Arts and Entertainment Books

To people who do not accept the idea that we are being "visited" by alien beings this will probably be a laugh. However, to open minded people and those who have studied the subject it is very interesting and believable. I was particularly impressed with the fact that this abductee did not need hypnosis to remember his experiences. Hypnosis in the right hands is a valuable tool to recover memories blocked by the aliens, but is often doubted. Here is a man who remembers without needing it. If you have any interest at all in this type of subject, I highly recommend it.

Paul Sharp

An extremely good read! It is fast paced, to the point, and very believable. At times it gives you chills. It truly does leave you waiting for the next book by the author.

I just published a book and happened to come across this book on the publishers website. I could not put this book down. I give the author a tremendous amount of credit for coming forward with this information. I recomend it to everyone!

I personally haven't read the book yet but I plan to asap. However, I have contacted Craig via email before the publish of this book and he told me all about his experiences. Although I am already a believer in this phenomena it should be known that the type of activity that this book describes does happen very frequently. Craig is one person in thousands who has had these experiences including me. Enjoy the book, I know I will.

This would have been much better if its author had limited his story to his adventures in Paris in the twenties, as did Hemingway in "A Moveable Feast". (Hemingway appears in "Bad Boy of Music" by the bye.) Still this is very entertaining. Its author exaggerates and invents and lies through his teeth--you might learn something.

Also recommended: PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.

My interest in reading George Antheil's autobiography came from admiration for his music and what he could relate about Paris in the 1920's. Mr. Antheil was a very good writer and wrote quite a lot during his life, particularly for Esquire magazine. He gives his writing a conversational style that flows nicely. I liked the fact that he began his book with stories of his brief career as a pianist and how hard it is to be a traveling musician. Must amusing is that he had a gun concealed in a silk holster when he perform - except once in Budapest when he placed it on the piano. His performances had been greeted with so many riots that he felt he needed the option to shot his way out of the concert hall.

Mr. Antheil's book is more the story of his life than a review of his musical life and compositions. He does discuss the writing of his operas, sometimes in rather tedious detail, but he rarely talks about his compositions with any detail. One interesting comment in the book concerns his Fourth Symphony which had been compared to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich. Mr. Antheil revealed that a good portion of the music came from his opera "Transatlantic" and so pre-dated all of the Shostakovich symphonies. Therefore, any similarities in style are coincidental.

We learn a lot from Mr. Antheil about his life and loves and money worries, and there are some interesting anecdotes about Stravinsky, Hemmingway and James Joyce but Mr. Antheil seldom focuses on his realtionships with other famous people. The chapter about Mr. Antheil and Hedy Lamarr inventing a radio controlled torpedo is very interesting but one is left wondering how they set about designing such a thing.

The book also provides an interesting look at Europe, particularly Germany, after the First World War. "Bad Boy of Music" is entertaining if sometimes a bit rambling at times but if you have an interest in Mr. Antheil's music this book is a must read.

If you like the legendary "Autobiography of Edwark Bok" I think you will like this. It is a wonderful and witty book by a man who had a meteoric career and then was, strangely, forgotten. Extremely entertaining, very well written. One of the top 100 books I've ever read.

This book is thoroughly entertaining. From tips on how to control and unruly audience(a pistol works well) to patents on guidance systems for torpedoes this book covers the gamut. Oh yes, he does talk about music. Get a copy of Ballet Mecanique and you will understand Mr. Antheil, bright mind, brilliant technique, tongue firmly in cheek and willing to be audacious 24/7. His music is really quite intriguing. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra played Symphony no. 5 'Joyous' during the 2000-2001 season and introduced me to this under-appreciated, under-performed American composer.

Richard Buller's knowledge seems to have no bounds. With clarity and confidence, the author presents key moments in the life of Lois Moran. He also spends a third of the book exploring her relationship with F. Scott Fitzgerald. Buller had a vast amount of information at his disposal: Moran's journal and autobiographical notes, her son Tim, and Moran herself. Plus, he researched numerous books and contemporary newspaper articles. Intimidated? Don't be. Buller pulls all the pieces of the puzzle together for us, in a seemingly effortless flow of historical events. Don't know the works of Moran or Fitzgerald? Buller provides clear summaries. Then, he takes us to the next level by analyzing how Moran influenced Fitzgerald. In addition, the book provides many pictures with helpful captions. Even if you've never heard of Lois Moran, this is a "must have" for anyone interested in F. Scott Fitzgerald, movies, or the Jazz age.

I suppose I first encountered Lois Moran as most people did, via Scott Fitzgerald's portrayal of her as Rosemary Hoyt, the ingenue in his tragic 1934 romance TENDER IS THE NIGHT. Since Arthur Mizener identified Lois Moran as Rosemary's "original" in his 1950s biography of Fitzgerald THE FAR SIDE OF PARADISE, her name once again became recognizable, and we began to think of her as a silent film star who must have beeen cute, but surely without talent otherwise wouldn't her performances have survived? Now Richard Buller steps forward with this biography of the actress herself, both in and out of her relationship with the great novelist, and his book shows us that she's perhaps even more interesting when considered as an actress alone, and not just a Lolita-like playtoy.

Buller explores the bond between Gladys (Lois Moran's mother) and her daughter, and rebuts the myth that Gladys was a conventional stage mother who disliked her daughter's interest in married men. Gladys is worthy of a book all of her own! She took Lois from their settled life in Pittsburgh and brought her to Paris as a teen to escape the repressive US climate of the day, and to show her daughter life in big beautiful capital letters.

Stardom in the movies was only a sort of lagniappe to Lois, who abandoned Hollywood when she married in 1935. And she was signally a free-lance player, one who evaded the contractual obligations of any one studio (except for a brief and not too happy contract with Fox). That may have precipitated her withdrawal from cultural memory, however, for I think in the classical cinemaa the studio really built their stars up, and the ones who played it free-lance aren't as well remembered today. (We know Clark Gable, for example, better than we know, say, Irene Dunne.)

Buller has uncovered three short stories that Lois Moran wrote about Scott Fitzgerald, it's a shame that his publishers couldn't have authorized their publication in an appendix, for the excerpts he quotes are fascinating. Just as tantalizing are his descriptions of some of Moran's movies. I for one am going to go on a hunger strike until Turner Classic Movies schedules a showing of WEST OF BROADWAY with John Gilbert--the ultimate "bad luck" movie from Buller's description.

Lois Moran went to Broadway and starred in two Gershwin musicals (OF THEE I SING and LET 'EM EAT CAKE), then married an industrialist who ran Pan Am, Clarence Young. In the Youngs' luxury apartment here in SF's North Beach, on Vallejo Street, they hosted a secret wartime conference with FDR, Lindbergh, and other luminaries. I'm going to go there later today and try to talk my way into the graces of the current owners of the building and photograph the room where it all took place. After Clarence and Gladys died, Moran's later struggles with alcohol make for sad reading. What a story! And what a woman!

Lois Moran's life and body of work, so carefully portrayed by Richard Buller, are a living tribute to the wonderment of Lois Moran, the person. Here is a portrait of some eighty years of giving without reservation to the people of this planet.

The author's insightful and diligent research, coupled with some memorable findings in her journals, papers and photographs, have made this book a true and masterfully constructed literary achievement.

I had never heard of Lois Moran - now I am a fan! Richard Buller's fascinating account of this remarkable woman is brilliantly researched and beautifully written. Why more has not been made of this shining Hollywood star is a curious mystery. Happily, Mr. Buller fills us in with style. He describes the era adroitly and offers surprisingly intimate historical nuggets, sly humor, and a deep poignancy that moved this reader to tears. I felt as if I were walking with Lois every step of the way. Like meeting an old friend for the first time. Her gleeful, almost childlike kinship with life attracted sparkling people and events; yet her "grown-up" values guided her to always hone her gifts and to help others. A unique example that despite our heartaches, we can indeed create a "beautiful fairy tale" of our lives. A delightful, revelatory read. Inspiring.

Tonya's book, BeautyQuest, was impossible to put down. Her journey from self-involved model to self-sacrificial minister's wife and mom was fascinating, well-written, and inspiring. And her advice about beauty and self-image is heartfelt and genuine, obviously stemming from experience with the low self-esteem and weight issues associated with many people in the modeling world. Buy this book for yourself, or for a young lady who has stars in her eyes about the fashion industry. I highly recommend it!

Mrs. Ruiz does a great job of telling the fascinating story of her life.
Great applications for all women.

Tonya's book was impossible to put down. Her journey from self-involved model to self-sacrificial minister's wife and mom was fascinating, well-written, and inspiring. And her advice about beauty and self-image is heartfelt and genuine, obviously stemming from experience with the low self-esteem and weight issues associated with many people in the modeling world. Buy this book for yourself, or for a young lady who has stars in her eyes about the fashion industry. I highly recommend it!

Beauty Quest was fun to read! Tonya told lots of exciting stories about the good, bad and ugly world of modeling. The book was inspiring, informative, and courageous.

No matter what your preference in Rock Roll artists, Ben Fong-Torres has interviewed all the big ones from the 60s to present day Sherl Crow. His short but interesting articles were published in Rolling Stone, Parade and various news periodicles. Artists include Mick Jagger, George Harrison, Al Green (twice), Mike Nesmith, Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield along with performers such as Steve Martin. There are also event period pieces such as actors visiting China to bicycle through the country as a good will jesture. There are several biographical sections that cover such topics as Fong-Torres' time as a top 40 DJ, his reflections on the movie Almost Famous("Crazy") while meeting the actor that played him and a sensitive tribute to his older brother who was gunned down in a still unsolved shooting in 1972 with a moving connection to the music of Bach. Fong-Torres has a disarming knack of making his interviewed subjects relax and talk with ease about their life providing a interesting reflection on their life or in the case of Paul McCartnet about how he really felt when hearing of John's death. An excellent book to flip through jumping to the selection of interest and due to concise chapters, a great book to read for pure interest or to enlighten your day in short spurts such as at the beach or during short lunch hours.

For any amount that I've read in pop-music/pop-cultural theory books and 1960s/70s cultural history books, I haven't found anything else yet that even comes close to providing both the breadth of knowledge and first-hand/upcloseandpersonal experience that Becoming Almost Famous offers. As an historical researcher and music fan, Ben Fong-Torres's books (both Becoming Almost Famous and his earlier publication Not Fade Away) are invaluable sources of knowledge and entertainment. For someone who wasn't "there" in the 1960s/1970s, reading these stories is an incredibly enriching and exciting experience. I highly recommend this book; whether you're just starting to read about 1960s/70s music history, or you've been there/done that - it's an insightful, exciting read from start to finish

I bought this book for a vicarious glimpse into the lives of rock stars of the 60s and 70s. I got just that (McCartney, Dylan, the Stones, CSN&Y), but was surprised at other unexpected gems. Like a hysterical review of the very worst lyrics of the era, including:

"He was saying things that weren't true about her
So I let him have it, in the cafeteria" -- Bobby Vee, `Stayin' In"

And a cross-cultural story as Fong-Torres recounts a visit to his family's ancestral village in China, where inquisitive teens want to know "Who was John Lennon?" and a young woman, when asked what she does for a living, replies "Work".

And Grace Slick's unique rationale for motherhood:

"... it's just a small person, and they expand more than animals do... I like animals, but I thought I'd try a human being because they have more happening... you get an old man you dig... and you want to see what the combination will turn out like."

Rock fan or not, you'll enjoy a diverse collection of tales written with wit, warmth, and humor by a veteran of music journalism.

I've been a fan of Ben Fong-Torres' work in "Rolling Stone" since I was a teenager (meaning virtually since he started at RS), and his bi-weekly "Radio Waves" column in the San Francisco Chronicle's Sunday Datebook is the gold standard by which all other media columns are judged. "Becoming Almost Famous" is the latest edition of Ben's Greatest Hits, including his verbal duets with stars running a diverse gamut from Michael Nesmith to Cheech & Chong, and from Joe Cocker to Larry Ching, with the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Janis Joplin, Frank Sinatra and even Olivia Newton-John sitting in for extra measure. "Becoming" includes sterling period pieces: "Janis: The Scene In Larkspur" is a gracious look at Joplin's neighborhood in the days after her death, while "Why Linda Ronstadt Spent Valentine's Day Alone" is a sentimental self interview that reminded me why, even at my advanced age, I still want to be Ben Fong-Torres when I grow up. "Becoming" also gives glimpses of Ben as Disc Jockey, Ben as Brother, Ben as Record Producer, and Ben as The Prototypical Rock Reporter, showing his maturation during the long, strange trip from the 1960s to the 21st Century. I enjoyed every word, and I'm looking forward to the next volume.

If Bernard Shaw were not the second greatest playwright in the English language, this biography would not have such significance; and were it not for Shaw's multidimensional personality, this book would not possess so many fascinating dimensions. Sally Peters acknowledges her debt, and gives us a work without self-conscious authorship. It is a book that invites reading and rereading. Much has been made of Shaw's homosexuality; but Dr. Peters' focus is broader and deeper than that. A story, which often reads like the most engrossing fiction, Bernard Shaw: The Accent of the Superman, is a rewarding resource for any serious student of modern drama.

Peters, Sally. Bernard Shaw: The Accent of the Superman. New Haven: Yale University Press.

If Bernard Shaw were not the second greatest playwright in the English language, this biography would not have such significance; and were it not for Shaw's multidimensional personality, this book would not possess so many fascinating dimensions. Sally Peters acknowledges her debt, and gives us a work without self-conscious authorship. It is a book that invites reading and rereading. Much has been made of Shaw's homosexuality; but Dr. Peters' focus is broader and deeper than that. A story, which often reads like the most engrossing fiction, Bernard Shaw: The Accent of the Superman, is a rewarding resource for any serious student of modern drama.

Was Shaw gay? Dr. Peters builds a convincing argument that he probably was and that he used his vast intellect to erect every possible defense against his homosexual leanings ever coming to sustained expression. I thought I knew Shaw but I will never again look at him again now that I have read this provocative volume. I am giving it only 4 stars, however, because even my interest (and I am a fan of Shaw) could not be sustained for the entire length of this discussion of Shaw's romances/flirtations/avoidances.

This is a complete and wonderful biography of Bernard Shaw. Dr. Peters has written a thorough and fasinating history of a complex man. For the definitive word on Shaw, read this book.

It may sound weird to compare a book about a Jewish playwright's memoir about his career and working with famous director Joe Chaikin to Erica Jong - however, that's what came to mind. I remember when I first read "Fear of Flying" I was so taken with the character, so intrigued by her life and her adventures, that I took the book everywhere with me. This book has Chinese food all over it because I would cross the street from my home to the local Chinese restaurant, sit at the table each night, and spill food on it while enjoying every single word. It is hysterical, very moving and gives one a great deal of insight into the world of a neurotic playwright who is struggling with personal demons - and having the ride of his life. I'm glad the author took us with him.

This is a terrific book. It's a great read, a marvelous look at the struggles of an artist trying to make a living in the theater, and a must buy for anyone who plans to make the theater his or her life.

This book may seem at first glance like something for a "niche" market -- people in the theater or the like -- but it's actually so entertaining, funny, skillfully written, moving and wonderfully offbeat that it speaks to any reader no matter what their interests. Fife has found a way to resonate with the universal experience of success/failure that we all share while still remaining excrutiatingly personal, honest and true to his own real story - and that's what memoir should do! All students of the theater should read this, but so should all students of life. And if you do, I guarentee it won't feel like "studying"...enjoy!

I know that a book is good when I have to put everything else on hold until I finish it. This one grabbed me right from the beginning. On the very first page I felt as though I was the playwright, experiencing the highs and lows of being accepted, rejected and accepted again as an artist. This book was a lot of fun, full of dry wit and good humor. I especially enjoyed getting the inside track into the world of Broadway and film and finding out from a first-hand source what some of those Oscar-winning superstar actors are REALLY like.

Alison J. Waldman crafts a very detailed and comprehensive review of Bette's career until the point the book was written. The best section is the vivid details of the films Bette has made although box office data should have been procured. For fast facts on Bette, there are many and it is nice that a review was included for both the film and music section. To see how a critic felt about Bette's performance whether musically or cinematically is refreshing because it is difficult to find very old reviews from the 80s let alone the 70s. Another interesting section is the details of Bette's possible and still potential projects: to only imagine the various roads Bette career could have taken had she taken some of these projects. A very pleasing book though not as good and comprehensive as Waldman's BARBRA STREISAND SCRAPBOOK. Look for Bette's upcoming tour, her tribute CD to Rosemary Clooney with Barry Manilow and a 2004 film release of STEPFORD WIVES with Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick and Glenn Close. Maybe another of these scrapbooks should be crafted because Bette is getting busy again like she was in the late 90s and 2000.

I thought this book was the most incredible book I've ever read! This is a book for any REAL Bette Midler fan!

After seeing this book on the self, I knew that I had to buy it! The cover alone will grab you in and won't let go. After reading her biography, seeing her life in photographs makes it even more meaningful and special. The Divine Miss M shines through with style and carisma, even through the hard times. This is a classic that cannot be ignored by the "true" Bette Midler fan.

Just so you know I am the hugest ~*Bette Midler*~ fan in the whole solar system and this book just reinforces how incredible she is. She's such an amazing woman and if you don't think so before, you definitly will when you're done reading. Even though I'm just sixteen she's my idol and this book is a must for any real Bette fan!!! :)

I got this one in hardback from the public library before I bought this paperback version. I liked the hardback version, but I was disappointed with the paperback version and here's why:

It appears as if the pictures are copies of copies of copies taken out of the the original hardback and copied right on some copier rather than done correctly all over again, and there is at least one VERY GOOD picture M I S S I N G!!!!--one of my favorites--where Bob is reading a magazine or paper up close and he has his hat on. NOT DONE RIGHT IS ALSO A TOP FAVORITE: the one where Bob Dylan is playing chess at a French cafe--REALLY REALLY GOOD ONE, I love that one very much--but it still seems COPY OF COPY OF COPY quality--IT IS DARK AND GRITTY. The quality of the pictures in the original hardback book are FAR superior. and I SEE it. I did a copy of the one at the cafe on a copier before I returned the book to the library and believe me it is BETTER quality than the one in this paperback version!!! AAAAHHHHH!!! Maybe people won't notice, but I do notice it. Unfortunately I had to return the hardback book to the library.

P L E A S E TELL THE PUBLISHER TO R E D O THIS BOOK PROPERLY AND RESPECT Bob Dylan's fans because we want quality pictures. This book deserves to be done again properly. Paperback is okay to save the forests, but the quality of the pictures has something to do with the process and technology that they use. They just dished out a paperback version and copied the pictures from some other copies (as I see it) just to make money with no concern about the QUALITY OF THE PICTURES.

May I also suggest Dylan: Visions, Portraits & Back Pages as a book with FAR FAR FAR FAR SUPERIOR quality pictures and it even costs less!

Please do this PICTURE BOOK all over again, PUBLISHERS!!! These pictures deserve FIRST QUALITY production.

These photos will absolutely break your heart.
They will break your heart absolutely. If you love Dylan and the mythology he created around himself, this book will give you a glimpse behind the curtain. The images of Joan Baez and Dylan are so gorgeous you'll want to duck out of your busy life and cry for five crucial minutes. The image of a back-lit Bob and a shadowy Joan in profile is a just, simple ode to these monoliths. These photos give us what we've intimated about Bob all along.

many of these photos became icons over the years. not only absorbing photos of dylan, but classics of the photographic art. dylan was lucky during this period to be photographed by so many excellent photographers: kramer's work is the best

This seems to be a reprint of a book that first came out in the 60's. I still have my copy but it's a smaller format than this reprint. It is chock full of great photos of Dylan being whimsical and eccentric, posing in a studio setting. Very professional. All seem to be from the "Highway 61 Revisited" period (1965)when Dylan affected a "mod" style of clothes, including polka-dot shirts and Beatle boots. This is a treasure for any Dylan addict. Except for one essay, the book is all photos without text.

Bob Dylan fans will enjoy this book that features over 100 pages of Dylan quotes on subjects ranging from music, the 60's, drugs, love, his idols, songwriting, and more. Everybody knows that Dylan was a wily and occasionally malicious interviewee, and this book reflects that. I laughed out loud several times at his witticisms directed back at the hollow questiosn that were put to him. However, there are some very pointed answers that he serves up here as well, that seemingly give a real insight into his persona, his life, and his views. There are also a lot of high-quality pictures. My only complaint is that the book is a little short-you can easily read it all in one setting, though it's probably a book that you'll go back to time and again to see what Dylan offered up on a particular subject-it would have been nice, for instance, if it had a section where Dylan commented upon particular songs of his, such as was done in the Leonard Cohen book in the "In His Own Words" series. Still, Dylan interviews are always hard to come by, and this is the best copendium you'll find featuring them.

This is really a (the) great book for the base of a Dylan book
collection. Each of the 112 pages comprising this paperback
has at least one photograph, and many pages have two or three!
In my mind the pictures alone are worth a binding of their own. They
include many of his co-workers, and famous peers. After looking
at all of them for the first time, you really get a "feel" for
the environment in which he has been working (living) for the
last 30 - 40 years.

The entire collection of quotes (quotes and pictures are all you get, folks)
are catagorized by a plethora of topics, which enables quick referencing,
so you really should learn ALOT about his PERSONALITY.
I say "personality" because the quotes are in
conversational mode, candid, ranginging from silly quips and
understatements to very sincere and thoughtful comments; the way
I imagine he shares with intimates. This is not a stilted,
unemotional, professional collection of aphorisms, and I feel better informed
as a result.

This book contains a compilation of Dylan's own words, transcribed from interviews, press conferences, radio, and TV shows. Complete with scores of pictures, In His Own Words is a must for any Dylan fan. Dylan dons persona after persona, and the results are quite entertaining.

A must for any Bob Dylan fan, this book contains an ecclectic collection of Dylan's responses to reporters and others.