Robin Williams Books

If you can't get yourself into a screenwriting class, buy this book and study it for yourself.

This book covers so many aspects of screenwriting. From story, to character, to rewriting and marketing. I especially liked the description of the scene card method and the sequence examples. They call it "Mapping the Journey." It is so vitally important before you start writing a script. This method is a great one: decide the overall sequences that tell your story, then use cards to write out each scene that goes within those major sequences.

They also have a great list of questions to ask yourself about your characters, and they encourage you to get into the psychology of your characters. Both what the characters know about themselves and what they don't.

Whether you're just getting started or a pro who needs to brush up on techniques, this book has what you need. Kudos to Russin and Downs for writing such a great book!

Cheryl McKay
Screenwriter: "The Ultimate Gift"

I am a new screenwriter and having never studied the art, I wanted to find a book that would help me get started. This book is the total solution. The writers provide examples using films nearly everyone has seen to illustrate their points. The book is easy to read and all subjects are covered thoroughly, from how to start the idea process, to the correct structure of a screenplay, to how to sell it once it is written. I would recommend this book to any and all new writers.

If everyone in Hollywood has written a screenplay, then at least half of them have also written a book about screenplays. The world is surely not suffering from a lack of screenwriting books, each of which proclaims to have the answers. As a result, when one finds a book that actually DOES have the answers, it's something to celebrate.

There are too many good things to say about what Russin and Downs have done, and certainly no way to say them all here. The chapters on Character, Theme and Dialogue are particularly rewarding. Their scene-card method will help you more effectively outline and assemble your script. The writing exercises will jump-start your creativty. But one of the best aspects of the text is that Russin and Downs approach screenwriting not only from a savvy as-seen-from-the-trenches Hollywood angle, but also acknowledge its theatrical roots (i.e. the stage). The end result is a solid combination of practical modern advice blended with tried-and-true wisdom concerning the dramatic arts.

Yet perhaps what I love most about the book, and what keeps me coming back to it when so many other screenwriting books have been exiled to a life of collecting dust, is the way the principles, maxims and advice contained therein are applicable at virtually every stage of a (screen)writer's development. This isn't just a book for beginners, or a book for pros, or a book for all of us in between. After the initial read, you'll find yourself going back to it time after time, taking a quick flip through the index or table of contents and gleaning some new bit of wisdom to help you tackle that script that's got you tearing your hair out. The chapter on Genre is a great example of this. So much so that whenever I, personally, am about to begin a new script, I'll consult the section on that genre (or genres) and refresh myself on its core elements and themes.

In closing, I can't say enough about Russin and Downs' work. Whether you're a beginner in search of "that one book" to help you on your way, or a seasoned pro wanting an insightful--and witty--refresher course on what makes a good script great, "Screenplay: Writing the Picture" will be your guide from when the ideas fade in until the words "fade out."

Russin and Downs have written a masterful book! Incredibly, considering the number of good books on the subject there already are, the authors have not only covered all the normal details of screenwriting craft, they have gone above and beyond.

For example, in chapter 6, they cover the historical approaches to screenplay structure. They discuss Aristotle (of course!) then go on to Polti's famous 36 dramatic situations then Egri's work; Campbell's `Hero's Journey' comes next and finally the venerable three act structure and its modern interpretation using page numbers a la Syd Field and others. A few computer programs like Brutus are discussed. Most important, they make sense of it all by giving their fantastic concluding opinions in a concluding section title "Form vs. Formula."

Here's a snippet from that section that smacked me upside the head:

"It's interesting to note that few Hollywood screenwriting gurus have ever sold a movie (and Aristotle never wrote a play). This is because the ability to structure a story and the ability to analyze the structure of a story are two totally different talents. They come from different parts of the brain. Plato pointed out in his Apology that writers are unable to give an exact account of their process. The same is true with top-notch screenwriters: Unlike the story computer Brutus or screenwriting gurus, good writers seldome have an analytical understanding of what they do or how they do it. Instead, they have a practical understanding of dramatic techniques, the basics of several storytelling methods (like Aristotle, Campbell, and the others), and the ability to use a technique or follow a formula if it works, or to abandon all formulas if they don't."

The book is filled with such clear and commonsensical information that that fact alone is worth the price of the book. Another example comes quite early in the opening chapters where they point out that the screenwriter is not writing for an audience but for a reader. This is sometimes forgotten, I believe, in many writers' minds.

At the end of every single chapter, there are very interesting exercises (1. Describe a leaf floating on a lake. Describe only the leaf, but from your description we should know details about the lake.) that serve to sharpen the writer's sensibilities and skills.

Quite honestly, I am so in love with this book, I have two!
Highest recommendation.

This book is for those who cannot afford film school. Once you start reading it you'll pretty soon start feeling as if you were surrounded by the walls of a fine film school.

The writers are produced screenwriters who had a formal education in the UCLA. It shows.

The book is thorough. It has sth for everyone:

-How to impress a reader (the gate-keepers in film production)

-What is the professional format of a screenplay.

-The need to write using theme and meaning without falling in the temptation of preaching or educating.

-What comes first: the story or the character?

-A summary of the most important approaches to story structure.

-The fuel of every story: power and conflict.

-The atom... molecule and body of story: From beats and scenes to entire
sequences.

-The fine method of using scene cards.

And much more: genres... narrative... dialogue... rewriting... marketing... the pitch... writing for television... playwriting for screenwriters.

You might not be able to afford film school... with this book who needs to? The teachers will be in your living room... kitchen... bedroom... car...

Why 4 stars?

It is lacking in one subject, an extremely vital subject. An old controversy: What do you write first? The end of your story or the beginning? I believe to build a successful screenplay you need to write your story backwards not forward.

The school that defends writing a story starting from the end is in extreme need to be rescued from the debris that were left by the advent of film gurus and structure fanatics.

If you are interested in that read John Howard Lawson...

I have found there is another extremely important thing missing in this book. That is the analysis of Point of View. The fact is that much of your story's success is determined by the points of view you use to tell it. Different point of view convey different emotions in the audience. Still, the authors don't mention much about this subject.

One more thing, the authors say that screenwriting is about entertainment and not art, and that you shouldn't use subjects that challenge the audience. And if you wish to do so, then you better go and write a play and not a picture. Of course, there is much more that can be said about that.

There has been many directors and writers who did use movies to do more than just entertain. They had firm beliefs and they showed them in their films. Want some examples from classic cinema? Chaplin and Eisenstein. I'm not getting into their stories, but they are good examples that movies sometimes do reflect more personal and challenging ideas than just pure "entertainment".

There is in the back cover a review from a "top" screenwriting teacher, saying that "Writing the Picture" is the best book on screenwriting. That's a lot to say, and if you consider the missing elements I just mentioned (the value of climax, the importance of point of view and the idea that sometimes movies can do more than just "entertain") then the book doesn't live up to be "the best screenwriting book" around.

MMM... on second thoughts, now I'm starting to believe this book could be 3 stars...

This really has been a difficult book to review because there are some pretty good things over here. On the other hand, there are key elements missing. Still, there are many screenwriting books that are far from being as well written as this one is.

Oh! What a difficult book to review! Just get the f#~# book and look elsewhere for the missing elements.

just an astounding amount of such thorough research. really, we're so blessed to be living in this life-time where this information has come forth. something in my soul feels rearranged and properly ordered now that this book is out. i can say that, it just feels right and that feeling is bound by the perpetual facts held throughout Sweet Swan of Avon. I am so thrilled to see this come forth. It is a relief and a joy. I am grateful...

Robin Williams (the writer, not the movie star) does a fine job of showing why it is very possible that Mary Sydney actually authored many of the best Shakespearean works. I was a skeptic, but the more I read, the more I began to think it quite feasible. We probably will never really know who wrote which works, but this book is very thought-provoking and interesting. Also, it is beautifully constructed, as befits a book on such a beloved topic.

While I neither profess to be a scholar on the subject of the Shakespeare authorship question, nor am I particularly well versed on the goings-on of the Elizabethan era, I have been fascinated for decades with the ongoing debate of who wrote Shakespeare.

When I earned my degree in English literature, university professors young and old tenaciously voiced their opinions concerning the credibility someone other than the man William Shakespeare actually wrote the plays and sonnets that we so carelessly attribute to WS today. (I say carelessly because of the widespread disagreement that exists regarding his life and what we've been taught). In short, it was a fascinating classroom debate. Students and instructors alike would argue for and against the possibility that WS was anything more than what we can prove today: an actor and litigious property owner with illiterate daughters who divorced his wife and left her his second-best bed in his will.

Robin P. Williams avoids pontificating that William Shakespeare is not the author of the works (despite the fact that no one can prove WS had a higher education, including an ability to read or write in French, Latin, and Italian--quite necessary because all but three plays are based on original literary works written in these three languages; nor does the name William Shakespeare appear in any of the extensive royal court registries, including the omission of even a single piece of handwritten manuscript!). On the contrary, in Sweet Swan of Avon: Did a Woman Write Shakespeare?, Williams provides one of the most exciting and socially volatile books ever on this subject by NOT debunking William Shakespeare, per se, but rather by EDUCATING readers about a woman who I suspect most have never heard of before, and who deserves recognition of her spectacular literary accomplishments.

It is the unfolding of such historical information Williams provides regarding Mary Herbert Sidney, the Countess of Pembroke, that one must recognize that for all the missing pieces of information, including the outrageously generous speculation that WS somehow learned his wealth of knowledge embedded in the works by "meeting people who shared their stories" (which of course cannot be proven), isn't it worth merely ASKING the question: Couldn't someone else have written these works?

Of course someone else could have written the works. Anyone documented in history as having spent a single day among the aristocracy... or who spoke more than one language... or who had an education that extended beyond public grade school is, in fact, more capable of having contributed the greatest works in the English language than our beloved William Shakespeare. The point is that once we examine the life of Mary Herbert Sidney, not only is her well-documented life vastly more in tune to the subject matter of the plays and sonnets than is William Shakespeare's, but also hers is a life that once copious significant facts are unveiled, one discovers enough historical overlap between Mary and William that behooves a closer investigation.

Sweet Swan of Avon is this investigation; it is not a trial, nor is it meant to be. For all the hundreds of years we've been told stories about the man William Shakespeare--from downright lies to conjecture to poorly stated facts--there is a woman named Mary Sidney who has been grossly overlooked by historians as a profound contributor to the literary annals, and now thanks to Robin P. Williams, her story is finally being told. Whether Mary's story is the story behind the Shakespearean cannon remains to be seen, but her story inarguably deserves to be told and celebrated because of her undeniable accomplishments--known, unknown, and just unfolding.

I heard Robin P. Williams discuss her book on a radio show and was very intrigued. I read it and was completely convinced before the end of the first chapter. What nailed it for me? William Shakespeare's mother, father, wife and 2 of his 3 children were illiterate. There is no way that the author of Shakespeare would allow his children to sign their name with an X. The other thing that sold me was the simple fact that writers write best about what they know. The plays and sonnets are basically the life and times of Mary Herbert Sidney-- she's related to 2/3 of the characters in the history plays. But that is only the beginning. If nothing else, this book introduces you to an amazing figure in English history and literature. To think that the greatest writer of the English language is (or could be) a woman-- a mother, a sister, a daughter, a wife-- just blows me away. And as a woman reading the sonnets, for the first time they made complete sense. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Reviews on this page are meant to come from people who have read the book. It's obvious from Crumulus's "review" that he has not.

Having actually read the book, I can attest that author Robin Williams NEVER CLAIMS that William Shakespeare was a woman. And her clear review of the documented evidence makes an incredibly strong case for Mary Sidney Herbert as the author of the plays and sonnets. Apparently, based on the reviews below, other readers have come to this same conclusion.

Readers depend on this venue to help understand something about a book. An ignorant diatribe based on one's own fantasy is a disservice to others.

As a manager who has interviewed many people and who thought of myself as something of an expert on interviewing, I found that there was still much for me to learn. Before I applied for a promotion I thought I would pick this book up because it was inexpensive and it promised to give more than the typical "resume writing, cover letter and tips on networking" slant. I did not think that I was likely to get much from it. I was so wrong!

This is a truly amazing approach to the job interview process because this author happens to be an excellent sales person. She teaches the reader through examples and explanations exactly how to sell themselves during an interview. This is the critical performance part of the interview. The very reason I bought the book was because I was curious AND because I have caught many an interviewee off-guard and made them squirm uncomfortably during an interview.

I work in a financial servicing industry and not in sales at all and this book helped me to perform well enough during the interview that I received a promotion competing with a person that I thought would surely be promoted over me. My boss stated how impressed he was with my preparation and my interview and how surprised he was because he had not seen that side of me. If you can only buy one interview book, buy this one.

The subtitle reads "Insider's Guide to the World of Pharmaceutical Sales" (enlarge the pic). Most of the book is focused on how to get a job in sales, specifically, pharmaceutical sales. It probably won't do too much good to someone who is a totally different industry.

Other than that, the book contains few good tips for both seasoned pros and recent graduates and is written in a clear and understandable way. It is worth its price but is not a jewel.

Well written and very up to date. I have been on several interviews and this book really explains some of the challenges we face in the interview process. This book helps to characterize many aspects of the questions you face in the interview process. How to over come very sensitive work problem issues that you need to disclose in the interview and hiring process. I highly recommend buying this book before going out to meet your prospective employer.

This book is just a collection of salesman techniques. The first chapter devote to resume writing are just a plain waste. They don't even scratch the subject and you would be better getting a book dedicated to this topic.

As for the rest, I found the content lacking of a strong organization. The author is clearly relating to her experience in the health care industry. This is why I think that the title is misleading. There are many other books on this subject and I think you can safely pass this one without missing anything important.

Not recommended given the abundant literature available on this subject.

I just had to write a review of this wonderful book after seeing the totally erroneous and misleading review that was posted here about it. I used this book to get a great job.

Let's be honest and give this book and the author a fair shake. The title says it all, "Sell Yourself: Master the Job Interview Process." That's pretty plain. The author mentions that there are many books on writing resumes and searching for jobs. She has focused on what she feels is the most important, and yet most neglected area of the job interview process and that is the lack of preparation that leads to interview failure. What is that lack of preparation? It is the failure to learn how to sell yourself that causes the interviewee to fail. How do I know this? I wrote my own resume first. Then I hired a professional to write a great resume for me. I studied "resume writing" and "finding jobs" and even "examples of interview questions" and it didn't help me during the interview at all. Why? Because you can hire someone to write a great resume for you and you can even write one yourself. However, when you show up for the interview you have to be able to perform. In other words you really have to be able to "sell yourself" to the potential employer. If you fail to do that, you will fail to get the job.

The book is very well organized and clear in purpose. It provides great information on successfully answering interview questions and winning the job. That's the goal. Win the position!

I say, way to go Jane Williams. You have given thousands of people very sound selling advice and explained how to use it to get the job of their dreams.

This book is a very interesting story and, although the author, I feel, detours a bit giving bio's of everyone, it is still an interesting book to the end. It explores somewhat how a girl raised in a healthy, good environment can easily get into prostitution and how this lifestyle hurt her family. The professor who pursued her and led a double life is an interesting character as well.

In MISSING BEAUTY Teresa Carpenter details the destruction resulting from the meeting of Tufts University biology researcher William Douglas and prostitute Robin Benedict. Douglas, a well respected man in his field is presented as being a physically unattractive and socially inept nerd. Benedict was unusual in that she came from a middle class family who loved and valued her, did very well in high school, had some artistic talent, and was not subject to abuse, neglect, or degradation. She did have some history of drug use, but quit on her own and was not the stereotypical strung out junkie. In short, there was nothing in Robin's bio. that would have predicted her becoming a prostitute, and as near as I can tell, she did so because she liked the money and also enjoyed the edginess of the lifestyle.
Douglas, hardly a ladies man, met and became totally infatuated with Robin at which point things went rapidly downhill for him. He got her a ghost job on his lab's payroll, began stealing from government grants on his job, and depleted his family's savings for Robin, convincing himself that he and Robin shared a mutual affection and respect and forcing himself to ignore the fact that whenever he was with her he was on the clock at $200 per hour. As Douglas became weirder and more obsessive, Robin decided he was more trouble than he was worth and tried to end the relationship. I will not give away the plot from this point on.

Teresa Carpenter has written a true crime masterpiece in MISSING BEAUTY.
It has everything I admire in true crime - exceptional and detailed research; background information on the main players so that we get a real understanding of who they are; intelligent and professional writing; and a narrative flow and tension that makes the book hard to put down.
It has none of the trash prevalent in bad true crime - the juvenile writing, copied transcripts, forced dialog, phony melodrama, and the imposition of the author's own personality on the narrative.
The book is 600 pages long but contains no filler and no repetition and, other than very occasionally and then very briefly, it flows like a river.
MISSING BEAUTY exemplifies the best in true crime, and Carpenter's flat out commitment to excellence is to be commended. True crime junkies - read this one!

This book was absolutely excellent; the author was very thorough in her reasearch and really took the reader inside the mind and thoughts of the "primary players." I read the whole thing from cover to cover in one evening; I simply could not put it down. Fascinating reading by a most insightful author. I would read her books anytime! She rates among the best of the true crime genre (e.g. Ann Rule, Jack Olsen). If you are a true crime afficionado, don't miss this one! )!

As an avid true crime reader, I was delighted to find a genuine "treasure" of the genre. Teresa Carpenter's extremely well written book recounts her extensive research and a plentitude of salacious details about a very fascinating case.

Reading this book, I felt the vicarious thrill of "discovering" the inside information that must have been painstakingly collected during the investigation of Robin Benedict's murder. Carpenter leaves no lead unexplored, and no conversation or interview unrecorded, allowing the reader a unique chance to hear about not only the "main players," but what those on the periphery of the investigation could add to the sequence of events.

Although Carpenter could have chosen to present the story in a condensed version, I am ever so glad she chose not to do so. Other true crime aficionados out there will probably enjoy devouring the case in its entirety as much as I did.

Detailing the sordid story of how outwardly conservative Dr. William H.J. Douglas, known as "the man" in his research department at Tufts University, became obsessed with graphics-artist-cum-call-girl/con artist Robin Nadine Benedict, Carpenter's book expertly uncovers the events that ultimately lead to Benedict's murder. Although strictly a professor and a prostitute on the surface, both Douglas and Benedict turn out to be much more than what they seem.

Douglas is an overweight, middle-aged, outwardly devoted family man and highly intelligent, dedicated scientist. Simmering under the surface, however, is a strong urge to explore his hidden, more base desires. Robin, meanwhile, also plays more than one role. In her 20's, she is a loyal and devoted daughter to her closeknit family, with potential to succeed as a graphic artist, yet her greedy desire for the material things in life lead her to heed "the call of the streets."

After the two meet at the outskirts of the "Combat Zone" and begin "seeing" each other, karma takes its inevitable course. Douglas finds himself caught up in an obsession so intense he cannot resist its pull. Depleting his own funds, and shaking his marriage and career aspirations to their foundations in the process, he eventually dips into funds from his research grants to finance his rendezvous with Robin.

While Douglas spirals ever downward, Robin uses her ill gotten gains for a down payment on a house with her boyfriend/pimp, J.R. Rogers, and enjoys the rewards of increased monetary gain derived from very little actual "work." For awhile, each of them get what they want--Douglas, a walk on the wild side, and Benedict an inflated net worth--but like all exercises in bad behavior/judgment, it doesn't last.

Finally the inevitable happens--Douglas is exposed at work as an embezzler, loses his job, and quickly finds himself persona non grata in the academic world, not to mention at home. Instead of commiserating with him for her part in his career demise, Benedict keeps the pressure on, mainly for more money. Ulitmately, their cross purposes collide in one final violent showdown that leaves Benedict dead and Douglas in deep disgrace.

In a tantalizing aside, Carpenter hints that the professor's wife may just have had a hand in sending Robin to her maker. The unanswered questions about her role add to the mystery, and make it that much more intriguing.

Teresa Carpenter, your amazing talent has resulted in one very compelling modern day morality tale--I certainly hope this will not be your last true crime book!

Thoroughly researched, documented, checked and re-checked for accuracy, in depth analysis-- these are not words or phrases associated with "page-turner" as a rule. But here is the exception. Carpenter's book is all of those things. Any true crime buff who does not have this book in his or her library has a serious lacuna therein. This book is the sort all true crime books WISH they were. While not sparing any details, neither does Carpenter dwell on the seediness of the story, rather focusing her energy on the unfolding tragedy that engulfed two entire families. It is Shakespearean in its arc; one twirl thru a hooker bar (called "Good Times") and Robin Benedict caught the eye of a highly respected biology professor from one of America's top science universities. One or two "innocent" drinks later, they began a relationship that would destroy him, his family, mar the reputation of Tufts University and lead to her violent death.
Douglas' tragic flaw, self-resentment over his physical appearance and a weakness for pretty brunettes along with Robin's unchecked greed lead to a horrific conclusion. Must Read True Crime.

This is a great book for anyone interested in Graphic Design. I purchsed this book for a Graphic Design class and read almost the entire book before the class started. It has very helpful information for dealing with print shops. It is easy to read and understand.

It`s good to have around but this book made on a Powermac 8500 (using Pagemaker!) does feel dated in every sense of the word..PDF - the professional print standard nowadays - is poorly covered. Just one page with useless basic information. The writers do not mention anything about Open Type fonts or Indesign. There's not much about dia scanners, sizes and resolutions either.
All in all there's a lot to learn here but the information given often stays a bit on the surface or is simply not up to date. Especially for people who have some experience in the field and are not living in the past..

The non-designer title is actually a bit of a misnomer. Don't let this title dissuade you even if you have spent years in the industry (like myself). Unless you are very very knowledgable of the print-production process, this book will have a lot to teach you.

Don't let the hokey design of this book make you believe that it does not contain a wealth of knowledge...it does.

These ladies have put together a very clear, concise, comprehensive handbook for the non-pro publisher. They walk you through all the essentials of desktop publishing, and all your choices, pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Dwight M Stark

I was a technical trainer for four years and was in charge of teaching classes such as color theory, digital printing, scanning etc. I really loved this book because it put everything together for me after about 10 months of scraping information from a lot of different sources. You can't go wrong with this book.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if Cinderella was based on a human teenage girl?

In this book a girl named Samantha is living with her dad after a very tragic car accident that her mother got into. They have a huge house right next to a lake; it looks like a castle. Now do you see were Cinderella comes in? Samantha is sad about her mom but she is having the time of her life with her dad. Then Samantha's dad gets married to and evil women named Fiona. She had already had two daughters; they were all happy well most of them were. Later in the story Sam started to live with Fiona and Fiona's daughters because one day Sam's dad died in an earthquake while trying to save Fiona. Sam hasn't been herself since then. She was going to school, working at the Diner, but Sam's top priority was to find out who "Mystery Prince" was, and get into a good college.

The night of the Masquerade Dance came and Sam had no one to go with. She wasn't going to go either if her shift wasn't over or the house wasn't spotless. Fiona wouldn't let her go unless all that was finished. Luckily her very close friend at the Diner had a dress for Sam so she went to the dance as Cinderella. I would tell you the end but that's the best part so if you want to find out you'll have to read the book.

What I think was good in the book was the beginning and the end. What could have been better was the middle because they didn't tell very much. I would recommend this book to mostly 8-13 year olds because if your younger it will be hard to understand, and if your older it will be a little immature.

Would you work or live with people you don't really like? Just imagine how Sam feels living with stepfamily who treats her like she's not part of the family! Sam feels like a Cinderella doing all the work around the house. A Cinderella Story is a fictional story by Robin Wasserman. Robin has written other books like Pride, Stormy Night, Lust, and many more.

Sam Montgomery is a beautiful, clever, kindhearted teenager whose life isn't easy. Her mother had died when she was only about eight years old. She had to work in her dad's old diner place to earn her keep. But luckily for Sam, she has an IM buddy, Nomad, whom she messages every day, and is the only good thing she has.

Sam's dad remarried a woman named Fiona. Eight years later, Sam's dad died leaving her to live with her step mom and step sisters. Fiona and her daughters make Sam do all the work around the house, not letting her hang out with her friends. Then there's Brianna and Gabriella, Fiona's daughters, who make Sam do their homework. Sam doesn't know that Nomad is the most popular kid in the school, Austin Ames. She hasn't met Nomad, so he suggested they meet at their school's Halloween Ball. When Sam asked to go to the ball, Fiona said no because she had to stay working at her dad's dinner place. Sam decided to sneak out of work, go to the ball to meet her Nomad and go back to work so she wouldn't get caught. The people who worked at the diner helped Sam to go to the ball.

I would recommend this book for people who like happy endings. After reading this book, I've become a little more interested in reading books because I like happy endings.

the story is about a girl named "Moesha". Her Father died and now she's working as a servant for her stepmom and stepsisters. After,she got invited to the prince's ball, her step-mom heard and got jelous. The Prince is trying to find a girl to marry, so he invited every girl in the city. The characters are believable because they are still actig, in other movies. The genre of this book is Fiction. This appeals to my sisters that are 4 and 6yrs old, so kids that age could enjoy the book too. If I could reccommend this book to other students, I would because it's a good book and I won't only be the one to read it. The author of this book is Disney Channel!

"A Cinderella Story: Movie Novelization" is great. I saw the movie first so I already knew what was going to happen but it was cool because the author described everything with more detail. The movie was good because you could actually see "Sam" (Hilary Duff) and "Austin" (Chad M. Murray) interact in real life. But the book had a certain charm and mystery to it. The booked also rocked because it came with tons of pictures from the movie!!!!!!! Chad is so fine and Hilary is so perfectly pretty!

This story was about a princess who lives with her stepmom and 2 stepsisters, because her dad died in an earthquake. Her stepmom is taking over her dads resteraunt now, and cinderella has to work there. She hates her life. She's like her stepmoms slave. The only good part about her life, is her instant messanger buddy Nomad. She knows he goes to her school but little does she know he's the most popular guy in school. And little does he know,she is the loser of the school. One day he asks her to go to the halloween dance with him. So she met him there and finds out who it is. And she wont take her mask off cause if he finds out who she is he wont like her anymore. They go walking and then she leaves realy fast. Then he finds out who she is and doesn't like her anymore. Then he thinks about it and knows that he can't just let his princess go. So he runs after her and they live happily ever after together. This was a great book because i like books that COULD be true but aren't realy true.

This small journal of an heroin addict certainly helped to broaden my awareness and sensitivity to some aspects of addiction. This book resolved my personal issue/question of real people wanting to regain control.

This book is a literary masterpiece. We submitted Mr. Marchesi's autobiographical book to the Frankfurt ebook awards 2000, thinking that he would surely receive the recognition this book deserves-instead, while taking nothing away from those who did win hard-earned recognition, true e-book authors like Mr. Marchesi were ignored in favor of print authors whose works were digitized as an afterthought to make them eligible for the e-book awards. This is the book that should have won at least one major prize in that competition. This is an important milestone, a 50-year unhealth check on the mores and the drug habits and the literary scene of the 1950's Beat Poets. This beautiful prose/poem book tells a wrenching story of a sojourn in hell on a *bateau ivre*, actually a Spanish Foreign Legion prison on Ceuta, an island on the cusp of Europe and Africa. Diagnosis: the white lady is deadly and dangerous as ever, insinuating herself into lives, ruining worlds, destroying decency. The author, Robin Marchesi, a true survivor of those trenches, is later able to rescue a fellow addict in San Francisco's Mission District. When this book first crossed my virtual desk as a submission from Mr. Marchesi, I read the first few sentences and was hooked (no pun intended). I still consider myself lucky that an original literary work of this quality should be my great fortune to discover and publish to the world. If I do nothing else with my publishing career, this one slender volume will be worth all of it, and more. Right on, Robin Marchesi, for this update from the road-shoulder between heaven and hell.

This book is autobiographical and the English writer/poet, Robin
Marchesi's journal was written within two concentrated periods in his
life. There is a 20 year span which separates the two events. The
first of two chapters deals with his 6 week imprisonment in a Spanish
prison for possessing drugs. In it, he describes the loneliness and
struggle of his confinement. It is a sanctum from which he cannot
escape from, but is a resource from which he draws no self-pity, but
articulates some fantastic poetic imagery. I was drawn into his
literate gift for words which he freely spins and blends with amazing
skill and talent.

The second chapter deals with his flight to San
Francisco to secure a fellow English friend in the throes of his drug
addiction and to bring him back to England. He wanders the streets of
Haight Ashbury in search of his friend and again blends his magical
poetic and prose style in depths that I have never read or experienced
before.

I was fascinated from the first page and mesmerized by the
last page. After I put the book down and went back to reread the
memorable passages I had remembered in my mind, I looked to find that
the words were gone or perhaps were never there. This book stirred my
imagination because it went beyond the written word. It ignited my
imagination. I will surely enjoy reading this book again and strongly
recommend this book as nourishment to anyone's imagination.

This book focuses on the author's experiences in a Spanish prison and his efforts, decades later, to get another junkie into rehab. It does not deal directly with the author's own struggle to overcome heroin addiction.

The prose accounts of the author's first-hand experiences are more interesting (and in my opinion more skilfully written) than his poetry. I would like to see these prose sections expanded. The book could also benefit from more copyediting.

I just wanted to express the compassion that i felt after reading this book.
In a sort of twisted way this is a funny book. Marchesi's slant on the things that he experienced, particuarly in the first half, represents a truely unique perception on things. For example the names that he gives the people he meets, tend to be truly detached from reality. And yet all the while you just can't help but feel the big black cloud of emotion that hangs over him for a good deal of his journey, until eventually it shifts.
And it does shift. it shifts with such grace and beauty that i can't discribe it. an incredible feeling of freedom, from a pain that you thought would never end, like intolerable suffering that eventually dissolved and suddenly everything in the entire existence of this world unfolded to reveal it's true and most beautiful side again.
For me, I don't regret buying this book for one second. I don't enjoy fiction books but it was the experiences of the author that drove me on to keep reading. This is great book, give it a chance like i did.

"The Whiz Kids" met my expectations. It is great material for Phillies fans. Having grown up hearing the names of Ennis, Ashburn, Konstanty, Roberts and the rest, I wanted to read a good account of the first Phils pennant since 1915.

The ever humble Roberts (with the help of a professional writer) recounts his rise to the major leagues as well as the futile history of Phillies baseball. It's a nice, easy to read story that follows a tried formula: the team has a long history of losing, young players come aboard and develop into a close team, they exceed expectations and go to the World Series. There are plenty of scenes that flesh out the personalities and struggles of the team mates. Plenty of train trips and hotel stays. Tough game situations yeilding exciting victories or close defeats. Those looking for deep insights into the era should look elsewhere. In fact, I see this book aimed primarily at us Phils fans. Our banners are few, so we need to raise them high. These aren't Duke Snyder, Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and the other "Boys of Summer." The Phillies of this era had one great year surrounded by several decent years. Only a couple of the names stand out these years later.

I give the book four stars because it served its purpose for me. If you are looking for light reading material about a cinderalla team, this could be for you as well.

Authors Paul Rogers and former Whiz Kid pitcher Robin Roberts have done a great job in bringing a memorable team back to life. Baseball books on teams usually involve New York teams and it is refreshing to read a book about a team that will always be remembered, not just by Phillies' fans, but by baseball fans across the country. Many of the names I came across in this book were merely pictures on baseball cards I started buying in the early '50's and this book provided me with some insight into their accomplishments on the ball diamond. There is a story behind each of those players' names I have in my mind, and the authors brought them to life in this book. If there was one drawback, if I may call it that, I found an excessive amount of play-by-play among the pages. However, I can live with that. The names of Robin Roberts, Curt Simmons, and Richie Ashburn are household baseball names, but I was also happy to read about lesser lights like Bubba Church, Mike Goliat, and Stan Lopata who were only pictures on baseball cards to me. Phillies' fan or not, if you like baseball history, you will enjoy this book.

This is a very well written account about a team that captured the hearts of an entire city. This is a great account of the surprising achievment of the 1950 Phillies. The excellent interviews of the players involved and the rehashing of the author is great. A very nostalgic and fact filled retelling of an exciting and fun filled year in baseball. A must read for all Phillie and historical baseball buffs.

This is another boonie dog book review by Wolfie and Kansas. We were somewhat amused when we first heard the title of Robin Roberts and C. Paul Rogers III's book, "The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant". To us dogs, a "whiz kid" is an unhousebroken puppy. However, these Whiz Kids were the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, and this is a book about humans playing fetch. While this is not a literary gem like Roger Kahn's "The Boys of Summer", it is an above-average baseball book comparable to another recent book by a pitcher from the same era, Don Larsen's "The Perfect Yankee". We recommend this book to all baseball fans. It is in the must-read category for any Phillies fan.

We do have two reservations about "The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant". The first concerns the portrayal of Jim Konstanty, the relief pitcher who was the 1950 National League MVP. One of our noncanine animal companions of primate derivation (who has loaned us his habit of shameless namedropping for purposes of this review) was a regular customer at Mr. Konstanty's sporting goods store in the mid-1960's. He remembers Mr. Konstanty as being far more personable than one would gather from this book. Of course, the pressures of making a record number of appearances during a tight pennant race could affect one's affability.

Also, while not shying away from the issue, Roberts and Rogers do not fully develop the ironic theme that the Whiz Kids, a supposed youth movement and potential future dynasty, were actually the dying embers of a fading era. The 1950 Phillies were the last all-white National League pennant winners, edging out the Jackie Robinson/Roy Campanella/Don Newcombe Dodgers in extra innings on the final day of the season. With the Phillies management dragging its heels as to recruiting and signing the best available ballplayers regardless of race, the remainder of the National League pennants in the 1950's went to the Dodgers, the Giants (with Willie Mays and Monte Irvin) and the Braves (with Hank Aaron). (Given the arguments as to whether the current millenium ends in 1999 or 2000, we should perhaps add the 1960 Pirates with Roberto Clemente to that list.) Not only did this relegate the Phillies to the second division, but it probably also cost author Roberts the chance to win 300 games. It would be interesting to see David Halberstram analyze the 1950 National League pennant race in a manner similar to his analysis of the 1964 World Series in "October 1964"

If you love baseball history-especially the immediate post-war years 1947-50 this gem of a remembrance is for you. Hall-of-famer Robin Roberts has combined with author Paul Rogers to relive those years when baseball,after a decline during WW2,regained its preeminance as America's national game and with integration and night games,embarked upon a 25 year golden era that may never be duplicated in professional sports. Using Roberts near photographic memory,oral history,and excellent research,author Rogers provides a rich fast-paced narrative that culminates with the miracle season of 1950 when a brash group of youngsters know as the Whiz Kids(Roberts,Richie Ashburn,Del Ennis,Granny Hamner,Curt Simmons,Willie Jones,Mike Goliat,and Stan Lopata)combined with a few seasoned veterans(Jim Konstanty,Andy Seminick,Dick Sisler,and Eddie Waitkus to stun the baseball world by defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers on the final day of the season in one of the most dramatic games in the history of baseball. The authors cover the development of the team from 1947 on and do not shy away from the controversies of the period such as the race-baiting of Jackie Robinson during his rookie year(the Phillies were prominently involved and it may have been a big factor in the firing of manager Ben Chapman)and the near fatal shooting of Eddie Waitkus. While the authors admirably document the contributions of every member of the team,skillfully pointing out that every member contributed something that won at least one game,two facts clearly emerge-without Jim Konstanty's record breaking performance as the seasons premier relief pitcher and the job of manager Eddie Sawyer there was no way the Phillies would have one the pennant. In fact it is in some ways the story of Eddie Sawyer(one of baseballs best kept secrets as a gentleman and manager) that drives the narrative to its apex. Read the book and see the unique approach to managing men that Sawyer brought to the game,an approach that is at once so logical and appealing that it seems easy until you try it. Baseball could use some Eddie Sawyers today. As a matter of fact,a few more Robin Roberts wouldn't hurt either. One hopes that Roberts and Rogers will combine their talents and continue the Roberts story after the 1950 season as the great right-hander was an eyewitness to the momentous growth and change that occurred in baseball during his 18 year career. This a truly outstanding addition to the library of anyone who values and loves baseball history.

This is a great reference if you have an older OS. It came out in 1999, so it does not cover Windows XP let alone Vista.

A reasonably experienced Mac user learning Windows is in an unusual situation:

In some ways, they understand overall computer operations and graphical interfaces -- even new ones -- better than most experienced PC users. This makes most books written for PC novices much too simplistic for these new PC users.

On the other hand, experienced Mac users still need to learn some fundamental basics unique to Windows that every PC user already knows -- for example, using the right mouse button (missing on Macs.)

The authors do an excellent job of walking this fine line between novice and advanced levels, essentially taking the reader through the entire Windows OS from beginning to end. Step-by-step, they cover Windows and how it works, explaining the differences between it and the MacOS. The prose is clear and supplemented by many screen shots.

Ms. Williams is probably one of the finest technical writers in the computing field today. I read perhaps 10 or more technical books per year and hers are always the best written. She could probably write a how-to book on rocket science and have us all (successfully) planning space missions the next week.

If you buy only one book -- this is the one to get!

A postscipt: You don't "need" a second book, but still I found it handy to supplement this book with "Crossing Platforms : A Macintosh/Windows Phrasebook" by Adam Engst and David Pogue. "Crossing Platforms" is more of a reference book for looking up specific issues than a primer like "Windows for Mac Users."

This book in not good it is GREAT!!!!!!! As a dedicated Mac person I have found this book to be an excellent introduction to Windows. It is clear, concise, extremely readable- unlike most technical books, and right on the money. I read half of it in one sitting and the rest the next day. It gives you the info you need without all the BS or stupid jokes you find in so many of the Dummy books. I got the info I needed to get up and running quickly and was able to go back and find my specific needs when I need to review. I highly recommend this book.

Excellent book. A major find for those of us proficient in Mac OS who must use Windows. The authors "translate" Windows into concepts readily understood by Mac users and in doing so convey the overall organizing logic of Windows so Mac users can easily learn to be independent powerusers.

Intelligently written, and goes eyeball-to-eyeball with those baffling Windows eccentricities, without being snotty about it.

This book is great! I'm a Mac person who occasionally has to work on the Windows platform for my clients. This book really helped me to figure out how to do what I needed to do on Windows (which often is totally different from how you do it on the Mac). I didn't have a clue to do the most mundane things, such as to how to attach a mouse, how to install a font, how to do a hard break, and so forth. If I didn't have this book on hand, I would have been very frustrated trying to get the job done on a platform that I wasn't familiar with. I highly recommend it!

This is the best book about Montreal that I have read.

While growing up in Montreal I was of aware of the shady life in Montreal, but I didn't know how extensive it was. We sort of accepted the corruption in Montreal as part of the scenery.

One time in the 1950s the authorities brought a leading gambler to trial. I guess he was selected as a fall guy. When my mother saw the list of his legal team she snorted,"If he is using these lawyers he's guilty!".

Camillien Houde was indeed a colorful character and one of the more effective mayors. A lot of people felt that he got a raw deal when he was interned during WW 2.

One thing that Weintraub didn't mention is that Montreal was a very safe city. It still is safe compared with many other cities that I have visited. Its much safer than either London, New York, or Washington.

Being a boomer from the West Island, I appreciated this book for the glimpse it afforded me into the "downtown" world of my parents, and a better appreciation for names which exist for me only as streets (Camilien Houde) or Metro stops (the infamous Lionel Groulx). The paperback version of this book did not contain a map, which would have been a helpful asset to a non-Montrealer reader.

Outrageous as the Belle Ville that it portrays, City Unique is much more than a thoroughly-researched and extremely well-written account of two of the most exciting decades ever lived by Montreal: it is also a literary testimony that brings to life the past behind the city's present and future. Weintraub's book flows just like the Saint-Lawrence - you glance at its troubled-though-delightful waters and wonder what you'd find at the bottom... Well, here's your chance to take that to shore, from the accounts of characters as memorable as Lili St. Cyr to the unravelling of a city torn in half by a street called The Main, whose every corner tells a million stories, with anglos on one side, francos on the other, and everything else in between. By one of Montreal's finest journalists, City Unique is an absolute must in our quest to understanding what lies underneath the city's cosmopolitan and multi-cultural enchantment today, as belle now as it was then.

Weintraub has painted a wonderful portrait of what life was like in Montreal back in the days before the separatists wreaked havoc on the fabric of the city with their language police and sign laws. Daily life in Montreal during the 1940s and 1950s is vividly portrayed in all its variety, from the infamous Padlock Laws of Premier Maurice Duplessis, to the padlock that held stripper Lili St. Cyr's chastity belt in place. The style is journalistic rather than scholarly, and breezy but informative. Weintraub (who is a Montrealer himself) interviewed dozens of people, and their stories are neatly integrated into his historical account of the major events and figures that shaped the era. Highly recommended for anyone who loves Canada's most flamboyant and fascinating city.