Reviews Books

This is by far the most comprehensive study of psychokinesis that I have come across. The author, despite being an academic, writes in an easy manner that makes the book a joy to read. The book starts with PK through the ages, covering such areas as levitation, stigmata, teleportation, bilocation, fire immunity, mediumship, psychic healing and poltergeists. She provides a wealth of examples, all of which are fully referenced. The first section covers anecdotal evidence. The second section covers the research that has been done in these areas over the last century, and the theory behind psychokinesis. The third section covers experiential research which is intended to explain the significance of PK. What I particularly liked about this section is that each topic is divided into three subsections: what the literature says, how it relates to the other constituents, and a summary. I found it helpful to read the summary first, as this gave me a clear idea as to what was going to be covered under the specific topic. The book contains a comprehensive glossary, references, and index.

I wish "The PK Zone" had been written twenty years ago, as it would have saved me an incredible amount of time and energy. Virtually everything that anyone would want to know about the subject is in this book. I recommend it to anyone with even the slightest interest in the subject. Beginners will gain a comprehensive picture of psychokinesis, and more knowledgeable readers will learn much that is new to them.

If you're thinking, "Hmmm... I have so many questions about PK, but where do I start?" Or, if you're already familiar with the PK literature, yet are searching for more information -- this is the book for you. I can't say that I've run across another book that covers the subject of PK in more detail. Therefore, I find myself returning to this book time after time as my primary "reference manual."

Whether you're interested in PK from an experiential, historical or research/theoretical perspective:

The section, "The PK Matrix: Experiential Research," provides insight into the PK experience -- what it's like to perform PK, in the words of the PK performers themselves. Tips for beginners are also included.

"Psychokinesis through the Ages: A Historical Cross-Cultural Review of PK Anecdotal Material," covers the history of PK occurrences and the variety of PK performers.

"PK Research and Theory," will appeal to both the academic and lay reader alike, as Heath's writing style is neither fluffy nor stuffy. It is, however, extremely well-researched and authoritative.

This is a book that you don't want to miss, if you're looking for the most comprehensive overview of what is described in the Foreword as "this remarkable thing that we call psychokinesis (PK)." It's an extraordinary piece of work.

For the person who is interested in learning about PK, this book is a comprehensive tome that will meet many needs. The book is divided into three parts: a historical cross-cultural review of PK anectdotal material, research and theory, and the experiential approach.

For the person who wants a complete overview, Part 1 covers the history, and cultural interplay that is associated with the phenomena. Some of the chapters include: Religious and Spiritual PK, Levitation, Teleportation, Bilocation, and more.

For the person who wants accurate, no-nonsense, and comprehensive material, Part II covers PK Research and Theory. Some of the chapter headings include Spontaneous PK Cases, Early Research and Mediums, Dice and Sphere Experiments, Random Number Generators, Biological System Research, Macro-PK, Metal Bending, Performance Factors, PK Training, and PK Models and Theories. For the researcher, experimenter or parapsychologist, here is your golden nugget of information all in one section of a book.

Lastly, the person who is wanting to explore where it is going will not be disappointed. Part III: The PK Matrix: Experimental Research covers the phenomenology. Each section of the chapter is subdivided into "What the Literature Says", "Aspects of _____" (whatever the chapter is about), "How it Relates to Other Constituents", and a summary. Some of the chapter headings included are Altered States of Consciousness, Sense of Connection, Dissociation from the Individual Ego Identity, Suspension of Intelect, PK Inhibitors and about 20 other chapters. This is highly recommended for the person who wants to learn how to practice and learn how to manipulate PK.

In summary, this book will meet the needs of the curious onlooker who wants a well-rounded view, for the scientist who needs to be up-to-date on the research and theory, and will be a practical guide for those that wish to experiment with how much they can produce.

Mike Wilson

I have read this book and I salute this author for her ambitious and remarkable undertaking. As far as I know, no one else has ever attempted or succeded in writing or publishing such a comprehensive and scientific compilation of what is known about psychokinesis. This is no fluff-bunny book, but a serious work that is both easy to read and worth your time. It belongs on the shelves of all who really wonder about the mysteries of this world and are tired of just a collection of second or third hand stories. After reading this volume I look forward to the next subject this author tackles. Buy it.

THE PK ZONE is an amazing work of research and investigation into mind over matter (psychokinesis). Never has a book gone as deeply into both the research and experience of a psychic ability as this one. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants any kind of understanding of how the mind can reach out and interact with the world around us.

My own book, MIND OVER MATTER, is a survey of the ways the mind interacts with physical reality. THE PK ZONE goes further, and is for anyone who wants a much deeper understanding of where the research has been and its current state of the art, and (more importantly) what it's like for people to experience PK themselves.

Buy this book if you're at all interested in the paranormal and psychic abilities (and of course, psychokinesis specifically).

THANKS TO This book, i went from a failing to a B. This saved my slacking behind, thanks soo much!

I like this book it's very good. I used the maternity one last semester and I loved it. It was delivered very fast that was also a plus.

I could only review a few chapters so far; however, like her Nursing Fundamentals book, she summarized and listed a main memory points to prepare the Nclex exam. And the format is exactly same as the Nursing Fundamentals book; every chapter starts with a pretest followed by main contents and a post test with answers as well as rationale. In the back of the book, a CD rom is included for more practice with questions. So far, the book did not fail me.

I have heard from other nursing students how helpful this book is and I have to agree that it helps to understand why things are done the way they are.

This book has helped me a great deal to understand principles, and to pass med-surg. I anticipate that it will help me pass the NCLEX also. It comes with a cd-rom with 850 questions and terminology review. Great value.

If you want get the most accurate information that fit with your daily real critical care practice, with the most clear explanation of each critical care disease...it is your book. It won't tell you more or less information that you need.

probabily the best critical txtbook of the last 3-4 yrs better than fink( only a source of review). I prefer the parrillo book for the practical point of view (waiting for a new edts)but probably is only a personal opinion.
Very interesting and well done the surgical critical care pts.

I know this book from my residency years,when I rotate in ICU,
and this book is an authority in the critical care specialty.
Clear and update,the Best.

This text is clearly one of the best in its field. It is well organized and very thorough. The organization and attention to detail make it a great referrence source and an easy read. It should be in anyone's library that takes of critically ill patients. I would highly recommend it for fellows in critical care medicine. The "Pretest" question and answer study guide that is a companion to this text is also excellent and a great tool for the critical care boards. I am anxiously awaiting the next edition.

This is an excellent review of the most common problems found in the clinical practice of Critical Care. It helps with the initial assessment of the patient and formulates a systematic approach to the differential diagnosis and therapeutic plan. The bibliography is updated and it has detailed illustrations and diagrams. Certainly, recommended as reference for those persons involved in the management of Critical Care patients.

Written by a medical student
Comparing this to Lange Pharmacology(Big and Little version), Golan's Pharmacology is a brilliantly written text, well organized, and developed for the Medical student in mind. Its very easy to read with language thats appropriate for the student. All drugs are logically laid out in a organized manner per chapter. Chapters build up a step wise manner: normal physiology section, the pathophysiology or pathology of disease section, finally the pharmacology section. Not a random collection of facts or details like Lange series, that book is extremely difficult to follow. I feel the authors of Lange pharmacology omit a lot of important details, like not writing much about medications' side effects, making it difficult to distinguish between various medications of each group from each other. Golan's Pharmacology thankfully was written to explain the various differences in each drug mechanics, therapeutics, and side effects. Best of all, the the last chapter in each unit has an integrated pharmacology section teaching competently how to utilize combination therapy. Should be the standard text in medical pharmacology courses!

I HIGHLY recommend this text as a supplement for any pharm class. It's condensed enough so that it's not overwhelming, very well organized, and it covers the fundamental pathophys associated with each type of drug. It filled in the gaps left by my pharm class, and I think it'll prove to be useful in clinic as well.

Exceptional for learning the basics. I had a few all-important concepts that I just couldn't get: G-proteins, the anterior pituitary hormones, and the alpha/beta/cholinergic agonists and antagonists. After struggling to learn each of these several times from lecture notes and other books, I turned to this book. It worked well for me because it teaches in a conceptual way and helps develop your understanding of the material. It will take a little more time, but if this is the way you learn, it will really help.

I went back to this book many times when I ran into difficult questions reviewing for Step 1 and realized that I didn't really understand the basic concepts.

Not the book to use the night before your pharm exam: for that, I'd use the small Katzung and Trevor.

The second edition is usually better than the first one, and the first one was simply excellent! A great book, with a problem-based learning approach in mind, updated and with many new and important chapters (Protein Therapies, Drug Delivery Advances, Pharmacogenetics, among others). The good thing with this book is that any chapter deals with the necessary coverage of anatomy, physiology, pathology and so on before coming to the drugs facts. With the early med student in mind, the book will be useful for any health related career. The book is clear, is concise -notwithstanding comprehensive-, and with a complete set of drug facts tables at the end of most chapters. Simply said, the kind of book I'd liked to write myself.

One more thing: The book is brilliantly complemented by its companion book, "Principles of Pharmacology Workbook", by S. Farrell, a great account of more than 100 clinical cases regarding each chapter of the main book, with no less than five questions -and their corresponding answers- for every one of the cases. The ideal complement to make this couple of books the best pharmacology books in the scene today. I work very actively with both of them in teaching my own pharmacology courses.

Armen(Tashjian) and others have invented a unique type of pharmacology textbook in collaboration with Harvard Med Stud! Each chapter begins with the short introduction of a case report, relevant to each drug. This may give an easy undestanding of clinical significance of the drug to med stud, interns, pharmacologists and even clinicians. I believe that it will evolve into the classic of pharmaocolgy textbook!!

I just finished reading Corinne Marshall's book "The Q Guide to Will & Grace". I loved it. After finishing it, I realized that it's not an easy book to write. It requires a myriad of fine insights and keen observations, and then the ability to weave these not only with the show and its stories, but also with the broader themes of the show as a whole. She gets into the background of the show, its creation, characters, actors, peppers the book with lots of interesting quotes, and just does a terrific job of writing a thoroughly interesting book that's smart and entertaining and warmly funny. Her understanding of why the show works and her ability to share this with the reader without getting tutorial makes the book wonderful and fun to read. It's amazing what she can do with just 200 pages of large type!

Ms. Marshall's genius is well displayed here.

Sure, the show is great, but what I really wanted to know was how the book was going to measure up... and they NAIL IT here. So many great breakdowns and references, totally comprehensive, it all came back to me. I MISS MY WILL AND GRACE!!!!

It's clear this author loves the show as much as I do - and then some. Insightful and hilarious, it's good for any real fan. And it may create some new fans of the show too.

I was pleasantly surprised at Marshall's behind-the-scenes look at one of my favorite shows. Honestly, I had no idea about half the stuff she describes! Very informative, very candid and hilarious (not that that should be a surprise). This is a must-have for fans of "W&G."

I don't know why it's taken so long for something like this to be available. I loved this show so much, and was surprised that there wasn't any sort of gay fan book for it or something. There's actually a lot of info about the show that I didn't even know about. And it has quizzes, which was super fun! I miss this show! Nothing like it is on the air anymore. But at least I can still learn a lot of new stuff about it and get a regular Will, Grace, Karen and Jack fix.

This book is an amazing tool for my Medical School Biochemistry class, it will be a vital piece of my USMLE study regimen.

I just took the step 1 USMLE exam last week, the only thing I should talk about this book is it makes the best combination with "Rapid Review Pathology: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access (Rapid Review)". I sincerely thank to Professor Edward F. Goljan, he is the one to save my life. Without his lectures and these books I couldn't get my exam done.
Believe me it's worth every penny!!!

good for step 1 review. makes biochem easy to understand. and it has a lot of info's both must know and good to know stuff.

When I first took biochemistry, it was the 1st term of medical school. I knew absolutely nothing when I was done, and felt like I was just memorizing a bunch of random facts/pathways.

After taking 90% of our basic science curriculum, and then reading this book, it tied in Biochemistry with all of the rest of my knowledge very well, and in a very easy to read outline format with EXCELLENT diagrams and charts. If you care about biochemistry at all for your boards prep, this is a great choice. Also, co-authored by Goljan, and you can see his hand all over this book with the clinical tie-ins.

I have heard so much about the RR series, and I decided to give it a try, and boy, was I impressed? Talk about how splendiferous this RR Biochemistry is. Also, I have heard so much about Goljan, Goljan, Goljan. So within 5 days or so of laying my hands on the RR Biochem, I ordered for the Pathology brother written by Goljan. They say the man sure knows how to tie Path, Biochem, etc together. I can't wait to get my hands on that as well. RR Biochem rocks, and I am now almost certain RR Path rocks more, if what I hear from reviews follows

I would recommend this journal to anyone who loves to read. If you love to discuss books you have read, write reviews, or just plain like to see all the books you have read listed in one place, get this journal. You feel a sense of pride as the pages fill up. I also love the fact that there is a page where you can list you book goals. I used this section to list all the books that I have always wanted to read, but never quite got to. I hope to crossing them off one by one and I read them. I can't wait to fill this book out so I can get another one!

all I really wanted was some place where I could keep track of the books I read and my thoughts on them. This book is wondefully laid out but it is oriented more for people who belong to reding groups or book clubs etc. If you just want a little book diary for yourself then do not buy this book. Do yourself a favor and buy a regular notebook but if you do belong to a group or like to discuss your books then this is an excellent buy.

This little notebook is an excellent journal for anyone who wants to take notes, keep track of or record the experience of the books they read.

The softcover and spiral-bound notebook offers a place to write down the title of each book, the author, the subject, comments about the book and discussion notes; as well as a place to rate the book read according to a system detailed in the first few pages. There's even a spot for a favorite quote from each book!

I would highly recommend this book diary for book club members as a tool to keep track of a book's plot, important highlights and character analysis to enhance their book club discussions. But, I think it would be just as beneficial to anyone who reads a lot of books and wants to remember certain details about those books.

Another bonus of this adorable book are the reference sections; including, but not limited to, subjects such as Best Coffee Table Book, The Most Useful Book I've Read, I'll Read Anything Written By, etc. These reference sections offer suggestions from other readers and also leave a place to add your own recommendation.

Thinking that writing notes on a piece of paper as I was reading was sufficient, I was hesitant to buy this book, but I'm so glad I did. I was not disappointed!

This is the best! It's so much fun, I can't believe Oprah hasn't picked it up yet. I'm in two book clubs this is a great way for me to keep track of each of the books. Plus it's super cute "journal"!

You can keep track of how much you like each book by rating it. I rate all of the books I read which help me remember how much I really liked!

It's a perfect gift for the holidays!

I bought this book thinking it would be an excellent gift for someone but before I gave it away, I started using it for my own needs! I use The Reader's Notebook as a reference tool to suggest books to my friends and it's an excellent way to log the numerous books I have read and want to share with my kids one day. It's a must have for your library.

I caught up with this book in the library -- (and then actually bought a copy)...it serves as a warning to anyone that trys to talk-the-walk of attempting writing screenplays. If they only knew how Hollywood eats you up, and leaves you as road kill...I found the authors conversations with the people that lived to talk about their films -- (with the best of intentions) a Testament to the flawed movie making process...sad but amazingly fascinating. Eat it up, this is a good one!!

That's the eye catching sub-head for Mr. Cohen's very candid essay on the making of the movie "Bounce." It is not even a movie I saw and yet, I couldn't get myself to put down the book (and get back to work) until I finished this painfully insightful memoir by writer/director Don Roos.

In fact, the entire book is a little tough to put down because each story gets your foot inside the door of what writers had to endure to get their stories on the big screen. In some cases, you get the impression that the stories glided between the cracks. But in most cases, you wonder how anyone could ever have the tenacity to see a script to the end. And in many cases they don't. A recurring theme in these pages is how often the script changes hands, as old writers are fired, new one's hired, and the first one re-hired. Ugh. Makes me glad that I'm a Graphic Designer...something I thought I'd never say.

Surprisingly, the best story is found right smack dab at the beginning from Mr. Cohen himself. I'm talking about the Introduction, which most people skip. Don't do that. Read the introduction. All of it. It's honest. It's brave. And it's even more tell-all than the stories that come after it. Oh, and it's so funny at times that I embarrassed myself when laughing at the bookstore. I wrote the author an email, giving him a little wink about his story. He wrote back. That was enough for me to buy the book.

One more great thing about this book. I've always felt that writers are the last vestige of the world's wisemen. They have an insight about people, places and situations that when I read books like these I begin to wonder if I'm really reading a psychological self-help book. I've underlined quite a few snippets, as so much of what is shared resonated with my own experiences as a creative person. It's very difficult to stand by and watch someone "bend" your idea until it breaks (that's me paraphrasing Mr. Cohen in his Introduction).

So the point is, Get this book. If misery indeed loves company, you'll have plenty of it.

Have you ever loved a book and then been disappointed by how it was butchered in the movie? Or, thought a book was nothing more than a movie script, and then be enchanted at how it came alive on screen?

This fbook traces the stories of how 25 movies made that transition, and I enjoyed every step of the way. Cohen interviews the "writer and explores the sometimes torturous path from idea to finished film from its very root the transformations.

Writers are sometimes blamed for the failures. But Cohen credits the complaint that changes in the scripts by directors, actors, and studio executives sometimes ruined the movie. On the other hand, Alan Ball believes changes to American Beauty he had strongly resisted significantly improved the film.

I found several of the interviews especially instructive: Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind), Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), and John Logan (The Aviator).

Cohen's quotes from his interview with Michael Cunningham, who wrote "The Hours" and has written for the screen, taught me something fundamental about movies (and novels and short stories for that matter):

"A novel can include a sort of panorama of characters, a little like the Breughel painting with Icarus going down in the lower right-hand corner of the canvas. That's one of the reasons there are novels. That's one of the reasons we need novels and we need movies. A novel can account for randomness and can include a wide range of people whose fates just barely impinge on one another. I can't think of a way to tell a story like that in a movie that I would want to see.

"I think movies are more closely related to short stories than to novels. A short story actually involves the compression you need for a movie, whereas a novel is another category of thing entirely. Was it Henry James who called a novel a big, baggy monster? That's what it is. That's why we love them. I think a short story, very much like a movie, has no room in it for extra baggage. It needs to move, it doesn't need to move directly, but it needs to move swiftly. It needs to be lithe and light and nimble, and though that forty-page digression to the Crimean War and how it resembles what's happening at the family dinner may be interesting, there's no room in a short story for it. Nor is there room in a screenplay for it."

I'm sure that aspiring screenwriters would learn a great deal by reading about the successes and failures described in this book. It will certainly inform and enrich my own movie viewing in the future.

Robert C. Ross, 2008

I've been a working writer for 30 years, so David Cohen's book is deliciously like listening in on the personal conversations of compatriots in the craft--but the more I read, the more relieved I was that I'd never been attracted to screenwriting. Cohen's fresh, entertaining and whip-smart insights help to lace these in-depth interviews with meaning and pathos, even when the writers themselves border on the vapid--and those with the most to say shine through, thanks to the author's careful balance between commentary and reportage. We may cringe when we read of a writer's summary dismissal from the movie script he's slaved over for years, but there are enough delightful stories in this book to make the chilling ones a bit more bearable. One way or another, we've all been there.

We get to know the inner Cohen as well, from his own foray into writing for Star Trek to his early naivete at the junket buffet table. Overall, this book is a great read.

Cohen's genius is giving us the real story of how things happen, by letting us drop in (sometimes mercifully briefly) on the minds and tormented, heartbroken lives of actual screenwriters and their actual screenplays. I work with book authors who often want to make the leap to screen, so I bought this to see what they might be up against. Normally I have to force myself to read writerly books like this (parceling out a chapter every few days, dutifully, 'cause it's so much a part of my day job), but I took this one to bed and read it like a novel. The stories are so wonderfully f$%!d up... you find yourself overwhelmed with pity, schadenfreude, horror, amusement you name it. It must have been hell to make some of these movies.

The most interesting surprises for me were the backstories on two directors whose films normally do little for me personally: Todd Solondz and John Waters. I've always considered them overrated in a hipster-annoying kind of way (ditto the Cohens and the Sedarises, zzzz), but both men came off as brilliant personally, and so much more in control of what happens with their films. They make you wonder why anyone would want to get involved with the studio system at all... both seem so sane by comparison to some of the studio writers in the other stories.

The best thing this book did for me is make screenwriting seem do-able, by actual humans, rather than something demigods accomplish for little reconition and erratic pay. It's a job, like plumbing, and people have this job and make it work for them. I'm going to buy several copies and give them out to would-be screenwriter clients. Great work: author, author!

I am very, very pleased with this book. I found all of the information on Shakespeare fascinating and the activities will be very good for the programs our art organization is offering.

It was great to revisit one of my favorite places in the world = Stratford-Upon-Avon = and to learn about London and the theatre in the 16th century. I loved this book and my teenage boys loved it, too. It is beautifully written and well researched and the activities are a lot of fun.

If you like Shakespeare and you like kids, you'll love this book. I found this to be an original and colorful introduction the life and times of the Bard of Avon, which can be enjoyed by children as well as adults.

Although this book is geared towards children, anyone can learn something new and interesting by reading this extremely informative and fun book. Not only can a younger reader learn to juggle like the queen's entertainers, but he or she can also learn how to write a sonnet or stage a sword fight. This book includes historical and political facts as well as what Shakespeare's life and the theater was like. Give this to any child and they will be quoting "A Midsummer Night's Dream", telling you about life in Stratford-upon-Avon and even staging their own productions!

I bought this book on the basis of the fine reviews. It is good, glossy, and an easy read. My disappointment is that I did not realize that this book is not geared to high school students. I had hoped to find activities that would spark my students, but --there is, for me, too big a stretch between text and activity. I can see the making a bird feeder and the references to birds in Shakespeare's works at an earlier level, but not for high school seniors. The book is, however, filled with historical references and good pictures.

Sherlock Holmes was the first pop icon of modern times, and Sherlock Holmes On Screen provides the most comprehensive filmography of his career, analyzing the Holmes movies and television shows, and including 60 photos as well as a guide to Doyle's original stories. An excellent companion for any avid fan.

There are no words which seem to adequately describe just how good SHERLOCK HOLMES ON SCREEN: THE COMPLETE FILM AND TV HISTORY by Alan Barnes is: The word "comprehensive," while accurate, just doesn't seem to go far enough.
A lifelong Sherlockian I purchased this handsome 288 page hardback updated edition with high hopes and I was not disappointed. Barnes decision to take an A to Z organizational approach may not be everyone's ideal, but he does provide a film and television chronology towards the end of the book to appease those of us who prefer that type of listing.
As the title indicates every film and television appearance by the Sherlock Holmes character including a number of which I was previously unaware. Barnes gives more behind the scenes production notes, details of the mysteries and the solutions and in some cases these are quite extensive. For example I found the details behind the Peter Cushing television series of Holmes adventures fascinating and entertaining and his notes on what it took to bring SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE to the screen, entertaining and revealing. Who knew that the movie had been intended to be the start of a franchise - with the script for the second planned movie eventually being filmed as A STUDY IN TERROR with John Neville in the Holmes role.
Barnes even includes movies and television episodes with more questionable ties to Sherlock Holmes. He gives high praise to Disney's animated THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE but the Spielberg produced YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES fares less well. In addition there are entries for the two STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION episodes that featured Prof. Moriarty and even THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN gets a mention for its Holmesian references.
With listings that include not only alternate titles for the movies, but also surprisingly in depth cast listings, running times and some very rare photo's, this volume is a must-own for any self respecting Sherlock Holmes fan, and anyone with even a mild curiosity about the character.

If you are a fan of more than the Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes episodes, this is a great item for your bookshelf. Barnes has written the most comprehensive guide to Holmes in film and on television. The amount of information is amazing. Boookend this with David Stuart Davies' graphically gorgeous Starring Sherlock Holmes and you'll have a fantastic reference library on Holmes on screen.

Bob Byrne
Sherlock Holmes on Oxford Lane

Being a Sherlock Holmes fanatic induced me into purchasing this for my collection in the hopes of obtaining some new images of Rathbone, Richardson, and other Holmes actors. I also had an interest in learning the up-to-date status of each Holmes film ever produced. In that, this is a wonderful book, filled with pages upon pages of information, cast listing, and comments, as well as some rare images of aforementioned actors.

The personal bias of the writer is the only thing that dampens a wonderful experience... namely because I tend to disagree with his assessments of certain Holmes films, particularly those of Basil Rathbone in his later career. I wished there were more images of Ian Richardson and Nicholas Rowe, but all together it's a wonderul purchase to add to any true Sherlockian collection.

This book has yet to leave my bedside table since I purchased it a few months ago. It's not only an extremely well researched book but a very entertaining read as well, packed with information that is revealing (eg, how Jeremy Brett's personal problems impacted upon the Granada tv series) and sometimes surprising (eg, Peter O'Toole and Peter Sellers were the original choices for Holmes and Watson for Billy Wilder's 'The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes').

Alan Barnes and his fellow contributors go into great detail about the films and television shows they cover, and give their personal opinions about each entry. You may not agree with all of the views expressed, but they are well written and certainly give the reader food for thought.

The book is well illustrated with black and white photographs. This is important as it's likely that many people will never get to see the films they are taken from, particularly some of the early silent films that are lost or older and more obscure films and television shows that have yet to get a video or DVD release.

This book has proven invaluable to me as it has introduced me to tv series and films that I previously knew little or nothing about like the Arthur Wontner films and the Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing BBC tv series. I also gained an insight into the little known Ronald Howard tv series from the 1950s. It was also great to read of the BBC 4-part presentation of The Hound Of The Baskervilles starring former Doctor Who star Tom Baker as Sherlock Holmes. I saw this when it was first shown on tv in Australia and it hasn't been screened again, so it was quite nostalgic to read about it and see a photo of Baker in his Holmes costume.

This book is an essential addition to the library of any Sherlock Holmes fan or film buff. You won't find another book that covers Sherlock Holmes history in film and television so thoroughly.