Reviews Books

Screenwriting gurus are forever trying to define "great screenwriting." And screenwriting students are always asking the gurus: What is great screenwriting? I would advise guru and student alike to CUT TO the chase and pick up this book...it's a fine example of GREAT SCREENWRITING. Lean, to the point, and always moving forward.

Richard Price is among the most talented of Hollywood screenwriters working today. His ability to infuse characters with even the smallest unique trait infuses them with depth and reality that few other writers are able to capture.

His recent rewrites of such scripts as "Shaft" and "Ransom" prove the level of quality he is able to bring to even the most mainstream films.

Its a great book in a field with very few references ( the trailer ) .
As a hollywood trailer researcher was very useful for me .
Congratulations to Lisa Kernan !

No matter whether you're a film professor, film industry professional, or just plain moviegoer, you'll never look at a trailer (movie preview) the same after reading this book. Written with academic rigor and thoroughness, it explains how previews came to referred to as trailers and analyzes trailers for their intended affect, subtext, and demographic. The book follows the author's passion for examining " the hypothetical spectator that can be read within the trailer texts themselves: an "audience study" who can read through the looking glass of the Hollywood film industry." She submits case studies of some 30 trailers, from Casablanca to Paper Moon to Air Force One, dividing them into three eras. By the end of the book you'll really appreciate these free mini-movie/commercials that we all alternately enjoy and hate yet use to decide whether to see a movie or not.

My compliments to this book. It's better organized than most dictionaries and encyclopedias. It's full of copious and well-chosen pictures (which admittedly display the author's nudist sensibilities!) It embraces a large number of films from silly comedies to angst-filled dramas. What they all have in common is that they deal with young people confronting sexual awakening (For a Lost Soldier) or awareness of mortality (A Separate Peace), in short, some catalytic, transformative event of their adolescence.

Everything you could want to know about these movies is in this book somewhere. Everyone involved in their making is mentioned, as are any awards the film earned and a clear synopsis of its plot. Lort's gay nudist perspective insures that nothing is censored, and pictures containing rape, cross-dressing, prostitution, and intergenerational eroticism are dealt with openly.

When Lort gives 5-star reviews to some of my favorite coming-of-age films, like "Stand by Me," "Second Best," or "Rebel Without a Cause," I really enjoy the read. I hope and pray that Lort updates this valuable book (written in 1997) since some important pictures have come along since then like "L.I.E.," "Y Tu Mama Tambien," and "Hearts in Atlantis."

There are over 500 entires in this A to Z video guide. Each contains plot, five-star movie ratings, cast, credits and ratings for sexuality. Also there are multiple indexes and a hard-to-find video locator. Many of our finest actors got their start in coming-of-age films. Tom Cruise, James Dean, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Dillon, Edward Furlong, Ethan Hawke, Chris O'Donnell, River Phoenix, Jason Priestly, Keanu Reeves, Brad Renfro, Mark Wahlberg, Scott Wolf and Elijah Wood are just a few. What is a coming-of-age film? In simplest terms, a coming-of-age story is one in which a child or a teenager reaches a critical turning point or event that results in a loss of childhood innocence. Not surprisingly, most often this turning point revolves around adolescent sexuality. Recommended!

"Coming to Terms with Nature: Socialist Register 2007" by Leo Panitch and Colin Leys (Editors) delivers a high-quality anthology about the contemporary environmental crisis. The seventeen articles are written by leading thinkers associated with the socialist movement. Collectively, the articles make it clear that capitalism's perpetual growth imperative cannot help but push the world towards environmental catastrophe; yet the authors also guide us towards envisioning real environmental and social justice in which the sustainable production of goods and services for the benefit of all people may be attained.

A key line of criticism shared by several authors pertains to inequality and environmental destruction. Brenda Longfellow discusses how global warming is driven by a fossil-fuel based economy controlled by large corporations but whose costs are most immediately felt by the poor. In a similar vein, Achim Bunnengraber argues that the Kyoto Protocol has merely shifted polluter responsibility around and can only succeed in delaying a real solution to the problem of CO2 emissions. Neil Smith describes how environmental legislation is often designed to allow short-sighted decision making to persist as nature is transformed into a tradable commodity. Henry Bernstein and Philip Woodhouse' article on Africa shows how the powerful continue to exploit the continent for profit, resulting in the exhaustion of land resources and increasing deprivation and exclusion for the poor.

A number of thoughtful articles link economic theory with the environment. Joan Martinez-Alier relates Marx's theories pertaining to uneven development with the routine practice of wealth extraction from peripheral nations for the benefit of capitalist power centers. Daniel Buck punctures the idea that environmental catastrophe might somehow lead to systemic breakdown, arguing that capitalism is principally a means of social organization that tends to thrive on crisis. However, Costas Panayitakis theorizes that consumerism represents a particularly harmful form of capitalism that cannot be sustained indefinitely.

The subject of greenwashing is addressed by several contributors. Jamie Peck shows how the Heritage Foundation played a major role in framing media coverage of the New Orleans reconstruction controversy and help win public approval for the Bush administration's neoliberal policies. Heather Rogers believes that public relations campaigns have succeeded in obscuring corporate responsibility and inscribing an erroneous belief that individuals are the principle source of the pollution problem.

Political struggle is discussed in Barbara Harriss-White and Elinor Harriss' article on the nuclear energy industry's successful attempts at minimizing renewable energy policy in the U.K. Frieder Otto Wolf reflects on the difficulty that the German Green Party has had in reconciling theory with practical politics. Philip McMichael discusses how food policies allow agribusiness to claim control over genetics and other resources while relegating most farmers to an increasingly marginalized existence; and Erik Swyngedouw considers the increasing commodification of water versus the public good of providing access to all citizens.

Solutions are proposed in many articles. For example, Dale Wen and Minqi Li contend that China must restructure itself in a manner that secures environmental justice for the Chinese people in order to avoid worsening social and environmental conditions. Elmar Altvater argues that alternative fuels can help enable socialism by diminishing the power of those who currently control limited energy resources. Michael Lowy proposes a shift to qualitative forms of production could better serve the social good while decreasing environmental harm. And in the powerful concluding essay, Gregory Albo suggests that an international socialist vision is a necessary corollary to achieving democratic success at the local level.

I highly recommend this exceptional book to everyone.

Edited by Leo Panitch & Colin Leys, Coming to Terms with Nature: Socialist Register 2007 is an anthology of essays by learned authors discussing the dramatic ecological challenges to capitalism today, and whether socialist thought has progressed sufficiently to address capitalism's weakness in this regard. Writings include "China: Hyper-Development and Environmental Crisis", "Neoliberal Hurricane: Who Framed New Orleans?", "Africa: Eco-Populist Utopias and (Micro-) Capitalist Realities", and much more. It should be noted that "Coming to Terms with Nature" is not a wholesale attack upon capitalism, nor a blind sermon on the mount extolling the virtues of socialism; the purpose here is to explore the failings of each system in addressing serious social and environmental problems, and thereby pave the way for more effective solutions. From smokescreen attacks against "litterbugs" that fail to question the overproduction and overpackaging that contributes to litter and landfills, to so-called "green capitalism" that too often fails to meet the mark of being truly ecologically sustainable, to the significance of the impasse concerning the Kyoto protocol, Coming to Terms is a solid keenly whetted reader, offering eye-opening perspectives to ecological issues long in the making.

It's the best Commander Toad book! I like them all. They all are great. The monster in this one was cool.

Commander Toad is a delight. He's "bold and bright", though not quite as bright as he thinks. His crew (an amalgam of loose takes on Star Wars and Star Trek characters) puts up with his prideful ways, because he is, after all, a good leader. Together with his mixed-gender crew he gets into and out of a wonderful series of scrapes. This book is the first in the series.

Jane Yolen writes for kids. For example, when Commander and crew are threatened by a sea monster who makes it clear that they're about to be lunch, I asked my 4-year old what he thought would happen.

"Shoot him with a ray gun," he answered.

"I don't know," I said. "I think that they'll find out that the monster's just lonely, and they'll make friends."

Turn the page, and BAM! Lt. Lily, Toad's female weapons master, is blasting away (to no effect). Thanks, Jane. Only you could make a story about a bunch of space-explorer frogs be true-to-life.

Jane Yolen also writes for the adults who read books to their kids. There's nearly a pun a page, and the Commander's ludicrous solutions to problems have a germ of genius unrestrained by the laws of physics that will have you shaking your head over his cleverness.

Buy this book, or regret the lost opportunity.

It's a short and enjoyable read. The book should stay on the near shelf, available for review.

This book is an excellent compilation of (all?)the research on what actually works in community building. It is an absolute "must-read" for anyone or any organization who/which is interested in community building. Their organized listing of key elements which must be considered is very helpful and good checklists to the practitioner to determine if all bases are covered.

For any collector of classical music this book is a must have resource. Keeping ahead of, or even up with the amount of classical recordings in today's market is a near impossibility, but with some help from Penguin you can at least make an attempt to. I find some disagreement with some choices and know that I find they leave out some of what I consider to be good recordings, but it's mainly just personal taste, I have never been unhappy with a recording I purchased based in the recomendation of the Penguin staff.

As has been the case ever since I began reading these wonderful guides in the late 80s, this volume updating the complete 1999 compilation of the Penguin Guide is comprehensive, entertaining, and highly informative. It contains reviews of thousands upon thousands of new and reissued CDs, which are full of wit and insight and which are up to the authors' usual high standards. The separate alphabetical listings on invididual performers, which unfortunately were omitted from the 1999 guide because of lack of space, are incredibly valuable.

Why go to college? Is it to put off working? To have a fun time? Are you serious? Do you really understand? Is it --- just the thing to do? Did you know you can learn everything you need to by reading independently? Why don't we just do it like they do in France ---show up the first day, do all the study independently, show up for the exam at the end? The "Complete Book Of Colleges" is great. But, it doesn't answer the above types of questions about what this whole higher education thing is really all about --- what America's founding fathers, especially all-time education guru Thomas Jefferson, said was critical for college to accomplish for both you and America. So, let me give you a free heads up that will help you to understand, make the right decision, and save you from making a life-altering mistake down the road. Before doing anything, I recommend you first read the only book about understanding college --- "West Point", by Norman Thomas Remick. It's a book that explains in simple language , through Thomas Jefferson's founding of West Point (hence, the title), the reasons for having colleges in America. It brought all the questions about higher education into clear focus for me. For the first time, even as a professional, I really understand what it's all about. So will you. The book could have been called, "Life's Most Important Questions, Answered". It's the first book every college seeker, and college advisor, should read. Once you have a correct and intelligent perspective on college, then go through the great 5-star reference, "Complete Book Of Colleges", and find the right college for you.

I remember the uncertainty of the college search... Being the eldest of three children I did not know where to begin my quest for the perfect college. Frustrated by the lackluster quality of my overworked and underpaid guidance counselor, I sought an answer based upon one of the most prestigious and trustworthy names in the world of college reviews. The Princeton Review has quantitatively and qualitatively laid down the facts and fictions of individual colleges and universities throughout the United States of America. This comprehensive and full-scale review of institutions of learning provides even the most uncertain or apprehensive student with vital information to help facilitate the all-important college selection. I highly recommend this invaluable resource for anyone embarking on the first steps to obtaining the goal of higher education.

The layout of the book is very helpful. The chapter's are full of information and at the end ask a few questions. Gives great explanations instead of just a book full of questions. This book went over information that was very helpful and that I had not covered during my radiology classes. After taking the pre-Rad exams, I was glad I had read the book.

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the question and answer for radiologic technologist
new technology for MRI
about the latest reviewfor American reviewers

I really never understood TCP/IP until I read Randall Raus' book, Computer Networks. I didn't really "get" the Internet, especially the interface layer, before reading this book. I recommend it highly to anyone who would like a clear, theoretical explanation of networking and the Internet.

Calvin Ross, author of The Aliens of Summer and The Frugal Youth Cybrarian: Bargain Computing for Kids.

Computer Networks Super Review by Randall Raus is packed with solid information. It explains the highly technical concepts of computer networking in clear, easy to understand language, and covers hot technologies such as DSL and transmission over fiber-optic. Unlike many other texts on networking, it doesn't move to quickly or bore the reader with needless repetition. It is also well organized and has many useful diagrams and tables to help the reader grasp complex concepts. Microsoft Press could learn a few things from this author! A must for the serious student of networking! Victor Roszell, MCSE, BA English.