Characters Books


Books-Under-Review-->Arts-->Movies-->Titles-->S-->Star Wars Movies-->Characters-->18
Related Subjects: Boba Fett Han Solo Ewoks Lando Calrissian Jek Porkins Darth Vader C-3PO Chewbacca Greedo Jabba the Hutt Princess Leia Jawas Mara Jade Obi-Wan Kenobi Palpatine R2-D2 Yoda Luke Skywalker Oola General Veers Stormtroopers Aurra Sing Anakin Skywalker Captain Panaka Darth Maul Qui-Gon Jinn Jar Jar Binks Watto Jango Fett
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250
Characters Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Characters
Dressed to Keel: A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery (Darcy Cavanaugh Mysteries)
Published in Paperback by MIDNIGHT INK (2006-04-01)
Author: Candy Calvert
List price: $12.95
New price: $11.40
Used price: $4.14

Average review score:

A Ship Full of Fun
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-28
I don't enjoy romance novels masquerading as mysteries, but Candy Calvert has hit just the right balance with Dressed to Keel. The characters are delightfully zany, the mystery very satisfying and well plotted, and the lead man yummy. The best part, though, is heroine ER nurse Darcy Cavanaugh, who is believably smart and daffy at the same time as she solves the who dun it while battling a broken heart and career upheaval. And her best friend, the colorful Marie, is worthy of a series all her own.

Outrageously funny!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-05
I couldn't put the book down--such a page-turner! What a fun book to read! It had me laughing out loud. Candy Calvert did a great job with Darcy and the cast of hilarious "prune-aged" characters. Looking forward to her next adventure at sea!

Sort of Boring.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-11
I really had a hard time getting into this book. I didnt appreciate alll the nursing lingo - kind of like the author showing off her expertise? It was distracting. I also thought that the story was slow and while the ending had a nice twist, there really wasnt enough suspense. I will not read another in this series.

A funny and engaging page turner!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-17
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (1/07)

I picked this book up on a Sunday morning and figured that I would read for an hour or so and then do my chores. Its 5PM, the book is finished, no chores are done and I am still in my PJ's. This is one of the few books that I have read that I can honestly say I could not put it down once I started it. "Dressed to Keel" is Candy Calvert's launch of the Darcy Cavanaugh mystery series and she has a real winner.

The story starts out "The cruise brochure promised confetti, melting wedges of Brie, well-stuffed tuxedoes, and silver buckets of Dom Perignon." Who would not want to go on a trip like that? Darcy Cavanaugh gets that and so much more, including murder and mystery as she takes a much needed vacation. Darcy is an ER nurse who is burned out with her job and by love. She decides to get away from it all by taking this cruise with senior citizens because her friend Marie is the shipboard nurse. But after a cabin steward is found dead and the robberies begin, the fingers are pointing at Marie. Darcy must find a way to clear her friend of the murder and solve the mystery before the body count starts piling up.

Darcy's first and primary suspect is the handsome and sexy dance instructor Luke Skyler. He always seems to be around when trouble brews and is also watching her very closely. Or could it be any one of the outrageous seniors who are also on the cruise? This is what Darcy must find out as she becomes the next target on the ship.

"Dressed to Keel" is full of outrageous characters, gourmet food, champagne and beautiful clothes. The story is a mystery, but is kept light and full of fun. Calvert proves that she has a wonderful sense of humor over and over again through this mystery story and I am very much looking forward to her next installment in the Darcy Cavanaugh mysteries. After all...who needs to go food shopping or have a clean house or laundry when there is great mystery novel to be read?

You go Girl!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-06
Candy Calvert has created the funniest most mischievous klutz of a character(Darcy)I have met in a long time. I laughed, giggled, and hoo-hawd my way through the book. I give it the highest compliment I possibly can " I slowed my reading down because I was not ready to leave these wacky characters. " Thanks Candy Calvert and I look forward to more Darcy adventures. May they be as funny and witty as this one.

Characters
A Family of Value
Published in Paperback by Andrews McMeel Publishing (1995-10-01)
Author: John Rosemond
List price: $14.95
New price: $3.89
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $12.95

Average review score:

Exhausted by your children? Guilt plagued? Want to be happy again? Read this book now!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-28
After having our third child in less than 3 years I felt like I was going to go out of my mind. We hired a maid to come in once a week because we didn't have time to cook, shower, eat a whole meal, etc, much less clean the house. We stocked up on "educational" DVD's so I could take care of the baby without the older girls getting into trouble and demanding my attention. We were going out of our mind trying to keep up with it all!

About a month into this I decided to ask our pediatrician if he could suggest any good books on child rearing and he said anything by John Rosemond. This is one of several books that I've read by him since and it's hands down my favorite book by him, and on raising children period. I was going crazy trying to take care of my kids and the house, but his advice on doing less, not more with your kids assuaged my guilt and saved my sanity! We have since laid off our maid as I clean and cook with the kids around. They know they have to play on there own when I'm busy now, but that I'll make time for them when I'm done. We've also cut the plug on our television and they're playing so much better now. They fight less, do more together and play well on there own. Their attention span has tripled and we don't even need the TV as a crutch because they're too busy imagining and creating new, fun things to do!

This book, or John Rosemonds 6 Point Plan for Happy Healthy Children should be required reading for all parents. His views are considered conservative, but as a liberal at heart, I have come to the conclusion that they're really all just plain common sense. John Rosemond, thank you for saving my sanity and for bringing peace and happiness back into our home.

All families have dysfunction....
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-18
but you don't need to remain totally in the dark and child centered.

Child-centered families leave nothing for children to aspire to, except continued whining and selfishness.

Become an adult and your children will naturally want to follow. Well, most will. Let the guilt go, and no longer suffer from GAS...God Almighty Syndrome.

Great book!
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-27
This book is a must-read. Some of the advice should be handed out in the maternity ward (TV, toys..)The chapters of respect, responsibility and resourcefulness are packed with good points and valuable information.

The only point is that parenting "accoring to grandma" is pretty soon going to have to be changed to parenting accoring to "great grandma." A lot of us parents now were born in the late '60 and '70s.

Now, I will warn readers that Rosemond certainly has a conservative slant, so be aware of that. But please don't pass it up due to that. Read around those parts if you don't like them. It is also worth pointing out that despite a strong conservative overtone, this book does not bash working or single mothers. This book is also VERY pro-father, which is nice to see for a change. The book makes it very clear that dads DO matter!

As a mother with a large family by today's standards (5 children), there is no way I would stay sane using today's "psychological" parenting methods. A Family of Value book is the only parenting book that I have read that actually gives pareting tips that I can apply. So much of the "psycological" parenting advice is so tedious and requires so much thinking about every little thing that I gave up due to it being so overwhelming and time consuming. The tips in this parenting book, however, are simple, clear, common sense and WORK. If I seriously tried to be a parent of today and thought I had to spend hours on the floor with each child (separatly) and had to make charts for this and that and had to pay 2K a month for this and that activity for 5 kids, I would be in the looney bin. Thanks, Mr. Rosemond, for letting me and other parents it is OK to not do all this stuff.

The book's strong points are in emphasizing: the importance of not doing too much for your child, the downside of TV and video games, teaching children the value of money, the downside of overscheduling, the importance of play with peers as opposed to too much play with adults, the value of teaching childen not to interrupt adult conversation, why you should not bail your child out of all problems, and the importance of putting your marriage first. The book is very marriage oriented saying that a strong one is the best thing you can do for your child(ren).

Other valuable points that I wish were emphasized more: the importance of reading daily with your child, family dinner importance, and the value of doing activities as a family (game night, weekend trips etc.). I know Rosemond supports these things, I just wish more had been mentioned about them in this book.

Best brief Child-Rearing book
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-17
This book cuts through 6 decades of crazy parenting advice, and returns to the timeless wisdom that raised centuries of children.

Entertaining, as well as easily memorable.

Parenting is not impossible, nor is it to be left to government or ivory-tower elites. Rosemond reminds us of how successfully our grandmas raised our parents - and why!

back to the basics
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-24
This book has been very helpful for our family. My husband and I give this book to couples who ask us what we have done to have such respectful and well behaved children. We also give it to friends and families who are new parents. We absolutely love the teachings of John Rosemond and we have read several, if not all his books. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a respectful, resourceful, and responsible child.

Characters
Far East Chinese-English Dictionary (Simplified Character)
Published in Hardcover by U.S. International Publishing, Inc. (1996-08-01)
Author: Liang Shih-Chiu
List price: $40.00

Average review score:

Far East Chinese-English Dictionary
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-09
This is a very good hard-cover Chinese-English dictionary for those who are interested in a dictionary that features traditional characters and uses Zhuyin (bo po mo fo) for pronunciation, such as anyone interested in visiting Taiwan. The characters are organized by radical number and stroke count, and a Zhuyin phonetic index is in the back of the dictionary, as well as phonetic indices for two other phonetic systems (Gwoyeu Romatzyh and the U. N. Mandarin Phonetic Symbols). Since the dictionary is a Chinese-English dictionary, it is very useful for looking up Chinese characters you read and words you hear. For each character entry, there are often multiple (up to several dozen in some cases) common phrases of two or more characters in length all starting with that character. As I am a native English speaker, I have found that the dictionary is well complimented by an English-Chinese dictionary so that I can also look up words and phrases I know in English and would like to say or write in Chinese.

I recommend this dictionary to native English speaking students of Mandarin Chinese with traditional characters.

Excellent, comprehensive dictionary
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-11
I have used this dictionary for nearly 10 years, and I believe that in that time, working regularly with classical documents, I have encountered no more than 5 characters not included in this dictionary. Certainly for students of modern Chinese, this is as complete a dictionary as you will likely ever need. Characters are listed by several different indexes in both the front and the back, including one index for characters with ambiguous radicals! My only objection is that alternative character forms are inconsistently listed in the indexes, meaning that characters that at first appear not to be included may be included under different forms. Others will not like the absence of the most contemporary usages and colloquialisms; in return, however, they will get a wide range of definitions used in both classical and modern Chinese, a remarkable number of phrases, both classical and modern, and a constantly useful range of biographical and historical names, which can otherwise be very difficult to locate. All in all, my dictionary of first choice on a shelf that includes at least 10 of them.

It is more than announced!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-10
Fantastic! I was expecting a big and good dictionary. And had the surprise in receiveing a wonderful, very well printed, fine paper dictionary - not tzu tian ( words
dictionary) but ci tian ( phrases dictionary )! Hardcover and with a nice box, besides, with a special plastic cover! And for each of its more than 7 thousands entries, more than 6 or 8 examples, with pronounciation, what makes more than 56 thousands expressions! Zhuyin Fuhao and Pyin Yin ! Fantastic is not enough for this treasure!

Romanization system
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-21
Above all, this is designed more for advanced learners, native speakers, and particularly users who are familiar with the Taiwanese Zhuyin symbols as all the entries are organized by Zhuyin instead of Pinyin. As Pinyin becomes a more commonly used romanization system for Mandarin, users who don't know Zhuyin or are more familiar with Pinyin may find it inconvenient to use. The main entry (the listed character) does provide the Pinyin of the character in addition to Zhuyin and Wade-Giles symbols, but the sub-entries (the compound nouns and phrases) are only listed with Zhuyin and with no Pinyin reference. I do like the fact that it offers traditional characters. (I believe that a simplified character version is also available out there.) Despite my personal preference on the romanization system, it is a relatively better Chinese-English dictionary compared with those in the market. It has a fairly comprehensive collection of sub-entries under each character with good definition and translation. Last but not the least, the reference pages at the beginning with the traditional radical system and at the end with all three romanization systems listed are pretty useful for learners who are really into learning traditional characters and/or need references on different phonetic romanization systems. So if you don't mind looking up words with Zhuyin symbols, it is a pretty good Chinese-English dictionary.

Not a pinyin dictionary. Need I say more?
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-07
This may be of use to Chinese speakers from Taiwan who are translating into English. However, for native speakers of English who translate Chinese into English, or for students who need to look-up using pinyin, this dictionary will be of limited value. There is a pinyin index but it is not as convenient as a fully pinyin dictionary. Furthermore, although head character entries have pinyin readings, character compounds listed as sub-entries under each head character lack pinyin readings. It is more comprehensive than Oxford's Chinese-English English-Chinese (ISBN 0195911512) but I only use it rarely for characters I can't find in Oxford.

Characters
Fire and Fog and Fremont Jones (Fremont Jones Mysteries)
Published in Hardcover by Doubleday (1996-06-01)
Author: Dianne Day
List price: $21.00
New price: $13.70
Used price: $0.02
Collectible price: $21.00

Average review score:

I love Fremont Jones!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-13
Fremont Jones is a great character! She's a modern woman before her time. For a great cozy read, pick-up a Fremont Jones book soon. I read the entire series in two weeks, I enjoyed it that much.

Great fun!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-23
I picked up this series after reading Amazon reviews and while waiting for the next Laurie King - Mary Russell book. The story has a strong lead character - Fremont Jones - who leaves her stuffy home in Boston and sets up a typing business in San Francisco during the time right before the big earthquake. The books are funny and well done. Thumbs up!

Wow!! Couldn't Put It Down!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-13
This book was so intriguing and exciting that I read it all in one sitting! Ms Day make the earthquake and its after-effects fascinating and engrossing. Without Michael and with Mrs. O'Leary missing in action, Fremont sets out to help others while with searching for her MIA landlady. It's realistic and captivating. Her descriptions of San Francisco and the Presidio are right on the money.

It's my favorite of all the Fremont Jones novels. I recommend this book highly, along with the rest of the series.

A+++
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-31
This is my favorite of Dianne Day's books. I enjoy history and the experiences of Fremont Jones during the great earthquake makes that experience more real to me. The development of Fremont and Michael's relationship moves forward. The other characters that are introduced are interesting and well developed.

I recommend this book highly to everyone.

Fremont and Company following the 1906 earthquake
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-30
Fremont's life is turned upside down by the Great Earthquake. Mrs. O'Leary's house is evacuated, Fremont's office destroyed and all that had become familiar no longer was. Michael is called out of town on business and leaves his room at the Presidio and his automobile in Fremont's care. Fremont works for the Red Cross Disaster Relief team. An acquaintance offers her a place to stay and she is glad to accept, but Alice Lashley seems odder than previously and various dead things keep appearing on the front steps. With Michael away and Mrs O'Leary missing, she has noone to consult, and the situation becomes more and more dangerous.

The author paints a vivid picture of post earthquake San Francisco, and the problems the inhabitants faced and combines it with a very good mystery. A fast and engrossing read!!!

Characters
God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life (Focal Point Series) (Focal Point Series)
Published in Paperback by Crossway Books (2002-03-22)
Author:
List price: $14.99
New price: $8.80
Used price: $8.75

Average review score:

Christian Calling and Vocation
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-03
I enjoyed reading this book. God is using us through his various callings and vocations -- the world of sociology just calls them "roles." According to Veith, faith gives our calling or vocation "meaning." Also, as Christians we do not do sinful work, nor do we desire to harm others while pursuing our calling (thus, we would not engage in office "back stabbing"). He stresses that the Lord God Almighty is using us where we are -- in the office, as parents, as children, etc. We are uniquely positioned by God Himself to carry out His purposes. We know what our duties are, and carry them out according to Biblical principles of personal conduct.
Part of me, however, is asking the questions: what about our Christian witness? What about interceding for our co-workers in prayer (he speaks more about praying for ourselves and bearing our cross in vocation)? What Christian qualities are essential for manifestation in the workplace? I have these question, yes, but at the same time I think that Prof. Veith has hit on the essentials: bearing one's cross, prayer, and resting in our vocation.
A Christian friend of mine who is perennially "between jobs" now is working in a place where sometimes he's on the front desk, sometimes he's laying tiles, sometimes he's witnessing to people and sharing the gospel message. He likes to talk about irons in the fire, and how in the days ahead he hopes to be doing 'more.' I told him about vocation (having just read Prof. Veith's book) -- that he was serving the Lord in the here and now by these various activities. His various duties TODAY are his vocation. He was immensely encouraged when I said that. His outlook immediately brightened. My conclusion: Prof. Veith's work provides us with essential understandings for pastoral encouragement. Amen.

Veith and Vocation
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-04
This book is excellent for showing the relationship between vocation and how God works in the world. It gets to the point in multiple ways, allowing the reader to clearly see that vocation is an important doctrine that Christianity has seemed to put in a drawer and forget. Veith's writing is clear. The book moves and does not become bogged down in what could be a ponderous subject. I was reading this book based on a group review of the book and was very surprised at how useful the book is and how well Veith coverd the topic. This is a msut read for anyone who is wondering about their role in life or has to answer the question, why did God put me here?

Getting it together
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-12
Veith, as in his other books, does an excellent job of expressing theological concepts and their applications for the lay person. This book pulls a lot of things together for the lay person who struggles in finding meaning in 'love your neighbor' outside the context of the church setting. We rarely hear about how we can serve the Lord outside of the church organization. This books researches and applies the doctrine of vocation, as understood by Luther and our reformation fathers. It gives new meaning to 'love your neighbor' in everyday life. A good read for those who want to see how God works through us and for us through the mundane tasks of everyday life.

God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-05
My nephew is a missionary. I do all of the finances and paperwork for him, but somehow that seems pale compared to the work a missionary does. It is so easy for those of us who desire to serve God to see that those 'in ministry' - those who are pastors or missionaries or evangelists or music leaders - somehow have a more important role in God's Kingdom then the rest of us. Gene Edward Veith reminds us that there is no role more or less important in the Kingdom. Further, no matter what job field we are called to, that is our place to be serving God, and in that place we are serving God! A good read for anyone who has the struggle of restlessness about their vocational place in the Kingdom.

Your Christian Vocation in all of life
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-09
Well written, a little slow but full of usefull information

Characters
Gollum: A Behind the Scenes Guide of the Making of Gollum (The Lord of the Rings)
Published in Paperback by Houghton Mifflin (2003-12-22)
Author: Andy Serkis
List price: $9.95
New price: $0.50
Used price: $0.02
Collectible price: $22.45

Average review score:

Other reviewers have said it all...
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-25
Just wanted to give five stars.
Oh, yes, and I thought I was the only person to camp with no supplies save a copy of LOTR! You know what they say: great minds think alike.

Gollum and Smeagol and Andy......
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-26
This is a fascinating account of Andy Serkis's experience in creating the CG character, Gollum, as well as his actual "on screen" time as the ring-beguiled Smeagol in the opening scene of The Return of The King.

Andy's tale is engaging and honest, relating the hardships he endured in bringing the character to life and only increases my respect for him as a performer and a human being. It must have been a long, sometimes difficult job for every actor in the films, but Andy put in more hours than any other actor involved, many of them in isolation from the "moral support" of comrades.

Perhaps the most touching part of this book is Andy's dedication, which is to his own children, the Jackson children, the Astin children, and all the other "children of the ring" who were forced to sacrifice so much time with their parents during the making of these epic pictures.

A GREAT bet for some wonderful inside info and some pretty neato pictures!

A precioussss behind the scenes look at the making of Gollum
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-10
Even casual film fans are now familiar with the character of Gollum and the groundbreaking special effects that turned him into one of the screen's most memorable characters. Now, we get to see Gollum from a different perspective: through the eyes of the man who brought him to life, Andy Serkis. This memoir, written by Serkis (w/help from Gary Russell) is an entertaining and eye-opening look at the production of both the character in general and the films as a whole. Andy had done mostly small roles in films and plays when he received an intriguing casting tip from his agent: Apparently, New Line was making a trilogy of films based on the "Lord of the Rings" series, and needed someone to voice the character of Gollum. Serkis, unfamiliar with the trilogy (though he had read "The Hobbit" in school) initially balked, until his partner (later, wife) Lorraine--who HAD read the books--urged him to try out. Andy agreed, and began to try different voices that might fit the character. He was stuck, having tried many different voices, until inspiration hit in the form of his cat. (His gagging, hairball-infested cat.) Serkis, who had decided to approach Gollum as a character so full of guilt and obsession (he also compares Gollum to a hardcore junkie) that he was literally choking on it, imitated his poor gagging cat in front of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh...and the rest, as they say, is history.

Andy journeyed to New Zealand for what he though might be a bit of voice work. Instead, the role of Gollum turned into one of the most challenging undertaken to date: Serkis not only supplied the voice of Gollum, but also his movements as well (thanks to innovative motion-capture technology). Serkis would end up filming scenes multiple times: once in a blue suit, accompanied by Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, then again without them, and often again in a suit studded with dots (reference points for computer animators). Though tedious, this process allowed the animators to bring Gollum to living, breathing life, a genuine example of movie magic. (How detailed is the character of Gollum? A deaf man who saw "The Two Towers" was able to read his lips.) Andy studied the character, often referencing the books for little insights into the character and his psychological makeup in order to bring greater depth to Gollum. And perhaps a little bit of Gollum worked its way into Andy...because vegetarian Serkis suddenly found himself enjoying fish again.

Despite the frequent hardships of filming, Andy was able to keep a sense of humor and professionalism about him, and is able to look back at many of the more difficult moments and laugh. Indeed, his sense of humor sustains the book when it bogs down or becomes repetitive; Serkis felt the need to relate the details of motion-capture technology a few too many times, as if he were telling a multi-part story and needed to bring new readers up to date. He grouses a bit about his initial lack of recognition and appreciation, especially when he had to repeat long scenes in the blue suit while the other actors could relax. (The worst one: Repeating a scene that involved splashing in frigid water...and that blue suit was NOT insulated). But he chides himself for those feelings, and finds a great deal of humor in those difficulties now.

Serkis, who claims little knowledge of classical literature, belies it with frequent references to and quotes from Nordic literature, the Bible (Smeagol's murder of Deagol draws comparisons to Cain and Abel), Shakespeare's "The Tempest" (comparing Gollum to Caliban), Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein's monster, and more. His writing style is smooth, full of humor and frequent good-natured self-deprecation, especially when relating how he foolishly ventured onto a rapids-filled river with minimal supplies, only to be rescued by four Wellington city councilors. His feelings of unappreciation were greatly assuaged when he learned that he would actually be on-screen, playing the role of young Smeagol in a flashback, as we see how Gollum came into possession of the Ring. Though he would still find himself largely unrecognized: A flight attendant saw him reading the books and innocently asked him if he knew about the films, sighing all the while because Orlando Bloom had been on the plane just a few days before. Serkis resisted a strong urge to crawl on all fours and hiss in his Gollum voice. (I don't know if I could have).

This little book (119 pgs) contains all one would want to know about the creation and evolution of one of modern cinema's most unique characters, and is highly recommended.

I LOVE ANDY
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-29
I love Andy Serkis. I love his book. Go buy it. Love him too. Enough said.

Brief, informative and loaded with incredible images. . .
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-05
Andy Serkis, the actor behind the character of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, takes us deep into the terrain behind this great epic of our time. Through his experience in creating a close reflection to Tolkien's Gollum, he comes forward in what seems to be a blunt honest story of his time on the set and creates a brief, enjoyable actor's account.
Beginning with a phone call and winding his way through the streets of New Zealand, the highways of character development and the psychological paths of his acting and character experience, we get a great bit of knowledge of what it really feels like to transform yourself into another person for the sake of showing the world a tale - or even a message. You could call it a diary, completely packed with bits and pieces that are extremely informative, but brief. Learn what it takes to be an actor or a psychiatrist, to completely envelope yourself into character and to be immersed in a wonderfully diverse land. With contributions from Gary Russell and others on set, this book has incredible illustrations, sculptures, design plans, photographs and passages from the crew. Hilarious Gollum faces are located on the top outer corner of each page as you read along, making a fun time in itself.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the movie trilogy, those who want a better glimpse behind the making of a soon-to-be classic, movie enthusiasts/aspirers, or anyone else if they just want a fun read. This is definitely a kid-friendly book (though some kids may get disgusted or confused at some of the sculptures of Gollum without his little rag around his waist. Ahem. . . :D), though I think it may tend to be slightly boring for younger kids. Definitely PG.
So I will leave you to your browsing and shopping with a song from Gollum,

"Rock and pool
is sweet and cool
so nice for feet,
we only wish
to catch a fish
so juicy sweeeeet!"

Happy Reading!

Characters
I Can Read That: A Traveler's Introduction to Chinese Characters
Published in Paperback by China Books & Periodicals (1994-11)
Author: Julie Sussman
List price: $8.95
New price: $8.50
Used price: $6.00
Collectible price: $19.95

Average review score:

helpful for travellers or olympics visitors but not for students
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-10
When one travel to China for a meeting and never studied Chinese before this book can be a good and useful help to reduce the fear of unknown characters. I mean it explains and helps to find and recognise the characters in labels one can need to read during a visit like "exit" or reading city names. So it can be very useful for someone who don't want to study Chinese, but not recommended for students.

Awesome Book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-09
I highly recommend this book to anyone traveling to mainland China. It can be overwhelming to be surrounded by unfamiliar Chinese characters, but it really does help to be able to read and understand a few of them! This book is small, easy to read, and fun - perfect for bus or airplane rides. Even after 5 minutes of reading it, you will be able to recognize a few characters on signs, magazines, or the advertisement on the seat in front of you. I wish there were a sequel to teach common characters on menus.

Fun and it Works!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-04
I just got back from a month in China. I bought the language tapes, podcasts, the whole bit. But nothing seemed to stick in my head language-wise, except what I learned from this book, reading it for fun in spare moments in the weeks before the trip and a bit on the plane. It's a small book so I had it with me everywhere in China and pulled it out when I had time to kill. It's practically fun to learn a character and then look up and see it on a bus going by. The book is smart - it teaches you the most common characters that you'll see on signs everywhere, and teaches easy characters. I shocked new chinese friends, who know I can't speak a lick of Chinese, by being able to read signs. It's much easier than you'd imagine, and this book takes away the mystery and intimidation. it's written with a bit of humor which also makes it seem fun rather than a painful language exercise. I think reading is almost more important than speaking - you need to know which sign says women's room as opposed to men's room. What is the name of the street? Which bins say "recycle" vs. "trash"? It was the best $ I spent in prep for the trip.

Can be really helpful for travellers to China
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-27
This book is intended for people traveling to China who want to master some basic characters so that they can find it easier to find their way around.
The book is very enjoyable to read and the characters presented are rather easy to learn. Beside each character and character combinations, the author has provided mnemonic devices to make it easier to remember the character.

At the end of the book the author has also provided a brief section with guidelines for writing Chinese characters.

Some of what you'd be able to read by the time you're done with this little book are numbers, dates, currencies, public utilities, directions, names of public places, signs, tickets, and few other words.

On a side note, if you want to get deeper into learning how to write Chinese characters easily, you may also want to check out Easy Chinese Tutor.

Bailed me out of a tight spot!
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-30
I recently went to China for a few weeks to teach English, and found that after a little bit of study with this book I could easily recognize the basic characters for such handy words as entrance, man, woman, Beijing, etc. But my work really paid off when a friend and I got lost on top of the Great Wall in a sea of Chinese people, none of whom spoke English (how one gets lost on top of a wall is another story altogether!). Anyway, I knew the characters for exit and after I sketched them out on a piece of paper a helpful man pointed us in the right direction. I really liked being able to interpret the otherwise undecipherable scribbles that are everywhere in China. This book was well worth the modest price.

Characters
Little Wolf's Book of Badness (Book & Tape)
Published in Paperback by Collins (1996-11-29)
Author: Ian Whybrow
List price: $14.50
New price: $8.39

Average review score:

Reading Is Fun
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-18
This book created an interest in reading for my 7 year old at that time when reading became more of a struggle than a delight. We stumbled across Little Wolf's Book on the not so exciting weekly trip to the library. My son started reading the book in the car and for once I had to make him put a book down before coming to my dinning room table. My son read the book in four days and even took it to school and told some of his friends about Little Wolf. My son even took his own money and bought himself a journal. This book even encourages other good habits. To this day my son writes daily, sometimes twice a day. I am loving every bit of his enthusiasm toward reading and writing.

For the person who ridicules this book must have been born a reader, born a master of the English language and never had to start at A then make his/her way to Z! From my son's experience with this book I can attest to the knowledge we fail to recognize our children have. My son took the misspelled words and related to them. When he first began writing the words resembled the misspelled words in the book. He wrote the sounds he heard just as he heard them. It's all in the process of learning. It made my son feel better knowing that he is not the only one misspells words while writing. Little did I know this book was made for the 9-12 age groups, not for a seven year old, but it worked wonders. Built his confidence and created a passion for reading and writing. Thank you Ian Whybrow!

A masterpiece of modern literature
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-25
I enjoyed this book so much that I took it to college and showed all my friends there. Why do I have the time to waste as such? Because my university is nowhere near as fun as Cunning College. Given the choice between Cunning College and a burger, I would choose C.C. Between C.C. and a reservation in the kingdom of heaven, C.C. wins again. Briefly put, I'd choose hanging out with Little Wolf over just about anything.

As for the reviewer who disapproves of the misspellings: boo shame to you. Teaching kids to recognize misspellings quite obviously improves "correct and standard procedure", and also draws attention to the possibilities of FUN in language. In any case, wolves are the greatest animals on God's earth. If Little Wolf chooses to spell "spoon", for example, as GIRHEIGHAervgori, then I salute him, as one must always salute a wolf.

As Bruce Springsteen once famously sang (and still does to the adoring middle aged inhabitants of New Jersey), "everybody needs a hunting wolf". Possibly the only true thing he ever said.

In my humble opinion, Little Wolf's book of badness rivals Joyce's Ulysses and Dostoyevsky's Brothers Karamazov for the title of finest novel ever.

a cute, funny book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-28
I loved this book, and i'm in my 40's! Little Wolf's postcards and letters home were so funny, the way he would use a different salutation in every one. I loaned it to a friend at work who is older than i am and she liked it too, so i would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good read.

Adventerous
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-06
I liked this book because it is soooo hilarious and soooo funny.

It will make your kids laugh
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-06
How do you become a big, bad wolf? Why, go to Big Bad Wolf College, of course! Our 2nd grade book club thoroughly enjoyed this funny book. It is written entirely in letter form - letters home from Little Wolf - about his adventures going to Cunning College to learn from his Uncle Bigbad. The kids enjoyed finding the misspelled words and the words Little Wolf made up to end his letters, which gave his parents an idea of how his day had gone, e.g. "Yours sorebottomly". Girls & boys liked it equally well - almost all of them gave it 5 stars. Is Little Wolf destined to become a Big Bad Wolf? You'll have to read it to find out!

Characters
Mr. Bean's Diary
Published in Paperback by Andrews Mcmeel Pub (1994-09)
Authors: Robin Driscoll and Rowan Atkinson
List price: $12.95
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

Wonderful!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-18
Great book, worth the price a hundred times. Great to read more exploits of Bean! Just like the TV show! Recomended! Some parts will laugh you to death such as:

Smashed bugs in the book

Police reports

Much much more!

Good
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-16
Funny, but I expected it to be like a book, and there were just some andom notes for every day.

Great
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-04
This book is hilarious and makes for simple, entertaining reading. It consists of a diary in which Mr. Bean records his various escapades (in his untidy scrawl) and keeps his letters and newspaper clippings. It contains quite a few references to the episodes themselves, and it's necessary to read it more than once to appreciate the full humour value. I recommend this book to all fans of Mr. Bean.

Hate the TV show? You still might like the book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-21
Even Mr. Bean's most enthusiastic fans will have to agree that he can be really gross sometimes. For those of us who wish we'd never seen him try to stop his ears with someone else's used chewing gum, he's a lot easier to take in print than on video, just as weird but much less nauseating. I think he's funnier, too. It's kind of like a radio play: What you fill in with your imagination can be funnier than what they show you.

Absolutely Hilarious
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-16
Mr Bean aka Rowan Atkinson is one of my favorite comedian. He manages to crack you up without resorting to low down slapstick humor. The book is a must-read for Mr Bean fans, and for those of you who have yet to see his TV shows (way better than the movie), I highly recommend this book. It is guaranteed to give me tummyaches from laughing too hard.

Characters
Mulder, It's Me: Gillian Anderson : An X-Haustive X-Pose of the Woman Who Is Special Agent Dana Scully
Published in Paperback by ECW Press (1997-09)
Authors: Gil Adamson, Gillian Anderson, and Dawn Connolly
List price: $16.95
New price: $8.99
Used price: $1.58

Average review score:

mulder it's me
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-09
THIS BOOK IS GREAT, REALLY GOOD AND FUN TO READ IF YOU ARE AN X-FILES OR GILLIAN ANDERSON FAN. I HIGHLY RECOMAND THIS BOOK

Mulder's it's Me: More than just a biography
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-02
Straight from the cutesy title that X-Philes know and love as one of Scully's trademark phrases, Mulder, it's Me really hits the spot. Gil Adamson and Dawn Connolly's biography about the amazing Gillian Anderson is extremely informative without being invasive of Ms. Anderson's privacy. The well-written fourteen-chapter biography is only the beginning of this stunning masterpiece - the book also includes candid interviews, a comprehensive episode guide of the first four seasons of The X-Files, a section on the 1996 Burbank convention by the renowned Autumn Tysko, a listing of internet resources, and 16 pages of color photos. Whether you are a newbie or a veteran fan, Mulder, it's Me: The Gillian Anderson Files is the must-have biography.

The best Gillian Anderson biography/A must for all fans!
Helpful Votes: 31 out of 33 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-14
This is the best Gillian Anderson biography on shelves today. But this isn't just a biography, this book also includes television and radio interviews with answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. You get to find out what people did when Gillian Anderson appeared at the X-Files convention and what questions her fans asked. It also includes the speech she made in Washington D.C. for public awareness about Neurofibromatosis, the disease her younger brother has been diagnosed with. This book also includes great Gillian Anderson Internet sources and an X-File episode guide with all the shows from season one to the end of season four. But best of all, this book includes a great section of full page color photographs of Gillian. If you are a Gillian Anderson fan, you have to get this book!

Th best Gillian anderson book on the Market!
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-23
This book is great for people who want t get all the facts and want awesome color Photos .I think Gillian is agreat person and Actress and this book helps you realize that.AS well as info there is a great X-files episode guide section.Many thanks to the athur and gillian for being the great actress she is.

One great G.A Book!
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-23
This book has, well, everything you wanted to know about Gillian Anderson (Agent Dana Scully on the X-Files) and more! The colour photo's are excellent, as well as the black and white ones. Each chapter has a unique title, and very good detail into herself, her daughter, and her work. A must have for any Gillian Anderson fan.


Books-Under-Review-->Arts-->Movies-->Titles-->S-->Star Wars Movies-->Characters-->18
Related Subjects: Boba Fett Han Solo Ewoks Lando Calrissian Jek Porkins Darth Vader C-3PO Chewbacca Greedo Jabba the Hutt Princess Leia Jawas Mara Jade Obi-Wan Kenobi Palpatine R2-D2 Yoda Luke Skywalker Oola General Veers Stormtroopers Aurra Sing Anakin Skywalker Captain Panaka Darth Maul Qui-Gon Jinn Jar Jar Binks Watto Jango Fett
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250