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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.

As a big fan of DOA since the late seventies, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Joe gives you a great amount of background about one of the hardest working bands ever.
If you love punk music and the DIY attitude, this book is must read.

Anyone, and I do mean ANYONE, who is interested in the west coast punk scene needs to read this book. Keithley gives a fantastic first hand account of how he formed his band and all of the tests they endured going from relative nobodies to one of the biggest and best known punk bands in North America.

The book is also a mini how-to manual for anyone interested in starting up their own punk band. Keithley talks about the business side of the music industry, what it's like to play gigs to crowds of different sizes and interests, and above all, he gives a great first hand account of just what it takes to make it in the music business.

Finally, Keithley's writing style is very easy to digest. The book is written like the lyrics to many of his songs; straight ahead without and BS! What's more, the book contains many pictures and personal anecdotes about Vancouver and places beyond. In reading the book it easy to see yourself sitting at a bar with Keithley as he tells a couple tales over a couple of beers.

If you're a punk, or even think about calling yourself a punk, then you owe it to yourself to give this book a read.

Sit down at a kitchen table with Joe Keithley. Open a few beers, and hand him one, or two... Ask him to give you a crash course on himself and his legendary punk band, D.O.A., making sure not to gloss over the interesting bits.

If you can't arrange to do this with Joe, picking up a copy of this book would be your only alternative. It's 200+ pages of compelling reading, written by a man who helped define punk music both in and out of Canada, and who certainly put Canada at the roots of the punk historical tree.

Unlike a lot of books about punk bands, this is first-person stuff of the first order.

I will start by claiming 100% bias as I've known the author for well over 20 years and have greatly enjoyed his contributions to punk rock for over 25 years. DOA taught a lot of us how to go out and get it done, with "it" being spreading the music and message to the less than masses spread out among the world. Joe's book is simple, straightforward blast of history that will interest anyone into the punk rock way of existence. Essential reading, so get it and enjoy!

With the grace of a ballerina transposed to the page, Barbara Milberg Fisher's memoir, In Balanchine's Company, captures the ephemeral art and rigorous discipline of dance in the New York City Ballet during its early and formative years. From her childhood on a tree-lined street in Brooklyn leaping over mud puddles, when her Russian emigre parents told her to practice the piano to keep her out of mischief, and gave her ballet lessons as an antidote to her hoydenish exploits, to the afternoon when George Balanchine discovered her playing Schubert's C Minor sonata in an empty studio, she describes the education of an artist en route from Flatbush to the world's most glittering stages. In recounting her own journey, Ms. Fisher sheds light on the creative process of George Balanchine and the many extraordinary dancers, musicians, costume and set designers who worked with his fledgling company.

"Sometimes," she wrote, "it seemed as if the company was flowing out of his veins." But while Mr. Balanchine was the presiding genius, it was the passion and dedication of his dancers, their unquestioning sense of mission, long hours, and sweat that brought his dreams to fruition. Ms. Fisher takes us into the studios with the tinkling pianos where for hours each day the young dancers did barre exercises and floor work under the watchful eyes of their beloved ballet masters, and, later, practiced and critiqued each other over and over until their lungs were bursting and the dancing looked effortless. She describes the patient way Mr. Balanchine worked with individual dancers, keenly aware of the natural ways they moved, creating ballets that used their special talents and gifts, recreating the role of Firebird to fit Maria Tallchief's style of movement, "a brilliant whirling creature," restoring the candy cane hoop dance to the Nutcracker to fit Robert Barnet's tireless vitality. She gives us insight into the making of avant garde masterpieces such as Opus 34, in which she appeared as a bandaged corpse, and Agon, which opened with Melissa Hayden's high speed footwork, and in which Balanchine experimented with silent arm gestures invented by the dancers themselves (which were cut from the final version). She shows us the theatres they performed in throughout Europe and across America, dark, drafty stages and blinding spotlights, how they rehearsed to the point of exhaustion, and, how, undeterred by blisters and sprains, they danced their hearts out on ancient splintered floors, thin wood planks laid on concrete, "raked" stages that tilted downward, in splendid costumes, or in worn toe shoes stuffed with paper, dazzling audiences wherever they went.

Ms. Fisher weaves her personal story with that of Balanchine's company as she rose from the corps de ballet to soloist in works such as Illuminations and Afternoon of a Faun, traveled, made lasting friends, read voraciously and indiscriminately, and from time to time questioned Mr. Balanchine, on one occasion asking why the father in Prodigal doesn't help the boy in the end. She recalls her whirlwind courtship, marriage, touring with Jerome Robbins' company as a principal dancer after leaving the New York City Ballet, and performing at the White House. She retired at age thirty-one following the birth of her second child, and went on to become a Professor of English at City College, where her deep appreciation for poetry was an inspiration to her students. Written with lively and precise detail that is a pleasure to read, her memoir is a story with legs.

I highly recommend this book, which is beautifully written. When you finish "In Balanchine's Company," you'll be searching Amazon to see what other books Ms. Fisher has written. I look forward to reading more!

My ballet experience is limited to one class I took as a 5 year old and a handful of ballets that I have gone to see over the years. And yet I was captivated by the glimpse of the world of a professional ballerina, particularly since it seems that Barbara Milberg Fisher was a participant in an important era in the development of American ballet.

I have to admit that I do know Barbara personally as the mother of a college friend, but that had nothing to do with how much I enjoyed the book, except perhaps that it gave me new respect for her. Barbara's life as a young talented dancer seems so removed from the woman I knew as an English professor and the hard-working single mother of my friend. To be sure, her wit and quirky sense of humor are certainly recognizable in the book. And the "voice" is definitely hers. But it seemed incredible that the relatively modest woman I knew could have led such an exciting and impressive life as a young woman.

I very much like that the book is about her experiences and yet is not at all a self-centered book. I suppose I'm guilty of believing in stereotypes (or in press accounts of the actions of famous dancers), as I tend to think of ballerinas as being vain, demanding, and self-absorbed. And yet even when the story is about something that happened to her, Barbara's focus is often on the other people rather than on herself. And she is quite honest in divulging some of her own mistakes and embarrassing moments.

Her stories are humorous and even sometimes quite suspenseful (such as when she snuck into across the Berlin Wall). Her youthful exuberance, defiance, as well as dedication to ballet, are shown clearly in her vivid descriptions. I found that in reading the book, I learned about dance and dance history, world history, and even some lessons about dealing with people, all while being delightfully entertained.

Barbara Fisher is obviously a remarkable person who has a lot to tell us about the rigors of a life in dance as well as delightful stories about her interactions with Balanchine and many other key figures in the dance world, including Stravinsky. The book is a perfect gift for anyone who cares about the art of dance.

I absolutely loved the series, but this book really just confirms it. This is the first day I got it and I already read half. I'm very impressed. I was reading in front of my boyfriend and his friend and they heard me laughing. My response was "this is halarious." (reading shanes botwins part) Hmmm. My boyfriends friends response was "I didn't know reading was fun." LOSER! In the Weeds is fun!

My very first buy on Amazon and, still, one of my best purchases ever. If you love the show, this book should be part of your collection 'cause it's the ultimate guide to Weeds characters. Highly recommended.

The interviews are awesome--you really feel like you're getting behind the scenes of one of the best shows on TV. And the character breakdowns make you want to watch the first 2 seasons all over again! If you love the show, you have to get this book. And if you've ever wanted to start watching the show, this book is a good primer.

I was so excited to see that there's a book about my favorite TV show, and even more excited to see that it's as smart, thoughtful and funny as the show itself. Companion guides can sometimes be formulaic and boring, but this one brings a fresh and intelligent perspective to one of the best written (directed and acted) shows on cable today. If you aren't already a fan of the show (what's wrong with you???), this book will draw you in for sure!

Started listening to the audio version of THE INTERNAL FRONTIER each morning on my way into work. Boy, did it make a difference in my day! It really made me take a look at myself and it helped me to see that some of the stuff I do really gets in my own way. At the same time, though, the author gives hope and help to make a change so I don't have to keep doing the "same-old-same-old". 1999 is going to be a better year, thanks to this book!

For those who are truly motivated to pursue their dreams, whether personal or professional, this book is essential. Shechtman's premise is that we all have underlying emotional patterns - our "familiar," as he refers to it - that keep us stuck. To get un-stuck, he offers a six-step process for creating new "familiars" which are in line with our goals. He also stresses the importance of creating accountability groups to help us follow through with our actions steps. I have taken a number of positive - and uncomfortable - action steps as a direct result of the book. Very well written. Full of "beef."

Morrie Shechtman is a futurist who focuses on how information and change impact individual performance. Peak performance, personally, professionally, and financially, is achieved by understanding who you are, and why you are the way you are. Shechtman examines how self-information and an internal focus removes the barriers to tremendous personal achievment. Shechtman's material is hard-hitting ,and forces the reader to examine his or her own "internal frontier." Shechtman's first book,Working without a Net,discussed living and working in a high risk culture and economy. The Internal Frontier looks at what you know (your "familiar") and examines how your decision making is affected by your natural inclination to gravitate to the your familiar. The book is filled with useful information with which to make substantial changes in how you see yourself and make your decisions. The book uses numerous real life examples to illustrate how people have achieved great success by understanding their "familiar" and breaking the patterns which have kept them from achieving their full potential.

Very insightful toward the elements of the mind that allow one to continue on their familiar path, over and over again, like the eveready bunny! The path that gets you where you have always been. This book does a fine job in communicating breakthrough technology that can allow real change in our abilty to set goals and not repeat the familiar. By understanding past events one can see where there habits and decisions have come from and then, hopefully move on to a higher level. Great book for sales people and people looking for a way to access their next challenge!

I have read many biographies, from Saint-Exupérie to Rockefeller, and thanks to the feedback system of Amazon and the editioral reviews, it is quite possible to filter out the good ones from the mediocre.
Needless to say this biography stands out from many others and I think it is one of my favourites I have read so far. I said in the title that it should have won the Pulitzer price, although I do not know whether biographies are eligible for this. But it shows why Peter Kurth, the author, needed 10 years to complete it.

What can my review add on the information available?
First of all, read the editiorials, they give good information on what this book, and what Isadora is about. Usually only the positive reviews are kept, but in this case, for a reason. This biography is indeed written as all biographies should be written; well researched, not confusing, as detailed as possible without getting boring, and intertwined with the times that in this case Isadora lived, and finally neutral in style yet intriguing.
Peter Kurth does all these things. Even the title does her life justice, for after reading this book, one can only conclude her life, as well as her death, truly was sensational. Especially for a woman in those days to achieve and do what she did is amazing. Even now, a Madonna would not make the grade in comparison to Isadora.
Isadora virtually created the 'natural' modern dance as opposed to the Russian ballet, which she considered merely as stiff and hysterical hopping that proved flying indeed was impossible for human beings. As some said, it was as if she gave something back to the people, something natural that was lost and found again.
She was probably as influential as Martha Graham was later in the century, but totally opposite style. Some said you should have seen her dance to die happily. We will never know, since apart from all the crowds she drew which no longer are with us, she was never caught on film. Maybe better that way, since it only adds more to the cachet of legend she has and had.
It is just wonderful to read a story on how some humans do it; rise from nothing to stardom, 'just' with hard work, perseverance, good ideas, and genius. Her life was a constant struggle to renew her art and to sell her idea to the world that often was not ready for it. Of course like all of us she needed love, and she knew how to get it. But just like Callas' tragedy, or Dalida's dictum `my life was a success, but what was it, really?', it also casts yet another light on that mystery called fame, and the Faustian bargain that somehow always comes with it. When Isadora met her mother years later, she asked herself; `We had set off to look for fame and fortune. Both had been found, so why the result was so tragic?'
The reason for this was that her life was not only full of the glamour of travel, intrigue, and meeting everyone from Steichen to Fairbanks to Valentino to Chaplin, but also because it was full of tragedy.
She never really found the right lover, or husband in her life. She never could keep a secure fortune, and like so many artists, she could not really cope with aging.
But perhaps her life is also a glorious proof of how wonderful life is, no matter the tragedy, and how she somehow was always driven to go on with her art and her glamorous lifestyle, despite even having lost all of her three children. In short; what a life, and apart from the tragedy, what fun she must have had! Her equally legendary death only adds to the thrill of this all!

Yes...save our souls. I realize that Morse Code is sadly no longer in use but for a perspective of women denied, degraded, diminished, deadened by cultures throughout history both metaphorically and literally insofar as their vast contribution to art, this book is simply divine! It is not only a page-turner, it is a classic and stellar contribution to understanding a complex soul, who sought dignity and got the back-of-the-hand from many in the world of her time. Her courage alone is worth reading about. I cannot judge her. I didn't know her! But this is a fine work and brings the reader into a realm of both this woman's glory and grief such that it really focuses the lense on how hard human beings can be with one another. Even with an "Isadora."

Here is an excellent biography of someone whose life combined artistic achievement with personal dysfunction. Arguably the creator of what we now refer to as "modern dance," Isadora Duncan certainly filled her "sensational" personal life with a series of adventures and misadventures while struggling to sustain a career during which so many of her knowledgeable contemporaries praised her artistic talents and achievements. Consider these comments:

"I got an impression of enormous grace, and enormous power in her dancing -- she was very serious, and held the audience and held them completely." (Frederick Ashton)

"She moved with those wonderful steps of hers with simplicity and detachment that could only come through the intuition of genius itself." (Tamara Karsavina)

"She incarnated music in her dance." (Serge Kousevitsky)

"The soul becomes drunk with this endless succession of beautiful lines and groupings [of movement]." (Ernest Newman)

"The greatest woman I have ever known....Sometimes I think she is the greatest woman the world has ever known." (Rodin)

Impressive accolades indeed which, for me, increase the poignancy (at times the tragedy) of her poor judgment and irresponsible behavior when not performing before an always adoring audience. Even for those who know little (if anything) about dance, Kurth has written an absorbing, at times compelling biography of a woman who (in the words of a contemporary, Janet Flanner) embodied "the grandeur of permanent ideals...[but was] too expansive for personal salvation."

By the time I approached the final chapter of Kurth's biography, I had observed a number of similarities between Isadora's life and the lives of Edna St. Vincent Millay and Sylvia Plath. For example, their original and substantial talent, their excessive self-indulgences, their passion for experiencing (both physically and emotionally) as much as possible each day, and their vulnerabilities which so many others exploited shamelessly. With Whitman in mind, Robert Gottlieb observes: "For Isadora there were no rules, there was only the Song of Herself; she lacked the discipline, the emotional and moral resources, to keep liberty from lapsing into license." Such is often the fate of a genius which, by most accounts, Isadora Duncan was. "Sensational" indeed.

Isadora Duncan was a larger than life figure of the first part of the century. Both her work and her lifestyle guaranteed her the attention of the world. Mr. Kurth's biography brings the innovative dancer back to life clarifying many details at the same time. Ms. Duncan tended to either gloss over or sensationalize various aspects of her history and this book separates fact from fantasy. The photographs are very good, as is the narrative.

Bob Eubanks, best known as host of various versions of the classic game show "The Newlywed Game", playing daily at 9 am on GSN, wrote his memoirs in 2002 titled "It's in the Book, Bob!"

In this book that is a must for game show junkies everywhere, Bob Eubanks tells his own version of his own story from birth, high school, college, radio, concert promotion, and eventually, television.

Each copy is signed by Bob Eubanks himself.

So, in the words of Bob Eubanks, purchase this book. Thanks for playing!

I recently bought this book on this website, adn being the fan of The Newlywed Game that i am, I liked it quite a bit. I thought he was a little bit long winded in one particular chapter, but that is how it goes sometimes. I was disappointed in how little he told about his personal life. He never mentions how he meets his two wives, or when hemarried or anything. I thohgt some of the episodes from the ABC run are still in tact although not been aired in several years. I always say about game shows is that you can't mess with the original-having Paul Rodrigez and Gary Kroger as hosts was a big mistake in my opinion.

This book was a really amazing read. I personally had no idea that Bob Eubanks was anything other than a gameshow host from the 70s. But if you read his book, you'll find that he was not only a well-known host but an instrumental part of many famous muscians lives, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard and Stevie Wonder. He also talks about many other funny anecdotes that happened between he and Cary Grant, the Rolling Stones, and the guy that Bob Eubanks is apparently always being mistaken for--The Price is Right's Bob Barker. (He also devotes a whole chapter to his troubles with Michael Moore and a chance to hear about the other side of what happened with "Roger and Me.") If you enjoy reading biographies and are interested in rock 'n' roll, television and celebrities, then you'll really enjoy this book.

What about Bob (Eubanks)?

October 3, 2004

BY PAIGE WISER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

THIS WEEK'S ARGUMENT: That Bob Eubanks is a pop culture god.

I admit that I requested a review copy of Bob Eubanks' new autobiography for one reason: I wanted to read the inside scoop on the dirtier episodes of "The Newlywed Game."

But now I am ashamed. As I've learned from It's in the Book, Bob! (Benbella, $24.95), one game show does not a man's career make.

I had no idea that Eubanks was instrumental in bringing the Beatles to L.A., or that he founded the first public relations firm for rock groups. He's bad-mouthed Barry Manilow, stood up to Elton John and had a mysterious falling out with Dolly Parton. By the end of the book, I pictured Eubanks as a musical Zelig.

And yet Eubanks has suffered a whopping inferiority complex. He writes, "I couldn't shake the feeling that my life's work could be capsulized as a guy who pushed young couples to answer suggestive questions about their personal lives for the price of a toaster."

In short, he hates ignorant people like me.

So I'd like to remedy the situation, and give some of you a crash course in all things Bob:

*As an L.A. deejay in the '60s, his station attracted groupies. Eubanks writes: "Dick Biondi, who came on board in 1963 to do 9 to midnight, asked me years later if I remembered a long-haired guy who was a lot older than the rest of the kids and used to sit on the steps and hold court." Eubanks didn't remember him. "'His name,' Dick told me, 'was Charlie ... Charlie Manson.'"

*Eubanks used to hang out with Sonny Bono, pre-Cher.

*Eubanks suggested to Brian Wilson's manager-father that the Beach Boys change their name. (The suggestion was ignored.)

*Eubanks guest-starred on the "Ozzie & Harriet" TV series as a bicycle shop owner. Coincidentally, the role was offered just as Ricky Nelson had a new record coming out that Ozzie wanted played on Eubanks' station.

*Eubanks swore by hair stylist Jay Sebring, who pioneered the use of hairspray on men. Sebring was later murdered with Sharon Tate by Charles Manson's gang.

*As a concert promoter, Eubanks made about $1,000 on the Beatles' first concert at the Hollywood Bowl. He'd wised up by the time the Beatles came back to town in 1966 for a concert at Dodgers Stadium. For that event, Eubanks made "a decent profit," but estimates that each of the Beatles made less than $4,000 for the gig. They stopped touring almost immediately thereafter.

*Eubanks once caught Keith Moon smuggling an underage girl backstage in a bass drum case.

*At his first meeting with Merle Haggard, the country star's cigarette ignited the crotch of Eubanks' black-and-white herringbone slacks. His leg was singed, but it didn't discourage Eubanks from going on the road with Haggard for years.

*When he auditioned for zany producer Chuck Barris, Eubanks thought that "The Newlywed Game" was "the dumbest idea for a show I'd ever heard." And those confessions of Barris' dangerous mind? "I will also say that if he was a CIA assassin, then I'm Mary Poppins."

*He was featured in Michael Moore's movie "Roger & Me," and, like many, doesn't have anything nice to say about the filmmaker. Moore interviewed Eubanks in Flint, Mich., for what he was told would be a local TV news story. Eubanks assumed the cameras were off at one point, and told two tasteless jokes. They, of course, made it into the film. Eubanks says that he swore to friends that if he ever happened upon Moore in a men's room, "I would rearrange his dentition." But he's over it now. Really.

*Eubanks was hired for Jessica Simpson's variety show, with an initial offer of $800 that he negotiated up to $7,500. His bit was cut.

That, my friends, is a full life in the entertainment industry.

You're still curious about the dirt, though, aren't you? If you persist in wanting the answer to the "Newlywed" question "Where's the strangest, most unusual place the two of you have ever made whoopee?" -- you'll find it on page 365.

For years, Eubanks told people the infamous episode (where a woman described a part of her body rather than an actual place) never happened -- until someone showed him the clip and proved him wrong. He says that he simply didn't remember it.

And who can blame him?

Sid Bernstein is nobody who would be called shy. His bold and confident approach to the music industry made him one of the most successful and historical legends among characters whose sheer presence could eclispe even superstars. Naturally, the book reads like Bernstein's personality: it's straightforward, New York-brassy, and honest. His personal, behind-the-scene accounts of the English invasion and its two major acts -- The Beatles and The Rolling Stones -- are worth the price of the book alone. But there's more to be learned about the evolution of the music biz from first-person advice than almost anywhere else. Best of all, it's a very quick read.

As a reporter for a weekly newspaper in Hudson County, I was able to interview Sid twice -- once for a profile in anticipation of his visit to the Beatlefest in Secaucus and later when he worked with a local promoter for a benefit. For both stories, this book helped bring out details of his life and his passions I would have missed, and helped me ask the right questions. It is a fun book about a special man, and for me, the book enlightened me about the details behind some of the more historic events of my life, such as what really happened when the Beatles came to America in 1964. This was a trip down memory lane. Thank you Sid.

This book is a MUST read! The impact of the Beatles on our society is immeasurable.

Sid Bernstein promoted the biggest stars in show biz to the heights of their careers. But is was Sid who put his own career on the line and brought the Beatles to America. Sid Bernstein changed the course of society!

An amazing story! "It's Sid Bernstein Calling!" is the book you should be reading right now!

"It's Sid Bernstein Calling" might seem to be one, long show business success story, but it's not.

It's way better. It's many entertaining show business success stories in the life of one man.

"It's Sid Bernstein Calling" is a well-written story of the many and varied successes of a kid from the Bronx, who took his chances and managed the biggest acts in show business.

Bernstein was the first guy to sense that The Beatles were going to hit it big; he organized the world's first modern rock concert (The Beatles, Shea Stadium, August 1965) and his tireless promotion of superstar artists is a textbook in real world show biz promotion.

The book is well written, a pleasure to read. Arthur Aaron's well-researched writing tells Sid Bernstein's story and never gets in the way of dealing with Bernstein's experiences, personal life and work ethics. The ups and downs are all there. Bernstein holds nothing back. It's a real story about the real thing.

Read it for such great ancedotes as how a piano got him to promote Abba, how he helped Tony Bennett sell out Carnegie Hall, helped promote The Young Rascals and the dozens of other superstars who have benefited from his golden touch.

Sid Bernstein is a rarity today - an honest, trusthworty and hardworking musical and theatrical promoter. A must read if you want to know about show business and treating people with class and respect.

This volume of articles and tidbits about the great Jackie Chan is definitely worth a read if not great. There are many fine insights into the man and the legend Jackie Chan, and indeed a lot of interesting photographs, which makes it so much the more enjoyable.

The format of the book, however, does not really agree with me. I don't like the article form, it seems cheap and mean. In my opinion it would have been better to write a uniform, coherent text based on the interviews and articles instead. The information is still there, it just seems a bit disorganized (which it really is not, it just seems that way).

It is still highly recommendable for all the information in there. Sure to please any fan.

This book is awesome! John Little's interview with Jackie Chan is worth the price alone. The photographs are the best, particularly the one of Jackie climbing a flag pole that looks like it has to be 50 feet off the ground! I learned so much about Jackie Chan, his martial arts training, his fitness methods and his personal philosophy. Having read all the other books on Jackie, I can easily say that this is - by far - the best! A must for everyone who loves his stunts or have been awed by his physical talent in martial art.

I loved this book. Anyone into the arts will love this book to. Its great and i personally like Jackie Chan.

This book is a fabulous read. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. It is not a narrative, but rather a compiled series of interviews between the author(s) and Jackie Chan that have taken place over the past ten years or so. The chapters are split up into sections on his childhood, martial arts training, philosophy, health and fitness, career and film making, stunt coordinating etc. Each chapter has an introduction and then goes straight into an indepth interview with Jackie Chan himself! There is a small overview at the beginning of the book on his life (a mini "My Life in Action"!) and at the end a filmography and a chapter containing what the author considers are Jackie's ten best stunts in a short paragraph format. There is a treasure trove of pictures from Jackie's films (all black and white unfortunately), many not before seen. I consider this book belongs on the shelf with Jackie's autobiography as it is contains personal insights and comments from "The Man" himself. My respect for Jackie Chan, already high after reading "My Life in Action", has risen even higher. The man is phenomenal and makes the so-called "Hollywood Stars" shine rather pale in comparison. If the many who dismiss Jackie as "just an action actor" could only read this book, how their eyes would be opened! Highly recommended - a must read!