Art Books

I found that this was an excellent account of Donny Osmond's memoirs of his life and of his enccounters with social anxiety. I recommend this to anyone who is a Donny Osmond fan.

As a life long Osmond fan, I was captivated by this book. Donny really put himself out there, the book was honest, written with feeling,I really understood the grown up Donny and felt the fear he must have felt when he was going through his Social Phobia. I am glad that he wrote it the way he did. People get the wrong impressions and they run with them. I feel that fans and the entertainment industry let Donny down. Everyone wanted the gorgeous teen aged boy, he grew to be a handsome man, a loving husband, a good father and a fantastic artist. This book gave you a true picture of who Donny is and that above all he is human just like the rest of us. I have even read this book again because it was very interesting. We see the glamour and the fun part of being famous, but it has its nightmares and is very hard work. What I admire about Donny the most is that he hasn't let success change who he is, he could have done something drastic to be in the front pages amd he has chosen not to. As of this date he is married to Debbie for 30 years now, how many celebrities can say that.

Am not a big reader but loved to hear how Just like others Donny has not had a perfect life, A must for all Donny fans and those who just want a insight into his life.

LIFE IS JUST WHAT YOU MAKE IT: MY STORY SO FARas I read donny's book, i couldnt help but feel partly responsible for Donny's downfall from super stardom. I was devastated to learn of Donny's marriage to Debbie and felt so betrayed by him that i put my Osmond albums and posters away and turned my back on him for what I vowed would be forever. It made me sad to read how hard it was for him to go from being on top of the world to a has been at the age of 21. And a broke has been as well. At times through out the book, i felt Donny was feeling sorry for himself but then, thats understandable too. Something I was absolutely delighted to read about was the family home. I always pictured the Osmond clan all living in one big giant mansion. As each brother got married, he'd just move his wife in. Well that wasnt quite right. they bought an entire apartment building and knocked out some walls to accomadate them. I also was touched by the story Donny wrote about briefly about the relationship between his mother and Elvis Presley. I am glad i read this book. although i dont listen to or care for his music anymore, I do, from time to time see him on TV and will watch. I was very disappointed in him when i saw him insult Rosie Odonnel about her weight. Totally rude and uncalled for. He explains in his book that he thought her words of praise and love for him was her way of mocking him and he lashed out. I don't buy it. He said too it was a joke. Ask any fat person if they've ever heard a fat joke that was funny. I lost alot of respect for Donny that day. However i was amused at Rosie. She over exaggerated his comment and for weeks, every guest she had on her show, she'd ask them if they saw the show where donny called her a big fat pig. Guess he picked the wrong fat girl to pick on. I would definately recommend this book to Donny fans.

I truly enjoyed reading this book as it showed a side of Donny that I assumed existed but didn't believe until I read his book. The book is honest, truthful and forward about his life, family and how he got where he is now. Eye opening in a lot of personal stories. I got a sense that his father was more of a disciplinarian than was let on and this affected Donny more than we knew. If you really want to know more about Donny and what makes him tick, read this book. I read it in 2 days.

To review this book I will divide it into two parts.

The first part is the story of Charlie's Angels from it's very first inception when it was about three "freelance crimefighters" calling themselves The Alley Cats to the final days of shooting when the show closed it production for good. There are a lot of interesting backstage tell-alls going on here featuring just about everyone connected with the show. We also have some pretty objectionable opinions on storylines and the direction of the series, as well as some pretty honest quotes from those that were involved. Very little was held back which makes this book an interesting read, but on the negative side there were a few cases which, unfortunately, sounded like one-sided gossip.
Example #1: the book, of course includes the story of Farrah Fawcett's abrupt decision to not return for season 2 and her subsequent lawsuit settlement which required her to make six more appearances. When she returned to film those episodes, she was "not warm to anyone," according to Cheryl Ladd. "She did not want to be there." Unfortunately, Fawcett was not interviewed for this book, therefore her side of the story was not included.
Example #2: Kate Jackson became increasingly unhappy with the direction of the show and by seasons 2 & 3, she started making a lot of demands which added a lot of tension to the set. Additionally, she apparently was not happy with the hiring of Ladd and the two actresses did not get along very well throughout the two years they filmed the show together. However, Jackson was not interviewed for this book, therefore her side of the story is not included.
In fact, one of the authors admits to having been friends with Jaclyn Smith for many years, and perhaps that is why the book is full of current quotes from Smith and Ladd, while anything from Jackson and Fawcett were lifted from previously published interviews printed while the show was still in production. Suspiciously, the story of how the network wanted to fire Smith after the pilot episode (and Aaron Spelling's fight to keep her on) is missing.
Anyhow, the book is still an interesting read, including the sections featuring Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts. There are also brief resumes done on everybody associated with the series in their respective chapters. Kudos to that!

The second part of the book is an episode guide followed by commentary featuring small trivia and tidbits. The description of the episodes read more like an extended description you'd see in TV guide: enough to set up the plot but leaving enough out to not give anything away. In this case, I think that was wrong and made this section a very boring read. The authors should have included full synopsis from each episode (from beginning to end) - there'd be no need to fear that they would be spoiling anything since anyone who buys a book like this would've seen all the episodes anyway. Still, the commentary is interesting, making notes of notable guests stars and small little tidbits that you never knew, like: only in ONE episode of the entire five year run did all three angels appear in bathing suits together in one shot. Now that's trivia for the thinking man.

The bottom line is that the book should probably be taken for the same amount of entertainment that the TV show should be taken as - some shallow storylines mixed with some really good ones making for some guilty pleasures.

This is a great book. I'm a huge fan of the series and Farrah Fawcett. It's a great book for fans of the hit TV show,from the actresses profiles to the series episode guide and commentary. Great pictures too!

If you are a Charlies Angels fan, then this book is a must. It is full of everyhting you need to know about the show and the beautiful ladies that made the show a hit. Oh and let's not forget Bosley "David Doyle". I loved this show from the day it debuted til the last episode. I have also been a longtime pen pal to one of the authors Jack Condon Who I know for fact has met each one of the Angels personally and is friends with Jaclyn Smith. So I truly recommend this book to all Angels fans because, trust me Mr. Condon knows his Angels.

Ok I love Charlies angels as much as the next... but this book is lame. Just as I watched each week enjoying yet hoping the plots would get better this book is the same. Just reading and waiting for it to get better.
Basically there is nothing you havent heard before. I would sell my copy for a buck plus shipping.

This is such a fun book! Lots of rare photos of all cast members. I really enjoyed the stories and anecdotes from all the personal interviews with the different cast members. This book obviously took lots of time and effort to compile.
I was won over in the first few pages where proper hommage is paid to the Angels' predecessors in female crime-fighting : Anne Francis as Honey West and Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. Charlie's Angels was perhaps ground-breaking but these 2 women broke the ground for the Angels in the previous decade. After this bit of history, it was evident that the author really knows his subject matter.
Just tons of fun facts in this book! Nice filmographies of each cast member and a very cool reference section on all the merchandise created for the show.
There is also a review of each episode of the show. This may be my favorite part as the author points out various bloopers or script inconsistencies that make the show all the more endearing. I didn't know that Rossano Brazzi was an Olympic athelete! The only drawback about his book is that it's so much fun to read that it leaves you wanting more! Thanks for a job well-done Jack!

This is not just the story of RENT and its creation, but the story of it's creator as well. Jonathan Larson's story is just as moving as RENT is, and this book gives an awesome insight into the life of this amazing composer who was taken far too early. This coupled with interviews from more people than I can count makes this a highly enjoyable read. The book also includes a whole bunch of pictures one would not see anywhere else, and the libretto, so the entire experience is bundled up in this one big black book with fake duct-tape binding. It was such an enjoyable read and made me cry just as much as the show itself. No Day But Today.

This book has everything you need if you are interested in more than just the movie. The whole script is included. Interviews with the entire cast! The whole story of how rent was created, start to finish. It is worth every penny and is the only rent book you'll ever need.

An absolute necessity for any renthead. only complaint is it is written early on in the broadway run but really that is the end of the story mostly.
rent has etched itself into my psyche like a weevil. there is not a morning that i wake up that one of the songs is not in my head. i sell music and i have never came across a group of music that has had this effect on me.
perhaps the story of larson's early demise colors it and adds that extra tragic twist that keeps it inside your soul but whatever it has provided the most joyus ride into musical bliss that i have ever experienced yet.
(move over "pet sounds", "west side story", "toy matinee" & "eli & the 13th confession".
the book is laid out well, quite informative. even has comments from the pit band (who are essential).
GET THIS if you have to futher feed your rent needs.
viva la vie bohem.

I wasn't a big fan of "Rent" until I saw the movie, and when I read this book, it gave me a bigger meaning to the play/movie.

Warning: This is just for fans of "Rent". Those who haven't seen the movie will get into the story of how it was made, but not as much the screenplay.

The life of Jonathan, how Rent was born, how it still grows... The neverending story of the musical that changed (and continues changing) the world. A MUST for every renthead, but also for everyone who likes this musical (both the stage version or the movie). A lot of informations, photos, the musical script...
You HAVE TO BUY IT!!!
...it made me cry... it's SO real... and SO full of love... AMAZING!!!

This is one of those classic novels that you could read again and again. I hadn't read it since high school twenty years ago and just re-read Christy last week. I like it even better now than I did then (and I loved it then, too). I would have loved to have had Catherine Marshall's version of a sequel (hopefully it would have consisted of a continuation of Neil & Christy's romance), but I guess we get to imagine the "happily ever after" instead. It's a great read!

Sorry, but the glut of coincidences and melodramatic writing was just too much. I'm going back to my nonfiction now.

I just read this book and what can I say except that it was amazing. I actually prefer Neil to David. David was never very consistent in his faith he was good talker but he had no understanding. I recomend this book to anyone who already has faith or is struggling to find theirs. Read this book! You won't be sorry!

I really enjoyed this book. I also enjoyed the fact that many of the events in the book are in the series released on DVD. I would have preferred if certain subjects had not been discussed in this book so that it would be more appropriate for younger ages. Other than that it was a really enjoyable read.

This is one of my very favorite books! I've read it over so many times and never get tired of it. It's just so interesting, captivating and touching.

The most useful part of this book is the multitude of quotes supplied for every character, theme, and episode. The book is also peppered with interesting sidebars containing trivia, the show's famously funny stage directions, and Buffyverse info only noticeable through multiple watchings. Yet the character descriptions, intro to Buffy mythology, bios, and other text-heavy parts of the book are deadened by a juvenile style of writing that lacks color yet overdoses on complimentary language. If you are considering buying this book, you probably already know how great "Buffy" is and how clever Whedon is, and don't need to be convinced. The general gushiness, which is tempered and balanced by serious character and plot review in other books, is dull when supported only by lengthy, boring recaps. My suggestion: buy it used, because it's not worth the list price or Amazon's price.

Very informative, and a lot of fun.

Along with brief episode descriptions and information there is a whole lot more fun stuff to be found in this look at the first couple of seasons of the tv show.

Informations on the various quips and references made by the characters, and also some quotable quotes will come in handy for fans, no doubt about it.

Plenty of other bits and pieces following the characters and their relationships.

Good stuff.

The watcher guides are great. But The Big Book Of Buffy Bites 2008 contains things even they missed. For Buffy collectors the Watchers Guides are must have and great reads. But for the avid fanatical BtVS fan who wants it all I highly recommend The Big Book Of Buffy Bites 2008. This book is up to date (2008 and season 8 info), and contains everything you could possibly want to know about Buffy the Vampire Slayer...and more. One feature I have not seen in any other book, is a detailed time line of all the slayers...from the First Slayer...all the way to Buffy. This was a pleasant surprise.

This isnt the best book if you're looking for a behind the scenes one. But it is great when it comes to quotes. Behind the Scenes is more in the 2nd volume.

This has an excellent array of quotes from seasons 1 and 2(which is what this book covers). It also has pretty good episode reviews, with some deleted scenes usually showing up along with some unknown facts.

But it also has some information that I found boring, which included a tour of Sunnydale.

But on the whole, not to bad of a book.

I like the books by Kenneth Topping a lot more than the official guides. They are more fun, more informative, and because they aren't "official" can be fans more than authors maintaining an official relationship with the show. But having said that, this and its companion volume are both really informative. And although I knew all the quotes anyway, it was a lot of fun reading them all. The best part of the book is the interviews with people you normally don't hear as much about, like set designers and associate producers and such.

We live in the best era of technology and have personal access to cyberspace from the comfort of home. Mr. Sampson has brilliantly spelled out how to make this work with all the options available to you through Amazon.

I bought this book a few months ago, immediately following my books released. I was so impressed with the vast amount of knowledge I can implement to increase sales on my Amazon account.

Brilliant book!

Merna Throne

Pocket of Pearls: A 30-day pocket workbook to start hearing a softer voice inside of you!

By Charles Jacobs, author of The Writer Within You

Amazon is changing the book industry, so says Brent Sampson, author of Sell Your Book on Amazon. And it is! I thought I was aware of all of the unique selling tools this remarkable web site offers to its authors. Sampson showed me how wrong I was.

I have often wondered why some competing authors were so successful in having their books appear not only on their own title page (or as Sampson calls it Book Detail Page), but also on the pages of other authors. You've seen them: "Better Together" or "Customers who bought this item also bought." I found out why by reading this book

And there is a great deal more that I am incorporating into my Amazon presence after discovering it in Sampson's guide. Of course, Amazon wants authors to participate in these programs to encourage multiple sales. That's not so bad if the "multiple" is your book because it appeared alongside one by Dan Poynter or Patricia Fry.

While I am reluctant to stimulate more competition for my work, I feel obligated to share these findings with fellow authors. Simple to understand, direct and well written, Sampson's book is too good to miss.

Brent wrote a very nice book. He provides a comprehensive outline of what you MUST do to generate more book sales...by leveraging all of the resources that Amazon provides. There are numerous "tricks of the trade" that you'll learn by reading this book that will help increase your own book's online presence that will ultimately result in more books SOLD.

If you are an author of any book, you should educate yourself about the methods and techniques used by savvy book marketing gurus. I highly recommend "Sell Your Book on Amazon" to anyone who wants to sell more books on Amazon!


Matthew A. Martinez
Author of Investing in Apartment Buildings: Create a Reliable Stream of Income and Build Long-Term Wealth and 2 Years to a Million in Real Estate
www.matthewamartinez.com

For those of you who know nothing about Amazon, this book is probably for you. It does a great job explaining the steps and how to do the basics of amazon marketing.

The reason I rated it a two was because of the marketing. You see, the book tells me that it is going to reveal "Secrets" yet most of what was in the book can be found on amazon.com. So I was not very impressed as I had my expectations set VERY high. These expectations were set because of the authors marketing. If you are going to state high expectations, I feel you have to go beyond the readers expectations.

Sometimes I feel people just create books that don't really have a purpose but filling pages so that they can do better on marketing other books. Not sure if this is the case, but I got the vibe it was created as another marketing tool.

With that being said, if this is true, then there is also brilliance behind it. So the final recommendation is, if you are interested in someone who is good at marketing a book on amazon, this is probably a good book for the beginner.

But, I would not get hyped up about "The Secrets" behind what he has. Because I knew most of the stuff before I read the book.

Have a blast and hope it helped.

My own books have been posted on Amazon.com for at least a decade. Until I read Sampson's book I had no idea how many ways there were on this board to sell more of my works. Because Amazon doesn't make it easy to find the many features it offers (excluding the merchandise they sell) writing on how to sell one's books efficiently on this board is not an easy task. The author refers to this confusion many times.
I have only one major criticism of Sampson's work. Though he does refer in passing to novels, he does not seem to appreciate the difference between how-to books and fiction. It is easy to find cook books (one of the author's favorite examples) and compare them to an author's new work dealing with this subject. A novelist tries to be UNLIKE other authors. This even applies to writers of mysteries and science fiction books that fall into a very specific genre. So how would a novelist find other books that are comparable to his own work? I believe Sampson should have elaborated in greater detail on this subject.

Even if you have no sculpting talent whatsoever, this book is an engrossing read and a valuable reference for any crime or mystery writer. Karen Taylor has consulted for such hit TV shows as CSI and BONES and she definitely knows what she's talking about. The text is lucid and engaging and not at all intimidating, while the photos and diagrams alone are worth the price of admission!

This book is the ultimate reference resource on the subject written by the ultimate expert in the field. Kudos to Karen Talyor for compiling & sharing this wealth of information!

I purchased a copy of this book when it was first published. I actually now have a second copy that is filled with notes. It is an excellent and comprehensive text on forensic art. I have been a forensic artist for over ten years. I encourage anyone in the field who has not read Karen Taylor's book to get a copy and read it thorougly. I have found that I reference it several times a year on variousl aspects of forensic art. In short this book is a must have for anyone in the forensic art field.

As a sculptor, who often creates portrait busts, in the past I have searched for the perfect anatomy book to understand the head. When I found Taylor's Forensic Art and Illustration, I felt I had the information needed to sculpt a head. The book provides illustrations and relationships between the skull and the facial features. This book provides a three-dimensional tool for sculptors. I use it in my portrait
bust classes. I have never found any anatomy book with this much information.

I work for the television series Forensic Files and can honestly say that I have referenced this book more times than I can even begin to count. Karen Taylor is one of the most talented and creative artists. The dedication to her craft is clearly illustrated throughout this book. This book is a must have!

Advanced Water Distribution Modeling and Management is not only a complete and current reference for professionals involved in water distribution systems but also an essential textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses. In fact, what makes this book different is that it contains from basic hydraulic concepts up to the most recent researches and experiences in a comprehensive language.

Thank-You Haestad Mdthods for developing such a wonderful program. I use this book as a guide almost everyday.

This texttbook, that I recently reviewed, was for me a great experience. This is a must have book for any Civil consultant involved in hydraulics. It is both a guide to water modeling and a practical reference to water distribution operation and management. Thanks Haestad Methods.

This reference has given us an edge in satisfying client needs from the simplest capacity study to the most complex model. It has helped make our competent modelers more efficient and the up-and coming modeler function like a pro. Many common questions and problems are anticipated and clearly answered. Because the book so thoroughly covers system management issues, I believe many parts should be required reading for water resources engineers.

I wish I knew of this book's existence years ago. For too many years, I have been using several other reference books to "answer" my never ending questions and doubts on modeling and related subjects.

It even has reference on non-concontinuous flow condition. A great book with lots of "weight." The price was right, too, I received this gem free as a bonus for signing up to attend a wwebcast sponsored by Haestad.

Before I lost this, I was constantly using this as a point of reference for the time line of things and to make sure I wasn't mispelling certain things.. getting other things right, what was where, what all kinds of Star ship classes there wear, etc... this was all for a fan fiction novel that I was, am.. writing. Good thing I put some of those things I was always looking at.. on paper.. so I didn't have to lug the book around everywhere I went.

Granted it's lacking the last few seasons of Voyager and the whole of Enterprise, but I thank Okura for even making "an" edition of these, though it would be nice for a new one.

This is a great book, with one rather glaring error. Under the SETI entry, there is a picture of Pioneer's plaque. On the plaque, the Pioneer appears to be launched from the second planet from the sun. As we all know, the probe was launched from the third planet, Earth.

If you consider yourself a Trekkie or just someone who is truely intersted in Star Trek this Encyclopedia is a must buy period.It has insight to every facet of the Series.From the Original to Voyager you'll know details to everything.You'll won't be able to just glance through it once.I consider myself a huge Trekkie and like to think I know alot about the Shows,but I'll find myself amazed when I discover details about a certain charecter of Episodes I've forgotten or never knew exsisted.Especially interesting is the Timeline parts of the book,The breakdowns of Ship commisions and Designs,information about Actors,Cuisine,backstories of Charecters.You name it and they have everything about it...well almost everything.

You have to realize this fact before buying this Encyclopedia is that it was made in 1999.It's been 9 Years.Alot of History has happened in Star Trek since then and if you don't realize this now,you'll be disapointed to discover that to information about Deep Space Nine's last Season,the last 2 Seasons of Voyager,The whole of Enterprise and Star Trek Nemesis.All of this information is non-exsistant.And just imagine the frustration of people who actually owned this book through the years and reread it wishing it had all this wealth of new information.I honestly can't comprehend why Pocket Books would not release the Book with all of this missing information availible.Or make a CD-Rom of it.

This might sound like I'm ragging on the Book,but that would be impossible to do.Wiether or not this info is in this paticular Book doesn't really matter,because it extensively covers in scrutinizing detail of all the Series up to Deep Space Nine Last Season,Voyager's last 2 Seasons,the whole of Enterprise and Star Trek Nemesis.And believe me you'll be more than satisfied with that alone.

So,most definately buy this now and enjoy it and you will.But just realize it's outdated and once you do that then you can truely enjoy this Encyclopedia the way the Publisher intended you enjoy it:with wonderment and fun.

I bought this book in 2003, and it covered most of the bases then, but only the movies through 1998 ("Insurrection" IIRC; "Nemesis" is not covered.), and the 5th season of Voyager. It just covered the last season of DS9. And of course it has none of the "Enterprise" series.

There have also been events such as the Paramount auction of all the series and movie paraphernalia since then, and that could be a chapter all by itself.

I came on Amazon today expecting to see a new and updated version for sale, and was disappointed that the old edition is still all that's available.

Michael and Denise Okuda know everything there is to know about ST, and are the perfect people to update this. If I were shopping today for the first time I would say wait for the new edition, but buy a used paperback 1999 just to see what it's all about.

Keeping my fingers crossed that someone sees the demand for an updated version!

Nothing on the end of Voyager's Delta Quadrant wanderings? Nothing on Enterprise's backstory additions and newly-created anachronisms? Both this book and the related Star Trek Chronology need serious revamping. I appreciate the Okuda's insider Trekker style, but this reeks of willful blindness!

Loved it!! Too funny all the way around and so typically southern. I know these guys from way back and they are just as funny everyday. Radio show is a hoot!!

My family has enjoyed everything about the book and CD. We appreciate the Christian witness of Rick and Bubba.

if you are not familiar with there two guys - this book is a must have. just 2 "good ole boys". try it - you'll like it!

This book is really funny but the best chapters are the last three chapters where each of the men explain how their lives have changed since they received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Excellent reading!!

If you need a laugh you will enjoy the tales of life taken from the Author's family. It is hard to find really good, clean, and funny stories about family life and these two are the best in the entertainment industry today. The people is Alabama and surrounding state who can get their radio program are very fortunate.