Television Books

Steven Schindler writes with a rare combination of compassion and street savvy, and in "From here to reality" seems to combine all the elements of great literature. Comedy, drama, suspense, romance, sex, & violence are intertwined in a realistic story set in a realistic time frame. Schindler keeps our interest through the twists and turns of LA and NYC, and the emotional ups and down of his diverse characters. His vivid and accurate descriptions of people, places and things keeps you " in the moment" as the story unfolds. I found it to be quite readable, very interesting and extremely creative with a surprise ending that effectively ties it all together and keeps you wanting for more. I highly recommend it

As a writer, I was truly impressed with how well Steven Schindler was able to vividly immerse the reader into a specific era of Hollywood, and into specific situations; of which he *must* have been privy. A good book, by a great writer. I highly recommend it.

What a great book! I would highly recommend it. The story is quick, witty, and fun with characters you want to get to know. Schindler takes you on a ride through Los Angeles, New York and most importantly through his characters hearts. It is a perfect read for a Sunday afternoon.

You can't help but keep on reading as the novel increases the intensity in mystery. You got to know whats gonna happen next!!And the ending, well, I don't want to spoil it. The main characters come to life; you want to get to know them, you want to know their secrets. Mr. Schindler has that ability to put you in the scene as you keep reading. Sort of like a when you dream and you see everything going on about. Another great reading experience from the author of SEWER BALLS, a novel about growing up in NY in the 60's. Both books I highly recommend... I'm waiting for the movie!!!!!!!

As I did with Steven Schindler's first two novels, Sewer Balls, and From the Block, I thoroughly enjoyed reading his latest, From Here to Reality. It's one of those books that you just don't want to end. Being born and bred in the Bronx, I can certainly vouch for the authenticity of the New York neighborhoods and experiences that Schindler describes, and the picture he paints of life in LA evokes a plethora of genuine emotions. I look forward to Schindler's next book.

I love Matsumoto's work. Maetel is one of my all-time favorite characters, as is her friend (and in the movie "Maetel Legend", her sister) Emeraldas. Harlock is...interesting, but kinda cool. Tetsuro, well...he's okay.

The plots are incredible! They really make you think (and I'm not just talking about the blurbs at the end of each segment!). There are very few manga that can do that.

I reccomend this series to any and every anime/manga fan!

In the distant fututre, ayoung boy named Tetsuro steals a boarding pass to a train called the Three-Nine. After emabarking, he meets a woman named Maetel, who bares a striking resembelance to his deceased mother. A grand journey begins that will take Tetsuro to the edge of the universe and back. He will meet many friends and enemies in his journey of wonder.

Despite the artwork which will turn off fans of superhero-style comic books, Galaxy Express has a style unto its own that needs to be appreciated by a more mature reader. The story is excellent, the social commentary is superb, my only problem is the SLOW release schedule. This book easily ranks equally alongside the other great (translated) mangas of our times, including Nausicaa, Lone Wolf and Cub, Dominion, and Adolf... Buy this book!

Here's a summery of the 18 volumes, NO spoilers^_~

"You think Tetsuro Hoshino has seen the last of the Gallaxy Express? Starting where the 2 part movie left off, Maetel sets Tetsuro back on the path to Manhood (NOTE, he is VERY young) & the trail of goals, making new friends & discovering the ones he'd thought gone, learning the harsh lessons of reality in the endless sea of stars. Mysteries come to light, only to be darkened by a new challenge or question or an old memory, & the entire gallaxy asks only of Tetsuro to survive & NEVER to forget.

Leiji Matsumoto, the creator, is second in popularity only to Hayao Miyazaki (Kiki, Totoro, Laputa, Lupin), & has one many awards for his interconnecting series.

This is one the whole family should watch because it's sincere, complex, inovative, provocative, dramatic, & contemplative above everything else. It's a helluva good story/plot that makes you think about the facts of life & its challenges. It has nothing corny or cliche, a literary masterpiece(despite the craappy artwork). It teaches about achieving goals, following hopes & dreams & beliefs, finding ones purpose in life, & keeping promises.

Personally, I wouldn't trade MY collection if you offered me 3 times what the whole set is worth^o^

His writings are like.......Pringles. "Once you pop, you can't stop."

I have liked GE 999 ever since I started readng it in Animerica magazine. So, I got this book, but discovered that this is actually the *sequel* to the *first* adventure of Maetel and Tetsuro. I got this information from the biographies of the characters and the clues in the story. As a result of not havign read the first series, I am a tad bit lost. Can someone tell me WHY they chose to publish the sequel in English before they translated the first series? It doesn't make any sense!

Anyway, the characters are fun and I enjoy their adventures. But the blurb at the end of every chapter is too deep and confusing for me to understand.

I like this, and I will look up the first series--right after I find out who started this translating mess in the first place.

A very important book about one of the founding fathers. That may be a cliched phrase for a man who was repelled by the stale cliches abounding in pop music at the time of his career kick-off in 1954.
But once again we have a biography written by two people - why would a poet like Carl need anybody more than an "editor"? Same goeswith Sun label buddy Scotty Moore - his book too had that unecessary naarrator - an excellent piece of prose, like with Carl, but the thought of it gets me depressed. Do you think Dylan or Costello would need a helper?
'50s friend Chuck Berry did his all by himself. The defiant Rocker wrought the defiant Writer. (And baby, that is Rock and Roll....).
Love reading about that Sun to Columbia to British career "rescue" period.
As a CP fan/collector I was natuarlly disappointed in the lack of deatils as to the lesser-known should-been-million-sellers and the conspicuous absence of a much-needed sessionography. A Perkins *Discography* is always helpful. But when in the world am I gonna learn when and where he
cut "We Did In '54?"

I really enjoyed this book. Unlike others that I have read (Little Richard, Chuck Berry, etc), this book is not an attempt to stake a claim to the title of "King of Rock and Roll". This book offers what appears to be an honest and humble look into the life of the King of Rockabilly. Perkins gives due credit to his influences and songwriting assistants, and honestly discusses his alcoholism.

I personally believe that Carl was one of the truest talents in early rock and roll, and his importance as an innovator/songwriter/performer is vastly undervalued. Get this book, and the "Complete Sun Recordings", and you can't go wrong.

An excellent and, what I feel honest (by both the narrator and writer) review and impression of one man's journey through life. Though Carl Perkins story is almost parallel to that of Johnny Cash's (if not "harder") this book goes beyond telling stories and conveys the emotions and impact of Mr. Perkins decisions and experiences.
"They" really should make this life story a movie!

I'll admit it -- I'm biased toward Carl Perkins. I lived several years in his hometown of Jackson, TN and met him many times. Having those experiences, I was curious how this book would portray Mr. Perkins. After reading this book, I have more respect for Mr. Perkins. True, he wasn't perfect (who is?), but he had reason to be bitter about his career and his life, instead he never gave up. He pulled himself up after each setback and kept on striving. When you think about it, what would be the alternative? He was not only a great musician, but an active humanitarian. His work with children and their causes is nearly as impressive as his musical career, yet most people don't know of this. I went to Carl Perkins' funeral, and in the little city of Jackson, TN you would have thought time stood still. This book will give you the feeling of getting to know a true American success story . . .

What a story!! This should be a must read for all of us who get to feeling sorry for ourslves. Carl Perkins came from abject poverty,a racially discriminating South,was known as "white trash",wrote one of rock n rolls seminal tunes,was on the brink of superstardom,lost it all,became a sideman to another Sun records stablemate,delved into the pit of addiction,rose again,had alot of his early work recorded by a group known as the Beatles,played with the likes of Eric Clapton,loved performing with his own family,lived his life humbly,nursed somewhat of a grudge against Sam Phillips,Jerry Lee Lewis,and Elvis,made peace with himself,and left behind the legacy of a man who had seen the beast within and had conquered it.
This is a must read for anyone who has any interest in music,or for that matter,the sociology of the South during the late 1940's and 1950's. It is also ,quite simply,one of the most inspiring books that I've ever read,Thank You, Carl Perkins!

Great book. Great detail.A must for anyone who has seen the film. Gives you a 100% more info and detail.

Turning dense, non fiction material such as Nick Pileggi's 1985 best seller "Wiseguy," into a cohesive screenplay is no easy task, but Pileggi and the brilliant Martin Scorsese pulled it off beautifully in 1990 with the script for "Goodfellas"

"Goodfellas" remains America's penultimate crime film; the "Godfather" is Hollywood's version of what wiseguys are like; "Goodfellas" depicts them as how they really are.

This Faber paperback edition of the screenplay, with a foreward by David Thompson ("Scorsese on Scorses") reproduces all of the dialouge verbatim (including the scenes that were improvised on the set such as the famous "what's so funnny about me" sequence between Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta).

The book serves as both as written testamint to what great movie making is all about and as a primer for budding screenwriters.

As a bonus, there is a listing of all the music Scorcese used on the soundtrack (no small part of what made the movie a classic),including those selections that were unfortunately deleted from the commercial issue on Atlantic records).

As Joe Pesci's character might say--"this is one great -------book!"

Though Nicholas Pileggi's source book, Wise Guy, gave this screenplay both its voice-over and its final conclusion, the screenplay to GoodFellas is an essential addition to any screenplay library. If not for the fact that Pileggi and Martin Scorsese have pulled off the mammoth task of interpreting the detailed-packed, wide-scoped vision of the book into cinema-speak, then for the writing itself. GoodFellas is a screenplay that can be read as entertainment -- fast-paced, crisp, clear, and exciting. The published version of this script is mostly in master-scene form, giving only the most evocative details, beautifully paced. This is one of the crowning entries in Faber and Faber's superb screenplay series, ranking right up there along Paul Schrader's Taxi Driver and Odets/Lehmann's for Sweet Smell of Success. To any upstart screenwriter or serious student of film, this series is invaluable.

Sure, if you're not into the film "Goodfellas" that much or if you don't care for screenplays, then chances are that this would be rather worthless to you. Might as well find something else to buy, because this isn't going to do anything for you.

But, if you DO love the film and would like to read the screenplay, then this is just the thing for you. Written by Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi, "Goodfellas" is an amazing script that sucks you in right away.

Henry Hill has always wanted to be gangster, as he states in the very beginning of the film. This is his story of how he became one and everything he had witnessed and experienced. It's a tragic story of how good things always have to come to an end. It's also about how power and money can grab hold of your life until it's too late to turn back. A tale full of crime, murder, paranoia, and greed, "Goodfellas" is a trip down Mafia Lane that you will never forget. This is Mr. Hill's story.

The script is based on Nicholas Pileggi's novel, "Wise Guys," which is also based on a true story. The dialogue is sharp and very realistic and gives us a window into the lives of people in the Mafia. It is a very quick read, only about 130 pages. That's pretty short, considering that the movie was at least 2 and a half hours long. But, it's just dialogue, which is why it is very easy to read it quickly. I finished it in less than a day.

If you love the film "Goodfellas," and are interested in reading screenplays, then this is the perfect book for you. Here's your chance to relive some of your favorite moments, this time in writing. A very fine screenplay, it is.

Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" is, hands down, the best gangster film ever made. "The Godfather" created the mythical imagery of mob families that was forever buried by this gutty, bloody real life drama. Based upon the true story as told by the film's main character, Henry Hill, "Goodfellas is the best filmed example of the real life glamour and woekmanlike drudgery that goes with being a wiseguy. It is difficult to imagine a show like "The Sopranos," for example, had not "Goodfellas" reinvented the gangster film genre.

Ray Liotta is excellent as Henry, but the movie's real showcases are the performances of Joe Pesci and Robert DiNiro as his partners in crime. Pesci in particular gives a tour de force performance that is downright frightening. Other first rate performances come from Lorraine Bracco as Henry's Jewish wife and Paul Sorvino, whose performance as a real life Godfather could not be more different than Marlon Brando's.

This film is a must see for anyone who enjoys gangster movies. It also has to rank as THE best American movie of the 1990s.

I loved reading this book. It is a light read and very spiritually uplifting!

I LOVE TO READ ABOUT GODS TRANSFORMING POWER IN PEOPLE'S LIVES. THIS BOOK IS EXACTLY THAT. GOD IS SO GOOD. YOU'LL ENJOY THIS READ.

I had seen Willie and Maylo on Life Today with James and Betty Robison. I had wondered what happened to Willie after he left the Bibleman series. This book is wonderful. I quickly ordered it after seening them on the show. I couldn't sleep the other night so I read it in on sitting. So good. They are very humble giving all credit to our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is truly amazing that with all they have gone through that they have been married for over 20 years. They are a shining example that you can stay married, it is a choice, and a commitment not only to your spouse, but to God. Looking forward to reading Willie's new book.

I originally bought this book with the hope of reading about Willie Aames transformation into Christianity. While his recollection of his life as an actor was interesting, I found myself trying to rush through his dialogue to get to Maylo. Her story, one of courage and determination, is both devastating and inspiring. Aptly named "Grace is Enough", this book focuses very much so on the need for grace within the Christian community, reminding us that we are all human with human flaws.

I truly enjoyed Grace is Enough because Willie and Maylo pull no punches. I didn't read a word in the book that didn't seem to ring true. I admire them both--although I had only known Willie from Eight is Enough prior to reading this book. It should be required reading for anyone who feels fame or fortune or drugs is the answer to life's enjoyment. I'm proud of them both because it is not easy to tell your life openly in a book.

Even if my dog ate the cover off of the book (he only eats books that I love), this is a great reference for the true Gunsmoke fan. Too many folks don't realize that the first 11 years were the best, and they need some reference to those. This is a great history of all of Gunsmoke, not just the TVLAND "scrubbed" version.

This book is AWESOME. It is filled with the history of Gunsmoke from the radio days through the TWENTY YEARS it was on TV. Also a very interesting history of Dodge City, Kansas.

This was a very good, very well written and very informative book to buy and read.
Janet Nazer

I am a huge gunsmoke fan, since it first was shown in 1955. i thought it was interesting on how they auditioned and chose the main charcters, I enjoyed this more than the 50th year, due to the fact that Miss Kitty, was alive and others that were guest star were also. It was not a boring book and the layout was very good. They also had an interview of Roger Ewing (Thad) Which was informative. I highly recommned paying the price for it to all Gunsmoke fans. )

I never thought I'd ever pay $85 for a book, but this book is worth every penny to anyone who is interested in the Gunsmoke radio and TV show characters and stories. The 836 page book is divided into sections about Gunsmoke history, photos of the cast and supporting crew, episode descriptions, and several appendices. The TV series ran from 1955 to 1975. Reruns are still shown on TVland.

The history tells why they didn't use the radio actors for the TV series and how James Arness was selected to play Matt Dillion. I was surprised to learn that Denver Pyle was a strong candidate for the job.

Among the 126 pictures are Milburn Stone (Doc) when was the bad guy in over 100 B Westerns, Sam the bartender when he played in monster and cowboy movies, photos of guest stars like Charles Bronson, Mariette Hartley, Alex Cord, Loretta Swit, Robert Lansing, Michael Learned, Anne Francis, Ed Asner, George Kennedy, Cloris Leachman, Harry Carey Jr., Katharine Ross, Forrest Tucker, Warren Oates, John Saxon, Bruce Durn, Bette Davis, Gilbert Roland, Lee J. Cobb, Andy Devine, Ralph Bellamy, Jack Elam, Pat Hingle, Gary Busey, Rory Calhoun, and many others. Appendix G lists 14 pages of actors who were on Gunsmoke TV. Appendix A lists 8 pages of famous quotes from Gunsmoke characters. The Gunsmoke history includes 41 pages of interesting reflections by Gunsmoke guest stars and crew.

The TV episode descriptions list the title, date, rerun date, production number, synopsis of plot, and cast members.

There is only a brief mention of a few women in Matt's life besides Kitty. I would have liked to see a brief mention of all the episodes when a woman tried to get herself involved with Matt.

The 44 page index is complete and well done.

If your any kind of fan of gunsmoke , you have to own this book !

How fun would it have been to have been on the set of this amazing show? This is a great book with a lot of interviews, anecdotes, and pictures. I wish more shows today had the quality of Gunsmoke...maybe I'd watch them more than the Gunsmoke reruns!

In "Gunsmoke: An American Institution Celebrating 50 Years of Television's Best Western", author Ben Costello has provided the legions of fans for America's most popular and long-running television western series with an exhaustive compendium showcasing and celebrating all twenty seasons (comprising a total of 635 episodes) of Matt Dillion and his many friends and foes. Profusely illustrated with literally hundreds of photos about what went on both in front and in back of the cameras, "Gunsmoke" covers the major cast members, as well as the producers, writers and directors, and features an especially insightful interviews with Dennis Weaver, Buck Taylor, and Burt Reynolds. There are even sections featuring Dean Martin Celebrity Roast Highlights; reminisces of distinctive guest stars; Gunsmoke memorabilia, the post-television series Gunsmoke films, and so very much more. Certain to be a popular addition to any community library American Popular Culture collection, "Gunsmoke" is a 'must read' for anyone who grew up with Matt Dillion, Miss Kitty, Doc, Chester, Festus, and all the other denizens of Dodge City and the Old West.

This book is a pleasure to read. The background stories and photos really enhance the episodes presently shown on TV Land cable channel. The volume is both informative and entertaining.

This about covers every aspect of that 20 year phenomenon "Gunsmoke"The personal insights from everyone associated with that show from the writers to all the great and soon to be great actors.As a die hard fan of this show I was incensed by some of the decisions made by a couple of producers who made I think,some very bad decisions based on personal feelings and insults made to some key actors.

But the bottom line is thats what a good book does.Gets the reader wrapped up in the story and triggers emotions of both good and bad.This book did all of that and if you are like me and still enjoy watching all the re-runs then you should buy this book and put it all in a wonderful perspective..

Now a note to all that stations that are airing these shows:Where are all the black and white episodes?

I am Hilary Duff's nomber one fan! I would do anything for her.
Here are reasons why I love her so much,
1. she is the most beautiful artist on the planit
2. she is the coolist person on the planet
3. sht is intelligent
that is why I love her so so so so so so much!!!!!!!!
from Hil;ary Duff's #1 fan Mariah Vassar

I am a HUGE Hilary fan and when I saw this book at a book fair, I had to get it!!! This book can answer a lot of things that you may want to know about Hilary. The day I got the book I sat down and probably re-read it 4 times. I just couldn't get enough of it. It is almost like a long magazine, and not like a chapter book or anything. That's why I re-read it. I'm telling you, if you are a Hilary Duff fan, GET THIS BOOK!!! IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!!!!

Get all the Hilary Duff information and facts you want with this awesome book! This book is a compilation of Hilary Duff information and over 50 beautiful, high-quality photos. This book is stuffed to the brim with quotes, secrets, facts, and interesting information that Hilary Duff fans will all want to get their hands on. It gives you a brief biography of Hilary Duff, including her early movies and her Lizzie McGuire fame, up to her Metamorphosis CD and singing career. Plus, the book even includes facts on Hilary's upcoming projects, such as her new movies, and her new project, Stuff by Hilary Duff, a girl's clothing/product line. Not only that, but you'll also get information on other Hilary Duff stuff such as a day in the life of Hilary (with cool facts like what her bedtime is!), her fashion style, boy rumors uncovered, and Hilary Duff on her friends, family, singing career, acting, and more. For all Hilary Duff fans out there, this is a wonderful addition to your collection of Hilary Duff stuff. Just make sure to watch out- this book is unauthorized, so some of the facts may be wrong. Other than that, it's a fabulous Hilary Duff book!

i love hilary duff she is sooo cool i have everything of her. if you are a true and comitted fan you need this book. it has a lot of info its a great book to raed any time any day any were!!!!

Super book, very informative, my daughter couldn't put it down. has alot of great pictures in it also great buy!

Great as usual, If you've bought the previous ones, there's no reason not to have this one. I you haven't, what are you waiting for?!

Excellent production. Seeing old movie clips is fun but I really hoped that WB would release twelve "Order of the Phoenix" photos instead.

The calendar was ordered by mistake. I actually wanted the day-by-day calendar. I didn't realize the error until it arrived in the mail. The customer service guy was very courteous and helpful. He showed me how to return that calendar so I could order a new one. Thank you...

I think this desk calendar is one of the best I have seen. There are so many pictures( one for each week). I love Harry Potter and been a fan since day one, so this calendar took my dedication to Harry Potter to the next level. I use this calendar for work to write down my times I am working. It has pretty big spaces to write stuff down. Maybe around 1-2 inches tall and maybe 6 inches across. I think this is a most have for those Harry Potter fans, like me, who need to keep organized.

This is the second calendar (I also bought the 2006) and I love it. My parents were even impressed with the quality of paper, that is used in the making of the calendar. Just wish they had included more pictures of Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore.

Michael Synk, in this concept, has captured and organized what I have tried to do without being able to identify it myself. Now I have a tool through the book and his training materials (from seminar) to train my staff to meet the needs of our customers. I have young employees and they will 'get it'. I am excited to begin showing them how their jobs can be more profitable and more fun as well as giving them a tool they can use wherever their lives take them.

Buy this book!

This book is a prime example of the brilliance of keeping things simple. The steps that the book uses to create a strong bond between you a your customers work and work very well. Using these simple steps, I have greatly improved my relationship with my cutomers.

I would put this book on par with "How To Win Friends and Influence People" on how to change your business life.

This book is a creative way to teach people how to do what is the purpose of any business--to get and keep customers. We all want customers like Norm, and Michael Synk provides a very clear message on how to create that loyalty. In fact, we will be using the book for leadership development at FedEx because we love our customers just like Norm! The book provides some really practical tools for assessing customers' loyalty and value so that we can meet their needs better and move more customers into the Norm category. A quick and easy read that brings BIG value!

This book is a creative way to teach people how to do what is the purpose of any business--to get and keep customers. We all want customers like Norm, and Michael Synk provides a very clear message on how to create that loyalty. In fact, we will be using the book for leadership development at FedEx because we love our customers just like Norm! The book provides some really practical tools for assessing customers' loyalty and value so that we can meet their needs better and move more customers into the Norm category. A quick and easy read that brings BIG value!

The brilliance of this book is in the simple analogy Mike has used to anchor the fundamentals of customer relationship management. It makes the concepts memorable and real in a way that can connect with everyone in your organization, unlike most academic books on the subject. Grab a beer and enjoy!

Verne Harnish Founder of Gazelles, Inc. and Founder of Young Entrepreneurs' Organization