Video Books

Coffee table or bookcase, this book is for the most artistic of videogame fans, as well as those that appreciate mixed media with their pop culture. Joust, Mario Bros, Donkey Kong, Pac Man, Q-Bert and more are all displayed like you've never seen them by talented artists. The nostalgia is thick and sweet smelling; a feeling that few will appreciate to it's fullest. Highly recommended for artists and nerds alike. Also check out Arcade Fever and Supercade for the history behind our favorite up up down down history.

this book is a great collection of established and up and coming artists interpreting classic video games. what more could you want?

"I AM 8-BIT" is a must have for those old school fanatics who long for another golden era... one of the best books ever made. Buy it now!!!

Where do I start? I found this gem listed under books from Chuck Klosterman, who I think speaks for an entire generation of 30-somethings raised on bad rock bands and crappy John Hughes movies. I gave it a shot, and wasn't disappointed!

In typical Chuck fashion, he analyzes video games and why they had an indelible affect on the childhoods of guys like me who spent about $3 million in quarters on Yie Ar Kung Fu (and why, 20 years later, guys i tell this to completely understand). For Klosterman fans, this is worth half the price right here.

But that's just 2% of the book! The rest is filled with totally awesome art that's hard to describe because I've never really seen anything like it--it's not advertising art, or game screenshots, or concept art from games. I guess it's just like the sub-title says, artwork inspired by what the artists played as kids in the 80's, but it's still hard to understand until you actually see it.

And what's really cool are the pieces that have quotes from the artists explaining their inspirations, why they used a particular game, or just random game memories--really funny stuff!

My favorites are:

1) Excitebike: Cool blocky render of a classic. Made me remember how I'd build my own track and line up all those turbo things.

2) Mega Man: I recognize this artist, Tim Biskup, from Juxtapoz and Super 7 magazines. Cool!

3) Don't Be a 2nd Player Hater (Luigi for Sheezy): Luigi pimped out like Snoop. Hilarious, yo!

4) Pac-Man in Hospice: This gives me nightmares. Especially the Frogger frog.

5) Record Dug Digger: Cross between skateboard art (in a good way) and NY graffiti. Trust me, it's awesome!

Other games I recognized include more mainstream stuff like Joust and Space Invaders to games that are a little more esoteric, like Contra, 720, Kid Icarus, and that weird robot thing that came with the NES. If you're a fan of the classics, I highly recommend it!

First and foremost, this book makes a wonderful inexpensive gift for anyone who grew up in the '80s playing the 'ole 8-bit video systems and still has a bit of nostalgia for those simpler times. It's also pretty neat as a bound exhibit of how pop culture can be transformed into art that's actually quite captivating. About 70 artists contributed works, and the medium of choice is definitely oil and acrylic paint, with a fair number of mixed media pieces thrown in. The styles vary wildly, with influences ranging from surrealism to manga to skateboard art to graffiti to crafting to abstract to pixelation and on and on. It's actually a pretty decent overview of modern pop art sensibilities.

In terms of subject matter, far and away the most prevalent "inspirations" are from the Donkey Kong/Mario Bros. franchise, with Pac Man coming in next, and Frogger, Zelda, and Dig Dug also getting much play. However, some of the best pieces are from less popular games, like Tim Tomkinson's "Duck Hunter S. Thompson" mashup of a portrait of the gonzo journalist with the Sega "Duck Hunter" graphics, Jim Rugg's faux poster for a pro wrestling event featuring characters from the Nintendo wrestling game, or Jason Sho Green's pen and ink "Tantric Tetris". On the whole it's a very fun, well-designed book, nicely produced, and sure to bring a smile to many 30somethings. It's worth noting that I like Chuck Klosterman too, but his foreword is pretty slim, maybe 500 words, so don't buy it for that!

At last we have a definitive reference book on Trigger - all of the "Triggers" - complete with documentation and plenty of photos. The book is well-bound and includes comprehensive endnotes, a bibliography and index. Unlike many reference books, this one is easy to read and hard to put down. It is well worth the price.

Elizabeth Drake McDonald
www.bobnolan-sop.net

I loved the book I keep going back looking at the pictures while I watch a Roy Rogers movie to pick out the different Trigger's used. A must read for a tru Roy Roger's fan

This is a great book for Roy and Trigger fanatics . Somewhat overpriced for the binding and print quality and with a few (unimportant) misspellings, but it is the most complete and in my opinion accurate book on the subject . I truly enjoyed the read .

I purchased this book for my husband for Valentine's Day. He loves it and said that it is a MUST HAVE for fans of Roy Rogers and Trigger. The book is so thoroughly researched that the reader realizes all the intricacies involved in the Trigger legend. Trigger's life began in July 1934 and ended in July 1965, but Roy Rogers career continued, even after his pal, Trigger, was too old to make a contribution in his movies. The relationship between Trigger, Little Trigger and Trigger, Jr., as well as Pal in California contributed to the Trigger legend. The book is instrumental in knowing which horse you are seeing in the different Roy Rogers movies, on tv, and in pictures.

As big fan of Roy Rogers and Trigger ,is this a great book ,ful with nice new pictures and the life story about this great horse, for me its a welcome item for my colection

i need strategies & secret

I know that Imperialism 2 is a great game, and I want to make this cheaper, I bought a "internet cracked cd" that includes the game, so I played and liked it.when I saw the help issue (within-
the game),I saw the manual,and I asked myself what the heck is that manual.And so I wrote here and found out.

aleady out of words,
xxxxx!

I'm one of those people who buys every strategy guide for every game I have worth playing. The guide for Imperialism II is one of the very best I've read. It contains very helpful advice on sound strategies covering each aspect of the game and has a very helpful section outlining research options. Highly recommended.

I was pleasantly surprised by the information content, analysis, and true strategic content in the strategy guide. At a time when few strategy guides for war and strategy games are worth buying, this is a strong exception.

I was pleasantly surprised by the information content, analysis, and true strategic content in the strategy guide. At a time when few strategy guides for war and strategy games are worth buying, this is a strong exception.

This is not really a tale of embezzlement and disgrace - it is the store of power struggles between the Board of Directors for Columbia Studios, who were clearly had personal loyalty in their underlings as their top priority, and the CEO, Alan Hirschfield, trying to do what he needed to do to save the studio.

I don't have access to people at this level, so I appreciate the peeping-Tom aspect of viewing the thought processes and actions of people who normally hide behind lawyers, secretaries, and call-screeners.

The author obviously interviewed many many people to put this book together, and I appreciate how he reported on the media coverage, as well. I never really thought of how people manipulate the news as part of the story, but course it is.

The book is like a newspaper story in that it is filled with information, but the narrative reads like a novel - very easy to read. The author does a good job of developing story-lines, so we have a sense of completeness, and a sense of an overview, while also sprinkling the famous names and the glamour that makes Hollywood so compelling to people.

I've never understood why Hollywood turns out bad movies month after month, year after year, when it is so easy to tell from the beginning that a movie is going to be awful. Why make awful movies?

This book doesn't directly address that issue, but it shows how irresponsible and irrational the leading powers that control Hollywood on both coasts are, and how corrupt the whole system is. It's obvious that normal things like making a good product become irrelevent to their attention span.

I guess it's not really corruption, if everyone knows it's happening, and it's just a way of getting things done.

My only complaint is that I wish I had more of a reality on the Board Directors. Their actions seem so irrational, but I'm sure it's because they were not forthcoming in their interviews, and did not take the opportunity to express their points of view. People at that level are notorious for avoiding the press, so it is not surprising.

I bought this book when it first came out and have reread it every year or so. Tends to be a bit long and sometimes slow, but it's great. Buy a used copy, or check at the library.

Being from the Washington D.C. area I kept constantly asking why someone didn't leak this to the press and blow the whole compiristy.

The only comparable book is "The Great Salad Oil Swindle"

David Begelman would never have been exposed as the crook he was without the dogged, principled determination of Cliff Robertson to get to the bottom of corruption at the top levels of Hollywood. This excellent book documents Robertson's heroic efforts to get at the truth -- for which he was blackballed by the Hollywood establishment for years. Cliff once said to me: "Of all the things in my life I'm proud of -- if I'm proud at all -- it's not winning the best actor Oscar or Emmy; it's my part in bringing down that crook Begelman."

But perhaps the book is most valuable for its exposure of the top echelon of Hollywood -- people with lots of money and no taste; people who know nothing whatever about movies. And could care less. I hope this book is reprinted soon. It is timeless.

This book gives details of David Begelman the head man at
Columbia Pictures getting caught forging Cliff Robertson's name
on a check. Robertson had won an Oscar for his role in Charly.
As a result of Begelman getting caught Roberetson would suffer
mightily at the hands of the powerful in Hollywood.Cliff Robertson wound up being blacklisted as a result of this scandal.This scandal would send shockwaves from Hollywood to
Wall Street.You are given a complete coverage of this event in
this excellent book.You are given good coverage of some of the
individuals who were involved in this scandal.David Begelman's demise is also given coverage in this book.This is an excellent book on this event. Read it. You will not be dissapointed.

David Begelman, powerful head of a studio thinks he is above the law, until an actor by the name of Cliff Robertson exposes him. This book is a well written tale of immorality in a town known for it's lack of scruples. Hollywood insiders should not be surprised at this tale, but I was. The check Begelman forged was for a small amount. The man made more than that in a month. The book exposes the reasons why a man who had it all, would choose to commit such a crime and fall from grace. I was quite disappointed by Robertson's treatment by Hollywood's hierarchy when he was the victim, not Begelman. But it proves just how far studios will go to protect the bottom line. I read this book when it was first published years ago and I'm reading it again. The list of books I will read more than once is a short one. I highly recommend it.

I read this book quickly because I couldn't put it down. The research and thought that went into this book are tremendous. It is well organized and unbiased. Maybe the title for this post should be "if you want to tell others how bad TV is, read this book first". The research shows that parents need to parent their kids and take responsibility for kids and their own actions. Yes, some TV is bad, but you wouldn't let your kid listen to Howard on the radio would you? Yes, some TV is good - I won't go into details but given your parental intelligence you know what choices are correct. What Ms. Guernsey does though is break down shows and types of shows for specific age groups and she provides some enlightening insights on how some shows were developed. I recommend anyone who is a parent or works in the children's world read this book.

Into the Minds of Babes is a highly readable book that impresses with its lack of judgement (on a very controversial topic!) and clear information. Guernsey is able to take complicated research studies and break them down in a straightforward presentation of the facts. The author also does a great job of giving information that helps make good choices about tv without being preachy. I highly recommend this book for parents, educators, and all those involved with young children.

Most of the mothers I know are aware of the somewhat draconian guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatricians regarding children under 2 and TV-watching (don't let them, ever) and turn on Sesame Street anyway, fighting the urge to look over their shoulder to see which AAP spy is waiting to catch them and call "bad mama!" Lisa Guernsey's book gets to the bottom of the multitude of studies conducted on the effects of TV/media and children, explaining the most recent scholarly research in non-patronizing ways. By addressing some of the most debated/unresolved fears parents have when it comes to TV, she provides a practical guide to good decision making about media use and a wildly fascinating look at how young children develop cognitively, all without being boring.

Which, of course, is a huge plus, wouldn't you say?

Highly recommended to anyone who wonders about the effect of TV--you might be surprised by her findings!

Ms. Guernsey tackles the research, warnings, and well meaning 'advice' that parents are baraged with and presents the findings in a format that is a great mixture of research (fully annotated for those who want to delve deeper) and personal experiences of real parents.

Her writing style makes the book a joy to read, as you follow Ms. Guernsey through her journey to find answers. This is not simply another parenting book that espouses a particular path, rather it provides the tools for parents to make educated decisions.

As a busy parent, make the time to read this fascinating book.

With two preschoolers, I'm always looking for practical advice to manage the chaos. This book was both interesting and comforting, with a "real world" perspective on what screen time means in the American family. The book has a thoughtful discussion of the brouhaha raised by the American Academy of Pediatrics pronouncement that children under 2 should have ZERO time in front of the television. The intriguing result of Guernsey's research? The AAP made the pronouncement with no scientific basis, just the thought that eliminating screen time was bound to increase beneficial interactive time between parents/caregivers and children. Definitely worth a read by parents of young children.

The title of this book is somewhat misleading. "Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles" is as much a biography of Henson as a gallery of his artwork. Admittedly, the biographical details focus on Henson's career, rather than his personal life, but the fact still remains that the text still takes up about as much space as the pictures themselves. I think that this is something that people should be aware of if they are thinking of purchasing this book. I, for one, was hoping to see more of Henson's artwork, and was somewhat disappointed at the sparseness of it. Nevertheless, this is still a worthwhile book.
This is the first (and only, as far as I am aware) book to contain Henson's early sketches and artwork, and any fan of the Muppets is likely to find this fascinating. It is possible, through these pictures, to see how many of the Muppets have evolved. For example, in Henson's original sketches, Oscar the Grouch was purple with a long, skinny neck, a far cry from the green monster who now appears on "Sesame Street". Furthermore, in spite of the fact that I wish there was less text and more pictures, I did find the text to be of interest when I finally sat down and read it.

Hopefully, there will one day be a second book, featuring more of Henson's artwork. However, until then, this is all that is available and provided that you are aware of the limitations of this book, you shouldn't be too disappointed.

I ordered this book for my daughter who loves Jim Henson & the Muppets as a birthday present, and is a professional puppeteer inspired by Jim Henson. She absolutely loves this book and I highly recommend anything Jim Henson related as he was a pioneer in this area and one of the most creative people on the planet.

This is a must for all you muppet fans!

The wonderful new long awaited book, Jim Henson's Desings and Doodles is almost a museum on paper. It shows Jim's best artwork, from storyboards, to puppet desingns, even a very early Kermit sketch. The book also features a never before seen look at the never produced special, "Johnny Carson and The Muppet Machine" which was to be a physcedelic trip into the 1960's. The artwork is very detailed, and even has a stone carving of Ed Macmahon! The book also shows some of his early work, including silkscreen images of meloncholy (which was inspired by the death of his brother , Paul) and concert posters and crazy characters who were soon to be Frackles!

One of the best parts of the book is Henson 's early commercial storyboards, which feature the two popular commercial Muppets ,Wilkins and Wontkins, Hansel and Gretel Muppets, and Kermit, The Snerfs and Rowlf (the IDEAL doll ad where Kermit sings the unfamilliar jingle"Oh buy us, oh buy us, oh buy us we beg! If you do not buy us, we'll bite you in the leg!!!) . Early drawings of the La Choy Dragon, and Nutty Bird(Royal Crown soda ads, precursor to Big Bird) are also featured.

The book brings us for the first time many illustrations of show ideas that never made it to the small screen. The Zoocus (The Zoo Circus), The Entertainers, and Martian Landing are all examples shown by illustrations from Jim's fertile imagination. The Zoocus was to be a show full of new Muppets such as Mr. Ripple and Carbourator Jones and had a guest star on each show (Sound like TMS to you?). The show would be a variety but would mostly ,as shown in Henson's drawings,be a talk show with the guest, where the Muppets would lounge behind large alters and other sets. The Entertainer was to be a show about a travelling vaudevillian show where Muppet men (and a can can girl) would sing popular songs at the time. This was also to be a Variety type show. Martian Landing would feature Muppet Koosebaine like creatures that would swap jokes and do skits on another planet. It was to be a Live variety show. It ashame these didn't get aired.

This book has so much I haven't mentioned yet, (I don't want to spoil it!) and it is definetly worth every penny. By far, one of my favs. among a long line of Muppet Books. Enjoy!

I have always been a Jim Henson fan. After all, I grew up with Sesame Street and the Muppet Show. I was always fascinated with the strange and creative creatures that he came up with. This book is a gold mine of his ideas and sketches - some that you will recognize and some that you have probably never seen.

This is sort of an odd book for me to have. I don't collect books based on movies or TV shows. But this one doesn't really fall into that category at all. It's more of an artist's diary and sketchbook. I enjoy just paging through it to look at all of the wonderous things Jim Henson imagined. His work seems to have something "odd" to it that I can somehow connect with and be fascinated by it.

I think anyone who has enjoyed Jim Henson's productions will probably enjoy looking through this book. It's an adventure to page through time after time.

Jim Henson was a man who managed to sum up the whole intire feeling of what it was to be young, and full of energy in his fantastic creations. His work, from Mupets to films such as 'Labyrinth' and 'The Dark Crystal', showed us that he could tap that part of our minds that wanted to let go, and be free to live in our fantasies. This book, unlocks the back door to the mind that created our most cherished characters from the Henson world. It shows us where these characters came from, and also gives us an insight to the man who made it all happen. I found this book to be a real Gem, and an adventure. Just seeing the doodles Jim did as a child, or a teen, and some of his non character based art work, was fascinating. Buy this book If you are a fan of Mr hensons work. It is not the most complete book, as far as his other projects go, and some people may wish that some of his film work had got into the book. But for those that like to get closer to their idols, and want to feel like a close friend looking through his old scrapbooks, get this book. You won't be dissapointed.

Joe Bob goes to the Drive-in Is with out a doubt a great read reads. He makes anyone who passes his time seeing B movies and hanging out with his friends feel like they are not alone
and I love the times when he bashes a movie as a critic and then tells how he enjoys it as a fan, And if that is not enough Joe Bobs stories of His friends and Non Friends will definetly keep you entertained.
The drive in will never die

...and we're talking an anthology of uniquely American satire - by a man who truly believes that a sacred cow is worth but one thing (namely: steak!) - with that classic American institution of sideward mobility (the drive-in theater) serving merely as the setup man for the most classic lancing of America's boils since H.L. Mencken roasted the booboisie and Artemus Ward proclaimed that if we can't find a live man who's worth a thing, by all means let us find a first class corpse.

Beaucoup garbanzas, mountains of mashed internal organs, kung fooey out the yin-yang, slashings, smashings, chainsawings, bonechoppings, drillings, you name it. And it isn't just the cheeseball drive-in celluloid (yes, children, once upon a time there was celluloid) that gets dismembered, disemboweled, and dehydrated by the classic Briggs scythe: it's the absolute and utter pretentiousness of the smugger-than-thou film critic colony (there are exceptions; you will know them by their lack of implied slash in a typical Joe Bob joust) and the politically correct pissants who tried, and in the long run failed, to bring him down, that get the real roasting in here.

(Come on - you don't REALLY think "We Are The World" was either sacred or a cow, so much as it was a lot of bull, as any of those starving African children - who gorged themselves on all the food the monies didn't provide them, because it was lining the hips of the Communist french fry heads who ran the show in Ethiopia, gave one gander to the white man formerly known as the black man named Michael Jackson and friends, with their precious pietous paen to giving until it hurt, and decided they'd had their biggest laugh since the invention of the axle - can tell you. Do you? And these days, Joe Bob's slash-and-burn against Wacko and the gang would be considered downright lightweight, compared to some of the chazerei getting spouted off by cable TV comics and the lunatics fringe left and right.)

Rated OK for gratuitous satire. DukeBob says check it out. Five stars. (Actually, there's only one star of this show.)

by Delacourt, this is a cult classic just as much as any of the movies Joe Bob reviews. John Bloom's beer-guzzling, womanizing, politically incorrect alter ego unleashes subtle social commentary while reviewing some of the worst travesties ever committed to film based on the number of people who die, how they die, and how many women take their tops off. Bloom went so far as to get Joe Bob banned from Texas newspapers, for a racial satire on "We Are The World". Stephen King writes the intro. If you are a fan of all that is bad in cinema (lo-budget horror, women in jail films, kung fu), you cannot go thru life not reading this. ....

Five stars. I say check it out.

Joe Bob Briggs goes the distance to bring to you the ultimate list of the best Drive In movies. This collection of newspaper articles that Joe Bob wrote is funny and entertaining. Also, you get a peek into Joe Bob's life as well as his early career. From his very first article to him being run out of Texas on a rail, it's a great story!

Excellent reading for the b-movie (and otherwise) fan. Not only do we get movie reviews with blood, breast and decapitation counts, we get a bit of history watching Joe Bob's (John Bloom) Dallas newspaper column pro-gress. Part of the fun is knowing that this stuff was printed in the newspaper, in Dallas, in the 80s. He gets in spats with various entities (the mayor of Irving, TX) and creates endearing (or disgusting, depending on your perspective) fictional characters. I particularly enjoyed the letters-to-the-editor he would respond to. Only 4 stars because he basically says to check out every movie he reviews (even if it sucks).

As president of the Association of Personal Historians (an international network of professionals who help others preserve their life stories and family history), I was often asked to recommend books for people interested either in preserving their own family history or in getting into the business of doing this for others. There are many books on this topic, but Vera Rosenbluth's excellent book was always my number one recommendation. It is well-written, easy to understand and filled with helpful information.

Numerous oral history guides have come out since Vera Rosenbluth wrote the first edition of, and then expanded (2nd edition, 1997) Keeping Family Stories Alive, but Rosenbluth's book still is tops for what it aspires to do. Her approach works for any caring person who seeks to preserve the treasury of family lore. She also outlines solid oral history technique and gives careful attention to sensitive issues, making this book an equally valuable resource for the professional personal historian. Speaking as a seasoned professional, this is the book I would aspire to write if Vera Rosenbluth hadn't already done it.

Before I read this book I had written my own life story, however I knew nothing about interviewing other people. The book gave explicit instructions about how to conduct an interview as well as many ideas about generating memories when interviewing older people. I found the last chapter very helpful as it contained many interview questions.

I am just starting a personal historian business and I found this book very helpful, particularly the how to of recording interviews and the list of questions that are suggested. I'd say it's very useful for families and professionals. Really worth it!

Lesley Grant
Linking Lives
Saving Life Stories

Vera's easy to read style and engaging manner is hard to put down. I read it in one sitting and it propelled me to take the challenge of becoming a Personal Historian. I now love what I do everyday and owe it in part to Vera's book of inspiration.

This book is awesome..I mean if your already a crazy Shahrukh khan fan like I am, then you will know a few of the facts mentioned in the book but it is so fantastically written and a definite collectors item for all bollywood junkies. Overall I definitely reccomend this book, worth the price for sure:D

I fell in love with the Bollywood cinema in August 2005. After watching hundreds of movies I felt a hunger to know more, to understand what makes it tick, what lies behind the colour, drama, music and obsession with Indian movie stars. I was looking forward to "King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema"-it sounded most promising. When I got hold of the book (thanks to Amazon)I couldn't put it down. I devoured every page, every bit of information-loved everything about it. I recommend the book to anyone who is interested in Indian Cinema, you will find it to be a fascinating insight into what makes the industry so alluring and powerful.

Bollywoodmania is an addiction. For Westners that will discover and appreciate it in the next years (and be sure they will!) it is the disclosure of a fairytale world of moviemaking that was there all the time but that we simply didn't know. Well, when this will happen the first and probably most important gateway will be the actor and the movies interpreted by Shahrukh Khan. And after having seen some of these, no one will be able to resist curiosity on this great actor.

Anuparma Chopra is a member of the Chopra family that makes up the establisment of Bollywood and is also an estimated journalist. From her priviledged point of view she has written this biography of the still young King Khan integrating his personality with the history of Bollywood cinema in the last 20-30 years. Naturally, the biography is authorized and as such may not contain episodes that are not consistent with the image modern Bollywood and Shahrukh Khan want to convey. All the less, there is a sincerity that transpires throughout the book and allows the reader to connect with the actor and his environment.

The first part on the youth of the actor is full of episodes and sometimes takes on a mythical aspect, but that is a common feature of all biographies. The chapters on the later years are a little sketchy and skip many well known facts. But we must not forget that this book has and will have a different impact on Indians or the Indian-culture public and "Westner's". The Author wanted to write about something new or at least not well known to her main public, that practically reads at least two or three articles a day on Shahrukh Khan. Reading the Indian reviews of the book that criticize the small amount of new information this aspect is very evident.

The book's point of force is the analysis of the reasons for Shahrukh Khan's success, that trascend the actor's talent and are deeply rooted in the transformation of Indian society and how modern Indians envision themselves in these years. An important weight is correctly given to the directors (Chopra and Johar) that have created Shahrukh's winning image and cinema personality, while some movies and directors he also worked with are only mentioned.

The bibliography is quite extensive for a short biography such as this and cites many interesting books on Bollywood cinema. A filmography of the actor is missing and I would have appreciated a brief comment on his less well known movies.

I suggest to read this book even if you are not a Shahrukh fan just to be updated on modern entertainment and on the reasons and pulsions that contribute to create our "collective imagination".

Title: King of Bollywood
Author: Anupama Chopra
ISBN: 978-0-446-57858-5
Publisher: Warner Books
Review By: Diana Rohini LaVigne, Indian Life & Style Magazine

Packed with scrumptious lesser known facts of one of, if not the top Bollywood actor of modern day, Shah Rukh Khan, King of Bollywood is a fun book to read and fun book to share. Being one of the most talked about personalities in the world today, SRK is a legend already but King of Bollywood feeds the hunger of his fans globally on what is the man like behind the mask of superstar.

Although it shies away from some of the less flattering aspects of the actor's life and lifestyle, it does deliver some notions of challenges faced, failures along the way and allows readers to travel from his days as a penniless boy traveling to Bombay on a whim to the grand master of marketing and box office smashes. His story is so extraordinary and almost bigger than life, but Anupama Chopra tells the story in a way that allows fans to follow along and relate their own personal struggles to those of the actor's. Expertly written, King of Bollywood puts SRK's life into chronological order while recalling old memories into current day stories for insight into his physiological make up. Chopra really works on getting the actor's words into the book and calls on friends and family to help build the story from outside his prospective.

There is no doubt that Shah Rukh Khan is a master at the game of Bollywood and the art of persistence. King of Bollywood tells the tale of a boy, turned into a husband, who becomes the actor he always dreamed of being and then remaining the man he always was at heart. This wonderfully written book will provide entertainment to Bollywood lovers around the world and for ages to come.

Coming in at 250 pages, Anupama Chopra's authorized biography of Shah Rukh Khan covers from his parents' courtship in 1959 to January 2007. Ms. Chopra adds more details to Shah Rukh Khan's familiar backstory: on his father's business ventures, Shah Rukh's time at St. Columba's School, his parents' illnesses & deaths, & Shah Rukh Khan's training as an actor & his first steps in Mumbai. Several facets of Shah Rukh Khan's career are highlighted, particularly his daring acceptance of the anti-hero roles in Baazigar & Darr, the importance of Yash Chopra, Aditya Chopra, & Karan Johar in the creation of his screen persona, being contacted by the Mumbai mafia, box office slumps, in India, during the Dreamz Unlimited period, & resurgence with Veer-Zaara & Devdas. One gets new details on SRK's life & career but many questions go unanswered, like how did Shah Rukh train to dance, which parent did he inherit his dimples from, & what is a shooting day like on set?

Anupama Chopra's writing is skillful, so much so that I wished this biography was 3-4 times longer & more academic & detailed. There are no endnotes or footnotes within the chapters, but there is an extensive bibliography, arranged by chapter, at the back of the book & a list of people interviewed. There is information on Khan's parents that I had not read before, but Shah Rukh Khan's statements appear to be from past interviews. There are new photographs in the book provided by family & friends of Khan. I wish Ms. Chopra had given more information on the evolution & workings of cinema in Mumbai, on Shah Rukh Khan's & his family's personal lives, & on the family clans that dominate Hindi cinema. Neither her treatment of Shah Rukh Khan's career to present nor the discussion of Hindi cinema in Mumbai feels complete. However, I thoroughly enjoyed her writing (& the thoughtful translations of Hindi words & movie titles) & recommend the book for those who enjoy Shah Rukh Khan's work & Bollywood movies.

This is one of my favorite computer games of all time. It requires thinking and all the literature that comes with it. The plights of Prince Alexander are well-documented in this adventure game that will keep you hooked. The Isle of Wonder scenes are hilarious, and the vizier's genie has rather creative ways of trying to lure Alexander to his death. There are two main endings to the game and several variations on them, so there is plenty to play for. I enjoyed this game a lot. The interactions with the other characters (such as the pawn shop owner, bookstore operator, Jollo, and the ferryman) are essential, and the literary allusions are fun. All in all, a great game for anyone.

I beat the game today and started it yesterday, but i must tell you, its not a short game. I spent all day playing it, its a very long game. If you like crazy adventures, this is your game! You practically need the manual to beat the game though. This game is full of hard puzzles, so if you do not like puzzle games then this games probably not for you. I really reccomend people who are into puzzle/adventure games to get this...

This game is very simple minded. However, it also takes a lot of skill to go through the whole game and places that are needed to beat this game. Overall, a must play!

This is one of my very favorite computer games from when I was a kid. The storyline is creative and interesting, and will keep you playing until you win! There are also two different endings to this game so you can play it many times without getting bored. I can't recommend this game enough, it. is. amazing. It is quite a long game, and if you buy it for your children they may need some help because some difficult puzzles are involved and they might get stuck. And as some other reviewers have said, you DO NEED the booklet that comes with the CD case, it contains the Winged Ones alphabet that you will need to use to solve some riddles. But don't fret if you've lost it, it can be found on the internet along with many walkthroughs to help you-- it's a long game and you have to go to lots of places in the right order to finish!

People who play new computer games may not be thrilled by the graphics, but remember it is from the '90s and the coolness of the game makes up for anything the graphics my lack. Buy it!

Be warned, King's Quest VI cannot be won with out the "Alphebet Translator" located in the "Guide to the Green Isle" booklet. If this booklet is not icluded in you purchase, you will not be able to advance very far. This was Sierra's form of purchase protection.