Television Books

I JUST ORDERED A COPY OF LAURYN HILLS BOOK 'THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL' AND, I ALSO HAVE THE ALBUM, BUT I FELT THAT I NEEDED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT LAURYN HERSELF AND THE ZION,HOPEFULLY SHE MENTIONS IT IN THIS BOOK,I LOVE YOU LAURYN,YOUR MY ONLY INSPIRATION,I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE BOOKS WRITTEN BY YOU, I'LL BUY EVERY COPY YOU PUT OUT, I LOVE YOU LAURYN FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART---love,Lashawn Nicole

This album is really creative, Lauryn Hill had TONS of talent!

I love this book! It is da BOMB! You have to read it. Lauryn hill is suck a talented artist and this book give you all the details of lauryn's life! It ROCKS! Hi mom!

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill isan excellant book! Lauryn has beenthrough some trying times and I adore her for staying so strong. Aside all rumors that were made, Lauryn was still able to stay focused. She is truely genuine.

"Queen of the Hill"- What else could you say about a young woman of such grace? Many have loved and admired Lauryn for years and years and I can honestly understand why. Her style is so versatile, and her personality is so calm, that you can't help but join the " Lauryn Hill bandwagon" (ya know?) I say " Queen of the Hill" and I don't use those words lightly, because most people have read articles, many people have listened to her music, but when you meet her in person, the connection is so overwhelming, you do literally pinch yourself to see if it's a dream.

This book is a must for both men and women. (It might be for gay people too if you are into that sort of thing because they want to be "married" these days.)Darrell examines both sides of the realtionship from experiences and observations. I read this book cover to cover and will read it again because its funnnier than hell, just like his stage act! I can't wait for the second book!

Steve H. Ohio

MisInformation hits home in many ways. In reading the chapters (which are cleverly titled), I found myself wincing at some of the remarks, not because they are hard hitting and direct, but rather they are true in some regards. I think the key point made in this book is that it is not directed to all...let me stress all women, but those times I found the dialog assaulting were when I seen myself doing or saying those exact things mentioned. I think it is a good tool for men in respect to finding out why women think there are no "good" men left, but it turned out to be an eye opener for me as a woman. I can't wait to read volume 2.

This book is for men and women Darrell did not leave anyone that is dating ,married , or thinking about having any kind of relationship out. Ladys you may have to read a little bit at a time but when you calm down you will want to read more. Darrell is hard on us woman but if nothing else read the parts that relate to you or someone you know and i promise that you will read the whole book.

Darrell tackles the issues I wish others would be brave enough to address. As one of those "hard to find" males, I appreciated his honesty, directness and thoughts. We create our own reality and then blame others for the way things turn out, particularly in our relationships and how we are viewed by others in society. I laughed as much as I cried when reading this book. Darrell is a real truth-teller. After I finished reading it I gave my copy to my wife's single friends to read. Cheer up ladies and have faith. . . there are still a lot of great men out there. You just need to know how to find them with the right bait. Darrell's book is your tackle box for finding one of us! Can't wait for Volume II!

I thoroughly enjoyed Misinformation. I've had the pleasure of seeing Joyce perform live many times, and his skill as a comedian promised this to be an entertaining read. What struck me, however, was the level of insight and information underneath the issues he exposed. This is not some guy running his mouth off -- this is a study. This is a work that has come from years of astute observations, intense research, and personal experience.

That being said, Joyce's style is blunt and aggressive. This book is real. He doesn't sugarcoat things, and he doesn't shy away from his points for fear of offending. He tells it like he sees it, and for that I respect his honesty and courage. This book is a breath of fresh air in an age that is so hyper-sensitive to political correctness. If you put this book down because a word or phrase offends you, in the long run you're really denying yourself-- he just has too many excellent points.

Although Misinformation looks a bit intimidating, the effort is well worth it. You will see it's underlying themes every day of your life. Instead of chuckling at the overweight woman wearing the T-shirt that says, "Too pretty to work," you will shake your head at the much larger societal problem she represents.

Thanks, Darrell-- can't wait to read volume two!

I love Mister Ed. I was pleased to buy this book at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention and more pleased to have purchased a copy with Alan Young's signature inside. Clint Eastwood, George Burns, Warner Bros., they are all here. Story after story after story. The kind of autobiography and behind-the-scenes stories we all love to hear and read. Rarely do autobiographies fall into the category of enjoyable reads. This one is certainly recommended if you love Mister Ed.

Full of many rare photos with funny captions. This updated book is so entertaining I read it in three days. Work of course prevented me from reading it in one sitting!
Alan (Angus) Young is a master story teller and you can just picture yourself in the cold Canadian mountains as you read.
A must for all fans of good writing and of course Alan Young himself!

I am very happy with the book and with the service received. It is what I expected ...and more. Thank you for your service.

Mister Ed and Me and More! is the autobiography of actor Alan Young, perhaps most famous for his sitcom role as Wilbur Post, co-starring with the "talking" horse Mr. Ed. Born in England, raised in Canada, yet often playing the role of "the all-American boy", Young tells of his youth, his friendships with Hollywood elite, his movie career, and much more. A dollop of tongue-in-cheek humor as well as an assortment of vintage black-and-white photographs rounds out this genial memoir. Especially recommended for fans of Alan Young - or Mr. Ed!

I bought the first version of Mr. Ed and Me when it came out in 1994, but this new expanded version entitled Mr. Ed and Me and More is far superior. With much added text by Alan Young and extensively illustrated with many more rare photographs, this new more elaborate version is well worth the money. This is a quirky and delightful memoir by the man who worked with the world's most famous talking horse, Mister Ed, in one of the most beloved television shows of all time. The book also contains a new section written by actress Connie Hines who played Carol Post, Alan Young's wife on the Mister Ed show. She writes for the first time about her background, life, and, of course, Mister Ed. Alan Young has a charming writing style and it is easy to see the fun and warmth of the show reflected in the man. Full of behind the scenes information about the Mister Ed show, Young also writes about his film roles including the classic film version of H.G. Wells's The Time Machine (1960) directed by George Pal, and his other notable motion pictures such as Mr. Belvedere Goes to College, Androcles and the Lion, Tom Thumb, etc. Young has also provided the voice for Scrooge McDuck for Walt Disney cartoon films. Highly recommended, and a perfect gift book for friends

Unlike many works that Alan Lomax had has hand in, this book is great reading, if nothing more. I am not known to be a fan of Alan Lomax and his father as my review of _The Land Where the Blues Began_ attests, but at least Lomax realized what a treasure Jelly Roll Morton was and interviewed him and also had Morton create hours and hours of singing and piano music.


This book offers a digest of hours and hours of interviews with Morton in the late 1930s when Morton was living in Washington. It is supplemented by some very useful interviews Lomax did with New Orleans musicians and their families in the late 1940s. The New Orleans interviews provide very useful direct source material about the social and culture and professional milieu that both Creole and Black musicians in New Orleans Sprang from. A recently written criticial review by a real scholar at the close of the book explains the great limitations of Lomax's selections and writngs here.


Lomax apparently knew little about the real history and processes of New Orleans jazz and life, so that a lot of questions that someone interest in Morton's impact on music are not asked, not just in what Lomax selected to put in this book, but in the larger transcripts of Lomax's interviews and in the monologues Morton dictated to a stenographer as part of this project. Lomax's tendency is to seek out non-musical issue his stereotypical images of Blues and Jazz musicians call forth. This is quite unfortunate because to the end of his life, Morton had a very sophsiticated and articulate understanding of music and was capable of serious discussion of jazz and blues in formal musical terminology. He was a person who seriously thought about music most of the time when he was not playing it.

Recently scholars with new information drawn from new discoveries of Morton's personal archives, correspondence, and musical library as well as the range of interviews with other musicians tend to verify much of what as thought of after these intervews as bragadoccio. Morton probably was the first person to produce written compositions that were Jazz as opposed to rag time. He was certainly playing and writing down blues compositions before Handy. Even the greatest of early Jazz Pianists like James P. Johnson affirmed that both in the days before WWI and in the 1920s Morton outplayed all the great Jazz Pianists.

The examination and performance of the music that Morton wrote in the late 1930s indicates that Morton had not only mastered composition and band arrangement in a style that would have surpassed the most surpassed swing of his day but had written orchestral pieces that prefigured the modal Jazz that Coltrane and others presented in the 1950s. These and other compositions indicate that whatever the fortunes of his public performances, Morton was a serious composer whose skills continued to advance even in his last years when his health collapsed.

Yet flagged by failing health, Morton was never able to organize an orchestra that could have played these pieces. He had been told that he could have lived ten or fifteen more years had he given up performing music, but he wanted to make his music more than he wanted to live.

Finally, Morton WAS cheated out of millions of dollars in royalties by the music industry, especially by the Melrose Brothers and by ASCAP. He was one of the first musicians to challange the way the Mafia-connected music publishers simply robbed musicians of their compositions or did not pay them. Unlike some musicians who suffered quietly or WC Handy who was one of the token Blacks ASCAP paraded around to hide its racism, Morton launched a public campaign in Downbeat and other Jazz magazines that exposed the crimes of ASCAP and music publishers like Melrose.

Until the mid 1940s, ASCAP which collected royalties for compositions from record producers, radio, night clubs, and other places where music was played had a racist setup. Few Black members were admitted although royalties were collected for their music. Morton carried out a public and legal campaign for years to be admitted to ASCAP even though it was collecting millions for the large number of his compositions that had become great hits in the swing era, like the King Porter Stomp that became a standard that any competent string band cut its teeth on.

Once inside ASCAP, he found ASCAP distributed its royalties not based on the money different songs brought royalties but on what a board of ASCAP leaders decided was the cultural worth of different kinds of music. Thus while Broadway and classical writers were getting hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalty payments, Morton received under 200 dollars each of the two years he was living and a member of ASCAP. Morton protested and exposed this publically in the last years of his life and attempted to gather other victims of this system in a law suit. While he was dying and unable to carry on this struggle, his protests and the information he gathered led to congressional investigations in the 1940s that forced an end to discrimination in ASCAP in regard to membership and forced it to distribute royalties based on the sales of the music, not on its "value."

The issue of braggadocio also comes here from the fact that Lomax supplied Morton with a bottle of whiskey for each Interview. Morton was not an alcholic, but those who have studied the transcripts have noted that Morton grew more inaccurate, abrasive, and unreliable longer into the interviews as the booze took effect.

This fits into Alan Lomax's consistent pattern of trying to make sources, particularly Black sources fit into the stereotypes he had about them. Lomax who took many photographs of his folk sources, for example, would force people who preferred being photographed in the Sunday Best, to appear in old work clothes. While Leadbelly actually favored the finest suits and imposed a dress code on Sonny Terry and Brownie MCGhee when they roomed at his New York Home (suits and ties as musicians are professionals and get a case, not a sack for the instrument) Lomax forced him to perform in prison garb or overalls. Lomax also created the fiction that singing and the intercession of his father John Lomax had some relationship with Leadbelly being released fromthe Louisiana penitentary when Leadbelly was released as part of program that automatically reduced prison sentences due to depression-caused cutbacks.

Lomax wanted precisely to convey a picture of Morton filled with whiskey, smokey rooms, and so forth, when Morton was one of the biggest stars of music between 1917 and 1930, performing in some of the most sophisticated venues and a particular favorite with Hollywood film stars of the period.

Despite these criticisms, I urge anyone interested in finding out not only about Jelly Roll Morton, but about the origins of Jazz in New Orleans and the entertainment industry in the earkly 20th Century to read this book. A good supplement, or perhaps a better place to start would be _Jelly's Blues: The Life, Music, and Redemption of Jelly Roll Morton_ by Howard Reich. This can be followed by _Dead Man Blues: Jelly Roll Morton Way Out West by Phil Pastras_.

In spite of Jelly's bragadocio and the author's lack of Jazz background (Lomax was a folklorist) it's a very interesting book. Jelly must have felt injusticed when, in the late thirties, Benny Goodman was earning lots of money with "King Porter's Stomp". But the truth is that, exactly like King Oliver, he was outpaced by the revolution started by Satchmo.

I have always been a fan of Jelly Roll Morton, and I've always looked for books about him. This is by far the best. I loved it. I wish they would re-issue it

Alan Lomax interviewed Jelly Roll while doing an extensive set of recordings shortly before Morton's death. He followed up with a number of interviews with people who knew Jelly Roll. Lomax did a fabulous job of keeping himself out of the way while letting the often colorful information from the interviews tell the story of Jelly's part in the birth of jazz, a story with triumphs, massive ego and ultimate decline. I read a library copy and am buying a copy for a present.

This is one of the rare books for it can be enjoyed by just about anyone who picks it up. Its the amazing account of the life of Jelly Roll Morton, one of the best jazz pianists of all time. Though a braggart and troubled man, he created some of the very best pieces of jazz. The book goes into his life from his childhood and his time working at Storyville to the very troubled end in the early forties. You learn about his family, his troubled relationships with Anita and Mabel and how he went from being wildly successful to dying virtually forgotten. Voodoo, New Orleans, jazz and Creole culture, its all here.

Written with flair and never boring, Mr. Jelly Roll is a book that you will read more than once. Its a look at a legend and a glimpse into a world we can only know of through books and music. Get this if you want a good read and a look at Mr. Morton's life. A true classic.

my family loves this book. it is so cute and helps my kids process their feelings when their friends move away.

When Mitchell announces that he is moving "two weeks away" from the home he's lived in for sixty years, his best buddy (and next door neighbor) Margo doesn't sit quietly by and let him slip away. The tale that ensues speaks volumes about the love of friendship and surprising solutions. If you find yourself reading the same stories over and over, you'll want to make sure this one is among the possibilities.

Mitchell is moving is one of the best books I have ever read. Mitchell has lived next door to his friend for so long so he finally decides to move away, "three days away" to be exact. Margo, his friend, is not to happy about it so she tries to keep him from going. I recomend this book to all ages!

Mitchell the dinosaur is tired of living in the same old place and decides to move "three days away". His best friend Margo isn't happy about that at all. She thinks of some very ingenious ways to try and keep Mitchell as her neighbor. The story stays cute and readable--no matter how many times I've read it over the years.

Conor Oberst of the band Bright Eyes records a small child reading this at the very beginnng of is CD Fevers & Mirrors. It seemed like a great story, even though on here it says it's a children's book. It really made me want to hear what happened between the two friends.

What this fun, engaging book lacks in depth, it makes up for in breadth. I did not find this especially helpful in gaining a deeper understanding of the changing roles that strong female characters have been playing in popular culture in the past several decades, but no book I know can match it for its range and scope. I've done a great deal of reading about women in the movies and on TV, but this books goes way beyond that to show how women have appeared in a vast array of media during recent years. I give the book 4 stars instead of less simply because it provides an incredible services by calling attention to strong women in a number of areas that have been neglected in previous surveys. Nonetheless, I think the book can at best serve as a jumping off point for further work. But by helping map out the areas where strong women can be discerned is an invaluable service. It was very close to being a near complete cataloging of the most important female figures in popular media. There were a few minor omissions, but as far as I can tell only one major one: the inexplicable failure to mention FARSCAPE, the show above all others that not only features multiple strong female characters but places these in a non-patriarchal universe. No show I know engages gender issues so interestingly and few female characters on TV are as pertinent to the authors' discussion as Claudia Black's character Aeryn Sun.

This is also one of the more lavishly illustrated books that you can ever hope to own. There are photos on nearly every page of the book, many of them full page.

There are, however, a number of problems with the book. First, the sheer breadth means that nothing can be discussed in much depth. I was ecstatic when the authors bring up Third Wave Feminism (many TV critics look at shows like BUFFY or DARK ANGEL and describe them as post-feminist, when in fact they are better understood in the light of the Third Wave), but not much more than that is done with it. Still, kudos for bringing that up at all! More troubling is the utter lack of critical distinction in bringing up all the various "Amazons." The brute fact is that many of the shows and movies mentioned are just flat out awful. CHARMED is discussed as well as BUFFY, with no indication that CHARMED is critically reviled while BUFFY is by consensus one of the masterpieces of television. BLADE: TRINITY, ELEKTRA, and CATWOMAN are mixed in with THELMA AND LOUISE and BLADE RUNNER, with no mention that the first three were universally trashed. There is a long discussion of Linda Carter's turn as WONDER WOMAN, but no mention that 1) the show is bad and 2) Wonder Woman on the show is distressingly subservient to men and spends most of her time trying to make her boss look good. I can fully understand a discussion of Xena in a book like this, but there is no acknowledgment that the show has always been a cult favorite, but has been universally considered a not very good show, while she doesn't by contrast bring up the enormous critical acclaim of BUFFY, ALIAS, and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.

Finally, there is that term "Amazon." The book wants to celebrate the various warrior women in popular culture, but roping the majority of the women into that category is a bit of a stretch. I absolutely love Emma Peel in THE AVENGERS, but I have a lot of trouble viewing her under either the category of a warrior woman or an Amazon. A very strong female character? Absolutely. But I think the book stretches conceptual categories a bit more broadly than is advisable.

Nonetheless, I definitely recommend the book. The panoramic scope outweighs weaknesses. At the very least it has mapped out the terrain to be explored in any discovery of strong female characters in popular culture.

The image of the warrior women has been a staple of the movies almost from the beginning. Scantly clad, or perhaps in a skin tight suit, these women have fought the bad guys (or been the bad girl) in movie after movie. Here is a profusely illustrated (400+ pictures) description of the female in some 150 (many not well known) films. Here is Wonder Woman and Batgirl, Princess Leah and lots of pictures of Xena.

Along with the pictures is a discussion of warrior women in history, myth and literature, and a from this a discussion of how they have been portrayed in film over the past forty years or so.

This is a discussion of an aspect of pop-culture that has not been covered very well in the literature. It's most interesting to see this aspect of films covered in a serious way. And the ways that the depiction has changed over the years.

Co-authored and compiled by Hollywood film experts Dominique Mainon and James Ursini, The Modern Amazons: Warrior Women On-Screen is a profusely illustrated compendium of the actresses and the roles they played as fighters, warriors, and combatants in the past fifty years of filmmaking. Ranging from iconic image of Raquel Welch in the prehistoric adventure fantasy "One Million Years BC"; to Pam Grier as the first African-American woman in such films as "Coffy", "Foxy Brown", and "Sheba, Baby"; to Lucy Lawless' six-season portrayal of "Xena: Warrior Princess"; to Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in two "Tomb Raider" movies; to Sigourney Weaver as Ripley in the sci-fi "Alien" adventures, to the women who have played vampire slayers, superheroes (and villains), as well as assorted television, cartoon, comics, and video game fighter characters in the various movie action/adventure genres. The Modern Amazons is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, film school, and community library Film Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

This is really a fun book to look through...lots of photos and interesting history on the development of 'power girls' in TV and film. It covers old TV shows (Sheena, Queen of the Jungle), movies (One Millions Years BC) all the way up to 'Kill Bill' and 'Xena, Warrior Princess.' An illustrated filmography and alphabetical list of warrior women finish off the book. In some ways, this is more of a 'guys' book - chock full of scantily clad women. But interesting nonetheless. Also Fun to see how each decade's fashion/style influeneced the wonder-woman look. Female superheroes were definitely a little meatier back in the day.

After briefly citing some references to women warriors in ancient mythology and history, the authors with broad backgrounds in film studies and popular culture note their book does not speculate "about the possible existence of Amazon women in the past, but rather document[s] the proliferation of the warrior woman archetype in popular culture, film and television in particular." An encyclopedic filmography and another back section on women warrior movies and television series records the varieties of this proliferation. Used loosely, the term woman warrior encompasses not only women warriors like men soldiers, but also women detectives, science-fiction characters, prehistoric humans, cowgirls, spies, martial arts experts, athletes (e. g., "Million Dollar Baby"), and more or less ordinary women who at moments accomplish extraordinary feats such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Though such extraordinary women characters transgressing the conventional image of women can be found in films from its beginning in the early 1900s, the overwhelming majority are from the post-WWII years with the numbers of films increasing exponentially in recent years as gender roles have weakened and popular interest in the potentials for women has grown. The approach is to classify the categories of "warrior women" and discuss the women characters and the films or TV shows in each category. Like the term "warrior women" itself, the categories are loose. But the aim is not strict definition, rather recognition of the expansion and diversity of this genre involving unconventional, in many cases quite imaginative women characters. Photographs on almost every page picture the women in their various costumes or engaged in their exploits.

I watched Mondo Enduro and Terra Circa so I though I would share my review of them here as well, the story is of the same adventure and its spectacular!!!!!

I've watched the Mondo Enduro dvd and I was so impressed by it I that I also watched its companion follow up dvd Terra Circa. They are a wonderful insight into the round the world adventures of a group friends on their motorcycles. Filled with the real world flavor of such a trip, it is amazing to watch as this adventure unfolds. Beautiful scenery, diverse culture, and true character fill this intriguing story. It seems that most of us dream of such adventures, however life always seems to find a way to take other turns and most of us never realize those dreams. These fellows did a great job of documenting the trip both in video and print in such a way that we get to at least experience part of it with them. My wife and kids also had a great time watching and its perfectly geared for wholesome family entertainment. Do yourself a favor and spend an afternoon traveling the world with them from your couch. I highly recommend it, and Terra Circa, well worth watching for sure. I do hope these guys take future adventures and I'll be the first in line to see them as well.

The kind of book that you want to savour and enjoy a little piece of every night, but that you'll devour as soon as you finish the first page. Always leaves you wanting more.

An excellent book about a motorcycle trip around the world.
402 days and 44,000 miles. Going through Europe, Russia, North America, South America and Africa.
A day by day account of great rides, bad rides and some times no riding at all.
Along with the DVD Mondo Enduro and their second trip DVD Terra Circa, these tell a wonderful story of a motorcycling adventure.

I loved this book, reading it was even better than watching the movie!

I bought if from RippingYarns.com

We are huge fans of Mondo Enduro. These guys are amazing and oh, the stories they tell. It is a long read and it is hard to put down.(both of which are good things) Also there are a lot of British colloquialisms which can be a bit confusing but tend to add to the experience. Even with that, they are hilarious. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ridden a motorcycle or gone camping. There is an abundance of both. Austin Vince's editing of this manuscript was excellent and you can hear his voice inserted throughout. We eagerly await the publishing of the Terra Circa book. Both movies were great. The Mondo Enduro book has been even better. Thank you Austin Vince. Thank you Mondo Enduro. Result.

I bought this book for my 2 year old to get her familiar with Halloween. We've read it one time. It is cute, but I think it scares her a little bit because every night I put it out amongst the books she gets to choose from before bed time and she hasn't picked it one time.

If your child loves the Backyardigan's, and is interested in books at all, this is perfect for them. The flaps are so cute, and pretty durable. I would recommend this for your little one.

My daughter is 20 months old and she loves this book also. She is even learning the names of the other characters besides Pablo now by finding them under the flaps. It is a very good quality book. She usually tears the flaps off of books like this but this one is still in one piece and we've had it over a month now.

both my 6 y/o daughter and my 4 y/o son love this book. they love that you have to lift the flaps and see what's hiding there. and I don't mind reading it to them over and over.

"Monster Halloween Party" is a "Backyardigans" flap book based on the TV episode "Scared of You." The main difference between this story and that on TV is that on the TV show, Austin was asked to gather three monsters, which took part in his surprise birthday party. In the book, however, it's a Halloween party. It still works, well, though.

Mad Scientist Tasha sends out her assistant Austin with envelopes for three different monsters. Austin does his best to deliver them, but has to contend with them not only being scared of him, but also with each other.

The main fun comes in the flaps and bright foil. There are a total of eighteen flaps and they're all reasonably easy to lift. (Parents with young kids, however, may want to consider lifting them beforehand. Oh, and if you have any trouble lifting, one trick is to push from the back of the page.)

"Monster Halloween Party" is good, not-too-scary Halloween fun for all Backyardigans fans. It comes with a decent story and the illustrations are top-notch.

In my search for a better understanding of ADD and chemical addiction, I found A Mother's Diary both informative and compelling. The author reveals her emotional journey to understand her sons and their illness, while opening many doors for parents with children of all ages, who may have these symptoms and never been diagnosed. This is a MUST READ book for all parents.

As one who works in the field of addiction and recovery, I highly recommend this book. Despite the tremendous strides which have been made in the awareness and treatment of chemical dependency, countless lives continue to be lost. This book brings to light the often hidden yet dangerous connection between ADD/ADHD and chemical addiction, as well as the trials and tribulations of a mother desperately seeking answers for herself and her two sons. This author's courage and strength are a real inspiration and tribute to the human spirit.

I couldn't put this book down. The author's vulnerable honesty drew me into her life experience with two sons whom she could not save from the destructive path from ADD to addiction and death.
Barbara Mulloy-Robbins openly reveals herself to us with humor and
heartache. Her story can touch and help anyone of us who cares for and
loves someone in addiction.

If you are of High School age, a parent, or anyone inbetween ... A Mother's Diary should be required reading.

A Mother's Diary celebrates the lives of two sons. Both tragically afflicted with ADHD and Addictions, the author / mother is able to share with profound honesty and insight, a remarkable story filled with music, pain, frustration, wit and poetry.

A Mother's Diary will forever reasonate, and call us to action.

a flowing and effortless read on the intellectual level; heart wrenching on the gut level. This true story is told with startling honesty and profound courage. It reads like a novel while including invaluable information about ADD and chemical addiction. An important book for anyone who is a parent or a person who works with kids.

The late writer-director Edward Bernds has become a familiar name to movie comedy fans, through his association with The Three Stooges, The Bowery Boys, the Blondie series, and a host of other comedy stars. But Mr. Bernds made his reputation as a recording engineer during the early-talkie years, and was the number-one sound man at Columbia Pictures until he took on more creative duties.

This book chronicles Bernds's early years, from his first radio jobs through his successful association with director Frank Capra. Bernds was a stickler for accuracy, and drew upon his old diaries to confirm his excellent memory for facts and faces. He was just as careful to spell things out for the reader, explaining a technical process or a business practice to amplify the point he was making. Bernds's attention to detail makes for good, solid reading.

This writer was disappointed that the book stops when the author stopped working as a soundman. But it's understandable because Bernds, in his thoroughness, would have written a mammoth volume if his entire career were to be discussed. Joseph McBride recognizes the "missing" material by appending a more general interview with Bernds, conducted by McBride and Leonard Maltin.

Film buffs and historians will enjoy "Mr. Bernds." For those who want Bernds's observations and recollections of his Three Stooges years, read "The Columbia Comedy Shorts" by Ted Okuda and Edward Watz.

Edward Bernd's autobiography is a wonderful insight into the life and career of a Hollywood talent whose career lay behind the camera.

The book only covers the first half of his life, from his childhood in Chicago to his career as a top sound engineer at Columbia Studios. Bernds' engineering career encompassed the films of Frank Capra (Capra always requested Ed for his team), the many classics of Moe, Larry and Curly, and many major Columbia feature productions through 1945.

The reader is left wanting more, particularly the details of Bernds' new post-1945 career of writer and director for the Three Stooges, the Blondie series, the Bowery Boys and Elvis Presley. But, that's another book. Right, Ed?

Have you ever dreamed you could make it big in Hollywood? Countless dreams have been shattered in this town, but one young man made it, and this is his story. Rarely will one encounter a more modest telling of a life's story. Yet Ed's tale rings so true and so right that you can't help but be drawn in. From making a crystal radio set as a teen, to snaring the top sound position with Frank Capra, Mr. Bernds entertains, informs, and delights us in the telling.

One of the reasons why this book is so fresh is that its author works not just from memory, but from detailed diaries. The tale of his trip west to Hollywood in a broken down jalopy fairly crackles. Genuinely good story telling accents this lively account of the early talkie era. Recommended to anyone who would enjoy a stroll through the inside of Hollywood, spoken by a real movie sound pioneer.

Have you ever dreamed you could make it big in Hollywood? Countless dreams have been shattered in this town, but one young man made it, and this is his story. Rarely will one encounter a more modest telling of a life's story. Yet Ed's tale rings so true and so right that you can't help but be drawn in. From making a crystal radio set as a teen, to snaring the top sound position with Frank Capra, Mr. Bernds entertains, informs, and delights us in the telling.

One of the reasons why this book is so fresh is that its author works not just from memory, but from detailed diaries. The tale of his trip west to Hollywood in a broken down jalopy fairly crackles. Genuinely good story telling accents this lively account of the early talkie era. Recommended to anyone who would enjoy a stroll through the inside of Hollywood, spoken by a real movie sound pioneer.

When Hollywood first started to shine golden, Ed Bernds was there. He knew and worked with the stars, the directors and the writers, and contributed no little himself to Hollywood's Golden Age. In "Mr. Bernds Goes To Hollywood," Ed tells -- with near total recall -- of his journey to the movie capital in the earliest days of sound (which was his speciality) and of his career at Columbia Studios, the King of "Poverty Row," with the likes of Frank Capra, Clark Gable and the feared studio head Harry Cohn. In telling his story, Bernds invokes a bygone era of Hollywood glamor with an inside knowledge that few today possess. Necessary books on Hollywood are few and far between, but "Mr. Bernds Goes To Hollywood" fills the bill.