjects. Not only does the reader come away with a better understanding of the historical times and political contexts that shaped these men, and the personal struggles and psychological bents that motivated their writing, but also with a clearer understanding of what attracts their devotees to their work.

Throughout the book, Boucher weaves explorations of various aspects of the lives and cultural context of Dylan and Cohen that strongly affected them and their work. These include the civil rights movement, drugs, women, sexuality, God and religion, what it means to be reluctantly identified as the voice of a generation, and -- particularly for Cohen -- the holocaust. Boucher also explores the influence of other artists on their work, from Woody Guthrie for Dylan to Lorca for Cohen, as well as the influence that Dylan and Cohen had on each other.

Just as Dylan and Cohen make poetry an accessible part of popular culture, with equal skill Boucher makes philosophy of art and interpretation accessible as well. He points out that our experience of lyric poetry is informed by the questions we bring to it and he explains that the richest experience is to be had when the most appropriate questions are asked. Boucher uses the theories of several philosophers such as R. G. Collingwood, Henry Jones, and Michael Oakeshott, to identify which questions are most appropriately asked of particular works at particular moments in the artists' creative development. He also shows the fruitlessness of asking the wrong kind of questions of a particular poem, as is the tendency of many thinkers. He describes various forms of artistic expression: pseudo-art, or art as magic; art as the expression of emotion, or imaginative art; and inspirational art, or poetry which delights in images. He then demonstrates how, at various stages in Dylan's artistic development, his work takes all three forms of expression, whereas Cohen's work primarily takes the form of the last two. He then offers examples from their poetry to illustrate which form(s) of expression is/are being inhabited by a particular work and he supports his demonstrations with quotations about their work from the artists themselves.

Finally, Boucher helps to bring the period to life for his reader by including several pictures of book covers, concert and film posters, magazine covers and various photographs. The overall result of the book is that Boucher successfully positions his readers to have a richer experience and a deeper understanding and appreciation of the lyric poetry of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.

The irate and intemperate person signing himself pepidude in a previous review seems incapable of being able to appreciate an argument or of understanding the nature of the exercise that David Boucher has undertaken. It is a thematic book with a wide range of references, not a book of facts about Bob Dylan.The author introduces us to the complexities of issues relating to the difference between popular music lyrics and poetry, between origins and originality, the poetry of imagination and inspiration and much more. Anyone interested in ideas and issues, and in theories as well as facts will find this book immensely stimulating and fascinating.

David Boucher's masterly work 'Dylan & Cohen' is essential reading, not simply for devotees of these 'Poets of Rock and Roll' but for anyone with an interest in the history of the radical cultural, political and musical changes in the last century.

It is clear from this eloquent book that neither Dylan nor Cohen wished to speak for anyone but themselves and equally clear that the strength of their work would be seized upon by a generation looking for a new direction. Thankfully they both continued to write through their tribulations and we have a bank of some of the most evocative music to continue to listen to.

I urge you to buy this book but with a word of warning: you won't want to stop reading once you've started.

This is an excellent study of the music and lyrics of the 2 greatest rock "poets." Boucher explores whether or not their lyrics even qualify as poetry and keeps the subject interesting! He effectively delves into their psyches,as well, without getting hung up on personal, biographical details which have been over analyzed in other places. I found the final chapter "The Religious Experience" to be some of the best writing that I've seen on Dylan and Cohen's spiritual journeys. I highly recommend this to fans of either man's work.

If you are an Elvis fan, this is really one of those must have books. The pictures are to die for and it is just wonderful.

the photographs are spectacular, but where is the non-limited edition that i've seen retail in the bookstore for $65?

i Love this Book it has very good quality photos of the king in his prime!

This book is beautiful. The pictures are excellent and it is nice to have as a collectors item for any Elvis fan or give as a gift to any Elvis fan.

If you only have one Elvis book in your library, or one photography book, let it be "Elvis at 21"...you will never buy a more sumptuous volume. The printing of the images is phenomenal, with wonderful use of gatefolds. It is one of the very few art books I've bought that I didn't balk at the retail price.

Wertheimer's photographs are collectively an artifact of our cultural history. It's amazing to see so many of them gathered together and in sequence. A much smaller selection of this body of work was published about 20 years ago as "Elvis '56"--this was my one-book-in-the-library, even back when I only had a photocopied edition. With this expansion, a whole new king is crowned.

2007 is of course the 30th anniversary of the King's passing. The world should expect a vast onslaught of new and revised offerings on the man. "Elvis at 21" throws down an early gauntlet so firmly, the other publishers might just as well crawl back into their niches.

Buy it, and wear a bib so you don't ruin the pages with your drool.

This is the tell all book about the entertainment industry and braodcasting set up. I would like to recomend this book for anyone that is searching for direction when it comes down to entertainment, and how to get started.

I had the pleasure of meeting the author last fall for a workshop where she was the keynote speaker. It was inspirational and reaffirming. Entertainment Power Players, EPP for all those 'in the know, is a great resource to use for the television, film, and music business. Ms. Sterling also included in this book interviews with people in the industry. I highly recommend this book for anyone (YES, anyone) searching for contacts and information for the entertainment industry. Use it for inspiration, use it as a resource, use it to help propel you to the next level in your quest to delve deeper into the industry. It is not only a must read, but a must have.

Ms. Dackeyia Sterling has manifested a entertainment manual that really gives direct liasons with the power players you really need to know to move and shake in the respective entertainment industries. In addition to legitimate contact information, she integrates into the fabric of the manual inspirational stories and interviews of those in various facets of the arts that have beaten the odds and made strong names for themselves. The subjects she chooses are not conventional, they are diverse and often times behind the scenes. Those whose creativity has made others shine. The presentation of the manual is also top-notch. Definitely a good and smart buy for anyone who is serious about the biz, any creative biz.

I recently received my copy of Entertainment Power Players and it has been a great resource for me. It has given me plenty of contacts to use for my clients. Thank you!

I am a screenwriter and filmmaker. My career has gone through a number of stages and degrees since purchasing the first volume of this series from a business conference. It was a tremendous resource. Though the larger company contacts are ones that I could have found online, it saved me a lot of time searching (and time is money). But, the real value came in some of the other information in the book. Every significant production company in every part of the industry is listed, and there are even specific listings for more obscure segments of the industry such as animation and sound. So, information that I couldn't readily find online is now at my fingertips.

Since the first volume, I've purchased this one. My career is a little further ahead now, and still I find this to be an invaluable resource. What it does for me now is give me ideas that I would have never come to without having the book sitting in front of me. I can have one path in mind for getting something done, or for getting a project into the right hands, and as I'm looking for a phone number in this book, I'll run across another listing that makes me consider another option. I've even beat my manager to finding contacts and phone numbers at times when she was flipping through her rolodex. She was impressed.

If you're just starting out in the entertainment industry, and you've spent time online looking for agents and production companies, save yourself some time and purchase this book. If you are into your career, but still climbing, this book can only be of assistance in helping you make your way. And, if you are an industry bigwig ... well ... you or your company are probably already in the book :-)

This book has helped me a lot for the TV commercial to be created in Flash..I thank the author of the book for this wonderfull help..

In order to use the examples in this book you will need a MacIntosh. You will also have buy quite a number of third-party plugins. If you own a Mac and have money for plugins than this is a very helpful book.

But look elsewhere if you only have a Windows computer and want to use only Flash for video work.

An excellent Flash book. It goes through every aspect of the production process, from writing the script to exporting to videotape. It tells you how to prepare your Flash animations the right way, and provides information on the correct project size, frame rate, title & action safe guides, etc. for broadcast. This information is invaluable if you ever intend to submit your Flash animation to a festival or studio, and you have to export your movie out to videotape. I also found the interviews with seasoned Flash animators to be very insightful. You will not regret buying this book.

If you're a traditional animator or a web-based flash animator (all levels), "Flash MX Design for TV and Video" IS the definitive guide to taking your flash animation to video, television and DVD. Not only is this book chock full of animation techniques, it also explores working with sound, flash video capabilities and limitations, visual storytelling and cross-purposing, the process of designing your project with a variety of delivery options in mind. This book is a must-have for every serious Flash Animator seeking to take their flash stories to the next level. We are proud to recommend it to our FlashTV members.

Nicholas Da Silva, ...

Its just a mater time before more quality content shifts from the workstations to the living rooms of the world. This is the definitive guide on bridging Flash content for the Web to Television. A truly indespensible reference for any Flash professional wanting to make the transition.
Janet Galore and Todd Kelsey lay it all out clearly and write in an easy to read style that doesn't skimp on details. The entire book is laden with terrific artwork and helpful screen grabs that support the text. Very undaunting for the visually inclined.
The sections on video exporting, and postproduction effects was particularly eye opening. this section alone cleared a lot uncertainty for me.
While this book won't make the reader a better Flash animator/designer, it most definately will make any level Animator or designer a more informed artist. It will open a lot of doors personaly and in the hands of a talented, creative person, change the ever evolving face of the Flash community indelibly.

I read this book so fast, couldn't put it down... Ms. Darrow is a fascinating writer, taking you on a fast paced adventure through some of the most important events that happened in recent years. The book stays with you long after you finish reading it, highly recommend it!

I thought this book was pretty good. It was really intriguing to hear what a person in those situations really thinks about. She's had a very interesting life. She is a very intellectual writer.

This is a great story; well written, humorous, and full of fascinating "behind-the-scenes" glimpses of life as a CNN correspondent. In the end, however, the thing that really makes this book worth the read is the author's willingness and ability to share her own personal journey. Her story moved me deeply and made me freshly aware of the joys and challenges of my own life. It also left me wanting to hear more! When is her next book coming out?!

This is one of the best books I've read this year! Darrow is witty, warm, and wise. I found myself comparing my own childhood experiences with hers, and was amazed by how much we have in common. Darrow was honest enough to share the pain and humiliation she suffered growing up without much money, and I could relate.

Siobhan Darrow is a refreshing voice of truth in modern day autobiographies. I recommend this book to everyone! She will transport you all over the world in her global adventures, sharing her unique brand of humor and self-reflection. The book was so exciting, I read it in one evening and the next day began to read it again! As a young woman in the media, I am thankful to have such a great role model.

Flirting With Danger takes the reader on a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the day-to-day life of a foreign correspondent. Siobhan openly shares her ambivalence at being an eyewitness to many of the pivotal events that shaped the back end of the last century. Her work took her to some of the most dangerous places on earth and even blasted her into outer space. When she asks herself "what am I doing here?" she embarks on the toughest assignment of all - the one taken in pursuit of self-discovery. An honest, courageous and thoroughly enjoyable autobiography.

This is persented as a collector's price guide, so he can know the value of his Lucille Ball collection. It has rare pictures of her and is a must for any Lucy fan. The prices are outdated however and there are too few stories throughout the book. The book might feel to some as too much Lucy and not enough pictures of others who worked with her.

Let me start with the complaints. The prices that the items have designated to them are very off. You can easliy go to a flea market or an online auction and get most of the things at least 25% cheaper than they are listed as being worth in here. Maybe the prices are so high because the guy never planned to update it, but an update is what the book needs. After the 50th Anniversary of I Love Lucy there was a ton of stuff released. In all honesty a For The Love of Lucy Pt.2 book could be made, after all the book is 7 or 8 years old. Now moving on to the good stuff about the book. This book includes so many Lucy items that were made available from early on in her carrer to after her death that this book would be a great conversational piece for when you have any company. Each page is filled with stuff from cards and comic books, to dolls. This book is perfect for any Lucy fan who is or isnt collecting Lucy stuff. Overall this book is great, but updating it would be nice.

This book is full of photos of beautiful collectibles on Lucy - magazines, posters, toys, all sorts of memorabilia. It is wonderful to the Lucy fan to use a something of a check list. The one flaw is the absolutely ridiculous prices Wyman says some of these things are worth. I recently bought the 40s picture frame photo he says is worth $75 for $4! Many times I have paid less than a third the price he says these things go for. Wonder if he jacked up the prices expecting they would eventually fetch these rates in years to come. Still, this is a gorgeous book and he certainly does have an outstanding collection on Lucy.

Ric's does a beautiful job on this book. I get the feeling he really loves Lucy! Ric is a true fan. The photos and information on Lucy are outstanding!

Talk about complete! "For the Love of Lucy" is the ultimate book for fans and collectors of "Lucy" memorabilia. Filled with beautiful color and black & white pictures, along with helpful text and value estimates, this compendium will keep any fan busy for hours. I'm not a collector, but I found it thrilling to sift through all the pages and see the many different things out there. This would be a great birthday or Christmas gift for any Lucy lover you know.

If you are a Spice Girls fan then you will absolutely love this book. Its pretty much a book full of behind the scene photos with a section of quotes and little stories from the girls. It is definitely a must have for any Spice Girl's collection.

This Spice Girls book is an absolute blast!! It has about 90 pages of photos and 24 pages with text. When you first look at the book, it looks like there isn't a lot of written words, but there actually is. They crammed a lot in those 24 pages. All the pictures are a marvel to look at, becuse a lot haven't ever been released before. The Girls of Spice did an amazing job putting this book together, because the ords and pictures are straight from their heart. They decided what was going into the book. In the text, they talk about the tour, Geri leacing, boyfriends, home life, and a lot more! If you live for Spice, you need to get this book. Out of all the official Spice books, I think this is second best, with their first one, Girl Power, in the lead. This book is highly reccomended, I got it last Thursday and am still marveling over every page!!

The Spice Girls Book, Forever Spice, Is The BEST Book I Have Ever Bought. It Has Great New Pictures Of All Four Spice Girls. This Book Is DEFINITLY Worth Buying.

i have one of these at home and i must say that the spice girls really, really, really worked hard on it. the pictures are nice too. in my opinion, the spice girls really poured out their guts and blood just to make this book so great job girls and GIRL POWER...

This book is a must for Spice Girls fans! Hundreds of awesome Spice Girls pictures and wonderful stories written by the Spice Girls about thier tour, home life,solo efforts, and Geri leaving. Im thier # 1 fan in the world. But I reccomend your order this from amazon.co.uk because Amazon.co.uk got it out to me in one day!

Medium to hard-core music fans will love it. Casual fans will enjoy it. If you are into the music of the FREE, BAD COMPANY, and/or Paul Rodgers - you owe it to yourself to get this book. This is a great read, real life story, with loads of interesting details behind this moderately popular (but outstanding) rock band. This book is NOT a "kiss-up-hero-worshiping-everything-they-did-was-wonderful-critical-review" thing. Just the facts. Some ugly stuff. Some sad. Always interesting. I was amazed to discover how serious & determined these "kids" where to produce the music THEY wanted play. Find out what happened to Andy Fraser (bass). Who/What was SHARK? TOBY? Dates, Names, Places. It even includes a complete sessionography listing obscure unreleased sessions by Paul Rodgers band named PEACE (who?!). Even as a hard-core fan, I was completely unaware of 90% of the information I discovered in this book. Be forewarned that that this book will probably cost you more money down the road - as you scramble to complete your collection of FREE related music. Read the book. Listen to the music. You will not regret it.

this great book at second edition try the reader in a dimension as end '60 never forget and reach light on the hard times of the group.very fine photos but only black and white ,i think perhaps not could be a difficult thing to buyer for this splendid book.
i hope in a third edition with more accurate pages,photos colours and in a book only dedicated to my great guitar player and always inspiration source PAUL KOSSOFF.
peter from italy.

what a great and in depth biography. if you like Free or any of its members, this is a must for your book shelf or coffee table. can't say enough good things about it

David Clayton has done a great job in assembling the stories of the individual players in the early days, how they came together, early struggles, eventual success etc. The reminicences of those who knew them and extracts from music magazines of the time make for interesting reading.

It is a sobering and sometimes depressing read about a band who should have been much larger, but instead were corrupted by eventual success after years of struggle and poverty.

Young up and coming bands would do well to read about, and try to avoid, the mistakes this band made regarding management, drugs, egos, song selection, and group parasites which all got in the way of the music.

Way back in the early eighties, intrigued by the components that made "All Right Now" such a great song, I went on a quest to find any and every recording of the late, great, lamented band, Free. I thought I was the only person on the planet who still listened to them. Thank God I was not. If you dig their music then you will want the book, and you'll love it. If you don't know about the music so well, then this book will definitely wet your appetite for it. They created their own oevre and instantly recognizable sound. The minimalism is addictive. Listen carefully. You will be moved.

I loved Get on TV! It's entertaining, yet practical, detailed and has so much heart. Even though I've been on Oprah and Good Morning America and have years of experience, I still learned a lot. Jacquie Jordan gives us a tremendous gift: not only insider knowledge we can get nowhere else, but also the experience of having a personal relationship with a top-notch TV producer. Go for it!

`Oprah', `The Today Show', your local talk shows and even reality TV all offer unprecedented opportunities for personal and professional promotion. Position yourself to reap the rewards by targeting the right shows and applying a few insider rules for getting on the air. Author Jacquie Jordan, an Emmy-nominated TV pro, knows just what producers seek in the perfect "TV guestpert." She delivers the goods in this thorough guide to promoting yourself, your company or your product on the air. When you read this, you'll want to get right to work. Getting TV air time will no longer seem like an impossible goal, although you will notice in Jordan's case studies that truth is often stranger than fiction in TV Land. We recommend this book to professionals who want to polish their presentations, understand talk show production behind the scenes and become TV guests. Go get your 15 minutes of fame.

OK. I admit it. When I agreed to review "Get on TV" by Jacquie Jordan it was for my own selfish reasons. My new novel had just been released, and I was looking for a way to get on TV for added exposure. So naturally, I chose the book with the perfect title, and man am I glad I did.

In "Get on TV" veteran TV producer and insider Jacquie Jordan (who has worked with folks like Donny Osmond and Maury Povich) reveals valuable information on what it takes to get on television. The books gives detailed information on topics such as how to assemble a press kit, how to speak the language of TV producers and how to set realistic expectations on appearing on your favorite (and not so favorite) news and talk shows.

"Get on TV" works on multiple levels, mainly because the reader can feel the author's genuine authenticity when reading between the lines. It's not one of those books that was written solely to promote the author's business. In fact, Jordan even shares ways to circumvent the need to hire an agency like hers. You gotta love and respect that.

Though the book is packed with outstanding information, including a sample release form, contact information for all of the major networks and Jordan's insider info, some of the material (like definitions and learning the lingo) seemed to be overkill. But don't let this minor distraction fool you. Jacquie Jordan knows her stuff, and if you follow the advice in this book it wouldn't surprise me at all if I saw you on TV soon after. Buy this book and follow the advice given and I know I'll see you on the small screen.

Emanuel Carpenter
Author of "Where is the Love?"
emanuelcarpenter dot com

I have worked in media for over 25 years and Jacquie even taught me things! She takes you from wanting to promote your idea to becoming a "guestpert" that television producers want to call back...over and over again. She gives you the lay of the land and who all the players are in the field...easily and simply. It's a great resource for those who want to be in the "biz" or need the "biz" to promote their product or services.

This is a great book especially for those folks that know nothing about the TV/entertainment industry. Ms. Jordan does an excellent job of detailing the different job descriptions and provides invaluable insider information that one outside the industry would never have access to.