Entertainment Books

I really don't care of teletubbies. But boy did both of my kids. They loved this book because they ask questions like who's hiding behind the tree and the kids would flip it up or down and find who it was. They were anxious. A very enjoyable book to read and fun!

It's a great book for older kids. My daughter tore all the pop up parts out of the book so now we pretend that it's peek-a-boo.

This pop-up book asks you who's hiding behind different things, with the Teletubbies being behind the first four hiding places. Then comes Noo-noo & finally all the Teletubbies are hidden. While 1 or 2 year olds who like the show will probably get some giggles out of it, the book's art work is lacking. It's pretty stale fare, especially the sky. Couldn't they have put at least one bird, or maybe the sun with the baby's face in it up there? This seems to be a rush-job to capitalize on the popularity of the tv show. Looks like it worked - the copy we have is a 5th edition. There's many other pop-up books out there that are done much better, but if your little kiddies love the Tubbies, I'm sure they'll dig this.

I know most parents cringe at the thought of the Teletubbies,me too, but my one year old loves them. In "Teletubbies Play Hide and Seek" little ones are asked to find the Teletubbies under the flaps. After just a couple of readings she understood how to wait until mommy reads the words before she lifts the flap. She also learned the word boo. It's a little word, but it's a start. You might not enjoy the Teletubbies, but it's worth it to watch your child's face light up.

My 8-month old daughter LOVES this book! It makes her laugh out loud and she already has figured out how to lift the flaps on her own when we read it! It's a cute little book for babies and toddlers. I don't mind the Teletubbies so much anymore! :-)

This book is so wonderful! It made me feel like I was seeing him in his true form. Having the ability to see his handwritten poems, look at pictures of his life and see a part of who he was....This book is a must for any Tupac Fan!!!

I happened to have bought this at the bookstore when it first came out, in fact its in a cover to protect it from all dust----that's how incredible this book is!!!!! Since his untimely passing, I have not been too happy with how Afeni has continued his legacy....the movie Resurrection was on point and this scrapbook is priceless! The inserts of copied original Tupac scripts,letters,plans,his written ideas,explanations,songs is amazing! I recommend anyone that listened to his music and followed his star to look at this book! Once you look at it, you will want your own copy! And it deserves more then 5 stars!

THIS BOOK IS SO GREAT,I EXPECTED IT TO BE GREAT, BECAUSE EVERY TUPAC BOOK THAT I HAVE I PICK OUT CAREFULLY TO MAKE SURE, I CHOOSE THE RIGHT CHOICE, BUT THIS IS THE BEST ONE BY FAR, IT EVEN HAS TUPAC'S GROCERY LIST IN IT, NOW, HOW AMAZING IS THAT, IS NOT EVERDAY, THAT YOU GET TO OWN YOUR FAVORITE IDOL'S GROCERY LIST, YOU ACTUALLY GET TO HOLD HIS PRISON CARD, INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT IT IN A BOOK, IT HAS A RARE PICTURE IN THERE TOO, IT HAS HIS RESTURANT MENU IN THERE THAT HE WAS GOING TO OPEN UP, THE POWEKEA CAFE, THAT IS SO GREAT, I HAVE ALWAYS DREAMED OF A BOOK LIKE THIS, AND WHEN THIS BOOK ARRIVED TO ME, MY DREAM TURNED INTO A REALITY, THIS IS A GREAT BOOK, YOU'D BE CRAZY NOT TO GET IT IF YOU ARE A TUPAC FAN, YOU ARENT A OFFICAL TUPAC FAN, UNTIL YOU HAVE OWN THIS BOOK, TRUST ME, YOU WONT REGRET IT ONE BIT,

MUCH LOVE, CASSIE YOUR BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBIGGGGGGGGGGGESSSSSSSSSSSSSST FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
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I think this book it`s wonderful and really excellent brilliant thing I `ve ever read
Thank you!

This book is incredible. The book is full of life with photos, documents, blueprints, and much more. Readers will be pleased with all of the detachable documents and things that somehow make you feel closer to Pac. My mom and I were in tears when we read on of the detachable court documents that a father wrote to a judge regarding Tupac's true character. He stated that his son was deathly ill and had one final wish that Tupac granted. What a tear jerker!! Read and enjoy. You will come away inspired and more in love with a man that helped change the way we perceived thugs and how we felt about hop-hop.

Everybody's got a million things to do and a big stack of books, but this one grabs you right away with a fantastic opening scene, and doesn't let down the rest of the ride. There are vivid portrayals of Latin America's best and worst, and the best and worst in the Americans who travel there. Great scenes in a quick read.

Alan Gottlieb's debut provocative and intense novel, Ultimate Excursions examines the anguish and guilt of Tim Lake, a Peace Corps volunteer following the [...].

After completing college, Tim joined the Peace Corps and he was assigned to the agricultural extension program in Ecuador, which was preceded by a three- month training period in Costa Rica. It was during these training sessions that Tim befriended Mark Miles and immediately became attracted to him. It was also during these sessions that Tim became part of a six- member group that formed a nucleus around which the rest of the volunteers bonded.

Tim describes Mark as a runaway train due to his frequent erratic behavior; nonetheless, it didn't take a great deal of convincing for Tim to follow Mark around no matter what would be the repercussions. During one of their jaunts the couple decided to take off to Machu Picchu, Peru for a few days where as Mark assures Tim, "it is going to be awesome and a month of wine, women, song and who knows what else." Little did Tim know that it certainly would be awesome but not in any way he could imagine.

One evening Mark and Tim are having a grand time boozing and inhaling cocaine when they heard a loud rap on the door of their "buck-a-night room." Knowing full well what the ramifications would be if they were found in possession of narcotics, Tim hurriedly throws some of the cocaine in the toilet. However, Mark decides to gulp down his portion along with some alcohol. The combination proves to be lethal and as he tries to vomit, he gags and nothing comes up. In his psychotic exploding and panic, Mark begs for Tim's assistance, however, Tim seems to be paralysed as he watches Mark's arms "flailing around, like they were spiking a series of volleyballs."

As Tim recounts: "finally I was moving. I flung myself on top of Mark, but it was like jumping on a bucking bronco...Mark had stopped moving. His face was purple and his tongue was hanging out. Only the white of his eyes showed, and there was foam all around his mouth."
Running out of the room and to a nearby restaurant, Tim seeks help shouting that his friend has killed himself and that they are Peace Corps volunteers.

After being questioned by the local law authorities, who believe that there may have been some foul play including trafficking in narcotics, Miguel Hernandez, director of the Peace Corps agricultural programs in Ecuador, comes to Tim's rescue. However, there is a price to be paid as Miguel orders Tim never to tell anyone the truth as to what exactly happened to Mark. If asked, Tim must state, as he initially informed Miguel, that Mark had been ill and this led to his death. Tim becomes quite upset as to what he has been ordered to do and his immediate response is: "Miguel, are you asking me to cover your ass with a lie?"

Nonetheless, Tim consents to go along with the lie and cover up not fully realizing that his cowardice, inaction and collusion will haunt him for the next ten years that will affect him with profound personality and psychological implications.

What makes this novel vital and alive is that Gottlieb is very passionately involved and engaged in human suffering as he depicts his protagonist working through his shocking anguish and pain. Moreover, he doesn't omit the circumstances of everyday life, vividly crafting them without concealing their reality. On another level, Gottlieb shows compassion, as readers are exposed to the just and unjust, reminding us that we should not to be too hasty in passing judgement for we never know how any of us would have reacted if placed in the same situation as Tim.

Gottlieb's haunting debut novel is an excellent beginning and inarguably thought-provoking and I do hope to read more from this very promising author.

Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures

Ultimate Excursions is the ultimate Boomer adventure: a novel about an internal journey toward redemption, set against a gorgous but ravaged backdrop that the narrator's self-absorption doesn't allow him to see or truly be in.

Gottlieb knows the terrain, both interior and exterior. He apparently also knows hallucinogens, weed and scotch. The result is a tortured but still somehow fast-paced gallop toward a reckoning both dark and redemptive.

This book is not for the faint of heart. You can't really envision a womens' book group in Westchester County digging the cock-fighting scenes or the other violence that, while never gratuitous, also isn't delivered lightly.

Even though the narrator's haughty self-absorption wears on you after awhile, you can see that narrator is disgusted with it himself, and that it's the shell he's built over his life to protect himself from an awful truth. Gottlieb is very adept at both dwelling in and commenting upon the flawed and wounded character who narrates Ultimate Excursions.

The book has an unexpected but not implausible ending. It concludes a fine look at late-Boomer disillusion with selfless service, self-indulgence and selfish ambition.

And, yeah, the author is my brother. Believe me, I wanted to be spiteful and petty in this review, but damn it, the book wouldn't let me.

This is a hell of a story that I could not put down: gripping and appalling, cosmically funny and deeply painful. Gottlieb's sharp-edged observation and brilliant writing unleash a roller-coaster ride of the soul starting at the bottom in darkest night, rocketing through twists and turns, ups and downs, tropical sun, grimy alleys. It's disorienting, disturbing and spiked with unexpected laugh-aloud humor. Gottlieb is a an acute observer of human frailty and vanity. Protagonist Tim Lake, no hero, is initially a pathetic and shame-filled loser who claws his way back to survival, growth, and even nobility. A must-read!

Timothy Lake is talented and flawed, charming and self-destructive. One event in his life set the stage for his dramatic undoing, a years-long odyssey of loneliness and despair that takes him across two continents in search of reconciliation with his fears and his dark, haunting nightmares. Once you start this book, you can't put it down.

I adore this book. Groening is a cartoon genius. I also LOVE his book "School is Hell". These little gems have me splitting my sides every time I pick them up. If you are stressed out--read this. You will laugh, and you will feel better.

This is going to make you feel like crap
even if you laugh your head off all the
way through the book...

Better be on welfare to read this.

Rebellion may follow if you are
a simple worker or a stupid boss.

You have been warned.

Now get back to work,
or get back to the bitterness
of your uselesness on this planet.

For those who are into sublime sarcasm and have to work for a living in some stressful situations.

The gift was wonderfully received.

I tried to keep an open mind while reading it, I really did. I think part of the problem is that I was a young kid in the 80's and don't have the nostalgic connection that a lot of readers do to this series. Despite my best efforts, I didn't find myself laughing at all. In fact, I managed merely a chuckle or two from cover-to-cover.

Keep in mind, I was never expecting a masterpiece. I was simply looking for an early glimpse into one of the arguably funniest minds in history. I have a dark sense of humor, so it didn't bother me that the taste was rather dry. I knew it was a beginning work, so I wasn't put off by the rough illustrations throughout either.

What did get me was the fact that there was very little within the pages I could identify with. I've been in the working force for a long time and have had all sorts of different bosses, but nothing struck me as familiar. The characters were very bland and the whole book struck me as something that could've been written by a smart kid poking fun at his school. I was disappointed, to say the least.

Like I said, this low opinion may be because I was born too late to enjoy the series as it was published, so I gave it 3 stars in faith that I might just be missing some of the subtle humor that's so well buried within. On the other hand, maybe the humor was just too obvious and so I missed it completely. In any case, I would've given it 2 stars if I were judging it without any knowledge of how truly funny Matt Groening could be.

I managed to find a seller who offered it for .01 plus cheap shipping, so I only paid $3.50 for it. Had I bought it new, I would consider it a waste of money. My advice to those who are jumping into this series with fresh eyes (like me): BUY USED.

Sometimes stating the obvious is necessary. Matt Groening, with his cartoon characters that are this close to exploding, has reached deep into the black heart of manager/worker relationships and created this hilarious masterpiece. Anyone who has a job anywhere has got to find something in here that pertains to their job. Sadistic bosses, stupid co-workers, toe-the-line mid-managers, bad coffee, unrealistic demands and so much else is compacted into this overworked little book. Some of the bosses in this book make The Simpsons' Mr. Burns look like a boy scout. And that is hell indeed!

Anybody who's interested in how we write the world over would do well to pick up this book. It's awfully costly, it's true, but if you're patient and you poke around a little, you can find it used for a third or less of what it's listed for.
Serious linguists specializing in writing might read it through, but amateurs--like me--will just pick it up and leaf through it, stopping here and there, reading this chapter or that, or will use it to look up some specific thing they might want to know about, say, Bishop Wulfila's Gothic script's roots in the Greek alphabet or the origins of the Georgian or Armenian alphabets.
It tells about scripts found all over the world, big ones--Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and so on--and far less well known ones, like Berber, Cherokee, Ethiopian, Deseret and some found in Indonesia and islands in the Indian Ocean.
It tells the historic backgrounds and--for lack of a better word--genealogies of the scripts, then shows how they work.
One thing that irks me no end is a shortcoming not with the book itself, but rather with the publishing business as a whole: the font used in the book is inadequate. It is appalling that in a book about writing systems, there are characters that have to be set in other fonts from the main book forn--sometimes even within one word--and characters that show up as composite characters with diacritics off center from the letter they modify. It is a fairly simple thing to edit a font and add characters as needed. It is a shame that major publishing companies seem unwilling to make the small investment in typography that would let them set a book like this in one font, with all the characters needed, so that it reads smoothly, without distracting inconsistencies throughout.
Now, this is indeed a niggling compalint, and it in no way reflects on the beek itself, the writers or the editors. It is the fault of the publisher, and should in no way dissuade anyone interested in this admittedly esoteric subject from getting this book.

It seems that this book is not intended for a general reader, judging both by its price and by multitude of unexplained linguistic terms plentifully sown in the book. I bought this book becuse of many positive reviews and because it was drastically reduced to USD45. The book scans many dozens of wrining systems, as good as it's possible to squeese into ten-some page article, but unfortunately, many of the systems, especialy the ancient and the modern Oriental are too complicated and extended to be fully accounted in a limited space, so you can get acquanited with some 30 Sumer pictograms and never know the other 550, or you can see the 200 Chinese chanacters and just recall there several thousands more or look into Devanagari alphabet but then keep in mind there is a multitude of amalgams that are not easily recognized and so on.
It is also very helpful if one knows like what exactly sounds a linguolabial or a laminal or a voiced epiglottal fricative, otherwise he may be at lost..

The "World's Writing Systems" is a rare event for in one tome it covers all the ways of writing known to us at present. As a professional graphologist this is an absolute boon not only for what it is but because it is also on special offer. While there are other tomes of similar ilk and implication this work has no equal. Until now the study of written language has had no clearly defined reference work.

It has now. Thoroughly recommended.

Peter West

This a detailed survey of the systems that have been used for writing the world's languages, going far beyond the most familiar ones to encompass ones normally known only to specialists, ranging from the ancient Turkish runiform script to the Vai syllabary of Liberia, invented in modern times. Although it was written by experts for experts to read (and priced accordingly, but see the last paragraph below) most of it is well within the understanding of interested non-specialists. The authors assume a knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet, but it would have been almost impossible to avoid that, even if the book had been intended for the general reader. Even there it is perhaps an exaggeration to say that this is assumed, because the IPA is set out (albeit without much explanation) inside the front and back covers.

In a book of this kind the quality of the printing is a major consideration, as the samples of text need to be large enough and black enough for the individual characters to be read, and ideally should harmonize with the surrounding text in English. Before the age of computer-based typesetting it would have been impossible even to approach this ideal except at enormous price, but now it has become realistic. In general this book comes very close to the ideal, with a very high level of typography.

At more than 900 pages the book goes far beyond a mere listing of scripts with samples. It also includes a great deal of historical and cultural information, explaining how the different scripts evolved to their present state. In addition there is information about how the more successful scripts, not just Latin but also Arabic, Russian, Hebrew, Aramaic and so on, were adapted to languages different from those where they began.

At its published price the book is probably beyond the pockets of most general readers. It is worth mentioning, therefore, that on at least two occasions in recent years it has been available through Amazon with a very large discount, and one can probably expect this to happen again. I bought my copy at 40% of the published price, for example, and with that sort of discount it need not be restricted to libraries and specialists.

...it's missing many language script tables that I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, this book is amazing and filled useful information and language tables - just not all of them. I was hoping for some representation (optimally in an alphabet table format) of the usage of the Arabic-based script for Hausa, Swahili, the Central Asian languages, and some complete detail of which languages have (ever) incorporated an Arabic-based script, when they did, when it was withdrawn or changed (if applicable), comparative texts with the modern scripts, etc. In conclusion, a treasury of information (a lot of which might be quite difficult to track down on your own and would be very time-consuming), marred only by my high expectations. I definitely recommend this book to language lovers and for those who can appreciate the diversity of human expression.

Excellent addition to Harryhausen's "An Animated Life".
Drawings,sketches,pictures...Recommended!!

I grew up with Harryhausen movies. This book captures my imagination like his animation did when I was a kid. I love it. It is almost as much fun to read as it is to look at the awesome pictures of Harryhausen's drawings and sculptures! If I had to reduce my animation library down to 5 books, this would be one of them.

If you're a fan of Ray and his films, or even just a fan of great movies in general, this is a must-have book. There are plenty of other reviewers here who give details about the book, so I'll skip that and just say that it really does live up to the hype you're seeing here. Ray is a master (and a really nice guy too), and he speaks candidly and in detail about his life and films so it's an enjoyable and informative read. Plus the pictures are phenomenal. I don't know that I'd say this is better than the first book, because they're really both great.

I don't feel qualified reviewing my purchase as it was a gift for a dear friend who has been a Harryhausen fan since he was twelve. By his reaction upon receiving the book I felt I must have given him the greatist gift in the world. It was before I wrapped the book that I had a chance to skim through it and I found it to be very impressive in its wealth of photos, illustrations and information. I was very glad to see it was printed on quality paper and the illustrations were large and clear. I have seen other books of this type and get very annoyed when they print a picture of a film no larger then 2"x 2 1/2". I would say this book is a great tribute to Mr. Harryhausen's career.

Much better than the first book. The first while good was to technical. We all love Ray Harryhausen for his visual work and this book shows it off beautifully. I highly reccommend it.
Phil

mr kooper has been at the correct musical intersections many times in his life. this yarn of the early years of the rock era morphing into the new reality is one of the best "art meets music biz" autobiographies around.

Kooper's back room view of the music industry is hilarious. One flaw that is understandable is that he errs on the side of being far too polite. Almost Canadian......After getting screwed over to that degree, anyone would have trouble keeping their yapper shut shut. He shows great restraint, given the circumstances. I wanted more dirt, but a great read, nonetheless. Very funny.

What a remarkable story of a near miss star. Al Kooper was some of the glue that held early rock together. While never a star in his own right he added so much to what he did play on, that is, more ground breaking hits than anyone I know of. Just being the first organ in Rock is enough plus the horn band idea with BS&T, wow! His work with Leonard Skinered was a career in itself. Too bad he let his ego take him away from the limelight he deserves. He seems bitter in the end. Truly a story of Rock and Roll itself with Al as a matrix. He doesn't seem to know just how lucky he was. Can't say he let any moss grow on him though.

Great book - I couldn't put it down. Here's some insight into some of the greatest acts in rock - Dylan, Mike Bloomfield, Hendrix - it's all there. Al Kooper is a funny guy and I enjoyed the book tremendously!

I recommend this book for everybody interested in the rock scene
of the 60`s and up !
Al Kooper has a lot to tell of the early days in rock music and is
a great writer .
A lot of good reading and dont forget:
Mr Kooper is still making really good music, listen to the newest
album Black Coffee and see what I mean...

I had the pleasure of seeing Pete Best in concert on 26 September 2008 in Lincoln, Nebraska. He and his band put on an amazing show and he was very friendly and gracious as he signed autographs chatted with us later. A week later I ordered this book because I wanted to know his side of the story. I was not disappointed. He certainly got a rotten deal, but he has remained remarkably sane throughout the years (I think his long marriage to Kathy has had something to do with it). He has achieved the recognition and success he deserves. He's 67 now and he looks like a 60-something-year-old man but you can tell he's taken care of himself over the years. Yes, he whined a bit after he was kicked out of the Beatles but he moved on with his life and he's done very well. Thank you, Pete, for this book. I'm definitely a Pete Best fan!

Call me crazy, but this is one of the most important rock biographies - perhaps THE most important - ever written. All I can say is, 'totally cool!' I couldn't put it down.

In a sense Pete Best was a winner of another kind.
He made a succesful marriage for one thing and after 1995 a lot of money.
His recording career in the States came to nothing and yet the songs were typical Merseybeat,mostly written by Waddington and Bickerton who would achieve success in the 70s with a string of hits by the Rubettes.
Also overlooked is the fact that he was the only one of the 1962 Beatles who got a Decca recording contract

Wow. I read this book and enjoyed it immensely. It is the most honest account I have read in years.
Pete Best was with the Beatles during the early sixties, when they had yet to hit the big time. They spent several months in Hamburg, just learning their trade. He was with them through the Cavern Club years and the Decca audition. But just when things started to go right for the band, he was sacked.
Why?
We don't know. Pete says that he still doesn't know after all these years.
You may expect the book to be bitter about the Beatles success - but it isn't. You may expect him to bad mouth the band throughout - but he doesn't. He paints them in a remarkably nice light, that comes across as both honest and believable.
He recounts tales about drugs, drink and girls - and describes the personalities of the big bands they met - Tony Sheridan and Gerry and the Pacemakers for example.
And he also gallently talks about the day he was sacked, and the reasons why he thinks they did it.
The prologue at the end that describes his subsequent career shows that we shouldn't be sorry for him at all... What we wouldn't give to be at the heart of that!

Highly recomending this book for any Beatles Fans.
Anyone who is interested in the early Beatles History
this is a must read....
I finished reading this book in just under two days.
And like another reviewer I also found myself unable to put it down! It just drawns you in.
I came away with a different prospective on Pete,
really not knowing much about him or his life except that he was the original drummer for the Beatles.
I actually bought this book to be autogrpahed as I was going to see him the following week and lucky the book arrived in time..
A must have!!!!!

Too-adoring biography always takes the best view of Chaplin's often checkered personal life, and doesn't really dig into the drive for control that made Chaplin one of the first modern artists.

Robinson is the premier researcher on the life of Charles Chaplin, and this book is the result - a fact filled, balanced book that allows equal focus on Chaplins films and personal life. Most books tend to focus on WAY too much personal life and innuendo, but Robinson avoids this problem, and makes a good book that truly encompasses the entire life of Chaplin.

Robinson's book includes a well detailed filmography, scripts from several early Keystone films, excellent appendices, and many rare pictures. My only complaint is that many of the pictures could be printed much better, and larger too.

Superb reading!

David Robinson's book is the finest biography extant of this indispensable genius of movies. I first read this monumental book 22 years ago and it has remained an indelible part of my understanding of movies and of the life and work of this complex, infuriating, somewhat naive but always questing and humanistic comedian, whose movies are finally being issued on DVD in luminous copies of his own carefully preserved originals.

At the time of Robinson's book, and for a number of years after, Buster Keaton was the preferred choice in silent comics. To take nothing away from Keaton, whom I regard as sui generis ("The General" is a masterpiece, and "The Navigator" is the funniest movie I've ever seen) this may have been more a reflection of the then-current attitudes of "cool," reacting against Chaplin's perceived sentimentality, than an argument for Keaton as the greater artist. Chaplin has recently become of greater interest, and at present his star seems much more firmly fixed, due in large part I think to the recent availability of his work on DVD. Robinson himself, in tandem with the silent cinema scholar Kevin Brownlow, is partly responsible through his access to Chaplin's mint copies of his own movies, which resulted in the superb Thames documentary "The Unknown Chaplin." In any case, it's much easier now to see and to recognize Chaplin's innate (yet painstakingly arrived-at) genius for mixing uproarious physical comedy and subtle pathos; if there is a more moving finale in all of American movies than the last moments of "City Lights," I'm not aware of it.

Robinson's approach is both scholarly and eminently accessible. And he dispels a great many erroneous "facts" that have accrued to Chaplin over the decades, many of them directly attributable to Charlie's own myth-making. The author also refutes some aspects Chaplin's late (and appallingly egocentric) memoir "My Autobiography," whose appearance in the 1960s shocked and saddened many of his former creative collaborators, who found themselves conspicuously absent from Chaplin's over-stuffed tome. If this book is not definitive -- and who can say what future writers may produce in the fullness of time? -- it is at the very least the one fixed starting point for all serious Chaplin research.

There are only two books necessary for the true Chaplin fan; "My Autobiograpy", by Chaplin himself, and this book by Robinson. While there are scores of other books on the market concerning Chaplin's life, Robinson's is THE definitive work.

If Charlie had been around to read this work, he might have amended his famous phrase from "If you want to know me, see my movies," to "If you want to know me, see my movies and read this book".

David Robinson has written the definitive biography of Charlie Chaplin. It is largely the basis for the movie "Chaplin" because it was authorized by the legend himself and thoroughly explores his life to a greater extent than his autobiography. It is truly a moving and informative work.

Robinson begins his chronology of Chaplin's life in his childhood. He was largely orphaned by his alcoholic father and was only allowed to spend time with his mother while she was mentally healthy. It was through a failed performance of his mother than he got his first taste of acting as a child. From this point, he would devote almost all of the rest of his 87 years to entertainment. In his youth, he specialized in the stage productions which entertained England. He got his first taste of America on one of these traveling tours. On a later tour, he was offered a contract by an American film company. Chaplin agreed to honor his stage contract before beginning his film career.

The book documents with reasonably precise details the process of each film he released in addition to one the public never saw and the final project he never started. Through this filmography, we see the development of "the tramp" character. With each film, the character moves closer to the final product we know.

Chaplin's personal life is well documented. Unlike the autobiography all four wives are addressed, even the one Chaplin was not very fond of discussing. The fact that his first two wives were young is not avoided. However, it must be put in perspective that people did marry and have babies a lot sooner in those days. It is only unique in Chaplin's case because the husband/father is famous and much older. Despite his work for America during war time and a professed love for the country, the slanderous allegations of McCarthyism, also known as the 1950's witch hunt for communists, forced him to finish his life away from the country he loved. Truly the red scare is made to be a more terrible embarrassment to America by this result.

Today's cinematic audience has little appreciation for the roots of the art form. Charlie Chaplin was a revolutionary and founding father in the film industry. Reading about his life is only a step in appreciating his brilliant work.

tremendous text for classic bugs bunny enthusiasts. brings a new found appreciation for the masterminds behind the character development and the environment they "grew up" in.

Simply put, this is the best book ever written about Looney Tunes, and what it took to make them. Chuck shares entertaining behind the scenes info about the Termite Terrace and the people who worked there. Chuck say's that it was quite normal to see the animators look like they were going to wack each other with a mallet. Chuck also tells stories about those notorious poducers, Leon Schlesinger (whos lisp was used in Daffy voice) and Eddie Selzer. When Eddie said "I don't want any gags about bullfights, bullfights aren't funny!", Jones and Mike Maltise had something. Result: Bully For Bugs. When he said the same thing about camels to director Fritz Freleng, the result: Sahara Hare. Though Eddie is quoted as saying about Pepe Le Pew, "Nobody'd laugh at that s**t!", he happily accepted the Oscar for "For Scent-imental Reasons", a Pepe Le Pew cartoon. That (and many more) hilarous titbits are spread throughout this superb book, including high-quality backgrounds and scenes for "Duck Dodgers in the 24th and 1/2 Century" and many others. Also included are many drawings and many photos of the directors, animators and producers. The most illistruated and well thought out book about cartoons ever made.

The world lost an animation genius recently with the death of Chuck Jones. Luckily, there is a book like this that celebrates the animation genius he was. Arguably, Jones was the father of some of the best Warner Brothers cartoons ever made, including "Duck Amuck," "Duck Dogers in the 24th and 1/2 Century," and my personal favorite "What's Opera Doc?" He also is responsible for giving us such great pieces of pop culture as the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Part autobiography, part instruction, part tribute, this book shows us the man behind the screen, or should I say behind the pencil? We often wonder where a genius comes from - Chuck seems to say from anywhere. His mark on the development of the cartoon is undeniable, and monumental. But just as you cannot appreciate art fully until you know about the painter, so it is with Chuck's cartoons. I have a greater appreciation for the work that goes into developing these 8 minute masterpieces. Yes, it's true that Jones gave us some of the clunkers in the 60's as the Warner Brothers studio (and the MGM studio) animation division gasped what seemed to be its last breath. But it's all the more amazing that Chuck could produce such works given what little he had to work with. The world would be poorer were it not for the gives Chuck has given us, including Wile E. Coyote (super genius!),and the Road Runner, Pepe Le Pew, Marvin the Martian and many others. His style was distinctive, his contributions monumental and behind it all, he was a fascinating and talented man. This book stands as a tribute to this genius now that he's no longer with us.

Rather than an autobiography, this book is more a collection of musing from one of America's greatest storytellers (he just happened to tell his stories with pictures shown in rapid succession!) From his love of Mark Twain to his contempt at studio management, we see not how his life unfolded, but rather how Mr. Jones created his vision. Though there is no drawing instruction, I have to agree with the plethora of lists that this should be on the shelves of every animator, professional or aspiring, as it illuminates what goes into a great cartoon before penicl ever touches paper.

Chuck Jones is one of the best known people in the animation business. He's been in the animation business for over 65 of his 88 years(as I write this review, he'll be 88 on the 12th of this month!).

This book lists all of the cartoons he's been involved with (Warner Bros, MGM, Dr. Suess specials, and many others). Also, he talks about growing up, how real life inspired his cartoons, what it was like working in Warner Bros studio, pays tribute to partners Tex Avery, Friz Freleng, Mike Malthese, and Abe Levitow, and talks about other projects he's done (like his How to Draw From the Fun Side of Your Brain). And as the other reviewers have pointed out, there's an animated cartoon of the Roadrunner and the Coyote on the pages of this book.

Since this book was originally published, he's produced one video in the 1990's (Chariots of Fur) and the historical and whimsical book Daffy for President (available through the US Postal Service).