Entertainment Books

The Swedish Sphinx Greta Garbo (1905-1990 was "an enigma wrapped up in mystery" to most people. However, in this out-
standing book you will come to know her for what she is best
remembered for: her movies!
Viera analyses each of Garbo's films from her first silent
feature "Torrent" through to her last talkie "Two Faced Woman."
In between these two films you will:
a. Have a in-depth analysis of each of the films
b. See the secrets revealed of such masters of photography as
William Daniels, Hurrell and Bull who lit Garbo to perfection.
c. Learn of Garbo's torrid and tortured affair with John Gilber
d. Learn about her great director Stiller and her work with such American directors as Clarence Brown and others.
e. Explore the business side of her relationship with MGM
as she dealt with moguls such as LB Meyer and boy wonder Irving
Grant Thalberg,
Viera is a photographer and film historian who makes the life
and career of Garbo come alive after all these years. I have enjoyed his earlier: "Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits" and "Sin in
Sof-Focus" always profiting from the enjoyable hours spent in his
company.
This is an essential book for any Garbo or movie fan of the golden era of Hollywood! A true delight!

This is yet another book for the ultimate Garbo fan. The pictures are absolutely radiant and clear, and even more photos of Garbo that have never been seen before. Vieira's take is an extremely interesting one - taking a close look at each and every film through Garbo's growth of her own true art while intertwining more of the studio politics involved from documentation during the time of every single one of her films. The way he appreciates her for her acting ability is refreshing for any Garbo lover. This book is like the newest drug that makes you even more addicted to watching her movies.
Vieira does have interesting speculations about what was really happening during certain peculiar abscences in her time at the studio, what were the real causes for conflict with Thalberg and Louis B. Mayer, etc., based on letters and documents that were found or not found during his research. Even though you may not be completely swayed some of his suggestions, they are still very intriguing discoveries about her life during her film career and keep the mind wondering about the wonderful and mysterious Garbo.
This book is a must have for anyone even remotely interested in Garbo or this time period of film. Vieira also adds bits of information throughout about cameras and photography from the silent to the sound era - very interesting technical facts woven in about what equipment people working in a large studio at the time were dealing with - not boring in any way shape or form. Thank you Vieira! I highly recommend his other books, too.

U nusually informative survey of Garbo's career with background material on her artistry rather than just her personal life
wonderful pictures

Any book put out by Abrams has my vote and a place on my book shelf. This book on Garbo is no exception. Without reading a word her story is told through the fabulous photographs. A must for fans of classic film, Garbo (obviously!) and photography buffs!

Amazing!

Seriously, if you want to learn how to play rock music, buy these books (volume 1 and 2) and practice learning the rhythms and leads and solos. It's challenging stuff for sure, but there's a wide variety of styles and such. I recommend learning all of Patience to start, then move on to harder songs. I learned so much from learning songs and parts of songs from this by striving to play it note for note. Theres a ton of guitar playing on all these songs so it should keep you occupied for a long time.

If your advanced and just want to learn GNR songs then its just as good. Everything is easy to read, the print size etc. is perfect and everything is accurate as far as I can tell. Get both of these books and you have the blueprints for learning to play rock music.

Slash is definately my favorite guitarist and to me there's none better when it comes to playing with heart and soul and technique to match. If youre serious about self teaching yourself rock guitar definately give these books a try, it will be very rewarding.

Includes songs like Break Down, Civil War, Don't Cry, Knocking on Heaven's door and more - just fun to play. A must have for all those who play the guitar or Guns n roses fans. Don't forget to buy volume 2. Doesn't have the songs from: 'The Spaghetti Incident?' though, maybe it's better this way because that album wasn't too good.

I love how every single song is in this two book set (Complete I and Complete II). It's very thorough and it has every signal note from every Slash solo. But, it is a bit advanced (for me too) and a lot of it is pretty complex. Good thick tab book though.

If you want to learn Guns N' Roses songs exactly how they were recorded, get this book!

This is a brilliantly written book about remarkable and eccentric character in the Indian films. Guru Dutt was a complex man but a simple soul who was always unhappy with his life. Unlike other filmmakers, Guru Dutt did not copy western filmmakers. You can read this book many times and still not figure out what Guru Dutt wanted in life or what type of person is he. Does any one know what they want in life? Many of his colleagues become emotionally attached to him. That was his legacy.

The author states that she came up with the idea of writing this book while she was working on a documentary on Guru Dutt for Channel 4. Therefore, this book contains rare insights by people who knew Guru Dutt intimately. This is what gives this book its life. And if you haven't watched the 3 part documentary made by the author I strongly recommend it. There you will find Guru Dutt's friend speak about him with emotions, something missing from the book.(January 2000)

The 3 part documentary is now available bundled with a special edition of Guru Dutt's Pyaasa released by Yash Raj Films. (Oct. 2002).

This book on Guru Dutt and his films is a rare insight into his life and works. This book soulfully touches the different aspects of his life, the shaping factors, love of the people around him ,the deep spiritual quality and poeticism of his films. It is fitting tribute to Guru Dutt. This is a lovable book can be read again and again. People with whom Guru Dutt worked like Kaifi Azmi ,Raj Khosla and others have so many interesting things to say about the person they loved and respected so much. Guru Dutt and Sahir Ludhiyanwi had some differences after and 'Pyaasa'. The author says that their differences existed only at the superficial level. Their souls merged at a much deeper level in their works How true! In fact when Guru sings 'Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaaye...' it appears that the persona of Guru Dutt, Sahir has merged into one. It is the cry of the eternal poet . I compliment Nasreen Munni Kabeer for this piece of work. Like Guru Dutt's work, this book is meant to be felt deeply not just read from an intellectual perspective.

when you read this book you will understand why Indian films, at least those of Guru Dutt, have depth and are capable of moving people. There are few books written about Indian cinema as a whole. This book is different because it relies on first-hand memories of the people who worked with Guru Dutt, people who knew him personally, and people whose lives were transformed by their association with him. This book is worth reading if you're interested in cinema or in India.

For folks who work within a budget, being able to have a book that encompasses an affordable and unique game is a must! You will have a blast with this variation on "Floor Games".

Little Orcs Wars is a great book! It breaks down the simple HG Wells orignial Little Wars rules into even easier, and very playable, rules for use with fantasy (or really any) miniatures. Really fun to play for everyone!


So now me and some friends been playing this game, and refining the rule set, for the past year and it's awesome! Now there are rules that incorporate more fantasy options, like giants, elementals, mages and monsters. My personal favorite is that giants can launch boulders as well as attack as a melee unit, so it's like having a walking, smashing, catapult! Just sucks when tehy get knocked over...

As a long time fan of H.G. Wells, I was super excited to hear that someone was coming out with some H.G. Wells stuff and as an owner of this book I can honestly say that anyone who is a fan should have this book and doesn't have a complete collection if they don't!

H.G. Wells would be proud of this publishing company! What will Skirmisher come up with next? This is one of the most addicting games I've played in a long time.... Don't want a game that makes you think too much? Don't want a game which forces you to learn arcane and complicated rules? Want a game where you can drink a few cold ones and not have it negatively impact your game (some would say there ought to be a two beer minimum!) I recommend this book to all!

This is one of those books that I read at one of those moments in life where I just starting to understand myself. And this booked helped. I hold it very close to my heart, and I hope that you will too. Even though I agree with some of the other reviews (about underdeveloped characters) I find that a minor flaw in such an awesome first novel for Ms. J. M.

J.M. McDonell does a wonderful job in exploring what it means to be a friend and to love someone. David is constantly struggling with the choices that Miranda makes in her relationships with others. I wouldn't say that he is jealous of Miranda's lovers in a sexual sense, but he is so awestruck by her charisma and beauty that he doesn't want to see her get hurt. He has to come to terms with his feelings for her - Is she the one who is going to change everything about his way of life? Does he love her? It seems as though J.M. McDonell did a marvelous job in developing David, Miranda, and few other characters, but there were other characters that didn't seem to be important to the plot (like the veterarian, and Ben). I think that she could have made each of the characters more developed and meaningful to the story. She could have made a stronger connection between some of the characters. I felt as though there were many wasted pages in her novel on which she would introduce these meaningless characters, never intending to incorporate them into the plot. Despite the underdeveloped characters, I enjoyed reading Half Crazy. I think that McDonell could have made the book more captivating by not taking up space with names and descriptions that weren't integral to the plot.

Though interesting and enjoyable (read on a plane-trip), at times I felt as though the ghosts of Holly Golightly and Dunne's Grenville women were lurking in the mist. Miranda did exhibit a vunerable fragility that made her character believable; David was a 2 dimensional Truman Capote wanna-be? Or so it seemed to me. All in all, an entertaining romp, though more like late-night snack at Van Cleef's rather than Breakfast at Tiffany's!

I don't know why I pulled "Half Crazy" from the shelf that day several years ago, but once I'd read the first few sentences, I knew I had to check it out and devour it en toto. I've read it five or six times, all told, and I never get tired of reading about Miranda, delving into her story.

I am so grateful to have found a copy of the story of "Fibber McGee and Molly" (Jim and Marion Jordan) available in print. This book was published back in the '80s, and this copy was a used one that was, luckily for me, available through amazon.com! I was not content to merely listen to available recordings of the McGees, or to see them portrayed in film, I wanted to know more about the radio show and the protagonists themselves.
The book was not the best-edited or put-together book I have read, but the story is there, and I found it very interesting. My preference for biographies is that they be presented in chronological order, and the chapters tended to move back-and-forth through the time-line, but I had no trouble following the story. I found many typos in the text, and the illustrations, though many, were poorly reproduced, but every one is a treasure, nonetheless, to a lover of Old Time Radio. If you are the type of person who enjoys knowing the people behind the characters, I hope you are as lucky as I was to find a copy of this book. Although it was a used copy, to me it is a keeper!

Thank goodness that this book is out there so that people won't forget the great comedy team of Jim and Marion Jordan.

With plenty of pictures to put faces to names, the book thorougly recounts the lives of Fibber McGee and Molly and their supporting cast.

It's a quick and easy read, and a great peek inside the lives of one of the great comic duos.

Forget the fact that there is no other book on the subject, Stumpf's Heavenly Days is the most comprehensive work on this classic radio show. Half the book is pictures (yes, one on every other page), though the quality is sometimes less than wonderful. Anyone looking for a detailed log is going to be disappointed, but if you're seeking a historical account, richly detailed, this is exactly what you need. No wonder there's not been another book on Fibber. It's unnecessary.

While "Fibber McGee and Molly" is still beloved by fans of Old Time Radio, for the general public, the names mean nothing. Nor do most people know who Jim and Marian Jordon were.

But for the curious, those who want to know more about the show, this is the book to read. Not only because it is well-researched with interviews with Jim Jordon and others, but also it is full of photographs of Jim and Marian both before and during their years at 79 Wistful Vista.

Listeners to the show know it evolved over the years. The earliest episodes are almost unenjoyable and bear little resemblance to the show at its height. Why did the show evolve? Look here to find out. Favorite characters would come and go. But where do you turn to find out why? This book! And what was behind the "Fibber McGee's closet" routine? How and why did it come about? This will tell you why. How did the show handle the drafting of many of its most important stars during World War Two? Turn to these pages. Why did Johnson Wax end sponsorship? And why did the Jordans decide against playing the roles on television? This is the definitive book to answer those questions.
Easy-to-read type; single space, packs a lot of fact on the page.
This book is invaluable!

Shirley and Jeff Lawrence worked for years in the entertainment industry and share their experiences in this 420 page book. The book contains 3 sections: Part 1 "My Story - His Story - Our Story". This section shares their collective and individual experiences. How they got in the business, people they worked with etc. Part II "Working in Movies". This section describes films in the beginning, the life of film extras, casting couch stories and stunt work etc. Part III "Extras, Directors and Stars". In this section Shirley and Jeff share more stories about people in the industry.

The book is written in a an easy to read style, with the names of the stars, extras etc in bold black text so they pop out.

It's a very interesting read. Shirley and Jeff name names and share the good, the bad and the ugly. Because of the era they worked in most of the names would be recognized by many baby boomers but not by today's younger generation. But though the names of the famous have changed the scenarios have not. Shirley and Jeff describe what it is like to work in the business with an emphasis on what it is like to be an "extra". They describe how extras are may be treated poorly, taken advantage of and not given that break because they uphold good values.Though I had heard about the "casting couch" in Hollywood, I never realized that it was so prevelent. They vividly describe the heartache and ups and downs of the business. One minute you think you have a deal and the next you don't.

It's an eye opening read and highly recommended if your intent is to try and make it in the industry or if you want to read about what goes on behind the scenes in Hollywoodland!

~Lee Mellott

Your wonderful book about Hollywood was by far THE most enjoyable, engrossing, delightful, romantic (J & S), funny, shocking book I have ever read! A real page-turner. Your style of writing is first class. I enjoyed every page!
Elaine Baum

Entertaining, easy to read, episodes in the lives of two Hollywood extras. Reveals facts and heresay about many famous movie personalities, actors, producers, directors, etc. It is refreshing to read of two people who fell in love and felt that living in accord with moral principles was more important than a quick way to success.

Barbara Morse

This is a fast enjoyable read. Through their eyes, we are exposed to a very different Hollywood. Vastly different from the one we fantasize about. Through the eyes of Hollywood extras, we are shown what it takes to "break" into show business. The ancedotes are light and entertaining, but also offer a darker picture of the realities of an actor. Many of the Hollywood elite consider an extra a moving prop. It is through Shirley & Jeff's eyes, that the every day humaness of the extra is shown to us.

Mr. Cuppy was a terrific oberserver of humanity. Despite his rather unique living conditions and his curmudgeon like existence, his "take" on "us humans" is spot on.
My only regret is that he didn't pen more books and essays for us to enjoy again and again.
If you enjoy his work, pick up Max Schulman as well. He is another great humorist from the "golden age".
Too bad we don't see more of these types.
We can keep them alive!
Share these tomes with all your friends and enemies!

Will Cuppy has written a very strange, very funny little volume that covers a lot of territory. Ostensibly, it is mainly devoted to an overview of animal characteristics, and includes a great deal of odd and relatively unknown facts on a myriad of animals (my undergraduate degree is in Biology, and I learned many peculiar things from this book).

The amazing thing about the book for me is the literate weaving of a coherent book which includes not only an explanation of the head-foot and lifestyles of lower mollusks, but a tracing of literary references of mollusks through history, from the ancient Greeks to Wordsworth (really). That kind of surreal juxtaposition runs throughout the book, and is perfectly delightful. The net result is a book that it genuinely educational, and simultaneously hilarious.

Cuppy has a wonderful way with words, indeed he has a rich vocabulary and elegant writing style that is mostly forgotten in contemporary writers. I wish this book was compulsory reading in all high schools (take your pick in English or Biology class) to expose students to the concept that a book, even with a sometimes strange or mundane subject, can be utterly fascinating when told well.

My only minor critique of the book is the relative abundance of footnotes, which is sometimes a bit distracting. If you want a good laugh, or you just love animals this book is a good choice. It turns out that wombats are pretty interesting, believe it or not!

I put Terry Pratchett's name in the title, as well as here in the first paragraph, so that those looking for certain keywords will come across this. I read Will Cuppy before I ever discovered Discworld (in fact, I read Will Cuppy's stuff before most of Discworld was ever written!) but though Cuppy's stuff is over half a century old, and non-fiction, it is nonetheless a natural fit for the sense of humor that appreciates Terry Pratchett.

Will Cuppy was the master of the irrelevant footnote, the tangential digression, and the stern admonition to the reader. What makes it even funnier is that every word is true, or at least as much of the truth as was known in the 1930's and thereabouts. His specialty is zoology, which is what most of this book contains, but he also is very funny about history.

Now, you don't have to read the Discworld novels to appreciate Cuppy, and so if you have no idea what I'm talking about, then never fear. You probably do need a bit of education, however; high school biology and Western history should be floating around in bits in the back of your brain. At the time he wrote these -essays?- Cuppy was writing mainly for The New Yorker magazine, and he assumed that his audience was somewhat elite, college-educated and highly literate. (However, he's not nearly as elitist, or as dead-white-male-centric, as, say, Hans Zinsser, whose "Rats, Lice and History" is also funny, but has some issues of racism and what some feel is anti-Semitism; Zinsser assumed his audience was educated at the sort of university where everyone was white, male, and required to study Greek and Latin and probably also knew French. Although Zinsser would also be a fun read for many, these issues make it a lot harder to recommend than Cuppy. However, if you've read this far in the review, and you want more words to read, more, more, more!, then you could consider "RL&H" as well.)

Anyway, there's a double message in this review: if you enjoy Terry Pratchett, then you really need to read Will Cuppy to find where Pratchett got his style from, and if you enjoy Will Cuppy but have never tried Terry Pratchett because you don't read science fiction or fantasy, then give Pratchett a try anyway, because he writes like Will Cuppy. And if none of that made any sense, but you like animals, zoology, and/or Gerald Durrell, then Cuppy may also be your cup of tea. Especially if you like wombats.

I thumbed through this book when I was about 15 , mostly because I had never heard of a wombat before. I enjoyed it so much that I read the whole book and I've read it a dozen times since. Will Cuppy had the uncanny ability to mix wit with fact when writing his pieces on various members of the animal kingdom, anthropomorphizing them for humorous absurdity which tendered the desired effect from this reader. The highlight of this book was his article on how to swat a fly, a skill which we could all use pointers on. His vocabulary is impeccable but somewhat dated. Younger people might not be able to decipher or appreciate his wit. I feel that if the educational system studied Cuppy's methods of writing and utilized it in their curriculum, students would be far more enthusiastic about learning than they are now. I would recommend this to anyone who likes animals, comedy, or anyone who wants to know just what the heck a wombat is and how you'd go about attracting one.

This is a great book. A really great book. It should be required reading everywhere! What other product can help you both get rich and lose weight, and at the same time no less (though I've yet to do either, because I can't stop laughing, but hey, isn't that good exercise too??) Frankly, I have two copies - one for my library (read: bathroom) and another that I carry with me at all times, in case of emergency. I'd suggest everyone do the same - keep an extra copy in your handbag, car, briefcase, office, you never know when you'll need it. Let's face it, life is tough sometimes, but this is the silliest (in a good way) and most enjoyable antidote there is. And hey, won't everyone else be soooo jealous when you're rich and thin???????

As Murray says, being a millionaire is so 90s. I'm almost embarrassed for Gates and all those titan has-beens. Can they afford to take over a Middle Eastern country on their puny salaries - and lose 20 lbs while they're at it? Major negative. Murray is the future. He's shown us that the 21st century is about trillions. That also happens to be my lucky number. I'm off to the bank right now. Thank you Murray. You're my guru.

After reading this book I have lost more than twenty pounds and well on my way to becoming a Trillionaire by staying positive with laughter. This is a book for anyone in business who has not made their first trillion.

This book is hysterical. If you are going on a trip or looking for a fun gift to give to someone, it's perfect. One of the things that I particularly like about the book is that it is broken into 52 sections as the author promises to make you a trillionaire in under a year. So there is a section for each week. You can read the book in lots of short sittings or read several sections at one time. It is very silly and sure to make you laugh but also has some really good ideas in it.

In the fall of 1995 Tim Madigan interviewed Fred Rogers for an article he was writing on TV violence for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It turned out to be the beginning of a friendship--mostly conducted long distance, by email and phone--that would profoundly affect Madigan and would last until Mister Rogers' death early in 2003. In I'm Proud of You Madigan discusses Mister Rogers' role in his life during their seven-year friendship, explaining how Rogers' support and unconditional love helped him through problems with his marriage and his brother's untimely death from lung cancer. Madigan quotes liberally from Rogers' correspondence and from their conversations, both of which are infused with Rogers' spirituality: Mister Rogers was an ordained minister, and references to prayer and God were a staple of his communication.

By all accounts, Fred Rogers was possessed of an otherworldly goodness. It's impossible to come away from Madigan's account or other write-ups of Mister Rogers unimpressed.

"I had always hated to swim, but didn't have the heart to say so then. So Fred led me into the club's locker room, introduced me to the attendant and a few of his other friends, found me a swimsuit that would fit, then quickly and unselfconsciously stripped off his clothes. On the way to the pool with a towel over his shoulder, he stepped on a locker room scale and smiled.

"'One-four-three,' he said. 'I've weighed exactly one hundred and forty-three pounds for as long as I can remember. Did you know that in sign language that means, 'I love you'? One finger for I; four fingers for love; three fingers for you. Isn't that wonderful?'"

He was, Madigan's book makes clear, constantly thoughtful, apparently always on the lookout for a means of expressing his support to his friends, and to their friends and family.

Madigan's life was much improved by his relationship with Mister Rogers, particularly since the friendship straddled such rough patches in Madigan's life. Madigan is honest about those difficulties, and quite willing to expose his vulnerability. Indeed, his account is so honest it sometimes feels as if the author has rubbed his raw wounds on the page. I wouldn't do it, certainly, and, truth be told, I'm tempted to feel embarrassment on his behalf. The title of the book, for example, is a reference to Fred Rogers' response to a letter Madigan wrote him in 1996, explaining how he craved acceptance from his father as a child and that he was still looking for acceptance from a father figure:

"That is the question I have of you this morning, Fred. Will you be proud of me? It would mean a great deal to me if you would. I have come to love you in a very special way. In your letters, and during our brief time together in Pittsburgh, you have done so much to teach me how to be a person and a man. And now I have this favor to ask of you.

"Will you be proud of me?"

I am of a cynical bent, and find it difficult to believe in the possibility of--or even the desirability of--unconditional love (with an exception granted for one's children). So I confess that the intensity of the relationship between these two men strikes me as strange. But the book offers an interesting look at the sort of man Fred Rogers was, from someone with a unique perspective on the subject.

-- Debra Hamel

I happened upon this book...and thought it looked interesting. It's an awesome book. A wonderful story of a friendship between two men in both good and bad times. Mr. Rogers seems to be such an amazing person. So much more than the persona on TV!!! Buy this book!!! Then pass it on!

This book is an all time favorite that has touched me deeply. Tim Madigan writes his own very personal story in a way that impacts the universal longing we all have for significant relationships.

I've long since lost count of how many times I have passed a copy of this book on to friends or to counseling clients in my work as a professional therapist.

I grew up without much exposure to television and completely missed Mister Rogers' Neighborhood growing up. Thanks to my 22-month old, I am now a big fan of Mister Rogers and am so pleased that his legacy has endured. This book is for both admirers of Mister Rogers' work as well as those not so familiar with the wonderful man he was. The gifted author Tim Madigan captures the essence of Fred Rogers and shares the friendship they nurtured over several years. Marriage, friendship, family raising, life trials and death are all covered in this gold nugget of a book. Tim Madigan's reputation as an award-winning writer/reporter is once again confirmed! If you're prepared as a reader to embrace sensitive life topics and intermittent periods of laughter and weeping, this book is for you. I have purchased several copies of I'm Proud of You already. I am happy to report that all of my gift recipients have been moved by Tim Madigan's beautiful writing and so enriched by the story he tells.