Television Books

This is one book that does not live up to its name This is a very funny book- If you think Beavis and Butthead are funny-- If you don't like Beavis & Butthead you probably won't like this book

Many die-hard fans from my generation would remember the summer of 1993 when Beavis and Butt-Head first graced MTV. With the premiere episodes FROG BASEBALL and PEACE, LOVE, AND UNDERSTANDING in 1992, followed by the first season episodes, Mike Judge's ongoing series of two braindead cartoon nitwits was born.

Just reading through this, the first of many feature books, brings to mind flashbacks of the first season episodes in particular. Like many other cartoon shows, the animation is cruder and the characters look and sound slightly different, and the music videos added the real class to it. The book is loaded with pages of fun activities from house painting (coloring) to word matches to songs to progress report incidents from Highland High School.

All of it together makes this book a tour through time in the evolution of the show itself. For any of you fans who really loved the early episodes, this book is definitely for you. You will be laughing long and hard. Huh huh huh huh. I said "long and hard". That was cool!

I YEARN TO SEE WHEN EVERY SINGLE EPISODE WILL BE RELEASED - UNCUT AND UNCENSORED - ON DVD!

This book reminds me of the beavis and butthead movie and the TV show, not that I miss them because I have all the episodes on DVD, and the movie, thats besides the point. This book really is entertaining to read and doesn't take very long to finish. It has pictures of various artists from their videos and they talk about them, make fun of them, whatever. Since I only paid like $1, it was well worth it for this book.

This book is about as funny as watching the show! The way beavis and butt-head are so stupid sometimes in the book crack me up. They even have a list of funny words like Tungsten, cocky, sextet, and so on. If you are a diehard fan of Beavis and Butt-head such as moo-ah you MUST buy this book!

This book sucks is so great. For any Beavis and Butthead fan it is the must have collectors item. It has many detailed photos of, their town, the house, old B&B and many more pieces of impotant(huh-huh) background. My personal favorite which still makes me laugh is the list of words.

The world is a complicated place, and one of the ways we try to make order out of chaos is by dividing things into lists. Even with Amazon, users are exposed to myriad lists: not merely the best seller lists, but also heaps of lists by customers who create rosters of books, movies or other items organized in a particular fashion. Certainly the list has been around for a long time, but it really became a phenomenon with The Book of Lists and its successors. One of the newest of these books is The Book of Lists: Horror, and following its format, I present my review in list form.

SECTIONS OF THE BOOK:

1. Movies ("Fear on the Silver Screen): This section, taking up just over half of the book, is filled with lists created by various people associated with the horror genre. Among other lists, there are the horror films that most influenced Ray Bradbury's youth; the five common tactical errors made in horror films (e.g., confirm your kills); ten movie fates worse than death; and the top ten horror movie surgical blunders. Some of the lists are weak, others are interesting, and no doubt you will find your own movies that fit in a list (for example, I would include one character's fate in the movie Wolf Creek to fit into the "worse than death" list). The real strength of this section is that it can give you a number of ideas for new movies to see.

2. Books ("The Literature of Dread"): This section takes up another quarter of the book and many of the same comments apply as with the movies. Of course, for every horror movie (using the very loose definition of horror in this book), there are probably a dozen books, so there is even a greater chance that the lists will neglect some novel or story. When we get a list of five horror novels set in Venice, you can tell that this section may be stretched a little further than needed.

3. Music ("A Little Nightmare Music"): This section is brief and appropriately so. And there's no reference to Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London.

4. Miscellaneous ("A Miscellany of Terrors"): This grab bag is the largest of the minor (last three) sections. Comic books, TV horror hosts (such as Vampira) and even drinks are here (Zombie or Bloody Mary, anyone?).

5. Fan Submitted Lists ("Shrieks from the Gallery"): This section has lists from non-pros, but even the ones from kids sometimes surpass the ones elsewhere in the book. The nicest list here includes a bunch of old pulp covers; they're fun to look at, even if the pictures are a bit small.

Overall, this is the literary equivalent of a bag of potato chips. Even if not every list is spectacular, you can't stop with just one. There may not be a lot of nutritional value, but even a guilty pleasure is a pleasure nonetheless.

love books of lists, love horror genre....mix 'em together and you get a winner! FIVE HUGE STARS!

You dont need to love horror to love this book. If you even have a passing fancy for the dark side you are in for a treat.

This book is the best Ive read for movie information. Its has a large selcetion of lists ranging from the best deaths in a horror movie to what are Stephen Kings favorite horror stories. The number of horror stars is amazing. There are writers, mucians, directors and actors. I highly reccomend this book to any fan of horror or just movie information.

I am a huge fan of the horror genre and lists so i knew i would love this book. It is interesting on many levels. Many familiar faces of the genre created lists in the book that are both entertaining and informative. I guarantee you will be making lists of your own after reading this book with movies, books, or music that sound appealing to you. It is also great to hear what people involved with the genre think. All the lists are given generous description so even the most diehard genre fans will learn something new. I highly recommend this book, whether you are a fan of the horror genre itself, a lover of lists, or you simply enjoy entertainment related trivia. Just trust me this book is for YOU!

The 4th Edition of the Camera Assistant's Manual by focal press author David Elkins is a must have for the beginner as well as the seasoned pro. From how to set up a darkroom, to threading diagrams on all "in use" cameras, to lifelong useful tables and charts, this edition has it all.

Nothing comes close to David Elkins' book. It's that simple. This is the best, most complete book on the job of the camera assistant. PERIOD. If you are new to the job of the camera assistant, this book is an absolute must have. If you are a seasoned "vet" who has years of experience working on motion picture sets, again, this book is an absolute must have. Elkins' total description of every aspect of the AC's job is so consise, it's like a classroom in a book. Loaded with every conceivable diagram and chart, and covering every motion picture camera currently being used, this book goes well beyond your typical "job description" type tome.

The bonus materials alone make this book invaluable. Along with the companion website, the reader has vast amounts of precious material available for when the job calls for it...label templates, charts, manufacturer links and contacts, the list goes on and on and on. The best part is the writing style is clear and informative, almost like Elkins himself is teaching you as you go.

Look no further than this book. It's all here.

The Camera Assistant's Manual is a must have reference book for both beginners and experienced professionals in the camera department. If you are a beginner, this manual will teach you all of the basics as well as the advanced details of camera assisting. Although not a substitute for actual experience, author David Elkins also coaches you on how to act efficiently and professionally on a set. This can save you countless embarrassing blunders on your "first barbeque." But before learning all of the AC's duties, the reader is introduced to the basics of cinematography and a complete overview of the camera department. This is extremely helpful - allowing the beginner to understand the "big picture" first. If you are an experienced professional, Elkins gives you hundreds of tips and suggestions that will add to your knowledge base and help your job go smoothly. This 4th edition contains the most complete and up to date camera diagrams, tables, and formulas of any single reference source. Imagine your relief when you have to load and thread a new camera for the first time. The Camera Assistant's Manual is worth it's weight in gold.

I bought this book when I was hired to AC for a project on equipment I had never worked with before. For one of those, "Holly crap! I agreed to do a job I only know how to do part of!" moments, this book is great. Every question I could think of was answered thoroughly and I mean THOROUGHLY. If you want to learn exactly what the responsibilities of an Assistant Camera Person are and how best to execute them read this book! If you are a working AC and want an easy to read, text-book style reference this is it.

David Elkins's The Camera Assistant's Manual, Fourth Edition is the best technical book around, and one of the best books on movies, period.

Dave manages to cover every aspect of an assistant's job, no matter how obscure or infrequently encountered. But the completeness is only one aspect which recommends it to any aspiring or working cinematographer.

Written in a clear, conversational manner, Dave manages to demystify both the jargon and the sometimes strange job of an assistant. His accounts of procedure for both first and second assistants clarify what we in the business call "industry standard": the accepted, professional way of conducting yourself and doing a job. Outside of a job on a
Hollywood set, it is nearly impossible to learn these classic, time-saving routines. And unless you've been a pro in the business, you're not going to know about such things as the relative merits of Magliner and Rubbermaid carts for hauling equipment.

The book covers the general characteristics of film, cameras, and lenses in such a way as to give a general technical education. Dave also gives a valuable overview of the camera department and its place in film production overall.

What many readers will find most useful are the sections on troubleshooting, the diagrams and threading patterns of every currently used camera, and the wealth of forms and lists to organize the on-set work.

I've tried to give a good idea of what the book covers, but it contains much, much more. I've been using The Camera Assistant's Manual since the first edition. This is the biggest and the best version. I only wish that, when I started as a camera assistant, I had had access to such a clear, helpful book.

My half-hearted browser's interest in Cassavetes needed a kick in the seat of the pants, I now realize, and reading this book shows me how much I failed to appreciate him while we were lucky enough to have him around. The format is eye-opening. Cassavetes speaks, and then the author. The constantly shifting P.O.V., and the frisson between the truth Cassavetes himself presented, and the unvarnished truth as discovered by the author, makes this book constantly stimulating and endlessly arguable.

Cassavetes life and films are worth a serious look-see -- and this book is an EXCELLENT place to begin that-- if only because he is that rare individual who absolutely refused to accept mediocrity in himself and others, both as an artist and a committed liver of life. He went for the burn every time out, and could often be an ornery s.o.b. when he detected that people were simply going through the motions in their life or art. (The book is rife with anecdotes that literally make you wince and leave you wondering "Could I have long tolerated this behavior in a friend or family member?") He seems never to have thought "I'd better not burn my bridges here", or practiced any of the other forms of incremental, over-thought cowardice that most of us do.

Cassavetes was driven like no one else; he never made a lazy, easy commercial film. He let his life and films commingle, letting the cameras roll for hours, shooting thousands of feet more film than he could use, afterward sculpting it into a shape that could be released. (He said film stock was the one part of his film making on which he would never scrimp.) His films were, probably more than any other director's, explorations of life.

Cassavetes lived life so completely that it might be truthful to say he did something the average person would call foolhardy nearly every day of his life, in some way or other. But in spite of this, or because of it, it's impossible to come away from this book without an awakened admiration for him.

Absolutely necessary reading for those interested in American alternative cinema and not only. The book gives a brilliant picture of USA's one of the best directors ever.
Highly recommended for everyone. No other book shows Cassavetes in this light. Packed with interesting material, as good as Cassavetas' cinema itself.

Ray Carney's "Cassavetes on Cassavetes" is a wonderful introduction to Cassavetes' work. I found it to be a great read - amazingly free of academic jargon or fancy terminology. It was hard to put down! And with incredible photos of the wild-man at work. A must for every fan of indie film as well as aspiring directors and artists - and also for students of life! If you want to know even more, I'd also recommend Ray Carney's massive web site devoted to Cassavetes and indie film. Any search engine will take you there. It has wonderful behind-the-scenes information about the making of Cassavetes' work. If you want a volume to provide ongoing daily inspiration and encouragement regarding the artistic process, buy this book. It is a book you will go back to again and again and again...

Ray Carney's done a great service to film fans by bringing Cassavetes' scattered talks and interviews together into a coherent statement on art. Carney shows how Cassavetes' whole process of filmmaking was tied to his outlook on life. Combative, spontaneous and deliberately amateur, he aimed for situations where writer, actor and viewer are all left without direction, forced to respond to the story as individuals rather than reach for pre-approved 'social codes'. He savagely edited his films to defy audience expectations, usually rejecting versions that the studios, his collaborators and even his wife liked best. Some of Cassavetes' statements made me wonder if he did this to edit some part of himself--the Greek immigrant son made good, with the blonde wife and kids and Hollywood home. In some ways he was an insider desperate to stay on the outside. Conflict was fun for him, he thought America needed more of it, and the messy collaborative 'families' he built around each film were his alternative to the button-down corporate society he fought against all his life.

As Carney presents him, Cassavetes wasn't out for the money, the glory, the ego or ultimately maybe even the art. He wanted fun, he wanted friends and he wanted people to really live as individuals. Are there folks like this around anymore? We need them more than ever.

If you're intrigued at all by the work of John Cassavetes, this book is well worth your time. The book itself is a collection of interviews Cassavetes gave through his entire life, edited into chapters that correspond to the movies he talked about. The excerpts themselves are pretty interesting, but it is author Ray Carney's commentary in between quotes that really makes this book worthwhile. Carney gives us the back story, and fills in the missing parts, but he also sets things straight when John rambles into fiction. It's easy to see that Cassavetes liked to talk about his work. There are over 500 pages on roughly a dozen films.

If you are new to Cassavetes and read this book, you'll want to view his films. I have only seen a handful myself, but his total commitment to getting them made is so impressive that I feel ashamed to have not seen more. I saw my first Cassavetes film in college and felt that it was interesting, but a little over the top in places. As I get older, I think that real-life might be more over the top than I first realized.

John Cassavetes passion for making movies shines through in this volume. Ray Carney's insight tells the rest of the story. If you are interested in independent film making, this book is a must.

I read this book over ten years, ago, while at university. It is impressive how much more detail and and information it contains than the TV series. I liked the BBC show, but it's hard to watch these days because everyone just looks so 1970s. The book however is timeless and, although it's all just a joke, it's truly an amazing source of unique insights into the workings of the British parliamentary system and the pressures and processes which influence it.

This is a book that I have read atleast 20 times since I bought it back in 1995 - I would suggest looking for a hardcover version since the wear and tear has taken its toll on my precious copy - its now held together with gaffers tape ...

anyhoo - this is probably the best political satire ever - and even though it was written back in the 80's it is more than relevant today in the day of the infamous spin cycle and the sparing between the Bush Admin and the press (not taking sides here)

Hey even Margaret Thatcher was a big fan as it truely represented how things worked, albeit in a very smartly funny and incisive way .... she even WROTE a skit along with her press sec that was PERFORMED by MT, Sir Humpy and Jim .... here is a link for more details

http://www.yes-minister.com/thatcherscript.htm

BUY this book and preserve it - I fear the day when copies of this book are no longer available in print form

It is not uncommon for writers of britcoms to supplement a successful television series with a text-based adaptation, and such is indeed what writers Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay have done with Yes Minister (and its sequel, Yes Prime Minister). It is uncommon, however, to find such a good one.

Every bit as erudite and witty as the series upon which it is based, The Complete Yes Minister (originally published in 1984 and subtitled The Diaries of a Cabinet Minister), is ostensibly by the Right Hon. James Hacker MP (with Lynn and Jay serving merely as humble editors!). The year is 2019--and no this is NOT science fiction! Although Hacker kept a daily diary of his experiences and opinions whilst in office in the 1980s, the subsequent passage of time has resulted in the expiration of the Thirty-Year Rule. What this means is that the editors (who are writing from Hacker College, Oxford, by the way!) now conveniently have access to (and are able to publish) copies of all the memos and minutes written by Sir Humphrey Appleby (amongst others)--copies of which are included in the book, thereby providing us with a perspective other than Hacker's rather narrow (and, at least initially, innocent) one.

The book commences (as one would expect!) with the "Editors' Note." Lynn and Jay elaborate on the problems they encountered in editing the Diaries and how these were dealt with. Nevertheless, they admit it falls to us ultimately to decide for ourselves whether Hacker's account represents: "(a) what happened, (b) what he believed happened, (c) what he would like to have happened, (d) what he wanted others to believe happened, or (e) what he wanted others to believe that he believed happened"! The editors also include a note of thanks to Sir Humphrey (whose last days were spent in St. Dympna's Hospital for the Elderly Deranged!) for information gleaned from conversations which were held with him "before the advancing years, without in any way impairing his verbal fluency, disengaged the operation of his mind from the content of his speech."

The Diaries themselves are divided into twenty-one chapters (one chapter per episode) with 20 to 30 pages each (there are 514 pages in all). Of course there is dialogue (from Hacker's recollection), but the Diaries comprise so much more. The inclusion of copies of memos, letters, interviews, newspaper clippings, entries from Sir Humphrey's own diary, not to mention the recollections of Sir Bernard Woolley (from conversations with the editors) make for a far more dynamic, fun book than if the writers had merely presented us with the series' scripts. The format also allows for so much of Hacker's thoughts to be included--much of which we as viewers were never privy to. Finally, the Diaries are liberally annotated by the editors with helpful, humorously phrased bits of background information often pertaining to government workings or terminology--bits that are additional to the television series.

Of course, it is being a fan of the television series and having watched it with such enjoyment that makes this book (a UK publication) such a gem as we picture Hacker, Sir Humphrey, etc., in our mind's eye. But it is so creatively written, with all the original wit (and more), that it's a superb book in its own right--one which I'd recommend to anyone looking for an intelligent, hilariously witty, pun-filled book--one that also happens to offer a wealth of insight into the inner workings of the parliamentary system of government. For those, however, for whom this richly witty, intelligent series is a favourite, this book (together with it's sequel) really is a must-have, and I recommend it every bit as highly as the superb series upon which it is based!

Sir Humphrey Appleby, Sir Bernard Wooley, and Rt Honorable James Hacker... this is simply the most outstanding work of humorous fiction that lampoons the British civil service and politicians alike.

Based on the diaries of the minister, the series has been converted to a wonderful teleseries, where the casting has been done by someone who truly loves the book and has imbibed the characters so completely, that on later readings of the book, the television characters appear to the mind.

The book is a series of short stories, which expose the careful interplay between the British civil service and the British politicians, the role played by media, the foriegn office, the various departments etc. It is a wonderful set of stories, where the English is truly masterful!! I remember reading each story with a pencil and dictionary while writing the GRE many years ago,... this and its sequel, yes prime minister, are books which should receive their space in your cabinet.

I dont know why this says - Limited availability, these books are easily procured in India where they are being printed.

if you like your humor understated and your wit dry (droll as humphrey would no doubt say), this book will be the best you have ever read. and it will stay that way.

the british civil service had a unique characteristic - it was not directly under the control of the political masters. this gave rise to a very interesting situation where the civil service and her majesty's servants were working towards entirely opposite ends. to the civil servant, imaginative and bold were the worst criticisms. change in any form was looked down upon - as we say here - "if it aint broke, dont fix it". the politicians (especially those new in office like hacker who weren't cynical enough not to care one way or the other) often came to office with lofty ideals of revolutionizing society and being the forefathers of a better tomorrow.

behind the curtain of civility, they (the civil servants and politicians) fought battle after battle. the art of realpolitik meant entirely diffent things to both sides. many of the battles went to the civil servants (Lord Humphrey being among the shrewdest) but at times Hacker (James Hacker - first minister and later Prime Minister) prevailed with his low cunning and fast realization that not everything was what it looked like.

each chapter is a revelation - the next time you read the news, you will see it in an entire different perspective after reading this book. action and motive are so far removed as to make the connection entirely unimaginable and the amount of time spent trying to do nothing seems at times appalling.

if slapstick is your cup of tea, stay away from this book. the humor is often less in what is said than in how it is said. the laughs never end. i have read this book 5 times now. the first time, you enjoy the humor for what it is. the second time, you start enjoying the situations, the broader picture, the political moves,and the sheer genius of humphrey. the third time you see how the characters develop. by the fourth time, it's like you're on crack. you cant explain it - you know what is going to happen next, you know the exact words. you still have to read it again. and again. and again.

This is a great reference book for all of Dusty's recordings. It includes the Where and When of each song she ever recorded.

paul howes is the ULTIMATE springfield fan. he hasn't spent hours listening to every syllable springfield ever sang. he has spent his life. and then some. because more than a few of the recordings he disseminates were not released to the public or are parts of tv specials springfield made during 40+ year career.

and his love for dusty and her unique, one of a kind voice is captured in page after page of this healthy tome that devotes itself to her recordings.

even when he doesn't like the performance or the arrangement, he still maintains impartiality and great respect for a woman that was loved, idolized, almost forgotten then reclaimed by her new and old fans from all over the world.

and this book is a perfect reading companion for when you are enjoying one of springfield's wonderful interpretations of a song she made her own.

and the beauty of that--there's more than a few.

Here's what we Dusty fans waited many years for. Several more compilation CD's and a couple more DVD's have been released in the U.S., U.K., Australia and the rest of the world since this comprehensive overview of Dusty's career was published in 2001, so the book is only complete up to that point. No matter, because these pages cover all of the known, individual studio recordings she made, including several alternate versions, album session outtakes and single mixes that have turned up over the years on various collections. There are many live television and radio recordings floating around out there, many of which have yet to see CD or DVD release, but this book is as complete a volume as we could have reasonably hoped for. And the pictures! There are many photos here I had never seen before, making this book even more of a special treat. The casual listener who is only familiar with Springfield for the four or five songs that get endlessly recycled on the radio could probably not care less about this book, but for us rabid fans, this is indispensable. Highly recommended, and nothing in here to disrespect the woman whose real legacy is a catalog of great music, NOT a string of sleazy tabloid stories. Avoid DANCING WITH THE DEMONS, a badly written "biography" which I won't even dignify with a negative review.

Paul Howe's excellent book (now in 2nd ed.) is now available for preorder through The Dusty Springfield Bulletin and also through amazon UK. US fans are waiting for amazon to offer it here. PLEASE !!
[...]
Let's Talk Dusty!

Dusty Springfield was a legend in the music industry. She was tough and a perfectionist without apologies. This book is about her music legacy and not about her personal problems with addiction or her sexual orientation. There's more to her person than who or what she sleeps with. Dusty was one of a kind. She died too soon at 59 just when she got awarded the O.B.E. (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) on her deathed and died two weeks before her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Sadly, there is one honor that I think she should receive and that is the Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording. If I only had $25,000 dollars to spare, I would do it for Dusty.

This was absolutely my favorite books as a child. Each night I would pick out a book for my mom to read to me and to her surprise (or not so much), I chose this almost every night. I know she hoped that I would pick something new, but I loved the way she used expression and voices with each character. The sweet message to this book is learning why it's important to share...even when you don't want to.

I had to buy this because my older son could not stand to part with his for his brothers sake! My eldest has the original that I had as a kid, so when I found this for such a good deal I couldn't pass it up to give to my youngest for his library. :)

This is one fun book, especially if you take on the character's voices. I read it so many times to my children when they were little, that after the book got destroyed, I was still able to quote it almost word-for-word! Time has dulled my memory, so wanted another book to refresh it. It's a delightful Sesame Street Book!

This Story is about sharing. When a selfish witch put a spell on her Cookie Tree, so she can have all the cookies on her tree for herself. Along comes our loveable friend Cookie Monster and he wants a cookie from the tree, but the tree refuses and tells Cookie he has to find someone to share a cookie with in order to get one.

This is a fun story to read to kids to teach them the value of share with people.

I remember the episode of Sesame Street that had this story in it was funny and you learned from it.

This Story Includes Herry Monster,Big Bird, Ernie and Bert, Count, Grover, Oscar.

Highly Recommended Book For Children.

This is a very cute book. A witch owns an enchated cookie tree. Seeing Cookie Monster from Sesame Street on the horizon, the witch makes a quick spell to allow the tree only to give cookies to those who share the cookies. Cookie Monster ("Me need someone to share with")tries to convince all of his friends on Sesame Street to go back to the cookie tree so that they can share the cookies. Back at the cookie tree, the witch has become extremely unhappy with her spell: since she has no one to share with, the cookie tree won't allow her to have any cookies. Eventually things work out for everyone! This is a delightful story with great humor from Cookie Monster and your favorite characters from Sesame Street. A fun story with a great lesson for everyone!

Crowded House was one of the best bands I've ever seen, and they made great records, so why didn't they sell millions of records all over the world?

Read this fantastic book--complete with interviews from all the band members--and find out some of the reasons. The book is detailed and raw with emotion because many of the interviews took place right after the band broke up.

It is a sad tale, but not for the reasons you might think.

Overall, it is an excellent read for both hardcore and casual fans alike.

Crowded House was one of the best bands I've ever seen, and they made great records, so why didn't they sell millions of records all over the world?

Read this fantastic book--complete with interviews from all the band members--and find out some of the reasons. The book is detailed and raw with emotion because many of the interviews took place right after the band broke up.

It is a sad tale, but not for the reasons you might think.

Overall, it is an excellent read for both hardcore and casual fans alike.

A great read about a great band that never quite fulfilled its potential. Something So Strong shows that writing and performing wonderful songs is only part of a band's journey. There's also dealing with the music business, and fashion. 'Something So Strong' gets inside the band, tells detailed stories about how the music was created, and also tells the other story: how the music business operates. The band made some mistakes - releasing 'Chocolate Cake' was one of them - but so too did Capitol. It's the best book on how a record is made and marketed since 'Star Making Machinery'.
PS, contrary to what it says here, the book is readily - and cheaply - available through Amazon's UK site amazon.co.uk .

`SOMETHING SO STRONG' by Chris Bourke is arguably the greatest book ever written about a rock band. It is detailed, entertaining and informative. As well, the book is almost impossible to put down. Although the author is clearly a fan, he doesn't dodge around any contentious issues. He seems to have had unfettered access to the individuals involved with Crowded House and that, of course, is always a plus. Any music buff, regardless of whether you're a Crowded house fan or not, will enjoy reading `SOMETHING SO STRONG'. I've read dozens of books about musical groups and this tome is far and away the best. If I have a beef, it's that the Canadian market (where the band was huge) is pretty much ignored. For that you must read `PRIVATE UNIVERSE' by Doole and Twomey.

The ballad of Crowded House, told by Chris Bourke, is entertaining, thanks to the way it was written. What makes this biography so enjoyable is that the author doesn't tiptoe around issues that arose during the band's lifetime. Although Crowded House kept aiming at the US market, the impact that they had in Europe, as well as Australia, is equally important, perhaps even more so, than this. Unlike other reviewers, I don't think it is necessary to label the band as US '2 hit wonders' when clearly they've made an impact elsewhere. Bourke chronicles this struggle well, and top marks go to his research. Great book - must for any Crowdies fan.

Strong book that closely examines Stephen Schwartz's career and creative process. It purposefully avoids his personal life, which is unfortunate, because it might lead to some revealing truths in his songs.
The book has a heavy thrust on the creation of Wicked and in general, the book is written for someone who might be new to theatre and Schwartz. A solid first book about an important theatrical voice.

A welcome behind the scenes look at the creator of the music & lyrics for Pippin, Godspell, and especially Wicked. I've been fond of these three musicals for some time, and now I figured out why. It's all "For Good".

I read this book in one weekend. I was astounded by the creativity, both on Mr. Schwartz's part and on the author's. Quite a complicated task to present the creative process, and I think Ms. deGiere gives us a clear and interesting view. For people with talent, this book can provide inspiration. For people who admire and enjoy such talent, this book is a real treat. Buy it and be in awe of Stephen Schwartz's great gifts.
Bettie S. Laven, Oakland, CA

For anyone who has ever seen a Stephen Schwartz musical or heard a Schwartz film song or soundtrack, this book is a must! Brilliantly executed, it proceeds with all the impact of a much-loved novel.

Sometimes, going behind the scenes to see the nuts and bolts of the creative process examined and revealed, takes away from the effect of the final work itself. Not in this case...Carol de Giere's engrossing biography is a page-turner which only adds to the magic.

Almost impossible to put down, this book must be one of the best ever written about working in theater and film. A fascinating subject, profoundly portrayed.

For decades, I have been fascinated by Broadway musicals and Broadway music, even though my occupation has nothing to do with the field of entertainment. However, it does deal with creativity. I think this is part of the reason I was drawn to the work of such composers and lyricists as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gershwin, Kern, Porter, Lerner and Loewe, and Sondheim. I have read everything I could get my hands on about this individuals and others. What in their background led them to this occupation? What led them to become so successful?

Stephen Schwartz is a member of the current generation of Broadway composers and lyricists. Probably because there are so few opportunities for individuals with this talent and desire, each generation produces a very small number of successful composers and lyricists. In his case, Schwartz is both a composer and lyricist. Anyone with an interest in show music will have his or her favorite shows and favorite songs. Schwartz is the composer-lyricist of WICKED, my favorite of his shows and an amazing accomplishment. He wrote the lyrics to the songs from Disney's HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (and the German stage production of it) and to the song "If I Never You" from POCAHONTAS, also bordering on masterpieces in my opinion.

The author of this marvelous book is Carol de Giere. This book is not only extremely interesting to read, the author has capured the story of the steps along the path that led Schwartz from childhood to where he is today. This includes such great successes for someone so very young to great diappointments and how he handled them. We are left with an extraordinarily talented artist who received encouragement when he needed it and possessing an abundance of self-confidence.

There have been many movies in the past about composers (including Rodgers and Hart, Kern, Gershwin, and Porter). As I read this book, I thought: This book would make a good basis for a very interesting movie. For those individuals interested in Broadway, Broadway musicals and the people who create them (and creative people in general), I highly recommend this book and compliment the author.

It was a good book,but I personally think it could've done with the puzzles.Otherwise,this book will keep kids entertained on long car rides or on rainy days.

I have to say digimon rock, because it does teach teamwork, and so does Pokemon(but not as much). I mean, would Tai or any of the others defeat Myotismon or The Dark Lords if they wouldn't of worked together. And that shows kids that if you work together then you can accomplish anything.

OK. You might think we are to old for Digimon (or Pokemon) but actully it helps us learn the value of friendship and teamwork. I would recommend digimon for anyone with friend problems (like Matt and Tai) If you think the same e-mail me at digimonfreak3@hotmail.com

Digi-Know?! digimon rocks who ever thinks digimon is like pokemon is crazy.I'm a girl even I know the difference between pokemon and digimon.The kids in pokemon KNEW what to do.The kids in digimon was force to go to the digiworld.EXCITEMENT is writen all over it.

I THINK THAT LAST GUY HAD A GOOD THOUGHT BECUSE DIGIMON IS A GRAET THING I'M 11 AND I LOVE DIGIMON I'V NEVER MISSED ONE SHOW AND THE BOOK IS GOOD TO AND IT MAKE'S ME HAPPY TO SEE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT DIGIMON AND TO SEE PEOPLE READ DIGIMON IT'S EVEN BETER