Entertainment Books

Rick was something else. While I enjoyed his music, his writing was concise and entertaining all the way thru and I really enjoyed the pics.
Great insight into a musical genius the likes we may never see again.
DJ
Stockbridge, GA

After doing some (in-store and online) price comparison, Amazon's prices are definitely the better bargain "hands-down".

If you like Rick James this book is highly recommended. It is a book you will not be able to put down.

THE BOOK IS ON FIRE. RICK WAS ONE TALENTED DUDE. UNFORTUNATELY ALL MOST OF US KNOW ABOUT HIM IS THAT HE LIVED A CRAZY LIFE. RICK WAS MUCH MORE THAN THAT AND THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO KNOW WHAT MADE THE MAN TICK.

Very entertaining and informative I could not put it down I purchased 3 for gifts

When I first saw the sourcebooks for this game, I thought the playing-card based system would be too complicated. Once the Marshal and the Players have all the rules for combat down, the system goes down like a bottle of The Good Stuff, smooth and quick. The storyline is very imaginative and interesting, it makes it easy to keep your players captivated for many, many sessions and keep them coming back for more.

First, the setting:

The year is 1876, and the American Civil War is still going on. Why? Because on July 4th 1863, a group of Indians crossed over into the spirit world and opened the door for hostile being to move from thier world to ours. Our fear is their currency and they are on a spending spree. California fell into the ocean, revealing deposits of something called Ghost-rock. It burns practically forever (imagine that as a power source), but wails like a banshee as it does. With the renwed power of the Indian tribes and the loss of California, the USA and CSA are at a standoff against each other. meanwhile, the released spirits are wreaking havoc and the deaD RISE AGAIN. Some of these things you can't shoot; that's where it helps to know how to handle the cards. That is, you can cast magic with a deck of cards if you know the right moves. Sometimes having religion will give you some supernatural tricks to pull too. As a setting, DEADLANDS is just incredible and has a lot of fascinating stuff going on.

The mechanics: As an old AD&D player and then a Cthulhu player, I had trouble understanding the mechanics. After having looked at a White Wolf product for the first time, I now understand that the mechanics of DEADLANDS are the World of Darkness dice pool with some proto-D20 aspects and a card-playing gimmick attached.

I think the basic concept is that you have a dice pool based on either your skill OR your attribute. However, the die-type ranges from d4 to d12. Your attribute is determined by a card draw; the value of the card determines the die type and the suit determines your pool size. If you get an "ace" (best number on a die), you roll again and ADD the rolled to the base. Your best value counts in a dicecheck against a target number chosen by the GM (this sufficiently reminds me of a DC that I'm interested in the d20 version as well).You have wound levels that track your health and you use experience to buy up your dice pool. You have merits and flaws and taking more flaws gives points to start your character with. Sound familiar?

The card playing motif returns for initiative (you draw cards for actions in a turn and follow order) and magic (the strength of your effect dpends on the poker hand that you draw). You also get fate chips, which allow you to add dice to your dice pool. There are also some color plates that show an archetypical character; this was a big help in figuring out character creation goes.

Content: A lot of the book is spent on mechanics (about third). ANother third is 1-2 page descriptions of character "classes", including being undead. Unfortunately, these are very short with minimal information on anything (obviously, you should buy all the splatbooks). My big beef is the huckster (spellcaster). For the hex to work, there is a minimum poker hand that must be drawn. Usually this is 1 pair or higher. Frankly, it's not that easy to get a pair without extra cards. I believe that the power level was raised in future splats, but the huckster seemed somewhat ineffective of a character.

The last third is for the GM only and tells of the ssecrets of Deadlands. Overall, a good section.

So to summarize, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The Good: very innovative concept, looks fun to play, great atmosphere. I like the fate chips (although I would make them more powerful; white rerolls one die, red choose a value for 1 die, blue allows a change of reality that is small, like the villain's holster is still buttoned or the character remembered to bring his pocketknofe after all).

The Bad: many aspects not well explained; more samples of rolling dice for different situations needed. Hucksters' magic seems ineffective

The ugly: EVERYTHING requires buying another splat, and the book is so vague, and the metaplot requires keeping up with the releases. Wait, who published this again?

Anyway, DEADLANDS was a fun read and looks exciting to play. If you are just starting, the d20 version might be more natural to the game but this version has many fun aspect, like drawing cards for attributes.

After reading Deadlands, I just thought I had to share this with my players. Now, when I happen to say 'I may marshall a Deadlands next week', I just happen to have too many players.

It is the first time a Western Game has been good. And it will be hard to ever do better.

The French tinhorn with a Great name

A great game with a great history and a great and annovative character creation system. The combat system is quick to learn and drastically more deadly than your beginner RPGs like AD&D. I've never had one problem with this game or any of the sourcebooks.

This system is a must for roleplayers who have either become jaded with their existing system or just want to try something new. It provides a comprehensive story-line and time-line and gives the characters a whole new lease on development. The lay-out the book is easily read-able and engaging and provides the reader with an understanding of just how much is left to the players and Marshal. When I bought this book, I just had to show it to my roleplayign buddies, and they now are totally hook as I am sure you will be. If you wish to know more contact me or the Deadlands list serve. Marshal Psycho.

I ordered this book about Johnny Depp and when I first opened the book to pg.1 I got really interested and i said to myself "What a good book I picked out".I love Johnny Depp.He is my favorite actor and i think he is so hot!This book is a gotta- get cuz everything about johnny depp is hot,baby!!

This book talks a lot more about his movies and whatr he did in them/for them then hid personal life. But, it does talk about his relationships and has a whole chapter (named 1410) on his hotel trashing arrest.

I liked that it talked about his childhood. Also, it potrayed him not as a "Bad Boy" but as a really nice guy who has been a target of the tabloids. Seriously people, get this book! I laughed quite hard in a few places. Also, this book came out before POTC so its not one of those type of books (the kind that go on about how he is such a rebel and if asked about Ed Wood or Chocolat they would go "What? Johnny Depp was in that??").

This is by far the best book about Johnny Depp. You can tell that Christopher Heard truly respects Johnny. If you can only buy one book about Johnny make it this one. I hope he will continue to update this as Johnny continues to amaze us with his uncompromising performances as one of, if not the best, actors of his generation.

This biography is outstanding. It is about the life of the great actor Johnny Depp, who has been in such movies as Edward Scissorhands, Don Juan de Marco, Donnie Brasco, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. If you would like to know the absolute truth about Johnny Depp, what kind of person he really is, and what makes him such a remarkable actor, you must read this book. I already loved and admired him, but after reading this book, my respect for him grew tremendously.

The main focus of this book is his career, and it goes into great detail about all of his movies up until 2001. (Pirates of the Caribbean, Secret Window, and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory are not included in this book) You will not only find out why he chose to do these movies, but you will also discover who chose him for these parts, what he did to come up with his characters, his relationships with co-stars and directors, and much more. There are tons and tons of quotes from co-stars about Johnny; what it was like working with him, what they think about him as an actor...I found this to be very interesting. You can absolutely tell that Christopher Heard went through a great deal of research for this book. Very impressive. It also covers Johnny's personal life, from his romantic interests, to his family life, his struggles, and his not-so-proud moments. This book sets the record straight. Additionally, it does include several small pictures, mostly in black and white, but there is also an 8 page section with full-page colored photos of Johnny as well.

Please read this biography so you can give Johnny Depp the respect that he deserves. This book will give you proof that he is not only a talented actor, but a completely brilliant, creative, and sensitive man.

Christopher Heard states clearly that he's not telling the story from the press' point of view or from a pro Johnny point of view. He's simply giving the facts and the explanations that the media conveniantly missed. His somewhat mocking of the media's dreamt up persona of Johnny is entertaining, and also informative. It's what you need to know about Johnny, and makes you realize how much you respect him rather than just obsess over him.

THERE'S ALOT OF GREAT PICTURES IN HERE!THIS BOOK TALKS ABOUT CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO INFLUENCED MANSON,AND WHY.IT TALKS ABOUT CERTAIN " LABELS " GROUPS,AND PEOPLE GAVE HIM AND HIS BAND.IT TALKS ABOUT CHARLES MANSON,ALEISTER CROWLEY,AND ANTON LAVEY.THERE'S SO MUCH MORE INFORMATION IN HERE.THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT SUBJECTS BEING TALKED ABOUT.THIS IS REALLY AN INTERESTING BOOK!YOU REALLY SHOULD BUY THIS AND THEN YOU'LL KNOW MANSON ALOT BETTER!

THIS BOOK COVERS ALOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.HE TALKS ABOUT ANTON LEVEY AND THE CHURCH OF SATAN.WHY HE HAS SO MANY " PERSONALITIES. " WHY HE DOES THE MUSIC HE DOES AND WHY HE CHOOSES THE SONG TITLES.HIS BELIEFS AND FEELINGS ON CERTAIN ISSUES.THERE'S SO MUCH MORE.THIS BOOK IS VERY INFORMATIVE.IT HAS ALOT OF EXCELLENT PICTURES!HE CERTAINLY IS A VERY INTERESTING PERSON!

This is one of the best Marilyn Manson books I've ever read, besides of course "The Long Hard Road Out Of Hell", without lies. which is mostly what you could find on a MM book.

I read it in 2 days. The way it is presented in organized is amazing. You learn about so much in so few pages. The only flaw is a few minor inaccuracies. Get this book!

This book reads like a "works cited" page for Marilyn Manson's life. It's basically a list of all the influences on his music, fashion, philosophy, religious views, and general tastes in things like movies and books. It also gives an explanation for why all of these are relative to Manson, although I'm sure this is in the author's perception and not his own. This book is a must for those that want to understand why Marilyn Manson is the way he is. It does a much better job than his own autobiography, which I consider to be more entertainment than knowledge. I highly recommend reading both books, they serve as excellent companions to one another since neither give the complete story.

If you or a friend like Erik Estrada - you'll enjoy reading this book. It is written to keep your attention and interest to continue. WELL DONE! A great gift idea for an Estrada fan.

I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED ERIK, SINCE I WAS A TEEN AND NOW TO READ ALL ABOUT HIM, WAS GREAT, I REALLY ENJOYED TO HEAR HIS LIFE STORY, AND HOW HIS MOM RAISED 3 KIDS ALONE AND HE DID HIS BEST TO KEEP HIS MOM HAPPY, AND I LOVE CHIPS I WATCH IT EVERY MORNING ON TNT AT 6:00AM IN THE MORNING BRINGS BACK MEMEORYS OF HIM. I VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT HE FINALY FOUND THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE. AND HE'S A GREAT DAD TO HIS TWO BOYS AND HIS DAUGHTER. AND GLAD TO SEE HIM BACK ON TV ON THE BALD AND THE BEATUIFUL. TAKE CARE

I've been a fan of Erik Estrada's since the first season of "CHiPs", and am still an actively dedicated fan. I bought the autobiography in hardcover on sight without hesitation. The fan wanted the book immediately, and the amateur critic and aspiring writer have yet to regret the decision.

I don't read a lot of autobiographies because I lose either interest in the story or respect for its author. The conversational style and the honest and balanced telling of this story grabbed my attention on Page 1 and held it through a cover-to-cover reading. Aside from giving details not usually revealed through other means, this book presented itself as something special from the first moment. I wasn't reading an autobiography with stylized prose and a detached third-person feel. I was listening as someone I have long admired told me about who he is and where his roots lie. I felt the story as it was being told, from the frustration of Hollywood's own form of politics to the elation of true love and a treasured family. From triumph to tragedy, it's all there. It's a story of courage, determination, faith and love - personal, cultural and spiritual.

It's easy for celebrity autobiographies to become self-serving tell-all's, but this book maintains a straightforward perspective, allowing the story to be told with dignity and with class. It's a breath of fresh air, and an absolute pleasure to read. The fans who have remained devoted through the bad press and the "where are they now" stories have long held the hope that the truth would be revealed. It has in a compelling story, straight from the heart and well worth the wait. Thank you, Erik, for sharing your side of the story.

If you're a fan, this book is a must. If you're not, read it and you just might become one.

I always had a crush on Erik Estrada since I saw him the first time on "CHiPs". Now that I have read his autobiography, I know that he is not only the most handsome actor I have ever seen, but also a very kind, intelligent, honest and nice person in real life. I found his story of life so very gripping, that I could not put down the book until I had read it out. I did not know how hard the road was, Erik Estrada had to go until he finally found love and peace for himself, and I admire him and look up to him, because he never gave up hope, even in his darkest hours. I can highly recommend this book and think, you can learn a lot from it, although if you are not a celebrity but just one of the ordinary people. I have to say that this book has really touched me and even changed my life somehow. I think it is a little treasure and can help you to think positive about your own life and situation. To me it was a real comfort and great support and it made me hopeful about my own life. I spent more hours reading this book than I have ever spent reading any other book. I consider this book as very tastefully written and full of feeling, and to me Erik Estrada is and will always be a man of character and a real personality, whom not many other actors can hold a candle to. I wish Erik Estrada all the best for his future, that the love between Nana and him will never end and that all his hopes and dreams will come true. Erik, take good care of your family and yourself and stay the way you are. To me you will always be a very special person and will always have a special place in my heart.

Erik Estrada's book is the best Hollywood bio I have ever read. He holds nothing back and is very honest about rough times and regrets in his life (i.e. failed marriages, his shaky relationship with Larry Wilcox). He seems like such a terrific person and great friend, too. God bless him, Nanette, and his two boys.

Also, wasn't Mr. Estrada so much fun to watch in "CHiPS '99:? :)

For a book to be called game development this book sure is lacking on the game side of things.You create one big game at the end,but other than that there is really nothing else in there I would consider a game.That's why the book is getting 4 stars not 5.With that out of the way this book is very well written and the author explains things in great detail. There are alot of good nuggets of coding techniques in this book.

I had used Flash 4 for some time. In Flash 4, if you wanted to do a certain command, like go to a different scene you went to the point and click menu and selected that.But I felt that was rather lacking in what you could do, so I wanted to get the latest and greatest version of Flash. I went out and bought it, (MX 2004) and I soon found out, that there really wasn't a point and click menu, and you needed at least some knowledge in ActionScript. I looked around, and found this book. And I am glad I did. The book is exellent. It's really easy to follow, between the detailed explantions and the demo's on the cd. I found it really easy to understand everything, and it gives you a great way to start programming.

It comes with a demo of Flash MX 2004, but I highly recommend buying it (I got it at an educational discount). Both MX and this book were well worth the money.

There are few author's that take the beginner's (dummy) route to teaching programming to the masses and this book shines brightly in that department. From start to finish, it seems that the author knows what I want to do and shows me thoroughly how to do it properly with different ways to tackle it. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to take FLASH MX to sky high heights and not just leave this wonderful program to websites.

This is an enthusiastic book to read because once you open it and see how easy it is to follow you'll be excited to continue to read, and learn how to use flash mx. The author shows excellence in communicating the information to his readers. I am not fimilar with programming, but interested in programming and i was able to gain a lot of information that I was able to apply(which is the most important concept of the book). I definitely recommend this book to those who may want to enhance their knowledge or one who is just curious of the field.

I'm a business man looking for a programming book to spice up my computer knowledge & some fun, something different and exciting, I came across this book, in Barns & Noble, sitting on the shelve in the actionscript section. The book is very easy to understan, comes packed with not only that but the CD comes packed with cool samples and games and comes with Flash MX 2004!!! Defenietly I recommend it.

This is a superb collection of instructions, tips and lessons. I have personally benefited by reading this and implementing at practice.

The book came along something I did not expect. Bonus DVD! Although it is not long in length, it gave me some a real insight into my swing.

I don't know if it is "The Best Instruction Book Ever" as I have only read a few but it is most certainly informative and well set out. The many pictures are very helpful and clarify the instructions. The way the book is set out makes it very quick and easy to look up . I think it would be helpful to most levels of golfers.I think value for money, it is excellent.

I am a serious golfer with handicap index. When I read this book, I know this information inside is really good. Including everything you need to know about improving your golf swing. A great product.

Ive just started dabbling in golf- I've picked up an inexpensive set of clubs and wanted to get the basics down before I started to retain any bad habits- and this book has helped my practices become more productive. Each page is filled with large pictures and easy to understand descriptions. The only downside is that the book is filled with tips from multiple golf pros- and some of the tips seem to contradict those from other golf pros within the book.

We got this for my Uncle for Christmas, him being a deadhead. He said he will enjoy it over and over for years. He said it was like being there all over again. Based on his enjoyment of it, if it made someone half as happy, it would still be a big hit.

Not being a deadhead myself, I can say the person who received this as a gift absolutely loved it. I looked at many other books about the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia, but settled on this one, and was glad I did. Great pictures and historical information about the dead ( from a non-dead head ).

What do we all think of when the Grateful Dead comes into our minds? Perhaps the obvious, Jerry, is the first thing that pops in. We may think o

This is a Large, Thick and Heavy Book.
Based on a Timeline that begins in 1940 and ends in 2003, this is Quite a Feast for the eyes. If you are New to the Music of The Grateful Dead and have never seen one of the other Hundreds of Books about The Band, this will fill you in on THOUSANDS of Details. If this Book was used as a Guide to bring you into the World that is The Grateful Dead, well... just be prepared to be Busy for a While.

For the Seasoned Head, lot's of this Information has been Covered elsewhere in the Past. But at the Same Time, here is just about everything there is all in One Place. The Visuals herein are Quite a Trip for your Head, and they are as much the Stars of this Massive Volume as the Twenty Tons of Dead Story contained within 480 Pages.

To sum it up...When they begin teaching: "Grateful Dead 101" at UC Berkeley, this will be the Textbook!
FIVE STARS !!!

Being an old timer when it comes to these guys, I have to give this book 6 out of 5 stars. It starts way back and takes nearly every day since (and in some cases before) the birth of each of their members, and just keeps moving on in pictures (some never seen before) and words (some never printed before!) Although I am not a Deadhead in the classical sense, I still love to skim through this book from cover to cover every now and then, and enjoy the details it provides and the memories are still there! Look up a date of a show you went to - or never went to - and see it there! A must for anyone who had the fortune to see the Dead play live - anytime and anywhere, and a must for those who never have!

The Dead live on through this book - the latest addition to the tomes that are out there on these fellows - go and get it!

Keep on Truckin'!

Over and above our expectations. Received in a very timely manner. Thank you!

I had always been looking for a dot to dot book with hundreds of numbers and this is the best! If you like a challenge and enjoy doing dot to dot pictures, this is definitely for you (There is one picture that has 1300+ numbers - it reminded me of building a large puzzle, working on section by section). This is definitely fun for the adult!

I got this book for my mom. She was looking for dot-to-dots and recalled how she liked doing them as a child. I couldn't find any in the store. I saw one of the reviews on here that said something about it being a good thing to take your mind off of adult things. Anyways, the print looked small to me, so I was a little worried... BUT... my mom thought it was great. She really likes the book. I'll probably end up getting more from the series.

I really enjoyed the other books in this series, but this one is definitely the best. The pictures are incredibly complex, sometimes consisting of over 1000 dots, sometimes encompassing two full pages. I can't recommend this book highly enough for those who love doing Dot-to-Dots!

I love dot to dot and as an adult, these were challenging and sooo much fun. He is the only author I know who creates dot to dots for adults and his books are terrific.

It's a blast! It's great and a lot of fun watching Hilary do what she does best!

It is a must have for all Hilary Duff Fans. The pictures are gorgeous!

This book is pretty good! It wasn't the easiest to read, but had TONS of quizzes, cool snapshots, and information that most people don't know, like Hilary's middle name.(hint: it is not lisa or ann) It also has side schapters about Hailey, Adam Lamberg(Gordo, from Lizzie McGuire), Ashlie Brilliault(who plays kate on Lizzie McGuire), and others of Hilary's Co- Stars. I would reccommend this book to Kids over 9 years of age. It is a great read!

I BOUGHT THIS BOOK FOR MY DAUGHTER. SHE LOVED IT! IT'S ALL HILARY NOTHING BUT HILARY...NEAT PICTURES AND COOL INFO. HER FRIENDS LOVED SO MUCH, THEY WANT ONE NOW. YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH THIS BOOK.

This book is the best thing for all big Hilary Duff fans