Reviews Books

Still have not recived shippment, long overdue and I am very annoyed as I really needed that book urgently....

The book is great as I have used it before, but your shippment service is extrememly poor....

The U-FE framework is primarily a text about user focused evaluation. I have found this text to be both useful and comforting. The usefulness of the book begins with taking a novice evaluator, I am one, through some very basic activities to help build evaluation skills of professionals.
Patton starts with the rationale the many evaluations are unused. Then he builds his case for use throughout the entire text. He continues to develop the strengths and weaknesses of goal based and goal free evaluation. Ultimately he states that evaluations need to have use for primary users and that evaluations need to measure client outcomes. Did the program actually change, maintain, prevent something in the target population.
There are few books in any profession that admit working with human based systems is very difficult. Patton lays out the highly complex feelings and emotions that an evaluator deals with at any point in the evaluation process. I know as a teacher that sometimes our profession misses that we have a tremendous impact on students. I know that it is a platitude. Evaluation is a relatively new field with few institutions currently offering degrees in evaluation, so Patton offers a lot of insight into this highly complex and still developing field.
There are some very practical menus offered in the text as well. Approaching any consulting work with a list of viable and workable choices is a good thing. I find that understanding the choices helps me to focus on what is right for the primary users of the evaluation. Focusing on the primary intended users is good business. Not only is it good business, but I believe that working in challenging situations it is good to allow people to decide what course to take. Many criticize this approach for being to close to the program being evaluated, and I disagree with this notion. There is little evidence in my experience or in the literature to suggest that any interaction with human systems can be objective. People are smart and keeping a distance may add unintended consequences to any evaluation.
Patton is suggesting working with intended users to increase evaluation use. Evaluation that are completed and never used is a waste of time and resources. I find Patton's book helpful in keeping my interest in evaluation because I do want to be part of a world that I can help make better.

One of the most important books on evaluation ever written, and this third edition is better than ever. How to ensure that evaluation results are put to maximum use, by involving key stakeholders as true partners in the effort from start to finish. This is evalution for the new century at its finest. And fun to read as well.

I found this book to provide a very useful summary of a philosophy of evaluation that seems very valuable. Despite the horrible title the test is easy to read, and scattered with funny stories which may be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your perspective.

The first two parts are largely philosophical, with the later parts providing more of the practical back-up.

I am not convinced by all of Patton's arguments, but he certainly gives evaluators food for thought.

This is a fascinating book! It tells at least three stories simultaneously: the birth pangs of television; American cultural and political history in the 1950s; and the relationship between Jack Gould and both his employers and his media. There's an excellent introduction which introduces Jack Gould, and his biography by itself is interesting. Most absorbing for me, however, was reading Gould's take on the nascent medium of television: was it better for news or art? was it the same as theatre? did it have a duty to the American public to cover certain events? what were its educational limits? Some of his criticisms of tv are astonishingly contemporary. Others are clearly of a different era. The book is spiced with personalities that many of us know--Elvis Presley, Lucille Ball, Howdy Doody, David Brinkley--and Gould's take on them is fun to read.

Also illuminating are Gould's views of historical events: the quiz show scandals, the blacklist of the Red Scare, the "rise and fall of Edward R. Murrow." Gould championed actress Jean Muir, who was dealt an unfair hand in the 1950s, and his columns help explain how the blacklist worked from the inside. I particularly liked questions Gould asked about children's television programming and the responsibilities of the news shows.

Mostly, though, this book is marvelous to read because Gould was such a lively writer. His columns are full of real zingers that run side by side with his ruminations on American society, culture, politics, and values in the Cold War era. Despite the age of the columns reprinted here, the book provides much to ponder today, which is why I'm buying this for many people on my holiday list. People who lived through the 1950s will be just as interested as folks in their 20s and 30s. I highly recommend this book; even if you've never considered reading about television or cultural critics before you will get so much out if it. It will make you think about what's on your set today, and it's just _so_ wonderfully written!

Since I was born well after Jack Gould's retirement..it was exciting to feel the development and growing pains of the medium..through the columns Gould published. Lewis Gould's profile of the man and his life added to the sense of connection I felt to him..

You feel television's evolution...as if you were there.

Jennifer Salem
Antioch California

Born well after Jack Gould's retirement..it is exciting to feel the development and growing pains of the medium..through the columns Gould published. Lewis Gould's profile of the man and his life added to the sense of connection I felt to him..

You feel television's evolution...as if you were there.

Jennifer Salem
Antioch California

I have spent a delightful day reading this book, which brings together more than seventy columns written by the late Jack Gould, television critic for the New York Times from 1947 until his retirement in 1972. Not being from New York or a regular reader of the Times until after Gould retired, I must confess that I had never previously read any of his media criticism. This book has been a most welcome surprise.

The critic's son, Lewis Gould, a distinguished scholar in American history, selected the reviews that appear in this volume and also provided a remarkably candid and objective assessment of both his father and his influence. Insights about television, political figures--American culture in general--can be found throughout. Among the topics that Jack Gould considered were Edward R. Murrow, the quiz show scandals of the fifties, blacklisting, and live drama. As a baby boomer, I particularly enjoyed reading about two of the most memorable television performers of my childhood, "Miss Frances" of "Ding Ding School" and the inimitable Pinky Lee. Perceptive, too, is his assessment of the phenomenon that was--and is--Lucille Ball.

Some months ago the TODAY show celebrated, with much fanfare, its fiftieth anniversary on the air. But what was the show like in its earliest days? Gould tells us, in a no-holes-barred critique that NBC executives later admitted spurred changes in the program's format and presentation. Readers will find here in its entirety the review that Gould wrote in January 1952 in which he bluntly said that TODAY "needs a lot of work." "Thus far," he concluded, "TODAY has been excessively pretentious and ostentatious and unreasonably confusing and complex." Gould did not throw softballs!

In September 1952 Gould recognized that Nixon's so-called Checkers Speech, while "effective," might herald a turning point in the nature of political campaigning. Gould praised the embattled Nixon (who was on the ropes because of allegations that he benefited from an illegal "slush fund") for his "earnest" and "persuasive" presentation of his side of the story. Unfortunately, "the second half of the program saw Senator Nixon succumb to theatrics," as he attempted to grab the audience's heart with his tale of the cocker spaniel that had been given to his two young daughters. In Gould's judgment "there is a very real danger in superimposing the methods of show business in politics." He cautioned that the American public should "hold the line against television turning politics into a coast-to-coast vaudeville show or a daytime serial."

Any reader interested in television, media studies, or America at mid-century would find much of value in this collection.

If you were ever interested in any silent film comedies, then you must have this book. Besides profiling the major comedians like Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Langdon, and Laurel and Hardy, this book has large articles on W.C. Fields, Raymond Griffith, Lupino Lane, Colleen Moore, Larry Semon, Mabel Normand and others. One "classic" film from each is discussed in detail. Just about every obscure comedian that ever appeared in their own series or as a supporting player. There are also sections on topics such as different types of comedy, European comedy, etc. There are also plenty of illustrations. This is one reference book that a silent comedy fan will always want to have near.

As in his previous books on Laurel & Hardy, The Marx Brothers and Charlie Chaplin, British author Glenn Mitchell has brought his unique insight and wonderful writing style to this encyclopedia on silent film comedy. This book will delightfully jog the memory of almost anyone who had ever enjoyed a silent fun fest. Everyone is here from legends such as Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd and Langdon...to the more obscure such as Lloyd Hamilton, John Bunny, and even the Ton of Fun! You too can have a ton of fun within the pages of this bit of must reading for any film comedy fan.

When you are a silent film comedy enthusiast, a book like this one is a must. There are very few reference books on silent film comedy, making this book essential for one's collection. Many books cover information about the stars, but very few cover the rich and varied history of the film studios famous or otherwise, another big plus for this book. Praise to Mr. Mitchell for his meticulous and massive research. The only improvements to this book would be a larger format and filmographies. And now Mr. Mitchell, when will your Keaton encyclopedia be coming out?

British film historian Glenn Mitchell has once again produced a most welcome paperback dealing with silent screen comedy. This time, Mr. Mitchell covers the entire spectre, from Jimmy Adams to Tammany Young, thus succeeding where others in recent years have utterly failed. There are plenty of places where to look up pertinent information on Keaton, Chaplin, Lloyd, etc.; even Charley Chase now has a biography on the market. But where can you read about the careers of Dee Lampton, the fat boy in "A Night in the Show," or George Ovey, of the long-ago "Cub Comedies"? Only in Mr. Mitchell's fine -- and thankfully! -- reasonably priced book. The "A-Z of Silent Film Comedy" is a must-have for any serious film scholar and highly recommended even for the casual fan.

Plenty of Billboard-type guides provide chart lists of hit albums and many a music book discusses key albums; but this is the first to select 100 albums with lasting influence on popular music trends, and should be considered an essential reference for any collection strong in popular music history. Analysis includes notes from critics, insights on music history, release dates and notes, and clear surveys of why the albums are to be considered groundbreakers.

Chris Smith takes what could have turned into a self indulgent top 10 list and instead manages to tell an insightful and witty narrative with Music as the main character. It is captivating for fans of music and academically rigorous for those who really want to use it as a "reference guide". In any case, it is entertaining enough to never be demeaned to a door stop and you will no doubt find albums listed therein you never thought you would want, but now suddenly find you need. I highly recommend it.

What a great book! I love music but don't know all that much about it, and this book told me just what I wanted to know about my favorite albums of all time. The book devotes 2-3 pages to each album, providing fascinating details about the album's historical context, creation, musical style, and long-term significance. All of the entries are written in a clear, engaging style that made me want to keep reading. In addition to covering classic albums by figures like Elvis and Miles Davis, the book covers more recent albums by current stars like Eminem and the Dixie Chicks, which i found particularly interesting. Highly recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in music!

I bought this book for 99 cents figuring I had nothing to lose. I was shocked at the reading pleasure it brought to me!

This book is extremely entertaining for readers of all kinds. It provides basic information for well over 100 different television series as well as little-known facts and a look at how the television programs influenced culture.

Also not to be missed are the photographs included. While many of the photos are well-known, they are all beautifully displayed with vibrant color. Most intriguing were photographs of Lucille Ball and Mary Tyler Moore, although there are great photos from shows such as The X-Files, Star Trek, The Simpsons, and many others.

I also like how, in addition to the "100 Greatest Shows Ever," the reader is also treated to the top 10 shows in other various genres. The book really makes you rethink the entertainment that television can provide. Buy it -- you won't regret it!

I totally love this book! It is so entertaining, and just a terrific way to spend time. You can see everything you want to know about the top shows, and it's just terrific to read through, especially if you want to know about the top shows.

If you love TV then this is the book for you. Contains beautiful color and black and white photos and just enough information on all of the shows featured. All sidebars contain: Years on the air, top nielsen charting, and # of emmys won, as well as other interesting goodies like quotes from critics trashing great shows like Seinfeld, All in the Family, The X-Files,and Everybody Loves Raymond when they first aired. Go buy this book!

I love the pictures! This is a must for 24 fans, or anyone who likes Kiefer.

If you are a fan of 24 then this book is a MUST BUY! Tara goes very in depth for each season, hour by hour. It is put together perfectly and is LOADED with information on the show and the behind the scene stuff as well. GREAT book for the 24 fan in your life! Tara also wrote a companion guide for Seasons 1 and 2 also and again...you must get that one also. She interviews all the stars of 24 on a regular basis and that, along with her gift of writing, makes this book stand out. Again, you HAVE TO BUY THIS BOOK if you are a 24 fan!

This is such an Awesome Show, It's nice to actually see what's behind the cameras and this book does it well

IT TELLS HOW THEY PUT THE SHOW TOGETOTHER AND TI ALSO GIVE A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO THE SHOW. BUT IT STILL LEFT ME A LITTLE CONFUSE AND IAM A FAN OF THIS SHOW AND I STILL DO NOT GET WHST THE HELL THEY ARE DOING TO THE SHOW.

Terry J. Erdmann has chosen a great direction for exactly what he discusses in "The 4400: the Official Companion Seasons 1 and 2" that places this and his previous work for the official "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion" well above episode guides for any other series. This guide has all the right stuff. No offense to the crew, but it didn't waste time on technical details like special effects, stunt coordination, or location shoots. It just focussed on the writers' inspirations and difficulties, the actors' experiences, and the studio and network producers' thoughts. My one complaint about it was that there wasn't enough of what it already had. I just wanted more -- more stories and funny anecdotes from the actors and writers, more discussion by the writers about how they came up with certain ideas, who exactly came up with what, and who wrote what.

One aspect that either wasn't covered or was barely touched upon was the political exploration of the show. In Seasons 1 and 2, The 4400 discusses issues of religion, identity politics among a minority, and the conflict between freedom and security. Just as with Ira Steven Behr's guidance of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," we increasingly find here serious and fair illustration of historical issues that have only come to the fore of the mainstream US media's focus (and only superficially so) in the post-9/11 world. There are certain thematic links between that pre-9/11 series and this one. Later seasons of The 4400 additionally delve into the nature and causes of terrorism, torture, religious fundamentalism, religious and political revolutionary movements (including rarely-expressed doubt among leaders), the complicated nature of faith (because religious motivations are always complemented by pragmatic concerns), and conflicting visions of the good society between socialist equality and hierarchical, unfettered capitalism. (I've written some Season 4 reviews on tv.com and other sites in an effort to bring to light these themes and connect them to historical and present-day issues.)

Unlike most TV fiction that formulaically posits a conflict between our absolutely good heroes and some inherent evil in "the other," The 4400 increasingly succeeds in mimicking the real world by avoiding absolutes; all the heroes are fallible, and all adversaries have the potential for kindness. It shows quite brilliantly that conflict comes from varying perceptions and interests and not between good and evil, as some world leaders would have us believe. It might be a good idea to explore the political nature of The 4400 in future guides, especially for Seasons 3 and 4, and -- hopefully -- seasons beyond.

It's definitely as much a testament to the show as to Mr. Erdmann's wonderful work that he has written a guide leaving me starving for even more insight into this dramatically-realistic and increasingly politically-insightful series.

When I purchased this book I thought it would just be an episode guide and maybe a character summary. I was wrong. This book is complete with developing the show, hiring the actors, episode guide, character summary, and story line development. This is an absolute must for any 4400 fan.

This a very well presented book. It's legible, atractive and concise. It's very usefull material in reviewing differents and importants subjects in the surgical area for rounds, discussions and presentations with my medicine students and surgery residents.

How many times have you taken a written exam, an oral board type test, or been bombarded with questions while on hospital rounds that simple textbook consultation failed to prepare you to handle? This book is great for medical students doing surgery rotations as well as general surgery residents trying to improve their knowledge base. I read it twice during my surgery residency and found it quite helpful. Shell out a few bucks and buy this book. It's worth it.

This book is like having all the best advice one might hear during a 6 week clerkhsip condensed into a few dozen hours reading. Not to be missed

Sophie Aldred was the last companion for the longed lived Doctor Who program. She and special effects wizard Mike Tucker give their thoughts on the last three seasons of the show. The book is filled with pictures from the show and behind the scenes. It also contains quotes from various people including Sylvester McCoy, AKA the Seventh (and final of the series) Doctor. It really is a good read, whether you like Sophie or just like Doctor Who in general. It also contains mainly behind the scenes antics, even the infamous tank scene, where Sylvester became an actual hero.

This really is a perfect companion book to go in any collection.

This book has it all; full colour pictures, many from the private collections of Sophie and SFX creator Mike Tucker, the technical working of the show, and witty, genuine commentary from Sophie herself. By reading this book you get a real understanding of how episodes in the Ace era were produced, what the cast and crew thought of them, and what they got up to on set. Sophie is full of information, and you'll want go back and watch all your videos again and go "Ah! i know how they did that!"

If the cover of Sophie Aldred having dealt the Black Dalek with her aluminum bat doesn't convince Who fans that she's the toughest companion since Leela of the Tom Baker era, nothing will. Sophie is well-placed to tell her experiences in Doctor Who, as she was the series' last companion. She came in the wake of a tough transition in Doctor Who's history--following the dismissal of Colin Baker and the installing of Sylvester McCoy, Sophie was chosen to succeed Bonnie Langford as the new companion.

Mike Tucker, her collaborator of this work, was the visual effects designer during Doctor Who's dying days. He too provides his point of view and remembrances with equal aplomb.
In each of her nine stories (Dragonfire, Remembrance Of The Daleks, The Happiness Patrol, Silver Nemesis, The Greatest Show In The Galaxy, Battlefield, Ghost Light, The Curse Of Fenric, and Survival) she provides vivid commentary and detail from her diary of her experiences. There's lots of behind the scenes photographs in B&W and colour, early design sketches, listings of the cast and production team, director, story number, number of episodes and date broadcast--it's pretty comprehensive.

And yes, the famous incident of her while shooting Battlefield is included. Basically, she was in a water-filled tank and was to be pulled up. Sylvester McCoy noticed the glass bulging and then... CRACK! Sylvester shouted for the crew to lift her out, which they did, before anything happened to her. She also tells about this in the More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS video.

Considering how she was one of the few ex-alumni of Who to come out in the More Than... video, it shows how much she loved the show. She was very heartbroken when Sylvester McCoy told her that there wasn't going to be a 27th season, and that too is included in the book.

At the end of the book are photos and text of some of her post-Who efforts, including More Than A Messiah, an episode of the Stranger, the short-lived Colin Baker series, and Shakedown, a Who-spin off that not only featured the return of the troll-like Sontarans but paired her with Carole Ann Ford, Dr. Who's first ever companion. Then there's an interview where she tells what her favourite story was, plus her favourite Doctor. I have to commend her on her answer--she has good taste.

This is a splendid companion-piece after watching any of the 7th-Doctor/Ace stories. If you can find this book--get it. Break through hoardes of Daleks to get this treasure.

Wonderful and delightful. A combination of the Wonderful Magic the world of Disney brings us, along with the encouragement and lessons that will lead a child to the begining of love for self and life.

This book combines classic animated feature frames with lines from their movies that will move, touch, inspire, and delight anyone and everyone. Makes a great gift. Deffinetly worth reading and keeping on your coffee table for easy reference.

This book is truly to be a favorite for any Disney fan. Not only is it inspirational, but it is fun at the same time. Seeing all of the Disney characters,and their quotes,brings back many memories. It's amazing how all of the quotes from the Disney characters can really be applied to your own life. I highly reccomend this book for any one. It also makes a great gift for a friend who may be going through a rough time. It definatley will make them smile!