Television Books

Mimi Braverman's book "The Spin on Spiner" lists every film Brent has made, names his character, describes the scenes and his comments about the role. The same is done for all his live stage productions prior to "1776," and all TV appearances (except StarTrek series which can be found in other sources). "Spin" includes pages of biography and personal background. Everything is documented--no gossip, no guesswork, just very good reading.

And I thought I knew everything there was available about Brent Spiner!!! There was hardly anything in this book which I actually already knew about Brent, it's not like the stuff you get on every single Brent site on the web, this is interesting stuff you've never heard before about every darn role the guy has ever been in. It is well worth buying, I totally recommend it

I thought the book was informative and interesting. The only thing lacking were pictures of Mr. Spiner (either how he really looks or pictures of him in character)and more personal information, such as his hobbies, future career goals, etc. All in all, a nicely done book.

It has been mentioned before that this is not a tabloid-geared biography. Braverman steers clear of the personal and focuses on Spiner's public life and professional life -- not his personal life. This is a refreshing change from the Kitty-Kelly-esque celebrity bios we are used to seeing published. I do not need to know Mr. Spiner's favorite cereal or whom he first had intercourse with and where. This "spin" concentrates on the good stuff. Bravo, Ms. Braverman.

Fans of Brent Spiner -- and casual readers -- will find this factual filmography of Spiner's theatre, television and motion picture work insightful and concise. There's no "drooling fan", sychophantic, "goo-goo eyed" driveling over the actor in this book. It sticks to the facts, dispells some rumors, and gives everyone who reads it some of idea of this actor's full body of work. It's physically not much to look at (a soft cover piece with no artwork to speak of), but as reference material, it is excellent.

It's been a few years since we last bought one of the Star Trek wall calendars. It's good to have one again. We prefer the original series calendars to the more recent sequels and to the "Ships of the Line." Overall size of the calendar is more than adequate and color photos are great. This year's (2008) version has shots from the original TV series, starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and the late DeForest Kelley. We believe each of the first three years of the series are represented. The calendar also has two months with photos from the Star Trek movies, "Wrath of Khan" and "Search for Spock." Key dates related to the series, stars, and international holidays are included. Finally, there's a centerfold of the original starship Enterprise, with a space station floating in the distance. Quite well done.

Calendar was in stellar condition, exactly as described. I highly recommend it to any fan of the oridional series.

This calendar is really fantastic. The pictures are great! Also, it features important dates/birthdays pertaining to the Original Series cast! The font of the calendar is in line with the Star Trek font. This is a great gift for that serious Star Trek Fan! Highly recommend it!

I look forward to the annual classic Star Trek wall calendar. This year was no exception. The pictures are full of color with clean, crisp images. The vibrant colors that classic Trek was famous for come shining through. Nice to liven up any room or to keep as a collectible.

it was a bit banged up when it arrived, but I feel it was no fault of the company that sent it, just the post office which mangles everything. So, over all, the company was prompt in shipping, and made every effort to send it so it wouldn't get bent.

The book contains some details about mcQueen's life that only the writer knew , that give a hint about how mcQueen viewed life, danger, and speed.
but the photos are mainly advertising ones and not real life.
i would expect more on the life of mcqueen as a person and not only as an actor

A wonderful work of art that captures what made Steve so charismatic and appealing. It leaves you wishing you could see more from other periods in his life. This is a book I will treasure all my life. Thank you Amazon, I would have paid ten times as much for this book. God Rest His Soul.

According to his foreward to this book, the photographer William Claxton met Steve McQueen in 1962 when McQueen was starring with Natalie Woods in LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER. The two men formed a friendship and apparently Mr. Claxton became Mr. McQueen's favorite and most requested photographer. This book of wonderful photographs, covering a couple of years in Mr. McQueen's life from 1962 to 1964, is a result of that brief friendship. Most of the pictures appear to be shot in available light and have a wonderful, informal spontaneity about them impossible to capture in formal portraiture. Both the photographer and subject are comnpletely without pretention.

Mr. Claxton caught Mr. McQueen smiling, clowning and pensive. There are photographs of McQueen in fast cars as well as on motorcycles. Many of the shots were done while Mr. McQueen was working on movies. There are also many pictures of him with family and friends. Most of the shots are in black and white with a few in color. Every time I look at them I find yet another photograph that I think is the best in the book. There is a haunting shot of McQueen with his young daughter where the child, sitting on the floor and resting on her arms, looks into Claxton's camera. We only see her father's legs and feet. (p. 79) Another great shot appears on page 73. McQueen is embracing the family cat. Finally, there's a shot of McQueen lying on a blanket in a large field. His profile is beautifully backlit. Both photographs selected for the front and back covers are fine, informal portraits as well.

This book made me remember how much I enjoyed Steve McQueen's movies and made me sad that he is no longer among us.

A great book, considering it is of a short period in Steve McQueen's life. This is him in his prime captured by a great photographer.

Very comprehensive. Show's a different side of the rough and tumble character known as Steve McQueen. Very entertaining.

The newest book by Joanne Cantor-Teddy's TV Troubles- takes a positive approach toward the fears of young children, and offers concrete steps a parent can take, along with her child, to ease these fears. Teddy's Mother shares specific activities her mother had used to make her feel safe again. I feel this positive approach is much more effective, than describing all the "horrors" of TV and real life which confront our children. I especially applaud Prof.Cantor involving elementary students, seeing if what she wrote made sense to them.

An authority on media and children, Joanne Cantor draws upon her years of experience and expertise to write Teddy's TV Troubles, a reassuring children's picturebook that charmingly, entertainingly, and effectively assists parents to help their children deal with disturbing material such as that which visually permeates everything from television news broadcasts, to dramatic series, to sitcoms, to afternoon and weekend specials. Very nicely illustrated by Tom Lowes, Teddy's TV Troubles will help parents and care givers to help children acknowledge their fear while knowing they are not alone; show a loveable teddy bear character work through his TV inspired fears with the help of a caring adult; engage in a series of age-appropriate activities (including drawing pictures, creative play, and reassuring bedtime rituals) that will help children overcome their fears. A combination activities book and bed-time reader, Teddy's TV Troubles is ideal for families with children trying cope with what are now daily television doses of the world on terrorism, sniper attacks, child abductions, natural disasters, and presidential campaign ads.

Thanks to a suggestion of good neighbor,my dilema of what to give a six year old great grand daughter for her birthday was wonderfully solved. I bought "Teddy's TV Troubles" by auther Joanne Cantor.Untill I read that book to Hannah, I had no idea of the fears and concerns that linger in childrens minds long after having watched some "children level" tv shows.After a number of readings by both myself and her parents I believe we have helped her understand her fears.We also found that the illustrations were both soothing and exciting for her.So we thank Joanne Cantor for giving both young and old a valuable education !

Teddy's TV Troubles is a new tool in my tool box. I am the Early Childhood Specialist for Stress and Violence Intervention for the Cambridge School Dept. and have purchased four copies of Teddy's TV Troubles to use in preschool classrooms and with parents.
The book with its simple text is effective with young children and Teddy's TV Troubles provides a catalyst for teachers to talk to parents about the impact of frightening images children often see on TV. The illustrations are colorful and attractive to young children and depict the importance of supportive relationships when a child confronts fears. The four copies are in constant circulation. I salute Joanne Cantor for Teddy's TV Troubles, a one of a kind valuable resource.

"Wow! This book is incredible. My daughter asked me all kinds of questions all the way through it and all sorts of things came up. She told me she is scared of monsters like Teddy and that she saw them on TV. After reading the book for a week, she told me she wants to be a big girl and sleep alone like Teddy. She asked me for a stuffed animal (like Teddy has!) and she has been falling asleep completely ALONE (with the stuffed animal), door closed, for two nights!!!!!!!! (Usually takes me an hour rubbing her back)!!! I might have to thank you for saving my marriage of this continues!!! She LOVES the part where they read a book about a bear who saw something scary...she says'Hey that's what we're doing!' every time we get to that part. Thank you sooo much for writing it. Now I need to share it with others! I especially like the tips at the end, what a GREAT idea."


-- Mother of a four-year-old girl in California

I was very pleased with the vast wealth of information provided in this book. It was easy to understand and covered all aspects of the state of the media world!

This is an excellent overview of all aspects of the television industry and what it is morphing into. I can see this being invaluable to anyone already directly involved in, or on the periphery of this industry.

It is educational as well for those not working in the business, or those looking to invest in the emerging technologies.

This book is a must read for those navigating the changing waters of the media industry. It contains a comprehensive industry overview, insightful analysis of current trends, thought-provoking predictions....and, it's an interesting and entertaining read as well.

Television Disrupted is an excellent book, well written and intelligently describing a wide range of complex topics surrounding traditional TV and internet delivered video. It does a particularly good job in describing the recent changes and potential future directions of the television industry.

Working within the software industry serving traditional television, people have frequently asked me what they can read to build their knowledge of the TV business. Historically, this has been a tough question to answer as there have been a few discrete magazine articles that were interesting, but I was unware of any books that were current, accurate, or made sense about the future of TV. Television Disrupted has solved this dilema by providing a great overview of the historical television industry as well as the massive changes that are pending as the television business takes advantage of the opportunities provided by internet delivered video.

In Television Disrupted, Shelly Palmer does a great job at presenting the probable futures of TV. From broadcast to narrowcast, from linear to dynamic and time-shifted,from analog to digital, Shelly explores and tries to anticipate the response of "old media" (networks) to "new media" (networked). How will "IP" and user generated content overcome inertia and established advertising / revenue models? All fascinating questions in a well thought-out framework. In the end and as always consumers will choose and define what is to become a much richer experience known as Television 2.0!

Enhanced with more than 3,700 full color covers from America's most popular, iconic, and widespread weekly magazine, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" compiled by Stephen F. Hofer (Curator of the Philo T. Farnsworth Television History Center, Auburn, Indiana, and who himself is the owner of one of the largest collections of TV Guide magazines and memorabilia in the United States) covers all the national and regional digest size covers from April 10, 1953 to October 9, 2005. Included are TV Guide foldout covers, holographic covers, and multiple covers. For the antique dealer and hobbyist collector, each issue has the current secondary market prices listed. Featuring memorable quotes from TV Guide and from television shows, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" is more than a price guide compendium, (and a superb history of the magazine itself), it is also a very highly recommended tour of American television programming through more than fifty years of popular culture.

I was so happy to receive the TV Guide Official Collector's Guide, it is a great publication!! It has a lot more information than I expected - comments by stars over the years and much more!! It is very colorful and I will enjoy reading it for years to come. My 45 year old son has a collection of TV Guides and I know he will be interested in seeing the publication to see if the ones he has are valuable! Thank you

This book has several major flaws. For a start, there is no index. The only way to locate covers with your favorite stars or shows is to browse the pages year-by-year.

The price guide only gives values for "mint condition" issues, with no guidelines for how to adjust value for copies in less than mint condition. (Most collectors' guides give a range of prices based on condition.)

It would have been nice if they had included some lists, such as: the most valuable issues; issues with multiple covers; people who have appeared on the most covers; etc. All of these things are mentioned in the text, but there is no way to look them up except by browsing every listing.

Despite these flaws, this is still an invaluable book for collectors, because of it's comprehensive checklist.

The episode of Seinfeld where Frank Costanza was noted to be a collector of TV Guide pretty much cemented that publication's place in the lore of pop culture. Now, from Bangzoom publishers comes "TV Guide" the official Collector's Guide. A lot of collector's books claim to be the only book you'd ever need to own but this one truly fits the bill. With over 3700 pictures, and every national and regional TV Guide cover pictured from 4/10/1953 through 10/19/2005 this is truly the ultimate resource for not only collectors, but fans of the magazine as well.

With a foreward by senior TV Guide editor Michael Davis, the book provides info geared towards the collector on where to buy, grading, and preserving your TV Guide collection. The cover subjects are what drives the price of back issues with the very first issue featuring the baby Desi Arnaz Jr. being the most valuable. While I've never collected TV Guide I was a long-time Comic Book collector and basically TV Guides should be kept and stored the same way...in protective bags and ideally in acid free storage boxes.

The guide provides a 19 page history of the magazine as well as a look at TV shows and trends by decade from the 40's through the 2000's; everything from Milton Berle and Howdy Doody to Lost and American Idol. I was born in the 1960's and love many of the shows from that era even though I didn't watch many in their initial runs. It wasn't until syndicated re-runs in the 1970's that I came to adore shows such Bewitched, Gomer Pyle, and Green Acres. As noted in the book, The Brady Bunch was never a top-rated show, but you'd hardly know that since it has gone on to become one of the most syndicated shows in history and a true TV legend.

Next up is 213 pages which show each of those covers from 1953 through 2005 in full color and it's like a trip on a wonderful time machine to page through the decades to see many of the actors and shows that you remember so fondly, and many you may have forgotten such as The Governor and J.J. One TV Guide trend that seems to have ended some time in the early 80's was featuring Santa Claus on the cover of a December issue. The book concludes with a 68 page index and value guide for each issue and doubles as a handy checklist for collectors.

Whether you are storing issues away chronologically like Frank Costanza, or just have a life long love of TV, you are certain to find something to enjoy in this fabulous book.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

A mind-bending, if not surreal, parade of TV trivia presented week by week, year by year, era by era. Every single TV Guide cover is shown in true color, from April '53 to the first mag-size issue from autumn of last year. They're arranged as text would be on each page, left-to-right, top-to-bottom and IN ORDER on each page, dated and readily viewable. They even include full displays of all fold-out covers, as well as every version of each multiple cover, such as the one which had to be updated at Michael Landon's death, different regional sport-season previews, and the 25-cover tribute to all the Star Trek cast.

The book is in 3 main sections:
1) A 26-page section of blurb overseeing the history of TV Guide and background trivia of many of the covers
2) The section displaying the covers themselves, and
3) A listing of all covers (with dates and captions) and their collectible worth in mint condition.

It is bound in durable yet manageable paperback binding.

Anyone can invent their own TV trivia diversions just by scanning through this book (i.e. what are the earliest covers featuring people who are still alive? or Who has appeared the most times? or How did TV Guide handle documentarial times and issues [JFK's assassination, 9-11, the advent of cable & PBS etc.], or When did one televion era end, and another begin? and the like). The price list section also serves as an easier-to-count ready-reference of all the cover headings.

Mad Magazine presented a similar, also top-rate, timeline of all their covers a few years ago upon the advent of their 400th issue. The first such resource to incorporate all the TV Guide digest covers certainly doesn't disappoint.

Amanda Bynes is my favorite actress. She rocks in this book. So does Penelope. Although, I wish there were more pictures of Amanda in it.

Hi. I had no idea that there was a book on Amanda but I found this on the web and ordered it. It's really phat! I brought it to school and spent the whole lunch hour doing the games with my friends. We were rolling. I hope there's another book on the way! Penelope is great and Jenny Kilgen must be an Amanda fanatic too to write a whole book togethre. GO AMANDA AND MORE BOOKS----PLEASE!

I love the show but this book was totally awesome. The games and puzzles are really fun but the best is getting all the great information on Amanda. Anyone who loves Amanda MUST get this book. It's like bringing the show with you where ever you go. I would definitely buy this for a great stocking stuffer for anyone who loves Nickelodeon and THE AMANDA SHOW.

i love Amanda! i've totally been looking everywhere to find a book on her. i read this book and think it is 'da bomb, so phat, and really cool!

Penelope Taynt amanda bynes's #1 fan tells the story of how she
has loved amanda since she was 1 second old.You will see how much
penelope loves amanda and how she should be amanda's best friend
to why amanda should eat lunch with penelope!Discover what it is like to film a episode of the amanda show to what is in amanda's
garbage to how penelope tries to break up amanda's friend ship
with a girl named Annie.
this book is soo funny and i hope you like it!!

This a really a great cook book and I have tried may recipes in it and they were all great, what is really great you can also watch how it is done when it is aired on TV.

This book is OUTSTANDING. America's Test Kitchen is like the Consumer Report's of recipes and cooking products. I enjoy learning WHY certain products and techniques work. They try and try until they get a particular recipe to be the best it can be. Then they share what they learned. The one disappointing aspect of this book is the Table of Contents and indexes. For example each "chapter" contains several recipes, but you have to go to the chapter in order to see what all the recipes are within that chapter. But the book is so very excellent that I can forgive this flaw.

I absolutely love ATK and buy all of their books. The techniques they present are top notch and as close to bulletproof as you can get. I find the spicing a little mild for my tastes so I usually amp that up a bit. Tasting results are the aggregated opinion of several people so some of the more unusual flavors you might get a kick out of may be rounded out in the math.

Even though I subscribe and have many Cook's Illustrated books this was worth the purchase. Yes, some of the info is repeated from other pubs but often tweaked a little and some new stuff also. A very good read, too!

I ordered the first volume of the series and was very pleased with my purchase. This is a fine addition to my cookbook collection.

This is a great book if you are a huge American Idol fan and you want to know behind-the-scenes stuff. There's a lot of info. about each of the contestants as well, from their favorite color to their birthday. My favorite AI% was Jessica Sierra.

But, I have one question: Where's the Season 5 book? :)

WHEN you read this book it will let you know what happend
behind the scencs of american idol! and you will also learn
more about the top 12.MY favorite idols are CARRIE UNDERWOOD
and LINDSEY CARDINLE they are fantastic singers.IF only
lindsey wasnt voted off so quickly! BUY THIS BOOK its AWESOME!

This book is pretty good. There are some bad things like since it was published and released before Carrie Underwood won, they don't show the winner like screaming, crying, being happy, blah, blah, blah. I watch the show every night and never missed an episode. The top 12 finalists are Lindsey Cardinale, Mikalah Gordon, Jessica Sierra, Nikko Smith, Nadia Turner, Anwar Robinson best!, Constantine Maroulis, Scott Savol, Anthony Federov, Vonzell Soloman, Bo Bice, and Carrie Underwood. They are in order in which they were eliminated from AI. The best is Anwar Robinson because he just sings great, looks great, never nervous, and so on. I think he should have been voted off near the end. Overall this book is awesome.

This book is a great book to get to know the Top 12 a little better. It has quick facts, pictures, and a bio of each of them. Plus some behind the scences stuff, never- before seen pics, and them shopping, etc. When I met the Top Ten (but not Bo), I had them sign their page, and it worked out great. I love it!

I thought it was a good book, had lots of good quality pictures in there. The only complaint I have with it is it came out too early. It should have come out after the season was done so they could have the last final weeks in there and the winner showing her happiness. That's the only complaint I have is it should have been published after the season was over with. Otherwise it was a good book.

It was a pleasure to read about another journalist's battle in succeeding in one of the most competitive field. If you want to know what a reporter has to go through, you'd want to read this one.

There can be few things more enriching, entertaining, and inspiring than merrily wending one's way through the fascinating memoirs of this legendary journalist. Ms. Ellerbee can now be seen on her marvelous news program for children on Nickelodeon, which is one of the greatest programs in the history of television. Ms. Ellerbee's thrilling story is sure to deeply touch all who read it, evoking both tears and laughter, often simultaneously. This is one of the greatest books in the history of the world, and should be on every required reading list in every institution of learning in the world.

There are some books that should never be resigned to the dustbin and this is one of them. The message is timeless and, despite the humor, frightening. Ms. Ellerbee's wisdom is needed more today than it was back in 1988.

Direct, honest, and brilliantly written, Ellerbee's masterwork gives the reader an inside look into the world of broadcast journalism. Her 80's program NBC News Overnight was a unique vehicle for intelligent reporting and videography. It was the last show of its kind on network news TV which, if anything, has gotten worse since the writing of this book. When Ellerbee's Nickelodeon children's programs are more intelligently written than most of the so called "adult" news programs on TV, that's scary. It is unfortunately the case.

I've probably read this book a dozen times from cover to dog-eared cover; my paperback copy is literally falling apart! I still open it sometimes just to read a couple of pages from the middle, and I'm always entertained by Ellerbee's wit.

Wit: a combination of rational intelligence and humour. Ellerbee displays both in abundance, and her writing style is pitch-perfect. She's worked in network news long enough to have seen all of it's strength and weaknesses, and long enough to have lived through one-too-many comical misadventures. Some of her anectodal experiences are downright hilarious:

Stealing Reagan's golf cart for a joyride. Spying on a button manufacturer from a rooftop across the street (to learn before the competing networks who'll be chosen vice president for a presidential campaign). Getting unintentionally stuck in the middle of a homecoming parade for the Iran hostages. Using dinner trays to "surf" down the aisle of a flying airplane. A rubber duck on the set. A "thing and a thing." And so it goes...

There are also some suprising revelations, such as Ellerbee's confession to a back-alley abortion, and her discovery that Ohio didn't become a state until 1954!

Read this book and be entertained... and simoultaneously enlightened about the field of broadcast journalism.